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Isaac came
to America in 1638, his family settled in the Milford CT.
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Isaac and
his brother Epenetus moved to Huntington about 1662.
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On 13
December 1664, Isaac and Thomas Weeks were chosen to collect the
rate for the minister Eliphalet Jones and "to take as fair what may
be for his comfort as far as concernes the towne so long as Mr Jones
dos stay or the town se case (see cause)".
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On 30
December 1666, Isaac was named a patentee in the Nicoll's
confirmatory patent and the following year on 2 April he and Henry
Whitson each received a two-acre grant at Santipauge Neck from the
town.
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On 19 May
1668, he had joined with Thomas Weeks, Capt. Fleet and Nathaniel
Foster in a complaint against the unsatisfactory practices of Mark
Meggs, the town miller.
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In 1669 an
inventory was taken of Isaac's lands. Unfortunately it is badly
fragmented but does indicate holdings in the east field, commonage
and meadowlands.
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On 2 July
1670, Isaac and Thomas Powell were named executors of the will of
Thomas Weeks.
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On 12 April
1671, Isaac and Thomas Powell were named overseers and Content Titus
chosen constable. At the same meeting, "all foreigners (other than
townsmen) are prohibited from killing whales or other small fishes".
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On 16-17
April 1672, Isaac shared the 7th farm in the Ten-Farm allotment at
Crabmeadow Little Neck. His fellow owners were Thomas Weeks, Richard
Brush, John Green and Mr. Bryan.
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On 14 August
1673, Isaac was selected, with Thomas Skidmore, by the town to treat
with the Dutch upon the occasion of their resumption of power. Two
months later, on 6 October, this led to Isaac, Epenetus and three
others to constitute a committee to call upon the Dutch authorities
in New York and petition them not to exact a pledge of allegiance
from the town but instead put it on good behavior for a year.
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Isaac was
serving as constable when on 11 January 1674 he was cited before the
Governor for neglecting to attend the Court of Sessions at Jamaica
and for not furnishing Captain Salisbury with post horses when he
was riding express. The extent of his punishment is not indicated.
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In 1681,
Isaac Platt, James Smith, Thomas Skidmore and John Jackson traveled
to Stratford, Connecticut to testify concerning the handling by
Jacob Walker of the affairs of Mark Meggs, Huntington's former
miller who had moved to Connecticut. In April of that same year he
and Epenetus, along with Samuel Titus, Jonas Wood and Thomas Weeks
were imprisoned in New York by Governor Sir Edmund Andros for
seeking redress for the town's grievances. On their release and
return, the town voted to pay their expenses and any damages that
they might have suffered in the town's interest. On 24 September, he
was one of the deputies named to act on the town's behalf in the
general assembly to review the discontent and hostility which was
emerging from the tyrannical conduct of Governor Andros. This was a
bold move as they had been jailed the preceding April. Fortunately,
the unpopular governor was recalled to England shortly thereafter.
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On 23 May
1681 Isaac received a 5-acre grant of land from the town on the
south side of the east field path, adjoining his other holdings. On
31 October he received 16-18 acres toward his division at Jonathan
Hartnet's Hollow on the north side of the path to Stony Brook.
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On 1 April
1682, Isaac was again constable and with the overseers established
the terms and conditions under which John Adams was granted a right
to build a grist mill and saw mill at Cold Spring.
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In 1683, the
practice of naming 3 commissioners to constitute a town court was
instituted but proved unpopular and was discontinued after several
years. The first to be named, Thomas Fleet, Thomas Powell and Thomas
Whitson, refused to take the requisite oath as they had become
Quakers. In their places, Isaac and Epenetus Platt, with John Corey,
were named commissioners on 7 April 1684.
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On 10 March
1686, Isaac and others entered into a disputed boundary line
agreement with James Lloyd concerning differences between Huntington
and Lloyd's Neck. In later years the dispute rekindled and in 1734
the boundary required further codification.
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On 16
October 1686, Isaac and Thomas Powell were designated to reply to
Governor Thomas Dogan's "desire to know just what lands Huntington
had already purchased from the Indians and what remained still
unpurchased". On 10 November he and Powell were sent to New York to
answer the governor's letter being authorized to "do what was for
the town good". One of the governor's demands was the payment of
£10, a typical ploy of confirmatory patents and one which the town
agreed to pay, although under duress.
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On 15 March
1687, Isaac rendered a detailed bill to the town covering his
various services, costs and disbursements. Included was a journey of
11 days to New York for himself and horse; trips to Oyster Bay to
see their patent; incidental expenses for cider, meals and meat;
another 5-day journey to New York; compiling the town's rates and
assessments and the time and difficulties of getting the taxes
collected. In all his statement amounted to £5 5s 6d.
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On 4 April
1687, Isaac, James Chichester Sr., and Samuel Ketcham were named
commissioners. Apparently also serving as town clerk, Isaac wrote a
letter to a Mr. Graham, apparently a funtionary of the governor,
outlining the town's desires in regard to the forthcoming
confirmatory patent.
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On 20
September 1687, Isaac, Capt. Thomas Fleet and Thomas Powell were
chosen "to carry on all matters relating to the finishing of their
Pattent" (Town. Min. Vol. 1, p. 150). That same day he was chosen,
with Mr. Wood and Thomas Powell, to serve as assessor for the 3 1/2
pence per pound of valuation ordered by the Governor and Council.
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On 2 April
1688, Isaac was again named commissioner, with Joseph Whitman and
John Sammis.
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On 11
December 1688, Isaac bought 15 acres at East Neck from Joseph
Whitman and Sarah his wife.
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On 5
November 1689, Isaac was named in the Indian deed to Sumpwam's Neck
South, together with Jonas Wood, Captain Epenetus Platt, Captain
Thomas Fleet and others. The consideration paid Wameas, Pamequa and
other Indians amounted to £90 in silver or goods valued at silver
prices.
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The last
record reference to Isaac was on 1 April 1690, when he was permitted
to take in an old footpath abutting his property on the north as
well as 9 acres on the south side of the old path which led to Stony
Brook.
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His will was
dated 22 May 1691, with the following provisions:
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To his son
Jonas, the house between Samuel Woods and Jonathan Jarvis; a £100
right of commonage purchased from the town and two parcels of
meadowland on the south side. Also, a yoke of 3-year-old steers and,
"if he abide with his mother & brethren until ye 29th of Sept next
and faithfully improve his time about their occasions then I do also
give him ten bushels of wheat, twelve bushels of corn, a quarter of
an ox called Darling that is now feeding, half an ox hide tanned and
as much upper leather as will make two pair of shoes".
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To his wife,
a 1/3 part of all other lands and meadows as long as she remained a
widow. If she remarried then the above interest in the lands would
revert to the three youngest sons. His widow also received 1/3 of
all the goods and chattels plus her own room in the homestead.
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To his
daughter Elizabeth he gave £5 as valued in the inventory.
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The balance
of lands and meadows he devised to his sons John, Jacob and Joseph,
to divide equally.
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The balance
of the goods and chattels went to his four sons and daughter Mary,
to be divided equally. If Jonas the eldest son should die without
issue, then his share went to the surviving younger sons. If any of
them died unmarried then distribution would be among the surviving
brothers and sister. Specific provision was made that the buildings
remain solely with John, Joseph and Jacob and that the eldest son
Jonas and his sister Mary be excluded as to the homestead title. The
reason for this exclusion is not clear, other than the probability
that Jonas had a homestead of his own and that Mary had married and
had her own home as well.
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The executor
was his second son John, the overseers were Epenetus Platt and
Isaac's brother-in-law John Wood. Witnesses were Joseph Bayley and
Robert Ketcham.
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Platt
Lineage -
Isaac Platt and his brother Epenetus were among the 57 landowners of
Huntington in 1666. They were doubtless residents some years before
that. At a general assembly at Hartford, May 12, 1664, they were
made free planters "with the liberty to act in the choice of public
officers, for the carrying out of public affairs in that
plantation".