Little Britain, New York is an area in the Town of New Windsor, Orange County. The name spread to the surrounding region, which at that time was part of Ulster County, New York.
History
The area of Little Britain was part of the Andrew Johnston Patent. It was first settled around 1724 by John Humphrey who purchased a farm lot of 250 acres. Peter Mullinder purchased a farm in 1729, the following month Robert Burnet of Raritan, New Jersey and John Reid also bought land.[1]
In 1730 Charles Clinton arrived having persuaded a number of his friends and relatives to join him. Among those who accompanied him were Armstong, Beatty, Barkly, Brooks, Davis, Dennison, Thomas Dunlap, Robert Frazer, William Hamilton, George Lille, and Mary McClaughrey, who purchased a farm adjoining Humphrey. The name of this 'good vessel or ship', was the 'George and Anne', of Dublin, weighing about ninety tons, and was chartered by Charles Clinton, George Lille, Robert Frazer, William Hamilton, and Thomas Dunlop, for themselves and sixty five others. On the 20th of May, the ship left Ireland. After being at sea for some time it was discovered that the captain had formed a design of starving his passengers to death, either with the view to obtain their property or to deter emigration. Several of the passengers actually died, among whom were a son and daughter of Mr. Clinton, Mary (b. 1728, d. 1729) and James (b. 1726, d. 1729).[2] In this awful situation it was proposed by the passengers to seize the captain and commit the navigation of the vessel to Mr. Clinton, who was an excellent mathematician; but the officers of the ship refusing to co-operate with them, they were deterred from this proceeding from the apprehension of incurring the charge of piracy." They were finally compelled to commute with the captain for their lives by paying a large sum of money; who, accordingly, landed them at Cape Cod on the 4th of October. Mr. Clinton and his friends continued in that part of the country until the spring of 1731, when they removed to the county of Ulster, in the province of New York, and formed a flourishing settlement called Little Britain.[3]
In 1770 Little Britain was designated a road district for the purpose of maintenance. Little Britain Road was one of the first roads in the town.[1]
In 1737, there being but few children in the settlement, Little Britain had no schoolmaster, but around 1751 the Rev. John Moffat, pastor of Goodwill Church, opened "Moffat's Academy", which was located in a house on a farm owned by Robert Shaw, on the road from Little Britain to Washingtonville. By 1814 the Little Britain Meetinghouse school district was established.[1]
The first post office in the town was established at Little Britain on May 29, 1824. Hamilton Morrison was postmaster.[1]
Little Britain was the birthplace of New York Governor DeWitt Clinton, his father General James Clinton and his uncle U.S. Vice President George Clinton.
Today it lends its name to Little Britain Elementary School, part of the Washingtonville school district. The Little Britain Grange hall also still stands near the intersection of NY 207 and NY 747.
References
- ^ a b c d Ruttenbur, E. M. and Clark, L.H., History of Orange County, New York, Everts & Peck, Philadelphia, 1881
- ^ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/a/r/Thomas-Barker-TX/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0104.html
- ^ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/a/r/Thomas-Barker-TX/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1262.html
41°28′40″N 74°07′47″W / 41.47778°N 74.12972°W