Research

Scope and Content Note

These volumes document John Jacob Astor's claim to land forfeited by Roger Morris, who in 1779 was declared guilty of treason for loyalty to Great Britain during the Revolution.

A volume of abstracts of sales of forfeited estates by the Commissioners of forfeiture provides: descriptions of lands sold from the Morris estate; acreage; names of purchasers; dates of purchase; and price paid for each purchase.

The second volume is a report by Henry Livingston to the Surveyor General regarding sales by the Commissioners of Forfeiture of lots 3, 5, and 9 of Morris' estate. The report provides: names of purchasers; acreage purchased by each; total acreage in each lot; total acreage in all three lots; population of the lots; general description of the land in each lot; estimated acreage being cultivated; and estimated valuation of the land. Livingston wrote the report at the request of the Surveyor General, who had been directed by the state legislature to survey the forfeited Morris estate to determine if any of the land remained unsold.