History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 176

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I > Part 176

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703

PELHAM.

it had been " revealed to her" that she would come to New England to be persecuted, but that God would ruin the colony for her sake. She narrowly escaped procuring the verification of her own prediction." 1

For a woman so constituted the change must have been great from the heated discussions at Boston to the unsettled wilderness around Pelham Bay. That name was not known, it is true, for many years after- wards. But the names " Annies Hoeck and Hutchin- sons River" still bear testimony to the presence and fate of this remarkable woman. It seems a strange providence that, after her troubled and stormy career, she should not have been permitted to pass the evening of her days in peace, where no controversies, theological or otherwise, and no religious opinions, orthodox or heterodox, Calvinistic or Arminian would ever have disturbed the profound repose of the inhabi- tants, even could her life have been prolonged to the present day and hour.2

In the year 1654, Thomas Pell bought of the In- dians (so he stated in his testimony before a Court of Assize, held in New York, September 29, 1665), the title to the lands afterwards known as Pelham, Westchester and New Rochelle. This whole tract of land was originally included in the grant made by the Indians to the Dutch West India Company in the year 1640.3 What Pell paid to the Indians for it does not clearly appear. Probably not so much as the Dutch had paid them twenty-eight years before for the whole of Manhattan Island-twenty-four dollars in beads and trinkets. " A valuable consideration " are Mr. Pell's own words, but as no specification is given, this phrase has little meaning.

In the year 1666 Pell's title was confirmed by royal patent, issued by Richard Nicholls, as follows :

" RICHARD NICHOLLS, EsQ. :

"Governor under His Royal llighness the Duke of York, of all his

1 Bryant's " Ilist. of U. S."

" The following appeared in the New York Daily Tribune of April 23, 1886 : RECALLING A MASSACRE OF INDIANS.

" The skeletons which are being nnear thed at Communipaw Avenne and Halliday Street, Jersey City, are now believed to be those of Indians. Twenty-eight had been excavated last evening. It was supposed at first that the place was the site of an ancient and forgotten burying-ground, but some historical facts were discovered yesterday which throw light on the subject. On the night of February 25, 1643, Governor Kieft, of New- Amsterdam, sent a company of Dutch soldiers across the river to wbat was then known as ' Jahn do Dacher's Hoeck,' with orders to extermin- ate a village of Indians encamped there. The soldiers, so the story goes, surprised the Indians and massacred nearly every person in the village. A few escaped und made their way back into the country, toward the present site of Newark. Trenches were dug and the bodies thrown into them indiscriminately. The scene of the butchery is now known as La- fayette, and, after nearly two and a half centuries, one of the trenches lins been opened. Crowds gathered around the place yesterday while the excavating was going ou and looked at the skulls and bones. The num- ber of bodies can only be determined by means of theskulls, as the bones are all mixed together, and many of them crumble at the touch into fine dust. The best preserved portions of bodies are the teeth."

The discovery of these bones at this time is certainly n marked coin- cidence. There can be little doubt that the conjecture as to their being the remains of the Indians slain near this spot in the attack made upon them by Kieft is the trne one.

"See Bolton's " Ilist. Westchester County," article New Rochelle.

Territories in America. To all to whom these presents shall come, send- eth greeting: Whereus, there is un certain Tract of Land within this Gov- ernment upon the Main Situate, lying and being to the Eastward of West Chester bounds, bounded to the Westward with the river, called by the Indians 'Aqnoanonneke,' commonly known by the English by the name of Hutchinson's river, which runnith into the Bay lying between Throgmorton's Neck and Ann Hook's Neck, commonly called IIntchin- son's Bay, bounded on the east by a brook called Cedar Tree Brook, or Gravelly Brook, on the South by the Sound which lieth between Long Island and the main land, with all the islands in the Sound not already granted or otherwise disputed of, lying before that tract of land so bounded, as is before expressed, and northward to run into the woods about eight English miles in breadth, as the bounds to the Sound, which said tract of land hath heretofore been purchased of the Indian proprie- tors, and ample satisfaction given for the sante.

" Now Know l'e, That by virtue of the Commission and authority unto me given by 1his Royal Highness, James, Duke of York, &c., npon whom by lawful grant und patent from Ilis Majesty, the proprietary and gov- ernment of that part of the main land, as well as of Long Island and all the islands adjacent, among other things is Settled, I have thought pro- per to give, grant, confirm and ratify, and, by these presents do give, grant, confirm & ratify unto Thomas l'ell, of Onckway, alias Fairfield, His Majesty's Colony of Connectient, gentleman, his heirs and assigns, all the said tract of land bounded as aforesaid, together with all the lands islands, seabays, woods, mead ,we, pastures, marches, lakes, waters, creeks, fishing, hawking, hunting and fowling, and all other profits, commodities, emoluments and hereditaments to the said tract of land and islands belonging with them, and every of their appurtenances, and of every part and parcel thereof; und that the said tract of land and prem- ises shall be forever after held, reputed, taken and be an enfranchised township, manor and place itself ; and shall always, from time to time, and at all times hereafter have, hold and enjoy liko and equal privileges and immunities with any town, enfranchised place or manor within this government, and shall in no manner of way be subordinate or belonging unto, have any dependance upon, or in any wise be under the rules, or- ders or directions of any riding, township or township place, or jurisdic- tion, either upon the Main or upon Long Island, but shall in all cases, things and matters, be deemed, reputed, taken and held as an absolute, entire, enfranchised township, manor and place of itself in tho goveru- ment, and shall be ruled, ordered and directed in all matters as to gov- ernment accordingly, by the Governor and his Conncil and the general Conrts of Assizes; only always provided that the inhabit- ants of the said tract of land granted, as aforosaid shall be obliged to send forward to the next towns, all public packets and letters or hne and cries coming to this place or going from it to any other of Ilis Majesty's Colonies ; to have and to hold the said tract of land and grant, with all and singular the appartenances, premises, to- gether with the privileges, inimmunities, franchises & advantages herein given and granted unto the said Thomas Pell, his heirs and assigns, to the proper use and behoof of the said Thomas l'ell for ever, firmly, freely & clearly, in as large and ample manner and form, and with such full and absolute immunities and privileges as before is expressed, as if he had held the same immediately from his Majesty the King of Eng- land, &c., &c., &c., his snecessors as of the Manor of East Greenwich, in the County of Kent, in free and common soccage, and by fealty, only yielding, rendering & paying yearly & every year unto Ilis Royal Iligliness, the duty forever and his heirs, or to such Governor as sball, from time to time, be by him constituted and appointed, as an acknowl- edgment, one lamb, on the first day of May (if the lamb shall be de- manded.)

"Given under my hand and Seal at Fort. James, in New York, on the Island of Manhattan, the Sixth day of October, in the 18th year of the reign of our sovoreign lord Charles the Second, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland & Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c., &c., &c. and in the year of our Lord God, 1666.

" RICHARD NICHOLLS."

The above grant to Thomas Pell was confirmed to his successor and heir, John Pell, on the 20th day of October, 1687, by the then Governor of New York, Thomas Dongan, as follows :

" Thomas Dongan, Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over the province of New Yorke, and the territories depending thereon, in America, under the Most Sacred Majesty, James the Second, by the grace of God, Kinge of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faitl. &c.,-to all to whom these presents shall come, sendeth greeting :

704

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

Whereas, Richard Nicholls, Esqr., late governor of this province, by his certaine deed in writing, under his hand and seal, bearing date the sixth day of October, in the eighteenth year of the reigne of our late sovereigne lord, Charles the Second, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King & defender of the faith, &c., and in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty and six, did give, grant, confirm and rattefye, by virtue of the commission and authoritye unto him given by his (then) royal highness, James, Duke of York, &c., (his now Majesty) npon whome by lawful grant and pattent from his (then) Majesty, the propriety and government of that part of the maine land, as well as Long Island, and all the Islands adjacent. Amongst other things was settled unto Thomas Pell, of Onkway, alias Fairfield, in his Majes- ty's Colouy of Connecticut, gentleman, all that certaine tract of land upon the muaine land lying and being to the Eastward of Westchester bounds, bounded to westward with a river called, by the Indians, ' Aqua- conounek,' commonly known to the English by the name of Hutehin- son's River, which runneth into the bay lying between Throgmorton's Neck and Anne Hooke's Neck, commonly called Hutchinson's Bay, bonnded on the east by a brooke ealled Cedar Tree Brooke, or Gravelly Brooke; on the South by the Sound, which lyeth between Long Island and the maine land, with all the islands on the Sound not before that time granted or disspossed of, lying before that tract of land So bounded as is before expresst, and northward to runne into the woods about eight English miles, the breadth to be the same, as it is along by the Sound, together with all the lands, islands, soyles, woods, meadows, pastures, mar- shes, lakes, creeks, waters, fishing, hawking, hunting and rowling, and all other proffitts commodityes, heridetaments to the Said tract of land and islands belonging, with their and every of their appartenances, and every part and pareel thereof ; and that the said tract of land and pre- mises should be forever thereafter held, deemed, reputed, taken and be an entire infranchised towneshipp, manner and place of itself, and should always, from time to time, and at all times thereafter, have, hold and enjoy like and equall priviledges and immunities with any towne, in- franchised place or manner within this government, &c., shall in no manner or way be subordinate or belonging unto, have any dependance upon or in anywise, bounds or the rules under the direction of any rid- ing, or towne, or towneshipps, place or jurisdiction, either upon the maine or upon Longe Island, but should in all cases, things and matters be deemed, reputed, taken and held as an absolute, intire, infranchised towneshipp, manner and place of itselfe in this government, and should be ruled, ordered and directed in all matters as to government, accord- ingly, by the governour and Councell and General Court of Assizes, only provided, always, that the inhabitants in said traet of land, granted as aforesaid, should be obliged to send fforwards to the next townes all pub- lick packquetts and letters, or hew and cryes coming to New York or going from thence toany other of his Majestie's Collonys ; to have and to hold the said tract of land and islands, with all and singular the ap- purtenanees and premises, together with the priviledges, immunities, franchises and advantages therein given and granted unto the said Thomas Pell, to the proper use and behoofe of the said Thomas Pell, his heires and assignes forever, ffuly, ffreely, elearely, in as large and ample manner and forme, and with such full and absolute immunities and priviledges as before is expresst, as if he had hield the same immediately ffrom his Majesty the Kinge of England, &e., and his suckcessors, as of the manner of East Greenwich, in the County of Kent, in free and con- mon soekage and by fealty, only yealdeing, rendering and payeing yearely and every yeare unto his then royall highness the Duke of Yorke, and his heires, or tosuch governour or governours as from time to time should by lin be constituted and appoynted, as an aeknowledge- ment, one lambe on the first day of May, if the same shall be demanded as by the said deede in writeing, and the entry thereof in the bookes of records in the secretarie's office for the province aforesaid, may more fully and at large appeare.

"And whereas, John Pell, gentleman, nephew of the said Thomas Pell, to whom the lands, islands and premises, with appurtenanees, now by the last will and testament of liini, the said Thomas Pell given and be- queathed, now is in the aetnal, peacable and quiett seazeing and posses- sion of all and singular the premises, and hath made his humble request to mee, the said Thomas Dongan, that I would, in the behalfe of his Sacred Majesty, his heirs and suekcessors, give and grant unto him, the said John Pell, a more full and firme grant and confirmation of the above land and premises, with the appurtenances, under the seale of this his Majesties province: Now Know Yee, that I, the said Thomas Dongan, by virtue of the commission and authority unto me given by his said Majesty, and power in nie being and residing, in consideration of the quitt-rent hereinafter reserved, and for divers, other good and lawfull eousiderations me thereunto mouving, I have given, rattefied

and confirmed, and by these presents doe hereby give, grant, ratefie and confirme unto the said John Pell, his heirs and assigns forever, all the before mentioned and rented lands, islands and premises, with the hereditaments and appurtenances, priviledges, iunneties, ffranchises and advantages to the same belonging and appertaining, or in the said before mentioned deede in writing expresst, implyed or intended to be given and granted, and every part and parcell thereof, together with all and Singular Messuages, tenements, barns, stables, orchards, gardens, lands, islands, meadows, inclosures, arable, lands, feedeings, commons, woods, underwoods, soyles, quarreys, mines, minerally (royall mines only excepted), waters, rivers, ponds, lakes, hunteing, hancking, t.shing, ff'owleing, as alsoe all rents, services, wasts, strayes, royaltyes, liberties, priviledges, jurisdictions, rights, members and appurtenances, and all other immunityes, royaltyes, power of franchises, profitts, commodeties and heredatements whatsoever to the premises, or any part or parcell thereof, belonging or appertaining; and further by vertne of the power and authority in mee being and residing, I doe here grant, rattefie and confirme, and the tract of land, island and premises aforesaid are, by these presents, ereeted and eoustituted to be one lordship and manner, and the same shall from lieneeforth be called the lordshipp and manner of Pelham ; and I doe hereby give and grant unto the said John Pell, his heirs and assigns, ffull power and authority at all times hereafter, in the said lordshipp and manner of Pelham aforesaid, one court leete and one court barron, to hold and keepe at such times, and so often yearly as he and they shall see meete, and all sines, issues and amereiaments at the said court leete and court barron, to be holden and kept iu the man- ner and lordship aforesaid, that are payable from time to time, shall happen to be due and payable by and from any the inhabitants of or within the said lordshipp and manner of Pelham abovesaid ; and also all and every the powers and authorities hereinbefore mentioned, for the holding and keepeing of the said court leete and court barron, ffrom time to time, and to award and issue forth the customary writs to be issued and awarded out of the said court leete and court barron, and the saine to beare test and to be issued out in the name of the said John l'ell, his heirs and assignes, and the same court leete and court barron to be kept by the said John Pell, his heirs and assignes, or his or their steward, deputed or appoynted ; and I doe inrther hereby give and grant unto the said John l'ell, his heirs and assignes, full power to distraine for all the rents and other sums of money payable by reason of the premises, and all other lawful remedys and meanes for the liaveing, re- ceiving, levying and enjoying the said premises and every part thereof, and all waifts, strayes, wreck's of the sease, deodands and goods of ffelons happening and being within the said manner of Pelham, with the advowson and right of patronage of all and every of the Church and Churches in the said manner, ereeted and to be erected -to have and to hold all aud singular the said tract of land, islands and manuer of Pel- ham, and all and singular the above granted or mentioned to be granted premises, with their rights, members, jurisdictions, priviledges, hereda- ments and appurtenances, to the said John Pell, his heirs and assignes, to the only proper use, benefitt and behoofe of the said John Pell, his heirs and assignes, forever ; to be holden of his Most Saered Majestye, his heirs and successors, in free and common soccage according to the tenure of East Greenwich, in the County of Kent, in his Majestye's kingdom of England, yielding, rendering and paying, therefore, yearly and every year forever, nnto his said Majestye, his heirs and successors, or to such officer or otheers as shall from time to time he appointed to receive the same-twenty shillings, good and lawful money of this prov- inee, at the City of New York, on the five and twentyeth day of the month of March, in lien and stead of all rents, services and demands whatsoever. In testimony whereof, I have signed these presents with my handwriting, caused the seale of the province to be thereunto affixed, and have ordained that the same be entered npon record in the secretary's office, the five and twentyethi day of October, in the third yeare of the Kinge Majestyes reigne, and in the year of our Lord, one thousand six hundred eighty and seven,

" THOMAS DONGAN."

In the year 1689, John Pell sold to the Huguenots of New Rochelle. through the agency of Governor Leisler,1 a tract of land consisting of six thousand

1 The fate of Leisler through whom this purchase was made is fully related in the contemporaneous history of those times. He took the lead in a popular movement, in 1688, against the constituted authori- ties, and assumed or was chosen by his partizans to the government. For this act, he was tried, found guilty of treason, and hung in chains, on the 17th of May, 1691, on the spot now occupied by the City Hall

705

PELHAM.

one hundred acres, from the Manor of Pelham, for the sumn of about one dollar per acre. The one hun- dred acres was a free gift to the French Huguenot Church, erected or to be erected by the inhabitants. The Manor of Pelham had originally contained nine thousand one hundred and sixty-six acres, so that nearly two-thirds of it now constitute the town of New Rochelle.

The islands in the sound opposite Pelham, belong to that town. These are Minneford's (now City Island) containing about two hundred and thirty acres ; Hunter's Island, two hundred and fifty acres ; and Hart Island, eighty-five acres. The heir of Thomas Pell to the Pelham Manor, was Jolin Pell, his nephew, whose death, according to the inscription upon his momiment, happened in the year 1700. He is said to have lost his life by the upsetting of a boat off City Island, in the autumn of that year. His eldest son, Thomas, succeeded to the inheritance, and dlicd in 1739 at the Manor House, which stood not far from the present Barton dwelling. The subse- quent history of the Pell family may be found, given at length in Boltou's history.

On the 18th of October, 1776, the British forces landed upon Pelham Neck, ten days previous to the battle of White Plains. They came from Throgmor- ton's, now Throg's Neck. They were met by the Americans and a heavy skirmish resulted. After some loss, the Americans fell back, and the British advanced towards New Rochelle. Though largely outnumbered, the retreat of the Americans was or- derly and their resistance obstinate. The loss on both sides was probably about cqual.

The owners of the islands along the Pelham shore suffered more severely from this invasion than those in the interior, because a portion of the British fleet was always anchored in the Sound, and boats were constantly landing to obtain supplies, which they often and perhaps intentionally forgot to pay for. One Benjamin Palmer, who lived upon City Island, after the war was over sent a petition to Gov- ernor Clinton, complaining loudly of his wrongs and grievances. He stated that he had been driven off the island, his stock destroyed, his effects plundercd, his family taken prisoners, and, as a last indignity, the commander of the guard-ship "Scorpion " ordered him to cut his wood at a certain place and nowhere else, "upon penalty of having his house burned down." Mr. Palmer's case was not a peculiar one. These acts of petty tyranny were universal during the occupancy by the British of all parts of the coun- try. But in his case there was a special reason for the enemy's severity. He had ventured to write to General Howe a letter in vindication of the Amcr-

icans. Our sympathiics, even at this late hour, are elicited on behalf of Mr. Palmer and his fellow-suf- fcrers. Their treatment was shameful and the con- duct of the British in inflicting such acts of oppres- sion upon private individuals, not in arms against them, was barbarous and indefensible. But inas- much as the petitioner afterwards removed to New York City with his family, and had besides, abun- dance of good company in his sufferings, and since his oppressors were finally defeated and driven from the country, and he, if present, might have witnessed the hauling down of their flag on the Battery, in New York, on the 25th of November, 1783, it seems that Mr. Palmer might be content to call it square (with the British) and withdraw his petition. One hun- dred years have made a great change in the value of the "plantation " once held by him, and from which he was then driven, on City Island. If he owned it now, it would a great deal more than compensate him for all his losses in that war. The oyster business is now carried on largely there, with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars. The building of vessels- mostly pleasure yachts-has led to the establishment of a dock-yard, in which a number of men are cm- ployed, and where some of the swiftest yachts in the country have been built.

It was near City Island that a daring and success- ful enterprise was accomplished by a few of the Americans in the year 1777, being no less than the capture of a British gun-boat used as a guard-slip, and stationed at the mouth of East Chester Creek. The particulars, as related by one of the party engaged in the capture to an aged citizen of Pelham, now in his ninety-second year, and by him communicated to the writer, are as follows :

"The guardship 'Schuldam' was one of several vessels stationed by the British along the shores of the Sound, through whose instrumental- ity most of the hardships complained of by the Americans, such as those referred to in the petition of Benjamin Palmer, were inflicted. The officers and crews of these vessels often treated the inhabitants of the towns and villages along the shore with great severity. They were consequently regarded with no friendly feelings by the oppressed people, and plans for their capture were frequently discussed.

"A party of whale-boatmen from Darien, Connecticut, were fortunate enough to carry such a design into execution. They conveyed their boat by hand across the Neck, and took possession of the market sloop which plied regularly between East Chester and New York. From the master of this sloop they ascertained that on his weekly pas- sages to the city he was sometimes hailed from the guardship, and re quested to sell them fresh provisions, such as eggs, chickens, vegetables, &c., for which, to insure their delivery, he was liberally paid. These Connecticut whale-boatmen, to the number of ten or twelve, armed, concealed themselves in the hold of the sloop. Thelr leader, however, remained on deck, and forced the owner to lay his craft alongside the sloop, as if for the purpose of furnishing tho usual supplies. It was early in the morning, before daylight, and the moment the two vessels touched, the boatmen rushed up from below, boarded the British vessel, and took the crew prisoners before they were fairly awake. They then compelled some of the prisoners to help navigate the vessel, and mak - ing sail on the prize, ran her into the port of New London."

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 176

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354