New York State Commissioners of Forfeitures Lists of Sales of and Accounts of Payments for Confiscated Lands

Arranged by district, then chronologically by date of sale or payment on account.

The governor was authorized to appoint commissioners of forfeitures in four districts by legislation of 1784 (7th session). The law specified that the commissioners were to sell forfeited lands at public auction; receive payments in the form of various bills of credit, treasurer's certificates, and currency; and issue deeds to purchasers upon full payment.

These are records of sales by the Commissioners of Forfeitures of lands confiscated from Loyalists during the Revolution.

Two volumes record land sales in the Western District, 1784-1788, and one disbound list records sales in the Eastern District, 1784-1788, providing the following information: date of sale; name of purchaser; by whom forfeited (Eastern District only); price; lot number and location; acreage (Eastern District only); and date of deed (Western District only).

One additional volume contains accounts of persons purchasing forfeited lands. The heading of each account gives the purchasers' and forfeitors' names, lands purchased, date and amount of sale. The account then lists payments made giving the amount and description of the instrument used in payment (e.g. certificates issued by the state, interest due on certificates, currency, etc.).

High resolution images of selected original documents in this series are available in State Archives Digital Collections.

The two volumes of Western Division sales were deposited with the Surveyor General in 1827.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.