The Duke’s Grudge
Duke of York
When New York became English again in 1674, these eastern towns, whose people were Yankee by background, preferred to stay part of Connecticut. Although Connecticut agreed, the government of the Duke of York forced the matter. Governor SirEdmund Andros threatened to eliminate the settlers’ rights to land if they did not yield, which they did by 1676. This was chiefly the result of the Duke of York’s grudge against Connecticut, as New Haven had hidden three of the judges who sentenced the Duke’s fatherKing Charles I to death in 1649.
Other Facts:
Long Island contained three of the original twelve counties of the British Province of New York organized in 1683: Kings, Queens, and Suffolk. At that time, Queens County included all of present-day Nassau County and a small portion of western Suffolk County.
Residents in Long Island towns conducted several witch hunts, including one involving the daughter of Lion Gardiner in East Hampton. Early colonial figures on the island include Wyandanch, William “Tangier” Smith, Captain William Kidd, Lion Gardiner, and John Underhill.
