History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 104

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286

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. II > Part 104

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John Lee had the same number of children, ten. The one best known here was Robert Perine Lee, who was Distriet-Attor- ney of the county in 1818. The latter left a large family, of whom Elijah, Randolph M. and their sisters reside one - halt mile east of the Presbyte- rian ehureh. About this time the Whitneys eame from Ridgefield. They were descendants of Henry, who settled at Southhold, L. I., in 1649, but returned later to Nor- walk, Conneetieut. Na- than, Seth, and Jeremiah were the first of the name in this seetion. Nathan and Seth settled on land between Halloek's Mills and Yorktown station. Ngav Those here now bearing the name are deseendants of the latter. North of Mohansie Lake about the same date loeated Ephraim Bedell on a farm of three hundred aeres. Edmund Bedell (reeently deeeased) a grand-son, oe- cupied a portion of the old homestead. Joseph Fowler settled on two farms to the west. The orig- inal house was built on the site of the present owned and occupied by George B. Fowler, a great- grandson, on what was ealled the "tenement-farm, (probably at first a leasehold from the heirs of Van Cortlandt). Among the children of Joseph were Joseph and Jesse. All of the Fowlers of this seetion are descended from these two brothers. Not tar from 1752 Abraham Purdy, a son-in law of Daniel Strang mentioned above, and no doubt a relative of Mrs. Strang, who was by birth a Purdy, oceupied a

farm opposite the Presbyterian church. He belonged to the Purdys of White Plains and Rye, whose an- cestors were among the early settlers of Fairfield, Connectieut. Abraham left several children. The Purdys at Crompond are descended from Alvan, who was a lieutenant in the militia during the Revo- lutionary War. The Purdys south of Mohansie Lake are descendants of a Joshua Purdy, who, during the Revolution resided on Croton River. A Joseph Purdy, who died June 15, 1777, resided in this vicinity. The Carmans lived on Carman Hill, one-fourth of a mile west of the Presbyterian church. About 1760 Moses Knapp took up a farm above Jefferson Valley,_ in Putnam Co., then Dutchess, at present occu- pied by Erastus Knapp. He was the son of a Moses Knapp who was born in England in 1655, and died in the lower part of the eounty in 1756, aged one hundred and one years. He probably was the Moses Knapp named among the trustees in the royal eharter of White Plains, bearing date of March 13, 1721. Moses who settled here was at White plains in 1738. David, his son, married Phoebe Horton in 1762, and 1765 purchased a farm on Stony Street, a portion of which is now occupied by his great- grandson, Daniel H. Knapp. From him are de- seended Stephen, James, Daniel H. and the ehil- dren of the late David W. Knapp, who reside near the old homestead. The Knapps of the north- ern portion of the town, Robert L. ånd Benjamin, ete., are eollateral branches of the family. Isaae Underhill must have settled here not far from 1756. He is the progenitor of all of that name in this town. His father was Abraham, of White Plains, and Abraham was a lineal deseendant of John, an English offieer, who settled at Oyster Bay, in 1632. The home of Isaae was the older por- tion of the house now occupied by his great-grandson, Charles Underhill, half a mile south of the station. He was the father of eleven children. The represen- tatives of the family now are Edward B. Underhill, and the deseendants of the late R. Mott Underhill.

Gilbert Drake purchased a farm in Great South, lot No. 4, farin No. 2, near Mohansic Lakes, April 1, 1767, and Samuel Drake, afterwards eolonel in the militia and

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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

member of the Assembly located on farm No. 2, north lot No. 1 west of Lake Mohegan, June 23, 1768. The Drakes were from Eastehester.

About this time Dr. Ebenezer White began to prae- tiee here as a physician. His first residence was where William L. Mead lives on the road from Crom- pond to Yorktown Station. Prior to 17791 he pur-

chased the Sacket farm, where Elijah Lee now resides. i sinee remained thus ocenpied, building up for himself He was the seventh son of Rev. Sylvanus White, of an ample fortune and a comfortable home. He mar- ried in 1836, Miss Francis Jane Ryder, who died in June, 1873. In February, 1879, he married for his second wife Miss Deborah Cock, daughter of Robert Coek, of North Castle. Southampton, Long Island. He married Helena Bartow, daughter of Theophilus Bartow, of New Rochelle, and he began life in the Manor of Cort- landt where he ended it .? He practised medicine here for more than a half century until his death in He is a member of the Society of Friends, and has been known for many years as a consistent and useful eitizen in and abont his home. 1827. In 1794-95 he was a member of the Assembly from this county, and later was a presidential elector. He left seven children, one daughter and six sons. Of the latter, three beeame phy- sieians-Bartow, who re- sided at Fishkill, repre- sented his distriet in Congress, Ebenezer, of Somers, was a member of the Assembly, and Henry of Yorktown, who filled the office of surrogate. Those bearing the name in Yorktown at the pres- ent time are Constant, son of Lewis, and Henry and Josephus L., sons of The- odosius (youngest son of Dr. Ebenezer, Sr.). The- odosins died July 27, 1885, jn his ninety-sixth year.

Three brothers, named Frost, came from England in 1746 to Oyster Bay. Later in 1760 two of them Wright and Samnel found their way to Cortlandt Manor. Wright set- tled in what is now Somers; Samuel on two hundred acres, of which the farm of his deseendant Jordan C. Frost is a part, situated about one mile southeast of Yorktown Station.

Euro Thee 3

War and during the entire Revolution, and was a cousin of Benjamin Loder, the successful eonstrneter of the Erie Railroad. Prior Frost had'nine children, of whom Jordan C., the youngest, was born at York- town, March 30, 1813.

He attended the distriet school at Yorktown, which he left at the age of sixteen for the farm. He has

With the Frosts came a family, Cox by name, who settled near Hal- loek's Mills. W. H. Flewellen is the present proprietor. John Tomp- kins (born at Greenburgh in 1739) must have set- tled on the farm now in the possession of Elias Q. Horton overlooking the Croton River not far from the same date (1760). The Tompkins are of Welsh origin, and the name bears ont the statement. We find them first at Con- cord, Mass., from whence they came to Eastchester ria. Fairfield. Ct. John, of Croton River, Isaae and Absalom, of Somers, were sons of Isaac, who resided on Chatterton Hill, in Green- burgh, west of White Plains, who came from Long Island, to which his father had migrated from Wales. The hill upon which John, Sr., settled, after his sons grew up and started out in life. looked searcely npon anything else but land owned by Tomp- kins. Elias Q. is grand-son and John B. Tompkins is great-grandson.

Jordan C. Frost is of English and French descent. His paternal ancestors settled on Long Island at an The Griffens, represented by Daniel, Henry, John R. and their children, who reside about two miles south of Yorktown Station, came here prior to the Revolution, from the lower part of the county in the person of John carly period in this country's history. Samuel Frost, grandfather of Jordan C., removed some time previous to the Revolutionary War to Yorktown, where he purchased a farm, which is still in possession of the | Griffen, and settled on the farm now occupied by Hen- family. His son, Prior Frost, married, at Yorktown, ry Griffen. There is a tradition in the family that they were of Welsh origin, and came over to this country with some of the earliest settlers of Long Island.' Abigail Loder, daughter of Jonathan Loder, who served with distinction in the French and English

1 Erskine's Map, 1779.

: See Rev. History.

3 See sketch on page 10. 4 See Rev. History of Yorktown.

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YORKTOWN.

The common aneestor of the Hallock family was Peter Halloek who came with the Rev. John Young to New Haven in 1640. Thenee he went to Southhold, L. I. Jesse Halloek removed to Greenwich Ct., in 1765, and in 1777 purchased a farm at Hallock's Mills. The house he lived in is now owned by William H. Fle- wellen. Richard, his brother, removed to Yorktown from Stony Brook, L. I. about 1784 and purchased land and a half interest in the mill from his brother. Jesse's deseendants in this town are Wright and James B. Joseph T. Hallock is grandson of Richard. He resides on the homestead.

The Requas are of Huguenot origin. A family of that name started for America. The parents died on the voyage, but the children Gabriel and Jane sur- vived and settled at New Rochelle. Some of Gabriel's descendants settled at Tarrytown. Daniel, dur- ing the Revolutionary War, was taken prisoner and incarcerated in the sugar-house in New York. Abraham entered

the American army, while the remainder of the family were removed to Dutehess County for safety. About 1796 he settled in York- town. Amos C., of Peek- skill, Edmund, of York- town, and the late Isaae Requa are grandsons.

Among the names dis- tinguished for benevo- lenee and publie spirit, and worthy to be held in reverence as benefactors of their raee, few are de- serving of loftier mention than Benjamin Hazard Field. The his- tory of the family of which he is so distinguished a representative can be traced far baek to the Middle Ages. Their aneestor, Hubartus de la Feld, is said to have been one of that warlike raee who came to England with William the Conqueror. He was the holder of lands in the county of Lancaster. During the reign of Henry I. his deseendant, John de la Feld, appears as the owner of lands in the same coun- ty. In after years the prefix de la was diseontin- ued, and, by the various changes so familiar to the genealogist and historian, the name beeame fixed in its present form. In 1840 the family appear to have had their seat at " Horton in Bradford," which was the residenee of William Feld, aud letters of adiniuis- tration were grauted to his widow, Katherine, in that

Jordan CEFrost

year, while John Feilde, who is supposed to have been his grandson, was also residing there at a later date, and was evidently a man of importanee in the neighborhood. Ilis son Thomas resided in Shipley, in the parish of Bradford. He left one daughter, and the greater part of his estate deseended to Robert, George and Edward, the children of his brother Wil- liam. William Field died in May, 1599, and his son, who inherited his name, married, in 1591, Susan, daughter of John Midgely, the representative of an ancient family. He died in 1619, and his youngest son, Robert, who was baptized at Halifax, March 9, 1605-06, married for his second wife Elizabeth Tay- lor. Their home was at North Ouram, near the seat of the illustrious family of Saltoustall. The two families were not only neighbors, but connected by mar- riage, and it is not strange that when Sir Richard Saltonstall organized a company in 1630, and sought a home in the New World, foremost in the or- ganization was his friend and companion, Robert Feild. Upon his arrival in America he settled at Watertown, Mass., where he remained for several years, and afterwards re- moved to Newport, R. I., his name appearing in the list of inhabitants in 1638, and was made a freeman of the colony in 1639. On October 10. 1645, Robert Feild, with several others, through their agent. Rev. Franeis Doughty, obtain- ed a traet of land at Flush- ing and Hempstead, on Long Island. That he held a high position may be learned from the faet that he was one of the committee chosen by the General Court at Newport " for matters that coneern Long Island, and in the ease eoneerning the Dutch." Robert Feild died about 1666, leaving three sons,-Robert, Anthony and Benjamin. His Long Island residence was at Bayside, now a flourishing village.

Anthony Feild, the second son, who is named in the patents of the town of Flushing in 1666 and 1685, took the oath of allegianee to the English in 1673, and died previous to 1691. By his wife Susannah, who survived him, he had several children. Of these, Benjamin, the youngest son, married Hannah, dauglı- ter of John Bowne, of Flushing, November 30, 1691, and they were the parents of a large family. Their

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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

fourth son, Anthony, was born at Flushing July 28, 1698, and married, August 13, 1730, Hannah, daughter of William Burling, who was also a resident of Flush- ing. He removed from Long Island to Harrison's Purchase, in Westchester County, but subsequently made his home in Yorktown, in the same county, where he died, leaving a family of seven sons and two daughters. His third son, John Feild, was born at Yorktown, and married, June 8, 1763, Lydia, daughter of William and Phoebe Hazard, who was the fifth in the line of descent from Thomas Hazard, of Lyme Regis, Dorsetshire, England, who came to New Eng- land as early as 1636. John and Lydia Field were the parents of sixteen children, of whom Hazard Field was the eldest. He was born at Yorktown November 11, 1764, and died at the family homestead February 5, 1845. He was twice married. By his first wife he had a son, Wright, aud three daughters. His second wife was Mary Bailey, who was born January 6, 1780, and died February 22, 1832. By this second marriage he had five daughters and two sons -Benjamin Hazard and Joseph Bailey. The latter died without issue.

Benjamin Hazard Field was born at the family seat iu Yorktown May 2, 1814. His early education was received under the parental roof, and his studies finished at the North Salem Academy, under the tuition of the Rev. Hiram Jelliff, a distinguished Episcopalian clergyman. Resolved upon a mercan- tile career, he entered the office of his uncle, Hickson W. Field, who was boru October 4, 1779, and was at that time foremost among the business men of New York, and justly noted not only for his great success and business capacity, but for his active philan- thropy and wide-extending benevolence, which made him the friend of the homeless and afflicted. In 1832 he became a partner, and in 1838, upon the retire- ment of his unele, the whole of the immense business of the firm devolved upon him. From that time to the present Mr. Field has been justly ranked among the most prominent citizens of the great metropolis. Commencing a business career under the most favor- able circumstances, he rapidly gained both fortune and fame. But to him the earning of a fortune was simply a means to enable him to accomplish his ends -to show by a bright example the good that can be done by men possessed of wealth and actuated by the spirit that seeks the welfare of their race. In all efforts of a benevolent character no one has taken a more active part, and it is safe to say that there is searcely an association or institution, having for its object the amelioration of the condition of the poor and suffering, with which his name is not connected, and of which he has not been a liberal supporter.

With the social institutions of the city he has been long and intimately identified. A prominent member of the St. Nicholas Society, he was chosen to many of its offices, and in 1870 elected president.

He was also one of the founders of the St. Nicholas Club, incorporated in 1875, and has long been a member of the board of trustees. With a deep in- terest in historical research, he became, in 1844, a life member of the New York Historical Society, and for twenty years was its treasurer, and after having served as vice-president, was elected president in 1885. It was largely owing to his earnest efforts that the fire-proof building of the society was erected, and his liberality has contributed greatly to free it from debt. In 1859 he was elected a Life Fellow of the American Geographical Society. His positions in the various business institutions of New York are exceedingly numerous. He long held the office of director of the Old Fulton Bank, and held the same position after it was reorganized as a national bank. As director of the Bank for Sa- vings, and its first vice-president, trustee of the American Museum of Natural History, and of the New York Dispensary, and also of Greenwood Ceme- tery, director of the New York Institution for the Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb, president of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and trustee of the Sheltering Arms of the Children's Fold, trustee in Roosevelt Hospital and director of the Atlantic Mu- tual Insurance Company,-in all of these his influence is fully recognized. But of all institutions of a charitable nature there is none with which his name is more inseparably connected than the Home for Ineurables, at Fordham, which is justly considered as one of the noblest charities of the city. Toward the establishment of this charity he has been au carnest laborer, and has served as president from the time of its organization, in 1866. In connection with Mrs. Field, he is erecting at their joint expense an Episco- pal Church, to seat about two hundred and fifty, as a free gift to the Home. In the cause of education he has expended nearly one hundred thousand dollars, and a school well equipped with all the modern ap- pliances for learning shows his interest in the wel- fare of the children of his native place. It was through his influenee that the statues of Farragut, in Madison Square, and of the Poet Halleck, in Central Park, were added to the memorials of the famous sons of New York. Of a literary turn of mind, it is not strange that he should find congenial company among the men of letters who form the Century Club, nor that his name as an encourager of literature, and a contributor to it, should be well known among the lights of the literary world.

Mr. Field married, June 19, 1838, Catharine MI. Van Cortlandt de Peyster, daughter of Frederic de Peyster, Sr., of the eity of New York, a lady who is connected with inany of the ancient families, us the Livingstons, the Beekmans, Van Cortlandts, Van Rensselaers and others whose names are a part of the history of and an honor to the Empire State. He has two children-Cortlandt de Peyster, born Decem-

I Pro Va Chon y " You 1

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YORKTOWN.

ber 28, 1839, and Florence Van Cortlandt, born March 30, 1851, who married David Wolfe Bishop. The son graduated at Columbia College in 1859, went at once into his father's office, succeeded to his business upon his retirement, in 1865, and has since conducted it with ability and success. Inheriting from his father a benevolent disposition, he has been a worthy follower in his footsteps, and in the cause of education has expended nearly thirty thousand dollars. An earnest member of the Episcopal Church, his labors for its advancement have been unceasing, making the Church of St. Mary's, at Lake Mohegan, the subject of his peculiar care. Here, as lay leader, he has conducted services for many years, and through his systematic efforts the church is free from debt, and is exerting a wide-spread influence for good.

Mr. Cortlandt de Peyster Field married Virginia, daughter of John W. Hamersly, a lady in whose veins runs the blood of some of the oldest families of this State and also of the "Old Dominion," which was the home of her grandmother. Her father is widely known from the literary circle that meets at his house at stated times, and embraces the choicest names of the men of letters of New York. Like her husband, Mrs. Field takes an active interest in all that pertains to the moral good of the community, and in his religious work she is an earnest and willing aid.

The old homestead of the family in Yorktown still remains in their possession, and in late years a por- tion has been transferred to the Field Farm Com- pany, of which Mr. Benjamin H. Field is president, and his son is the secretary and treasurer. It is con- ducted in accordance with certain benevolent plans of its owners.

Mr. B. H. Field passes the evening of his life in the possession of all that can make life happy, and is especially blessed in the full enjoyment of the greatest of all luxuries-the luxury of doing good. He has always refused to accept any political office, although in early life frequently urged by his Democratic friends to be a candidate for Congress and the State Legislature.

REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY .- The Revolutionary history of this town is easily explained. Through it led the routes from King's Ferry to the eastern states, via Crompond and Salem, and to the southern portions of the county and New York City, via Crompond and- Pine's Bridge. King's Ferry was of the greatest im- portance to the American cause as a means of com- munication between the east and the routes west of the Hudson. Consequently the American forces often passed through Yorktown, and on occasions the French army under Rochambeau was here. From 1776 to 1782 out-posts of the army which held pos- session of the Highlands were maintained at Crom- pond and at Pine's Bridge. Though battles were not fought, it was the place for raids and the consequent skirmishes. In war, when no great movements are

taking place, the time is whiled away in harassing the out-posts of the enemy, and there is no better field for cowboys and skinners than neutral ground, such as extended from Croton River to Spuyten Duyvel Creek and the contiguous country. There they can plunder and murder with impunity. West- chester County abounded in Tories, and Yorktown, while they were in the minority, furnished its share. There is no human passion more exacting and relentless in its revenge or more zealous for the cause espoused than a new-born enmity. If absent from their homes they were not disposed to be for- gotten by their former neighbors. Yorktown was a _ very undesirable place of residence for those who loved peace and quietness, and a very unsafe place for both life and property. Prior to the appearance of Howe at Sandy Hook, it seemed wise on the part of both Washington and the Provincial Congress to look after the Tories. They had as yet committed no overt act, but they were supposed to be plotting and making every preparation for a rising as soon as the forces of the enemy should appear. Arrests were made and many suspects were in jail. At the session of the Fourth Provincial Congress, held at White Plains, August 20, 1776, a petition was presented from fifteen persons confined "as dangerous to the safety of the state" asking to be released on certain conditions. In the list we find such familiar names as Purdy, Bailey, Fowler, Horton, Brown and Caleb Morgan ;1 the latter afterwards acted as guide to the British troops in their raids into this town .? When the British fleet with Howe's army appeared before New York, Washington urged upon the Fourth Pro- vincial Congress the removal of "all persons of known disaffection and enmity to the car. e of Amer- ica." 3 Some were sent to Litchfield, Conn. Shortly after came a long series of disasters, beginning with the battle of Long Island. Washington's army was in retreat. October 29, 1776, Washington sent Gen- eral Beall with Maryland regiment to seize and hold Pine's Bridge over the Croton, in order to maintain communication to the north and with New Jersey, via King's Ferry. The main army was in the rocky hills of North Castle on the 31st, with an out-post near White Plains. Lord Stirling's command of Maryland and Virginia troops were ordered to the west side of the Hudson, and on November 8th, Heath with his Massachusetts regiments marched to Peekskill to secure the passes through the Highlands. Without doubt both of these divisions took the direct route via Pine's Bridge and Crompond. Nov- ember 10th the latter division passed through this town and reached its destination in the afternoon. General Washington with staff and escort followed a few hours later. General Charles Lee was left at

1 Journal of the Provincial Congress, vol. I., pp. 581 and 582.

2 Report No. 492, House of Rep., 31st Congress, 1st session-aff. of Morgan.

3 Irving's Life of Washington, vol ii .. pp. 284 and 285.

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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

North Castle with the recommendation that he fall baek on Pine's Bridge, or at least by way of preeau- tion remove his stores thither.1 After repeated re- commendations and positive orders, he managed to get his troops by the same route through this town to Peekskill.2 From this time forth, until 1782, this section answers to the deseription given of it by Claude Blanchard, commissary-general of the Freneli army, in his Journal, under date of June 25, 1781 : "Crompond and its environs are not considered a very safe country ; it is peopled by Tories and, be- sides, is at no great distance from New York, where the English have their principal forces at present." 3 So dangerous for the reasons just given that Wash- ington, April, 1777, a few months after his retreat, sent orders to Heath to send troops to Peeks- kill, by way of Kinderhook; and in the year 1780, under date of September 26th, just after Arnold's treachery, he advises him for his own safety to join the army by route via Litchfield and Fishkill.+ Putnam was relieved from command of the department March 16, 1778, through his failure to prevent these incursions.3 From this time onward Toryism was rampant and enlistments6 were made for De Lanecy's Tory Legion, which became the seourge of the country. The people here to a certain extent were obliged for defense to rely upon their own resources.7 The commanders of this department did establish out-posts at Crompond and near Pine's Bridge, at least during a portion of these six years. Whenever there was any probability of raids, bodies of troops were sent to protect the inhabitants. There was, too, a regiment of militia, commanded by Col- onel Samuel Drake, among the officers of which we find the names of Captains Henry Strang and Eben- ezer Boyd and Lieutenant Alvan Purdy. No doubt the utmost was done that the resources of the army and of the community would permit. It was not always possible to prevent the raids of regulars, and certainly no adequate protection could be provided against small bodies of cowboys and skinners bent on plunder and murder."

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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. II, Part 104

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1286

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286