The answer to the  question is no.

On 16 January,1677, New York's colonial governor issued a written  
order to eastern Long Island's three towns (Southold, Southampton,  
East Hampton) to welcome "several families" who, "destitute", were  
planning to settle among them. The towns were to "accommodate them...  
with some suitable proportion of Land, where vacant and particularly  
to ffishermen(sic) neare the seaside...."

Perhaps because of that law, East Hampton ruled in 1678 that noone  
could "receive or Entertaine any pson yt is already come hither or yt  
hereafter come above one week unless they have license or libertie  
from the authority of this towne for ye same...."
Nancy Hyden Woodward

On Dec 15, 2008, at 1:39 PM, Kelly A. Farquhar wrote:

> A question has arisen from a researcher:  In the colonial period,  
> was it necessary to be a naturalized/natural born citizen of the  
> colony of New York to be an owner of land?  Thank you for any and  
> all responses.  Happy Holidays!
>
> Kelly Yacobucci Farquhar
> County Historian/RMO
> Montgomery County Dept. of History & Archives
> Old Courthouse, P.O. Box 1500
> Fonda, NY  12068-1500
> 518-853-8186
> [log in to unmask]