THE TOWN OF WESTCHESTER. 299 



at Westchester, and the other at Eastc /tester. Also a Court of Oyer and 

 Terminer and general jail delivery in the same county on the first 

 Wednesday in December. Passed 29th of October, iGSj.^ 



Westchester formed the shire town of the county from 1683 to 1759. 

 The following notice of the destruction of the Court-House occurs in the 

 New York Post Boy, February 13th, 17 58: — 



"New York, Feb. 13TH. — We hear from Westchester that on Satur- 

 day night the 4th inst. the Court-house at that place was unfortunately 

 burnt to the ground. We have not yet heard bow it happened." 



This building occupied the site of the present parochial school-house 

 of St. Peter's. 



The last court held here was on the 6th of November, 1759/' A few 

 extracts are selected from the early records, to show the manner in which 

 the County Courts were conducted : — 



"At a Court of Sessions held at Westchester, for the County of Westchester, 

 by their Majesties authority, present John Pell, Justice and quorum, President of 

 the court ; John Palmer, Justice of the Peace and Quorum ; Daniel Sharpe and 

 William Barnes, Esquires, Justices of ye Peace. December ye 1st, 1691. 



The Court opened. 

 The Grand Jury called and appeared, viz. : 



robert hustead, john furgeson, 



John Feekis, Sen.. Robert Hustead, Jun,. 



John Mollinex, John Hadden, Sen., c 



Joseph Hunt, Edward Hadden, 



John Hunt, John Winter, 



JonN Quimbt, Jun., Thomas Bedient, 



John Baly, Samuel Palmee, 



William Chaddeeton. 

 The court adjourned till Thursday morning. 



constables called. 

 Westchester, Joseph Hunt. Eastchester, Henry Fowler. New Rochelle, Cor- 

 nelius Scely. Mamaroneek, Richard Ward. Rye, Samuel Kniffen. Upper 



Yonckers, Matthias Brookes. Bedford, . Benjamin Collier, 



High Sheriff of tlie County. d 



"At a court of sessions held at Westchester by his Majesty's authority, June 

 6th and 7th, 1693, before the Honorable Caleb Heathcote, Esq., Judge of the 



a Acts of Assembly, passed A, D. 16S3. Upon the 29th of October, 16S4, the period was 

 changed for holding the above courts from the first Tuesday in December to the third Tues- 

 day in November. In 1691 the courts were held as first ordered. 



b Rec. of Court of Common Pleas, Lib. B. The old Court Ilouse at Westchester was burnt 

 at an early period of the Revolution. 



e A.D. 1749.— Died, John Hadden and Abigail, his wife, within a few hours of each other, 

 having lived loveingly together seventy years. lie died aged 96, and his wife 90. 



d First Rec. of Court of Sessions. 



