The town and village of Eastchester were distinguished, in our early colonial annals, for the active part they took in favor of Governor Leisler; for we find " Leisler's party strengthened on the 3d of June, 16S9, by the addition of six captains and four hundred men in New York, and a company of seventy men from Eastchester, who had all subscribed on that day a solemn declaration to preserve the Protestant religion and the fort of New York for the Prince of Orange and the Governor whom the Prince might appoint as their protector.''^

"^ Town Rec. ^ Town Rec. vol. ii.

« Smith's History of New York, English edition, p. 59.

136 HISTORY OF THE

The pleasant village green in front of St. Paul's Church was formerly used as a general training ground for this section of the county, and here, too, the county elections were not unfrequently held. The following article is taken from the New York Weekly Journal of Monday, Dec. 24th, 1733, "containing the freshest advices, foreign and domestic :" --

" Westchester, Oct. 2Qth, 1733. " On this day Lewis Morris, Esq., late chief justice of this province, was, by a majority of voices, elected a representative from the county of Westchester. * * Election of great expectation : the court and country's interest was exerted (as is said) to the utmost. I shall give my readers a particular account of it, as I had it from a person that was present at it. Nicholas Cooper, Esq., high sheriff of the said county, having, by papers affixed to the church of Eastchester and other public places, given notice of the day and place of election, without mentioning any time of the day when it was to be done, which made the electors on the side of the late judge very suspicious that some fraud was intended -- to prevent which, about fifty of them kept watch upon and about the green at Eastchester (the place of election) from 12 o'clock the night before till the morning of that day.