Text of the 1687 Grant That Formed the Lordship and Manor of Pelham

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Below is the text of the 1687 grant by the Governor of the Province of New York, Thomas Dongan, to John Pell by which Pell's land holdings were elevated to the status of a "Manor" to be known as the "Manor of Pelham".
"MANOR GRANT OF PELHAM.

THOMAS DONGAN, Captain General and Governor-in-chief in and over the province of New Yorke, and the territories depending thereon in America, under his most sacred Majesty, James the Second, by the grace of God Kinge of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c., -- to all to whom these presents shall come, sendeth greeting : Whereas, Richard Nicolls, Esq., late governor of this province, by his certaine deed in writing, under his hand and seale, bearing date the sixth day of October, in the eighteenth year of the reigne of our late sovereigne lord, Charles the Second, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Kinge, defender of the faith, &c., and in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty and six -- did give, grant, confirme and rattefye, by virtue of the commission and authoritye unto him given by his (then) royal highness, James, Duke of Yorke, &c., (his now Majesty,) upon whome, by lawful grant and pattent from his (then) Majesty, the propriety and government of that part of the maine land, as well of Long Island and all the islands adjacent. Amongst other things was settled unto Thomas Pell, of Onkway, alias Fairfield, in his Majesty's colony of Connecticut -- gentleman -- all that certaine tract of land upon the maine lying and being to the eastward of Westchester bounds, bounded to the Westward with a river called by the Indians Aquaconounck, commonly known to the English by the name of Hutchinson's River, which runneth into the bay lyeing betweene Throgmorton's Neck and Anne Hooke's Neck, commonly caled Hutchinson's Bay, bounded on the east by a brooke called Cedar Tree Brooke, or Gravelly Brooke; on the south by the Sound, which lyeth betweene Longe Island and the maine land, with all the islands in the Sound not before that time granted or disspossed of, lyeing before that tract of land so bounded as is before expresst; and northward to runne into the woods about eight English miles, the breadth to be the same as it is along by the Sound, together with all the lands, islands, soyles, woods, meadows, pastures, marshes, lakes, waters, creeks, fishing, hawking, hunting and fowling, and all other proffitts, commodityes and heridetaments to the said tract of land and islands belonging, with their and every of their appurtenances, and every part and parcel thereof; and that the said tract of land and premises should be forever thereafter held, deemed, reputed, taken and be an intire infranchised towneshipp, manner and place of itself, and should always, from time to time, and at all times thereafter, have, hold and enjoy like and equall priviledges and immunities with any towne infranchised, place or manner within this government, &c., shall in no manner of way be subordinate or belonging unto, have any dependance upon or in any wise, bounds or the rules under the direction of any riding, or towne or towneshipps, place or jurisdiction either upon the maine or upon Longe Island -- but should in all cases, things and matters be deemed, reputed, taken and held as an absolute, intire, infranchised towneshipp, manner and place of itselfe in this government, and should be ruled, ordered and directed in all matters as to government, accordingly, by the governour and Councell, and that General Court of Assizes -- only provided, always, that the inhabbitants in the said tract of land granted as aforesaid, should be oblidged to send fforwards to the next townes all publick pachquetts and letters, or hew and cryes coming to New Yorke or goeing from thence to any other of his Majestie's colonys; to have and to hold the said tract of land and islands, with all and singular the appurtenances and premises, togaither with the privilidges, imuneties, franchises, and advantages therein given and granted unto the said Thomas Pell, to the proper use and behoofe of the said Thomas Pell, his heirs and assigns for ever, ffully, ffreely and clearely, in as large and ample manner and forme, and with such full and absolute imunityes and priveledges as bfore is expresst, as if he had held the same immediately from his Majesty the Kinge of England, &c., and his suckcessors, as of the manner of East Greenwich, in the county of Kent, in free and common sockage and by fealtey, only yealdeing, rendering and payeing yearely and every yeare unto his then royall highness, the Duke of Yorke and his heires, or to such governour or governours as from time to time should be him be constituted and appoynted as an acknowledgement, one lambe on the [Page 156 / Page 157] first day of May, if the same shall be demanded as by the said deede in writeing, and the entrey thereof in the bookes of records in the secretarie's office for the province aforesaid, may more fully and at large appeare. And whereas, John Pell, gentleman, nephew of the said Thomas Pell, to whom the lands, islands and premises, with appurtenances, now by the last will and testament of him, the said Thomas Pell, given and bequeathed, now is in the actual, peaceable and quiett seazeing and possession of all and singular the premises, and hath made his humble request to mee, the said Thomas Dongan, that I would, in the behalf of his sacred Majesty, his heirs and suckcessors, given and grant unto him, the said John Pell, a more full and firme grant and confirmation of the above lands and premises, with the appurtenances, under the seale of this his Majestie's province: Now Know Ye, that I, the said Thomas Dongan, by virtue of the commission and authority unto me given by his said Majesty and power in me being and residing, in consideration of the quitt rent hereinafter reserved, and for divers other good and lawfull considerations me thereunto mouving, I have given, rattefied and confirme and by these presents do hereby grant, rattefie and confirme unto the said John Pell, his heirs and assigns for ever, all the before mentioned and rented lands, islands and premises, with the heridatements and appurtenances, priveledges, imuneties, ffranchises and advantages to the same belonging and appertaining, or in the said before mentioned deede in writing expresst, implyed or intended to be given and granted, and every part and parcell thereof, together with all that singular messuages, tenements, barnes, stables, orchards, gardens, lands, islands, meadows, inclosures, arable lands, pastures, feedeings, commons, woods, underwoods, soyles, quarreys, mines, minnerally, (royall mines only excepted,) waters, rivers, ponds, lakes, hunteing, haucking, ffishing, ffowleing, as alsoe all rents, services, wasts, strayes, royaltyes, liberties, priviledges, jurisdictions, rights, members and appurtenances, and all other imunityes, royaltyes, power of franchises, profitts, commodeties and heredatements whatsoever to the premises, or any part or parcell thereof belonging or appertaining: and further, by vertue of the power and authority in mee being and residing, I doe hereby grant, rattefie and confirme, and the tract of land, island and premises aforesaid are, by these presents, erected and constituted to be one lordship and manner -- and the same shall henceforth be called the lordshipp and manner of Pelham; and I doe hereby give and grant unto the said John Pell, his heirs and assigns ffull power and authority at all times hereafter, in the said lordshipp and manner of Pelham aforesaid, one court leete and one court barron, to hold and keepe at such time so often yearly as he and they shall see meete, and all sines, issues and amerciaments at the said court leete and court barron, to be holden and kept in the manner and lordship aforesaid, that are payable from time to time, shall happen to be due and payable by and from any the inhabitants of or within the said lordshipp and manner of Pelham abovesaid; and also all and every the powers and authorities herein before mentioned, for the holding and keepeing of the said court leete and court barron, ffrom time to time, and to award and issue forth the costomary writts to be issued out in the name of the said John Pell, his heirs and assignes, and the same court leete and court barron to be kept by the said John Pell, his heirs and assignes, or his or their steward, deputed or appoynted; and I doe further hereby give and grant unto the said John Pel, his heirs and assignes, full power to distraine for all rents and other sums of money payable by reason of the premises, and all other lawful remedys and meanes for the haveing, receiving, levying and enjoying the said premises and every part thereof, and all waifts, strayes, wrecks of the sease, deodands and goods of ffellons, happening and being within the said manner of Pelham, with the advowson and right of patronage of all and every of the church and churches in the said manner, erected and to be erected -- to have and to hold all and singular the said tract of land, islands and manner of Pelham, and all and singular the above granted or mentioned to be granted premises, with their rights, members, jurisdictions, privileidges, heredaments and appurtenances, to the said John Pell, his heirs and assignes, to the only proper use, benefitt and behoofe of the said John Pell, his heirs and assignes forever; to be holden of his most sacred Majestye, his heirs and successors, in free and common soccage, according to the tenure of East Greenwich, in the county of Kent, in his Majestye's kingdom of England, yielding, rendering and praying therefore yearly and every year forever, unto his said Majestye, his heirs and successors, or to such officer or officers as shall from time to time be appointed to receive the same -- twenty shillings, good and lawful money of this province at the citty of New Yorke, on the five and twentyth day of the month of March, in lieu and stead of all rents, services and demands whatsoever.

In testimony whereof, I have signed these presents with my handwriting, caused the seale of the province to be thereunto affixed, and have ordained that the same be entered upon record in the Secretary's office, the five and twentyeth day of October, in the third yeare of the King Majestye's reigne, and in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred eighty and seven.

THOMAS DONGAN."

Source: De Lancey, Edward Floyd, Origin and History of Manors in the Province of New York and in the County of Westchester, pp. 156-57 (NY, NY: Privately Printed, 1886).

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