48 The Story of The Bronx 



Dutchess, and Rockland counties to form a new supreme 

 court district. 



Let us take a brief glance at the land on the main at the 

 time of the English occupation. On the west, lying between 

 the Hudson and the Bronx rivers, was Colen Donck; next 

 came " Brouncksland, " between the Harlem and the Bronx; 

 next to the eastward came the West Farms ; east of this tract 

 was Cornell's Neck; adjoining it on the north was Oostdorp, 

 or Westchester; beyond, on the Sound, was Throgg's Neck; 

 and north of Westchester was Pell's purchase of 1654. A 

 portion of the Keskeskeck purchase of 1639 does not seem to 

 have been taken up. A conveyance of Pell, June 24, 1664, 

 though made during the Dutch regime, will be taken up 

 later. 



The only settlement, or town, in the whole district was 

 Westchester; and the settlers here had an agreement with 

 Pell, who claimed to the East River, by which they were to pay 

 him a certain annual quit-rent. This they failed to do; and 

 in acknowledgment of his right, on June 14, 1664, they surren- 

 dered into his hands all right, title, and interest in the lands. 

 This was altogether an odd transaction; as at the time of it 

 they were sworn to allegiance to the Dutch, whose juris- 

 diction they acknowledged. But being Connecticut men, 

 they were probably inclined to further the claim of their 

 mother colony to the Atlantic Ocean, which they could do 

 better by admitting Pell's supremacy than by upholding 

 the claim of the Dutch. 



Colonel Nicolls was an excellent governor, fair, just, and 

 tactful, who not only looked after the interests of the proprie- 

 tor, but also protected and advanced the interests of the inhabi- 

 tants of the colony. One of his earliest acts was to call an 

 assembly of delegates from the several towns, which met at 



