Roeloff Swartwout

At the end of 1659, Roelof returned to Holland and approached the Lords Directors of the Amsterdam chamber of the Dutch West India Company requesting that they establish a court in the area of the Esopus and appoint him as schout/magistrate.

Roelof's second objective in visiting Holland had been to obtain a settled pastor for Esopus, and it was apparently accomplished on March 4, 1661, Thomas Chambers, Cornelius Barentsen Slecht, Gertruy Andries, Roeloff Swartwout, Alaerdt Heymensen Rose and Juriaen Westvael agreed in writing to give Blom (the Dutch pastor) as salary for the first year, to commence 9/5/1660,the sum of 700 guilders in corn, at beaver valuation in case his farm should fail, we promise further to put the farm in good order according to contract as soon as the land has been allotted and raise that sum at the latest for the coming farming season.

By the time word arrived that Esopus warriors had completely destroyed the neighboring village of Nieu Dorp, the scouts were in place around the town and began their own attack.

Well-armed and spread out, they took the Dutch by surprise and soon controlled much of the town, setting fire to houses and kidnapping women before they were driven out by a few of the settlers Reolof Swartwout being one of them.

On June 10 Reolof Swartwout wrote a letter to Director General Stuyvesant asking for Dutch soldier reinforcements and recollection of chronology of events.

In spite of his help, the Dutch were unable to make solid contact with the Esopus, who used guerilla tactics and could disappear easily into the woods.

The Indians fled, and the Dutch, led by Captain Martin Cregier, pillaged their fort before retreating, taking supplies and prisoners.

[3][4][5][6][7] On January 23, 1664 – 1667 Governor Francis Lovelace, issued a deed of confirmation to Reolof Swartwout at Wiltwyck (Kingston) at Esopus.

On May 28, 1686, a survey was taken of 47 acres of land, part of Hurley, on the north side of Esopus Kill laid out for Reolof by surveyor Philipps Welles.

[8] In 1707, Major Johannes Hardenbergh, a merchant of Kingston, Ulster County, New York, purchased from the Nanisionis Indians for the sum of 60 pounds, two million acres or 3,125 square miles of land initially known as the Great Tract.

[11] Bratt was the widow of Anthony de Hooges, a shareholder and bookkeeper for the Dutch West India Company and one of the first settlers, secretary assistant to Arent van Curler and later commissary of Rensselaerwyck.