HISTORY OF BROOKLYN. 213

ffrom thence to run ffour rod wide up between the houses and lands of John Aerson, John Coe, and George Jacobs, and soe all along to Broockland towne aforesaid, through the lane that now is, and ffroin thence straight along a certaine lane to the southward corner of John Van Couwenhoven’s land, and ffrom thence straight to Bedfford as it is now staked out, to the lane where the house of Beajamin Vandewater stands, and ffrom thence straight along through Bedfford towne to Bedfford lane, running between the lands of John Garretse, Dorlant and Claes Barnse, to the rear of the lands of the said Cloyse, and ffrom thence southerly to the old path now in use, and soe all along said path to Philip Volkertses land, taking in a little slip of said Philip's land on the south corner, soe all along said road by Isaack Greg’s house to the Fflackbush new lottg ffence, and soe all along said ffense to the eastward, to the northeast corner of Eldert Lucas's land, lying within the New lotts of Fflattbush aforesaid, being ffour rod wide all along, to be and continue forever.”

In 1706, all the real and personal estates of the town of Brooklyn were assessed £3,122 12s., the tax on the same being £41 3s. 7 1/2d., and the whole county tax, £201 16s.1 1/2d. There were at this time 64 freeholders in the town. In 1707, the real and personal estates were assessed at £3,091, 11s., on which the government tax was £116 7s. 3d., payable in two instalments, and the county tax was £448 3s. 7d.

1717. November 21, a bill was brought into the Assembly to erect Kings and Queens Counties into one by the name of St. George’s County; also, to elect six members from said county to the Assembly.

1721. Private encroachments on the old road or “king’s highway” (now Fulton street and avenue), leading from the ferry to the old Dutch church, or Brooklyn parish, and which had been laid out seventeen years before, in 1704, gave-rise to much contention in the town. At the April term of the General Sessions of the Peace for Kings County, indictments were found for encroaching thereon, against John Rapalje, Hans Bergen, James Harding, and others. These indictments seem to have been predicated as well on the application of Rapalie and Bergen, as upon complaints from other citizens.(1) Some of the parties thus indicted, and who considered them-

1 “Fflatbush, April 19, 1721. John Rapalje and Hans Bergen, of the fferry, desires of the grand jury that the Commissioners now being should be presented for not doing