The Thorne-Wilkins Burying Ground

New York Researcher, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. 28, No. 4, Winter 2017. Pages 5-8.

This article is about the Thorne-Wilkins Burying Ground at Fort Totten on Willets Point in Bayside, New York.

This is of interest to me as I am a descendant of William Thorn(e) Sr. He is supposed to have landed at Boston about 1629. He was admitted as a freeman at Lynn, Massachusetts Bay Colony on May 2, 1638. He left Lynn early in 1643 for Long Island as one of the followers of Lady Deborah Moody (Gravesend, LI). He was one of the patentees at Flushing, LI in 1645. He was one of the signers of the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657.

I am descended through his son Joseph Thorne (cir. 1642-1727), who married Mary Bowne. Mary Bowne was a daughter of John Bowne (1627-1695) and Hannah Feake (1637-1677). Quakers or the Society of Friends.

Additional Instructions to Lord Dorchester concerning Oaths and Quakers. November 18, 1793.

Documents relating to the granting of lands to Loyalists in the Province of Quebec (includes present day Quebec and Ontario).

Transcriber: Edward Kipp

January 2011

Source: Library and Archives Canada

MG40 B8: Instructions to governors for Quebec, Lower Canada and Upper Canada.

LAC mf H-2952. File 4. PP 38-45.

Additional Instructions to Lord Dorchester concerning Oaths and Quakers. November 18, 1793.

[P. 1]

Extract from His Majesty’s Instructions to Lord Dorchester 16^th September 1791

Variations on the Land Instructions Hugh Finlay

[P. 2]

George R

[Seal]

Additional Instruction to Our Right Trusty and Wellbeloved Guy, Lord Dorchester, Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Our Captain General and Governor in Chief, in and over Our Province of Lower Canada in America. Given at Our Court at Saint James’s the Eighteenth day of November 1793. In the Thirty Fourth year of Our Reign.

Whereas Our Will and Pleasure has been signified in the 35^th Article of Our Instructions to you, as Our Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over Our Province of Lower Canada, bearing date the 16^th day of September 1791. That no Warrant for surveying Lands be granted by you or the Lieutenant Governor, or

Persons

[P. 3]

Persons administering the Government for the time being, unless the Person, or Persons applying for the same, do, at the time of making such Application, besides taking the usual Oaths Directed by Law, also make and subscribe the following Declaration in your, or his Presence, or in the Presence of such Person or Persons, as shall by you or him, be appointed for that purpose. Viz “I A.B. do promise and declare that I will maintain and defend to the utmost of my Power, the Authority of The King in His Parliament, as the Supreme Legislature of this Province.”

And whereas there has been laid before Us a Petition, presented in your Absence to the Lieutenant Governor of Our said Province, in Canada, by certain of Our Subjects of the People called Quakers; praying, that as they conscientiously decline wearing and bearing Arms, and swearing in any base whatever, the Words, “I Swear and Defend” in the above Oath, may be dispensed with, in regard to Persons of their Society, applying for Grants of Lands; It is therefore Our Will and Pleasure, notwithstanding the aforesaid Article in Our Instructions to you as

aforesaid

[P. 4]

aforesaid, that in the Case of Quakers applying for Grants of Lands, it shall be sufficient, (if there be no other objection to making such Grants) that the Quakers so applying, do make and sign a Declaration, acknowledging the Authority of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, in Our Parliament of Great Britain, as the Supreme Legislature of Our Province of Lower Canada; and declaring that they will demean themselves as peaceable and loyal Subjects to Us, Our Heirs and Successors accordingly.

GR

Visit to Chappaqua, NY - Kip/Kipp Family

We made a side trip to Chappaqua, New York to visit the New Castle Historical Society located in the Horace Greeley House on King Street in Chappaqua. We wanted to see if they had anything on the Kip/Kipp family who lived in Westchester Co. This is the Loyalist Kipp family who came to Canada after the Revolution. We had a chat with a very nice gentleman Gray Williams. They did not have a lot of additional information except that he does know a lot about the various houses the members of the Kip/Kipp families who were not Loyalist lived in after the Revolution. We drove down Kipp street and also stopped and had a brief look at the old Quaker Meeting House at Chappaqua. The one thing I can say about that area is that it is hilly and the roads are very narrow. It seems to be rural but at the same time very built up. The Quaker meeting house also has an attached cemetery, but it was a wet day and we did not have time to wander. It looks very overgrown as well. I gave Mr. Williams a copy of the genealogy of the Loyalist Branch of the Kipp Family for their files.