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SUFFOLK COUNTY.
fi-om Lynn, Mass. A grant of the land was obtained from James. Farrett, agent of Lord Stirling,
in April, and a conveyance from the Indians on the 13th of Dec., 1640. During the first 12 months
47 settlers arrived.1 In 1644 Southampton was received under the government of Conn., and until
16642 was represented in General Court at Hartford. Upon the Dutch invasion in 1673 the town
again sought a union with Conn. It was received, and, together with East Hampton and Southold,
was erected into a co. Upon the re-establishment of English power, in 1674, the town came under
the government of NewYork. The first settlement at Sag Harbor was made in 1730, hy a few
fishermen. On the morning of the 24th of May, 1777, Col. Meigs, with 130 men, surprised the
British force stationed at Sag Harbor, destroyed 12 brigs and a sloop, besides a large amount of
forage, provisions, and merchandise, and returned across the Sound without the loss of a man.3 A
body of American troops was stationed at Sag Harbor in 1813, in consequence of the presence of a
British fleet in Gardiners Bay.3 The first.church was erected at Southampton, in 1641 f and the
first church in Bridgehampton was built in 1670.4 There are now 17 churches in town.5
SOUTIIOUD 8—was incorp. hy patent, under Gov. Andros, Oct. 30, 1676,6 and recognized as
a town March 7, 1788'. Riverhead was taken off in 1792. It comprises the principal part of the
northern peninsula of Eastern Long Island, and includes Robins Island in Great Peconic Bay, and
Plum, Fishers, and several smaller islands in Long Island Sound. Orient7 is a peninsula upon the
E.; and Great and Little Hog Necks are smaller peninsulas in the s. The s. shore is indented hy
several small, irregular bays; while the outline of the n. coast is unbroken except hy 2 or 3 narrow
inlets. The. surface is elevated and level. The soil is a light, sandy loam, kept highly fertile hy
the use of manures. Plum Island,8 separated from the mainland hy Plum Gut, contains about
800 acres. Fishers Island, about 8 mi. eastward, is 7 mi. long by 1J wide and contains about 4000
acres.9 Great and Little Gull Islands are between Plnm and Fishers Islands. Agriculture forms
the leading industrial pursuit; potatoes, corn, and wheat are the principal crops.13 Considerable
attention is also given to shipbuilding, whaling, and commerce. A limited amount of manufac¬
turing is carried on.10 Scattered tracts of lands and beaches, owned by an incorp. company, are
intrusted to the management of 3 trustees, elected annually. These lands are represented by 110
shares, valued at $15 each. The town has a poorfarm of 300 acres near Southold Tillage. Light¬
houses are located on Hortons Point, Little Gull Island,15 and “ The Dumplings,”—a group of rocks
In Fishers Island Sound.16 Ctreenport,17 (p.v.,) on Greenport Harbor, was incorp. April 18,
1838. It is a port of considerable whaling and commercial business,18 and is the E. terminus of the
L. I. R. R. It contains 5 churches and.2 printing offices. Pop. 1,665. Soutliold, (p.v.,) near the
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7 6 M. E., 5 Presb., Bap., Cong., Meth. Prot., Prot. E., R. C.,
and Union.
8 That part of the town e, of Cutchogue was called hy the In¬
dians “ Yen-ne-cnck” and by the English “Northfleet.”
0 Isaac Arnold, John and Benj. Youngs, Josh, and Barnabas
Horton, SamT Glover, and Isaac Corry were named trustees in
this patent.
10 Called by the Indians “H-qua-tuck.” It-was bought, of the
Indians by Peter Hallock, in 1641: and the first settlement was
made on it soon after, during Hallock’s absence in England, hy
John Tutliill, John Youngs, jr., John King, and Israel, Richard,
and Samuel Brown.—Qriffm’s Journal, 19.
11 Formerly known as the “Isle, of Patmos:” It was bought
of the natives, in 1659, by SamT Wyllys.
72 This island was named Yisschers Island” by Capt. Cook, the
navigator, in 1614. It was purchased, in 1044, by Gov. Win-
throp, of Conn.; and was organized as a township hy a patent
obtained from Gov. Nicoll, of N. Y., in March, 1688. It was
for a time claimed by both N. Y. and Conn. Its surface is undu¬
lating ; neai tile w. end is.a high sand bluff, and pear the middle
another still higher. There are two convenient harbors on the
coast. Tbe soil is well adapted to grass growing and grazing.
Day, wool, butter, and cbeese are exported.
13 There were nearly as many potatoes raised in this town in
1855 as in all the co. Besides. A greater quantity of wheat is
raised in Southold than in any other town in the CO., and a
greater quantity of corn than in any town except Southampton.
Immense quantities of fish and seaweed are used as fertilizers.
H Brick are made in large quantities near Greenport and upon
Robins Island ; and oil and guano are extensively manufactured
from fish near Southold.
15 The lighthouse upon Little Gull Island was built in 1806,
and is '56 ft. high and 74 ft. above tide. It is supplied with a fog
bell, which is rung by machinery.
16 The lighthouse uponNorth Dumpling was built in 1848, and
is 25 ft. high and 70 ft. above the sea. A red light is used.
17 Formerly “Stirling.”
18 The shipping of tiiis port consists of 7 vessels engaged in
whaling; about 100 others, with an aggregate of 6000 tons, en¬
rolled ; and 102 small vessels, licensed: mostly engaged in the
i coasting trade. |
1
These were Dan’l and Josiah Howe, Thos. Goldsmith, John
Oldfields, SamT Dayton, Thcs. Burnet, John and Edward Howell,
Thos. and Job Sayre, Thos. Topping, John Woodruff, Henry and
Abraham Pierson, Bichard Post, Obadiah Rogers, John Ford-
ham, Samuel Osman, John Rose, James Herrick, Chris.-Poster,
Jos. Raynor, Ellis Cook, Edward Needham, SamT James, John
Gosman, John Bishop, John White, Wm. Payne, John Jessup,
Henry Walton, Wm. Harker, Allen Breed, Ednuind Farrington,
Isaac Hillman, John Cooper, Geo. Woods, John Jaggei, Richard
Smith, Thos. Hildreth, John Hampton, Josh. Barnes, John Jen¬
nings, Benj. Haynes, Geo. Wells, Wm. Odell, and John Bum.
2
The deputies were John Howell, from 1644 to *51; John
Cosmore, from 1651 to ’55; Thomas Topping, from 1655 to ’58;
Alex. Knowles, from 1658 to’59 ; Thomas Topping, from 1659 to
’63; and Edward Howell, from 1663 to ’64.
3
Southold, in 13 whaleboats, on the 23d of May, and transported
the boats across the peninsula, reaching the s. shore 4 mi. from
Sag Harbor at midnight. In the attack the British had 6 men
killed and 90 were taken prisoners. The party arrived at
Guildford on their return in 25 hours from the time they left.
Congress expressed its approbation of this enterprise by pre¬
senting Col. Meigs with a sword; and Gen. Washington, in a
letter to Gen. Parsons, (hy whose command Col. Meigs had
undertaken the expedition,) congratulated him upon its- suc¬
cessful achievement.—Onderdonk’s Rev. Inc.
4
The pastors of the society have been Rev. Abraham Pierson,
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in 1640; Robt. Fordham, in 1649; Jos. Taylor, in 1680; Joseph
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1727; Josh. Williams, in 1785; Harmon Daggett, in 1792; David
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S. Bogart, in 1798; John B. Babbitt, in 1817 ; Peter II. Shaw,in
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1821; Dan’l Beers, in 1830; and Hugh N. Wilson, in 1836.
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6 Rev. Ebenezer White, in 1690, Jos. Brown, in 1756, Aaron
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: of this church.
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