Hi Steve, From: "Steve Brewer" <slbrewer@fuse.net> Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 9:43 AM Subject: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Land Record term > I'm looking over New Amsterdam land records and am curious if anyone knows what "free drop on both sides" refers to in the following sentence, "Width in front on the street, with free drop on both sides, 1 Rhineland rod 4 feet 6 inches."< I assume this is from the description of Adam's Brouwer's lot at the 1656 sale as shown in Stokes' Iconography II:368. Recall, I had written that the lot did not abut a street. It now appears to me that Adam had a thin (1 rod, 4 ft, 6 in wide) strip from his lot out to Beaver St. That appears to be the part described by the "free drop". Other than that, I don't have a clue. Also, see the Dutch Grants map (plate 87). Regards, Howard hswain@ix.netcom.com

I don't have anything to point to, but I'm thinking that "free drop" could be comparable to dropping a plumb bob at the extremities of the measure. Or if you're using a measuring chain, that you could let the ends fall free, or "free drop", while making that measurement. So if this was a measurement of an accessway to a back lot, it could be the width of an unemcumbered path. The path, itself, might be wider at some points, but might have a choke point from structures on either side somewhere along that path. Continuing to think conceptually, a back lot would sell after front lots. Whatever access you had, I assume, wouldn't let you contest any pre-existing contruction on the front lots. As a surveyor, not passing legal judgement, I would assume that your maximum property width was the unemcumbered width and that the adjoining owners hadn't sold you the right to tear down parts of their, possibly impeding, structures. Jim -----Original Message----- From: dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:dutch-colonies-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of Howard Swain Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 8:41 PM To: dutch-colonies@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Land Record term Hi Steve, From: "Steve Brewer" <slbrewer@fuse.net> Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 9:43 AM Subject: [DUTCH-COLONIES] Land Record term > I'm looking over New Amsterdam land records and am curious if anyone knows what "free drop on both sides" refers to in the following sentence, "Width in front on the street, with free drop on both sides, 1 Rhineland rod 4 feet 6 inches."< I assume this is from the description of Adam's Brouwer's lot at the 1656 sale as shown in Stokes' Iconography II:368. Recall, I had written that the lot did not abut a street. It now appears to me that Adam had a thin (1 rod, 4 ft, 6 in wide) strip from his lot out to Beaver St. That appears to be the part described by the "free drop". Other than that, I don't have a clue. Also, see the Dutch Grants map (plate 87). Regards, Howard hswain@ix.netcom.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DUTCH-COLONIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message