The other members of the family consisted, in 1698,- of one overseer, two white servants, and thirty-three slaves."'*

MANOR OF MORRISANIA.

This Manor, formerly annexed in 1791 to the ancient Borough to^vn of Westchester was, by an act of the Legislature, in 1783, added to New York county. Its name is derived from the Morris family, the first mesne Lords and patentees under the crown; the termination ^^ ania" being in general use in the latter part of the seventeenth century. At the period of the Dutch discovery, it was styled by the aborigines Ranachque, or Raraque, an appellation which doubtless refers to some object peculiar to its geographical locality. The Indians appear to have resided principally on the shores of the East and Harlem River. Of this the extensive " shell beds," which are still to be seen, aftorded conclusive e\-idence. "Within a few years several Indian tumuli have been accidentally opened in the vicinity of Govemeur ISIorris's residence, and found to contain large sized skeletons of the Aborigines. The first grantee under the ^Vlohegan sachems of Ranachque, Shahash, Panazarah, Wanacapun, Kneed, Taquamarke and Awarazaws, was Jonas Bronck ; who

in 1639, purchased of them two hundred and fifty morgen of land

about five hundred acres, for which he subsequently obtained a " Grond Brief" from the Dutch authorities,*

In 1639 we find the patroon oi Bronck' s /and leasing a portion of his territory,- in the foUov.'ing manner : --

"Appeared before mc, Cornelius Yau Tienhoven, Secretary in Xevr Netherland, in presence of the undersigned witnesses-- Mr. Jonas Bronck from one side and Peter Andriessen auil Lourent Dayts from the other, who agreed tO'-'^ether amicably in the follovring manner : Said Mr. Bronck shall show to tlie persons aforesaid a certain lot of land, of wliich he is proprietor, and v.hich is situated opposite the river and the plain of Mauliattan ; in which lot aforesaid they may cultivate tobacco and maize, upon the express condition that they shall clear and cultivate, every two years, a fresh spot for the raising their tobacco and maize,