Head-of-the Neck Line & South Country Rd.

Probably you may have noticed that I said that the boundary of Fire Place Neck, of Tar-Men’s Neck and of Dayton’s Neck, on the North was the Head-of-the Neck Line. This line was established when the East Division and West Division of Lots now generally called the Great Division and Little Division, was laid out in 1733[see Town Records]. Each Division contained 55 lots. The Great Division extends back of Little Neck, Fire Place Neck, Tar-men’s, Dayton’s Neck, and Occumbomuck Neck and a part of Starr’s Neck in Bellport. The south ends of the 55 lots is the Head-of-the Neck line. It is really the head of the necks as it officially defines the heads of six necks. I will quote to you from Book C where this line is described, but will somewhat modernize the wording and spelling: “Beginning at a white oak tree near Yamphank Creek (Barteau’s, in South Haven) and so bounding westward as the path runs across Little Neck and the Fire Place Neck (i.e. the South Country Road in its old course) until it comes to Beaver Dam Swamp and then running due southwest until it comes to a due north line from a pine* tree in the head of Dayton’s swamp (now Mrs. Mott’s in Bellport) and then running from the said tree, due west until it comes to a due north line from a pond in Starr’s Neck”. In the record of this division, there is one important item regarding some of the lots well worth remembering and it is this: — “them Lots from Bever Dam swamp and Dayton’s Crick are to Run Due South from thare bounds untill thays Cume apon the first laid oute Lands”. The 14th lot was the first lot west of Beaver Dam Swamp and is the old Gerard place opposite the post office. From that lot to lot No. 35, (the old Jehiel Woodruff place just east of Mrs. Mott’s) the lots appear to have been always bounded south by the South Country Road and as the record says they are to run due south to the “first laid oute Lands” is meant the north ends of the 15 acre lots previously referred to — those west of Beaver Dam or Fire Place Creek. Another bit of information we glean from the record of the Great Division Lots is that a four rod road was established west of Beaver Dam Creek in the lot No. 15, from the head of the swamp as far south as the road in front of the post office. On 3 Jan 1742/3, the road was moved from the 15th to the 14th lot adjoining the swamp, but in 1814, it was closed entirely and I have the original deed in my safe whereby the trustees sold the road bed to Robert Hawkins who was the previous owner of the old Gerard place and one of my ancestors. Traces of this road are still to be found north of “Robinson Blvd.”

First White Residents – the Rose’s

Probably the first white resident of Fire Place proper, was Thomas Rose unless Samuel Dayton has that distinction, but as the location of Dayton’s residence is not determined — he might have lived so far west as to have been in the Bellport territory, therefore it is hardly possible to consider him as a resident of Fire Place until his place of residence is determined.  But concerning Thomas Rose, there seems very little doubt but that he lived in Fire Place Neck at an early date.  Unfortunately, the early Rose family genealogy has never been fully traced.  William S. Pelletreau, in his history that I mentioned in the first part of this article, states that Thomas, John and Jonathan Rose were the sons of Robert Rose of Southampton and East Hampton, but I can find no confirmation of it. I am inclined to believe that Thomas, John and Jonathan were more probably the sons of the Robert Rose who was taken in as a townsman of Brookhaven on the 17th of Dec. 1699, and that he was Robert Rose, Jr. son of Robert of Southampton.  At any rate, Jonathan became the earliest settler in Bellport while Thomas seems to be the first settler in Fire Place.  Liber A of deeds in the Suffolk County Clerk’s office shows that Thomas Rose bought lot 25 of Richard Floyd on the 12th of July 1704 and lot 26 of Benjamin Smith.  These two lots were probably in the Cross Lots.  There are doubtless other deeds I have not found which would show earlier and more extensive purchases by him.  In 1728, his water-fence is mentioned, hence he must have owned property adjoining the Bay.  He was also first among the the twelve who petitioned for the change of the road in 1735 that I have already told you of.  The fact that he had the description of the ear-mark for his cattle recorded on 12 Oct 1700, shows that he must have had a farm at the time, for a person does not have cattle unless he has a farm.  By trade, he was a weaver and his wife’s name was Rebecca, both which facts will be found in a deed he and his wife gave to Moses Burnet, 31 Jan. 1717/8 for lot No. 7 — apparently one of the Long Lots.  He had at least one son, who was Nathan Rose, Sr. and I believe Daniel Rose was also a son.  Nathan owned the old Ireland property and became the father of Jesse, Lieut. Thomas and Capt. Nathan Rose, who commanded one of the Southold companies and also one of the Brookhaven companies during the Revolutionary War.  He and his brothers, Jesse and Thomas and most of their families lie buried in the shamefully unkept (sic) little burying ground on the old Ireland place in the nursery across the street — a disgrace your Village Improvement Association should remedy