Two Views of the Pelhamville School House Built in the 1850s

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There are at least two artistic renderings of the Pelhamville School House built in the 1850s on the site of today's Hutchinson School. One is the painting by famed Pelham illustrator Edward Penfield, an image of which appears on the home page of the HistoricPelham.com Web site (and below).

There is, however, a second image drawn in 1913 by "Miss Beaudry" based upon a "Description" of the building provided by Isaac C. Hill. I have written before about I. C. Hill who served for many years as principal of the Hutchinson School in the Village of North Pelham. See:

Tuesday, September 27, 2005: I. C. Hill's Reminiscences of Early Public Schools in Pelham

Tuesday, March 28, 2006: More Reminiscences of Isaac C. Hill of Early Public Schools in Pelham

The drawing prepared by Miss Beaudry appears immediately below. Beneath that is an image of the painting by Edward Penfield showing the same school building.





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A Biography Published in 1906 on the Life of Horace Dutton Taft, Founder of the Taft School for Boys in Pelham Manor

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One of the nation’s premier college preparatory schools, The Taft School (now located in Watertown, Connecticut), began in Pelham Manor in 1890. Horace Dutton Taft founded the institution. Taft was a brother of William Howard Taft who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and, in 1909, became the nation’s 27th President. Horace Taft had no training in school administration. Indeed, his only exposure to the teaching world reportedly involved tutoring Latin at Yale, his alma mater.

Horace Taft was, however, a friend of a prominent Pelham Manor resident – Mrs. Robert C. (Mary G. W.) Black. Mrs. Black was the wife of a partner in the internationally renowned jewelry firm of Black, Starr & Frost. The Blacks owned large tracts of land in Pelham Manor and had a palatial home known as “Dogwood”. The home faced the Esplanade on plots where homes located between 955 and 999 Pelhamdale Avenue stand today.

Robert and Mary Black had two sons: R. Clifford Black, Jr. and Witherbee Black. Mrs. Black reportedly contacted family friend Horace Taft seeking a tutor for her boys. She convinced Taft to open a boarding school for boys in Pelham Manor. Mrs. Black reportedly named the new school “Mr. Taft’s School” although it quickly became known as The Taft School for Boys.

The home that stands today at 964 Pelhamdale Avenue reportedly served as the main building for Mr. Taft’s School. According to a letter prepared in 1936 by one of the students who attended the school during its first year of operation, DeWitt Clinton Noyes, there were two homes that served as the grounds of the school when it opened in 1890 for the 1890/91 school year. The letter states: “The main house belonged to Mrs. Robert C. Black and was directly behind her own on Pelhamdale Avenue. The second house was smaller and next door to the West.”

The house that stands today “next door to the West” of 964 Pelhamdale is the home located at 952 Pelhamdale. After only three school years in Pelham Manor, Mr. Taft’s School moved to Watertown, Connecticut where it is located today.

Immediately below I have transcribed the text of a brief biography of Horace Dutton Taft published in 1906. For those interested in reading more about the early history of The Taft School in the Village of Pelham Manor, see Bell, Blake A., The Taft School in Pelham Manor, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 23, Jun. 4, 2004, p. 12, col. 1.

"HORACE DUTTON TAFT

TAFT, HORACE DUTTON, educator and head master of the Taft School at Watertown, Litchfield County, Connecticut, was born in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, on December 28th, 1861. His earliest ancestor in this country was Robert Taft, who came from England and settled in Massachusetts about 1670. Mr. Taft's father, Alphonso Taft, a lawyer, was judge of the Superior Court in Cincinnati, Secretary of War, Attorney General, United States minister to Austria and to Russia. Mr. Taft's brother, William Howard Taft, former governor of the Philippine Islands, is now Secretary of War in the Cabinet of President Roosevelt.

Mr. Taft lived in Cincinnati until he was twenty-five years old. He prepared for college in the Woodward High School and then entered Yale College, where he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1883. He was a member of the Skull and Bones Society and of Psi Upsilon. After a year abroad he entered the Cincinnati Law School. He did not graduate, but was admitted to the bar before the end of his course. He practiced law for a year in partnership with his father, Alphonso Taft, and Henry N. Morris, under the firm name of Taft, Morris & Taft. In 1887, however, he abandoned the practice of the law and accepted an appointment as tutor in Latin in Yale University, his purpose being to enter upon educational work and eventually to establish a school. He held the tutorship for three years and in 1890 established a school at Pelham Manor, New York. In 1893 he moved the school to Watertown, Connecticut where it now is. The school has prospered and has now more than a hundred pupils and is ranked as among the half-dozen leading preparatory schools in the East.

Though Mr. Taft was a Cleveland Democrat, he joined the Republican party when Bryan came to the front. On the 29th of Juen, 1892, Mr. Taft married Winifred S. Thompson, of Niagara Falls, New York. Mr. Taft is a man of strong individuality and especially fitted by temperament and in disposition to develop and inspire the young schoolboy."

Source: Osborn, N.G., ed., Men of Mark in Connecticut - Ideals of American Life Told in Biographies and Autobiographies of Eminent Living Americans, p. 231 (Hartford, CT: William R. Goodspeed 1906).

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Yet Another Mid-Eighteenth Century Advertisement by Thomas Pell Offering Lands in Pelham

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Thomas Pell, Third Lord of the Manor of Pelham, seems to have been heavily engaged in selling off Pell family lands in the Manor of Pelham in the late 1740s and early 1750s. On Thursday, May 11, 2006, I posted to the Historic Pelham Blog an item entitled "Thomas Pell Offers City Island, Then Known as Minneford Island, for Sale in the Mid-18th Century". In it I provided background on the Third Lord of the Manor of Pelham and transcribed the text of advertisements he placed in 1747 and 1750 seeking to sell portions of his lands in the Manor of Pelham.

Although the Third Lord had a son also named Thomas, it seems that an advertisement placed on February 10, 1752 providing notice of a public auction to sell the Pell estate likely was placed by Thomas Pell, Third Lord, shortly before his death. The notice reads as follows:

"TO be sold at public Vendue, on Monday the 2d Day of March next, a very good Plantation, lying upon Anhook's Neck, in the Manor of Pelham, in Westchester County, containing 260 Acres of choice Land : There is on it a very good large Dwelling-House, Barn, Out-Houses, and Orchard ; about 25 Acres of it is choice English Grass, and more may be made ; as also a sufficient Quantity of Salt Meadow. A good Title will be given by Thomas Pell, or Isaac Willet."

Source: [Untitled] TO be Sold at Publick Vendue, New-York Gazette Revived In The Weekly Post-Boy, Feb. 10, 1752, p. 3.

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The 27th Conference on New York State History Will Include Presentation of Paper on Pelham Manor & Huguenot Heights Association

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The 27th Conference on New York State History will be held June 1 - 3, 2006 at the Herbert H. Lehman Center for American History, Columbia University. The conference is sponsored by the Herbert H. Lehman Center for American History and the New York State Archives Partnership Trust in conjunction with The Association of Public Historians of New York State.

Below are a series of links relating to the conference, including:

Conference Web Page and Program.

Conference Program Adobe PDF.

Conference Program, Microsoft Word Format.

Registration Form.

On Saturday, June 3rd I will present a paper between 10:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. as a member of panel session 702 entitled "The Suburb". The paper is entitled: "The Pelham Manor & Huguenot Heights Association: An Analysis of the Effects on Today's Village of Pelham Manor of a 'Failed' Effort to Develop a New York City Railroad Suburb During the 1870s".

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Kenneth T. Jackson, Jacques Barzun Professor of History and the Social Sciences at Columbia University and Dr. Lisa Keller, Associate Professor of History and Director of the Journalism Program in the School of Humanities, Purchase College, State University of New York.

With the coming of the so-called “branch line” of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in 1873, a group of enterprising men who lived in New York City and the Town of Pelham created “The Pelham Manor & Huguenot Heights Association”. They capitalized the Association by contributing 500 acres for development as an elegant bedroom community – an early “railroad suburb” as Kenneth T. Jackson, author of Crabgrass Frontier (Oxford University Press, Inc. 1985) has labeled such communities. Only twelve weeks later the failure of the Philadelphia financial firm Jay Cooke and Company touched off the Financial Panic of 1873. A prolonged financial depression followed the panic. Though the Association continued its development efforts for several years, it failed and entered receivership. The brief work of the Association, however, had a profound influence on the makeup of the budding settlement that, fifteen years later, was incorporated as the Village of Pelham Manor.

The paper that I will present traces the history of the Association and provides biographical sketches of its principals. The paper further traces the influence of the Association on the area that became today’s Village of Pelham Manor. The paper argues that the Association failed due not simply to the depression that followed the Panic of 1873, but due to a complex set of interrelated factors that included the difficulty of commuting on the branch line at the time. The paper further argues that those who put together the Association played a major role in subsequent informal efforts to achieve their original objectives for development of the area. These informal efforts were the driving force behind the incorporation of the Village of Pelham Manor and substantively influenced the layout and makeup of the Village today.

The methodology for preparation of the paper included an exhaustive survey of original 19th century maps, advertisements, photographs, papers and other such materials supplemented with a careful use of secondary resources designed to support the arguments specified above.

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1763 Deed Executed by Executors of the Estate of Joseph Pell Accused Caleb Pell of Fraud

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On February 2, 1763, the Executors of the estate of Joseph Pell, son of Thomas Pell (Third Lord of the Manor of Pelham) executed a deed that included allegations that Joseph's brother, Caleb Pell, engaged in a fraudulent transfer of lands that did not belong to him. The same deed is particularly significant because it deals with 100 acres of land dedicated by John Pell (Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham) for use of a church at the time he sold the 6,000 acres of land to Jacob Leisler that became New Rochelle.

Mark Gaffney of Pelham Manor has worked tirelessly to unravel the history of land ownership in the Manor of Pelham for much of the land that comprises today's Pelham Bay Park and southern portions of the Village of Pelham Manor. He uncovered this deed in the Westchester County Archives in Elmsford, New York and provided me a copy. Today's Historic Pelham Blog Posting provides some background and transcribes the text of this signficant document.

On September 20, 1689, John Pell, and his wife, Rachel, sold to Jacob Leisler of New York City 6,000 acres of Manor land. See Barr, Lockwood, A Brief, But Most Complete & True Account of the Settlement of the Ancient Town of Pelham Westchester County, State of New York Known One Time Well & Favourably as the Lordshipp & Mannour of Pelham Also the Story of the Three Modern Villages Called The Pelhams, pp. 48-49 (Richmond, VA: The Dietz Press, Inc. 1946). See also Bolton, Jr., Robert, A History of the County of Westchester From Its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. I, p. 540 (NY: Alexander S. Gould 1848). At the same time the couple dedicated an additional 100 acres for use as church grounds. Leisler reportedly was commissioned to acquire the land on behalf of French Huguenots seeking to relocate to North America, many of whom fled from La Rochelle in France. The land became today’s New Rochelle, named in honor of La Rochelle from which many of the Huguenots fled religious persecution by the French Catholics.

John Pell thereafter died intestate (without a will). His estate passed to Thomas Pell, his eldest son. By a will executed on September 3, 1739, Thomas Pell bequeathed to his son, Joseph Pell, "all and singular his land, meadows, houses tenements buildings, &c., which then belonged unto him by the means whereof the legal right and estate in and to the said One hundred acres of land". (See below.)

One of Joseph Pell's siblings was a brother named Caleb Pell. Upon Joseph Pell's death, the Executors of his estate had to deal with some form of land dispute that they claimed was due to a fraudulent conveyance by Caleb Pell of land that actually belonged to the estate of Joseph Pell. To raise money to pay expenses for dealing with the mess, the Executors sold Joseph Pell's interest in the 100-acre tract described above to David Guion of New Rochelle. The text of the deed reflecting that sale appears below.

"EXECUTORS OF JOSEPH PELL. :

TO :

DAVID GUION. :

THIS INDENTURE, made the second day of February in the year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King George the Third Anno. Dom. 1763, BETWEEN PHEBE PELL widow and SAMUEL SNEDEN, and JACOBUS BLEECKER, Esqr all of the County of Westchester Executors with Power to sell of the last Will and Testament of Joseph Pell, Esq., late of the Manor of Pelham, in the County of Westchester aforesaid deceased, of the one part and DAVID GUION of NEW ROCHELLE in the said County of Westchester of the other part, WHEREAS, John Pell formerly proprietor of the said Manour of Pelham was seized in fee of Six thousand one hundred acres of land part 1 of the said Manor of Pelham, and being so seized did sell the said Six Thousand acres of land to one Jacob Leisler and did set apart the said remaining one hundred acres of land for the use of the French Church erect or to be erected by the Inhabitants of the said Six thousand acres called New Rochelle, but the said John Pell never did dispose or divert himself of the legal estate and right to the said one hundred acres of land, AND WHEREAS, the said John Pell afterwards dies intestate and left Thoms Pell his eldest son and heir at law by means whereof the inheritence and legal right to the said one hundred acres of land became vested in him the said Thomas, AND WHEREAS, the said Thomas Pell on the third day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirty nine, did in due form of law make his last Will and Testament and therein and thereby after several specific Legacies and after declaring that his other sons had received their shares and proportions out of the estate did give and bequeath unto his son Joseph Pell in fee simple all and singular his land meadows houses tenements buildings &c., which then belonged unto him by the means whereof the legal right and estate in and to the said One hundred-acres of land, became vested in him the said Joseph Pell Jun'r. AND WHEREAS, the said Joseph Pell, on the thirty first day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty two did make his last Will and Testament and thereof did ordain & constitute his wife the aforesaid Phebe Pell and his friends John Bartow (who hath since legally renounced the same) and the said Samuel Sneden and Jacobus Bleecker parties to these presents to be executors and did thereby give and grant unto them his full power strength and authority in and over all his goods chattels lands or tenements to take and use all lawful ways for the recovery and defence of the same, against any encroachments depredations claims or demands of any person or persons whatsoever and did likewise impower them if there should be any need thereof, to sell any part of his lands as to them should seem meet to enable them to carry on any suite for the defence of the rest, AND WHEREAS, after the decease of the said Joseph Pell a certain fraudulent deed was exhabited and set up by which one Caleb Pell a brother of the said Joseph did claim the chief part of the real estate of him the Joseph Pell as the gift of him the said Thomas Pell the father to him the said Caleb Pell, AND WHEREAS they the said Executors of the said Joseph Pell parties hereto of the first part in consequence of the said claim were obliged to layout and expend divers large and considerable sums sums [sic] of money to defend and secure the estate of the said Joseph Pell, against the same and there still remains due upon that account One hundred pounds which they have been obliged to borrow and take up at interest and they the said parties of the first part in order to discharge and satisfy the same do find it necessary to dispose of part of the real estate of their said Testator and have accordingly agreed to grant and release all the right and title of their said Testator in and to the said One hundred acres of Land before mentioned and hereafter described for the consideration hereafter mentioned, to him the said David Guion, NOW THEREFORE THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that they the said parties of the first part in pursuance and by virtue of the power and authority in them reposed and to them given by their said Testator for and in consideration of the sum of One hundred Pounds current money of the Province of New York, to them in hand paid by the said David Guion on or before the ensealing and delivery of these presents the receipt whereoft they do hereby acknowledge and themselves therewith to be fully satisfied contented and paid and thereof do acquit release and discharge the said David Guion his executors administrators and assigns, by these presents have granted bargained sols [sic] aliened released and confirmed and by these presents Do grant bargain sell alien release and confirm unto the said David Guion in his actual possession now being by virtue of a bargain sale and lease for one year to him thereof made by the said parties of the first part by Indenture bearing date the day next before the day of the date hereof and also by force of the statute made for transfering of uses into possession and to his heirs and assigns forever, , [sic] ALL that certain tract or parcel o fland situate lying and being in the said Township of NEW ROCHELLE, commonly called and known by the name of the Glebe, Beginning at the creek or salt water thence running running [sic] northwesterly by the road that runs between the land of Banjamin Brown [Editor's Note: Edit Marks Indicate "Banjamin Bowne".] and the tract hereby granted to the fresh meadow westerly by the road that runs along the said meadow southeasterly by the land now in the possession of John Arnaud and which was bought out of the commons easterly by the creek or salt water to the place where if first began, Containing One hundred acres be the same more or less, HITHER with all and singular the profits privileges advantages emoluments rig hts [sic] [illegible] Immunities liberties buildings improvements hereditaments and appurtenances, whatsoever to the same belonging or in anywise appertaining, and all the right title property possession reversion claim and demand whatsoever which he the said Joseph Pell at the time of his death had or which they the said parties of the first part by virtue of his last Will and Testament have of in or to the same, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said premises hereby granted or ment [sic] mentioned or intended to be hereby granted unto the said David Guion his heirs and assigns to the only proper use, and behoof of him the said David Guion his heirs and assigns forever in as full and ample manner to all intents and purposes as he the said Joseph Pell in his life time held and enjoyed the same and not otherwise, IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties to these presents have hereunto interchangeably set their hands and seals the day and year first above written,

Sealed and delivered
PHEBE PELL. (L.S.)
SAMUEL SNEDEN. (L.S.)
JACOBUS BLEECKER. (L.S.)

The words (unto the said David Guion) near the beginning of the thirty first line being first wrote on a Raezure, the words (second February) & (third) on the first line being wrote on a raezure also a razure being made between the words (& 7 & Samuel on the 2d line & another razure being made between the words (friends) & John) on the 12th line the words (who hath legally since renounced the same, & the said ) between the 11th & 12th lines & the words (hundred) between the 20th & 21st lines being first interlined.

In the presence of us.
Mary Pell.
David Lispenard.

Received"

Source: Deed, Executors of Joseph Pell to David Guion, Westchester County Archives, Liber H, pp. 362-65 (Feb. 2, 1763) (courtesy of Mark Gaffney, Esq.).

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Program for January 8, 1889 Opening of the Hutchinson School in Pelhamville

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On January 8, 1889, the Union Free School District No. 1, Town of Pelham conducted opening exercises at the new Hutchinson School. The school building replaced the tiny wooden school house built for Pelhamville school children in the 1860s.

The collections of The Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham contain what appears to be a clipping from an undated early 20th century newspaper that reproduced the program issued for the opening exercises of the school. Today's Historic Pelham Blog Posting contains the two pages of the program scanned from that clipping. Beneath the images, to facilitate search, is the text of the program pages.

"Hutchinson School Opens
January 8, 1889

UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1, TOWN OF PELHAM.

OPENING EXERCISES

-- AT THE --

NEW SCHOOL HOUSE,

PELHAMVILLE, N. Y.,

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8TH, 1889,

AT 1 O'CLOCK P. M.

-----

RECEPTION COMMITTEE,

I. C. HILL, C. R. STILES,
MISS C. E. COWLES, MISS V. W. CAMPBELL, MISS J. L. WILSON.

REFRESHMENT COMMITTEE,

MRS. I. C. HILL,

MRS. R. C. BLACK, MRS. WM. ALLEN SMITH,
MRS. E. H. GURNEY, MRS. ROBERT H. SCOTT,
MRS. GEORGE PEARSON, MRS. A. ANDERSON,
MRS. J. WAUGH, MRS. T. SCOTT.

The residents of the District and their friends are cordially invited to attend these exercises and inspect the new School House.

WM. ALLEN SMITH, } Committee of Arrangements.
E. H. GURNEY,"

"PROGRAM.

1. PRAYER, . . . . REV. C. WINTER BOLTON.

2. HYMN - "Father in Heaven," . . . . BY THE PUPILS OF THE DISTRICT.

3. ADDRESS, . . . . WM. ALLEN SMITH, President of the Board of Education.

4. CHORUS - "The Mellow Horn." . . . . BY THE PUPILS.

5. CLASS EXERCISES,

Conducted by Principal I. C. HILL and Miss JULIA L. WILSON, Assistant.

a. ALGEBRA, . . . . CLASS A.

b. GRAMMAR - Analysis, . . . . CLASS B.

CHORUS - "Aim High," . . . . BY THE PUPILS.

c. READING - Primary, . . . . CLASS C.

d. ARITHMETIC - Fractions, . . . . CLASS B.

6. CHORUS - "Sweet and Low," . . . . BY THE PUPILS.

7. ADDRESS, . . . . JARED SANDFORD, School Commissioner.

8. CHORUS - "Chiming Bells," . . . . BY THE PUPILS.

9. ADDRESS, . . . . REV. D. N. FREELAND.

10. CHORUS - "The Laugh of a Child," . . . . BY THE PUPILS.

11. BENEDICTION, . . . . REV. CHAS. HIGBEE."

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Special Postal Cancellation on October 17-18, 1976 to Commemorate the Bicentennial of the Battle of Pelham During the Revolutionary War

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During the nation's bicentennial celebration in 1976, Pelham hosted a wonderful celebration that included, among many other activities, a reenactment of the Battle of Pelham that occurred on October 18, 1776. The reenactment was filmed and turned into a brief and informative documentary.

Among many aspects of the celebration was a special postal cancellation held on October 17-18, 1976 also to commemorate the bicentennial of the Battle of Pelham. An image of that special postal cancellation appears immediately below.

The image above depicts an original special cancellation maintained in the collections of The Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham.

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Early References to Pelham Roads in the Road Commissioners' Book Maintained in the Westchester County Archives

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In another example of my effort to share research notes regarding the history of Pelham before I have completed my work on a topic, today's Historic Pelham Blog publishes research notes of references to early Pelham roads contained in the Road Commissioners' Book maintained by the Westchester County Archives in Elmsford, New York. The notes, from the files of The Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham, follow:

"West-Chester County
A publick highway laid out in ye. Mannor of Pelham Beginning at ye. Country Road near where it crosses Huthason's [sic] River & runs as ye/ path now heads between James Huestis house & Thomas Pells Junr. house (yt. he bought of Samuel Huestis) & is continued along said Path till it Comes to ye. South eastmost Corner of James Huestis thirty Acre Lott of Land, laid out four Rods wide & according to marked trees & Stakes set up Giving libery to Thomas Pel to hang two gates Gates one at each end of said highway he keeping said Gates in good Repair at his own Cost & Charge performed this fifteenth day of April Annoq Dom. 1724.
Entered by me
W. Forster Cl.
Commissrs.
by us William Willett
Jno. Stevenson

Joseph Drake
Silvanus Palmer"

"Westchester County
At ye. Request of Thomas Pell Junr. We have reviewed a public highway wch. was laid out in ye. Mannor of Pelham by John Stevenson & Joseph Drake Commissrs. for laying out highways in Westchester County on ye. Seventeenth day of Augst. Annoq Dom. 1717 bebining Beginning [sic] att Hutchinsons River & runs according to marked trees up ye. River four rods wide till it comes to William Pinkin's Land yt. he bought of John Pell Esqr. and finding just & reasonable Cause to alter ye. said Road in part Do now ascertain the said Road as follows viz. to Runn up ye. abvesd. River as it was formerly laid out till it comes near to ye. Corner of Thomas Pell's clear field by ye. River then running across a Corner of said clear field up a Valley till it comes to a Road newly cleared by said Thomas Pell to ye. Northwd. of a hill & thence along ye. said new road to another clear field belonging to Thomas Pell aforesd. & thence along by the said Pells House as it now stands to ye. Land of William Pinckny wch. new part of the said road ye. said Pell obligres himself to clear & maintain wch. road is all along four rods wide laid out this first day of April Annoq. Dom. 1725

Entd. by W. Forster, Cl

by us
William Willett
Jno. Stevenson Commiss.
Joseph Drake
Silvanus Palmer"



"On the twenty first of June 1734 Then came complaint to us Commissrs. for New Rochell & peham to lay out a Rode on pelham Whereas we apinted to meet on June the twenty forth day at ye. house of philip pell Then & ther We agreed to begin at Boston road by a white oak tree neer ye. river from thence running Southward to a gate hanging to a black oak tre neer philip pell's house which gate We allow him to hang thence running on th foot of ye. hill where his house stands & where ye. path now goes to a sertain small brook from thence running as ye. path now goes to ye. North end of the field which philip pell bought of James Huestis thence running Eastward on ye. lower end of ye. field untill it comes to the fence between philip pell & William Ward thence running on ye. West side of said fence till it comes to Caleb pells Land Always provided that it be three rods wide as also allowing philip pell to hang a gate between him and Caleb pell Signed by us Anthony Lispenard Ollivier Besly Junr. John pell Junr.
Entered by me W. Forster, Cl."



"September ye. 2nd - 1735 A Return of ye. highway laid out thro ye. Mannour of Pelham begining at ye. parting of the necke between Thos. pell Sen, Esq. & his Son Thomas pell so runing up ye. said neck by ye. trees markt on each side of ye. road but chiefly, on ye West side until it comes to ye. Cassway from thence runing Norwest or thereabouts untill it comes to Joshua pells house as also by markt trees on ye. West Side of ye. ridg so runingon the West side of his house & barn about seven yards from each from thence runing as ye. path now runs till it Comes to Caleb pells to a white oak tree neer ye. Devision line between Caleb & philip pell marked with the Surveyors mark As also provided that the road be so far three rods wide from thence running along by Caleb pell's Orchard to ye. end thereof two rods & half & breadth from thence runing on Caleb pells land three rods in breadth untill it comes to a certain gate at the end of Philip pells land which gate hangs on a road which we laid out thro philip pells land to ye. Boston road on ye. 21st of June 1734 Signed by us Anthony Lispenard Ollivier Besley Junr John pell junr. Commissioners
Entd by me W. Forster Cl"



"Mannour of Pelham ffebruary the 20th - 1737/8 Then laid out be Act of Assembly a highway on the sd. Mannour To say begining at ye. Boston road near the bridge between Pelham & Eastchester Runing Southard to a Chestnut tree near philip pells barn then runing into ye. river so runing Southward in ye. said river to William Ward meadows & Isaac Contine meadows & so runing dow the Said river untill it Comes to Willm. Wards meadows on the Mannour of pelham & John Pells meadows & philip pells meadows & Sillick's Landing on Eastchester Ordered to be Recorded by us Commissrs. Ollivier Besly John pell
Entered by me W. Forster Cl"



"Westchester County A Return of a Highway Laid out on the Mannour of Pelham for ye. use of Amos Dodge Begining at a place Called the Narrows the nearest part of the neck to Minfords Island thence Runing between the Mowing Land of Thos. Pell junr. & the Water Side Three Rods wide or as wide as the Land will Admit off between Said Mowing Land & the Water Side form the sd. Narrows to the Dwelling House of Sd. Thos. Pell Junr on Hanhooks Neck and from the Said House as the people Dwelling therein now Goes to the parting of the Necks into the Road Already Layd out, Laid out by Us the Subscribers Comisioners of the Roads, for Pelham & Rochell in Westchester County this fifth Day of October Annoq Dom 1751
Anthony Lispenard
Joseph Rodman Comisioners
Philip Pell"



"A High Way in the Manor of Pelham
A High Way or road laid out in the Manor of Pelham at the request of phebe Pell & Samuel Sneden Two of the Executors of Joseph Pell late of the Manor of Pelham deceased. Begining at the Marked tree Sanding [sic] to the Westward of the House of John Pell Jun. being the Mark tree of the West bounds of New Rochell from thence along as the road now runs to Mile brook & so a long as the road now runs umtill it Comes to the West end of the lane which is in the Widdow Pells Land to a White Oak Tree Standing at the North side of the road thence from said Tree Westward along the fence to a Stack Standing at the North side of the road in the ffence from thence as the fence now runs to the Road that Comes from Joseph Pells down to Rodmans fferry the whole to be of Sufficient breath And we do order that the Widow Pell her heirs do keep & Mantain the Gate that Stands at the pertition of her & John Pell Esqr. And John Pell & his heirs do mentain the Gate that is between his House & Josiah Pell and Josiah & his heirs do keep & Mentain the Gate that is to the Eastward of his House Done and performed by Jacobus Bleeker & Peter flandro Two of the Commissioners for New Rochell & the Manor of Pelham this 17th Day of December 1764
Jacobus Bleeker
Peter fflandrau
a true Copy of the original
Ent & Exd by Jno Bartow Clk"

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Possible Remains of a Soldier Killed in the Battle of Pelham on October 18, 1776 Found in 1921

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For more than two hundred years, Pelham residents have unearthed many things left from the Battle of Pelham (also known as the Battle of Pell's Point) that occurred on October 18, 1776. In 1921, however, laborers unearthed what officials concluded likely were the remains of one of those who fought in the battle.

The remains were discovered while workmen were digging the foundation for a home on Wolfs Lane near Reed Avenue. It appears from an article about the discovery that the remains were reinterred at the same location shortly after discovery.

An article about the discovery appeared in the May 21, 1921 issue of The Pelham Sun. Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting publishes the text of that article.

"Laborer Digs Up Skull and Bones Near Wolfs Lane

-----

Believed to be Skeleton of Body Buried During the Revolution

-----

Coroner Engle, Health Officer McGuire, Chief Gargan and Engineer Campbell Viewed the Remains

-----

Digging the foundation for a house on Wolf's Lane near Reed avenue, an italian laborer in the employ of Smith Bros. unearthed a peculiar looking object just before noon Wednesday. Calling the attention of the foreman to his discovery, he showed him, what he thought was a 'soft piece of rock'. The man in charge, however, in turning the object over, was startled to learn that he was holding the skull of a human being in his hand, and, dropping it, he never stopped running until he landed in the Pelham Manor Police Station where he revealed the nature of the discovery to Chief Philip Gargan who hurried to the scene. Health Officer McGuire was also notified.

The news of the finding of the skull spread quickly around the neighborhood and in a short time there was a large number who gathered to view the wierd [sic] object.

Examining the skull, Dr. McGuire stated that he was of the opinion that it must have been in the earth for more than a hundred years, it being possible that it was from the time of the Revolution. He further stated that it has often been said that it was through Wolf's Lane that General Howe led his men during the time of the skirmish at White Plains.

At the suggestion of Chief Gargan the laborers were ordered to continue their digging in an endeavor to locate additional portions of the body, and in a comparatively short time a number of bones were located which were also stored with the skull nearby.

Judging from the large size of the jaw bones and teeth it was believed that the skelton [sic] was that of a man.

Coroner Engle came over from Yonkers on an official visit to see the remains and ordered its immediate burial, saying that it probably has been in the ground for centuries. Chief Gargan, Dr. McGuire and Engineer Campbell all agreed with the Coroner, so all suspicion of foul play was immediately dispelled."

Source: Laborer Digs Up Skull and Bones Near Wolfs Lane, The Pelham Sun, Vol. 12, No. 12, May 21, 1921, p. 1, col. 4.

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Richard Crabb, the "Magistrate" Who Witnessed the Signing of Thomas Pell's Treaty with Local Native Americans on June 27, 1654

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On June 27, 1654, Thomas Pell signed a "treaty" with local Native Americans acquiring the lands that became Pelham and surrounding areas. A copy of that treaty, said to be in Thomas Pell's handwriting, exists. It is among the Pell family papers maintained by the Fort Ticonderoga Museum.

That document offers some of the best evidence we have of those who knew Thomas Pell. I have begun working to shed light on the lives of those Englishmen who witnessed the agreement on June 27, 1654. An image of that agreement and a transcription of its text is available on the Historic Pelham Web site by clicking here.

Among those whose signatures or marks appear on the document as witnesses are "Richard Crabb", "Henry Accorly", "John Ffinch", "William Newman" and others. Inquiry into the backgrounds of these men, hopefully, may shed additional light on Thomas Pell and his purchase.

Less than an hour's worth of research suggests the conclusions set forth in this Blog posting. Accordingly, I note that today's posting should be considered exactly what it is -- research notes yet to be proved or disproved. These notes, based on such suspect resources as Web-based family genealogies will require a tremendous amount of follow-up. Yet, as always, I believe that where there is smoke there is fire. I further believe I can best serve the improvement of "knowledge" about the history of Pelham if I share what I know -- and provide references -- so that such "knowledge" can be tested in the future by those likely to have better resources and can affirm or deny my efforts!

Of the signatories to the treaty, "Richard Crabb" (also referenced in records as "Richard Crab") likely is the best known. He signed the treaty as "Magistrate" and as one of the "English Witnesses". Cursory research suggests that he is the individual whose life most likely will be revealed in the most detail with additional research.

Crabb family genealogical researchers seem uncertain, but have suggested that Richard Crabb was born in 1594 in Suffolk, England and died in Oyster Bay, Long Island in 1680. See The Message Board at The Oyster Bay Historical Society, Archive 01011202 posted by Robert Crabbe on Jun. 29, 2002 http://www.servenet.com/OBHistory/obhboard/archive01011202/902.html (visited May 17, 2006).

It seems likely that Richard Crab owned property in Greenwich (Horse-Neck) in the mid-17th century and, later, moved to Oyster Bay, Long Island. He may have married Mary Coe in England. She reportedly was born about 1592 and died in 1618. Id.

He seems to have had two sons: Richard and Jeremiah. The younger Richard married Alse (Alice) Wright, widow of Peter. Id. Richard Crabb reportedly came to America with his two sons in 1634. Id. Of course, the fact that one of the sons was named after his father makes this research all the more difficult and the conclusions as to which Richard Crabb (or Crab) was involved in a particular circumstance all the more suspect.

The older Richard Crabb seems to have been a well-respected early settler in the Stamford and Greenwich areas. Indeed, shortly after free planters convened at Hartford on January 14, 1639 to introduce a new constitution, "Richard Crab" was elected by the freemen who convened at Hartford on the second Thursday in April to serve as one of the first deputies sent to the first general assembly in Connecticut. See Trumbull, Benjamin, A Complete History of Connecticut Civil and Ecclesiastical From the Emigration of its First Planters, from England, in the Year 1630, to Year 1764; and to the Close of the Indian Wars In Two Volumes By Benjamin Trumbull, D.D. Volume I With an Appendix Containing the Original Patent of New England, Vol. I, p. 77 (New London, CT: H. D. Utley 1898).

According to one source, Richard Crab "was one of the original settlers of Stamford, and in November 1641 Richard was one of seven men selected as townsmen for Stamford, Connecticut." See Husted Family Timeline - Timeline of the Robert Husted Family From Dorset, England To Massachusetts, United States in 1635 Updated January 07, 2006 http://gh455.tripod.com/ (visited May 17, 2006).

As early as 1646, "Richard Crab" seems to have been living in Greenwich. According to one source, he walked with neighbors from Greenwich to Stamford in June, 1646 to attend the wedding of Thomas Lyon and Martha Winthrop. According to that source:

"June, 1646.
Robert Husted, along with his home at Stamford, had another home in Greenwich, and walked three or four miles from Greenwich to Stamford, Connecticut along with his son Angell and Rebecca Heusted, and the families of Thomas Sherwood, Robert Feake, Richard Crab, John Coe, and the wife of Daniel Patrick to attend the wedding of Thomas Lyon and Martha Winthrop, who wanted to be wed in the English territory of Stamford, not in the Dutch territory of Greenwich. . . . "

Source: Husted Family Timeline - Timeline of the Robert Husted Family From Dorset, England To Massachusetts, United States in 1635 Updated January 07, 2006 http://gh455.tripod.com (visited May 17, 2006).

Similarly, according to the same source, on October 31, 1647, "Robert Husted his wife Elizabeth, Angell Heusted and wife Rebecca, along with the families of Thomas Sherwood, Richard Crab Tobias Feake attend a Harvest Festival at the home of William and Elizabth [Feake] Hallett, who were now 'married'. . . . They were celebrating the Harvest Festival to give thanks for the years [sic] crop harvest and held it on All Hallows Eve to celebrate [Halloween]." Id.

"Richard Crabb" caught the attention of Dutch authorities, including Peter Stuyvesant, in September, 1649 when a letter was sent to Stuyvesant accusing Richard Crabb, Robert Heusted, Thomas Sherwood and John Coe of trying to convince Greenwich settlers who lived in Dutch territory to move to the English settlement in Stamford. See id. (referencing later dated September 18, 1649).

In 1652, "Richard Crab" witnessed the will of Robert Heusted along with William Newman who was another signer of Thomas Pell's June 27, 1654 treaty. According to one source, the pertinent portion of the will read as follows:

"[vis] Namely I give unto my sonn Angell all my Lands Lying in Grenwich with thee howsing upon it. Also I give unto my Sonn Angell a third of my cattle, I give unto my Sonn Robert all my Lands Lying in Stamford & one third of my cattle with all ye howsing on ye Land this only expected yt my Wife is to have being there her life time & to her Mantanence for her cattle from of ye Land I give unto my Wife one third part of my cattle with all my household stuff & a stack of wheat standing on ye Land at Grenwich onely my Sonn Angell is to have 32 bushels of ye said wheat further I give unto my Sonn Angell halfe ye tackling belonging to ye working oxen as cart & plow & other things belonging there belonging to yt these with a third part of ye corne I have upon ye ground I give unto my Sonn Robert ye Wife ye other third part of ye corne upon ye ground & I give unto my Daughter Ann tenn pounds which my two Sonns are to pay her yt is to saye Angell & Robert also I give unto all my Sonns all my Deets this Will Dated this 8 day of July 1652 Sealed & Delivered in ye presence of these Witnesses
Richard Crab
William Newman"

Source: Id.

On June 27, 1654, of course, Thomas Pell signed his treaty with local Native Americans by which he acquired the lands that later became Pelham, Eastchester, New Rochelle and surrounding lands. According to that instrument, Richard Crabb was there that day in his capacity as "Magistrate" and signed the treaty as an English witness. See Bell, Blake A., Copy of Thomas Pell's Treaty with the Siwanoys, in Thomas Pell's Handwriting, June 27, 1654 <http://www.historicpelham.com/PellTreaty.htm> (visited May 17, 2006).

During the next few years, "Richard Crab" seems to have had run-ins with Connecticut authorities. In 1656, the general court at New-Haven asserted a right to Greenwich and ordered the inhabitants of Greenwich to submit to their jurisdiction. Residents of Greenwich reportedly issued a letter to the court in May denying the court's jurisdiction and "refusing any sub-jection to the colony, unless they should be compelled to it, by the parliament." See Trumbull, Benjamin, A Complete History of Connecticut Civil and Ecclesiastical From the Emigration of its First Planters, from England, in the Year 1630, to Year 1764; and to the Close of the Indian Wars In Two Volumes By Benjamin Trumbull, D.D. Volume I With an Appendix Containing the Original Patent of New England, Vol. I, p. 188 (New London, CT: H. D. Utley 1898).

According to one source, Richard Crab was in the thick of this dispute. In response to the May 1656 letter to the court in New-Haven, the court: "resolved, that, unless they should appear before the court, and make their submission, by the 20th of June, Richard Crab and others, who were the most stubborn among them, should be arrested and punished, according to law. They, therefore, some time after, subjected their persons and estates to the government of New-Haven." Id. Another source confirms that Richard Crab subjected himself to the government of New-Haven at this time. See Huntington, E. B., History of Stamford, CT from it's Settlement in 1641 Until 1820 (1868; reprinted Picton Press, 1992) (Oct. 6, 1656 John Austin was among eleven Greenwich men who acknowledged allegiance to New Haven. The others were Angel Husted, Lawrence Turner, Richard Crab, Thomas Steadwell, Henry Accorly, Peter Ferris, Joseph Ferris, Jonathan Reynolds, Have Peterson and Henry Nicholson). Interestingly, of these seven men, Henry Accorly was among those who signed Thomas Pell's treaty, along with Richard Crabb, on June 27, 1654.

Even if Richard Crab was among those who subjected himself and his estate to the government of New-Haven, he seems still to have criticized the New-Haven authorities. In fact, in 1658 the New-Haven authorities convicted Crab for "clamorous speeches against the ministry, government and officers". See Eldridge, Larry D., Heritage - The Growth of Free Speech in Early America, p. 14 (NY, NY and London: New York University Press 1994) (citing "Crab - HAVEN-2:242 (1658)").

It seems likely that Richard Crab owned property in Greenwich (Horse-Neck) in the mid-17th century and, later, moved to Oyster Bay, Long Island. There seems to be a deed by which Richard Crab sold lands to John Mead in 1660. According to one source, the deed read as follows:

"These presents witnesseth an agreement made between Richard Crab of Grenwich, on ye one side & John Mead of Hemstead on Long Island on ye other side, viz: ye sd Richard Crab hath sould unto ye sd John Mead all his houses & Lands yt sd Richard Crab hath in Grenwich wit all ye Apurtenances. Rights & Privileges & Conveniences yt doth belong unto ye sd houses & lands or shall here after belong unto them namely ye house yt Rechard Crab liveth in. Ye house yt Thomas Studwell liveth in with ye Barne yt is on ye other side of ye hyewaye; also ye home lott ye house stands on being bounded with a fence about them Lying on ye North west side against ye home lott also Eightene Acres of Land in Elizabeth neck more or less being bounded on ye sea on ye East ans south east and a fence on ye west northwest & ye north. Also ye Rig being bounded by ye Sea on ye south east. Williamses Land on the east & a fence on ye northwest. Ye hye waye & hubert & angell Husted land on ye west; also three acres of meadow in ye Long meadow & one acre of Meadow by ferris bounded by Jeffere Ferris land on ye southwest and ye Cove on ye west and northwest: ye hyewaye on ye East & northeast & five acres of meadow in myanos neck. All these above spesiffied I do acknoledge to have sould unto ye above sd John Mead. His heaires & asignes fully & freely to be posses forever & for ye just & full performance hereof I have hereunto subscribed my hand Ann 1660 October 26 Daye.

Richard Crabb

Witness

Adam Mott
Robert Williams

In answer to ye Law Titale Possession page fiftie & six wee under written do Subscribe acknoledge ye above Meads title to sd Lands to bee good acording to what ye law Directs 1698

Samll Peck Justice of ye Peace
Robert Lockwood Towns Man."

Source: Gilbert, George Robert, My Genealogy Page - Mead <http://members.aol.com/ggilb10335/Mead.html> (visited May 17, 2006).

Another source references the same sale of land by Richard Crab. See Collins, Jr., R. Thomas, One Life at a Time, p. 57 (Oakton, VA: Ravensyard Publishing, Ltd. 1999) ("On October 26, 1660, after three years in Hempstead, John and Hannah [Mead] returned to the Connecticut shoreline to purchase 'several score' acres, some buildings and livestock from Richard Crab in Elizabeth Neck, today's Old Greenwich.").

It appears that upon the sale of his Greenwich land in 1660, Richard Crab moved to Oyster Bay, Long Island. For example, according to one source: "Peter's [Peter Wright's] wife was Alice . . . she was an active, energetic and prominent member of the little community [of Oyster Bay, Long Island]. She survived her husband, and subsequently married Richard Crab, one of the early Stamford settlers, who came to Oyster Bay in 1660." Latting, John J., The Wright Family of Oyster Bay, L. I. http://home.comcast.net/~jameslstokes/oyster.htm (visited May 17, 2006).

Richard Crab seems to have died in Oyster Bay, Long Island in 1680. The following is an abstract of his will.

"'Oyster Bay this 5th day of Second month 1680.' This declares unto all that it may in any way concerne, that I Richard Crab of Oyster Bay, being sicke and weake, and know not how the lord may deal with me. Therefore while my understanding may remain, for settling my estate in Peace.' Leaves to his daughter in law Lide Wright, 'my house and Home lot on the east side of Samuel Andrews house lot,' the way being between, and all the common rights that belong to said house lot, with one share of meadow in Great Meadow. To John Townsend, son of James Townsend, of Oyster Bay, my whole share of Land on Hogg Island. Leaves the rest of his estate to his wife Alse Crab, and makes her executor, and Matthew Ryer and Henry Townsend, Sr., overseers.

Witnesses Anthony Wright, John Johns. Proved at Court of Sessions held in Jamaica, June 9, and confirmed, December 30, 1680."

Source: RootsWeb.com Dutch-Colonies-L Archives posting 0996792716 by WayneLII http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/Dutch-Colonies/2001-08/0996792716 (visited May 17, 2006) (citing "Abstracts of Wills Vol. I 1665-1707, page 106: Page 401. -- RICHARD CRAB, Oyster Bay.").

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More About Benjamin Palmer's Involvement With Raising Funds for a Free Bridge from Manhattan

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Benjamin Palmer was the son-in-law of Thomas Pell, Third Lord of the Manor of Pelham. In 1761, Benjamin Palmer purchased from his brother, Joseph, the island then known as Minefor's Island (known today as City Island, long a part of the Town of Pelham before its annexation by New York City). Benjamin Palmer had grand plans to build a large port City on the island intended to rival New York City as an international shipping hub.

On Tuesday, May 2, 2006, I published to the Historic Pelham Blog a posting entitled "Benjamin Palmer's Advertisement in 1756 To Raise Subscriptions To Fund a Free Bridge From Manhattan". In it I described Palmer's involvement in efforts to break the monopoly, so to speak, of the only bridge from Manhattan to the mainland -- the toll bridge known as King's Bridge. To this end, in 1756 he began efforts to raise the funds necessary to build a free bridge from Manhattan. Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting provides more information about Palmer's involvement, based on a fascinating advertisement that appeared in at least two issues of The New-York Journal, Or General Advertiser in 1767. The text of those advertisements appears immediately below.

"IT is hoped that the Gentlemen who were pleased to sign the Recommendation to the following Petition, and which was therewith presented to the last General Assembly of this Province, will excuse the Publication of their Names, as we have no other Means to clear ourselves of a Scandalous Accusation, which we are informed by Benjamin Fowler, Esq., is brought against us by Col. Frederick Philips, of having the Names of three Gentlemen who never subscribed to said Recommendation, Viz. Doct. Robert Graham, Mrs. Stephen Ward, and the Said Benjamin Fowler, Esq.; one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, inserted in the List of Subscribers to the same, which, if so, must have been forged while in our Custody.

As the Inhabitants of this Colony in general, and many others, have received great Benefit by the Erection of the Free-Bridge, which we undertook at first with as great a Regard to the public Good at our own private Advantage, and as we have hitherto, not only received no Reward for this Service, but have done it at the expense of a very large Sum of our own Property, which we have lain out of many Years, it cannot but be thought extremely hard that it should also bring upon our Characters so cruel and injurious an Aspersion - and we hope that high Regard which every honest Man ought to have for his Character, will sufficiently justify as for taking this Method to clear ours, from so scandalous an Imputation.
JACOB DEYCKMAN, Junr.
JOHN VERMILIE.

To the Honourable the GENERAL ASSEMBLY, for the Province of New-York.

The PETITION of JACOB DYCKMAN, BENJAMIN PALMER, and JOHN VERMILIE; HUMBLY SHEWETH,

THAT your Petitioners have with great Pains and Labour, erected a Bridge over Harlem River, a little to the Southward of a Place called and known by the Name of King's-Bridge, and that the said Bridge has been, and is now of great Benefit and Utility to the Public; and that for want of proper Support and Assistance, it is likely soon to come to Decay, and the Public again reduced to the Necessity of paying to the Toll-Bridge as formerly : And also that your Petitioners having expended upwards of One Thousand Pounds in erecting and repairing the same, have received no more than Two Hundred and Eighty Pounds for that Purpose; so that your Petitioners are in Arrearage upwards of Seven Hundred Pounds, as will appear by the Accounts now in the Possession of the House, attested before the Mayor of the City of New-York : Therefore your Petitioners humbly pray, that the Honourable House would take the Matter of their Petition in Consideration, and grant them such Relief in the Premises, as they in their great Wisdom shall think fit, and your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.

The above Petition was presented to the General Assembly with a Recommendation, signifying the Truth of the Facts therein mentioned, the great public Benefit of the said Bridge, the Reasonableness of the Petition, $c and praying that the Petitioners should be allowed such Compensation, Relief and Assistance, as the General Assembly in their Wisdom should think proper. This Recommendation, was subscribed by the following Inhabitants and Gentlemen, and no others, viz.

The underwritten are the Gentlemen's Names of New-York.

James Delancey Richard Van Dyck Philip Brasher
Thomas Jones Jasper Drake John Stitite
John V. D. Speigel Joseph Jadwin Peter Vandervoort
Henry Cruger John Ray Petrus Byvanck
Sidney Breese Peter Clopper James Bown, junr
Peter Remsen Joseph Scott James Sutton
Elias Desbrosses William Kirby Abraham Sebring
Robert Murray Cors. Wortendick William Depeyster
Paul Scanck Thomas Tucker Isaac Rosevelt
Jacob Walton Garret Rapalje John Depeyster
Peter V.B. Livingston Henry Franklin Benjamin Stout
James M'Evers Abel Hardinbrook Gerard Depeyster
Andrew M'Myer Samuel Johnson James Van Horne
Ger. Wm. Beekman Abrm. Van Vleck Chisr. Roosevelt
Ger. Duyckinck Nicholas Bogert Jesse Hunt
Theos. Van Wyck P. T. Curtenius. Alexander Whyte
Garrit Abeel John Child Joseph Drake
James Abeel Caspar Wistar Comfort Sands
Uriah Hendricks James Gordon Joshua Hutchings
Abraham Cock Amos Dodge James Bennit
Wm. Bancker Thomas Williams John Moore
Joseph Dewight Benjamin Burling Jacob Townsend
Joseph Robinson Patt Macknifs Samuel Underhill
James Datzel [?] Hugh Ryder Jonas Platt
John Stout William Nicoll Silvanus Dillingham
Caleb Hyatt Benjamin Underhill Anthony Shoemaker
Isaac Sears Amos Underhill Joshua Bloomer
Isaac Corfa Jacob Watson James Franklin
Joseph Bull Samuel Franklin John Dunscomb
Wm. Hardenbrook Thomas Franklin
John Franklin James Green

The underwritten are the Gentlemen's Names of West-Chester County.

Lewis Morris Thomas Butler Jacobus Bleecker
James Graham John Fowler Philip Pell
Cornelius Willit Barnard Rynlander Thomas Pinkney
John Ferguson Isaac Guyon Abraham Guion
Robert Hunt junr. George Cornwelijun Daniel Barker
John Legget Abraham Legget William Griffin
Isaac Legget John Townsend Edward Merrit
Gabriel Legget James Horton Joseph Purdy
John Hedger Benjamin Griffin Joseph Hains
John Emary Jonathan Purdy Gerard Bloomer
David Hunt Benjamin Palmer Benjamin Brown
Aaron Hunt Gilbert Budd Abraham Canfield
Isaac Willit Lewis Maruen Ebenezer Kniffin
Stephen Hunt Thomas Forman Joseph Theall
Elvin Hunt Daniel Miller Daniel Thang
Isaac Wilkins junr Isaac Anderson Timothy Witmore
John Oakley John Doughty Joshua Purdy
Nath. Underhill Ebenezer Haviland William Sutton
William Betts Jonathan Brown Ephraim Avery
John Ferris David Brown Samuel Tredwell
Edward Stevenson Jonath. Brown jun Isaiah Maynard
Aaron Quinby Jonathan Wright Christr. Eisenhart
Israel Honeywell James Haviland Benjamin Ferris
Theophilus Bartow Jeremiah Fowler Moses Owen
Walter Brigs Isaac Oakley Caleb Ferris
Charles Vincent jun. Caleb Griffin Ebenezer Burling
John Williams junr Israel Oakley Samuel Sueden
John Williams Gabriel Lynch Thomas Farrington
Isaac Williams Gilbert Ferris Jonathan Griffin
Isaac Valentine John Townsend Jonathan Griffin
Jonathan Fowler Moses Drake (Tompkins
Lewis Guyon Benjamin Drake James Verryan

The underwritten are the Gentlemen's Names of Harlem.

John Nagal John Dyckman John Myer
Jacob Nagal John Sickels Pexell Fowler
William Nagal John Sickels Hendrick V. Bramer
William Dyckman Arent Buffin [?] Garrett Striker
John Oblenes Cornelius Sickles Jacob Dyckman
Abraham Buffin [?] John Roomer Peter Myers
Henry Oblenes Abraham Myer Adolphus Myer
Arent Myer Lawrence Myers John Bessonet
John Myer junr. Abraham Meyers jun. St. George Talbot"

Source: [Untitled] IT is hoped . . ., The New-York Journal, Or General Advertiser, Mar. 5, 1767, p. 3 (The same advertisement also appeared in the March 12, 1767 issue of the same newspaper, p. 1).

For a related advertisement, see To the consideration of the Public, The New-York Journal, Or General Advertiser, Feb. 26, 1767, p. 3.

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Using Excelsior To Search the Collections of the New York State Archives, New York State Library and the New York State Museum

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Periodically I try to include postings on the Historic Pelham Blog intended to help readers use online resources to further their research about Pelham and surrounding areas. (Typically such resources can be used for genealogical work as well.) Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting will describe the use of an excellent online resource named "Excelsior" that allows users to search catalogues of archival collections maintained by the New York State Archives, the New York State Library and the New York State Museum.

Excelsior may be accessed at the following Web address: http://nysl.nysed.gov/. Users may wish to begin by selecting the "Search Entire Catalog" button. To try the system, click on that button. You will see two search dialog boxes. The first allows you to select whether to search by Keyword, to browse or to search by exact phrase. Select "Keyword" for now.

The second search dialog allows you to choose a "library" from the picklist. Place your cursor on the small blue button with the downward pointing carrot (i.e., arrow) and click to see a list of the libraries you may search. For now, make sure you click on -- and, thus, select -- "ALL".

In the "Keyword" search dialog box, type the word Pelham. Click "SEARCH EVERYTHING" immediately beneath that dialog box. You will see entries for 432 records.

The first record is quite intriguing. It is a reference to a copy of a newspaper published on City Island in 1894 when City Island was still part of the Town of Pelham. The paper was called "City Island Drift". Click on the small blue oval button entitled "VIEW" beneath #1 to see a more complete reference to the item. It notes that the newspaper described itself as "A weekly publication devoted to the interests of the Town of Pelham and City Island".

Scroll through the results. As you scroll to the bottom of each screen you will need to click on the blue oval "FORWARD" button to move to the next screen of search results. If you need to go back to an earlier screen, do NOT use your browser's back button. Instead, click on the blue oval "BACKWARD" button at the bottom (and at the top) of each screen.

As you scroll through the results you will see dozens of surprising and interesting items related to the history of Pelham, each available from the archive identified in the full bibliographic reference accessed when you click on the blue oval "VIEW" button next to the pertinent search result.

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Resales of Lots in the 1760s on the Island Known Today as City Island

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Recently I have been researching the early history of the island known today as City Island. That island was part of Thomas Pell's original land acquisition in 1654 and was part of the Manor of Pelham and, subsequently, the Town of Pelham until the island was annexed by the City of New York in 1896. One of the more interesting tidbits that I recently have uncovered concerns a reference that suggests that a couple who were acquitted of witchcraft after a trial on Long Island in 1665 subsequently fled to the Manor of Pelham where they lived for a time on "Great Miniford's Island" -- likely today's City Island.

Local historians generally consider City Island to have been settled by English settlers in 1685. If, as I suspect, this reference to a settlement by Ralph and Mary Hall in 1668 relates to Greater Minneford's Island, this would move back by nearly twenty years the date of the first settlement of today's City Island. To read a few of my Blog postings regarding the early history of City Island, see:

Friday, May 12, 2006: Possible Evidence that Residents of the Manor of Pelham Were Acquitted in Rare 17th Century Witchcraft Trial in New York

Thursday, May 11, 2006: Thomas Pell Offers City Island, Then Known as Minneford Island, for Sale in the Mid-18th Century

Friday, May 5, 2006: 1763 Announcement that City Island in the Manor of Pelham Has Been Laid Out in Lots for Sale

Tuesday, April 26, 2005: The Samuel Pell House on City Island, Once Part of Pelham

Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting provides additional information regarding the 18th century history of City Island.

In 1761, Benjamin Palmer purchased Minneford Island. He planned to change the name of the island to "City Island", to sell lots and to develop a port intended to rival the nearby port of New York City. It appears that not long after Palmer purchased the island and began selling lots, a secondary market for such lots arose. Immediately below is the text of an advertisement published in 1767 offering such lots. It appeared on a number of occasions, although a citation to a single such instance follows the text of the advertisement below. (The advertisement first describes a number of homes and properties in New York City before offering the "Miniford's Island" lots near the end of the advertisement.)

"TO BE SOLD,

At PUBLIC VENDUE, on Tuesday the 7th Day of April, at 2 o'Clock in the Afternoon, on the Premises. To be put in Possession the first of May.

FOUR LOTS AND HOUSES OF LEASE

Church Ground, belonging to the late David Ross, of the City of New-York, Carpenter, deceased; two Lots joining on the North River, each having a good Dwelling House, the one being a double House, having two Cellar Kitches, two Rooms, and two Bed Rooms, containing six Fire Places : The other joining to it, is two Story high, having three Fire Places, a large Room, Entry, Shop, and Bed Room, and three Rooms above : The said House has a large Kitchen, with a good Oven and Cellar. Both these Houses have a fine Prospect of the Bay and North River. The third House and Lot is fronting to the North River, a little to the Sourt-East of King's College, it being two Story high, having a good Room, Shop and Entry, and a large Kitchen and good Oven upon the first Floor ; two Rooms above with Fire Places, and a good Stone Cellar uner the House. The fourth House and Let in Barclay Street, having one front Room, Kitchen and Leanto back in the Yard, and two Fire Places in the Whole. - Likewise, Two Lots of Land, without any Improvement, in the new Settlement up the Sound, commonly called Miniford's Island, or Pell's Island, in the County of West-Chester, and Province of New-York, each Lot containing twenty-five Feet front, and one hundred Feet back, English Measure Any Person inclining to purchase any of them before the Day of Sale, may apply to JOHN STYMETS, and RACHEL ROSS, Administrators, near the College, who will give a good Title for the same. The Conditions to be known at the Day of Sale.

New-York, March 16, 1767."

Source: To Be Sold, The New-York Gazette or The Weekly Post-Boy, Mar. 19, 1767, p. 3.

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Possible Evidence that Residents of the Manor of Pelham Were Acquitted in Rare 17th Century Witchcraft Trial in New York

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A few weeks ago I had to do a double take as I did some research regarding the history of Minneford's Island (known today as City Island and once part of Pelham before annexation by New York City in the late 19th Century). Though formal witchcraft trials were somewhat of a rarity in New York during the 17th Century, I stumbled across a reference that suggests that a couple who were acquitted of witchcraft after a trial on Long Island in 1665 subsequently fled to the Manor of Pelham where they lived for a time on Greater Minneford Island when it was owned by Thomas Pell, First Lord of the Manor of Pelham. Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting transcribes the text of the reference from a book published in 1869 and cited below.

"1665.

During the Administration of the Government of New York by Richard Nicolls, Esq., one Case of Witchcraft, at least, found its Way into the Courts. That they were as common as in other contemporary Communities of the Day, there is not much Doubt. That they were not Matters of legal Investigation, possibly depended on the Absence of a special Law for such a Contingency, or that the Laws in general were less regarded than they were among their Neighbours in some of the other Colonies. Certainly in New Jersey, the Legends of an existing Witchcraft, or a certain Belief that it had existed there is current in many Places, and a Witch Tree is, or was, pointed out not many Years ago, in a certain Locality.

The Case which came before the Court of Assizes in New York in 1665, was that of Ralph Hall, and his Wife Mary Hall; and although they were eventually acquitted, they were held in Durance about three Years. [Historic Pelham Note: Durance means restraint by force.] The Charge in the Indictment against Hall was that he 'upon the 25th Day of December [1663], being Christmas last was twelve Months, and several other Days and Times since that Day, by some detestable and wicked Arts, commonly called Witchcraft and Sorcery, did (as suspected) maliciously and feloniously practise and exercise, at the Town of Seatalcott [since Setauket, now Brookhaven], in the East Riding of Yorkshire, on Long Island, on the Person of George Wood, late of the same Place, by which wicked and detestable Arts the said George Wood (as is suspected) most dangerously and mortally sickened and languished, and not long after, by the aforesaid wicked and detestable Arts, the said George Wood (as is likewise suspected) died.' Also it was alleged, in the same Indictment, that an Infant Child of Ann Rogers, Widow of the aforesaid George Wood, had, 'some While after the Death' of Wood, sickened and died, and that its Death was caused by the said Hall. The same Indictment was also recited against the Wife of Hall, and then a Bundle of Depositions was read to the Court (no Witnesses appearing in Person), and the Accused called upon by the Clerk to hold up the right Hand, and the substance of the Charges were reiterated. They pleaded not Guilty, and their Case was committed to the Jury. In due Time the Jury rendered a Verdict, to the Effect that they 'found some Suspicions of what the Woman was charged with, but Nothing considerable of Value to take away her Life; but in Reference to the Man, we find Nothing considerable to charge him with.'

The Sentence of the Court was, that Hall 'should be bound Body and Goods for his Wife's Appearance at the next Sessions and so on from Sessions to Sessions, as long as they stay in this Government. In the mean While to be of good Behaviour.' Under these Bonds they continued until the 21st of August, 1668, at which Time 'they were living upon the Great Miniford's Island.' And we do not find that they were compelled to pay the Costs, as was often the Case with Parties acquitted elsewhere."

Source: Drake, Samuel G., Annals of Witchcraft in New England and Elsewhere in the United States from their First Settlement Drawn Up from Unpublished and Other Well Authenticated Records of the Alleged Operations of Witches and Their Instigator, the Devil, pp. 125-27 (NY, NY: Burt Franklin 1869).

It seems at least possible that Pelham founder Thomas Pell knew Mr. and Mrs. Hall. They were living on his land ("Great Miniford's Island") in August 1668 a year or so before his death in late September or early October 1669.

Pell and his family certainly knew the horrors of witch hunts. His family members testified in a Connecticut witch trial of "Goodwife Knapp" in 1653. That trial resulted in her execution. See Bell, Blake A., The Involvement of Thomas Pell's Family in the Witchcraft Persecution of Goody Knapp, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 4, Jan. 23, 2004, p. 11, col. 1.

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Thomas Pell Offers City Island, Then Known as Minneford Island, for Sale in the Mid-18th Century

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Thomas Pell, Third Lord of the Manor of Pelham, offered Minneford's Island (known today as City Island) for sale in the mid-18th century. The Town of Pelham did not yet exist. It was created in 1788.

Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting will provide a little background about Thomas Pell, Third Lord, and will provide the text of two advertisements offering the island for sale. One was published in 1750 and another in 1747.

According to Lockwood Barr in his book on the history of Pelham, Thomas Pell (3rd Lord) was born in 1675. He was the son of John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor, and Rachel Pinckney Pell. John Pell, in turn, was the nephew of Thomas Pell (First Proprietor sometimes known as First Lord of the Manor of Pelham). Barr based much of his research in this regard on Pelliana, a Pell family publication.

According to Barr, "Thomas, the first child [of John Pell and Rachel Pinckney], was born 1675. Thomas died 1752, although Pelliana, Vol. I, No. 1, says he died in 1754. Will of Thomas dated Sept. 3, 1739, shown in Bolton, pp. 63-64, was filed Aug. 18, 1752, Surrogate Office, New York Record of Wills, Vol. X, ong. pp. 155-156, dated 1751-54." Barr, p. 36.

Thomas Pell (3rd Lord) had a number of children including a son named Thomas. Thomas Pell (3rd Lord) reportedly was the first Pell family landowner in the Manor of Pelham who abolished the English rule of primogeniture by which a property owner's eldest son inherited the family estate. Thus, the younger Thomas Pell (son of the Third Lord) -- who was not the eldest son of the family (his brother Joseph was) -- received a share of the Third Lord's estate at the time of his death. Barr noted the following in this regard:

"(d) Will of Joseph I, son of Thomas, dated Aug. 1, 1752, proven Sept. 25, 1752. See Bolton, pp. 64-65. Joseph I, evidently died before his father, Thomas, and so did not inherit title of Lord. Title of Lord of the Manor was passed on to his son, Joseph II, who became the 4th Lord of the Manor, and the last.

(e) English rule of primogeniture, by which the eldest son inherited the family estate, abolished by Thomas, 3rd Lord, who divided this estate among all his children. As a result that part of the estate on which had stood the Manor House of Sir John, passed to Thomas, brother of Joseph II, the 4th Lord."

Barr, p. 36.

Based on the foregoing, it seems rather certain that the advertisement offering Minneford's Island for sale in 1750 likely was placed by Thomas Pell, Third Lord of the Manor. That advertisement read as follows:

"To be SOLD,

A Plantation, called Minefer's - Island, lying on the Sound, in Westchester County, containing about 250 Acres of choice good Land; ---whereon is a good Dwelling-House and Barn, and a very good young Orchard of upwards of 200 Trees, with a sufficient Quantity of Salt Meadow; and most of the Island may be turn'd into English Mowing-Ground; and is very convenient for Fishing and Fowling. Any Person inclining to purchase, may apply to Thomas Pell, living near the Premises : The Title is indisputable : And if any Person has any Demand or Claim on the said Island, they are desired to make the same known, that a Purchaser may not be deceived."

Source: To Be Sold, The New-York Gazette Revived in the Weekly Post-Boy, Mar. 19, 1750, p. 4.

Interestingly, it appears that Thomas Pell, Third Lord of the Manor of Pelham, attempted to sell a larger portion of his estate including Minneford's Island three years earlier in 1747. A series of advertisements appeared that year offering the estate for sale. One, for example, read as follows:

"To be SOLD.

A Plantation lying and being in the Mannor of Pelham, in the County of West-Chester, containing between 5 and 600 Acres of choice good Land, Part whereof is the Island called Minifer's Island, and the other Part is the Neck called Anhook's Neck : There is a sufficient Quantity of Salt Meadow on the Premises, and the Upland is as valuable and good as any in the Government of New-York : There is a very good Dwelling House, on each Part of it, with Barns, Stables, Out-Houses, Orchards, and all other Conveniences necessary for a Farm : There is also to be Sold with or without the said Plantation, a large Stock of fine Cattle, Houses, Breeding-Mares, Sheep, Hoggs, &c. Any Person inclining to purchase the said Plantation, may apply to Thomas Pell, living on the Premises, where they may view the same, and agree on reasonable Terms."

Source: To Be Sold, The New-York Gazette, Revived in the Weekly Post-Boy, Mar. 30, 1747, p. 3 (same advertisement also appeared in the following issues of the same newspaper: Apr. 20, 1747, p. 4; May 25, 1747, Supp. p. 5; Jun. 1, 1747, p. 4; Jun. 15, 1747, p. 4).

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Horace Crosby, the Civil Engineer Who Laid Out the Chestnut Grove Division for the Pelham Manor & Hueguenot Heights Association in the 1870s

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The Pelham Manor & Huguenot Heights Association retained a Civil Engineer who practiced in New Rochelle to survey and lay out an early portion of the project known as the Chestnut Grove Division. His name was Horace Crosby. He prepared a “Map of the Chestnut Grove Division as Subdivided Into Two Hundred and Twenty Five Plots of Lands of the Pelham Manor and Huguenot Heights Association. Pelham. Westchester Co. N.Y. Surveyed by Horace Crosby CE. New Rochelle, N.Y. 1874” that was filed in the Register’s Office of Westchester County on July 1, 1875 (available from Westchester County Archives, Elmsford, NY).

This map depicted the Chestnut Grove Division extending from the branch line railroad tracks to today’s Boston Post Road. It included lots on the southeast side of Boston Post Road and on both sides of the following streets subsequently built by the Association: Highland Avenue, Prospect Avenue, Edgewood Avenue, Esplanade and Pelhamdale Avenue.

Horace Crosby was a notable local resident who later became known as the “Father of New Rochelle’s Public Library”. Born in Atkinson, Maine, he became a civil engineer and “laid out many of the exclusive sections of New Rochelle and all of Pelham Manor”, according to his obituary. See Horace Crosby Dies – “Father of New Rochelle’s Public Library” Was 76, N.Y. Times, Jul. 25, 1914, p. 7. He served as President of the Board of Education of New Rochelle and President of the local Public Library Board. He served as City Engineer of New Rochelle for many years. Id.

Horace Crosby and his family suffered a number of tragedies. Their eldest son, Norman Crosby, fought and survived the military campaign in Cuba only to return and die of typhoid fever in St. Luke’s Hospital, NY without ever reaching home. See New Rochelle Now A Mourning City, N.Y. Times, Jan. 9, 1902, p. 1. Later the family suffered another tragedy during the infamous Park Avenue tunnel train accident on January 8, 1902. Their son, Henry, died in that accident when a local train rear-ended an express train in the tunnel beneath Park Avenue killing 15 and injuring nearly 40 others. A heartbreaking story appeared the next day in The New York Times recounting the moment Horace Crosby and his wife were told of their son’s death and “fell in a swoon”. Id. See also The Dead and Injured, N.Y. Times, Jan. 9, 1902, p. 2. Horace Crosby sued the New York Central Railroad seeking $100,000 damages for the death of his son. On June 23, 1902, the jury returned a verdict in his favor but awarded only $7,500. See Tunnel Suit Verdict, N.Y. Times, Jun. 24, 1902, p. 3; $7,500 for Tunnel Victim’s Father, Brooklyn Eagle, Jun. 24, 1902, p. 12.

Horace Crosby died suddenly of heart disease at his residence, 38 Trinity Street, in New Rochelle on July 24, 1914, survived by his widow, a son and three daughters. See Horace Crosby Dies – “Father of New Rochelle’s Public Library” Was 76, N.Y. Times, Jul. 25, 1914, p. 7.

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