▁relatively ▁long ▁distance ▁from ▁New ▁Amsterdam ▁may ▁have ▁disc ou rag ed ▁more ▁settlement . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 6 4 , ▁the ▁English ▁took ▁possession ▁of ▁New ▁Amsterdam ▁with ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁resistance , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 8 ▁they ▁confirmed ▁a ▁previous ▁land ▁pat ent ▁by ▁Nicolas ▁Ver lett . ▁In ▁ 1 6 7 4 – 7 5 ▁the ▁area ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁East ▁Jersey , ▁and ▁the ▁province ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁four ▁administrative ▁districts , ▁Hob oken ▁becoming ▁part ▁of ▁Ber gen ▁County , ▁where ▁it ▁remained ▁until ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁Hudson ▁County ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 8 4 0 . ▁English - spe aking ▁sett lers ▁( some ▁re loc ating ▁from ▁New ▁England ) ▁inter sp ers ed ▁with ▁the ▁Dutch , ▁but ▁it ▁remained ▁scarcely ▁populated ▁and ▁agr arian . ▁ ▁Event ually , ▁the ▁land ▁came ▁into ▁the ▁possession ▁of ▁William ▁Bay ard , ▁who ▁originally ▁supported ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁cause , ▁but ▁became ▁a ▁Lo yal ist ▁T ory ▁after ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 6 ▁when ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁surrounding ▁areas , ▁including ▁the ▁west ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁renamed ▁Hudson ▁River , ▁were ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁British . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Revolution ary ▁War , ▁Bay ard ' s ▁property ▁was ▁conf isc ated ▁by ▁the ▁Revolution ary ▁Government ▁of ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 4 , ▁the ▁land ▁described ▁as ▁" Will iam ▁Bay ard