in Flatlands, probably the homestead of his father, Willem, also a 70 acre plot in Flatlands, next to the lands of Pieter Monfoort, and 10 acres on the plains next to Jan Damon, as per Van Sicklen papers, on Oct. 22, 1707, he and his wife Margaret, sold to Samuel Gerretse, of Gravesend, the remainder of the lands where he
resided in New Utrecht, formerly purchased from Van der Grift in 1697, together with 12 ‡ acres of woodlands in Gravesend, pur-chased of Jacobus Kiersteed, for the sum of £200. This deed included ì1 negro man named Mango, 5 horses, 15 cows, plate, beds, bedding, plows, waggons, harrows, &c., &c.î The day following his wife, Margaretta, repurchased all the above named property, both real and personal, the transaction being merely a
transfer of his whole estate from himself to his wife.
Abraham, by will dated April 22, 1697, devised all his estate to his wife, Margaretta. also stipulating therein that his mother, Derike, should continue to reside at his home in New Utrecht, and to be provided with all necessary food and raiment ìin her circumstances ought to be,î by his sole executrix, Margaretta. This dcument was recorded on the day following (April 23, 1697), together with a bond for £500, in which he firmly bound
himself to Henry Ffilkin, registrar, that he would not dispose of his property or revoke the said will. At this time he was childless and he may have returned to Holland or died without issue, the latter being the most probable.
WILL AND BOND OF ABRAM WILLIAMSE VAN WESTERVELT
In the name of God, Amen. The two and twentyth day of April in the ninth Yeare of the Reigne of our Sovereign Lord William the third now of England &c. King and in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and nynty-seven, I, Abram Williamse Van Westervelt, of the town of newutrecht in Kingís County on the Island of Nassau in the Province of New Yorke, being of good and perfect memory, praised be Almighty God, therefore doe make this my last will and testament in manner and forme ffollowing, that is to say, ffirst, I recommend my soull unto Almighty God who gave it and my body to the earth to be buryed in such decent and Christianlike manner and in such place as by my executrix hereafter
named shall be thought fit and convenient.
Item. I give, grant, devise and bequeath unto my wife, Margarita Williamse, all and singular my houses, lands, tenements or lands, gardens,
meadows and hereditaments in possession or reversion or remainder either
each. These he assigned to 20 settlers, and to most of them patents were granted. In addition, each settler had a village plot for a residence. The village was thereupon named New Utrecht, after Utrecht in Holland, an ancient city on the Rhine, containing some 48,000 inhabitants, of which place Van Werckhoven had been a schepen. During the war with Esopus or Kingston Indians in 1659, the settlers having the Nyack Indians in their immediate vicinity, and fearing a general uprising among the tribes on Long Island, they fortified the house of Nicasius De Sille (which was burned in 1675) with palisades, and set up a strict watch. The town grew slowly, and only contained 11 houses in 1660. On Aug. 15, 1668, Governor Nicolls issued a patent to New Utrecht, it then having been under English rule for some years, and on May 13, 1686, Governor Dongan issued a new patent. In Sept., 1687, fifty-two individuals, probably all of its adult male inhabitants, took the oath of allegiance to the Crown. The church was organized in 1677, under the Rev. Casparus Van Zauren, who succeeded Domine Polhemus, of Flatbush, but no edifice was erected until 1700.
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