THE TOWN OF WESTCHESTER. 415 



York. Pie \vas eminent for his piety, as well as his political influence. 

 In the turbulent period in which he lived, his integrity was esteemed by 

 all parties. In the changes from Dutch to English, and from English to 

 Dutch, and again to English supremacy, he maintained a high position. 

 The demagogue Leisler, during his usurped authority, found in Bayard 

 a formidable impediment, and caused him to be indicted for high treason. 

 The judge — Atwood — like another Jeffries, compelled the jury to find 

 him guilty and sentenced him to be hung. He appealed to Queen Arne, 

 and was pardoned. 11 Leisler was subsequently tried and convicted of 

 high treason, and hung. 



Nicholas was several times mayor of New York, and when not mayor 

 was generally an alderman. He died in 17 1 1, leaving a son Samuel, Col. 

 Samuel Vitch Bayard, (a descendant of Nicholas, (was owner of the 

 Rivington property on Throgmorton's neck, lately owned by Daniel M. 

 Edgar, Esq., and now held by Lawrence W. Waterbury. Col. Samuel 

 Vetch Bayard, served under the Crown of England, and was a distin- 

 guished military officer. He died in Wilmot, Nova Scotia, A. D. 1832, 

 aged seventy-five, and was the father of Capt. Stephen Bayard, born 

 Oct. 26th, 1785, was basely murdered, July nth, 1814; married Eliza, 

 daughter of Oliver de Lancey, (son of Peter), an officer of the British 

 Navy, and owner of the Mills on the Bronx, by his wife Rachel Hunt. 

 Their son was the late William Bayard, M.D., of West Farms; the late 

 Mr. Edward Cooper of Throg's neck, was another grandson of Col. Vetch 

 Bayard. 



Bordering the Westchester and Pelham road, in this vicinity, is situa- 

 ted " Stony Lonesome," a portion of the old Drake farm, lately held by 

 John Benson who sold forty acres to the present proprietor, Edward 

 Haight, Esq. On this property stands the celebrated " Spy Oak," so 

 named from the fact that a spy found prowling around the American 

 camp, swung for his crime, from cne of its largest branches — tradition 

 says it was the limb that once overhung the road, but has been cut 

 short, upon which he died — much legendary lore is associated with this 

 ancient denizen of the forest, which has reached the huge dimensions of 

 feet in circumference. Many superstitious persons would rather 

 go a mile out of their way than pass this dreaded tree, beneath which 

 the dead soldier was buried; especially as the ghost has never been laid 

 to their ceitain knowledge. 



Further south lies the Ferris property, which has been held by the 

 family of that name for five generations. The Ferris's were originally 

 from Leicestershire, England, and decended from the house of Feriers, 



a S^e Howell's State Trials, vol. xiv. 



