I am looking for information regarding the Englishmen of Westchester Village in 1656. Here's an overview of what I know-- 1654, June: Thomas Pell purchased land from Indian owners in an area claimed by the West India Company. 1654, November: English settlers made an agreement with Thomas Pell to move onto the land. 1655: Dutch representatives visited the settlement. They were met with a show of force by the settlers who claimed they were under English jurisdiction. The settlers were warned to leave. 1656, March: Dutch soldiers entered the village--under cover of darkness if I understand the records correctly--and arrested the leading men. Most of the men were easily disarmed, but 5 managed to take up arms and only laid down their weapons after being promised fair treatment. On March 15, the men who had been arrested (except the final 5) were released. On the 16th, many men of the village petitioned for permission to remain on the land. The petition was granted the same day and Thomas Wheeler was appointed magistrate. On March 25, the 5 Englishmen who had taken up arms against the Dutch were released. Gehring's 1995 transcription lists the men as: Captain Richard Ponton, William Elit, Black March, Jan Gray and Roger Wheales. Captain Ponton's identity is established. The other four men are not identified in any source I have found. I am trying to identify these men. Help would be greatly appreciated... Richard Ponton - I believe he was a resident of Flushing before going to Westchester Village. In 1654, Goodwife Harck complained to the authorities against Richard Pontum. She suspected he had burned down her barn. I am trying to learn more about this incident: her husband had gone to Virginia; claims to tobacco were involved. Did Richard become a fugitive from the Dutch? (About 1670, Richard's daughter married Thomas Farrington of Flushing. There was an issue between Harck and Thomas when he was a minor.)... William Elit - I suspect he was the William Ellit of the New Haven Colony who was one of Thomas Baxter's men. I suspect he was also the William Ellit who got into trouble with Hannah Spencer. Note: Robert Bassett was arrested with William during the Thomas Baxter incident. Robert was one of the men in Westchester who petitioned on March 16, 1656. If I have this correctly, Robert's wife was executed for witchcraft. Robert himself had been very outspoken about going to war against the Dutch, etc... Black March - this man has me stumped. I am wondering if he could have actually been Lieut Marsh, as in Lieutenant Alexander Marsh. Alexander was married to the sister of Josiah Gilbert's wife. Josiah was one of the men who petitioned on March 16; his name has sometimes been transcibed as Isaiah. Josiah's brother Obadiah was also one of the March 16 petitioners. The Gilberts' mother or sister-in-law, Lydia Gilbert, had been executed for witchcraft by November 1654. (Note: their brother Jonathan was the marshall assigned to arrest Thomas Baxter.) Another possibility for the identity of Black Marsh: There was a Jonathan Marsh of Westchester who died about 1670. A Jonathan Marsh of the New Haven Colony was on a carpenter committee with Robert Bassett in the 1640's... Jan Gray - I believe this was the John Gray of Newtown who was banished by the Dutch in 1653, was accused of abusing the magistrates in 1654, and called a fugitive from justice on January 26, 1656. (No wonder he took up arms!) Roger Wheales - On January 1, 1657, Richard Pointom and Rochier Wyls were absent from Westchester Village when the Dutch administered the oath. Roger Wiles, Robert Bassett and Richard Ponton are listed in a 1658 document. Possibly his surname was Willis... I will be spending tomorrow at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, digging for more information about these men. Any suggestions?