Courts had been held in Bedford in the Presbyterian Church to that date, and Bedford continued to be a half shire town of the county until 1868. The Board of Supervisors frequently met at Bedford about the end of the last century. In 1723, Richard Holmes, collector of this town, was "required forthwith" to collect a tax upon the "freeholders, Residents, Inhabitants and Sojourners" within the town of Bedford for the purpose of "finishing ye Court-House" and Gaol in ye Count}-." This Court-House was probably the one at Westchester, for White Plains was not made the County seat until 1758. The tax for this town amounted to the enormous sum of two pounds one shilling and nine-pence."a

As early as 16S0 the proprietors of the Hop-ground (then residing at Stamford) appointed a committee "for the purpose of laying out a town spot, and house lots, the latter to consist at least of three acres each, also a town common, field or park, was directed to be laid out." At

a Address by Joseph Barrett, July 4. 1S7G, Recorder, Katonah, July 7.

THE TOWN OF BEDFORD.

this period the Hop ground formed a part of Stamford township within Fairfield county, and was therefore under the jurisdiction of Connecticut. In 1 68 1 the general court of that colony ordered the laying out of a plantation at the Hop ground.

On the nth of October, 1681, the proprietors of the Hop ground appointed a committee to lay out and divide the residue of the land at the Hop ground. It was also agreed to receive eleven inhabitants in order to form a town, and a committee appointed to go and view the land for the purpose of laying out a cart way to the Hop ground.