The Duke's Laws

The Duke's Laws

The Duke's Laws were a set of guidelines laid out during colonial times in Long Island.

What Were The Duke's Laws?

The Duke's Laws covered nearly every facet of life on Long Island and were published in alphabetical order -- from how arrests were to be carried out, how juries were to be picked, to the amount of the bounty paid for dead wolves.

Although specifically directed at English and Dutch colonists, the laws also covered what Indians could and could not do. For example, Indians were required to fence in their corn fields and were specifically barred from practicing their own religion. "No Indian whatsoever shall at any time be suffered to powaw or performe outward worship to the Devil in any Towne within this Government," one section of the laws said.

There are detailed instructions of how churches were to be managed. For instance, a church was to be built in each community, capable of holding 200 people; ministers would have to present their credentials to the government to prove they were not "ignorant pretenders to the Ministry." The minister would be required to preach "constantly every Sunday and shall also pray for the King, Queene, Duke of York and the Royall Family."

Under the laws, a person, "either Christian or Indean," who kills a wolf would receive a payment by bringing the head to a constable. The payment would be "to the value of an Indean coat."

The laws set out rules by which a person could be arrested. For instance, a person could not be arrested on the sabbath. Jurors were to be paid "three shillings six pence per diem."

The laws also required marks, or brands, for horses in each town. Letters were designated in geographic order from east to west: A for East Hampton, B for Southampton, C for Southold, D for Seatalcott (Setauket), E for Huntington, F for Oyster Bay, G for Hempstead, H for Jamaica, and I for Flushing. The letters are still in the seals of Huntington and Brookhaven, which uses Setauket's D. [ [http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs320a,0,5781435.story Legacy: The Duke's Laws - Newsday.com ] ]

References

[http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-hs320a,0,5781435.story Newsday: Long Island History: Legacy: The Duke's Laws]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Reformation —     The Reformation     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Reformation     The usual term for the religious movement which made its appearance in Western Europe in the sixteenth century, and which, while ostensibly aiming at an internal renewal of the …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • The Grand Duke — The Grand Duke, or The Statutory Duel , was the final Savoy Opera written by librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, their fourteenth and last opera together. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on March 7 1896, and ran for 123… …   Wikipedia

  • Duke University School of Law — Established 1868 as Trinity College School of Law, 1924 as Duke University School of Law[1] School type Private Dean David F. Levi Location …   Wikipedia

  • The Irish (in Countries Other Than Ireland) —     The Irish (in countries other than Ireland)     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Irish (in countries other than Ireland)     I. IN THE UNITED STATES     Who were the first Irish to land on the American continent and the time of their arrival are …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex —   …   Wikipedia

  • The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces — The Canadian Crown is the controlling authority of the Canadian Forces, evidenced in the command structure, symbols and history of the armed forces of Canada. The monarch is the supreme commander of the forces, though she, her Canadian viceroys,… …   Wikipedia

  • The Gentleman Usher — is an early seventeenth century stage play, a comedy written by George Chapman that was first published in 1606. It is noted as the only play in which Chapman takes a positive view of women.Date and publication The Gentleman Usher was entered… …   Wikipedia

  • The Laws of Candy — is a Jacobean stage play, a tragicomedy that is significant principally because of the question of its authorship.DateThe play received its initial publication in the first Beaumont and Fletcher folio of 1647. Scholars judge it to have been… …   Wikipedia

  • Duke of Exeter's daughter — The Duke of Exeter s daughter was a torture rack in the Tower of London. Its presence is said to have been due to John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter, the constable of the Tower in 1447, whence it got its name. Blackstone wrote in c. 1765… …   Wikipedia

  • The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen timeline — The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is an ongoing graphic novel series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O Neill. The primary commentator on the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series (hereto after in this article referred to as… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”