DONGAN PATENT of 1686

The Dongan Patent established the Board of Trustees of the Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town of Southampton in 1686. The patent, a document which granted the Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town of Southampton access and rights to common underwater land, rights of way to the water, marshland, and common areas, also created the Board of Trustees to act as stewards for these title lands.

His Majesty King James II of England through his General Governor, Thomas Dongan, granted over 25,000 acres of land, instituting the first official government in the Town of Southampton. Local, state, and even the Supreme Court of the United States have repeatedly ruled that the Dongan Patent is as valid today as it was in 1686. The Dongan Patent guarantees every town freeholder's right to access and use this land and its resources.