A History of the County of Westchester, from its first settlement to the present time

Front matter

HON. CALEB HEATHCOTE. From the original Piciure in the possession of the Right Ro\ William Heathcote de Lancey. A HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE PRESENT TIME. Br ROBERT BOLTON, Jr. AUTHOR OF THE " GUIDE TO NEW ROCHELLE," AND A MEMBER OF THE N. V. HISTORICAL SOCIETY. VOLUME I. " It is the privilege of History to impart the experience of age, without its infirmities ; to bring back things long obscured by time, or sinking into ohlivion ; and enable us to form some reasonable conjectures of what may happen to posterity." — Poulson's Hist, of Holderness. NEW YORK: PRINTED BY ALEXANDER S, GOULD, 144 NASSAU STREET 1848. Entered accordingto the Actof Congress in the year eighteen hundred and forty-eight BY ROBERT BOLTON, JR. In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York.

TO THE INHABITANTS OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY THESE VOLUMES ARE MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED Br ROBERT BOLTON, Jr. Pond Field Farm, Eastchester, April nth, 1848.

Preface

. Perhaps no part of the " Empire State," has greater claims on the attention of the Topographer and the Historian, than the county of Westchester. The beauty of its scenery, and the interesting circumstances connected with its history, both civil and military, entitle it to peculiar notice. A history of the county is certainly a desideratum. Whether this de ficiency will be supplied by the present volumes, the author leaves to be decided by more competent judges than himself. In review of his labors he would state that nearly four years of patient research have been expended upon the completion of his undertaking. He is well aware that he cannot expect to please all classes of readers alike, especially as affairs which may appear inconsider able to one, will be replete with interest to another.

He has endeavored to abridge and condense his materials, in order not to trespass upon the patience of the general reader ; while he has been equally careful upon the other hand not to omit any de tails which might prove interesting and important to individuals or local authorities. The transitions of property and the history of families are therefore brought prominently forward ; and no thing, it is hoped, has been introduced which can be considered altogether superfluous. For the present, the author would commit the compilation to the public, trusting that the generous reader will make all due allowance for a work of such varied matter. He also takes this opportunity of returning his grateful acvi

PREFACE.

. knowledgments to all those who have in any way assisted to wards the completion of the present work. He cannot omit recording particularly the Hon. N. S. Benton, Secretary of State, and the several gentlemen connected with that department ; also General Mtinson I. Lockwood, Clerk of Westchester County : Chauncey Smith, Esq., late assistant clerk of the same : Charles McVean, Surrogate of the County of New York and his assistants Mr. William Freeman and William Ripley : with the Clerks of the various towns throughout the County : all of whom have politely afforded every facility in their power for making extracts from the records in their several offices. His thanks are also due to Washington Irving, Esq. of Greenburgh: General Pierre van Cortlandt of Peekskill: General Aaron Ward of Ossin-ing: Frederick Philipse, Esq., of Philipstown, Putnam County : William Jay, Esq., of Bedford : Jackson Odell, Esq., of Greenburgh : William H. Leggett, Esq. of West Farms ; and Roosevelt Brown, Esq. of Rye.

The Clergy of the County have likewise, in reply to his various inquiries, communicated with great politeness much valuable information, which he re members with gratitude. In conclusion he must not neglect to acknowledge the assistance he has derived from O'Callaghan's History of the New Netherlands: Sparks' Life of Arnold: Dunlap's History of New York : Thompson's History of Long Island : the New York His torical Collections: Sabine's Biographical Sketches of American Loyalists : Updike's History of the Narragansett Church : Spas ford's and DisturnelP s Gazetteers ; and other valuable works. The numerous wood cuts interspersed throughout the volumes were from drawings taken on the spot, especially for this work, by Mr. Frederick A. Chapman, a young and talented ar tist of New York. They were cut by Mr. Augustus Fay, a well known engraver of the city of New York.