THE TOWN OF SCARSDALE. 



217 



he introduced his eldest brother, Sir Gilbert Heathcote, (afterwards M. 

 P. for London and Lord Mayor of that city in 171 1, at the very time his 

 brother was Mayor of New York, and one of the chief founders and the 

 first Governor of the Bank of England); a circumstance most unfortu- 

 nate for him — for the lady soon found she preferred the elder brother, 

 and broke her engagement with the younger, who at once left England 

 and came to New York, where he arrived in 1692.* As we have already 

 seen, he was negotiating for the purchase of lands in Westchester County, 

 at least as early as 1646 ; and on the 21st of March, 1701, the Royal 

 Patent erected the whole into the Lordship and Manor of Scarsdale. 

 From the time of his arrival " he became a leading man in the colony, 

 was Judge of Westchester and Colonel of its militia all his life, first 

 Mayor of the borough of Westchester, a Councillor and Surveyor Gen- 

 eral of the province, Mayor of New York for three years ; for a time 

 Commander of the colony's forces, and from 1715 to his death, in 1721, 

 Receiver General of the customs for all North America. 5 He was also 



£M/M&6 



a member of the Venerable Propagation Society as early as 1705, and a 

 vestryman of Trinity church from 1697 to 17 14; senior warden of West- 

 chester parish from 1695 to 1702, and likewise senior warden of the 

 parish of Rye from 1703 to 17 10. He was, indeed, a sincere Churchman; 

 and seconded from principle, the views which Governor Fletcher advo- 

 cated from interest and in obedience to his orders. " In his military 

 capacity he had command not only of Westchester County but also of 

 the West Riding, on Long Island ; and in one of his letters to the Vener- 

 able Propagation Society, gives this account of his method of convert- 

 ing military into religious exercises " : — 



a Doc. Hist. X. T., vol. ii., p. 1039. 



b Doc. Hist. N. Y. Governor Fletcher, writing to the Lords of Trade in 1697, says : Mr. 

 Caleb Heathcote is not to leave this province and hath given directions for the taking out of 

 the warrant, he is a gentleman, hath been very useful, and has advanced his private fortune 

 for His Majesties service, to answer an emergency when money was not in the Treasury, 

 and zealously affected to His Majesties government and interest.'* N. Y. Col. MSS. London 

 Doc. X., vol. iv., p. 275. 



