Tin Brook

The name Tin Brook appeared in town records as early as 1774 and it has been suggested it came from an early Dutch landowner named John Tinne, Thinne or Tinbrook. If this is the case John probably would have been a neighbor of the Colden family given the dates, the length of the brook and size of the Colden property. Another possible source for the name is the combination of two Saxon words: tinn, meaning thin or small and broc meaning running water smaller than a river which seems a pretty good explanation. Whatever the origins of the name, it is still called Tin Brook and it's path is remarkably similar to that shown on early maps. I'm finding this to be very helpful as I follow it from the source in wetlands and vernal pools located to the south of current day Coldenham, making it's way past the original homestead and cemetery, on towards the houses of Cadwallader's sons and then meandering over to the Wallkill River to the west. As I navigate my way through residential developments, commercial sites and working farms to reach the brook, I find foundations, stone walls, and very old trees, some of which join Tin Brook as part of my Looking for Jane Colden collection. Although I haven't found any evidence yet, I keep an eye out for signs of the canal Jane's father built using the waters of the brook to move materials around Coldengham and establishing Tin Brook as part of the first canal in New York.

Mapping

A deed dated September 7, 1771 states “The honorable Cadwallader Colden, Esq, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of New York to his son Cadwallader Colden Junior, for natural love and affection and five shillings (description of land given)…excepting and reserving out of the same, the grave yard of four rods square, which is in the orchard to the east of the old mansion house…”

Joe Devine, a Montgomery resident and author of various articles about the Colden family, found this deed documenting Cadwallader Colden’s sale of Coldengham to his son. The deed also describes the original Colden home as being west of the cemetery. A contemporary satellite map shows the still existing walled cemetery, now located on Pimm Farm in Montgomery, NY. It also shows Tin Brook and the curve where the brook shifts from east to north. A 1760 map places Coldengham to the west of the Colden Cemetery where Tin Brook Creek makes its’ turn.

Finding the location where Jane grew up and lived until her early 30’s feels like progress towards finding Jane. While the land has been tilled and altered since the mid 1700’s, it is remarkably, still a farm. Tin Brook still follows its’ natural path much as it did during her lifetime and if Jane were to walk here she might recognize this as the place she called home. This is even more remarkable if you consider our two methods of mapping. The map produced in Jane’s time is hand drawn, one-of-a-kind, and is based on slow observation and experience; the other is produced by a satellite located far above the earth and is available to anyone on the internet. 250 years has made for enormous progress in imaging which is amazing but perhaps to be expected. Unexpected to me was finding Pimm Farm and seeing Tin Brook make it’s turn through the property.