154 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



" By the several purchases now recorded," says Baird, " the founders 

 of this town acquired the title to a very considerable territory. The 

 southern part of it alone comprised the tract of land between Byrani 

 River and Mamaroneck River, while to tiie north it extended twenty 

 miles, and to the northwest an indefinite distance. These boundaries, 

 so far as they were stated with any degree of clearness, included, be- 

 sides the area now covered by the towns of Rye and Harrison, much of 

 the towns of North Castle and Bedford in New York, and of Green- 

 wich in Connecticut ; whilst in a northwesterly direction the territory 

 claimed was absolutely without a fixed limit. Indeed, we shall see that 

 as the frontier town of Connecticut, Rye long cherished pretensions to 

 the whole region beyond, as far as the Hudson." 



Yet as ambitious as the proprietors of this town appear to have been 

 in general, they viewed with great suspicion the progress of individual 

 enterprise, especially in selling or disposing of any of the lands in ques- 

 tion. In consequence the extensive purchases and subsequent sales of 

 John Budd gave them no little degree of anxiety; for we find the follow- 

 ing petition dispatched to the General Court at Hartford by the inhabit- 

 ants of Rye, on the 2d of October, 1668 : 



The humble petition of the inhabitants of the town of Rye, to the Right Honorable the Governor 

 and the rest of the gentlemen of the General Court at Hartford : 



May it please your Honor, with the gentlemen of the General Courte, to under- 

 stand that about four years since, that John Budd did present a paper with 

 several names to it, of inhabitants on his neck or island, so called and patented. 

 It was for the settling of himself and children ; on which we conceived had it 

 been performed it had done noe great injury to the towne ; but he noe ways pre- 

 tended it, as aoth agree, but hath and doth dayley let it and settle people upon 

 it, extreamely prejuditiall to the towne, without the towne's approbation, which 

 wee humbly conceave may be our iujury if not speedily prevented ; Doe bumbly 

 request that neck of land may be delivered up to the town, we paying him by 

 Indian purchases with interest, he abating for what land he hath sold, if not pre- 

 juditiall to the towne. And them that are prejuditiall, may be removed, and 

 that you would be pleased to depute two or three persones whom you shall think 

 meet, to come and settell amongst us with what speed may be. Soe we rest your 

 humble petitioners. 



Peter Disbeow, William Woodhull, Robert Bloomer, ' 

 Richard Vowles, John Brondig, Stephen Sherwood, 



Timothy Knapp, Thomas Browxb, George Lane. 



"On the 15th of October, 1672, the general courte assembled at 

 Hartford, ordered that Mr. Budd and those of Rye, that have appropri- 

 ated the lands of Rye to themselves shall appear at general court in 

 a Baird's Hisu of Rye, pp. IT, is. 



