By a court of general assembly, (held at Hartford, 8lh of Oct., 1663) it was ordered, that " this court doth accept of the town of Westchester as a member of this corporation, being received and accepted as such, by a council formerly.

This court moreover declares, that all the land between the Westchester and Stamford, doth also belong to the colony of Connecticut.''^^

In 1664. the inhabitants of Westchester addressed the following petition to the honorable his majesty's commissioners for the affairs of New England, which,

'' Humbly showeth

1st, That the said tract of land called Westchester, was purchased for large siimmes, under the title of England, by Mr' Thomas Pell of the known ancient proprietors, in the year 16.34.

2d. The pretended power of the Manhatoes, did therefore continue protesting against and threatening of the said plantation, keeping the inhabitants at continual watch and ward, until at length the persons of twenty-three inhabitants of Westchester aforesaid, were seized under commission from the said powers, and committed prisoners into the hould of a vessel, where they continued in restraint from all friends, for the space of thirteen days, fed with rotten provisions creeping with worms, whereby some of them remained diseased to this day, after which, they were carried away in chains and laid in their dungeon at Manhatoes.

3d. That the said inhabitants had perished -vith famine in the said imprisonment, but for the relief obtained at other hands.

4th. That all this suffering was inflicted on them, under noe other pretence, but that they were opposers to the Dutch title to the lands aforesaid.