Vol. ii. 22

170 .' HISTORY OF THE

authority, by virtue of his letters patent to Connecticut, the pretended powers aforesaid* sent in hostile manner for certain inhabitants of Westchester, w-hom they confined in Manhatoes, and the next day sent for one Mr. Richard Mills, whom they cast into their dungeon, and afterwards so used him for thirty dayes space, as there are yet strong and crying presumptions they caused his death, which followed soone after.

7th. That the unreasonable damage of the purchaser, and the low estate of the plantation occasioned by the premises, hath had no other recompense to this day, but new threatenings, and thereby an utter obstruction from the peopling and improveing of a hopeful country, all which is an insuperable abuse to his royal majesiie's, and our English nation, is humbly offered to the consideration of the lion, commissioners.'""

The difficulties between Connecticut and the New Netherlands continued to increase, until the subjugation of the latter by the British forces under Governor Richard Nicolls, on the 27lh of August, 1GG4.

"When Governor Nicolls visited Westchester, shortly after the surrender, the inhabitants complained to him, and as a matter of course were adjudged to belong to New York." Subsequently the towns of Westchester^ Hampstead and Oyster Bay constituted the north riding of Yorkshire.^

Upon the 113th of June, 1664, we find the inhabitants of Westchester surrendering all their rights to Thomas Pell in the following manner,

" Know all men by these presents, that whereas there was an agreement made the fourteenth of November, 1654, between Thomas Pell and divers persons, about a tract of land called Westchester, <^ which was and is Thomas Pell's, bounded as appears by an instrument bearing date as above expressed, wherein the undertakers engaged the payment of a certaine summe of money, present pay, for the said land expressed in the covenant, by reason of some troubles which hindered the underwriters possession, the agreement was not attended to, the present inhabitants considering the justnesse and right of the above said title of Thomas Pell, doe surrender all their rights, titles, and claimes, to all the tract of land aforesaid, to bee at the disposal of the said Thomas Pell, as being the true and proper owner thereof.