History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 81

Author: W.W. Munsell & Co., pub; Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather); Cooper, James B. (James Brown), 1825-; Pelletreau, William S. (William Smith), 1840-1918; Street, Charles R. (Charles Rufus), 1825-1894; Smith, John Lawrence, 1816-1889
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 677

USA > New York > Suffolk County > History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683 > Part 81

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

William married Sarah Case, and left sons James (who was a deputy to the first Provincial Congress, 1775), Walter, Samuel, Peter and William, and daughters Desire, and Phœbe.

James married Elizabeth Bowdich, and had sons Henry P., Francis, Gordon, and Sidney, and daughters Elizabeth (who married Jonathan Thompson), Julia (who married David Gardiner), Frances, Sarah and Lucretia.

Henry P. married Hannah Corlies and left sons Asher C. and Henry P., and daughters Elizabeth, Margaret and Rachel.

Henry P., father of A. C. Havens, removed from Shelter Island to New York city in 1810, and in 1812 married there.

Asher C. and his sister Margaret, widow of Theodore Crane, are the only survivors of their father's family. He has a residence in the city, but, as already mentioned, retains some 85 acres of the old place on the island as a country residence for the summer. Of the original buildings which were located on the property not even the ruins remain; but the residence now standing, a view of which is shown with this article, is a venerable structure, and its owner carefully preserves it as a me- mento of the generations which have passed away.

* Under this head only the sketches of the Dering, Havens and Syl- vester families were written by Mr. Pelletreau.

BENJAMIN C. CARTWRIGHT.

This gentleman is a descendant and representative of one of the many New England families who during the last decade of the eighteenth century brought to the eastern portion of Long Island so much of the customs, the civilization and the brawn and brain of the sons of the Puritans.

It was probably in 1797 that George Cartwright re- moved from his birthplace in Rhode Island to what has since been the family homestead on Shelter Island. His wife was Lucretia, daughter of Benjamin Conklin, and in christening their first born son the name of her father was preserved in the name of the subject of this sketch.

He was born May 23d 1815, although from his move- ments as well as from his personal appearance, as shown by his portrait at the head of this page, he would be ta- ken as a much younger man. His educational opportu- nities were very limited, and with what could be acquired in 27 months he at the age of 14 years began that active life which coasting sailors are obliged to lead.

At the age of 19 he became dissatisfied with the limited opportunities afforded for gratifying his love of adven- ture on the coast trips from Sag Harbor to New York, and that season the lad, who was not destined to remain a deck hand long, shipped on board a whaler bound for the south Atlantic.

He soon became useful in keeping some records and | lation.

finally the journal, and on the second voyage he learned to "work the log," and gradually mastered the elements of navigation. Seven voyages were made by him in the whaling interest, the last as captain, and from this last voyage he not only gained a fair pecuniary reward but the title by which he has since become generally known.

Politically Captain Cartwright is a Republican, and rep- resents the Whig principles of his ancestors with the modifications which recent events have forced into the political problems that the present has to solve. While successful in his individual affairs, Captain Cartwright has always been esteemed as a valuable citizen, and a faith- ful servant of the people in many official stations. Several of the minor offices of the town have been held by him, beginning almost with the year that he became a voter.

In 1848 Captain Cartwright was elected supervisor of the town of Shelter Island, and re-elected in the follow- ing year. In 1872 he was he was again elected, as a. representative of the town's interests in some fishery question which the board of supervisors was to pass upon. For 1880, 1881 and 1882 he was elected without opposition.

In the board Captain Cartwright has served on various committees, and to-day there are few men in that body with more experience than he in the cause of local legis-

THE TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND.

In his domestic relations the captain is very pleasantly pleasantly situated. His wife, formerly Hannah M. Tut- | his will, which is an elaborate document, and the only hill, belongs to one of the old families of Southold. wtitten memorial he has left behind." Their home is pleasantly situated on the shore of this The death of Brinley Sylvester, in 1752, closed the male line, and his daughter Mary, who married Thomas Dering, was the last of the Sylvesters on the island. But though the name is extinct the blood still flows in the veins of descendants who we trust will long remain. beautiful island. Here Captain Cartwright's father died when he was scarcely of age, and here his mother spent her last days; living to the age of 85, she followed her husband in 1879.

The captain's family, of whom five sons and four daughters are living, are members of the Presbyterian church or congregation. His mother was a lifelong Presbyterian, and he has been an officer in that church for thirty years and more. His children are Oscar, Abbie, now Mrs. Captain C. M. Griffin; Benjamin C. jr., formerly of the firm of Havens & Cartwright; Sarah, Mrs. Benjamin Hudson; Arthur S., in mercantile business at Shelter Island; Hannah M., now Mrs. G. W. Rogers; Mary W., now Mrs. E. H. Payne; W. S., a sea- man, and Clarence C., yet at home with the captain.

In the financial affairs of life Captain Cartwright has been more than ordinarily successful. During the last twenty years or more he has been interested in the men- haden fishery and has been among the foremost of those who have developed this vast industry. His company (five partners) now own two steamers, six sloops and an extensive factory. Their investment of capital is about $40,000. The supervision of the business is intrusted to Mr. Cartwright.

THE SYLVESTER FAMILY.

This family, so closely connected with the history of this island, is descended from the celebrated poet Joshua Sylvester, of London, who died in 1617. His son Nathan- iel, the first settler here, married Griselda, daughter of Thomas Brinley, of Datchett, England, who was receiver of revenues under Charles I. and Charles II. The fol- lowing is a copy of the inscription on a tombstone in the middle aisle of the church at Datchett, near Windsor:

" Thomas Brinley, Esq., Auditor General of the Revenues of King Charles I. and II. Born in the city of Exon, married Anne Wade of Pettsworth in Sussex, by whom he had five sons and seven daughters. He was born 1591, died 1661. One of his daughters married Nathaniel Sylvester, Esq. Francis, one of his sons, accepted a grant of land for his father's services and went to Newport, R. I."

Nathaniel Sylvester probably came to this country about 1640. His purchase of the island has been men- tioned elsewhere. In the words of the late Alden J. Spooner: "He was a man of great enterprise and in- trepidity, and received and protected on Shelter Island a number of families of fugitives from the persecutions of the colony of Massachusetts in early times, some of whom died on the island. His regard for the education of his children, for justice and religion, as well as for

kindness and benevolence, is abundantly manifested in

Certain depositions in relation to a controversy in which Captain Nathaniel Sylvester was a party are so characteristic of the times that we here transcribe them:

" I, Edward Preston, being at Shelter Island, amongst sume discourse between Capt. George Deakins and Capt. Nath. Silvester, concerning Mr. Constant Silvester, Capt. Nathaniel Silvester said that hee was out of his reach; and Capt. Deakins replyed, 'I see you say that you are out of all law and power of the Lord Protector and all others.' Capt. Silvester replyed that he was soe. Capt. Deakins said that hee might in tyme know he was not. "EDWARD PRESTON.

" Deposed the 3d day of ffebruary 1657 before us " WILL. WELLS " JOHN BUDD."

" Whereas I am accused to say that all the ministers in New England were worse than witches, I owne I said soe, for wch I am heartily sorrowfull, and owne to bee very inconsiderately spoken, and to my folly and wicked- ness in it, and hope the Lord shall guide my wayes and words, to be more circumspect and like to himselfe. Then, the parties that heard them finding themselves grieved, I told them that I did meane noe other than those that were formall and not spirituall, wch was my meaning though not expressed till exception was made; wherefore I say, as I sayed, it is very evill in me or in any man else to say any such thing, for we ought not to speak evill of any man.

" GILES SILVESTER." ! " 28th of the 11 | m 1657.

"I being at Shelter Island, and in discourse with Capt. Nathaniel Silvester about my propositions, offered him if he pleased to goe to Southold, where somethinge might bee done as a meane to yssue the difference between us, to wch hee answered hee scorned to goe to Southold. I replyed I knew not what hee scorned, but in case his brother Constant had knowne hee would have been noe forwarder in the dispatch of the shippe, And that hee would have made his owne wille a lawe. I did conceave hee would not take it soe kindly as hee thought hee would, to wch he answered hee was out of his reach. I said, 'I see you say you are out of the reach of all power, both of Old and New England, and namely the Lord Protector's power;' to which hee replyed hee was soe; to wch I answered there mought come a tyme hee mought know he was not.

".GEORGE DAKINGS.

" Deposed the 12th of ffebrur. 1657 before me

"WM. WELLS."

I 2

THE TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND.

THE DERING FAMILY.

This family is descended from Henry Dering, who was born in Dorsetshire, England, in 1639 and came to this country previous to 1660. His first wife was Ann Benning, whom he married in 1664. His second wife was Elizabeth Atkinson, and by those two marriages he had ten children. He was a merchant of Boston, and member of the governor's council at the time of his death, 1717. One of his sons, Henry, was born October 6th 1684, and married Elizabeth Packer in 1709.

Thomas Dering the first of the name on this island was a son of Henry. He was born May 16th 1720, and married Mary, daughter of Brinley Sylvester. He then removed to this town, and the remainder of his life was passed on the estate which had descended from the Syl- vesters. He was noted for his hospitality, and clergymen of all denominations found a welcome to his home; among them was Whitefield, whose visit here was an era in the history of the island. He was an ardent support- er of the Revolution, and a member of the fourth Pro- vincial Congress. He with other prominent Whigs after the battle of Brooklyn thought it prudent to retire to Connecticut, and he resided at Middletown until the close of the war. He died in 1785, leaving three chil- dren, Sylvester, Henry Packer, and Elizabeth.

Sylvester was born November 27th 1758, and in 1787 married Esther, daughter of Nicoll Havens. His home was the house built by Brinley Sylvester in 1735, which was remarkable for the beauty of its situation. He was afterward appointed brigadier in the militia, and was widely known during the remainder of his life as " Gen- eral Dering." One of the greatest benefits which he con- ferred upon the county was the introduction of Merino sheep, and he derived much profit from the increase of his flock. He died from a fall from his horse, and his monument on the island bears the following inscription:

"Sacred to the memory of General Sylvester Dering, who departed this life October 8th 1820, aged 61. He united a sound and active mind with ardent and exem- plary piety. He lived not for himself, but for the com- munity around him. He was a kind counsellor and faithful friend. The prevailing disposition of his heart was sympathy for the distressed, and corresponding ef- forts for their relief. For a long course of years he held various offices in Church and State, and died lamented and beloved."

He was supervisor of the town for many years, and a member of Assembly in 1804. He left five children- Charles T., who was a merchant of Sag Harbor; Nicoll H., a physician in New York; Henry S., a physician at Setauket; Margaret and Sarah.

During the whole period of his business life Henry P. Dering was one of the most prominent citizens of Sag Harbor. His dwelling place there was the northwest corner of Church and Union streets, the house that was afterward owned by Josiah Douglass.

THE NICOLL FAMILY.

References to this distinguished family will be found in the history of Islip, in which town it possessed large estates, and on page 3 of the foregoing history of Shelter Island. A more extended notice appears in Thompson's History of Long Island.

To William Nicoll, second son of the patentee of Islip, was devised a part of Shelter Island, including Sachem's Neck and lands adjoining; and to his third son, Van Rensselaer, all the land and personal estate near Albany which belonged to his mother.

Benjamin Nicoll, son of Benjamin and grandson of the patentee, was born March 17th 1718. He settled in New York, and bid fair to stand at the head of his pro- fession, the law, when he was cut off by death in 1766, at the age of 42. He was one of the founders not only of the present city library but of Kings (Columbia) Col- lege also. He left issue Henry, Edward, Samuel and Matthias.

Of these Henry married Elizabeth, daughter of Gen- eral Nathaniel Woodhull, by whom he had issue: Ed- ward Holland Nicoll, who married Mary, daughter of Solomon Townsend; Eliza Woodhull Nicoll, who mar- ried Richard Smith of Smithtown; and Henry Woodhull Nicoll, who married Mary, daughter of John Ireland. Edward Nicoll, second son of Benjamin, died a bachelor.

Samuel Nicoll, the third son of Benjamin 2nd, was a physician of talents, and practiced with much reputation in New York. He was professor of chemistry at Colum- bia College in 1792. He left two sons and one daughter.

Matthias Nicoll, youngest son of Benjamin 2nd, be- came an eminent merchant and shipowner at Stratford, Conn., where he died in 1827, leaving several daughters and two sons, Samuel and Francis H. Nicoll of New York. The latter removed to Connecticut; was a can- didate for governor of that State in 1841, and died un- married at the age of 57, September 24th 1842.

Samuel Benjamin Nicoll, youngest son of Lawyer or Clerk Nicoll (see page 4 of the history of Islip), was born September 4th 1764 and married Anne, daughter of Colonel Richard Floyd. In 1787 he removed to the estate on Shelter Island, where he spent the remainder of his days as an enterprising farmer. He died Septem- ber 19th 1828, leaving issue Richard Floyd, William, Elizabeth Floyd, Anna Willett, Samuel Benjamin, Thomas Elbert Ellison, Maria Cortland, John Cortland, Glorianna Margaretta, and Arabella Jones Floyd.

Henry Packer Dering, younger brother of the general, was for many years collector of the port of Sag Harbor, having been appointed by President Washington. Prob- ably few of the citizens of Sag Harbor ever enjoyed to the same extent the confidence of the community, and The eldest married Margaret Dering. William, born December 6th 1787, died while a lieutenant of marines March 22nd 1822. his whole career was marked with the strictest integrity and honor. He married Anna, daughter of Dr. Thomas on board the frigate "Congress " at Rio de Janerio, Fosdick, in 1794. He died in 1822, at the age of 59.

S. B. Nicole

HON. S. B. NICOLL.

Samuel Benjamin Nicoll, the third son of Samuel B. Nicoll and Anne Floyd, was born on Shelter Island, on the 25th day of March 1794, in the old family mansion at Sachem's Neck. His collegiate course was commenced at Yale, and ended at Union College, at Schenectady.

adopt the legal profession, and entered the office, of Chief Justice Samuel Jones in the city of New York. After being admitted to the bar he settled at Riverhead, and practiced his profession there successfully for several years. July Ist 1824 he married Sarah Brown, only daughter of Dr. Benjamin Payne of Flushing, Long Island, and subsequently resided at that place for some years. In April 1832 he returned to Shelter Island and settled upon the old family estate, which he afterward bought and where he resided nearly all the remainder of his life.

of the time being the chairman of the board of supervisors of the county.

He died January 22nd 1865, in the same house in which he was born, and was buried in the family ceme- tery at Sachem's Neck. He left seven children: three sons-Samuel B., William C., and Matthias; and four daughters-Charlotte A., Sarah P., Glorianna M., and

After leaving the last named college he decided to Anne, all still living. His widow died on the 8th day of October 1876.

Mr. Nicoll was recognized as a leading political power in his county, but with the single exception above alluded to uniformly declined all the nominations which were repeatedly offered him; he continued for many years to dictate the Congressional nominations of the district in his political party, and all. aspirants for Congress made pilgrimages to Sachem's Neck as the Mecca of Suffolk county politicians. Still his apportioning of the nomina- tions was generally so fair and equitable that his cotem- poraries freely conceded them to him, and abided by his decisions; this complacency on their part was. greatly due to the high position he held in their esteem, for his strict integrity and uprightness of character. Mr. Nicoll counted among his political friends such men as Martin and John Van Buren, Silas Wright and their cotemporaries. He was from first to last a faithful, patri-

He was a member of the State Legislature in 1843 for Suffolk county, and was one of the members of a com- mission appointed by that Legislature to revise the code of procedure. Suffolk county at that time had two members of the Assembly, instead of one as under the present unequal allotment .. "Mr. Nicoll was supervisor of his town for nearly 40 years, during the greater part [ otic member of the old Democratic party, and one who

THE TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND.

never swerved or faltered. When the late war broke years at Bacon Academy, at Colchester, Conn., and a out he realized the situation and was one of the first to year at Lyme, Conn. With these opportunities well used the foundation was laid for a thorough education. He finished his ante-collegiate course under the tutorage of Professor Chase of Middletown, Conn., and in 1844 entered the University of the City of New York. At the completion of a four-years course here he graduated with honors and received the degree of A.B. Three arrange for the quota of men required for the army from his district in the county. In this as in all other critical situations in public affairs in his career he was governed by a firm, unflinching patriotism. His character for strict integrity and absolute truthfulness was so prover- bial that all who have seen the inscription upon his tomb admit it well earned, and that his whole life suggested years later this university conferred upon him the degree as his appropriate epitaph-

"An honest man's the noblest work of God."

The record of this family is brought down in Thomp- son's History of Long Island to about 1846, and gives the children of Samuel Benjamin Nicoll and Anne Floyd, none of whom are now living except G. M. Nicoll.

Of the children of S. B. Nicoll, subject of the forego- ing biographical sketch, Samuel B. married Hannah M., daughter of Wm. Rysam Mulford, of Sag Harbor; Char- lotte A. married Solomon T. Nicoll, son of Edward H. Nicoll, of New York; Sarah P. married Charles H. Crane, surgeon general U. S. A .; William C. married Eliza Clark, and Matthias married Alice Mary, daugh- ters of the late Alfred Large of Brooklyn, N. Y .; Glo- rianna M. married Robert, son of Samuel Willets of New York; Anne Nicoll is unmarried. All of these are now living: Samuel B. upon the old homestead at Sachem's Neck, Charlotte at Bayside, L. I., Sarah P. at Washing- ton, D. C., William, Matthias and Anne Nicoll in New York city, and Glorianna M. at Bayside, L. I.

SAMUEL BENJAMIN NICOLL, M.D.

The family whose ancestry is traced in the preceding article, and whose name is so frequently found on the pages of the history of our State, has long been closely identified with the proprietary interests of Shelter Island. The present generation of this family-the children of the late Samuel B. Nicoll-as the reader of the foregoing article is aware, are widely scattered, and the estate on the island has come into the possession of the oldest son, Samuel B., the gentleman whose portrait appears on the opposite page.

He was born at Flushing, the home of his mother, on the 31st of May 1825. His parents remained at Flush- ing until April 1832, when they removed to the family estate on the island. From the age of eleven young Samuel was at school at Flushing, under the care of the. Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg, for two years. Subsequently he was three years at school in Greenwich, Conn .; two

of A.M. In the meantime he was pursuing a thorough professional course in the College of Physicians of the City of New York, where he graduated with the degree of M.D. in March 1852. To his acquirements thus far attained he added a course of study at law, and in 1858 was admitted to the bar of the city and county of New York. Preferring medicine to law he practiced in the city for some time, and then removed to Greenport, where he continued his professional work until 1863, when he removed to Sag Harbor.

Within two years the death of his father, January 22nd 1865, threw the charge of the family estate upon him, and, relinquishing his professional duties, he re- moved to Shelter Island, where he still resides. On the 6th of November following he was married to Hannah M., daughter of Rysam Mulford, a prominent shipowner of Sag Harbor.

In the spring of 1866 the doctor was elected super- visor of the town of Shelter Island, and with the ex- ception of one year he held the office for the fourteen succeeding terms. In the board of supervisors he was placed upon important committees and was once elected chairman of the board.

Mrs. Nicoll died April 25th 1876, and the doctor was married June 15th 188r to Mrs. Maggie A. Delany, widow of the late U. S. surgeon Delany of Philadelphia, and daughter of David Duncan of New York, a former resident of Pottsville, Pa.

Their residence is an elegant structure situated on Sachem's Neck, commanding a fine view of the bay and overlooking a portion of the farm, which consists of more than one-fourth of the whole town.

Dr. Nicoll was instrumental, in 1873, with the co-opera- tion of his brother and sisters, in erecting an Episcopal church on the island, and on its completion it was pre- sented to the diocese of Long Island. The doctor has always been an officer in this church. .

Personally he is a man highly esteemed by his fellow townsmen, and few men are better known or more favor- ably regarded by the best citizens of the county.

.B. Nicole M2.

SMITHTOWN .*

BY J. LAWRENCE SMITH.

HE town of Smithtown is on the north side of Long Island, bounded north by Connecticut (the State line running through the sound), east by the town of Brookhaven, south by the town of Islip, and west by the town of Huntington. The latest census shows population as follows: Number of persons, 2,379; families, 468; inhabited houses, 454; persons to a family, 5.08; persons to an inhabited house, 5.24.

At the time of the settlement by the whites in 1650 it was inhabited by a tribe of Indians called the Nesa- quake, or, as it is now spelled, the Nissequogne tribe, who dwelt on both sides of the Nissequogue River, from its mouth to its head in the southern part of Hauppauge; as far east as Stony Brook and as far west as Fresh Pond and Comac. The tribe and the river derived their name from Nesaquake, an Indian sagamore, the father of Nas- seconset, the latter being the sagamore at the time of the conveyances to the whites hereafter referred to.

The first conveyance of these lands found on record was made by Nasseconset in 1650. In that year he and his councilors made the following

FIRST INDIAN DEED.

" Articles of agreement between Nasseconseke, Sachem of Nesequake, of the one part, and Edmond Wood, Jonas Wood, Jeremy Wood, Timothy Wood, and Daniel Whitehead of the other, and Stephen Hudson.

" This writing witnesseth That I Nasseconsack, Sachem of Long Island, do sell and make over to the aforesaid partyes, Edmond Wood, Jonas Wood, Jeremy Wood, Timothy Wood, Stephen Hudson and Daniel Whitehead, a certaine quantity of land, beginning at a River called and commonly knowne by the name of Nesaquake River, and from that River Eastward to a River called Meman- usack, lying on the North side of Long Island, and on the South side from Conecticott foure Necks westward; promising, and by vertue of this writing do promise, that the aforesaid partyes shall quietly possess and enjoy the said quantityes of Land without any trouble or disturb- ance from any other Indyans whatsoever. In considera- tion of which land, we the aforesaid Partyes do promise to pay unto the aforesaid Naseconsake, Six Coatts, Six ffathom of Wampome, Six Howes, Six Hatchetts, Six knives, Six kettles, one hundred Muxes, to be paid on or before the 29th of September 1650,"

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.