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

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site
Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/
Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings

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"

Please Visit the Historic Pelham Web Site
Located at http://www.historicpelham.com/
Please Click Here for Index to All Blog Postings