Settlement Timeline of Shelter Island, NY
Pre-Colonial Times: The Manhanset Indians lived on the Island. They called it: Manhansack Aha Quash A Womak which translates into "Island Sheltered by Islands."
1620: King James I gave the Island to William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, who was an early developer of Scottish colonization on Long Island.
1635: William Havens of Wales settled on Conanicut Island, Rhode Island.
1638: James Farrett (an agent for the Earl of Stirling) accepts the Island as payment due to him. Farrett made a "bargain" with the Manhanset Indians, claiming to have bought their rights to the Island. During the three years Farrett owned the Island it was known as "Mr. Farrett's Island."
1641: James Farrett sold the Island to Stephen Goodyear of New Haven. Goodyear owned it for ten years, during which time it was known as "Mr. Goodyear's Island."
1651: Part of the infamous Triangle Trade, four sugar merchants with plantations in Barbados (Thomas Middleton, Thomas Rouse, Nathaniel Sylvester, and his brother, Constant Sylvester) purchased the Island using 1,600 pounds of sugar. They were interested in the Island because of its many white oak trees which were used to make ships used during trading.
1652: Nathaniel Sylvester married Grissel Brinley and built their home on the Island. He settled here to run a farm that provided supplies for the sugar cane industry in the Caribbean. From the time of this settlement, the Island became known as "Shelter Island."
1652: The Manhansets disputed the "agreement" with James Farrett, saying they only relinquished the rights to a certain portion of the Island, not the entire thing. Therefore, the four sugar merchants (Thomas Middleton, John Booth (took the place of Thomas Rouse), Nathaniel Sylvester, Constant Sylvester) purchased the land a second time, this time from the Indians themselves. This left the for men in complete possession of the Island.
1656: John Booth sold his portion of ownership to the other three men.
1673: Nathaniel Sylvester bought out his partners and became the sole owner of the Island.
1695: William Nicoll of Islip bought a large track of land at Sachem's Neck (now known as Mashomack Preserve) from the Sylvesters. William Nicoll II later settled on the Island and became the town's first supervisor.
1699: George Havens (son of William Havens of Rhode Island) purchased 1,000 acres in the center of the Island from the Sylvesters.
1730: Twenty families lived on the Island by this time. Shelter Island formally became a town. Before Shelter Island became its own township, it was under the management of Southold Town on the north fork of Long Island.
1743: William Havens (son of George Havens) built his home on the property his father owned just in time for the birth of his son, James.
1761: James Havens married Elizabeth Bowditch and they became the owners of the 1,000-acre farmstead. They named it "Heartsease."
1776: James served as a delegate at the New York Provincial Congress.
1776-1783: During the American Revolution the British anchored their war ships in the bay and ravaged the Island and its residents for goods.
1620: King James I gave the Island to William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, who was an early developer of Scottish colonization on Long Island.
1635: William Havens of Wales settled on Conanicut Island, Rhode Island.
1638: James Farrett (an agent for the Earl of Stirling) accepts the Island as payment due to him. Farrett made a "bargain" with the Manhanset Indians, claiming to have bought their rights to the Island. During the three years Farrett owned the Island it was known as "Mr. Farrett's Island."
1641: James Farrett sold the Island to Stephen Goodyear of New Haven. Goodyear owned it for ten years, during which time it was known as "Mr. Goodyear's Island."
1651: Part of the infamous Triangle Trade, four sugar merchants with plantations in Barbados (Thomas Middleton, Thomas Rouse, Nathaniel Sylvester, and his brother, Constant Sylvester) purchased the Island using 1,600 pounds of sugar. They were interested in the Island because of its many white oak trees which were used to make ships used during trading.
1652: Nathaniel Sylvester married Grissel Brinley and built their home on the Island. He settled here to run a farm that provided supplies for the sugar cane industry in the Caribbean. From the time of this settlement, the Island became known as "Shelter Island."
1652: The Manhansets disputed the "agreement" with James Farrett, saying they only relinquished the rights to a certain portion of the Island, not the entire thing. Therefore, the four sugar merchants (Thomas Middleton, John Booth (took the place of Thomas Rouse), Nathaniel Sylvester, Constant Sylvester) purchased the land a second time, this time from the Indians themselves. This left the for men in complete possession of the Island.
1656: John Booth sold his portion of ownership to the other three men.
1673: Nathaniel Sylvester bought out his partners and became the sole owner of the Island.
1695: William Nicoll of Islip bought a large track of land at Sachem's Neck (now known as Mashomack Preserve) from the Sylvesters. William Nicoll II later settled on the Island and became the town's first supervisor.
1699: George Havens (son of William Havens of Rhode Island) purchased 1,000 acres in the center of the Island from the Sylvesters.
1730: Twenty families lived on the Island by this time. Shelter Island formally became a town. Before Shelter Island became its own township, it was under the management of Southold Town on the north fork of Long Island.
1743: William Havens (son of George Havens) built his home on the property his father owned just in time for the birth of his son, James.
1761: James Havens married Elizabeth Bowditch and they became the owners of the 1,000-acre farmstead. They named it "Heartsease."
1776: James served as a delegate at the New York Provincial Congress.
1776-1783: During the American Revolution the British anchored their war ships in the bay and ravaged the Island and its residents for goods.