The township of Westchester=i is situated sixteen miles south of the village of White Plains, distant twelve miles from New York, and one hundred and fifty from Albany; bounded on the north by Eastchester, east by the

Eastchester bay or Long Island Sound, south by the East River, and west by the Bronx. " Its form is defined by waters on three sides, and of course irregular, but its medial extent north and south may be four miles, and east and west about two and a half-; with an area of nearly ten square miles.''^ Prior to 1846

St. Peter's Church, Westchester,

a This name is probably derived from tlie city of the same title in Cheshire, England. " Not far from the mouth of the Dee in Cheshire, (says Camden,) stands that noble city, which Ptolemy calls Deunana and Antoninus, Deva, from the river; the Britons Caer-Legion, &c., and by way of pre-eminence Caer ; as our ancestors the Saxons called it Legeaoerca, from the legion there, and we more contractly Westchester, from its westerly situation, and simply Chester according to that verse,

Cestria de Castris nomen quasi Castria sumpsit. Chester from Caster (or the camp) was named.

A more appropriate name could not have been selected, as it was situated west of the New England settlements.

b Spaflord's Gazetteer.

COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 145

this town embraced West Farms, and the manors of Morrisania and Fordham.

Like the adjoining lands, Westchester was originally purchased by the Dutch West India Company, of the Mohegan sachems and other Indians, who claimed it in 1640.a-