584 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



Honorable, Prudent, Wise and Right Respectful Gents: — 



Although sin ie our lust letter, no act of hostility has heen committed, yet those 

 of Hartford continue their threatening;, anticipates an I encroachments, and pur- 

 chased from the Savages, all the land between Westchester and the North river. 



including different lots of land, which were as well under the administration of 



the Bon, <! >v. Kieft, as ours, in the usual manner, granted by letters patent, and 

 in virtu, of these, p issessed by those of our nation, as so among others, the land 

 of Jo as Bronck, the lands of the old Verdonck, divided and settled by his children, 

 and associates in various plantations and farms, but who, in the massacre' were 

 absconded with many others, all which are situated here and bordering on our 

 island, only divided by a small creek, which in some places by low water is pas- 

 sable, so as they to us the savages declared and solicited them to purchase other 

 lauds to the east and the west of the North river, dated 20th June, 1GGO 



On the 1 2th of March, 1664, the Dutch possessions in America were 

 patented to his Royal Highness James Duke of York and Albany, by 

 his brother King Charles II. This grant was immediately followed 

 by a military and naval armament under the command of Colonel 

 Richard Nicolls, which reduced the New Netherlands to the subjection 

 of the English Crown, 27 th August, 1664. 



One of the articles of capitulation drawn up by the commissioners at 

 the surrender, declared that " all people shall continue free denizens, and 

 shall enjoy their lands, houses and goods, wheresoever they are within 

 this country, and dispose of them as they please. c 



On Sept. 21, 1666, Mary Doughty, widow of the late Adriaen Van der 

 Donck, and wife of Hugh O'Neale,** in right of her former husband, 

 aiaimed "all that land upon the maine not far from Westchester, called 

 the Younckers land, and brought forward several Indians to prove the 

 ourchase." e 



On October 8, 1666, 18th King Charles II. Governor Nicolls granted 

 die following patent to Mr. Hugh O'Neale and Mary his wife : — 



PATENT FOR NEPPERHAE.M. 



Richard Nicolls. Esq., governor under his Royal Highness, ye Duke of York, 

 »f all his territoryes in America, to all to wmom this present writing shall come, 

 SLmdeth greeting: Whereas there is a certain tract of land within this govern- 

 ment, upon the main, bounded to the northwards by a rivulet called by the 



a The massacre here alluded to, took place Sept., 1655, during the absence of Stuyvesant, 

 he warriors of the Algonquin tribes, made a furious onset upon the colony.— See Ban- 

 :roft's Hist. U. S., vol. ii. 299. 

 o Alb. Rec. vol. xviii. 257. 

 - oniith's mat of N. Y. p. 19. 



ri Hugh O'Neale, formerly of Newton, Long Island. Assize Rec. p. 47. "The widow of 

 . Van der iJonck afterwards married Hugh O'Neale, of I'atuxent, Maryland, whither, 

 id her father removed,"— N. Y. tJol, MSS., Holland Doc. vii, vol. I, p. 533-— [Editor, 

 c See confirm, of Van der Donck's purchase. 



