264 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



The principal Indian settlements in this town, were located upon Cas- 

 tle Hill neck and about Bear swamp.' 1 The former is said to have been 

 the site of an Indian castle. On the south-east side of Spicer's neck is 

 situated " Burying Paint" their place of sepulture: Cornell's neck or 

 Black Rock, they denominated " Snakapins." The extensive " shell 

 banks" on the shores of the East river, afford evidence that the aborigi- 

 nal population must at one time have been very considerable. 



Westchester "was probably first settled in 1642, by a Mr. John 

 Throckmorton and thirty-five associates, who came from New England, 

 with the approbation of the Dutch authorities."^ By the Dutch it was 

 denominated " Vredeland" or the " Land of Peace" " a meet appella- 

 tion (says the historian of the New Netherlands,") for the spot selected as 

 a place of refuge by those who were bruised and broken down by relig- 

 ious persecution."" 



In reply to John Throckmorton's petition, soliciting permission to 

 settle down within the limits of the New Netherlands, is the following li- 

 cense, dated 2d October, 1642: — 



"Whereas Mr. Throckmorton, with his associates, solicits to settle with thirty, 

 five families within the limits of the jurisdiction of their High Mightinesses, to 

 reside there in peace and enjoy the same privileges as our other subjects, and be 

 favored with the free exercise of their religion ; having seen the petition of the 

 aforesaid Throckmorton, and consulted with the interests of the Company, as this 

 request can by no meaus be injurious to the country — more so as the English are 

 to settle at a distance of three miles from us — so it is granted. Mr. Throckmor- 

 ton, with thirty-five English families, are permitted to settle within three miles 

 of Amsterdam. " d 



Upon the 6th of July, 1643, the following " land brief '" was granted 

 to Jan Throckmorton, &c. 



GROND BRIEF FOR THROCKMORTON'S NECK. 



" We, William Kieft. director general, and the council, in behalf of their high 

 mighty lords, the States General of the United Netherlands, his highness the 

 Prince of Orange, and the noble lords, the managers of the General Incorporated 

 West India Company in New Netherlands residing, by these presents, do pub- 



« The aborigines maintained possession here as late as 1789. The site of their wigwams is 

 now owned by Mr. Jesse Kyer. In this vicinity isa small excavation cut out of a granite rock, 

 in the form of a mortar, used by the Indians in pounding their corn. 



6 Hist Collections of N. Y. by John Barber and Henry Howe. 



e O'Caliaghan's Hist. X. >r. 25s. "In July 1661, the La Montagne family, who were heirs to 

 afarmcall-d Vredendai,'' granted to the councillor La M ontagne on the flats, made applica- 

 tion t > the Director General and Council, in which they set forth that they were desirous of 

 talcing possess if their lands situat' -1 abont a mile from New Harlem, and wished the priv- 

 ilege of establishing an hamlet or concentration of S or 10 families, near the place whereon 

 the water-mill 1- abont to be erected on the wck, for the benefltofUie village of New Harlem, 

 Ac. ; the application was refused." Valentine's Manual, 1863, p. 15. 



d Alb. Rec. from 1GSS to 1C42. 



