Massachusetts had unlimited claims on lands west of the Hudson River, based on provisions of the Plymouth Colony (1620) and Massachusetts Bay (1629) charters, while New York had competing claims based on provisions of the 1664 charter from King Charles II to his brother, James, Duke of York. After American independence, Congress urged that boundary lines and land disputes between Massachusetts and New York be settled. The boundary between the colonies of Massachusetts and New York (i.e., east of the Hudson River--for lands west of the Hudson see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Agreement between Massachusetts and New York relating to western lands, 1784-1793 ((M-Ar)31X)) was to have been settled by an agreement signed at Hartford, May 18, 1773, but the actual line had not been ascertained pursuant to that agreement. St 1784, c 1 (June 4, 1784, replacing St 1783, c 61, Mar. 18, 1784, which erroneously dated the agreement as 1772) appointed Joseph Hawley, Caleb Strong, Timothy Edwards, and Theodore Sedgwick (member of the Continental Congress) commissioners to meet with their New York counterparts to ascertain the boundary and to adjudicate title claims of private landholders affected thereby. Negotiations had broken down by November 1784, and Resolves 1784, Jan 1785 Sess, c 116 (Mar. 11, 1785) authorized the delivery of commissioner reports to agents who would represent the claims of Massachusetts in federal court.
On June 29, 1785, Congress appointed commissioners of its own to settle the dispute (Thomas Hutchins, John Erving, and David Rittenhouse as of Dec. 1785). In Massachusetts, Resolves 1785, Feb 1786 Sess (Mar. 14, 1786) appointed Edwards, Sedgwick, and Jahleel Woodbridge agents to assist them, again with the collaboration of New York agents. St 1786, c 8 (June 27, 1786) reiterated this arrangement, this time with Edwards, Strong, Woodbridge, and Dr. Samuel Williams as agents. Massachusetts gave Congressional commissioners additional time to complete their mandate (St 1786, c 70, Mar. 1, 1787), and an agreement with both states was completed on July 21, 1787. Resolves 1787, Oct Sess, c 101 (Nov. 21, 1787) directed the agreement and accompanying papers to be filed with the state secretary (actually now found in: Passed resolves ((M-Ar)228))
From the description of Files on the Massachusetts-New York boundary, 1784-1787. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 82797891
