Duke of York's Laws
DUKE OF YORK'S LAWS
DUKE OF YORK'S LAWS, a legal code drawn up in 1665 by Gov. Richard Nicolls in order to bring a more uniform system of government to the newly created shire of Yorkshire. Nicolls drew largely from the existing codes of Massachusetts and New Haven and negotiated with representatives in the assembly to produce the final version. He established a civil and criminal code with provisions for local governments, provincial courts, and a militia, as well as regulations for Indian affairs, ecclesiastical establishments, social and domestic regulations, standards for weights and measures, and legal methods for record keeping. Gradually, the code was extended to apply to the whole province of New York.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Merwick, Donna. Possessing Albany, 1630–1710. The Dutch and English Experiences. Cambridge, U.K.; New York: Cambridge University Press,1990.
Rink, Oliver A. Holland on the Hudson: An Economic and Social History of Dutch New York. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press; Cooperstown, N.Y.: New York State Historical Association, 1986.
A. C.Flick/ShelbyBalik
See alsoColonial Policy, British ; Colonial Settlements ; New Netherland ; New York Colony .