patroon

noun

1. a person who held an estate in land with certain manorial privileges granted under the old Dutch governments of New York and New Jersey.

noun

1. (in the US) a Dutch land-holder in New Netherland and New York with manorial rights in the colonial era

n.1660s, variant of patron used in foreign contexts, from Dutch patroon (a French loan-word) or French patron “master, patron,” from Old French (see patron; also cf. -oon); used from 1758 in parts of New York and New Jersey colonies for “landholder,” especially one with certain manorial privileges (abolished c.1850) under the old Dutch governments by the charter of 1629.