Peter Augustus Jay resided for most of his life in New York City, where lie was a prominent lawyer and citizen, lie tilled various importa.nt public positions, was a leading anti-slavery advocate, and was president of the New York Historical Society. In 1821 he was a delegate from Westchester County to the State constitutional convention. William day (born June 1<>, 1780; died October 11, 1858) inherited 1 The following entry appears in the r rd of the Court of Common Pleas, of Westchester County, under date of May 25, 1829: "The court and members of this bar, entertaining the

highest respect for the pure and exalted character of the late venerable John Jay, do resolve that we will wear crape upon the left arm for thirty days in token of our respect."

HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

from his father the homestead at Bedford. He was one of the most respected Westchester citizens of his times, and for three years (1820 to 1823) served as county judge. He also was a conspicuous champion of the rights of the negroes. A portrait of Judge William Jay hangs in the court house at White Plains. He was the father of i he very eminent Hon. John Jay of our own times (horn June 2.'*., 1817; died May 5, 1894), to whom he left the Bedford estate. Neither the figures of the State census of 1825 nor those of the federal census of 1830 show any significant changes in the distribu-

CKMKTKRY,

RYE.

tion of population in the county. In 1825 the total inhabitants were 33,131, and in 1830, 36,456. Mount Pleasant and Cortlandt continued far in the lead of all the other towns. Yonkers had a population of only 1,761. No new village was incorporated between 1830 and 1810. .This decade is memorable for the projection of the first railway enterprise in which Westchester County was interested, ami the inception and approximate completion of the grand Croton Aqueduct.