Recently I wrote that Queens was "named in 1683 when the province of New York
was  divided into 10 counties."  This is also the version given in the
Encyclopedia of New York, referring to "the colony of New York" (in the entry
on Queens).

But  I. N. Phelps Stokes' "Iconography of Manhattan Island", quoting from the
original 1683 colonial law, notes that "the province of New York" originally
consisted of (or was claimed to consist of) Cornwall and Dukes counties.
Other apparently standard sources indicate Cornwall County was surrendered to
Massachusetts in 1692 (and became part of Maine in 1819) and Dukes County was
surrendered to Massachusetts in 1686.

Is it correct to assume that the Stokes' version is accurate?  >>>Or is there
some obscure nomenclature issue concealed here, waiting to trip me up?<<<
(My concern is heightened because I cannot find the entry in the Encyclopedia
of New York which relates to "New York State", if there is one.)

Christopher Gray
Office for Metropolitan History
246 West 80th Street, #8, NYC  10024
212-799-0520  fax -0542
e: [log in to unmask]

Christopher Gray
Office for Metropolitan History
246 West 80th Street, #8, NYC  10024
212-799-0520  fax -0542
e: [log in to unmask]