ince of New Netherland and ruled by its authorities, with a running river falling directly into its harbour the latter overlooked by high wooded hills, and its borders skirted by the cleared " planting fields " of the Indians, and within a day's easy sail of the " Mauhadoes " it was well adapted to the " nimble " business proposed to be carried on by his Barbadoes friends and himself. Richbell first went to Oyster Bay, where on the 5th of September 1660 he bought the beautiful peninsula, afterwards and still known as " Lloyd's Neck." He had a controversy with the Oyster Bay people about some land at Matinecock, which he also bought, and which was finally settled in his favor. In 1665, after the English conquest he obtained a patent for Lloyd's Neck from Governor Nicolls dated December 18th 1665, and the next year sold it to Nathaniel Sylvester, Thomas Hart, and Latimer Sampon, for 450£, by deed dated October 18, 1666.' He then resided at Oyster Bay where in 1662 he was appointed a constable.' In the preceding year 1661 his name appears on the Southampton Records as a witness to a mortgage to one Mills on a Virginia plantation.^ In May 1664 he was one of the Commissioners for the five English Towns in Long Island.' In the autumn of that year the English captured New York from the Dutch. Of the expedition to attempt that capture Richbell probably had early knowledge.

It will be recollected that two of the ships the "Martin" and the "William and Nicolas," of the expedition sent to capture New Netherland by the Duke of York, were forced to run into Piscataway, n5w Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the 20th of July 1664, on board of which were Carr and Mavericke, two of the Commissioners.* One or both of them knew, or had letters to John Richbell who apparently was then in Boston to whom they sent the following communication announcing their arrival, written the third day after it happened, -- "Mr.