Odds and Ends: Herkimer/Montgomery Bulletin Board - Part 2



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7/26/99
Worth passing on is Stu Hotchkiss's response to a correspondent who asked "What was Schuyler's Patent?":

There were 4 distinct Schuyler Patents in NY State, but only one of these was in Otsego county. It is dated 3 June 1755, and consisted of 43,000 acres. It was a patent to "David Schuyler and others".* Because the patent predated the formation of the counties in which it lies, part of it is also in Herkimer and Oneida counties. In a description of Herkimer county, identified as a "Tract", Schuyler's Patent is listed as having been patented to Abraham Lynsen and 21 others in 1755, encompassing 43,000 acres.**

Some related history to put everything in perspective: Montgomery county was formed from "the original" Albany county on March 12, 1772, under the name of "Tryon County", but this name was changed to Montgomery county on April 2, 1784.

Otsego county was erected (="formed") from Montgomery county on 16 Feb, 1791. The first settlement was made at Cherry Valley (site of the infamous massacre in 1778) in 1740 by John Lindesay of Scotland. *** Herkimer county similarly was formed from Montgomery county on that same date, but it had been settled earlier in 1722 by a colony of Palatinates.****

* "Gazetteer of the State of New York" by J. H. French. (R. Pearsall Smith, Syracuse NY. 1860). pg 51
** Ibid, pg. 341, 342
*** Ibid, pg. 531
**** Ibid, pg. 342




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Last Updated: 7/3/99
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