When our visitors come across an interesting item that may be helpful to others they often send them in. If you've enjoyed a book or article you'd like to talk about, have a hot research tip, found a reference or document that doesn't fit into your family that someone else could use, or would like to share some odd (and small) items that don't fit in anywhere else on our site - send them in! Put "Odds and Ends" in your subject line and we'll give it a look.
***Odds & Ends is also the place to ask questions about the counties, or research techniques in the counties, that aren't related to specific families and surnames.*** We'll post your question and other visitors can respond to you directly. This is your place to show off your own knowledge...or admit you need a little help or advice.
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