HISTORY OF BROOKLYN. 63

ever, on being compared with documentary evidence, are found to be very unrel urvey by an accomplished engineer of the British army, gives three fathoms as the lead depth of that channel! And no docks, certainly, until about the period of the trial, were built east of Wall street, which could have had the least effect in affecting the currents of the river in the manner supposed. It is well known, also, to residents on the bay of New York, that the loss by abrasion on its shores is caused mainly by the waves during storms and high tides, and very little, if any, by the ordinary currents.

IV.

We come, next, to the consideration of Frederic Lubbertsen’s1 patent, dated May 27, 1640. His farm comprised the whole neck of land between the East River and Gowanus Creek, northeast of the meadows which formerly separated Red Hook from Brooklyn. This neck, formerly known as the “neck of Brookland” or “Lubbertsen's neck,” has now lost its original appearance by the filling in of the Atlantic Docks, the grading of streets, and the various

1 Lubbertse, an early emigrant to this country, seems to have been a sailor, as he held the position of chief boatswain to Governor Kieft in 1638, and was then a resident of New Amsterdam. In 1641 he was one of the Twelve Men chosen by the commonalty, and in 1643 purchased a house in Smit's Valley, which, in 1653, he sold to Albert Cornelissen, and removed to Breuckelen, which town he represented in the general convention held at New Amsterdam in December of that year. In 1653, ’54, ,’55, ’64, and 1673 he was a magistrate of Breuckelen; on the 17th April, 1657, was created a “small burgher” of New Amsterdam; and in February, 1660, was assessed in that city for repairs made to the “Heere Graght” (canal), on the north side of which he owned a lot. In February, 1662, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the office of burgomaster in the city, and in July, 1863, represented Breuckelen in the convention called to secure the co-operation of the Dutch towns in a system of armed defence. He died in 1680. In 1657 he married a second wife, Tryntie Hendricks, widow of Cornelis Petersen (Vroom), who, at the time of this marriage, had by her first husband three sons—Comelis Cormen (Vroom), aged twelve; Peter, aged six; and Hendrick, aged three years. Lubbertse, also, had by his first wife, Styntie Hendricks (possibly a sister of his second wife) three daughters—Elsje, who married Jacob Hansen Bergen; Rebecca, who married Jacob Leendertse van der Grift; and Aeltje, who married Cornelis Seubring. Of the Corsens, Cornelis married in Breuckelen, and removed to Staten Island, where he became the ancestor of the Corsen family there. Hendrick married also in Breuckelen, and settled on the Raritan, where his descendants are numerous by the name of Vroom, one of whom is Governor Vroom of New Jersey. Peter Corsen remained in Breuckelen, where he married.