John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, Sells City Island and Then Buys It Back

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In 1685, John Pell (who is often referred to as "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham") sold "Mulberry Island" to John Smith of Brooklyn. Mulberry Island was among the names applied to the island known today as City Island. After Smith's death and the remarriage of his widow, Pell paid the widow and her new husband fifty pounds to "void" the earlier sale of the island to John Smith. Below is an abstract of the deeds on file with the County of Westchester reflecting the transactions.

"Liber C, Westchester Co. Land Records . . . . .

P. 83:

'John Pell, by deed bearing date 11 day of December, 1685, did grant unto John Smith late of the Ferry in Brookland, in Kings Co., all that Island called Mulberry Island, in the Manor of Pelham.' * * * 'Robert Everden of Kings Co. in the Province of New York, being married unto Ann the widow and releck of John Smith and thereby being interested in the estate of John Smith and Ann his widow whom is now his wife,' received of John Pell fifty pounds on the 11th of September and the aforesaid sale of the Island was declared utterly void, September 9, 1699."

Source: Bristol, Theresa Hall, Westchester County, N. Y., Miscellanea, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. LI, No. 1, pp. 39, 41 (The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Jan. 1920).

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