28 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCEHSTER. 



" I am inclined," says Camden, " to favour the opinion of those who 

 fetch it (Belgoe) from the old Gaulish tongue (which our Welsh in a 

 great measure keep entire) and who will have the Belgce so named from 

 Pel, i e. remote. For they were the remotest people in Gaul ; and at 

 the greatest distance from the Roman province, &c. Brittania, or a 

 geographical description of Great Britain and Ireland, Szc, by Will 

 Camden, Clarenceux, King at Arms, second edition by Edward Gibson, 

 D.D., Rector of Lambeth and now Bishop of Lincoln, &c, London M. 

 DCCIL, vol. I, p. 67. 



It is very evident that the Pells were a younger branch of the illustri- 

 ous house of Pelham, which is evinced from the unerring testimony of 

 their descendants, bearing the same coat armour with additions and 

 not plain ; it being a standing rule in ancient times, as is well known to 

 all who are acquainted with the differences then used to distinguish the 

 Cadets from the principal branch of any family, that they either alter 

 their Tinctures or add Bordures, Orles, Bends, Chiefs, Cantons, &c, for 

 that purpose ; whence the Pelhams, who bore the coat plain and un- 

 altered, is proof that they were chief of the family. The Pelhams bear- 

 ing the field azure, three pelicans arg, vulning themselves ppr. The 

 Pells by way of difference bearing the field ermine on a canton azure a 

 pelican or, vulning itself ppr. 



Like the greater part of Westchester County, it formed originally a 

 portion of the Indian territory of JVykagyl, as laid down in the Dutch 

 carte of 16 14. Its early inhabitants were a clan of the Mohegans or 

 "Enchanted Wolf Tribe" called Siwanoys, whose possessions extended, 

 it is well known, from Nor walk to the neighborhood of Hell gate. The 

 latter place being their winter quarters. From the Indians this tract of 

 land, with others adjacent, passed to the Dutch West India Company 

 in 1640, as appears by the following: "In order to maintain the 

 charter of this company, Kieft, the Dutch governor, dispatched Secre- 

 tary Van Fienhoven, on the 19th day of April, 1640, with instructions 

 to purchase the ' Archipelago ' or group of Islands at the mouth of the 

 Norwalk River, together with all the adjoining territory on the main 

 land," " and to erect thereon the standard and arms of the high and 

 mighty Lords States General ; to take the savages under our protection, 

 and to prevent effectually any other nation encroaching on our limits." 

 These directions, we are assured, were fully executed ; and the West 

 India Company thus obtained the Indian title to all the lands between 

 Norwalk and the North River." This sale was confirmed on the 14th of 



a Hist. State of N. Y., hv Broadhead, 1st. period. 1G09-1CW. Alb. Rec. ii., TS, 147 ; De Lact 

 viii ; ilazard ii., SiZ ; OX'ail , L, 215. 



