Our county's members of the first assembly held under the State government were Thaddeus Crane, Samuel Drake, Robert Graham, Israel Honeywell, Jr., Zebadiah Mills, and Gouverneur Morris. The first county judge under the constitution was Lewis Morris (appointed by the State convention, May S. 1777); he was succeeded, the reFebruary 17, 177S, by Robert Graham, who served during Hatfield mainder of the Revolution. The first surrogate was Richard (appointed March 23, 177S); the first sheriff, John Thomas, Jr., (appointed May S. 1777); the first county clerk, John Bartow (appointed officers of general importMay 8, 1777). These were the only county ance. Of course their functions were of a very limited character in ' ndja a count v where scarce any semblance of public order obtained. 1 Chief Justice Richard Morris was a grandson of the provincial Chief Justice Lewis Morris, and a brother of Lewis Morris, the signer of the Declaration of Independence. He owned

roport\ adows, ox toMe; 1 'fl lis soi

the

Tonipki: ■. This us

estate

of

Maji >r Willi am property he Popham. sdal<

HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

Throughout the Revolution, and for several years subsequently, there was no attempt made to reorganize the civil divisions of Westchester County. Previously to the war these divisions, as represented in the board of supervisors, were the Manor of Cortlandt, Ryck's Patent [Peekskill], White Plains, Bedford, Rye, North Castle, Westchester Town, Mamaroneck, Poundridge, Philipseburgh Manor, Scarsdale Manor, Eastehester, Salem, Pelham, and New Rochelle. The board of supervisors had only a nominal existence during the Revolution. The spring of 1777 glided by without the slightest manifestation by the enemy of their fundamental plans for the coming campaign. The rumors of an approaching invasion from Canada became increasingly definite, but meantime the purposes of the great British army at hand, still commanded by General Howe, remained unfathomable.