Land Patent of New Utrecht 1686

When Thomas Dongan became governor of New York in 1683, he made many notable changes in the region, including the "Charter of Liberties," which granted citizens broader rights and privileges. Dongan also issued land grants that established towns and their boundaries throughout New York, known as the Dongan Patents. The Archives holds several of these original patents in its collections. Hand-written in iron gall ink on parchment (processed animal skin), the patents, issued under King James II, established town trustees as the governing bodies for managing common land. These patents are still upheld by the law today. The 1686 patent for New Utrecht exhibits many signs of deterioration common to aged parchment documents, including numerous creases and folds as a result of its sensitivity to fluctuations in humidity, making the document difficult to read. Adopting this item would support conservation efforts to smooth folded and cockled parts of the document, remove previous repairs that have aged poorly, and provide proper housing for its long-term preservation.

This item has been adopted by

• Alex Sommer and Caryn Lewi