The patentees, ten in number, much of the Town of North Castle. in the province, whose influence and included men of prominence "interest was not that of settlers seeking a home, but merely that The lands began to be settled about 1718-20 by of speculators." Harrison's Quaker farmers from Long Island, who came by way of purchase, and whose descendants to this day belong to the principal families of that section of our county, among them the Haights, Weekses, Carpenters, Buttons, Quimbys, Hunts, Birdsalls, Barneses, In August, 1712, the settlers petitioned Governor and Havilands. their lands into a township, mentioning in incorporate to Burnett that document that their number comprised thirty men able to bear Letters patent were soon afterward issued for the Town of arms. In addition to the lands represented by the West North Castle. Patent, North Castle originally embraced a portion of the Middle Patent and also a separate grant made in 1700 to Ann Bridges, Roger It even encroached on the bounds Mompesson, and seven others.1 of the East Patent, covering a considerable part of the present Town The number of settlers increased rapidly, and we of Poundridge. are informed that at the time of its division by the setting off of New Castle " it was the second town in the county in assessed valuation, ranking next to Westchester in that respect, and the first in population." 2 Inasmuch as North Castle lay entirely in the interior, and quite remote from New York City, its exceptional prosperity is Wenham, a member of the governor's Thomas council. Roger Mompesson = " History of Now Castle," by Joseph Bar. Chief Justice John Bridges. was chief justice of the province at the time. rett, Seharf, ii., 615. One of their associates in the patent was