298 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



in this portion of Westchester county, as appears in the following order 

 of the town court records : — 



"West Chester January ye 9th, 1G79. Att a Towne Meeting at ye house of 

 Thomas Wlttlock being Constable: Itt is ordered that Win. Barnes, John 

 Hum and Samuel] Well are to make and maintaine two woulf pitts and to main- 

 taine the same for the space of three whole yeares from the day of the date hereof, 

 and in consideration hereof the Towne is to allow the said persons for the making 

 said woulf pilts the sume of twenty shillings : and for each woulf that the}' shall 

 catch, in said pitt, and presented to the Constable of the Town : They shall also 

 have of every such woulf soe caute the sume of tenn shillings : it is conditioned 

 that the said two woulf e pitts are to be finished and compleated at or before the 

 31st day of May next ensuing the date hereof and to be kept in repair the whole 

 tearme of three yeares." 



The subjoined document, would appear to be the first tavern license 

 granted in this county : — 



"At a town meeting in Westchester, the 27th of June, 1681, Justice Pell pre- 

 sent. The town made choice of John Hunt for an ordinary keeper, lor one year 

 ensuing, for the town of Westchester, and desired him the said John Hunt, may 

 be licensed by the justices of the riding. The said Hunt is to sell his biere at 

 two pence per quart, and rum at three pence per gill, which he shall not exceed; 

 and to take his come at price current, according to the current rate, and that 

 none else to retaile againe in rum in the said towne of Westchester, during the 

 said tearme of one year, without the approbation of the said Hunt." 



We have already shown that Westchester sent representatives to the 

 Governor's assembly, in 1665. The following relates to the election of 

 representatives, in 1683 : — 



Westchestek, the 29th of Sept. 1683. 

 "At a town meeting held in obedience to a warrant from the high sheriff con- 

 cerning the choice of four men out of the township to goe to Jamaica upon Long 

 Island the first day of October next ensuing, there to joyne with a committee 

 chosen out of each towne in the north riding, and this said committee to choose 

 two out of the riding, able men as representatives for the north riding. The 

 town hath made choice of William Richardson, Richard Ponton, Thomas Hunt, 

 sen., and John Palmer, to be the four men to goe to Jamaica. 

 Recorded in town meetin_ r , 



per FRANCIS FRENCH, Recorder." 



Upon the division of the province into shires and counties, the follow- 

 ing act was passed by the Colonial Assembly for the regulating and settling 

 of Courts of Justices, entitled "an act for the more orderly hearing 

 and determining of matters and cases of controversy, &c." Two Courts 

 of Sessions for the County of Westchester, the first Tuesday in June and 

 the first Tuesday in December yearly and every year, the one to be held 



