2012 Reprint of Original 1957 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. ©New introduction and foreword by Martino Publishing. The early colonists brought to these shores not only a cargo of great hopes and meager possessions, but also the feudalistic principles of England from whence they had embarked. Slowly, these traditions were reshaped upon the anvil of a changing environment, both physical and economic, as the original settlements spread inland along the waterways. This book traces the evolution of our land tenure system from colonial times, when the Crown granted charters and privileges to companies and proprietors, to the present day.