This may just muddy things further, but several sources I see quoted from in 1849 and 1851 claim that both Cornwall and Dukes counties were surrendered in 1693, after a protracted controversy. Perhaps the controversy and its length accounts for the discrepency in dates. David Minor >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] David Minor Eagles Byte Historical Research Pittsford, New York 585 264-0423 [log in to unmask] Visit the Canal Society of New York State page at http://www.canalsnys.org/ To be put on the mailing list for the weekly TimeMaster radio scripts (WXXI-FM 91.5), as well as news of updates to my homepage and a URL of the week, e-mail me at the address above. http://home.eznet.net/~dminor includes NYNY, a series of timelines covering New York City and State, from approximately 1,100,000,000 BC to 1991 AD. "I would undertake to supply your demands if your generosity is equal to them." -John Bartram, U. S. naturalist