CHAPTER 111.

ROELOFF SWARTWOUT, SCHOUT OF ESOPUS.

1634-1715.

THE hostilities in 1616 between the Mohawk and Mohegan Indians having caused the colonists at Fort Orange to abandon the settlement and be conveyed to New Amsterdam, no steps were taken to induce others to occupy and cultivate land on the Upper Hudson until Kiliaen van Rensselaer, one of the wealthy stockholders of the West -India Company, became a patron of New Netherland.

The lords-directors of the company, believing that an enriching revenue could be derived from the country should its territory be divided into manors and these be granted under certain privileges and exemptions to proprietary lords called patrons {patroous), formally approved, June 7, 1629, this plan for the colonization of the province, which was duly ratified and confirmed by their High Mightinesses, the Lords States-General of the United Netherlands.

…to be continued…