Even though an agreement with the Dutch was made as to the amount of territory, and future payments to the Dutch, the actual land had to be purchased from the several Indian Tribes occupying it.

      Thurston RAYNOR and his family remained in the new colony only a couple of years before moving a hundred miles east to the equally new Southampton Colony. Edward, now approaching his majority, stayed.

      The seven years of British occupation during the Revolution does not seem to have affected the Thurston, Suffolk County branch of the RAYNORS. Hempstead and all western Long Island was completely dominated by the English.  It was the bread basket of the New York occupation area and the patriots were forced to supply food, clothing, household supplies, firewood and livestock as well as a labor force and a billeting of the soldiers in their homes.

      Families were split in their loyalties and after the war was finally over, many residents had to leave.  The RAYNOR family was no exception, which is one reason we have lost track of some lines.  Just recently I received correspondence that traced one line to Canada and I am sure there are more.

      Also, after the war soldiers were often paid off with land grants up-state and in adjoining western states.

      The Colonist-Indians relationship was not cordial but usually peaceful.  There was a large Indian population.  Since there were no maps or accurate surveys, the boundaries established were often in litigation.  It was many years before the, now English, New York courts finally approved the various deeds.

      Problems sometimes arose because a colonist’s cattle would wander into an Indian cornfield or Indian hunting grounds would be invaded.  Since Indians worked for colonists, labor and pay disputes arose.  Of course, the importation of rum which the Indians sought disrupted the peace at times.  In a generation or so the Indian population was drastically reduced by the white mans diseases.

      The land the colonists were being granted by the Dutch was roughly 10 miles wide, centered around Hempstead Harbor on Long Island Sounds south shore.  It extended southward about 12 miles to the Atlantic Ocean.  Today it is the Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead in Nassau County though for about 250 years it was part of Queens County.

      Just to the south, extending east and west for over 20 miles and 3 to 4 miles wide, lay the great plains.  This was a treeless area of high grasses, low shrubs, berries, flowers and a home to plentiful small game.  Until the discovery a couple of hundred years later of our great western plains, the Hempstead plains were one of the wonders of the colonies and drew many visitors.  This land was set aside as common grounds to be used for pasture or other uses that would not destroy its uniqueness. For nearly 250 years it was protected from private or commercial settlement.

      Further south was more farmland and woodland. But this had a light sandy soil close to the water table.  Many creeks drained it into the great south bay.  Many coves and inlets divided the shore into marshy areas.  In the bay itself were dozens of small islands.  A barrier reef protected the bay from the Atlantic Ocean.

      This grant included just about everything a colonist could need or enjoy: farming, hunting, fishing, mill sites, water and level surface transportation for people and supplies and a cheap labor supply when needed.

      The Proprietors who invested in the purchase decided to divide ownership into 100 shares.  Fifty shares would be distributed to themselves and each would get another one to be sold to a new family or given to a son who wished to stay and settle, in order to quickly increase the population.  The Charter required 100 families in five years.  Thurston no doubt, participated in this and then like some others, sold out, took his profit and moved on.

      Unfortunately, Book I of the Hempstead Town records was destroyed long ago.  The list of the early Proprietors and their activities is lost. However, from various other sources a Mr. George D. A. COMBES (1889-1941) a ninth generation Long Islander, living in Rockville Center was able to reconstruct a list of the first 50 Proprietors.  A list of the next 50 was easier to develop because records were available to supply clues for its formation. Edward RAYNOR is number 65.  On the list of transactions concerning property dealings, a "Raynor Neck" is mentioned.  This may have referred to an earlier Thurston holding as it does not appear that Edward would have had ownership on that scale so early even though Mr. COMBES also lists Edward as Proprietor number 3, again, probably Thurston who then sold and moved.

      From Town records we know that Edward was a herdsman.  Very early, he was one of a group who were authorized to build a fence all across the southern end of the neck on the west side of Hempstead Harbor.  This was to establish a common pasture on the grassy lowlands.  Several gates were included and owners of live stock would bring their animals to a gate in early morning, and reclaim them at sundown.  "Ear marks" identified the ownership of the animals.  In 1657 Edward was responsible for six gates at which time he also owned seven animals.

      The next year Edward had twelve acres of meadow land allotted to him and also ten acres on the east side of the harbor.  The following year Edward was one of two herdsmen assigned to manage the east herd.  Whether this was a herd on the great plain or still on the east side of the harbor is not clear.  On a rate list of 1665 he is listed as worth 80 pounds.  There is a mention in 1672 that Edward RAYNOR sold to Robert JACKSON, five acres of land bounded on the south by the sea with no further details.

      There was a system of land division as new areas were opened up by the Proprietors.  The area would be surveyed then divided into several quite large parcels.  On a large parcel two or more men might become owners, they then would divide it as they saw fit among themselves.  For this reason a man might have small acreage's in several places.  These he could keep, sell or trade if he wished to consolidate his own holdings.  The five acres, mentioned above, may have been such a parcel.

      First mention of south woods, the early name for the area that became Raynor South, was the allotment to Samuel(2) of 25 acres there in 1692.  This was probably along the bank and swamp that lay to the east of what is now Roosevelt (Greenwich Point) and extending. southward toward Freeport (Raynortown).  The brook leads into an inlet of Great South Bay at about this point.  The Meadowbrook State Parkway to Jones Beach follows this route today.

      The RAYNOR holdings gradually spread southward down the neck or peninsula, about two miles and even as late as 1873 maps show many family homes all over the area now called Roosevelt and Freeport.

      Not all RAYNORS were farmers.  Some chose to go to sea, others became fisherman or baymen.  The local mill was RAYNOR owned.  Maybe Thurston even built the first one.  He had been responsible for the one in Stamford.  Some left for the business world in New York or became tradesman at home and town leaders.

      As new lands opened up, others left for western New York State, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia etc.  One man even moved his large family out to Suffolk County and settled in Moriches in the heart of Thurston's territory.  A few found their way to Connecticut and even Canada.

      Raynor South became Raynortown.  The area retained its identity for nearly 200 years until the name Freeport was chosen.  Villagers nearer the city and the city itself started charging a fee to bring in commodities to their wharves, so the local folks saw a chance to entice the business to their own docks and did succeed.

      Raynortown was also fortunate in that, as time went by, the main east-west route on the south shore of the Island ran right through the town - its main street.  This 125 mile roadway connected Brooklyn on the west end of Long Island with the eastern end passing through all of the many small villages on the way.  Water transportation however, was more practical in the early days.

      Freeport is no longer a little country village. Events of the past few decades have changed it into a heavily populated area.  There is one continuous commercial area up to and far east of the village and its boundaries are indiscernible from its neighbors.  It is no longer the Garden of Eden of the early RAYNORS.