A History of the County of Westchester, Vol. I
It is situated on the east side of the Hudson, immediately north of New York County : bounded north by Putnam and Dutchess Counties; east by the State of Connecticut ; southerly by Long Island Sound and East River ; west by Haarlem River and the Hudson, or by New York County, the State of New Jersey, and the County of Rockland in this State. The area may be 480 square miles -- 307,200 acres -- situated between 40^ 47^,
» Provincial Laws of N. Y., County Clerk's Office, Queens Co., L. I. The above act was confirmed on the 1st of October, 1691.
b In the person of John Pell, Esq. On the 20th Oct., 1635, James II. appointed John Peli, John Palmer, William Richardson, Joseph Horton, sen., and Joseph Theale, Justices of the Peace in the County of Westchester.
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INTRODUCTION.
and 41*^ 22' north latitude, 103' east, and 32' east longitude from New York.
The County is thus described by William Smith the historian of New York, in 175G.
'' Westchester County is large, and includes all the land beyond the Island of Manhallans along the Sound to the Connecticut line, which is its eastera boundary. It extends northward to the middle of the Highlands, and westward to IIudson''s River. A great part of this count)' is contained in the manors of Philipsburgh, Pelham, Fordham, and Courtlandt, the last of which has the privilege of sending a representative to the General Assembly. The count}' is tolerably settled. Tlie lands are in general rough but fertile, and therefore the farmers run principally on grazing. It has several towns, Eastchesler, Westchester, New Rochelle, Rye, Bedford, and North Castle. The inhabitants are either English or Dutch Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Quakers, and French Protestants. The former are the most numerous. The two Episcopal missionaries are settled at Ri/e and Eastchester, and receive each jCGO annually taxed upon the county.