By this settlement Bedford would have been transferred to New York ; but the king's death unfortunately took place on the 6th of February, 1684, before its completion, in consequence of which the whole matter was again left open for a long and angry discussion which soon ensued.

In 1685 the general court of Connecticut issued an order to the effect, that all towns should take out patents in due form, and that the same should be legal evidence of their rights. Before the 28th of January, 1688, the town ordered that as much money should be raised as may be necessary to pay for a patent.

It v/ill be seen, however, tliat the patent was not granted until May, 1697. The names of the inhabitants including the resident proprietors of Bedford in 1690, numbered thirty-one. Their names are as follows :

John Green, Joseph Miller, John Holmes, John Miller, Mrs. Wildman,, M. Denham, Zachariah Roberts, John Webb, Stephen Clason, Stephen Holmes,

William Clark, John Holmes, sen., Richard Ayres, John Holmes, jun., Abraham Wildman, Isaac Denham, Jeremiah Andrews, Richard Wescote, Daniel Simpkins, William Clark,

John Brown,

John Miller, jun., Jonathan Miller, John Ambler, David Mead, Daniel Jones, Caleb Webb, Thomas Asten, David Clason, John Higgins,

Abraham Ambler.

Upon the 25th May, 1692, Catonah, Noname, Wappowaham, Wevvewanapoage, Chuckheag and Pommescecan, sell to Daniel Simpkins of Bedford, a certain piece of land lying west of the bounds of Bedford, that is to say, half a mile square, as it is already marked and laid out by the Indians, and bounded as followeth, viz. east by the bounds of Bedford , and south by a brook running off from the west ridges, and west and north as it is marked by the abovesaid proprietors.^ Witnessed and delivered in the presence Catonah X his mark.