7S HISTORY OK THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



"At a meeting of the committee of the Proprietors of Miniford's Island, as- 

 sembled at the house of Isaac Barnes, the llth day of May, 1765, 



"Present : 



"M08E8OWNS, > ( SAMTJEL RlOE, 



l>' max Cami'bki.l, i (Josepb Palmer." 



"The committer ordered that no owner or proprietor of the said Island, not 

 residing thereon, shall put or caus to be put on more than twoo creatures of any 

 land; liki \. .vner or inhabitant living and residing upon the said Island 



may bring on twoo eows, if a twoo wheld carriage, one horse, and if a waggon 

 two horses p'r. each right; any person, proprietor, owner or inhabitant disobey 

 these orders and putingon more than the No. above written, must expect to have 

 them put in common pound and dealt with according to law, &c."« 



The last election recorded in the "Book of Laws," (No. i) took place 

 May ioth, 1791, when Joseph Mullinex, clerk, and Aaron Hunt, Joseph 

 Mullinex, Thomas Baxter, Augustus Drake, Jr., Brusted Barnes and 

 James Lewis were chosen trustees. 



It appears that upon the first settlement of the island, the proprietors 

 had conceived the idea of erecting thereon a large commercial city, un- 

 der the supposition that an extensive East India trade could be advan- 

 tageously carried on with the States of Holland. Its agreeable and beau- 

 tiful situation on the Sound, lying over against the broad side of Long 

 Island, its close vicinage to New York, besides its healthiness, oyster- 

 ing and fishing conspiring to render it, as its projectors vainly imagined, 

 the best place, for the aforesaid trade in the United States. The Revo- 

 lution, however, breaking out, suspended operations for a time ; but 

 soon after the closing of hostilities the project was again revived, as ap- 

 pears from the following document signed by some of the proprietors : 



"Whereas, the thirteen United States of North America is become Free, Inde- 

 pendent and Sovereign States, and have the Like Liberty to Carry on Their 

 Trade an 1 Commers To Foreign Nations as well as other States, Nations and 



. Excepting the East india Trade, and some others, which are fi 

 in Like Companyes ; and. Whereas, the Seven United States of Holland are also 

 Free, Independent and Sovereign States and they Have great Possessions in 

 the E 3 and Carry on an Extensive Trade To and from it, and 



have plenty of Cash Sniping and Sailors To make the Trade To that part of 

 the World much more greater Than it now is ; and. Whereas, they have been 

 Frier,' Jting the American States To their Independancy ; therefore, We 



Do Earnestly Recommend To the State of New York To give and grant Liberty 

 To the merchants in Holland to bring over Some of their East india produce To 



a In May, 1T70, I - 1 ic Barnes had two cows, 2 yearlings ami 1 colt, no 5 head; 



Benjamin 1'armer, .'; Joseph Muleux, 1; Uukin Campble, 5; Minor HlUard, 10 ; John I'mk- 

 ney, 4; John Barnes, 2 ; Markos Baxter, 4; Deborah 1 licks, :>; Widow Bracks, 4. 



