Patroon
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- Patroons redirects here. For the CBA team, see Albany Patroons.
| New Netherland series | |
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| The Patroon System |
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| Directors of New Netherland: Cornelius Jacobsen Mey (1620-1625) |
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| People of New Netherland |
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| Flushing Remonstrance |
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A patroon (from Dutch patroon, owner or head of a company) was a landholder with manorial rights to large tracts of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland in North America (notably along the Hudson River in New York). By charter of 1629, the Dutch West India Company first started to grant this title and land to some of its invested members. These inducements to foster immigration were known as the "Rights and Exemptions", more commonly known as the patroon system.
The deeded tracts were called patroonships and spanned 16 miles in length on one side of a major river, or 8 miles if spanning both sides. In 1640 the charter was revised to cut new plot sizes in half, and to allow any Dutch American in good standing to purchase an estate.
The title of patroon came with powerful rights and privileges, similar to a lord in the feudal period. A patroon could create civil and criminal courts, appoint local officials and hold land in perpetuity. In return, he was commissioned by the Dutch West India Company to establish a settlement of at least 50 families within four years on the land. As tenants working for the patroon, these first settlers were relieved of the duty of public taxes for ten years, but were required to pay the patroon in money, goods, or services in kind. A patroonship had their own village and other infrastructure, including churches (which recorded births, baptisms, and marriages).
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[edit] Rensselaerwyck
The largest and most successful patroonship in New Netherland was Rensselaerwyck, established by Kiliaen Van Rensselaer. Rensselaerwyck covered almost all of present-day Albany and Rensselaer counties and parts of present-day Columbia and Greene counties in New York State, extending into the southwestern corner of Pownal, Vermont.
[edit] Original patents
- Zwaanendael (Delaware Bay) - Samuel Blommaert and Samuel Godyn, plundered by Native Americans soon after its founding. [1]
- Pavonia (Hudson County) - Michael Reyniersz Pauw, re-sold to the WIC becoming a company-managed holding.
- Staaten Eylandt (Staten Island) - Cornelis Melyn, mired in conflict with Raritan Indians and company politics
- Achter Col (Hackensack River), aborted at the outset of Kieft's War
[edit] Other large land patents
- Colen Donck (Bronx and Yonkers) - Adriaen van der Donck
- Bronx - Jonas Broncks
- Vriessendael - David Pietersen de Vries
- Pelham Manor - David Pelham
[edit] Notable patroonships
- Cortlandt Manor (Westchester County) - Stephanus Van Cortlandt 85,000 acres (340 km²)
- Philipsburg Manor (Westchester County) - Frederick Philipse
- Schuyler Mansion (Albany and Saratoga County) - Pieter Schuyler
- Livingston Manor (Dutchess and Columbia counties) - Robert Livingston 160,000 acres (650 km²)
[edit] Resistence
[edit] Abolition
The word patroonship was used until the year 1775, when the English redefined the lands as estates and took away the jurisdictional privilege. Rensselaerwyck was dismantled in the 18th century and became different counties and towns in the Capital District among them: Blauvelt, Cohoes, Colonie, Watervliet
[edit] See also
- Albany Patroons
- Dutch American
- New Netherlander
- New Netherland settlements
- New Netherland Project
- Howard Zinn in his book A People's History of the United States describes the problems of patroonship in Chapter 10: The Other Civil War
- Dragonwyck (novel), a 1944 Historical romance novel written by Anya Seton features a fictitious patroonship
- Dragonwyck (film), a 1949 Gothic horror film starring Gene Tierney based on the novel of the same name
