HISTORY OF BROOKLYN. 87

the present city of Brooklyn,1 and on the easterly side of the Waalboght, Rapalie spent the remainder of his life, dying soon after the close of the Dutch administration, and having had eleven children. The property then passed into the hands of his eldest son, Jeronimus, a prominent citizen, being a justice of the peace, as well as a deacon of the Breuckelen church. After his death, it was occupied by his son Jeronimus, who, in 1755, sold it to his son-in-law, Martin Schenck. At the death of the latter, it was devised to his two sons, Martin, junior, and Lambert, together with their sister, the wife of Francis Skillman.2 Lambert died unmarried, and his portion fell to his brother Martin, and his sister, Mrs. Skillman. Martin sold to the United States Government the present Marine Hospital grounds, and Mrs. Skillman sold to Samuel Jackson the Johnson farm.

The parcel designated on the map as the land of Garret Nostrand was conveyed by Joris Rapelje to Jeronimus Remsen, in 1714;3 and by him, in 1719, to John Van Nostrand; and by him, in 1729, to Daniel Rapelje. He devised it, in 1765, to Garret Nostrand, with legacies to his sister, which, in 1770, were satisfied, and he remained in possession until his death, in 1789.4 It then came into possession of his son John, who died intestate, in 1795, leaving no issue.

The facts stated (on pages 23, 24) concerning the Bennett and Bentyn purchase and settlement at Gowanus in 1636, completely disprove the claims which Tradition (aided by the misapprehension of our earlier historians) has set up in behalf of Rapalie as being the first actual white settler of Brooklyn. Of the similar and connected traditionary error, which has so long given to his eldest daughter, Sarah, the honor of having been the first white child born in Brooklyn, we shall speak in another place.5 His widow, Catalyntie, died, Sept. 11, 1689, aged eighty-four.6

1 Designated on map as lands of Gen. Johnson, J. F. and E. P. Delaplaine, Jackson, Skillman, and Teunis Cowenhoven; together with woodland in the Hills (i.e., where the Penitentiary is), and some meadow-land where the City Park now is.

2 Father of John Skillman.

3 King’s County Conveyances, lib. A 82, 83, 84. 4 Will in King's County Surrogate’s office, lib. ii. 46.

5 See discussion of her husband, Hans Hansen Bergen's patent.

6 The two Labadist travellers, who. visited the colony in 1679, have, fortunately for us, preserved in their journal an account of a visit which they paid to Catalina, the