John Pell, Nephew and Principal Legatee of Pelham Founder Thomas Pell, Was a Server in Ordinary to the English King

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Shortly before coming to America in the autumn of 1670 to accept the bequest of the Manor of Pelham from his uncle, Thomas Pell, John Pell was a "server in ordinary" to English King Charles II.  What, you may ask, is a server in ordinary?  That, of course, is the topic of today's Historic Pelham article.  

Thomas Pell, who originally acquired the lands that became the Manor of Pelham on June 27, 1654, died the last week of September, 1669 "without issue."  Thus, he left the bulk of his estate to his nephew John Pell "of ould England," son of his brother, the famed English mathematician also named John Pell.  

When word arrived in "ould England" in 1670 that John Pell was the principal legatee under the will of Thomas Pell and would receive thousands of acres of land in America, the news must have brought a sense of relief to the Pell family.  As a youngster and a young man, John Pell appears to have been quite the trouble maker.  There are suggestions in the correspondence of his father, mathematician John Pell, that he was neither a dedicated, nor a particularly talented student.  

Moreover, in 1669 John Pell, Jr. nearly killed a man named William Gouldingham during a brutal assault.  In September 1669, the same month his uncle Thomas Pell died in Fairfield, Colony of Connecticut in America, John Pell, Jr. was indicted and arrested for "grievous bodily harm."  According to the indictment, Pell beat Gouldingham "with a stick, wounded him, and maltreated him to such an extent that his life was utterly despaired of, and committed other outrages against the same William Gouldingham."

Though the disposition of the matter are not recorded, some have speculated that young Pell was sent to work as a server in ordinary in the household of English King Charles II.  See Malcolm, Noel & Stedall, Jacqueline, John Pell (1611-1685) and His Correspondence with Sir Charles Cavendish:  The Mental World of an Early Modern Mathematician, p. 213 (Oxford, England:  Oxford University Press, 2005) (footnotes omitted) (saying "It seems that, in an attempt to prevent Pell's son from getting into even more trouble in Essex (and, at the same time, to oblige him to earn some wages), a junior post was now arranged for him in the royal household:  in the following year, a document would describe him as 'a Server in ordinary to the King'.").

Members of the Pell family claim that John Pell, Jr. became a server in ordinary in the household of the English King in 1665 and later was promoted to the more important role of a "Groom of the Bed-Chamber."  There appears, however, to be no evidence to support such claims.  Indeed, one of the only known documents referencing John Pell, Jr.'s service in the household of King Charles II is dated June 22, 1670.  It is a letter that referenced Pell as a "Gentleman" who "is a Server in ordinary to the King."  (A transcription of letter in its entirety appears below.  Apparently due to misreading the handwriting of the author of this letter, Pell frequently is described erroneously as having been a "Sewer" in ordinary.) 

Also according to Pell family tradition, in 1670 when news arrived at the household of King Charles that John Pell, Jr. had inherited the vast lands owned by his deceased uncle, Thomas Pell, the King called young John Pell, Jr. before him, had him kneel and knighted him on the spot.  There appears to be no evidence to support this assertion.  It seems, from the evidence, that all that can be said about John Pell, Jr.'s service in the King's household was that he served as a server in ordinary at some point in 1670.  

All this begs the question, however.  What is a server in ordinary?  The phrase often appears in 17th century documents as "servant in ordinary."  John Pell, Jr. was a Gentleman who served as a servant in the household of the King.

According to those who study such matters, there were two classes of servers in ordinary:  (1) "servant in ordinary above stairs" and (2) "servant in ordinary below stairs."  John Pell, Jr. was a server (servant) in ordinary below stairs, a relatively junior position in the royal household.  According to one pair of scholars:

"Those who held the most prestigious offices above stairs, such as the Grooms of the Bed-Chamber and Gentlemen Ushers of the Privy-Chamber, were members of the most prominent noble and gentry families of England, and John Pell Jr. would have been completely out of place among them.  He did have the status of 'gentleman', however, thanks to his father's ordination; and there were other, more junior, positions for which he might have qualified, such as that of a messenger.  In a list of the 'below stairs' jobs one also finds a few reserved for gentlemen -- for example, one such job in the cellar, and another in the buttery.  So perhaps John Pell Jr. had one of those."

Id., p. 214.  

The best that can be said regarding what we know about John Pell, Jr.'s service to the English King is that at least in 1670 he held a junior post as a servant in the household performing unknown duties such as working in the royal cellar or the royal buttery.  Clearly his lot in life transformed with the news he received in 1670 that he had inherited the bulk of his uncle's estate and would take over the thousands of acres of land that became known as the Manor of Pelham.

King Charles II, Painted Between 1660 and 1665

by John Michael Wright.  Source:  "Charles II of

England" in Wikipedia -- The Free Encyclopedia

(visited May 14, 2017).  NOTE:  Click on Image

to Enlarge.

John Pell, Jr., Who Worked as a Server in Ordinary

in the Royal Household of King Charles II of England

in at Least 1670 and Who Inherited the Manor of Pelham

from His Uncle, Thomas Pell.  NOTE:  Click on Image

to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

Transcribed below is the text of a number of items that form the basis for today's Historic Pelham article.  All are followed by citations, with some followed by links to the source.  

"WHITEHALL, 22 Jun. '70.

MY VERY WORTHY FRIEND, -- The unfrequency of our Correspondence must not in the least detract from our kindness.  I usually answer your letters with the first conueniency after I receiue them.  I doubt not of your continuing your industrious enquiries, though of a long while wee haue had no account of them from you.  The bearer will acquaint you with occurences here & so giues me ground of excuse for the breuity of my letter, but you do not measure my friendship by the number of my lines.  I will be glad of any oppertunity to make it appear by the highest kinde of demonstration you can put me to .  And to shew you I have a firm confidence of yours, I do most earnestly recommend to your fauor the bearer Mr. John Pell, whose worthy father Dr. Pell you know we value highly.  The Gentleman is a Server in ordinary to the King; & I do firmly expect & certainly promise my self you will use him as you might expect I would a friend of yours vpon your serious recommendation, and indeed I will account your kindness to him as a singular testimony of your friendship to, 

My worthy friend, your reall servant,

R. MORAY.

(Indorsed) Sr. Robert Moray to Govr. W. 1670."

Source:  Correspondence of Hartlib, Haak, Oldenburg, and Others of the Founders of The Royal Society, with Governor Winthrop of Connecticut.  1661 -- 1672.  With an Introduction and Notes by Robert C. Winthrop, LL.D., President of the Massachusetts Historical Society, pp. 44-45 (Boston, MA:  Press of John Wilson and Son, 1878).

"The problems caused by Pell's son [John Pell, Jr.] were going from bad to worse.  The threat of arraignment for debt had been averted (though Pell may still have been paying off that debt during his first months in London); but in September 1669 John Pell Jr. was arrested for grievous bodily harm.  According to the official indictment, he had assaulted William Gouldingham, a peaceful inhabitant of Great Burstead:  'he beat him with a stick, wounded him, and maltreated him to such an extent that his life was utterly despaired of, and committed other outrages against the same William Gouldingham.'  Further details of the case are not recorded; if a fine was levied, it must have been a peculiarly unwelcome extra imposition on Pell's finances.  It seems that, in an attempt to prevent Pell's son from getting into even more trouble in Essex (and, at the same time, to oblige him to earn some wages), a junior post was now arranged for him in the royal household:  in the following year, a document would describe him as 'a Server in ordinary to the King'.  There were two categories of such officials:  'above stairs'm, and 'below stairs'.  Those who held the most prestigious offices above stairs, such as the Grooms of the Bed-Chamber and Gentlemen Ushers of the Privy-Chamber, were members of the most prominent noble and gentry families of England, and John Pell Jr. would have been completely out of place among them.  He did have the status of 'gentleman', however, thanks to his father's ordination; and there were other, more junior, positions for which he might have qualified, such as that of a messenger.  In a list of the 'below stairs' jobs one also finds a few reserved for gentlemen -- for example, one such job in the cellar, and another in the buttery.  So perhaps John Pell Jr. had one of those.

If he did, he held it only briefly.  Some time in the witner of 1669-70, news arrived that would transform John Pell Jr.'s situation:  Pell's brother Thomas, who had emigrated to America in 1635 and had become a rich landowner there, had died childless (probably in September 1669), and had left everything to his nephew. . . ."

Source:  Malcolm, Noel & Stedall, Jacqueline, John Pell (1611-1685) and His Correspondence with Sir Charles Cavendish:  The Mental World of an Early Modern Mathematician, pp. 213-14 (Oxford, England:  Oxford University Press, 2005) (footnotes omitted).

"Robert Pell states that John Pell Jr. was a server in ordinary from 1665, and was promoted to Groom of the Bedchamber in 1669 ('Sir John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham', Pelliana, N.s., 1, no. 2 (1963), pp. 49-67, here p. 49); the latter claim is contradicted by Chamberlayne's list for that year, and he gives no evidence for the former."

Source:  Id., p. 214 n.8.


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John Bartow Who Lived in the Manor Home Built by John Pell in About 1672

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John Pell, often referenced by members of the Pell family as the "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham," was the nephew and principal legatee of Thomas Pell who bought lands that became the Manor of Pelham from local Native Americans on June 27, 1654.  Born in England in 1643, John Pell traveled to America in 1670 following his uncle's death to claim his inheritance that included the lands that formed the Manor of Pelham. 

Unlike his uncle who remained a resident of Fairfield after purchasing his Pelham lands, John Pell moved onto the lands shortly after inheriting them from his uncle.  It is believed that he built a Manor Home worthy of his vast land holdings.  Its location has long been lost in the mists of time.  Some authorities have suggested two possible locations for Pell's Manor House: (1) near today's Bartow-Pell Mansion; and (2) on Rodman's Neck, also known as Pell's Point and Anhooke's Neck.  See, e.g., City History Club of New York, Historical Guide to the City of New York, p. 210 (NY, NY: 1909) ("Not far away [from the Bartow-Pell Mansion] is the site of the original Pell Manor House, though some say that it was on the extreme end of Pelham Neck.").

Although it cannot be known with certainty, an analysis of the available evidence suggests that John Pell may have lived in two homes in the area.  He first may have lived for a time in the early 1670s in a home built by his uncle and referenced in an inventory of his deceased uncle's estate on Pell's Point (today's Rodman's Neck).  Some say the Bowne home on Rodman's Neck was later built on the site of the Pell home.  Evidence also suggests that John Pell later built a Manor House near today's Bartow Pell Mansion.  I have written about this home before.  See 

Mon., Nov. 03, 2014:  More on the 17th Century Location of the Manor Home of John Pell of the Manor of Pelham.

Tue., Sep. 12, 2006:  Evidence Sheds Light on Location of An Early Home of John Pell, 2d Lord of the Manor of Pelham. 

Bell, Blake A., The Manor House of John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 51, Dec. 24, 2004.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog attempts to shed further light on the history of the Manor House of John Pell that once stood in Pelham.  A genealogy of the Bartow family authored by Evelyn P. Bartow and published in 1875 asserts that John Bartow, a son of Theophilus Bartow and Bathsheba Pell lived in the Manor Home built by his grandfather, John Pell (known by Pell family members as "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham").  The book further claims that Aaron Burr, who married a member of the Bartow family, "was an intimate friend and frequent visitor at the house."  Indeed, the book claims, "It was at Mr. Bartow's house, after his removal to N.Y. City, that Burr was kindly received after his return from exile."

Image of Primitive Drawing of a Home Claimed by Some to

Depict the John Pell Manor House Near Today's Bartow-Pell

Mansion Museum; Provenance and Source Information So Unclear

that It Cannot Be Known with Any Degree of Reliability Whether

This Actually Depicts the Pell Home. Source: Courtesy of the

Office of the Historian of the Town of Pelham.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

The pertinent excerpts from the book are transcribed below, followed by a citation and link to the source.

"JOHN BARTOW,1 [Footnote 1 reads:  "Bolton's W. C., i, 541, 551; ii. 200, 209, 213, 222; N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872; Bolton's W. Ch., 107, 124; N. Y. Marriage Licenses."] eldest son of Theophilus Bartow and Bathsheba Pell, his wife, born at Westchester 1740, lived at Pelham, in the old Manor House of his grandfather, Lord Pell.  He was wealthy, and a great friend to St. Peter's Church, Westchester, of which he was vestryman.  At the old manorial residence of his ancestors, Mr. Bartow kept open house to all his relatives and friends, and his home was the centre of attraction to the society of the neighborhood, from the hearty welcome they always received.  Col. Burr, who had married his first cousin, was an intimate friend and frequent visitor at the house.  It was at Mr. Bartow's house, after his removal to N. Y. City, that Burr was kindly received after his return from exile.  Mr. Bartow sold his estate towards the close of his life, and lived in Spring street, N.Y.  He died in 1816, and was the last of the Bartows who was interred in the family cemetery at Westchester.  The funeral was attended by Robert Bartow, his grandson, the Reids of Eastchester, and many others of the family.  The family of Robert Bartow now reside on a portion of the estate of John Bartow.  A short distance from their residence is a station named Bartow, of the Harlem River Branch.  John Bartow m. first, Mary Ryder, of Jamaica, by whom he had two sons and one daughter; and secondly, in 1771, Ann, d. of Joseph Pell, of Pelham, by whom he had three sons and four daughters, as follows: -- 

1.  Augustus Bartow, b. 1762, of whom hereafter.

2.  Stephen Bartow,1 [Footnote 1 reads:  "Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209; N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872; Bolton's W. Ch. 124."] b. at Westchester, m. Mary Thompson, of Catskill, N.Y., and had Sarah Bartow,2 [Footnote 2 reads:  "Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209; N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872, July 1874."] m. John Spencer; Edwin Bartow,3 [Footnote 3 reads:  "N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872, July 1874."] d. s. p.; Alfred Bartow,3 [See Footnote 3 above] d. s. p.; Emily Bartow,4 [Footnote 4 reads:  "N. Y. Gen. Rec., July 1874."] unm.; Harriet Bartow,3 [See Footnote 3 above] unm.; Maria Bartow,5 [Footnote 5 reads "N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872, July 1874; Noble's Life of Cole, 236; American Cyclopedia.] m. Thomas Cole, of Catskill; and Fanny Bartow,3 [See Footnote 3 above] unm.

3.  Mary Bartow, 6 [Footnote 6 reads:  "6) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209; N.Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872."] m. Punderson, son of Basil Bartow.

4.  John Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] b. 1772, m. Mary Sands, of Sands Point, L. I., and had an only child, Mary Bartow, who d. unm.

5.  Phoebe Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] m. Dr. Turk.

6.  Sarah Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] m. Dr. Halleck.

7.  Amelia Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] d. unm.

8.  James Bartow 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] m., and had an only child, Eliza Bartow.

9.  Katharine Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] b. 1790, m. Mr. Smith.

10.  Bernabeu Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads:  "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] named after Don Juan Baptista de Bernabeu, who had married his cousin, died s. p."

Source:  Bartow, Evelyn P., Bartow Genealogy:  Containing Every One of the Name of Bartow Descended from Doctor Thomas Bartow Who Was Living at Crediton, in England, A.D., 1672 with References To the Books Where Any of the Name is Mentioned, pp. 37-38 (Baltimore, MD:  Innes & Co., Printers and Binders, 1875).  

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Did Pelham Founder Thomas Pell Have a Residence in Pelham?

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Yesterday I was asked to address again the question of whether Thomas Pell, who acquired from Native Americans the lands that became the Manor of Pelham, ever had a residence in Pelham.  The evidence strongly suggests that at the time of his death Pell maintained a working farm on today's Rodman's Neck on the mainland adjacent to City Island.  Rodman's Neck also has been known variously as "Pell's Point," "Ann Hook's Neck" (various spellings), and Pelham Neck.  

That Pell would have such a farm on the lands he acquired should come as no surprise.  Thomas Pell was a maritime trader, a physician, and a land speculator who would have had to oversee the vast holdings he acquired that later became the Manor of Pelham (about 50,000 acres -- NOT the widely-reported 9,166 acres).  Pell transferred lands to settlers at what came to be known as the Village of West Chester and also what came to be known as the Village of East Chester in possible efforts to buffer his remaining lands from Dutch (and, perhaps, Native American) incursions.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog collects prior postings that touch on this topic and assembles additional evidence relevant to this question.

Colonial New York Authorities Repeatedly Referenced "Thomas Pell of Ann Hook's Neck"

Colonial New York authorities repeatedly referenced Thomas Pell as being "of Ann Honok's Neck," suggesting that today's Rodman's Neck was a centerpiece of his holdings where he could be reached, and lending additional credence to other evidence that he had a farm on Ann Hook's Neck.

For example, near the end of Thomas Pell's life, Pell was involved in a boundary dispute with John Richbell of Mamaroneck.  The dispute was unresolved at the time of Pell's death in late September, 1669.  Eventually the dispute with Richbell was settled by mediators working with Richbell and with Thomas Pell's principal legatee (his nephew, John Pell).  However, on September 13, 1669, about two weeks before Thomas Pell died, colonial New York authorities issued a special warrant citing Thomas Pell to appear before the next Court of Assizes to deal with the boundary dispute.  The special warrant was addressed to "Thomas Pell of Ann-hook's-neck, or elsewhere."  See Bolton, Robert, The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester From Its First Settlement to the Present Time Carefully Revised by its Author, Vol. I, p. 469 & n.a (NY, NY:  Chas. F. Roper, 1881) (citing "Alb. Assize Rec. p. 204).

Similarly, after Pell died in the last week of September, 1669, the Court of Assizes of the Colony of New York appointed a group of New York residents to inventory only that portion of Pell's estate that existed within the Colony of New York.  Any inventory of his Fairfield and Colony of Connecticut properties was left to the authorities of those jurisdictions.  The Court of Assizes order states that "Mr. Thomas Pell of Ann Hook's Neck, is lately deceased, and having left a considerable estate in this government."  See, generally, Bell, Blake A., Mon., Mar. 31, 2014:  Inventory of the Estate of Pelham Founder Thomas Pell Taken Shortly After He Died in Late September, 1669.

The Inventory of Pell's Estate in the Colony of New York Indicates He Had Housing and "Barnes" in the Area

The inventory of that portion of Thomas Pell's estate located within the Colony of New York contains two pertinent references to housing on the lands that came to be known as the Manor of Pelham:

"The howsing, lands, barnes, islands, adjoyning from Hutchinson River westward, and so far eastward as were Mr. Tho. Pell's inst. and lawful right" (valued at 500 English pounds) and the "House and land in Westchester" (valued at 20 English pounds).  

Care should be taken regarding the second reference.  The reference to "Westchester" is ambiguous.  Westchester County was not created until 1683, some fourteen years later.  Although there are early "pre-county" references to the region as Westchester, this may also be a reference to the village of West Chester first settled on Pell's western-most lands in 1654.  Nor does the separate reference to "howsing" and "barnes" shed any more light on the issues.  It simply suggests that somewhere in the 50,000 acre tract first acquired by Pell there were "howsing" and "barnes" separate from the "House and land in Westchester."  Still, when considered together with the references at about the same time to "Thomas Pell of Ann Hook's Neck," there is at least circumstantial evidence to support an argument that Pell had housing and barns on Pell's Point.  

Moreover, there is no reference to "barnes" in the context of the "House and land in Westchester."  This seems significant when considered in the context of the remainder of the inventory which makes fairly clear that Pell had a substantial working farm in the Colony of New York.  The inventory of Pell's property in New York at the time of his death shows that Pell owned a substantial number of livestock at the time of his death -- livestock that would have required daily care.  This strongly suggests that even if Pell did not live on the farm, someone did, whether they were caretakers or hired hands.  The inventory further reflects that at the time of Pell's death, there were edible foodstuffs among Pell's property, as well as most of the ordinary farm implements and personal effects of day-to-day life as would be expected on a seventeenth century farm.  

As an interesting aside, the inventory also references "In Applebyes keeping, 2 cows and 1 plow chaine" valued at 9 English pounds and 8 Shillings.  The reference to "Applebyes" is intriguing.  Hunter's Island, originally part of Pell's purchase and not far from Ann Hook's Neck, was long known as "Appleby's Island."  As Lockwood Barr noted in his history of the Town of Pelham published in 1946, however, there seems to be no record of who Appleby was.  Barr said: "The first conveyance of the Island [Hunter's Island] found in the office of the County Clerk of Westchester, is a deed dated January 17, 1797, transferring an Island ". . . commonly called Appleby's. . ." from John Blagge to Alexander Henderson."  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 & Manour of Pelham Also The Story of the Three Modern Villages Called The Pelhams, pp. 91-93 (The Dietz Press, Inc. 1946).  Thus, this reference in the inventory supports at least an inference that today's Hunter's Island was occupied at the time of Thomas Pell's death, that Appleby had two cows and one plow chain belonging to Thomas Pell, and that the cows and plow chain originated nearby -- perhaps only a few hundred yards away on Ann Hook's Neck.

Evidence that When Thomas Pell's Principal Legatee Arrived and Settled on the Pelham Lands He Inherited, He Likewise Lived on Ann Hook's Neck

There also is evidence that when Thomas Pell's principal legatee (his nephew, John Pell) arrived in America in the fall of 1670 to accept his inheritance, he first lived on Ann Hook's Neck where his deceased uncle may have had a working farm.  For example, The Records of the Town of Eastchester contain a document dated May 17, 1671 that references "Mr John Pell of ye manor of Annhocks neck".  The document reads, in its entirety:

"Whereas there is a new road laid out for the common highway into New England neare Eastchester the which is sayd to be much more conveniant than ye former as well for strangers and travelers as ye inhabitants But yet by some persons hath been objected against and a right understanding may be had hereupon in having ye sayd wayes viewed by knowing and indifferent persons Mr John Pell of ye manor of Annhocks neck and Mr. John Richbell of Momoroneck are hereby appointed and desired either by themselves or some understanding persons in such affairs who they shall employe to take a view of ye said roads or highways within three weeks after ye date hereof and to make reports unto me which of them they shall judge most conveniant to be maintained the which thereupon shall be confirmed and allowed of accordingly Given thereupon shall be confirmed and allowed of accordingly Given nder [sic] my hand at Forte Jeames in New York this 17th Day of May 1671 

Fran Lovelace 

This presenc testifieth Moses Hoit Snr have several parcels of upland as herein certified which their butts and bounds one pec [piece] of land by the second meado" 

Source: Records of the Town of Eastchester, Book Two, p. 24 1/2 (Typewritten manuscript of records transcribed by Eastchester Historical Society 1964) (copy in author's collection). See also Paltsits, Victor Hugo, ed., Minutes of the Executive Counicl of the Province of New York Administration of Francis Lovelace 1668-1673 Volume II - Collateral and Illustrative Documents XX-XCVIII, pp. 656-57 (Albany, NY: State of New York, 1910).  See, generally Bell, Blake A., Tue., Sep. 12, 2006:  Evidence Sheds Light on Location of An Early Home of John Pell, 2d Lord of the Manor of Pelham.

Another such reference from a document prepared in 1671 describes John Pell as "Mr John Pell of ye Mannor of Anne-Hooks Neck."  It states:

"A Speciall Warr t for Jeremy Cannon, ais Dorman, James Mott, Roger Pedley to appeare at ye Assizes to answer Mr Pell in a Case of Trespass. 

Whereas Mr John Pell of ye Mannor of Anne-Hooks Neck hath made Complaint unto mee that Jeremy Cannons ais Dorman, James Mott, Roger Pedley, & James [blank] a Serv t belonging to Mr John Richbell of Momoronock, have together or apart at severall times comitted a Great Trespass, in carrying away severall parcells of Hay made up in Stack upon his Land, & there being one Stack of Hay lately burnt upon ye said Land, of w ch there is great suspition one or more of the persons aforementioned are guilty; These are in his Ma ties Name to require ye said Jeremy Cannon ais Dorman, James Mott, Roger Pedley and James [blank] Mr Richbells Servant as aforesaid, That they make their Appearance at ye next Gen ll Court of Assizes to be held in this City beginning on ye first Wednesday in October next, wch will be on ye fourth day of ye said Month, then and there to make Answer to ye Complaint of Mr John Pell in ye Matters aforesaid, & that they forbeare ye giveing ye said Mr Pell any Molestacon by carrying away any more Hay from ye said Land untill ye difference between him & Mr about their Title be decided. Hereof They nor any of them are not to faile as they will Answer the Contrary at their Perills. Given under my Hand & Seale at Forte James in New Yorke [Page 657 / Page 658] this 22th day of September in ye 23d yeare of his Ma ties Reigne, Annoq Dni 1671. 

Fran: Lovelace 

To Jacob Young of Ann-Hooks Neck, or any other person whom Mr Pell shall Employ upon this Occasion to see this Speciall Warrant served, & returne made thereof at ye Assizes."

Source:  Paltsits, Victor Hugo, ed., Minutes of the Executive Counicl of the Province of New York Administration of Francis Lovelace 1668-1673 Volume II - Collateral and Illustrative Documents XX-XCVIII, pp. 657-58 (Albany, NY: State of New York, 1910).

Similarly, a record four years later suggests that John Pell still resided on Ann Hook's Neck where his uncle may have had a working farm. The record references John Pell as the "Manor of Ann Hook's Neck" and states:

 'A true copy of a deed of sale between John Pell unto Ralph Warner, recorded this 10th of May, 1675.' 

'TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, that I, John Pell, proprietor of the Manor of Ann Hook's Neck, have sold unto Ralph Warner, Blacksmith, all those my horses, mares, colts and horse kinds that are now being or belonging to Norwalk bounds, in the County of Fairfield and the colony of Connecticut, he, the said Warner, paying all charges that have been out recordings and markings the said horses, and does hereby acknowledge the satisfaction received, and does hereby acquitt, discharge and quit-claim all my right and the interest I might or ought to have unto the said horses of Norwalk aforesaid.' 

'IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand, this fifth day of March, 1675.' 

JOHN PELL' 

'Signed and delivered in presence of SWESSELL SWESSELL, 
CHARLES RAVEN.' 

Source: Selleck, Charles M., Norwalk, Vol. I, p. 103 (Norwalk, CT: Harry M. Gardner, Printer 1896).

These various references clearly associate John Pell with Ann Hook's Neck.  Although this strongly suggests that when he first arrived in America, John Pell resided on Ann Hook's Neck where his uncle may have had a working farm, these references do not establish such a proposition with certainty.  The 1675 record quoted above, for example, references John Pell as "proprietor of the Manor of Ann Hook's Neck" which may be an effort to reference a broader region of today's Pelham than merely Pell's Point.  Still, taken as a whole, together with references to Thomas Pell "of Ann Hook's Neck" and the inventory of Thomas Pell's estate in New York, such references suggest to this author that Thomas Pell had a working farm on today's Rodman's Neck and that his nephew lived there for at least a few years after first arriving in America to acceptance the inheritance of his uncle's estate in 1670.

Tradition Says Thomas Pell Had a Farmhouse Where the Bowne House Was Built on Ann Hook's Neck in 1730

Apart from the fact that the Neck of land at issue has long been known as "Pell's Point," as early as the 18th century, tradition in Pelham also held that Thomas Pell had a farmhouse that stood near the end of Ann Hook's Neck.  Although the references to such effect are numerous, one example comes from Bolton's 1881 edition of The History of Westchester County.  It states:

"Pelham Neck is terminated by the property of the late Gilbert Bowne.  On the site of the dwelling-house, stood the residence of Thomas Pell, Esq., first lord of the manor.  Perhaps the finest view of City Island and the adjacent waters are to be had from this portion of the Point."

Source:  Bolton, Robert, The History of The Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, From Its First Settlement to the  p. 71 (NY, NY:  Chas. F. Roper, 1881).

Conclusion

Absent definitive archaeological or 17th century documentary evidence, we are left to speculate regarding whether Thomas Pell ever had a "house" that stood on the lands later known as the Manor of Pelham.  Although the matter is far from certain, this author believes that when the entire extant context is considered including not only 17th century references such as those listed above as well longstanding tradition including the tradition since the 18th century of referring to the area as "Pell's Point," it is likely that Thomas Pell had a working farm and a farmhouse on today's Rodman's Neck.  It seems clear, however, that Thomas Pell maintained his residence in Fairfield until he died there in late September 1669.  Admittedly, however, it is not now possible to pinpoint precisely where Pell's farmhouse stood on today's Rodman's Neck.

"Thomas Pell" by Thom Lafferty from an Original by an

Unknown Artist Who Imagined Pell as He Would Look.

There Are No Known Images of Thomas Pell.

*          *          *          *          *

I have posted to the Historic Pelham Blog on numerous occasions articles that touch on the subject matter of today's posting.  Below are links to some of those previous materials.

Mon., Nov. 03, 2014:  More on the 17th Century Location of the Manor Home of John Pell of the Manor of Pelham.

Mon., Mar. 31, 2014:  Inventory of the Estate of Pelham Founder Thomas Pell Taken Shortly After He Died in Late September, 1669.

Mon., Oct. 23, 2006:  More Early Evidence That Thomas Pell Had a House Later Used by His Nephew, John Pell, on Rodman's Neck.

Tue., Sep. 12, 2006:  Evidence Sheds Light on Location of An Early Home of John Pell, 2d Lord of the Manor of Pelham.

Bell, Blake A., The Manor House of John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 51, Dec. 24, 2004.

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

A Brief Biography of John Pell of the Manor of Pelham

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

John Pell, often referenced by members of the Pell family as the "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham," was the nephew and principal legatee of Thomas Pell who bought lands that became the Manor of Pelham from local Native Americans on June 27, 1654.  Born in England in 1643, John Pell traveled to America in 1670 following his uncle's death to claim his inheritance that included the lands that formed the Manor of Pelham.  

John Pell became a notable and important figure in Westchester County before his death in about 1712.  (Many sources claim he died in a boating accident in 1702, although that does not appear to be the case.)  

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes a brief biography with genealogical information for John Pell.  I have written extensively about John Pell.  Accordingly, at the close of today's post I have included links to two dozen previous articles about John Pell.

Portrait of John Pell.

"John Pelll, generally styled Sir John Pell, the Second Lord of the Manor, mentioned before, was born in London February 3, 1643, and was carefully brought up and educated under the supervision of his learned father.  When the news of his uncle's death reached London, he sailed at once for America, bearing proper credentials to prove his claim to the estate -- among them was a letter from Lord Brereton to Governor John Winthrop of Connecticut.  

October 11 -- 1670, Governor Winthrop wrote to 'William -- Lord Brereton, at his house in Deans Yard, Westminster, London.' 

'Right Honorable

I was at Boston in the Massachusetts Colony when Mr. John Pell arrived there.  By whom I had the great favour of your Lordships letter.  He came into that Harbour very opportunely for the expedition of his business; For one Mr. John Bankes a neighbour of Mr. Thomas Pell deceased; and one of those whom he had intrusted with the estate was in a vessel of Fairfield (the place where Mr. Pell had lived) returning thither; and met the ship coming in; & came back with Mr. John Pell to Boston:  Where I spake with them both; & upon the reading of your Lordships letter, informed Mr. Bankes, that I had full assurance from your Lordship, and divers others, that the person there present, was Mr. John Pell, & he to whom Mr. Thomas Pell, deceased, had given his estate.  And that very day Mr. John Pell imbarqued with Mr. Bankes and sailed towards Fairfield, carrying also with him my letters to the Magistrate and others there, certifying the same to them concerning him, with desires of all good loving respects to him and their helpfulnesse as his occasions should require, and that order might be taken forthwith for his quiet possession of that Estate.  I have heard since of his safe arrival and welcome there; and that he hath accordingly the possession of the lands and houses and goods to which he had right, both at Fairfield, and Westchester; which is a place neere New York; where his Uncle had also a considerable plantation, with good accommodations belonging to it.'

The Governor and Secretary of the Colony of Connecticut issued a certificate of recognition, which read as follows:

'At a meeting of the governor and assistants in Hartford, Dec. 9th 1670, upon the desire of Sir John Pell, the governor and assistants thought good hereby to certify whom it may concern, that they are fully satisfied by several letters and testimonials that the governor hath received from persons of honor in England, that the bearer of them, Sir John Pell, Sewer [sic, actually "Server"] in ordinary to His Majesty, and son of Dr. Pell of London, is the undoubted nephew of Mr. Thos. Pell, late of Fairfield, and the person whom he hath madfe his heir in his last will and testament, to whom the inventory in trust ought to surrender the estate bequeathed to him by the said Mr. Thos. Pell, deceased and the just account thereof according to his will.  Signed by order of the governor and assistants, per me,

JOHN ALLEN,
Secretary of His Majesty's Colony of Connecticut.'

John Pell disposed of his property in Fairfile and lived in his Manor -- the house being located near the stone building now occupied by the Garden Club of America.  He was appointed the first Judge of the Court of Common Pleas 1688 and the first member of the Provincial Assembly for Westchester 1691.  He was commissioned Captain of Horse 1684 and Major 1692, and was a Vestryman and Warden in St. Peters Church.  In 1689 he sold to Jacob Leisler what is now the City of New Rochelle as a Colony for the Huguenots driven from their City of that name in France by the revocation of the edict of Nantes.  The Lord of the Manor gave 100 acres of land to the French Church for its support and maintenance.

John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor, was drowned in the Sound from his yacht about 1702 [sic], leaving by his wife Rachael, daughter of Philip Pinckney, his eldest son Thomas, who became the Third Lord of the Manor.  He was born in Pelham Manor about 1675, and the date of his will is September 3, 1739.  He succeeded his father as Vestryman in the church and held other offices of honor.  He married Anna, by tradition said to be the daughter of the reigning Indian Sachem Ninham-Wampage or Annahock.  As his sons grew up he deeded them large tracts of land, some of the houses on which are still standing -- my great great great grandfather Joshua Pell receiving Hunter's Island and several hundred acres on the mainland.  

On Thomas Pell's death, he willed the Manor property to his son Joseph Pell, the Fourth Lord of the Manor.  He was born 1715 (probably the youngest son), married Phebe Dean; died 1752, and with his wife is buried in the railed-in enclosure on the Bartow place near the site of the Manor House.  As mentioned before this property is in charge of the Garden Club of America.  His son Thomas Pell, born 1744 and married Margaret Bartow, was the last owner of the property, which later passed into the possession of the Bartow family.

Of the seven sons of Thomas Pell, Third Lord of the Manor, only Thomas and Joshua have living male descendants, so far as I know.  Some years ago, Mr. Elbert Roosevelt of Pelham Manor, then over ninety years of age who remembered the English warships in the War of 1812, told me that Lord Pell had been bed ridden for many years, when a mad dog ran in his room, he jumped out of the window and climbed a tree for safety, and then enjoyed several years of active life."

Source:  Pell, Howland, The Pell Manor -- Address Prepared for the New York Branch of The Order of Colonial Lords of Manors in America, pp. 12-16 (Baltimore, MD:  Privately Printed, 1917).

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I have written extensively about John Pell, the nephew of Pelham founder Thomas Pell.   John Pell inherited from Thomas Pell, who died without children of his own, all lands and properties including the Manor of Pelham.  For a few of the many, many examples of such writings, see:

Mon., Nov. 3, 2014:  More on the 17th Century Location of the Manor Home of John Pell of the Manor of Pelham.  

Mon., Oct. 6, 2014:  Executive Council of Province of New York Urges Settlement of John Pell's Boundary Dispute with John Richbell on January 18, 1671/72.

Mon., Jul. 14, 2014:  References to John Pell in the Papers of Edmond Andros, Governor of the Province of New York, 1674-1676.  

Tue., Apr. 1, 2014:  Significant Discovery:  In 1680 and Before, John Pell Sought to Colonize Pelham With Settlers.

Mon., May 10, 2010:  1675 Sale of Horses Located in Norwalk by John Pell of "Ann Hook's Neck".

Mon., Oct. 12, 2009:  More Evidence that John Pell Died Well After 1702 or 1703 When Some Say He Died in a Boating Accident on Long Island Sound.

Wed., Nov. 7, 2007:  A Secondary Source To Follow Up On Regarding When John Pell, Nephew of Thomas Pell, Died.

Tue., Aug. 14, 2007:  Biographical Data About Thomas Pell, His brother, John, and His Nephew, John Pell of the Manor of Pelham.

Thu., Apr.26, 2007:  John Pell Obtains Permission to Allow Native Americans On His Land to Use Canoes in 1676.

Wed., Apr. 25, 2007:  1675 Order by Court of Assizes and Consequent Proclamation Ordering Native Americans to Remove from the Manor of Pelham.

Tue., Apr. 24, 2007:  John Pell Ordered Not To Sell Powder and Shot to Native Americans For a Time in 1675.

Mon., Apr. 23, 2007:  An Armed English Sloop Patroled the Sound Near Native Americans Settled in the Manor of Pelham in 1675.

Fri., Apr. 20, 2007:  1675 Order by Governor's Council Directing John Pell to Take Daily Account of Indians on His Land.

Fri., Apr. 06, 2007:  The Deed Reflecting John Pell's Sale of the Lands that Became New Rochelle.

Fri., Dec. 29, 2006:  Native Americans Ordered to Remove from the Manor of Pelham in 1675.

Fri., Dec. 22, 2006:  Brief Biographies of Thomas Pell, First Lord of the Manor of Pelham, and His Nephew, John, Published in 1912.

Mon., Nov. 20, 2006:  A Biography of John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, Published in 1861. 

Mon., Oct. 23, 2006:  More Early Evidence That Thomas Pell Had a House Later Used by His Nephew, John Pell, on Rodman's Neck.

Fri., Oct. 20, 2006:  John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, Sells City Island and Then Buys It Back.

Thu., Oct. 19, 2006:  The Governor of the Colony of New York Visits John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham in 1672.

Thu., Sep. 14, 2006:  Records of the Service of John Pell, 2nd Lord of the Manor of Pelham, in the New York House of Representatives in the 1690s.

Tue., Sep. 12, 2006:  Evidence Sheds Light on Location of An Early Home of John Pell, 2d Lord of the Manor of Pelham.

Mon., May 22, 2006:  Early References to Pelham Roads in the Road Commissioners' Book Maintained in the Westchester County Archives.

Thu., May 19, 2005:  Scholarly Book About the Father of John Pell, 2nd Lord of the Manor of Pelham, Is Published.

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

More on the 17th Century Location of the Manor Home of John Pell of the Manor of Pelham

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

John Pell, often referenced by members of the Pell family as the "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham," was the nephew and principal legatee of Thomas Pell who bought lands that became the Manor of Pelham from local Native Americans on June 27, 1654.  Born in England in 1643, John Pell traveled to America in 1670 following his uncle's death to claim his inheritance that included the lands that formed the Manor of Pelham. 

Unlike his uncle who remained a resident of Fairfield after purchasing his Pelham lands, John Pell moved onto the lands shortly after inheriting them from his uncle.  It is believed that he built a Manor Home worthy of his vast land holdings.  Its location has long been lost in the mists of time.  Some authorities have suggested two possible locations for Pell's Manor House:  (1) near today's Bartow-Pell Mansion; and (2) on Rodman's Neck, also known as Pell's Point and Anhooke's Neck.  See, e.g., City History Club of New York, Historical Guide to the City of New York, p. 210 (NY, NY: 1909) ("Not far away [from the Bartow-Pell Mansion] is the site of the original Pell Manor House, though some say that it was on the extreme end of Pelham Neck."). 

Image of Primitive Drawing of a Home Claimed by

Some to Depict the John Pell Manor House Near

Today's Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum; Provenance

and Source Information So Unclear that It Cannot

Be Known with Any Degree of Reliability Whether

This Actually Depicts the Pell Home.  Source:  Courtesy

of the Office of the Historian of the Town of Pelham.

Although it cannot be known with certainty, an analysis of the available evidence suggests that John Pell may have lived in two homes in the area. He first may have lived for a time in the early 1670s in a home built by his uncle and referenced in an inventory of his deceased uncle's estate on Pell's Point (today's Rodman's Neck). Evidence suggests that John Pell later built a Manor House near today's Bartow Pell Mansion.

There long has been a debate regarding exactly where John Pell's "Manor House" actually stood.  Most recently, there has been a vigorous, interesting, civilized, and well-documented debate among members of the East Bronx History Forum over whether the home stood slightly southwest of today's Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum or, essentially, on the spot where the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum now stands.  

I have written about this issue before.  See:

Tue., Sep. 12, 2006:  Evidence Sheds Light on Location of An Early Home of John Pell, 2d Lord of the Manor of Pelham.  

Bell, Blake A., The Manor House of John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 51, Dec. 24, 2004.

After reviewing my earlier writings on this topic, I returned to one of the maps that I cited in those articles:  "A Draft of the Lands In Controversy Between the Inhabitants of Westchester & the Inhabitants of East Chester Joynd with William Pear Tree & Surveyed & Laid Down 1st August - Graham Lell" prepared by the then-former mayor of New York City, Colonel William Peartree.  I have included an image of the map as well as a detail from the map showing the designation of a structure as that of "Pell."

The surveyed map, with its Scale of Chains, seems to indicate that the Pell Manor House was located southwest of the location of today's Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum rather than on the spot where the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum later was built during the 19th century.  Additionally, there are stone ruins visible in the area beneath the overgrowth southwest of the mansion.  Moreover, aerial photography suggests at least the possibility of the presence of subsurface ruins in the same area (see image below). 

Absent intensive (and successful) archaeological investigation, we will never know the exact location of the John Pell Manor House that Pell family tradition says was abandoned and burned during the Revolutionary War.  Nevertheless, the 1708 Peartree map is one more piece of evidence that suggests, to this author at least, that the Pell structure was southwest of today's Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum rather than on the spot where the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum now stands.

"A Draft of the Lands In Controversy Between the Inhabitants of

Westchester & the Inhabitants of East Chester Joynd with

William Pear Tree & Surveyed & Laid Down 1st August - Graham Lell"

prepared by Colonel William Peartree in 1708.  (Click for Larger Image.)

Detail from 1708 William Peartree Map Showing

Structure Denoted as "Pell" in Area Near Water

Southwest of Spot Where Today's Bartow-Pell

Mansion Museum Stands.

Aerial Photograph Showing Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum on

the Right and a Square Area of Ground with Less Extensive

Tree Growth on the Left Where the John Pell Manor House May

Once Have Stood Facing High Water Line Shown in Lower Left Corner.

Portrait of John Pell, Nephew of Thomas Pell and

Owner of the John Pell Manor House.

I long have championed the need for archaeological investigation of the area southwest of today's Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum.  The possibility that such an investigation could shed light on a late 17th century country manor of a notable New York citizen would be of particular significance and well-worth investigation by archaeologists and students interested in 17th century colonial New York.  Such work, while underway, also could provide even more incentive than already exists for New Yorkers to visit the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum.

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.

Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."