96 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

the locality occupied by the “Marechkawiecks,” whom we know to have been the original proprietors of the soil.1 They were undoubtedly dispossessed during the war of 1643, and on the very patents which we are about to examine, the village proper of “Breucklen,” as distinguished from the hamlets at the “Waale-boght,” “Gowanus,” and “The Ferry,” was afterwards established.

XX.

March 11, 1647, Gerrit Wolphertsen (van Couwenhoven)2 received a patent for

“a certain piece of land, at the (Ma) Reehawieck, both the maize and woodland, on the marsh of the Gouwanus kil, between the land of Jacob Stoffelsen and Frederick Lubbertsen, extending from the aforesaid marsh till into the woods next the land of said Frederick, till to the land of Andries Hudde, northeast by north, a little northerly, 148 rods; behind through the woods, till to the land of the aforesaid Jacob Stoffelsen, southeast by east 80 rods next to the land of Jacob Stoffelsen aforesaid, till to the aforesaid marsh, southwest a little westerly 165 rods, along the marsh to the place of beginning 60 rods, with an oblique outpoint: amounting in all to 19 morgens, 341 rods:”3

This plot evidently fronted on the main road leading from Flatbush, through the village of Breuckelen, which was located at this

1 A large Indian burying-ground was located northeast of Freeke’s Mill Pond, and the surrounding meadows, and in grading streets some remains have been disturbed on the Bout and Van Rossum. patents, hereafter described.

The following fragment (from N. Y. Col. MSS., iv. 158), probably relates to this locality: “January 27, 1643. Deposition of Geertjen Mannincks, wife of Claes Mente. laer, mid, that Roelant (Robert) Hackwaert, told at her house in the Bay, that there were seven hills of corn about a pistol-shot from the road, which he would confirm by his oath.

“Roelant Hackwaert declared that be saw the savages at Marechkawleck oover the corn-hills.”

2 In N. Y. Col. MSS., i. 234,235, is a receipt of Wolphertsen, who is there mentioned as a “resident of Keskachquerem, on Long Island,” for four cows hired by him of the deacons of New Amsterdam. From this, he would appear to have had at that time a farm at “Keskachquerem,” which was, probably, the name of the original territory of Bushwick purchased by Kieft in 1639. See ante, p. 26, and Appendix 2.

3 Patents, 0 G, 172.