USA > New York > Westchester County > A history of the county of Westchester, from its first settlement to the present time > Part 30
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a " He was one of the Council in that province, and a judge of the supreme court there in 1692. Upon the surrender of the government to Queen Anne, in 1702, he was named to be governor of the colony ; but the appointment was changed in favor of Lord Cornbury, the Queen's cousin." " Within the limits of Shrewsbury, (says Mr. Whitehead,) Col. Lewis Morris had extensive iron works, employing sixty or seventy negrocs, in addition to white servants and dependants." " The land (3540 acres) was granted to him, Oct. 25, 1676. Full liberty was given to him and his associates " to dig, delve, and carry away all such mines for iron as they shall find or see fit to dig and carry away to the iron works, or that shall be found in that tract of land that lies inclosed between the southeast branch of the Raritan River and the whale pond on the sea-side, and is bounded from thence by the sea and branch of the river, to the eastward, to the Raritan river, he or they paying alf such just damages to the owners of the land where they shall dig mines as shall be judged is done by trespass of cattle or otherwise sustained by the cart- ing and carrying of the said mine to the work."-E. J. Records, B. page 155.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
pointed in his place."a The following particulars in relation to this affair, are taken from the Carribeana, a literary periodical purporting to be " written by several hands in the West Indies." The reader will see that the Chief Justice performed his part with great boldness and independence.
" SIR :- You will perceive, by the enclosed copy of a letter, that the origi- nal was addressed to the present governor of New York, on occasion of a new dispute that arose between his Excellency and the chief judge of the pro- vince concerning the establishment of a new Court of Equity. The judge's argument upon the question is very long, and, for aught I know, very learned. I shall not take it upon me to say whether his opinion is right or not ; but cer- tainly he was right in giving his opinion upon a matter of law that came in judgment before him. The governor, however, was offended at what was spoken, and demanded a copy, which the judge sent him, in print, with the letter now mentioned.
I confess I had some curiosity to know the particular character of this ex- traordinary personage, who would seem to act and speak like an inhabitant of some other world. They tell me he is nothing but a man, and a plain man too, exactly like one of us-eats beef and mutton, drinks madeira wine, and sometimes rum punch, as we do. His education was narrow, nor does he pre- tend to inspiration or any supernatural aid. His knowledge is derived merely from reading and observation, and his fortitude grounded on the Christian reli- gion and the laws of his country, which he fancies are commonly on the side of honesty, and a good conscience.
I would not be thought to propose this northern magistrate to the imitation of his brethren between the tropics. I hope and believe they will never meet with such trials ; and, if they should, I am persuaded they will be more polite than to copy after so coarse a pattern ! I only meant to help out your next paper with a strange and wonderful occurrence, which may perhaps amuse your gentle readers as effectually as the accounts they have sometimes of hard frosts and huge whales, though they never see such things in these parts.
I am yours, &c.,
INDUS.
To his Excellency. William Cosby, Esq., Captain General and Governor-in- chief of the province of New York, New Jersies and territories thereon de- pending in America, Vice Admiral of the same, and Colonel in his Majes- ty's army, &c.
May it please your Excellency :
In obedience to your commands by F. M., Esq., deputy secretary, to send
a Dunlap's Hist. N. Y. vol. i. 295.
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you a copy of what I read in the Supreme Court concerning its having a ju- risdiction to determine causes in a Court of Equity, and a second message from him to give it under my hand, I send you not only what I read, but what I said on that head, as far as I can charge my memory. What was said, was spoken before a numerous auditory, among which were the grand jury for the city and county of New York, and several other persons of distinction. I choseª this public method to prevent, as much as I could, any misapprehension ; and what I said is as follows, viz. :
[Here follows the judge's argument against erecting a court of equity, and then he concludes with the remainder of his letter in these words, viz. : ]
This, sir, is a copy of the paper I read in court, and the substance of what I said besides on that head, as far as I can shape my memory. I have no rea- son to expect that either this, or any thing else I can say, will be at all grate- ful, or have any weight with your Excellency, after the answer I received to a message I did myself the honor to send you concerning an ordinance you were about to make for establishing a court of equity in the supreme court, as being, in my opinion, contrary to law, and which I desired might be delayed till I could be heard on that head. I thought myself within the duty of my office in sending this message, and hope I do not flatter myself in thinking I shall be justified in it by your superiors, as well as mine. The answer your Excellency was pleased to send by Mr. J. W. was, that I need not give my- self any trouble about that affair ; that you would neither receive a visit or any message from me ; that you could neither rely upon my integrity nor depend upon my judgment ; that you thought me a person not at all fit to be trusted with any concerns relating to the King ; that ever since your coming to the government, I had treated you, both as to your own person and as the King's representative, with slight, rudeness and impertinence ; that you did not desire to see or hear any further of, or from me. I am heartily sorry, sir, for your own sake, as well as that of the public, that the King's representative should be moved to so great a degree of warmth, as appears by this answer, which I think would proceed from no other reason but by giving my opinion in a court of which I was a judge, upon a point of law that came before me, and in which I might be innocently enough mistaken ; (though I think I am not ;) for judges are no more infallible than their superiors are impeccable. But if judges are to be intimidated so as not to dare to give any opinion but what is pleasing to a governor, and agreeable to his private views, the people of this province, who are very much concerned both with respect to their lives and fortunes in the freedom and independency of those who are to judge of them, may possi- bly not think themselves so sccure in either of them, as the laws and his Ma- jesty intend they should be.
I never had the honor to be above six times in your company in my life ;-
a Printing his argument and letter.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
one of those times was when I delivered the public seals of the province of New Jersey to you on your coming to that government ; another, on one of the public days, to drink the King's health ; a third, at your desire, to wait on my Lord Augustus Fitz Roy, with the body of the laws, to tell him we were glad to see him at New York ; and except the first time, I never was above a quarter of an hour together in your company at any one time ; and all the words I ever spoke to you, except at the first time, may be contained on a quarto side of paper. I might possibly have been impertinent, for old men are too often so ; but as to treating you with rudeness and disrespect, either in your public or private capacity, it is what I cannot accuse myself of doing or intending to do, at any of the times I was with you. If a bow, awkwardly made, or any thing of that kind, or some defect in the ceremonial of address- ing you, has occasioned that remark, I beg it may be attributed to the want of a courtly and polite education, or to any thing else, rather than the want of respect to his majesty's representative. As to my integrity, I have given you no occasion to call it in question. I have been in this office almost twenty years. My hands were never soiled with a bribe ; nor am I conscious to my- self, that power or poverty hath been able to induce me to be partial in the favor of either of them ; and as I have no reason to expect any favor from you, so I am neither afraid nor ashamed to stand the test of the strictest in- quiry you can make concerning my conduct. I have served the public faith- fully and honestly, according to the best of my knowledge, and I dare, and do, appeal to it for my justification.
I am, sir,
Your Excellency's Most humble servant,
LEWIS MORRIS.
A. D. 1733, the Hon. Lewis Morris was elected a representa- tive for the county of Westchester, in opposition to the aristocra- tic candidate.a In 1738 he was appointed the first governor of New Jersey, as a separate province from New York. He appears also to have been an active member of the venerable Propagation Society ; for " at a meeting of that body, held in London, 14th of Sept., 1701, a memorial was received from Colonel Morris, in which he speaks of the several townships of East Jersey as dis- tracted by almost every variety of dissent, but with little appear- ance of real religion among them. Middletown was settled from New York and New England. "It is," says Colonel Morris, " a
& See vol. i. 136.
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large township : there is no such thing as a church or religion amongst them. They are, perhaps, the most ignorant people in the world." The colonel describes the settlers of West Jersey as "a hotch poteli of all religions," and the youth as being " very debauched and very ignorant, &c."a
Among the early benefactors to Trinity Church, New York, occurs the name of Lewis Morris, who contributed the timber for its erection. In return for this act of munificence, the vestry of that church granted the family a square pew. The Hon. Lewis Morris died in the spring of 1746, aged 73. " He directed his body to be buried at Morrisania, in a plain coffin, without cov- ering or lining with eloth ; he prohibited rings and scarfs from being given at his funeral ; he wished no man to be paid for preaching a funeral sermon upon him, though if any man, churchman or dissenter, minister or not, was inclined to say any thing on the occasion, he should not object. He prohibited any mourning dress to be worn on his account, as he should die when divine Providence should call him away, and was unwil- ling that his friends should be at the unnecessary expense, which was owing only to the common folly of mankind."b To his eldest son, Lewis Morris, he bequeathed all that part of Morris- ania lying to the eastward of the mill brook, and the remainder westward of the same stream, called Old Morrisania, to his wife Isabella.c
The following items are taken from the journal of his son Lewis Morris. " May 26th, 1746, set out from Trenton with my father's corpse for Amboy ferry; got there that night about nine of the clock. His corpse was attended by numbers of peo- ple and his pall was supported by Messrs. Andrew Johnston, James Hide, Peter Kemble, Thomas Leonard, Philip French, Daniel Cox, Philip Kearney and Charles Read. The corpse was put on board of a large peri-anger which came from Morri- sania for that purpose, and arrived the next morning at Morrisa-
a Hist. Not. Miss. of the Church of England, p. 20.
b Blake's Biographical Dictionary.
c Surrogate's Office N. Y. Lib. xviii. 94. Chancery Records, Albany, for peti- tion of Isaac Willett.
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nia, the wind blowing at night at north-west extraordinary hard, and being cold lay that night at the ferry."
" May 29th. My father was buried at Morrisania in a vault built by directions in his will. The materials and workman- ship came to £10 6 71.ª His bearers were the Chief Justice, Joseph Murray, Robert Walters, James Alexander, William Smith, David Clarkson, Abraham Depeyster and Lewis Johnston. Dr. Standard the minister of the parish of Westchester attended the burial and performed the service of the church."
" May 30. Sent back the chaises to Harlem that we borrowed for the burial. There was one quarter cask of wine expended at the funeral to about two dozen bottles, and about two gallons of rum, a barrel of cider and two barrels of beer," &c. &c.
" Nov. 6th, 1746. Waited on my mother with my wife, and begged her blessing and returned back at dusk."b
By her last will and testament, Isabella Morris, wife of his late Excellency Lewis Morris, directs that "her body be decently interred in the vault at Morrisania, near the remains of her de- ceased husband." This lady was the danghter of James Graham, Attorney General for the province of New York, and a near re- lation of the Marquis of Montrose. The sons of the Hon. Lewis Morris were, Lewis, who inherited the lordship and manor of Morrisania, and Robert who had for his share the Jersey es- tates.
Lewis Morris the eldest son was judge of the high court of admiralty and one of the judges of oyer and terminer, he died in 1762, aged sixty-four years. By his last will, dated Nov. 19th, 1760, he devised "all that part of Morrisania situated west of the Mill brook to his eldest son Lewis Morris." "To his wife the land whereon his house stands west of the Mill brook." "To his brother Robert Hunter Morris he bequeathed the pictures of his father and mother," and "that of myself and wife to my daughter
a In this vault, which lies near the residence of Colonel Lewis Morris, the re- mains of the Morris family have since been interred, with the single exception of Gouverneur Morris, who erected a new vault at Morrisania.
b From the journal of the Hon. Lewis Morris, in possession of Gouverneur M. Wilkins, Esq.
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Isabella."a His son Governeur was to have the best education " that is to be had in England or America," &c.b His three sons by his first wife, Catharine Staats, were Lewis Morris, a brigadier general in the Continental army, also a member of Congress and one of the signers of the Declaration of Indepen- dence. Staats Long Morris, the father of General Staats Long Morris who married Catharine, the celebrated Duchess of Gor- don, and Richard Morris, judge of the high court of admiralty in 1776. By his second wife, Sarah Governeur, Lewis Morris had one son Governenr Morris. The following biograghical sketch of the latter gentleman is from Barber's Historical Collections.
" Governeur Morris was born at Morrisania, Jan. 31, 1752. He graduated at King's College, New York, in 1768. He was bred to the law in which he obtained a great reputation. In 1775, he was a delegate to the provincial congress in New York. In 1776, (Dec.) he acted as one of the committee for drafting a con- stitution for the state of New York, which was reported in March, 1777, and adopted in April of that year, after repeated and very able debates. He was employed in the public service in various capacities during the revolutionary contest, in all of which he displayed great zeal and ability.d After the Revolution he retired from public life and passed a number of years in pri- vate pursuits, excepting being a very active member of the con- vention which framed the constitution of the United States. In 1792, he was appointed minister to France, and remained there in that capacity until October, 1794.e He returned to America in 179S, and in 1800 was chosen a senator from New York. In the summer of 1810, he examined the route for the Erie canal,
a The above-mentioned pictures are in the possession of Lewis Morris, Esq. Fordham.
b Surrogate's office, N. Y. lib. xxiii. 426.
c Brigadier General Morris received orders from Congress to take possession (with his whole brigade) of such part of the Sound and Hudson River as he might think most exposed to the enemy.
d Upon the 8th of July, 1775, he was appointed a member of the Committee of Public Safety for Westchester county.
e He is said to have been the author of the memorable address of Louis XVI. to the French people.
RESIDENCE OF THE LATE HON. GOUVERNEUR MORRIS.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
and took a prominent part in originating and promoting that noble work." " The activity of his mind, the richness of his fancy, and the copiousness of his eloquent conversation, were the admiration of all his acquaintance, and he was universally ad- mitted to be one of the most accomplished and prominent men of our country."a " He died at Morrisania, November 5, 1816, aged 64. His publications were numerous. A selection from his pa- pers, with a sketch of his life, has been published by Jared Sparks, in 3 vols. Svo. 1832."b
He married Anne Carey Randolph, daughter of Thomas Ran- dolph of Roanoake, Virginia, who was descended, in the fifth generation, from the celebrated Pockohantes,e the daughter of Wahunsonacock or Powhattan, Emperor of Attanoughkanonck alias Virginia. His son is the present Gouverneur Morris of Morrisania.
The principal proprietors of the ancient manor, are William H. Morris, who holds one third part of Old Morisania, lying on the west side of the Mill brook, Colonel Lewis Morris, his mother, (who has a life estate,) Governeur Morris, (whose father purchased that portion formerly belonging to Staats Long Morris,) Gerard Morris, Henry Morris, Hannah Morris, Albert J. and Smith Anderson, William H. Legget, Charles Dennison, Philip Dater, B. L. Benson, Captain Davy, Mr. Humphrey, Julia Steb- bins and Jordan L. Mott.
The principal settlement in Morrisania, is a small hamlet bear- ing the same name, bordering the Haarlem river. Here is a neat hotel, a rail road depôt, the rope and cord factory of Mr. John York, an extensive iron foundry belonging to Mr. Jordan L. Mott, and the nursery gardens of Mr. Joseph Lodge.d
The Haarlem bridge communicates with the Westchester shore and New York island. Prior to the erection of the bridge, there
a Barber's Hist. Coll. of N. Y.
b Blake's Biographical Dictionary.
c Literally a run between two hills. This name was given her under the sup- position that the English could not bewitch her with an assumed name.
d Mr. Lodge, who has had a long experience in the nursery gardening busi- ness, is extensively employed in ornamental horticulture.
VOL. II.
40
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HISTORY OF THE
appears to have been a fording place between the two shores ; for, upon the 11th of October, 1666, Governor Nicolls granted " certain saw mills to Thomas Delaval, John Vervelen and Daniel Turner, &c., lying over against Verchers or Hogg island, in the Sound, where a passage hath been made to ford over from this island to the maine."a
Governor Dongan's patent for Haarlem, in 1686, recites the fol- lowing : " and whereas, the town lies very commodious for a ferry to and from the maine, which may redowned to the par- ticular benefit of the inhabitants as well as to general good. The freeholders and inhabitants of said town should, in consideration of the benefits and privileges therein granted, as also for what advantage might accrue thereby, be enjoyned and obliged, at their proper costs and charge, to build and provide one or more boats fit for the transportation of men, horse or cattle, for which, a certain allowance was to be given by each particular person," &c.b
In the vicinity of Harlem bridge is situated, the well known coun- try residence of the late Hon. Governeur Morris, which is highly spoken of by travellers, and other persons of taste. Its location is very fine, just on the south-west angle of the township of West Farms, nearly opposite to the beautiful scenery of Hurl- gate, and eight miles from New York. It commands extensive views of the surrounding country and the adjacent waters. " Here he passed the latter years of his life exercising an elegant and mu- nificent hospitality, reviewing the studies of his early days, and carrying on a very interesting correspondence with statesmen and literati in Europe and America."c Among his principal guests were Louis Philipe Le Duc d'Orleans, (the present king of the French) aud John Victor Moreau, one of the most celebra- ted of modern French generals. Of the old mansion, which was constructed in the French chateau style, nothing remains but the central portion, and this has been greatly modernized by the pre-
a Harlem conveyances
b Harlem conveyances, p. 7.
c Barber's Hist. Coll. of N. Y.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
sent proprietor. The interior, however, retains much of its former consistence. The library possesses a very choice collec- tion of books. It is chiefly remarkable for the valuable manu- scripts belonging to it, which are so extensively connected with the history of its former owner. There are here, likewise, seve- ral choice pieces of French furniture, some gobelin tapestry, and a good portrait of the late Hon. Governeur Morris, also a fine marble bust of Mrs. Morris.
The grounds are enriched with many rare ornamental trees and shrubs, among the former deserve to be mentioned, two or three specimens of the deciduous American cypress, (cupressus disticha) said by Gordon to be the finest of the kind in the Uni- ted States. Of the latter, there are hedges of the gliditsia trican - thus, and the gliditsia horrida. The orchards consist principally of the bell flower, styre and pearmain apple trees.
St. Ann's Church, Morrisania.
At a short distance from the house, stands the parish church of St. Ann's, a pleasing gothic structure of marble. This edifice " was erected by the present Governeur Morris, Esq., in a field on his own estate, which had for some time been hallowed, as con- taining the sepulchre of his parents. In a vault constructed to receive his remains, as appears by a tablet in the chancel, the relics of the Hon. Governeur Morris," were laid by his faithful widow. In the year of our Lord 1837, she joined him with the
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HISTORY OF THE
dead ; and, over her remains has arisen this beautiful sanctuary, which, in remembrance of her, and with respectful regard to two other valued relations of the name, was called St. Ann's, from " St. Anna of the Gospel, and consecrated by that name on the 28th of June, 1811,"a by the Right Rev. Benjamin T. On- derdonk, D. D., bishop of New York. The corner stone had been laid with appropriate ceremonies in the preceding Octo- ber. Its incorporation took place on the 20th of July, 1841 ; Robert Morris and Lewis Morris, churchwardens, Jacob Buck- hout, Daniel Devoe, Benjamin Rogers, Benjamin M. Brown, Edward Legget, Lewis G. Morris and Henry W. Morris, vestry- men."b
The interior of the church contains a well arranged chancel and the tablet before mentioned, inscribed as follows :
Conjugal affection consecrated this spot where THE BEST OF MEN was laid until a vault could be erected to receive his precious remains.
A beautiful purple altar cloth adorned with the sacred mono- gram, surmounted with the glory, together with a silver com- munion service, consisting of a flagon, two chalices and paten, have been recently presented to the church by the ladies of the congregation. There is also an additional paten which bears the following inscription, " Stæ. Annæ Altari Voverunt Tres, J. H. C. Fest Pentecost, 1842." The bell is inscribed, " Presented to St. Ann's church by Governeur Morris, J. P. Allaire, New York, 1841."
It appears, that prior to the Revolution, Morrisania formed one
a Church Register.
b The church with its adjoining grounds, were munificently conveyed to the ves- try, as a donation, by its founder, Governeur Morris, Esq., in a deed securing the holy and beautiful house, which God had moved him to erect to the service of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, &c. &c." See Church Register.
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COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
of the precincts of Westchester parish, for, in 1707, she paid for the church and poor, £3 10. In 1720, her quota was £4 10. To St. Ann's church are attached a parsonage and burying ground.
LIST OF RECTORS.
Instit. or call,
1841,
1842,
1843,
1st Sep., 1847,
Incumbents, Vacated by resig.
Rev. Arthur C. Cox, Presb.
Rev. Charles Jones, Presb.
Rev. Charles Aldis, Presb. 66
Rev. Abraham Beach Carter, present in- cumbent.
Notitia Parochialis.
1847, Communicants, 60. Baptisms, 17.
At the commencement of the revolutionary struggle, General Heath's division of the American army was stationed at Morri- sania. From his memoirs we gather the following particulars. A picket from our general's division, of four hundred and fifty men, constantly mounted, by relief, at Morrisania, from which a chain of sentinels, within half gun-shot of each other, were planted, from the one side of the shore to the other, and near the water passage, between Morrisania and Montresor's island, which in some places is very narrow. The sentinels on the American side were ordered not to presume to fire at those of the British, unless the latter began ; but the British were so fond of beginning, that there was frequently a firing between them. This having been the case one day, and a British officer walking along the bank, on the Montresor's side, an American sentinel, who had been exchanging some shots with a British sentinel, seeing the officer, and concluding him to be better game, gave him a shot, and wounded him. He was carried up to the house on the island. An officer with a flag soon came down to the creek and called for the American officer of the picket, and informed him that if the American sentinels fired any more, the commanding officer of the island would cannonade Col. Morris's house, in which the officers of the picket quartered. The American officer immediately sent up to our general, to know what answer should
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