62 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



prominent in nearly all the affairs of the town. He seems to have been 

 a very dissenting Dissenter. He had a quarrel with the Rev. Thomas 

 Pritchard, the first Church of England Rector, in 1705. He lived near 

 David's Hill, a few rods west of where the Baptist Church now stands, 

 and gave his lands along David's brook to his sons Zach. Jr. and Heze- 

 kiah. What was the origin of the names of David's Hill and Brook I 

 am unable to say, but they are found in the earliest records ; and in 

 1 700 "the town by a maigor vote doth order and agree that ye land round 

 davids hill shall be sequestered for the towns' use and for diging stones 

 so it shall have a soficiant cartway and driftway round the hill and not 

 to be disposed of to any pertickler parson what som euer." This shows 

 the origin of a lane, still open, west of David's hill. Other votes setting 

 apart sequestered lands for "ye people of the town to dig stones for 

 ever," are found."* 1 



Minutes. — Upon the 21st day of June, 1705, we find the irascible dis- 

 senter, Zachariah Roberts and Mary, his wife, conveying three hundred 

 acres of land lying within the "Town or Liberties of Bedford," to 

 " Thomas Pritchard, Missionary and Rector at Rye and Bedford, and 

 Anne, his wife." Either the Supreme Court's decision, in his case for 

 slander, or the prospect of handling the sum of one hundred pounds sterl- 

 ing, had produced a wonderful change in our Justice of the Peace : — 



" This indenture made the 21st day of June, in the fourth year of the reign of 

 our Sovereign Lady Anne, by the grace of God of England, Scotland, France 

 and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, etc. — between Zachariah Roberts of 

 Bedford, in the County of Westchester, in the province of New York, Esquire 

 and Mary, his wife, on the one part, and Thomas Pritchard, Missionary and Rec- 

 tor of Rye and Bedford, in the County and province of New Tork, and Anne, 

 his wife, on the other part, Witnesseth that the said Zachariah Roberts and 

 Mary, his wife, for and the consideration of the sum of £100 sterling, to them 

 in hand paid already by the said Thomas Pritchard and Anne, his wife, before 

 the ensealing and delivery thereof, the receipt whereof they the said Zachariah 

 and Mary, doth hereby acknowledge themselves therewith to be fully satisfied 

 contented and paid and therefrom and thereof and of and from all and every 

 part and parcel thereof doth hereby, acquit, release, exonerate and discharge 

 forever the said Thomas Pritchard and Anne Pritchard, their heirs, executors, 

 administrators and assigns forever in manner and form following— all that or a 

 certain parcel of upland meadow and swamp, situate lying and being within the 

 town or liberties of the said Bedford, being part of that land that Coll. Van 

 Cortland and the said Zachariah Roberts heretofore purchased of the Indians, 

 the said parcel of lands hear by granted, being bounded on the south east corner 

 by a young white oak tree marked with green or eight notches or crosses, and 

 thence running one hundred and ten rods northward along the Indian path which 



a Address of Joseph Barrett, July 4, 1S76. 



