River and terminated or driven away, like those on Hutchinson's by the Throw's and Cornell's Necks; and, though interfered with therefore was ter Westches ly. Dutch" held their ground permanent This the earliest enduring English settlement west of Connecticut. upon •• OostT 1M F ng 11. e^^ents was called by the Westchester dorp ''-aT Dutch. It is hardly likely that the English

ton and his colonists had the express sanction of the Dutch government.

SETTLEMENT

WESTCHESTER

TOWN

was remembered when, in 1683, under English rule, the erection of regularly organized counties was undertaken; and accordingly the name Westchester was selected as the one most suitable for the county next above Manhattan Island. It is certain that English settlers had begun to arrive in Westchester before the execution of Pell's deed from the Indians (November 14, 1654); for on the 5th of November, 1054, nine days before that execution, it was resolved at a meeting of the director-general and council of New Netherland that " Whereas a few English are beginning a settlement at no great distance from our outposts, on lands long since bought and paid for, near Vredeland," an interdict be sent to them, forbidding them to proceed farther, and commanding them to abandon that spot. Tell, in the law suit which he brought in L665 against the heir of Thomas Cornell to recover Cornell's Neck, stated that in buying the Westchester tract he had license from the governor and council of Connecticut, "who took notice of this land to be under their government," and "ordered magistratical power to be exercised at Westchester." The colonial records of Connecticut show that such License was in fact granted to him in 1663. This sanction, issued nine years after his original purchase, was probably procured by him with a view to a second and confirmatory purchase.