The Minor Family of Somerset

The Van Tassel Family History Homepage
"A Pedigree Partly Indian, Partly Batavian"

Philipsburgh Manor

March 15, 1782
Petition Of Patriot Refugees,
To The Honorable Senate and Assembly, of New York
Tho, your petitioners, many of whom have large families, are lab
oring under indigent circumstance by being daily exposed to th
e inhuman and barberous ravages of a cruel enemy. That we hav
e been exposed to inexpressible hardships in watching and guardi
ng our families, and property, not daring to sleep in our house
s at night. That the situation we are placed in by the fortune
s of War, hath not been out of choice, but necessity. Many of u
s have repeatedly applied to the Commissioners ofSequestratio
n for places in the back counties of the State, but could not g
et any relief.
Your Honors will readily perceive, upon the least reflectiono
n our situation, the many disadvantages and inconveniences we la
bor under,and how uneasy and disagreeable our lives must be; an
d that we would gladlyand cheerfully embrace the opportunity o
f retiring from a place of such iminent danger, could we see an
y prospect of supporting our families in peace andsafety. Bu
t as we have no such agreeable prospect before us, and having be
en for several years inured to these hardships and dangers, we w
ould endeavorto make ourselves as easy as our circumstances an
d situation would admit, provided we could be suffered by the la
ws of our State and the impotence of ourinhuman enemies to rema
in and continue in this deplorable and dangerous situation unti
l we are favored with an opportunity of a more safe and agreeabl
eplace of abode.
We therefore earnestly and humbly entreat your Honors to suspen
d the sale of the lands that we occupy under the Commissioners o
f Sequestration, in Westchester COunty, for if they are now sold
, a great number of us being unable to buy, must inevitably be t
urned out of doors, or what will be almost as bad, put into th
e hands of speculators and monopolists. Leavingthe matter to o
ur wise deliberation, we sHall wait impatiently for your determi
nation, which, if it be in our favor, and the good of the commun
ity, we sHall ever pray you, &c.
Capt. Sybout Acker William Paulding William Acker
Abraham Orser Abraham Williams Jacob Acker
Capt. Jonas Orser Nathan Fish AbrahamAcker
Capt. Israel Honeywell Jonathon Odell John Odell
Lieut. Jacob Van Tassel Thomas Champenois Jacob Len
t
Lieut. Thomas Bice William VanWart Job Sherwood
David See Jacob Wildey Joseph Devoe
John Paulding John DeanJohn Van Wart
Jacob Van Wart, Jr. Denis Garrison Gerret Van Wart
Joseph Paulding Peter Syfer Jacob Van Wart, Sr.

Westchester County Court Records N-S
Orser,Abraham 1783 Common Pleas: Non Est Inventus A - 311 (49)
L [6]
THE SETTLEMENT OF PHILIPSBURGH
By MacKenzie, entered by Lisa Shea
The old record book ofthe "Christian Church of the Manor of Phi
lipsburgh" begun in 1715, gives thefollowing account of the ori
gin of the Manor :- "About the year of our LordJesus Christ 168
0, his Royal Majesty of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, D
efender of the Faith etc., was pleased to agree by prerogative
, consentand license, to Grant to the Hon. Lord Frederick Phili
pse to purchase withoutrestriction at a real estate sale, a cer
tain stretch of land and valley lying in Westchester County in A
merica, beginning at the North of Spuytenduyvel Creek and extend
ing Northward along the River to the kill of Kitchewang, as spec
ified in the license and patent Granted by the state." * The roy
al patentwas Granted in 1693 when Frederick Philipse was confir
med as lord of the manor known as Philipse Manor or the Manor o
f Phil