I am trying to gather information about the map that appears as the frontispiece to Vol. XIV of Documents Relative to the Colonial History of New York.  Its title is "A Platt of ye Situation of the towns & places on ye western end of Long Island to Hempstead."  It is signed by "Sgt (?) Hubbard" and dated July 3 1666.

 

All I have been able to find out about the map is that the original was burned in the fire at New York State Archives around 1911.  I am guessing that its author was Sergeant James Hubbard, who was one of the founders of Gravesend and active as a surveyor on Long Island until at least the 1670s.  There are a number of references to "Sergeant Hubbard" and "James Hubbard" in Documents Relative, but they appear to be to the same person, who is named as Sergeant James Hubbard in the Gravesend Patent.

 

Does anybody know anything else about the map or its creator?  It is quite an interesting map, and I would like to know something about the circumstances of its creation.  It appears to be very carefully done, and it should be a good source of information for local history.  Has anybody analyzed the map or written anything about it?

 

David Allen

La Mesa, CA