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Description

Surveyed by Benjamin Wright for Governor George Clinton and Shared With Clinton's Closest Allies

Hand drawn cadastral map of Sumner’s Patent, in Oneida County, New York.

Land owners identified for each of the 22 lots. Most of the lots are just over100 acres.  These lots were subdivided by Benjamin Wright, as surveyor for Governor George Clinton, in 1814.  Clinton is shown as the owner of lot # 10, with prominent New Yorkers owning the remaining lots, including:

  • Edmond-Charles Genêt (Citizen Genêt)
  • Richard Varick
  • William Beekman
  • James Tallmage Jr.

Nine Mile Creek, as shown here, is a section of the Mohawk River, in today's Marcy, New York.

Sumner Patent

Sumner Patent is located in the northwest corner of what is now Marcy.  The tract consisted of 2,000 acres of land granted May 2, 1770, to Hezekiah Sumner, reserving gold and silver mines and trees for masts, to be free of quit rents the first ten years, and after than to be subject to the annual quit rent of 2s.6d. for every 100 acres.

Sumner was a subaltern officer, retired on half pay. It is believed he was the officer in charge of the British stores of Fort Stanwix at the time of the Revolution, whose daughter was shot by the Indians in July, 1777. In fifteen days after he got the patent, for twenty-five pounds he conveyed it to Hugh Wallace and Goldsboro Banyar. Wallace was a loyalist, whose property was confiscated and his interest in the patent was sold in April, 1796, to John Clayton. Goldsboro Banyar sold his property to John Kelly, owner of Kelly's Tract in Servis Patent.

Kelly was apparently well connected, as Alexander Hamilton, John V. Henry, Robert Troup, Peter Kemble, Goldsboro Banyar, Simeon De Witt, Egbert Benson, and Richard Harrison, were named in his will as executors.  He provided that his property should be held in trust, and his half interest in the Sumner Patent was to be conveyed in 1805 to his son, John J., on the express condition that the latter behaved himself properly, soberly, justly, and honestly, and neither turns drunkard, or horse racer, nor plays cards, dice or any other unlawful games; and also provided he does not become a debauchee or a vagabond. Kelly owned interests in other patents, which he disposed of by his will in a similar manner. The patent eventually was owned by Gov. George Clinton, and in 1814 was subdivided into twenty two lots by Benjamin Wright for the heirs of Mr. Clinton.