Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

patroon

noun

puh-TROON

Definition

A patroon is a person in the Dutch colonial period who was granted land and the legal authority to promote settlement in that land.

Examples

The patroon system was essential for encouraging the migration of settlers to New Netherland.
Many patroon estates were eventually absorbed into the growing settlements of Albany and New York.

Meaning

The term refers specifically to a landholder in the New Netherland colony, where they acted as lords of the manor and had the responsibility of bringing colonists to settle their large estates.