$12 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



Jii.y 6th, 1723. 

 Received ye lull payment of this certificate from ye borough of Westchester. 



I say received by me. ,.„„„ ,, _ 



LEWIS MORRIS/' 



Peter De Lancey, Esq., represented the borough in 1756, for which 

 he received ten shillings per diem.'' 



One of the most important privileges conferred upon this town by the 

 royal charter, was that of holding a Mayor s court, the first Tuesday in 

 every month. This court had full power to hear and determine all 

 causes " not exceeding in debt or damages the sum of twenty pounds." 

 From the town records it appears, that " at a Mayor's Court holden in 

 Westchester, 6th of July, 1697, the court did order that Capt. William 

 Barnes shall see out for a workman to make a pair of stocks and the 

 prison sufficient for the securing of prisoners, until such time as a way 

 may be found for the building of a new one, &c." c 



As a proof that liberty was not yet clearly understood by our ancient 

 judges, we subjoin an extract from the records of the Mayors Court in 

 1730: 



" Present, Miles Oakley, Mayor ; Thomas Hunt, Joshua Hunt, James 

 Cromwell, Nathaniel Underhill and William Leggett, Aldermen. 



The jury being called over said they could not agree, and James 

 Dangly and Gabriel Leggett who dissented from the others gave their 

 reasons to the court; which being judged insufficient, they were fined 

 40s. each, and to stand committed till paid. The jury were then dis- 

 charged." d 



•• At a Mayor's Court held in Westchester, December, 1734, Present, 

 William Leggett, Esq., Mayor ; William Forster, Recorder ; Nathaniel 

 Underhill, Thomas Hunt, Joshua Hunt and Gabriel Leggett, Alder- 

 men. &c. The Recorder presented the freedom of the town to the Hon. 

 James De Lancey, Esq., and John Chambers, attorney-at-law, which 

 was read and approved : and thereupon it was ordered that the Mayor, 

 Recorder and Aldermen do forthwith wait on the said James De 

 Lancey, Esq., and John Chambers, at the house of William Burnett, 

 and deliver the same unto them, and desire their acceptance of the 

 same. Accordingly the court adjourned. " e 



In 1746, the small pox prevailing in Greenwich, New York, the house 

 of Assembly adjourned to Westchester. 



The following letter of the Westchester sub-committee, dated borough 

 and town of Westchester, August 24, 1775, to the Honorable Provin- 

 cial Congress, is copied from the military returns : — 



a Town Bee . B ■•'- 9, 153. 



b Smith's lfi-t. <;f N. Y. The daily wages of the representatives, were regulated by sundry 

 acta 'if Assembly. 

 c Town Etec. 

 d Town Rec. 



e Town Rec. On the 21 of July, 1737, Lewis Morris, .Tun., and Frederick Philipse were ad- 

 : .eeraen of the borough under the common seal of the corporation. 



