THE TOWN OF NEW CASTLE. 573 



Among the associate patentees of this town appears to have been 

 Colonel Matthews, who held twelve hundred and eighty acres in the 

 " West Patent." 



The first election for town officers took place on the 5th of April, 1791, 

 when the following individuals were chosen for the year ensuing : Isaac 

 Smith, supervisor ; Abraham Hyatt, town clerk ; Sutton Craft, con- 

 stable; Benjamin Carpenter, collector; and Caleb Carpenter, security; 

 Caleb Haight, Nathaniel Smith, Henry Slason, assessors ; Caleb Car- 

 penter, Abraham Hyatt, overseers of the poor ; Caleb Haight, Nathaniel 

 Smith, Henry Slason, commissioners of roads ; James Underhill, pounder; 

 and Nathaniel Concklin, Jesse Brady, Isaac Powell, damage prizers and 

 fence viewers, 



" Isaac Smith, Caleb Carpenter "and Isaiah Green, were deputed to 

 meet a committee from the town of North Castle for to settle all dis- 

 putes which may exist between the town of New Castle and the afore- 

 said town of any nature or kind whatsoever, also to settle the line be- 

 tween the two towns." 



New Castle corners'* is pleasantly situated in the north-east angle of 

 the town, on the west side of Kirby's pond. It contains several stores, 

 a post-office, a grist mill, optical works, and several dwelling houses. 

 The neighborhood of this beautiful spot abounds with most romantic 

 scenery. It is now about one hundred and twenty-eight years since the 

 first families settled in this place. They appear to have met with great 

 discouragements, and to have endured severe trials ; for they were in the 

 midst of a wilderness, and constantly exposed to Indian depredations. 

 The Rev. Robert Jenney, minister of Rye, writing to the Propagation 

 Society in 1722, thus alludes to the place : "I have lately been to a 

 settlement in the woods, where I had good success, having baptized 

 a whole family, parents and children." 5 This evidently refers to the 

 present village, for in 1728 the Rev. T. Wetmore, his successor informs 

 the same society, that "at North Castle, a ?tew settlement in the woods 

 there are more than forty families — most of which are unbaptized, and that 

 he preaches there every fifth Sunday." 



Prior to the Revolution, North Castle formed one of the precincts or 

 districts of Rye Parish, which accounts for the parochial clergy officiat- 

 ing here at this early period. In 1 7 2 5, North Castle contributed towards 

 the minister's rate and poor of the parish, £2 9^. od. The same year Mr. 

 Dwight was school-master at North Castle with a salary of ,£10 a year. 



a Formerly called North Castle. 

 b Rep. Propagation Soc. 

 c Propagation Soc. Rec. 



