THE TOWN OF WESTCHESTER. 275 



Myles Standish, as Commander of Plymouth Colony in 1647, Magistrate 

 of that place 1651-1664, and Mayor of New York 1664 to 1673. He 

 died at Rehoboth, Mass., Angust 4. 1674. By his first wife, Mary, 

 daughter of John Brown of Plymouth, who he married July 6th, 1636, 

 he had eight sons and five daughters. His second son was Colonel 

 Thomas Willett, before mentioned, High Sheriff of Flushing in 1670, 

 who married Sarah, heir at law of her father. Thomas Cornell, of Cor- 

 nell's Neck, left two sons ; William, who died without issue, and Hon. 

 Thomas, Judge of Queens County from 17 10 to 1730. The latter left 

 a son, William Willett of Cornell's Neck, who died in 1733, father of 

 four sons who all died without male issue, viz. : William, Hon. Isaac 

 Willett, High Sheriff of Westchester County in 1738, Thomas, of Flush- 

 ing, and Cornelius of Cornell's Neck. Of the daughters of William one 

 married a Rodman, and the other a Jones. Samuel, the youngest son 

 of Hon. Thomas Willett, first Mayor of New York, was born October 

 27th, 1658, settled on Long Island and became Sheriff of Queens 

 County. His eldest son, Edward, of Queens County, was born in 1701 

 and died in 1794, leaving by his wife, Aleta Clowes, a son, Col. Marinus 

 Willett, who was born July 31, 1740, Mayor of New York in 1807 and 

 a member of the Cincinnati Society. His son was Marinus, the father 

 of the Rev. Marinus Willet of Rye. 



Prior to 1647 we have seen that "Vredeland," (Westchester) was 

 settled under grants from the Dutch. But, about this period, a number 

 of Puritans from Connecticut must have commenced a settlement ; for, at 

 a meeting of the New England commissioners, and Governor Stuyvesant, 

 on the 19th of September, 1650, the latter complained of the English en- 

 croachments upon Westchester. And asserted that the " West India Com- 

 pany of Amsterdam, had bought and paid for the lands in question, of 

 the right proprietors — the native A?nericans — before any other nation 

 either bought or pretended right thereunto ; he also affirmed he had 

 proof of the first Dutch purchase."* Under the apprehension that the 

 English settlements might be connected with the claim of jurisdiction, 

 it was determined (by the Dutch) to remonstrate against it. In 1654, 

 it was resolved at a meeting of the Director General and Council, "that 

 whereas a few English are beginning a settlement at a great distance 

 from our outposts, on lands long bought and paid for near Vreedtant, 

 to send there an interdict, and the Attorney General, Cornelius van Tien- 

 hoven, and forbid them to proceed no futher, and to abandon that 

 spot. Done at Fort Amstel, 5th November, 1654." 6 



a Dunlap's Hist. N. T. vol. i. 95. 

 i> Alb. Rec. vol. ix. 275. 



