The property included in this purchase of the Holland Land Company in the
vicinity of Cazenovia was acquired, in the main, not by patents from the
State, but by the purchase of lands originally patented to other parties.
Until the passage of certain acts of the Legislature in 1796 and 1797,
the title was never invested in the Holland Land Company or its individual
members, but was usually taken by Messrs. Herman LeRoy and William Bayard,
merchants and bankers in New York City, who acted as purchasing agents
for the Company (Footnote #1). The tract
includes:
(A)--A tract of 48,074 acres lying in the "Gore"
between the "Twenty Townships" and the "Military Lands" (being the southern
2/3 of the town of DeRuyter, Madison County, and all of the towns of Lincklaen
and Pitcher in Chenango County);
(B)--A tract of 16,000 acres immediately south of
the former (being all of the town of German in Chenango County);
(C)--The "Road Township" of 25,325 acres adjoining
the first mentioned tract on the north (this was subdivided into four portions)
(being the southern half of the town of Cazenovia and the northern 1/3
of the town of DeRuyter);
(D)--Township No. 1 of the "Twenty Townships," containing
27,187 acres (being all of the town of Nelson).
On August 13, 1791 this tract was sold by the State to John W. Watkins and Royal Flint at 3 shillings and 8 pence per acre -- of which one-sixth part was to be paid in six months and the residue in two equal installments, one in nine months, and the other in eighteen months. The original purchase, as shown by a document executed February 28, 1792, was for account of a syndicate of seven individuals: Royal Flint, Jonathan Lawrence, Robert C. Livingston, John Lamb, Melancton Smith, James Watson, and John W. Watkins, as tenants in common. On April 18, 1792 Royal Flint conveyed his one-seventh interest to John W. Watkins for a consideration of $7,000.
It was in October, 1792 that Mr. Lincklaen examined this tract and was favorably impressed with it. Negotiations were promptly entered into for its purchase by the agents of the Holland Land Company and on the 12th of November, 1792 Messrs. LeRoy and Bayard, acting for the Holland Land Company, acquired the title to an undivided five-sevenths interest in the entire tract for the sum of £4,932. They also secured a deed from James Watson on November 29, 1792, of his one-seventh interest, the consideration being £1,158; and on February 22, 1793 they secured from James Lamb a deed to the final one-seventh interest for the consideration of £3,433.
The actual letters patent from the State, in accordance with the original contract of sale, were issued on January 14, 1793, to John W. Watkins, and on the 27th of the same month, for a nominal consideration, he conveyed the property by deed to Messrs. LeRoy and Bayard.
The title had now passed practically into the hands of the Holland Land
Company; though before it stood nominally as such upon the records a number
of subsequent deeds are recorded -- such as that of December 24, 1793 by
Herman LeRoy and William Bayard to James McEvers for a nominal consideration;
that on January 12, 1794 by James McEvers to Herman LeRoy, William Bayard,
and Jan Lincklaen; that on February 9, 1798 by Herman LeRoy, William Bayard,
and Jan Lincklaen to Paul Busti; one on July 10, 1798 by Paul Busti to
Herman LeRoy, William Bayard, James McEvers, John Lincklaen, and Gerrit
Boon in trust for certain members of the Holland Land Company specifically
named; and a final deed of February 15, 1799 from the trustees above mentioned
to the members of the Holland Land Company.
On July 29, 1791 this tract was sold by the State to John W. Watkins and Augustus Sackett at the rate of 35 shillings and 5½ pence per acre. On November 12, 1792 (shortly after Mr. Lincklaen's examination of the land), Watkins and Sackett sold the property to Messrs. LeRoy and Bayard for £3,400. The letters patent were issued by the State to John W. Watkins on June 14, 1793, and deed executed from him to Messrs. LeRoy and Bayard on the 29th of the same month.
This put the property in the control of the Holland Land Company, though
it was subsequently subject to the same transfers as the larger tract mentioned
above.
1. On January 11th, 1793, the Commissioners of the Land Office passed a resolution granting to Edward Edwards ("in consideration of his having explored, opened, and made a road from the point where the road laid out by Jacob Delamater, Peter Van Gaasbeck, and James Oliver did terminate on the West branch of the Delaware River to the south end of the Cayuga Lake, agreeable to his contract entered into with the said Commissioners on the first day of April A.D. 1791") 15,000 acres of land to be later selected between the "Twenty Townships" and the "Military Tract."
Edwards executed a power of attorney on January 28, 1793 to Herman LeRoy. Previous to this, however, the property had passed into the control of White Matlack, of New York City, from whom Messrs. LeRoy and Bayard had purchased it on August 28, 1792, at five shillings per acre. Letters patent were issued on October 20, 1794. A deed from Edwards to Herman LeRoy and Jan Lincklaen followed on January 19, 1795. (Being the northern 1/2 of the Road Township which is most of the southern half of the town of Cazenovia, excepting C-2 which lies to the south and is also in Cazenovia.)
2. An additional 5,000 acres was granted to Benjamin Hovey. Hovey deeded this on February 2, 1792, to White Matlack of New York City, who subsequently assigned it to Messrs. LeRoy and Bayard under articles of agreement -- the consideration being five shillings per acre.
The letters patent, however, were issued to Benjamin Hovey on October 20, 1794, and on March 15, 1795 the title passed from Benjamin Hovey and wife to Messrs. LeRoy and Lincklaen -- the consideration stated in the deed being $2,812. (Being the very southern part of the town of Cazenovia.)
3. The Commissioners of the Land Office had granted to Gorham & Phelps 5,000 acres in the same "road township" on account of their opening of a road "from the Oneyda Castle to the Mohawk River." Their claim was transferred to White Matlack and from him it passed to Messrs. LeRoy and Bayard, who received letters patent on December 28, 1801. (This and C-4 comprise the northern 1/3 of the town of DeRuyter.)
4. There remained a small strip of land 352 chains and 30 links
in length (23,252 ft., 4.4 mi., 7.1 km.), by 9 chains and 23 links (609
ft., 0.1 mi., 0.2 km.) in width, at the extreme south end of the original
"Road Township." Messrs. LeRoy and Bayard having come into the possession
of the land adjoining, secured from the State on October 20, 1794 letters
patent to this strip of 325 acres. (Now a part of the town of Deruyter.)
The Commissioners of the Land Office on July 15, 1791 accepted
an application made by Alexander Webster, Edward Savage, and John Williams
to purchase this tract at 3 shillings and 6 pence per acre, one-sixth to
be paid October 1, 1791, and the residue in two equal installments, April
1, 1792, and January 1, 1793. On August 28, 1792 White Matlack of
New York City, who had come into possession of the rights accruing under
this contract, transferred all interest in them to Messrs. LeRoy and Bayard
for the consideration of five shillings per acre, and on November 9, 1792
Messrs. Webster, Savage, and Williams, the original parties to the contract,
executed an assignment of their rights for a nominal consideration.
Footnote #1
It was not until several Legislative Acts, specifically those of April
11, 1796 [19:58] and February 24, 1797 [20:27], and several later acts,
that alien non-citizens of the United States were allowed to hold real
estate.