Jan Pieterse Mebie: Land Records
Colony of New York Records
Albany County Records
From Books
References
The interest in these land records lies in their evidence that Grietje, the wife of Pieter Jacobse Borsboom and mother of Anna Borsboom, the wife of Jan Mebie, was a Mohawk Indian. See the deed of 17 September 1697 wherein Anna is described as "something Related to ye family of the Christian Castle" of Mohawks.
The following entries are from Reference 1 which abstracts various volumes of colonial land records. Each entry is identified by volume number and page number in the original manuscript books and by page in the printed abstracts, the page number of the latter being in square brackets.
| 1690s | 1700s | 1710s | 1720s |
Petition of John Pietersen Mebie of Schanhegtade, praying to be confirmed in the possession of a tract of land, lying and being upon Trindorogoes creek, on both sides, commonly called Kadarode, made over to the petitioner by Roode, the Indian, in his life time, principal sachem, by and with the consent of the rest of the Praying Indian Castle, in the Mohoggs country,"
This entry appears to be an anachronism. It refers to Rode as if he were deceased. As shown later Rode was alive in 1698. A recorded deed to this or similar property is dated 1697, four years after this petition. Was there an earlier deed not recorded? But note that this record does not use Rode's Christian name, which is appropriate because he was not baptized until 1695. [top]
Petition of John Pieterson Mebie praying a patent for land lying on both sides of Tionderogoes creek, (see page 73)
Petition of John Peterson Mebie, for a new patent for a piece of land called Kadarrode, surrounded by a great hill downwards of a creeke called Tiondorogoes creek, till you come to a great Coofe running at the water side,[top]
Petition of John Petersen Mebie, of Schenectade, for license to purchase 80 acres of the land known as Kadarode, adjoining 80 acres of said land he holds by patent, on the east side of Tionondorogoes creek; and also, 120 acres of the same, adjoining 80 acres which he holds by patent, on the west side of said creek, with
Report of A. De Peyster and others, of the council, upon the same,
Petition of John Peterson Mebie, (see page 110.)
Warrant to the surveyor general to survey the several tracts of land on both sides of Tionondoroques creek, in order to a determination petition of John Peterson Mebie, (see page 110,)[top]
Petition of John Pieterse Mebee, praying a grant and confirmation of 400 acres of wood land adjoining his patent on the Tiondorogoes creek,
Petition of John Pieterse Mebee, for a license to purchase 600 acres of vacant land in the county of Albany,
Report of R. Walter, chairman of the committee to whom the same was referred,
Petition of John Mebee, praying a patent for 680 acres of land, in the Mohauks country,
Report of John Barberie, chairman of the committee to whom the same was referred,
Indian deed, to John Peterse Mebee, for a tract of land, in the county of Albany, lying on the west side of a certain creek, Tiondorogue, adjoining to the west of the low land granted to Jan Peterse Mebee, containing about 600 acres,
Warrant of survey, for 600 acres of land, in the county of Albany, on the west side of Tiondoroque creek, for Jan Peterse Mebee,
Draught of a certificate, to John Pieterse Mebbe, for 680 acres of land, in the Mohauks country, on the west side of on the west side of Schohare creek, called, by the Indians, Tiondorogue,[top]
The following are excerpted from Reference 2. These are county records, not colonial records. The first date is date of the deed, the second date is the date of recording.
Know all men by these Presents that Rode, ye Indian, Called by Christians Dirk who by and with ye the Consent of the Rest of Christian Indian Castle in ye mohoggs Country doth give & grant unto Jan Pieterse mebee of Schinnachtady his heirs & assign a Certain peece of grounde scituate lying and being upon Tionnondorogoes Creek on both sides Commonly known by the name of kadarodae all which land the said Rode doth Convey with the appurtenances thereunto belonging in Consideration of ye said Jan Pieters wife by reason that she is something Related to ye family of the Christian Castle. In wittnesse whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this 17th day of Sept. 1697
| Signed sealed & Delivered | Rode Indian, by the | |
| in the Presence of | Christians called Dirk, | |
| Dellius | his marke | |
| Pr. Schuyler |
The "marke" of Rode was a wolf, drawn upside down on the deed. Perhaps the paper was thrust toward the Indian across a table and he did not turn it around it face him right side up before he drew the symbol of his clan. However, this is the wrong clan mark - Rode belonged to the Turtle clan. Rode had been baptized in 1695 and so this deed properly cross references his Christian name of Dirk.
The circumstances surrounding this deed still need research. The Rev. Godfridus Delius was accused of fraudulent practices against the Indians and had to flee the country in June 1699. Why was the grant made in 1697 not recorded until 1714? But there is no law in New York that requires recording deeds at all.
[abstract] John Peterson Mebie buys two lots of pasture land in Schenectady containing together about 10 acres.
[abstract] John Peterson Mebie buys one lot of pasture land in Schenectady containing about 5 acres.[top]
The following is taken from History of Montgomery and Fulton Counties, N. Y. ..., New York, 1878, reprinted 1981.
This shows a map of the two counties with an inset showing, among others, a 1703 patent to John P. Maibee. One boundary is labelled as being 277 chains (about 3.5 miles) long. A rough calculation yields an area of this patent as approximately 3,500 acres.
The first two land grants on record, covering territory now embraced in Montgomery county, bear date of April 22nd, 1703. They were issued on the same day, one to Geraldus Camfort, for twenty acres, located in the present town of Amsterdam, and the other to John Peterson Mabie, conveying lands on the Schoharie creek. Mabie surrendered his grant of this date, and on the 20th of July 1705, took another for a tract in the same vicinity. The description of this piece of land will show how indefinitely the boundaries were given in some instances at that period. It was described as "a tract on Tiondowgoes creek, on both sides, commonly called Kadarode; as you go up the Mohawk river, about twenty English miles westward of the land of Adam Vrooman, there comes the said creek into the river, and going from the mouth of said creek along the same about 4 miles up there is the said piece of land, being a flat plain on the west side of said creek, containing 80 acres lowland, surrounded by a stony hill, near a small island in said creek, the like quantity of upland, also called Kadarode, surrounded by a great hill downward of said creek, called Tiondowgoes, till you come to a great cove running to the water side, it being all on this side of the praying Indian's castle.
In a table two Mabie land patents appear. The first is to John Petersen Mabie of 80 acres on July 20, 1705. The second is to Peter Mabie on April 15, 1726, of 600 acres.
But, it seems strange he gave up his 1703 patent of about 3,500 acres for a mere 80 acres in 1705. Or, based upon the above quoted description of the land, 80 acres of lowland and a like quantity of upland - total of 160 acres.
Reference 4 discusses the family relationships among the Mohawks and shows more examples of these clan marks on early deeds from the Indians to the European settlers. The only Rode mentioned there is a sachem of the Turtle Clan. He was born about 1615 and baptized in Albany on 23 June 1695 with the Christian name Dirk. He signed other deeds with what appears to be a standing tortoise, the last one to Cornelius van Dyck and others on 15 August 1698. These signatures need to be compared with the mark used on the 1697 deed. But perhaps the copyist (Philip Livingstone) did not accurately reproduce Rode's mark. [top]
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Updated 27 June 2002.[top]