Richard Morris was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Bench of the State October 23, 1779, and served until he was retired by reason of age. Abraham Tappen was elected to Supreme bench November 5, 1867, his term expiring January 1, 1876.

The township has furnished three surrogates of the county. John Burton held the office from 1739 to 1754, inclusive, and Richard Hatfield entered upon the discharge of its duties March 23, 1778. On May 15, 1862, Silas D. Gifford was appointed surrogate by the Governor in place of Mr. Coles, deceased.

Natural Characteristics, Residences, Etc.^ -- The territory comprised within the limits of what was formerly the townships of West Farms and Morrisania, now Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Wards, New York City, presents varied aspects of scenery. The rapid growth of the city of New York has already destroyed much of its natural beauty, and in a few years its appearance will be changed. A plain, old-fashioned country road is already the exception; macadamized avenues and in many places paved streets fill up the valleys and cut through the hills where formerly the green country lanes, shaded by beautiful trees, delighted the wayfarer. Still, there is much of natural beauty left, and the city authorities, in adopting plans of streets, roads and avenues through the townships now in the city limits, have shown good taste and judgment in abandoning the rectangular plan of streets so common in all modern municipalities and laid out the thoroughfares in accordance with the natural slope of the ground. The country is hilly, with broad valleys between, the direction of the hills running generally north and south. Along the ridge overlooking the picturesque Spuyten Duyvil and Harlem are to be found views