206 HISTORY OF BROOKLYN.

lyn, in Kings County. Then Resolved to divide their common land and woods into three parts, in manner following to wit:

“1. All the lands and woods after Bedford and Cripplebusb, over the hills to the path of New lotts shall belong to the inhabitants and freeholders of the Gowanis, beginning from Jacob Brewer and soe to the uttermost bounds of the limits of New-Utrecht

“2. And all the lands and woods that lyes betwixt the abovesaid path and the highway from the ferry toward Flattbush, shall belong to the freeholders and inhabitants of Bedford and Cripplebush.

“3. And all the lands that ]yes in common after the Gowanis, betwixt the limits and bounds of Flatbush and New Utrecht shall belong to the freeholders and inhabitants of Brooklyn, fred. neck (Frederick Lubbertsen's Neck, ante, pp. 63, 66) the ferry and the Wallabout.”

This proceeding of the town was duly approved of by the Court of Sessions, held at Flatbush, on the 10th of May, 1693.1

There was, during this year, considerable commotion and disturbance among the Dutch towns of the county (more especially, however, in Bushwick), arising from some political causes not now fully understood.2 At a meeting of the Kings Co. Justices, Oct. 11, 1693, “John Bibout, off Broockland, in the county afforesayde, weeaver, being committed bye the said justices to the common jail off Kings County ffor divers scandalous and abusive wordes spoken bye the sayde John against theire majesties justices of the peace for the county aforesaid, to the contempt of their majesties authority and breache off the peace; the sayd John havinge now humbly submitted himselfe and craves pardon and mercy off the sayd justices ffor his missdemeanor, is discharged, payinge the officers ffees, and being on his good behavour till next cort of sessions, in November next ensuing the dayte thereoff.”3 During the same month, one Hendrick Claes Vechte, of this town, was also imprisoned by order of the justices, on a charge “of raising of dissension, strife and mutiny, among their

1 See Appendix 8.

2 These difficulties, so far as we can learn, seem to have been caused by the very arbitrary measures resorted to by the county justices, in order to support their authority. The arrest and confinement of individuals on the charge (often frivolous) of having uttered words against them and subversive of the government, were matters of frequent occurrence, tending to betray the people into the commission of excesses outbreaks of exasperation and defiance.

3 Old Road Book, p. 19.