Upon the 30th of October, 1666, Elias Doughty purchased lands in this town, of Hugh O'Neal and Mary his wife. The father of Elias was the Rev. Fnaclscus Doughty. " This minister, I'"ranciscus Doughty, (says his son-in-law, Van der Donck,) in the time of the first troubles in England, came over in order to escape from them to New England, and found himself (to u,-;e a homely phrase,) out of the frying-pan into the

a Book of P.i!. Alb.

•586 HISTORY OF THE COL'XTY OF V/ESTCHESTER,

fire. In order to be able to enjoy freedom of conscience according to the Dutch reformation, which he certainly missed in New England, he betook himself under the protection of the Dutch; and an absol'^tc patent, with privileges for a colony, was granted and conferred on him Lv the Director General." This patent consisted of thirteen thousand thrcj hundred and thirty-two acres of the lands called Mispath, the present Newtown on L. I.) It was conferred upon him and his associates, on tlic 28th of March, 1642."'' He had reinforced himself now in one year -with some families; but in consequence of the breaking out of the war, they were all driven from tlieir lands with loss of some people, and the destruction of much cattle, losing for the most part all their houses and whatever they possessed. After they had remained a while, and consumed more than they could collect, they came to the Manhattans, where all the refugees resorted at that time, and Master Doughty was minister tliere.'* The Rev. Franciscus Doughty was a member of the ancient and honorable family of the Doughtys or Douteys of Easher Surrev, and Boston, Lincolnshire, England, descended from an English Saxon house of Dohteg, before the Conquest, A. D. 1066.