Little Nine Partners Patent facts for kids
The Little Nine Partners Patent was a large piece of land given out by the government in 1706. It was located in what is now Dutchess County, New York, United States. This land grant was one of the last of fourteen similar grants made between 1685 and 1706. These grants eventually covered all of historic Dutchess County, which used to include today's Putnam County until 1812.
The first ten land grants, given between 1685 and 1697, covered most of the Hudson River shoreline in the original county. Three of these – the Rombouts, the Great Nine Partners, and Philipse Patents – stretched far inland. The eleventh grant, called Cuyler, was given in 1697. It was the first and smallest grant to be entirely inland, just away from the Hudson River. The twelfth, Fauconnier, given in 1703, completed the Hudson River shoreline. The last two grants, Beekman (1705) and the Little Nine Partners (1706), claimed the remaining inland areas.
A Look Back: The Little Nine Partners Patent
This land grant was in the northern part of Dutchess County. Today, it covers all or parts of the towns of Milan, Pine Plains, and North East. The land was roughly shaped like a triangle. Its northern border was Columbia County. To the south, it was bordered by the Great Nine Partners Patent (1697). On the west, it met the Schuyler (1686) and Rhinebeck (1697) land grants. The eastern edge of the patent was an area known as The Oblong. This was a narrow strip of land along the eastern side of Dutchess County, next to the state of Connecticut.
Who Were the Original Partners?
Eight people originally received the Little Nine Partners Patent. These people were called "patentees." They were:
- Sampson Broughton
- Rip Van Dam
- Thomas Wenham
- Roger Mompesson
- Peter Fauconier
- Augustine Graham
- Richard Sackett
- Robert Lurting
Later, a person named George Clarke bought a share. This made him the ninth partner, even though he wasn't one of the original patentees.
How the Land Was Divided
Even though the land was granted in 1706, it took many years to divide it among the partners. It wasn't until 1744 that each of the nine partners was given a specific lot of land. This division was done through a special process in the Dutchess County Court. They even used a lottery system! The lots were drawn by "two boys...under the age of sixteen."
