Deerfield

Deerfield

Map showing the area of Deerfield according to the New York land grant, compared to modern town borders today.
This map, created by the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in 2025, using Google Maps and a drawing software, shows the overlap of the borders of Deerfield according to the 1771 land grant, compared to the modern borders today.

Deerfield Town Charter (1771)

GEORGE the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King Defender of the Faith and so forth. To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting. Whereas our loving Subject Samuel Wells by his humble Petition presented unto our Right trusty and Right well beloved Cousin John Earl of Dunmore, our Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over our Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America, Chancellor and Vice Admiral of the same, and read in our Council for our said Province on the Thirtieth Day of May now last past did set forth in Substance That the Petitioner and his Associates had discovered a Tract of vacant Land vested in us, and wholly uncultivated lying on the East Side of Lake Champlain and to the West of what are called the Green Mountains in the County of Albany of the Contents of about Thirty five Thousand Acres lying on a River called Onion River which empties itself into Lake Champlain about Forty Miles to the North of Crown Point, Beginning on the said River about eighty Chains above the first Falls in the said River which are about Nine Miles up The same as the River runs from where the River empties itself into the said Lake and to extend Easterly, Southerly and Northerly such Distances as should contain the Quantity of Thirty five Thousand Acres with the usual Allowance for Highways. And therefore the Petitioner did humbly Pray that as no Part of the said Tract lay so far distant from Lake Champlain as Twenty Miles our said Captain General and Governor in Chief would be favorably pleased to grant the said Tract of vacant Land to the Petitioner and his Associates on such Conditions, Restrictions, Reservations and Limitations as other Lands are granted to our Subjects in our said Province. And that the said Tract of Land might be erected into a Township by the Name of Deerfield Which Petition having been then referred to a Committee of our Council for our said Province our said Council did afterwards on the same Day in Pursuance of the Report of the said Committee humbly advise and consent that our said Captain General and Governor in Chief should by our Letters Patent grant unto the said Samuel Wells and his Associates and their Heirs the Tract of vacant Land described in the said Petition under the Quit Rent, Provisoes, Limitations and Restrictions prescribed by our Royal Instructions, And that the same Tract of Land should be erected into a Township by the Name of Deerfield with the usual Privileges granted to other Townships within our said Province. In Pursuance whereof and in Obedience to our said Royal Instructions, our Commissioners appointed for the Setting out all Lands to be granted within our said Province have set out for him the said Samuel Wells, and for his Associates to wit, John DeNoyelles, John Shatford Jones, Charles Morse, John Rice, Terence Kerin, William C. Hulett, John Taylor, Samuel Deall, William Kennedy, Robert Hyslop, John Moore, James Moran, Lambert Moore, Charles Williams, Robert Watts, James Cobham, John McDowal, Daniel McCormick, Samuel Kempton, Samuel Knight, Malachi Church, Robert Cocks, John Lawrence, Henry Boel, John Bowles, Marinus Willet, Joseph Beck, Isaac Heron, John Shaw, John Kennedy, Elizabeth Livingston, John Brown, Ann Hawkes Hay Esquire and Samuel Brunson, All that certain Tract or parcel of Land situate lying and being on the East Side of Lake Champlain in the County of Albany within our Province of New York, Beginning at a soft Maple Tree marked with three Notches on four Sides and a Beech Tree marked with the Letters and Figures T/WC/ 1769 standing on the South Bank of Onion River a little above a Turn in the said River at a Point of large white Rocks about a Mile above a Fall in the said River at the lower End of the low Land and two Hundred and forty four Chains East from the said Lake, and runs from the said Beech Tree South three Hundred and fifty Chains; Then South Sixty eight Degrees East six Hundred and eighty six Chains; Then North Seven Hundred and seven Chains; Then West six Hundred and thirty six Chains; and then South one Hundred Chains to the Place where this Tract Or Parcel of Land first began; Containing Thirty five Thousand Acres of Land and the usual Allowance for Highways. And in setting out the said Tract or Parcel of Land, our said Commissioners have had Regard to the profitable and unprofitable Acres and have taken Care, that the Length thereof doth not extend along the Banks of any River, otherwise than is conformable to our said Royal Instructions, As by a Certificate thereof under their Hands bearing Date the fourteenth Day of this instant Month of June and entered on Record in our Secretary’s Office for our said Province may more fully appear. Which said Tract of Land, set out as aforesaid according to our said Royal Instructions, We being willing to grant to the said Petitioner and his said Associates, their Heirs and Assigns for ever with the several Privileges and Powers herein after mentioned Know Ye that of our especial Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion, We have given, granted ratified and confirmed And do by these Presents for us our Heirs and Successors give grant ratify and confirm unto them the said Samuel Wells, John DeNoyelles, John Shatford Jones, Charles Morse, John Rice, Terence Kerin, William C. Hulett, John Taylor, Samuel Deall, William Kennedy, Robert Hyslop, John Moore, James Moran, Lambert Moore, Charles Williams, Robert Watts, James Cobham, John McDowal, Daniel McCormick, Samuel Kempton, Samuel Knight, Malachi Church, Robert Cocks, John Lawrence, Henry Boel, John Bowles, Marinus Willet, Joseph Beck, Isaac Heron, John Shaw, John Kennedy, Elizabeth Livingston, John Brown, Ann Hawkes Hay Esquire, and Samuel Brunson their Heirs and assigns for ever, All that the Tract or Parcel of Land aforesaid set out, abutted, bounded and described in Manner and Form as abovementioned. Together with all and singular the Tenements Hereditaments, Emoluments and Appurtenances thereunto belonging or appertaining. And also all our Estate, Right, Title, Interest, Possession, Claim and Demand whatsoever of in and to the same Lands and Premises and every Part and Parcel thereof: And the Reversion and Reversions, Remainder and Remainders, Rents, Issues and Profits thereof, and of every Part and Parcel thereof, Except and always reserved out of this our present Grant unto us, our Heirs and Successors for ever, all Mines of Gold and Silver and also all white or other Sorts of Pine Trees fit for Masts of the Growth of twenty four Inches Diameter and upwards at twelve Inches from the Earth for Masts for the Royal Navy of us, our Heirs and Successors. To have and to hold one full and equal Thirty fifth Part (the whole into Thirty five equal Parts to be divided) of the said Tract or Parcel of Land, Tenements, Hereditaments and Premises By these Presents granted ratified and confirmed and every Part and Parcel thereof with their and every of their Appurtenances (except as is herein before excepted) unto each of them our Grantees above mentioned their Heirs and Assigns respectively. To their only proper and seperate Use and Behoof respectively for ever as Tenants in Common and not as Joint Tenants. To be holden of us, our Heirs and Successors in free and common Socage as of our Manor of East Greenwich in our County of Kent within our Kingdom of Great Britain. Yielding, Rendering and Paying therefore yearly and every Year for ever unto us, our Heirs and Successors at our Custom House in our City of New York unto our or their Collector or Receiver General there for the Time being, on the Feast of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin Mary commonly called Lady Day the Yearly Rent of Two Shillings and six Pence Sterling, for each and every Hundred Acres of the above granted Lands and so in Proportion for any lesser Quantity thereof saving and except for such Part of the said Lands allowed for Highways as above mentioned in Lieu and stead of all other Rents, Services, Dues, Duties and Demands whatsoever for the hereby granted Lands and Premises or any Part thereof. And we do of our especial Grace certain Knowledge and Meer Motion, create erect and constitute the Tract or Parcel of Land herein granted and every Part and Parcel thereof a Township for ever hereafter to be continue and remain and by the Name of Deerfield for ever hereafter to be called and known. 

Provided further and upon Condition also nevertheless, And we do hereby for us, our Heirs and Successors direct and appoint, that this our present Grant shall be registered and entered on Record within six Months from the Date thereof in our Secretary’s Office in our City of New York in our said Province in one of the Books of Patents there remaining, And that a Docquet thereof shall be also entered in our Auditor’s Office there for our said Province, And that in Default thereof this our present Grant shall be void and of none Effect, any Thing before in these presents contained to the Contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. And we do moreover of our especial Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion consent and agree, that this our present Grant being registred recorded and a Docquet thereof made as before directed and appointed shall be good and effectual in the Law to all Intents, Constructions and Purposes whatsoever against us, our Heirs and Successors notwithstanding any Misreciting, Misbounding, Misnaming, or other Imperfection or Omission of, in or in any wise concerning the above granted or hereby mentioned or intended to be granted Lands, Tenements, Hereditaments and Premises or any Part thereof. In Testimony whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patent and the Great Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness our said Right trusty and Right well beloved Cousin John Earl of Dunmore our said Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over our said Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America Chancellor and Vice Admiral of the same, at our Fort in our City of New York the Twentieth Day of June in the Year of our Lord One Thousand seven Hundred and seventy one, and of our Reign the Eleventh.

The text of the original New York Land Grant charter for Deerfield was copied from a previously written source on file at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum.