Town of Rensselaerwyck
AN ACT to divide the east district of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, in the county of Albany.
Passed the 29th of March, 1784.
WHEREAS the inhabitants of the east district of the manor of Rensselaerwyck in the county of Albany are subjected to many inconveniences by reason of the extensiveness thereof.
Be it therefore enacted by the people of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the said east district of the manor of Rensselaerwyck in the county of Albany, shall be, and is hereby declared to be divided into two districts by the following line, that is to say, beginning at a point in the division line between the said east district of the manor of Rensselaerwyck and the district of Kinderhook, ten miles distant from Hudsons river, and thence running northerly to a point in the division line of the said east district of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, and the district of Schactekoke, nine miles distant from the said Hudsons river.
And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all the lands immediately before the passing of this act comprehended within the said east district of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, lying to the westward of the aforesaid division line, shall be one seperate and distinct district, and be called by the name of Rensselaerwyck district, and that all the lands immediately before the passing of this act comprehended within the said east district of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, and lying to the eastward of the aforesaid line shall be one seperate and distinct district, and be called by the name of Stephen-town district.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the freeholders and inhabitants of each of the aforesaid districts of Rensselaerwyck and Stephen town, shall have full power and authority to assemble and hold annual meetings within their respective districts, and then and there by a plurality of voices to elect and choose a supervisor, town clerk, and all other town officers which by the laws of this State are incident to a district, who when so chosen and elected shall respectively be vested with, and have the like powers and authority and be subject to the like rules, regulations and penalties, as are by law prescribed for such offi cers respectively in the other districts of the said county: that the inhabitants of the said district of Stephen town, shall hold their first meeting on the third Tuesday in April next, at the dwelling house of Daniel Hull Esquire in the said district; and from time to time thereafter on the annual days prescribed by law for town meetings in the other districts in the said county, at such place within the said district, as the inhabitants of the said district at their annual town meeting, shall by a plurality of voices determine.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if upon running the division line between the said districts of Rensselaerwyck and Stephen-town the dwelling house of any inhabitant or inhabitants, or the greatest part thereof, shall be situated in one of the said districts, and the farm or improvements of such inhabitant or inhabitants, or any part thereof within the other district, such inhabitant or inhabitants, shall be deemed and taken to be an inhabitant or inhabitants of the district in which the dwelling house of such inhabitant or inhabitants, or the greatest part thereof, is situated; and the land and improvements in the possession and occupation of such inhabitant or inhabitants, shall be assessed taxed and rated in the district in which he she or they shall as aforesaid be deemed an inhabitant or inhabitants.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all taxes now Taxes now due from the inhabitants of the said east district of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, shall be collected by the collectors thereof in both the said districts, as tho’ the district had not been divided.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for the supervisors of the said districts of Rensselaerwyck and Stephen-town to cause the division line aforesaid to be run and marked, and that the inhabitants of each of the said districts shall run and pay one half of the expence incurred in running the said line, to be allowed charged assessed and collected as and with the proportion of the said districts respectively of the contingent charges of the county.
Laws of the State of New York Passed at the Sessions of the Legislature Held in the Years 1777, 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783 and 1784, inclusive. Vol. 1. Albany, NY: Weed Parsons & Co., 1886. 610-611.
AN ACT for dividing the counties of this State into towns.
PASSED the 7th of March, 1788.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York represented in Senate and Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, […]
that all that part of the county of Albany, bounded southerly by the county of Columbia, westerly by Hudsons river, including such of the islands in the same river as are nearest the east side thereof, and northerly by the north bounds of the manor of Rensselaerwyck, and easterly by a line beginning in the same north bounds, at a place nine miles distant from Hudsons river, and running from thence southerly to the northeast corner of Kinderhook in the county of Columbia, shall be and hereby is erected into a town by the name of Rensselaerwyck.
And that all that part of the said county of Albany, bounded easterly , by the east bounds of this State, southerly by the county of Columbia, westerly by the said town of Rensselaerwyck, and northerly by the north bounds of the said manor of Rensselaerwyck, shall be and hereby is erected into a town, by the name of Stephen Town.
And that all that part of the said county of Albany, bounded southerly by the said town of Rensselaerwyck, westerly by Hudson’s river, northerly by a line beginning at the mouth of Lewis’s creek or kill, and running from thence south eighty four degrees east to Hosick river, and easterly and southeasterly by a line running from thence down along Hosick river, as it runs, to the place where Toll’s bridge formerly stood, and then due south to the road leading from St. Hoick to Albany, and then along the same road to the north bounds of Rensselaerwyck, shall be and hereby is erected into a town, by the name of Schactekoke.
And that all that part of the said county of Albany, bounded southerly by Rensslaerwyck and Stephen Town, westerly by Schactekoke, northerly by Schactekoke and Cambridge, and easterly by a line beginning at the distance of ten miles east from Hudson’s river, on the north line of Schactekoke continued east, and running from thence to a place in the north bounds of Stephen Town, at the distance of thirteen miles from Hudsons river, shall be and hereby is erected into a town by the name of Pitt’s Town.
And that all that part of the said county of Albany, bounded easterly by the east bounds of this State, southerly by Stephen Town, westerly by Pitts Town and northerly by the north line of Schactekoke and Pitts Town continued to the east bounds of this State, shall be and hereby is erected into a town, by the name of Hosick.
Laws of the State of New York Passed at the Sessions of the Legislature Held in the Years 1785, 1786, 1787 and 1788, inclusive. Vol. II. Albany, NY: Weed Parsons & Co., 1886. 757.
Towns of Rensselaerwyck and Stephentown marked with red dotted lines added to detail cropped from: DeWitt, Simeon. “A Map of the State of New York.” 1802. http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~2487~220057:A-Map-of-the-State-Of-New-York-
At a town-meeting, in the west manor of Rensselaerwyck, on Tuesday last, Stephen Van Rensselaer, Esq. was unanimously elected supervisor of the town. The same day, John Van Rensselaer, Esq. was elected supervisor, and the following gentlemen were also elected assessors, for the east manor of Rensselaerwyck, viz.
Moses Viele, Christopher Tillman, Cornelius Van Beuren, Henry Shaver, Abner Newton, James Harrington, Jacob Schermerhorn, Jacob Van Alstyne, and Albert Pauling, Esqrs.
Federal Herald. April 13, 1789: 3 col 3.
The Town of Troy was formed from part of the Town of Rensselaerwyck on February 7, 1791
AN ACT for dividing the several towns therein mentioned.
PASSED the 10th of April, 1792.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, […]
That all that part of the town of Rensselaerwyck, which lies north of a line to be drawn, from a point on the east bank of the river Hudson, eight miles distant from the south west corner of the town of Rensselaerwyck, and running from thence east, to the west bounds of Stephentown, shall be and is hereby erected into a separate town, by the name of Greenbush; and that the first town meeting in Greenbush shall be held at the dwelling house of Abraham M. De Forest, in the said town. And that all the remaining part of the town of Rensselaerwyck, shall be, and remain a separate town by the name of Rensselaerwyck; and that the first town meeting in Rensselaerwyck, shall be held at the dwelling house of John I. Miller in the said town.
Laws of the State of New York Passed at the Sessions of the Legislature Held in the Years 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795 and 1796, inclusive. Vol. 3. Albany, NY: Weed Parsons & Co., 1887. 355, 359.
AN ACT to divide the town of Rensselaerwyck, in the county of Rensselaer.
Passed the 17th of March, 1795.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly That all that part of the town of Rensselaerwyck, bounded as follows. Beginning at the south west corner of the town of Troy and running thence easterly along the southern boundary line of the said town, to the western bounds of the town of Petersburgh thence southerly along the western bounds of the towns of Petersburgh and Stephen Town six hundred and thirty two chains thence south eighty six degrees and forty eight minutes west as the needle now points unto Hudsons river thence northerly along the said river to the place of beginning, and including such of the islands in the said river as are nearest the east side thereof and are adjacent to the said last mentioned line shall, from and after the first Monday in April next, be erected into a separate town, by the name of Greenbush and that the first town meeting in Greenbush shall be held at the dwelling house of David M. De Forest in the said town and that all the remaining part of the town of Rensselaerwyck shall be, and remain a separate town by the name of Schodack and that the first town meeting, in the town of Schodack shall be held at the dwelling house of John I. Miller in the said town.
Laws of the State of New York Passed at the Sessions of the Legislature Held in the Years 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795 and 1796, inclusive. Vol. 3. Albany, NY: Weed Parsons & Co., 1887. 562.
The towns of Lansingburgh and Brunswick were formed from parts of the Town of Troy on March 20, 1807.
See also Elizabethtown