Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution

See, also, letter of Rev. James Wetmore to the Venerable Society, "Rye, "March 25, 1743;" The Parish of Rye to the same, "Province of New "York, Bedford, March 6, 1744 ;" Rev. Joseph Lampson to the same, " Northcastle, in the Parish of Rye, February 10; 1746-47;" Rev. Ebenezer Dibble to the same, "Stamford in Connecticut, in New England, March 25, 1761;" Rev. Harry Monro to the same, "Philifs- " burgh, February 1, 1766 ; " Rev. Epenetus Townsend to the same, " Salem, Westchester County, March 25, 1771 ; " etc.

In 1811, Rev. Timothy Dwight, President of Yale-college, passed through Westchester-county, and wrote, of the Town of Eastchester, ex-

A very large proportion of those farmers, however, especially during the earlier Colonial period, was not composed of owners, in fee-simple, of the soil which they cultivated, that having been held, in such instances, on Leases from the Lords of the several Manors into which the County was largely divided ; u but those Leases were generally for long terms of years, on easy terms of rental, with liberal provisions for renewals ; and those who held them were seldom disturbed in their continued and quiet possession of their respective properties. 3

cept " a small scattered Village," " the rest of the Township is covered "with plantations" -- Travela,'iii,, 486-- and, of theTownofMamaroueck, "it is wholly a collection of plantations ; and can scarcely be said to " contain even a hamlet. It is set, however, with a number of good houses "and excellent farms."-- Ibid, iii., 487.-- Of the County, as a whole, he wrote thus: "It is universally settled, so far as the nature of the "ground will admit; and is almost merely a collection of Farms." -- Ibid, in., 489.