SC17820
15 boxes (5 cu. ft.)
Open to Research
Information available upon request
Fred Bassett, Assistant Librarian, Manuscripts and Special Collections, June 1987. Revised 1996
Biographical Note:
See more images from the Kiersted Papers.
John Kiersted (1786-1862) of Saugerties, New York, was a member of a prominent family in Ulster County dating back to the Colonial Dutch period. Kiersted studied surveying with William Cockburn and eventually chose surveying as his life's vocation. He was widely employed by the Hardenburgh family, whose land patent comprised large portions of present-day Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, and Ulster counties. In addition, Kiersted worked as an agent for other large landowners, such as John Hunter, Henry Overing, and the Livingston Family. He represented them in court during the many suits that arose over complications of boundaries and titles.
Kiersted also was engaged in various commercial interests including tanning and lead manufacturing, and was involved in politics, serving as a member of the New York State Assembly in 1814-1815. On January 11, 1819, Kiersted married Nelly Wynkoop, who bore three sons: John Jr., Wynkoop, and James.
Scope and Content Note:
The Kiersted Family Papers are comprised of fifteen boxes of material related to the activities of John Kiersted, Sr. and his son John Kiersted, Jr. They include correspondence, land records, and financial papers. The correspondence consists mainly of letters to John Sr. and John Jr. Most letters regard family matters, land, and the tanning business. The land records include surveys, plats, and field notes compiled by John Kiersted, Sr. for lands situated in the Hardenburgh Patent. Also included are similar papers for lands situated in central and northern New York State and New Jersey; legal titles and schedules documenting family landholdings. Business papers comprise the final component of this group. These papers include account ledgers, bills, and receipts related to personal finances, real estate interests, the tanning business, and the Reformed Dutch Church of Saugerties, New York. Accretions to this group include additional materials related to the aforementioned series.
Provenance Note:
This group of manuscripts includes accretions of materials that were formerly accessioned and cataloged separately: BD10593, BD10561, 17142, 17456 and SC18039. Acquisition information concerning SC17870 and accretions are available upon request.
Box and Folder List:
| Box | Folder | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Correspondence, 1815-1875 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1815-1839 |
| 1 | 2 | 1840-1849 |
| 1 | 3 | 1850-1853 |
| 1 | 4 | 1954-1857 |
| 1 | 5 | 1858 |
| 1 | 6 | 1859 |
| 1 | 7 | 1860 |
| 1 | 8 | 1861 |
| 1 | 9 | 1862 |
| 2 | 1 | 1863: January-June |
| 2 | 2 | 1863: July-December |
| 2 | 3 | 1864-1869 |
| 2 | 4 | 1870: July-June |
| 2 | 5 | 1870: July-December |
| 2 | 6 | 1871-1875 |
| Land Records and Papers, 1727-1870: Surveys and Plats – Hardenburgh Patent | ||
| 3 | 1 | Great Lot. no. 1. Town of Bethal, Sullivan County, N.Y., n.d. |
| 3 | 2 | Great Lot, no. 2 (2 maps) a) Town of Callacoon (Liberty), Sullivan County, n.d. b) Town of Fremont (Liberty), Sullivan County, n.d. |
| 3 | 3 | Great Lot no. 4. Townships of Rockland and Neversink, Sullivan County, N.Y. Lands of John A. and Robert Livingston, n.d. |
| 3 | 4 | Great Lot no. 4. Middle Divisions, n.d. |
| 3 | 5 | Great Lot no. 9. Hurley Woods, Ulster County, N.Y. a) First Allotment, 1835 b) Second Allotment, 1828 [sic] |
| 3 | 6 | Great Lots nos. 11-18. South Tier Lots, which include parts of the towns of Bethal, Cochecton, Mamakating, and Thompson. |
| 3 | 7 | Great Lot no. 19. Roxbury, Delaware County, N.Y., 1817 |
| 3 | 8 | Great Lot no. 20. Prattsville (Windham) Greene County, N.Y., (2 maps) |
| 3 | 9 | Great Lot no. 20, Delaware and Greene counties' boundary |
| 3 | 10 | Great Lots nos. 21 and 22 (2 maps). Town of Lexington, Greene County, N.Y. (includes Wm. Bryant's tract) |
| 3 | 11 | Great Lots nos. 23, 24 and 25. Town of Hunter, Greene County, N.Y., showing the boundary with State Lands Tract |
| 3 | 12 | Great Lot. No. 22. Tomlison and Day Tract, 1786, Windham, Greene County, N.Y. Shows boundary with Batavia Patent and Van Bergen Patent. |
| 3 | 13 | Great Lot no. 24 (Pt.). North Pass of Schoharie Creek in Town of Hunter, Greene County, N.Y |
| 3 | 14 | Great Lot no. 35, Div. 15 (3 Maps). Towns of Handesk and Tompkins, Delaware County, N.Y. |
| 3 | 15 | Mamakating, Sullivan County, N.Y., Semeon [sic] (Simeon?) Dewitt, 1789 |
| 3 | 16 | Mamakating, William Killman [Kilman] farm, 1829 |
| 3 | 17 | Mamakating, Shoomaker farm, n.d. |
| 3 | 18 | Surveys (3 items) a) John Brandow property (2 tracts) b) Herman Horton farms |
| 3 | 19 | Lands of Peter and Tobias Wuykoup, Greene and Ulster counties, N.Y., 1806 |
| 3 | 20 | Boundaries a. Van Bergen, Cran, and Stringer patents b. Worthline c. Marbletown Patent |
| 3 | 21 | Surveys by John Kiersted |
| 3 | 22 | Survey Maps by John Kiersted |
| 3 | 23 | Survey notes and plats of John Kiersted, Jr. |
| Land Records and Papers, 1727-1870: Surveys and Maps – Lands outside of Hardenburgh Patent, 1770-1858 | ||
| 4 | 1 | Kiersted Gore. Lands lying between Dartmouth Patent and Totten and Grossfield Patent |
| 4 | 2 | Gore in Pittstown on the west side of the Hoosick Patent, 1807 |
| 4 | 3 | Parts of Hoosick and Pittstown Patents - The Gore, 1807 |
| 4 | 4 | Survey of the Gore on the east side of Pittstown, 1807 |
| 4 | 5 | Surveys of Pittstown, ca. 1807 |
| 4 | 6 | Eastkill Patent. Lands of Daniel McLean, Malichi Treat and others. Greene County, N.Y. |
| 4 | 7 | Little Nine Partners Patent, Lot 54. Dutchess County. Survey (copy) by William Cockburn, 1797 |
| 4 | 8 | McKee's Patent (Delaware County) by Wm. Cockburn, 1770 |
| 4 | 9 | Mills and Kilmans Patent, 1801 |
| 4 | 10 | Minisink Patent, 1st Div., Lot 45 (Ulster County), J.O. Denning, 1842 |
| 4 | 11 | Napanock Patent, Division of the Drowndes Lands. Wm. Cockburn, 1807 |
| 4 | 12 | Shawanguok Kill, Land Patents, 1770 |
| 4 | 13 | Miscellaneous lots in Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley regions of New York |
| 4 | 14 | Miscellaneous lots in the vicinity of the boundaries between Albany, Greene, and Schoharie counties, New York |
| 4 | 15 | Broome County, Town of Windsor Walter Livingston's Lands, 1813 |
| 4 | 16 | Chenango County, Town of Colesville, John Watts Tract |
| 4 | 17 | Columbia County. Land Grants, Patents, and Tracts, n.d. |
| 4 | 18 | Franklin County, Towns of Brandon and Dickenson |
| 4 | 19 | Jefferson County - Penets Square |
| 4 | 20 | Madison County, Village of Peterboro |
| 4 | 21 | Orange County, Town of Middletown Alexander Cockburn's Farm, 1804 |
| 4 | 22 | Ulster County, Town of Saugerties Lands of Cornelius Myer and Abraham Bartholomew, 1826 |
| 4 | 23 | Ulster County, Kingston Commons, n.d. |
| 4 | 24 | Washington County, Town of Granville. Lands of Thomas D. Bergen |
| 4 | 25 | Westchester County, Town of Pelham Sacket Farm (owned by John Hunter), 1858 |
| 4 | 26 | Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Lands in the towns of Alexander and Tewksbury |
| Land Records and Papers, 1727-1870: Survey Field Notes and Memorandum Books, 1727-1850 | ||
| 5 | 1 | Memorandum Book of Boundaries of Several Land Patents in New York, 1727-1798, Wynkoop |
| 5 | 2 | Memorandum Book, 1809 |
| 5 | 3 | Field notes, ca. 1809 - Sharp Farm, Claverack, N.Y. |
| 5 | 4 | Field notes of Edward Robert Livingston lands in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, 1815 |
| 5 | 5 | Field notes of Livingston lands in New Jersey, 1823 |
| 5 | 6 | Field notes, Hardenburgh Patent, 1828-1830 (2 items) |
| 5 | 7 | Field notes, Hardenburgh Patent, 1832 |
| 5 | 8 | Field notes, Hardenburgh Patent, 1837 |
| 5 | 9 | Field notes, Hardenburgh Patent, 1840 |
| 5 | 10 | Field notes of John Hunter's lands in the Hardenburgh Patent,1843 and 1850 (2 items) |
| 5 | 11 | Field notes a) Orrin Day lands b) Kiersted & Co. against sundry persons |
| 5 | 12 | Miscellaneous Survey Notes |
| Land Records and Papers, 1727-1870: Land Schedules and Lists, 1818-1859 | ||
| 6 | 1 | Quit Rent purchases, by John Kiersted, 1826 |
| 6 | 2 | Tax Sale Purchases, John Kiersted and Peter Smith, 1830 |
| 6 | 3 | Tax Sale Purchases, John Kiersted and Peter Smith, 1834 |
| 6 | 4 | Tax Sale Purchases, John Hunter and John Kiersted, 1845 |
| 6 | 5 | Tax Sale Purchases, John Kiersted, Jr., 1859 |
| 6 | 6 | Land book, Wynkoop and James Kiersted, 1852-1853 |
| 6 | 7 | List of Kiersted family lands in Hardenburgh Patent - Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and Ulster counties, ca. 1855 |
| 6 | 8 | Lists of Kiersted family lands outside of Hardenburgh Patent |
| 6 | 9 | List of lands belonging to Alexander Cockburn, 1820 |
| 6 | 10 | Lists of lands belonging to John Hunter. It includes lands owned jointly with Orrin Day and John Kiersted, 1844 |
| 6 | 11 | Kiskatom, Greene County, Land Schedule, n.d. |
| 6 | 12 | Mamakating Land Schedule, 1851 |
| 6 | 13 | Wawayanda Patent, Orange County, Land Schedule, 1818 |
| 7 | 1 | Schedule of lands belonging to John Kiersted, ca. 1840 |
| 7 | 2 | Schedule of lands belonging to John Kiersted, ca. 1850 |
| 7 | 3 | List of lands belonging to John Hunter. Class no. 1, in the partition between him and John Kiersted, 1844 |
| 7 | 4 | List of lands belonging to John Kiersted, Jr. and land purchased by Cornelius Wynkoop, ca. 1845-1848 |
| Land Records and Papers, 1727-1870: Tax Sale Purchases, Lists and Certificates, 1815-1860 | ||
| 8 | 1 | New York State Tax Sale, Purchase List, 1815 |
| 8 | 2 | New York State Tax Sales, Purchase List, 1812-1824 |
| 8 | 3 | New York State Tax Sales, Purchase List, 1826-1828 |
| 8 | 4 | New York State Tax Sale, Purchase List, 1830 |
| 8 | 5 | New York State Tax Sale, Purchase List, 1834 |
| 8 | 6 | Certifications, 1826-1829 |
| 8 | 7 | Certifications, 1830-1832 |
| 8 | 8 | Certifications, 1834 |
| 8 | 9 | Certifications, 1851 and 1860 |
| 8 | 10 | Certification of Purchases, John Kiersted and Henry Osborn, purchases in Gore between Township II, Totten & Crossfield and Dartmouth Patent, 1833 |
| 8 | 11 | Certificates, Lots 1-20 |
| 8 | 12 | Certificates, Lots 21-43 |
| Land Records and Papers, 1727-1870: Legal Documents and Estate Papers, 1794-1850 | ||
| 9 | 1 | Hardenburgh Patent, 1805-1845 |
| 9 | 2 | Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, and Delaware counties, 1805-1890 |
| 9 | 3 | Essex County, Towns of Crown Point and Ticonderoga, 1808-1837 |
| 9 | 4 | Greene County, Hardenburgh Patent, 1807-1835 |
| 9 | 5 | Sullivan County, Hardenburgh Patent, 1796-1839 |
| 9 | 6 | Ulster County, Towns of Kingston and Saugerties, 1806-1831 |
| 9 | 7 | Wynkoop family land documents, 1796 and 1803 |
| 9 | 8 | Articles of Agreement, 1824-1828 |
| 9 | 9 | Articles of Agreement, 1842-1845. John Powers and John Kiersted |
| 9 | 10 | Articles of Agreement, 1840-1854. Cornelius Wynkoop and others |
| 9 | 11 | Memorandums of Agreements, 1830-1834. John Kiersted and others |
| Land Records and Papers, 1727-1870: Legal Documents and Estate Papers, 1800-1870 | ||
| 10 | 1 | Property Taxes, John Kiersted estate, 1850-1870 |
| 10 | 2 | Contracts and Bonds: Land Sales, 1800-1840 |
| 10 | 3 | Land Sale Account Ledgers, 1840-1860 |
| 10 | 4 | Chancery Suit, Kiersted Estate, 1820-1850 |
| 10 | 5 | Chancery Suit, Wynkoop Estate, 1833-1835 |
| 10 | 6 | Miscellaneous |
| Business Papers, 1805-1875: Accounts, 1840-1873 | ||
| 10 | 7 | Account Ledgers, 1840-1849 |
| 10 | 8 | Account Ledgers, 1850-1873 |
| 10 | 9 | Accounts of Williamson and Regency Tannery, 1841-1845 |
| Business Papers, 1805-1875: Bills and Receipts, 1805-1875 | ||
| 11 | 1 | 1805-1824 |
| 11 | 2 | 1825-1827 |
| 11 | 3 | 1828-1829 |
| 11 | 4 | 1830-1831 |
| 11 | 5 | 1832-1834 |
| 11 | 6 | 1835-1837 |
| 11 | 7 | 1838-1839 |
| 11 | 8 | 1840-1841 |
| 11 | 9 | 1842-1849 |
| 12 | 1 | 1850-1854 |
| 12 | 2 | 1855-1857 |
| 12 | 3 | 1858-1859 |
| 12 | 4 | 1860 |
| 12 | 5 | 1861-1862 |
| 12 | 6 | 1863-1864 |
| 12 | 7 | 1865-1869 |
| 12 | 8 | 1870-1875 |
| Sundry Business Papers | ||
| 13 | 1 | W. Kiersted & Company |
| 13 | 2 | Leather Price Currents, 1869 |
| 13 | 3 | Reformed Dutch Church of Saugerties, 1860-1873 |
| 13 | 4 | Receipts (church literature, supplies, and pew rents), 1860-1869 |
| 13 | 5 | School Notebook |
| 13 | 6 | News Clippings |
| 13 | 7 | Miscellaneous |
| Accretions | ||
| 14 | 1 | Correspondence, 1784, 1828-1859 |
| 14 | 2 | Correspondence, 1860-1869 |
| 14 | 3 | Correspondence, 1870-1871, n.d. |
| 14 | 4 | Memorandum of Agreements, 1810-1860, involving Esther Hornbeck, George Clarke, Cyrus Burhans, Adison Brainard, Jo hn Kiersted, Jr., and Edward Livingston |
| 14 | 5 | Powers of attorney, 1828, 1844 |
| 14 | 6 | Subpoenas, 1850-1851 |
| 14 | 7 | Receipts, 1811, 1839-1871 |
| 14 | 8 | Lists of Sales of Personal Property of John Kiersted by the Sheriff of the County of Ulster, 5 Feb. 1842 |
| 14 | 9 | A list of lands belonging to Edward P. Livingston and Robert L. Livingston, New Jersey |
| 14 | 10 | Reports of Operations at Mongaup Tannery, 1858-1869 |
| 14 | 11 | Miscellaneous land records involving patents granted to Joacham Staats, Henry Beekman, Gilbert Livingston and Walter Livingston |
| 14 | 12 | Printed Items |
| 14 | 13 | Miscellaneous |
| 14 | 14 | Surveys for land in Ulster, Greene and Rensselaer counties, 1733-1841. Surveyed by William Cockburn and John and Wynkoop Kiersted |
| 14 | 15 | Maps, 1790-1812 |
| 14 | 16 | Papers re: Reformed Dutch Church, Saugerties |
| 14 | 17 | Indentures |
| 14 | 18 | List of Lands purchased by John Hunter and John Kiersted at the Comptroller's sales each owning an undivided half, 1818. (Mss. Bd.) |
| 14 | 19 | List of lands belonging to John Kiersted and John Hunter purchased jointly, 1816-1828 |
| 15 | v. 1 | Account Book, 1807-1862 Provides a record of income received from land sales and rents along with disbursements for agent fees, survey fees and other sundry expenses |