[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] settlements which later sprang up west of that stream being under the government of Harlem and New York City until Westchester County came into existence, in 1GS3. Governor Nicolls, after proclaiming the Duke of York as lord pro-prietor of the province, and exacting recognition of him as such, which was readily forthcoming (Stuyvesant, and the leading Dutch citizens generally, subscribing to the oath of allegiance), permitted the former order of things to continue with as little interference as possible. With the transfer of sovereignty, however, it became nec-essary to issue new land patents to existing owners, extinguishing the condition in the old deeds that lands were held under allegiance to the Dutch West India Company, and instituting instead the au-thority of the new regime. This formality was provided for in the celebrated code known as "The Duke's Laws," adopted by an as-sembly of delegates from the towns of the province held at Hemp-stead in the summer of 1665. It was prescribed that "all persons whatsoever who may have any grants or patents of townships, lands, or houses, within this government, shall bring in the said grants or patents to the said governor and shall have them renewed by au-thority from his Loyal Highness, the Duke of York, before the next Court of Assizes.