 |
While investigating Bethlehem's Revolutionary War soldiers, we've already talked about Arie Van Wie.* Also on the List are John Van Wie and Peter Van Wie. I'm researching those two now, and wondering if I have to add Isaac, Hendrick, Garrit and Casparus Van Wie to the List. Looks like a lot of Van Wie cousins were involved in Revolutionary matters.
But this is a side quest into the deed, aka Indenture, pictured here. It came my way via the good folks at the Bethlehem Oral History Project** and the Weisheit Family Archive. It is an agreement between our very own Arie Van Wie and William Lape conveying all "that certain farm piece or parcel of land situated, lying and being in the Town of Bethlehem" for the sum of "four hundred and sixty pounds" dated May 19, 1807. Arie 's signature is on the bottom right.
And who do you think witnessed the deed? Our very own John D. Winne who I have written about*** and Francis Nicoll. The Nicolls were very prominent, basically the local gentry, and Francis himself is on the List. I haven't written his Revolutionary War story, yet, but he and his family are mentioned in several posts, especially Richard Sill's.
Besides the signatories, the description of the property is fascinating. It involves the usual links and chains and a white e pine tree. In addition, it guarantees that Arie Van Wie has the use of a spring on the property. And it is subject to the annual rent demanded by the patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer.
We could do a whole side quest on the publisher of the form the document is written on. We could do another one on why the payment involved is listed in pounds. Pretty sure we had U.S. dollars by 1807.
Because I can't help myself, I transcribed the whole thing. Here's the property description. If I really couldn't read it, I used [ ] with my best guess. Enjoy.
That certain farm piece or parcel of Land situated lying and
being in the Town of Bethlehem
in the County of Albany, Begins at a white pine tree the Northwest
corner of the farm of the said Arie Van Wie & the South west corner
of Westervelt and runs thence along Peter Schoonmaker’s line
South ten degrees East eighteen chains & thirty links then South twenty
four degrees West
eight chains & thirty links Then South seventy seven degrees East nine
chains & eighty links then South eighty
two degrees & thirty minutes East five chains &
three links then South sixty two degrees East eleven chains & sixteen links
then North
five degrees East twelve chains & seventy eight links
Then North thirty two degrees East twenty one chains & fifteen links then
North
sixty two degrees & thirty minutes West twelve chains
& twenty one links, Then South eighty one degrees West thirteen chains
&
forty links then North eighty nine degrees West thirteen
chains & forty five links to the place of Beginning Containing eighty
acres & four tenths of Land, excepting & always
reserved the liberty of the said Arie Van Wie his Heirs and assigns use of one
spring
on the said [farms] Subject to the annual rent of [six]
bushels of clear merchantable winter wheat being a proportion of the
rent due from the said Arie to Stephen Van Rensselaer, Esquire
& to the covenants, conditions, [?] & exceptions contained
in a certain Deed from the said Stephen Van Rensselaer to said
Arie & to Hendrick H. Van Wie
++++++++++++
*Pop over here to read the article. https://bethlehemnyhistory.blogspot.com/2025/06/eunice-and-arie-van-wie.html It is one of the first one I wrote - I'd probably add more detail about his service if I wrote it now, but back then I got side tracked by Eunice's story.
** Pop over here https://www.bethlehemoralhistoryproject.org/ Thank you Tim Beebe for the photo.
*** Pop over here for more about John D. https://bethlehemnyhistory.blogspot.com/2025/08/so-many-winnes-john-d-winne.html
And a final note, the land described is in the vicinity of modern day Weisheit and Clapper Roads.
