By the Dutch it was named Oostdorp^ (East town) from its situation east of the Manhattans. So early as 1657, Gov. Stuyvesant ordered that Westchester should have four English or one Dutch mile square of land for the town.

During the Dutch dynasty, courts appear to have been holderi regularly at Oost-dorp, for, among the town records, is a small volume, entitled " The Book of Court acts, from 1657 to 1662," from which we extract the following memoranda.

"Feb. 1st, 1657, William Binfield for contempt of authority, is bound over to answer at next court."

On the same occasion, ".John Archer, plaintiff against Roger AViles, in an action of debt for the value of seventy-four guilders, principal."

East town, the ISlh of September, 1662, at a court held before Edward Walters, Robert Huestis and William Bett, by order and power of the Governor General, Peter Stuyvesant, Governor of the province of New Netherland, and the high council, (fce.

Thomas Higgins, plaintiff, complains of Lawrence Turner, in

« N. Y. GazeUeer.

b Dr. De Witt fixes the date of its settlemeut some eight years later. " After the provisional arrangement of boundaries between New Netherland and New En gland, by Gov. Stuyvesant and the New England comiaissioners, in 1650. A number of Puritans from the east, settled a place then named Oost Dorp, (East Town) now Westchester, in Westchester county." De 'Wi.U's paper on New Netherland. Proceedings N. Y. Hist. Soc, 1844, 69,

180 HISTORY OF THE

an action of slander done by his wife, &c., ended by arbitration.