l6o HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



September, 1822, conveyed them in fee to the late Peter Augustus, Esq., 

 father of the present proprietor, making the fourth generation that has 

 occupied this spot. 



The Guions are also owners of a large portion of the Budd or Rye 

 neck patent. 



The village of Rye is pleasantly situated upon the New York and 

 Boston turnpike, one mile and a half north of Long Island Sound. The 

 Mockquams or Blind Brook, a perennial stream, flows through the place, 

 and adds much to the beauty of the surrounding scenery. It derives its 

 source from the romantic hills north of the village. The principal spring 

 is located on the lands of the late Edwin Keeler. In its progress south, 

 this stream, fed by numerous tributaries, affords excellent mill seats.* 



The first settlement in the town was made near the ford, at the south- 

 ern end of Manussing Island, in 1660; while other habitations, which 

 were subsequently erected on the bank, overlooking the beach, and on 

 or near " Burying Hill," formed a kind of suburb to the island village. 

 To the latter place the first proprietors gave the name of Hastings, after 

 the famous seaport of that name in Sussex, England. Part of the main 

 land received this appellation, together with the island. ' The bounds of 

 Hastings ' extended, as we have seen, about as far north, on Peningoe 

 Neck, as the present village of Port Chester. But some time elapsed be- 

 fore any improvements were attempted in this direction. For two or 

 three years, certainly, the planters confined themselves to their insular 

 home. 



The three purchasers of the island — Disbrow, Coe and Studwell — 

 were soon joined by other adventurers, if, indeed, they were not accom- 

 panied by them at the outset. The following are the names of all the 

 planters of whom we have any record, as belonging to the island settle- 

 ment : — 



a In the town records occurs the following entry :— "March 3d, 169C. Samuel Lane and Jo- 

 seph Lyon are, or either of them, permitted to build a fulling or grist mill xtpon Blind Brook, 

 above the town, provided they choose their location in three weeks, and build the fulling mill 

 iu three years. This mill is supposed to have occupied the site of the present grist and saw 

 mill of Mr. James E. Beers, so that a mill has stood upon this stream for one hundred and 

 forty years at least. The ancient Budd mill, the first building erected on the river land, was 

 located on the west side of Blind Brook, south of the present stone bridge at the entrance of 

 the village. The following extracts relate to the erection of other mills on the Mamaroneck 

 and Byram rivers: In 1705, the town granted unto Samuel nunt, of Rye, the stream of Mam- 

 aroneck river at the falls of the said river, off Humphery Underbills, to erect and build a 

 gristmill or mills upon the said stream ; and the said Samuel Hunt is to grind 1 he town's corn 

 for the fourteenth part.' In 1712, the town 'granted unto Richard Ogdin the privilege of the 

 Btream in Byram river, between the lower going over and the country road to erect and build a 

 miil or mills, &c. 



