Brookhaven, New York

The first English settlement was named [[Setauket, New York|"Setauket"]] after the Native American tribe. The names "Brookhaven" and "Setauket" were initially used interchangeably to describe the village or the town. The verbal division between the smaller hamlet of Setauket and township of Brookhaven was not set until well into the 19th century. A point of confusion is the existence of the hamlet named [[Brookhaven (CDP), New York|Brookhaven]], which was in fact named for the township in 1879. Other names used in the settlement's first decades were "Ashford", after [[Ashford, Kent]], in England, and "Cromwell Bay", for English Protestant leader [[Oliver Cromwell]].

The first English settlement was named [[Setauket, New York|"Setauket"]] after the Native American tribe. The names "Brookhaven" and "Setauket" were initially used interchangeably to describe the village or the town. The verbal division between the smaller hamlet of Setauket and township of Brookhaven was not set until well into the 19th century. A point of confusion is the existence of the hamlet named [[Brookhaven (CDP), New York|Brookhaven]], which was in fact named for the township in 1879. Other names used in the settlement's first decades were "Ashford", after [[Ashford, Kent]], in England, and "Cromwell Bay", for English Protestant leader [[Oliver Cromwell]].

The original purchase from the native Setalcott tribe that took place in 1655 encompassed the land making up present-day [[Setauket, New York|Setauket]], [[Stony Brook, New York|Stony Brook]], and [[Port Jefferson, New York|Port Jefferson]]. A second purchase was made by Richard Woodhull in 1664 expanded this tract eastward along the North Shore to additionally include all lands from the ''Old Mans'' area ([[Mount Sinai, New York|Mount Sinai]] and [[Miller Place, New York|Miller Place]]) to [[Wading River, New York|Wading River]]. Richard Woodhull was the direct heir of Eustace de Vesci, a British noble who was a signator of the Magna Charta.Hathi Trust library, the Order of Runnemede as edited by Charles Henry Browning in 1898 Another land purchase in the same year expanded Brookhaven to the South Shore of Long Island.

The original purchase from the native Setalcott tribe that took place in 1655 encompassed the land making up present-day [[Setauket, New York|Setauket]], [[Stony Brook, New York|Stony Brook]], and [[Port Jefferson, New York|Port Jefferson]]. A second purchase was made by Richard Woodhull in 1664 expanded this tract eastward along the North Shore to additionally include all lands from the ''Old Mans'' area ([[Mount Sinai, New York|Mount Sinai]] and [[Miller Place, New York|Miller Place]]) to [[Wading River, New York|Wading River]]. Richard Woodhull was the direct heir of Eustace de Vesci, a British noble who was a signator of the Magna Charta.HathiTrust library, the Order of Runnemede as edited by Charles Henry Browning in 1898 Another land purchase in the same year expanded Brookhaven to the South Shore of Long Island.

Brookhaven was integrated into the [[Province of New York]] following that colony's establishment in 1664, and in 1666 Governor [[Richard Nicolls]] granted a [[royal patent|patent]] for the town which confirmed title to the lands purchased. Governor [[Thomas Dongan]] issued a patent in 1686 which granted powers to the town and established a representative form of government.[http://www.brookhaven.org/TownHistory/BrookhavenTownHistory/tabid/195/Default.aspx Brookhaven Town History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501094819/http://www.brookhaven.org/TownHistory/BrookhavenTownHistory/tabid/195/Default.aspx |date=May 1, 2009 }}, Town of Brookhaven, accessed June 5, 2009 The town seal was authorized at this time. The central element of the town seal, the letter “D”, was designated to the Town of Brookhaven as its official cattle earmark by the Duke's Laws of 1665. Although no records exist dating to the town seal's original design plan, it is generally thought that the seal's olive branch signified peace and the whaling tools signified the most lucrative business in the Town of Brookhaven at the time. The current seal is a redesign, retaining the original elements, but adding the Town of Brookhaven and its 1655 date of settlement.

Brookhaven was integrated into the [[Province of New York]] following that colony's establishment in 1664, and in 1666 Governor [[Richard Nicolls]] granted a [[royal patent|patent]] for the town which confirmed title to the lands purchased. Governor [[Thomas Dongan]] issued a patent in 1686 which granted powers to the town and established a representative form of government.[http://www.brookhaven.org/TownHistory/BrookhavenTownHistory/tabid/195/Default.aspx Brookhaven Town History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501094819/http://www.brookhaven.org/TownHistory/BrookhavenTownHistory/tabid/195/Default.aspx |date=May 1, 2009 }}, Town of Brookhaven, accessed June 5, 2009 The town seal was authorized at this time. The central element of the town seal, the letter “D”, was designated to the Town of Brookhaven as its official cattle earmark by the Duke's Laws of 1665. Although no records exist dating to the town seal's original design plan, it is generally thought that the seal's olive branch signified peace and the whaling tools signified the most lucrative business in the Town of Brookhaven at the time. The current seal is a redesign, retaining the original elements, but adding the Town of Brookhaven and its 1655 date of settlement.