Thomas Dongan, late Governor of our said Pr wince, and whereon our said loving subject hath. made considerable improvement, having been at great cost, charge and expense in the purchasing the said tract of land and meadows from the native Indians, as well as in the settling a considerable number of families thereon, and being willing to make some further improvement thereon, doth by his said petition f urther request and pray that we would be graciously pleased to erect the aforesaid tract of land and meadows within the limits and bounds aforesaid into a lordship or manor of Cortlandt, which reasonable request for the future encouragement of our said loving subject, we being willing to grant : Know ye, that of our special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we have given, granted, ratified and confirmed, and by these presents do for us, our heirs and successors, give, grant, ratify and confirm unto our said loving subject, Stephanus Van Cortlandt, all the aforesaid certain parcel and tracts of land and meadow within their several and respective limits and bounds aforesaid, together with all and every of the messuages, tenements, buildings, barns, houses, out-houses, stables, edifices, orchards, gardens, inclosures, fences, pastures, fields, feedings, woods, underwoods, trees, timber, swamps, meadows, marshes, pools, ponds, lakes, fountains, waters, water courses, rivers, rivulets, runs, streams, brooks, creeks, harbors, coves, inlets, outlets, islands of meadow, necks of land and meadow, peninsulas of land and meadow, ferries, fishing, fowling, hunting and hawking, and the fishing in Hudson's river, so far as the bounds of the said land extends upon the same, quarries, minerals, (diver and gold mines only excepted,) and all other the rights, members, liberties, privileges, jurisdictions, pre-eminences, emoluments, to the afore recited certain parcels or tracts of laud and meadows within their several and respective limits and bounds aforesaid, belonging or in any ways appertaining or accepted, reputed, taken, known, or occupied as part, parcel or member thereof, to have and to hold all the afore recited certain parcels and tracts of land and meadows within their several and respective limits and bounds aforesaid, together with all and every of the messuages, tenements, buildings, barns, houses, out-houses, stables, edifices, orchards, gardens, enclosures, fences, pastures, fields, feedings,