368 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



favor, and were largely concerned in the land grants which he made. a Of 

 course the humble farmers of Peningo Neck had no influence to weigh 

 against the interests of a company so powerfully manned. 



Under this grievance, the town of Rye seceded. It renounced the 

 authority of the provincial government, and returned to the colony of 

 Connecticut. We do not greatly wonder at the secession. The pro- 

 vocation was great, and the temptation strong. It is more surprising 

 that the Connecticut Government should have received the rebellious 

 town. But there was much bitter feeling just at this time between the 

 two colonies, growing out of the unsettled state of the question as to 

 their boundaries. We shall see in the next chapter what passed between 

 the colonial governments relative to this secession. Meanwhile, for four 

 years Rye was a part of Connecticut. From 1697 to 1700, inclusive, 

 the inhabitants designated themselves as living in Rye, ' in the county 

 of Fairfield, in the colony of Connecticut.' 6 They applied .to the Gen- 

 eral Court at Hartford for the settlement of any matters in dispute, and 

 the Court seems to have considered and disposed of such applications 

 precisely as in the case of any town east of Byram River. 



We have a curious account of the state of feeling among the good 

 people of Rye during this interval. It occurs in a letter of Colonel 

 Heathcoate, written after a visit to Rye, the object of which was to per- 

 suade the malcontents to submit with a good grace. Colonel Heathcoate 

 writes to the Governor and Council : — 



Westchester, FeVy 19, 1696-97. 

 "Gentlemen, — I had long ere this given you an account of my Rye Expedi- 

 tion, had I not at my coming here been kept Prisoner a Fortnight or three weeks 

 by reason of the weather and a nimble distemper ; * * * * from which so soon 

 as I was disengaged I proceeded and called a meeting of ye Inhabitants, taking 

 particular care to have the Ringleaders summonsed ; and enquired of them the 

 reason of the Revolt. The}- told me that the grant to Harrison and his associ- 

 ates was so great an Injury to 'em, that their town was nothing without it, and 

 that they had as good loose all as that ; and a great Deal of Stuff to that effect. 

 I asked them why they did not take out a patent c when it was tendered them. 

 They said they never heard that they could have one. I told them that their 

 argument might pass with such as knew nothing of ye matter, but that I knew 



« Jamison is stated to have been 'first in Col. Fletcher's confidence and favor, above all 

 others, and enriched himself by the grants of land sold by Col. Fletcher, he having a share 

 for brokerage.' (Docnments, etc., Colonial History of New York, vol. iv. i>. 400.) He after- 

 wards became Chief Justice of New Jersey, and later, Attorney-General of New York. Nicols, 

 a man of great Influence and highly connected, was an ardent supporter of Fletcher. Cap- 

 tain Bbenezer Wilson was a prominent merchant of New 5Tork, sheriff of the city at the time, 

 and afterwards mayor. (Documents, etc., vol., iv., pp. 877, 565 : 25 seq., ; 769, 783, etc.) 



b Some twenty deeds on record, within these years, are thus dated. Those entered immedi- 

 ately before and after are dated 'in the county of Westchester, and Province of New York.' 

 (Town Records of Kye, vol. 15. pp. 72-168.) 



<■ The granting of patents was- a favorite mode of raising money with the Provincial Gov- 

 ernors of New York. New England men ever regarded it as a most unjust exaction. Sir 

 Edmund Andros, who was made Governor of New York and New England, in 1GS8-89, de— 



