The Will of Rem Rapelje of Pelham, Probated on November 20, 1805

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Yesterday's Historic Pelham Article provided information about the large farm that Rem Rapelje and, later, his son George Rapelje, maintained on Pelham Neck during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.  See Thu., Mar. 02, 2017:  1805 Advertisement Reveals Much About the Pelham Farm of Rem Rapelje.  Today's article provides images of Rem Rapelje, the records reflecting Rem Rapelje's will probated in 1805 and also a transcription of the will's text and an analysis of its significance.

Rem Rapelje was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 3, 1728.  He lost his father as a young child.  His mother remarried but his relationship with his stepfather was quite poor and, according to his son, George Rapelje, Rem "sought for friendly aid elsewhere."  As a young man, Rem Rapelje hustled for his living.  As a very, very young man, he was a ship owner.  He also dealt in general merchandise and kept a store on Maiden Lane in New York City "directly in rear of his dwelling."  An uncle who was in the "corn, grain, and flour business" and owned a store for the business took him into the store "which was at the fork of Maiden Lane and Crown Street."  Soon, on behalf of the business, he was sent in a schooner to Curacao.  He became a successful and wealthy merchant and ship owner.

Rem Rapelje was a Loyalist, but he remained in the New York region after the Revolutionary War.  When the war ended, he purchased a farm known as "Glass House Farm" located along the Hudson River about three miles from New York City. 

Rem Rapelje married Neeltje Hardenbroek (whom he called "Nelly"), a daughter of Abel Hardenbroek and Elizabeth Remson.  The couple had at least four children:  George Rapalje, Abel Hardenbroek Rapalje, Rem Rapalje, Jr., and Johannis Rapalje.  Rem Rapelje's namesake son, Rem, became a faithful and dedicated vestryman at St. Paul's Church in Eastchester and, in 1833, donated the beautiful pipe organ that still is in working condition in the church building.  

By 1790, according to both the 1790 U.S. Census and a plan of pews for St. Paul's Church in Eastchester, Rem Rapelje had moved to Pelham.  See Wed., Aug. 15, 2007:  Plan of Pews in St. Paul's Church 1790.  He purchased a massive 350 acre farm on Pelham Neck and the surrounding region.  He had a brother-in-law named John Hardenbrook who also resided in Pelham.  He and his family lived in Pelham on that farm until his death on June 16, 1805.  He is buried in the cemetery of St. Paul's Church at Eastchester.

Rem Rapelje, Jr., a Son of Rem Rapelje, by Asher Durand. 
NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

I have written about Rem Rapelje, his son George (who succeeded to his father's Pelham Neck Estate), and the Rapelje farm on Pelham Neck a number of times.  See, e.g.:

Thu., Mar. 02, 2017:  1805 Advertisement Reveals Much About the Pelham Farm of Rem Rapelje.  

Fri., Jan. 08, 2016:  Pelhamite Rem Rapelje, a Loyalist, Was "Rode on Rails" During the Revolutionary War.

Wed., Oct. 03, 2007:  Book by George Rapelje, Pelham Resident Along With His Father, Rem Rapelje, Published in 1834. 

Mon., Feb. 27, 2006:  Another Description of the Farm of Rem Rapelje of Pelham Published in 1806. 

Wed., Aug. 24, 2005:  1807 Advertisement for Sale of Property of Rem Rapelje in Pelham.

Rem Rapelje executed his will on July 8, 1795.  At that time he owned two farms:  the thirty-acre "Glass House Farm" that he purchased shortly after the Revolutionary War located along the Hudson River about three miles from New York City; and the 350-acre farm on Pelham Neck (today's Rodman's Neck) that he purchased from Thomas Pell of the town of Pelham.  

One of the most significant aspects of Rapelje's will is that Rapelje bequeaths to his wife, "Nelly" Rapelje, the use of one slave named Jacob during her lifetime.  Specifically, the will states:  "I give and bequeath unto my said wife . . . the Use of my Negro named Jacob for and during her natural life."  The will further provides that "All the Rest, Residue and Remainder of my real and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever I give and Bequeath unto my Son George Rapelje," thus providing for George Rapelje to inherit the "Negro named Jacob" after the death of Nelly Rapelje.

For years I have been piecing together some of the tragic history regarding slavery in the early years of Pelham's history.  Indeed, on June 8, 2007 I presented an academic paper on the topic to the 28th Annual Conference on New York State History.  The paper was entitled "Slavery in the Manor of Pelham and the Town of Pelham During the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries." 

Immediately below is a bibliographic list of prior writings I have prepared on the topic including the 2008 conference paper. 

Bell, Blake A., Slavery in the Manor of Pelham and the Town of Pelham During the Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries (paper prepared for and presented to the 28th Annual Conference on New York State History on June 8, 2007). 

Thu., Jan. 07, 2016:  The 1790 U.S. Census and What It Reveals About Slavery in Pelham.

Wed., Dec. 16, 2015:  The Will of Joshua Pell Sr. of the Manor of Pelham Dated March 1, 1758.

Wed., Apr. 12, 2006:  1712 Census of Westchester County Documents Slave Ownership in Pelham. 

Mon., Apr. 03, 2006:  1805 Will of William Bayley of Pelham Included Disposition of Slaves. 

Fri., Feb. 17, 2006:  Runaway Slave Notice Published by John Pell in 1748 Comes to Light.

Wed., Jul. 19, 2006:  Pelham Manor Runaway Slave Notice in June 30, 1777 Issue of The New-York Gazette; And The Weekly Mercury.

Mon., Jul. 18, 2005: Pelham Manor Runaway Slave Notice in August 29, 1789 Issue of The New-York Packet 

Bell, Blake A., Records of Slavery and Slave Manumissions in 18th and 19th Century Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 27, Jul. 9, 2004.

Jacob, the man Rem Rapalje enslaved, does not seem to appear in the 1790 U.S. Census.  Indeed, until research revealed Rem Rapelje's will, there was no record of a slave named Jacob owned by Rem Rapelje previously known to this author.  Though the will does not indicate where Jacob worked, it is virtually certain that he worked, at least at times, on Rem Rapelje's farm in Pelham.  

Rem Rapelje named his son, George, an Executor and his wife, "Nelly," an Executrix under the will.  Rapelje bequeathed a life interest in the Glass House Farm to his wife, as well as "the use" of household furniture, farming utensils, livestock, and other such property during her life.  He further bequeathed three thousand pounds to his wife with any remainder at the time of her death due to the couple's son, George.

Rapelje's will further bequeathed an annual payment of "two hundred pounds current money of New York" to his granddaughter Maria Rapelje, a daughter of Rem Rapelje's deceased son Abel Rapelje.  The money was to be paid to her "out of the Rent Income or Profits" of the 350-acre farm on Pelham Neck.  Maria Rapelje died in 1817 and is buried in the cemetery of St. Paul's Church of Eastchester.

The remainder of Rem Rapelje's real estate and other property went to his son, George Rapelje, including the large farm in Pelham.  George Rapelje, who married Susan Elizabeth Provoost (a daughter of Samuel Provoost and Maria Bousfield), lived on that farm for many years thereafter.

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Below is the text of Rem Rapelje's last will and testament.  Thereafter are images of the record of that will with each followed by a citation and link to its source.

"173

The People of the State of New York by the grace of God Free and Independent.  To all to whom these presents shall come or may concern send greeting

Know Ye that at the Town of White Plains in the County of Westchester on the twentieth -- day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five before Edward Thomas Esquire Surrogate of our said county the last will and testament of Rem Rapalje deceased (a copy whereof is hereunto annexed) was proved and is now approved and allowed by us; and the said deceased having whilst he lived and at the time of his death goods, chattels or credits within this State by means whereof the proving and registering the said will and the granting administration of all and singular the said goods, chattels and credits and also the auditing, allowing and final discharging the account thereof now belong unto us:  the administration of all and singular the goods, chattels and credits of the said deceased and any way concerning his will is granted unto George Rapelje as Executor in the said will named he being first duly sworn well and faithfully to administer the same and to make and exhibit a true and perfect inventory of all and singular the said goods, chattels, and credits and also to render a just and true account thereof when thereunto required -- In Testimony whereof we have caused the Seal of Office of our said Surrogate to be hereunto affixed.  Witness Edward Thomas Esquire Surrogate of the said county at White Plains in the said county the twenty third day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five and of our Independence the thirtieth.  

Edward Thomas Surrogate."

"174

In the name of God Amen.  I Rem Rapelje of the Seventh Ward of the City of New York in the State of New York in North America being of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding Thanks be to Almight God for the same and considering the uncertainty of life do make this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say First I recommend my Soul to Almighty God who gave it to me and my Body to the Earth to be intered in a Christian like manner and as touching such worldly Estate whereof I am possessed I give and dispose thereof in manner as follows  First I will 
and direct that all my just Debts and funeral charges be truly paid and satisfied within some convenience time after my decease.  Item  I give and bequeath unto my dearly beloved wife Nelly Rapelje the Farm I now live on which I bought of William W. Adams 
containing about thirty acres Land and which is called and know [sic] by the name of the Glass House Farm with the Land thereunto adjoining which I bought of the Heirs of one Manderville and others containing on or about thirty acres to have and to hold to her for and during her natural Life.

Item  I give and bequeath unto my said wife the use of all my Household Furniture, farming utensils, Horses, Cows, Waggon, [illegible] Slay Chare and also the Use of my Negro named Jacob for and during her natural life --

Item  I give and bequeath unto my said loving wife the interest of three thousand Pounds which is to be set apart out of my Bonds or money out of my Estate which together with the beforesaid real and personal Estate is for and in lieu of her Dower for and during her natural Life and at her Death I give the said real and personal Estate with the three thousand pounds unto my son George Rapelje to Have and to Hold to him, his Heirs and assigns for ever --

Item  I give and bequeath unto my Grand Daughter Maria Rapelje Daughter of my Son Abel Rapelje deceas'd the Sum of two hundred pounds current money of New York annually and to be set apart and to be paid to her out"

"175

out [sic] of the Rent Income or Profits of the Farm I bought of Thomas Pell on the Manor of Pelham Every Year during her natural life and at her Death to revert to my Son George Rapelje his Heirs and assigns for ever -- And I hereby nominate and appoint my son George Rapelje trustee well and truly to perform my Bequeath to my Grand Daughter Maria Rapelje

Item  All the Rest, Residue and Remainder of my real and personal Estate whatsoever and wheresoever I give and Bequeath unto my Son George Rapelje to Have and to Hold to him, his Heirs and assigns for ever.  Lastly I hereby nominate and appoint my loving Wife Nelly Executrix and my Son George Executor of this my last Will and Testament hereby revoking and disannulling all former Wills by me heretofore made.  In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this Eight day of July in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five.  Rem Rapelje LS [LS Appears within indication of seal at this point]  Signed, Sealed and delivered by the said Rem Rapelje as his last Will and Testament in the presence of us.  The word and in the 6th Line first erased & the word pounds between 23 & 24 Line first interlined.  Mangle Minthorne, Joseph Stringham, Frank Child. -- 

Westchester County  ss.  Be it Remembered that on this twentieth day of November in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five personally appeared before me Edward Thomas Surrogate of the said County of Westchester, Mangle Minthorne Esquire -- who being duly sworn upon his Oath declared that he did see Rem Rapelje sign and seal the preceding written instrument purporting to be the will of the said Rem Rapelje bearing date the Eighth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five and heard him publish and declare the same as and for his last Will"

"176

and Testament that at the Time thereof he the said Rem Rapelje was of sound and disposing mind and memory to the Best of the Knowledge and Belief of him the Deponent and that Joseph Stringham, Frank Child and the Deponent severally subscribed the said will as witnesses thereto in the Testator's presence.

23d November 1805.  I delivered to George Rapelje the original will of his father Rem Rapelje of which the preceding is a Copy.  It was delivered to him at Harlem Bridge with Receipt for same -- 

Edward Thomas --"

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Below are images of the record of Rem Rapelje's will, the text of which appears immediately above.  Each image below is followed by a citation and link to its source.

Page 1 of Will of Rem Rapelje.  Source:

New York Wills and Probate Records - Vol.

D-F, 1803-1815, p. 173 (available via Ancestry.com;

paid subscription required to access via this link).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Page 2 of Will of Rem Rapelje.  Source:

New York Wills and Probate Records - Vol.

D-F, 1803-1815, p. 174 (available via Ancestry.com;

paid subscription required to access via this link).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Page 3 of Will of Rem Rapelje.  Source:

New York Wills and Probate Records - Vol.

D-F, 1803-1815, p. 175 (available via Ancestry.com;

paid subscription required to access via this link).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Page 4 of Will of Rem Rapelje.  Source:

New York Wills and Probate Records - Vol.

D-F, 1803-1815, p. 176 (available via Ancestry.com;

paid subscription required to access via this link).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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1805 Advertisement Reveals Much About the Pelham Farm of Rem Rapelje

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Rem Rapelje was born in Brooklyn, New York during the mid-1700s.  He lost his father as a young child.  His mother remarried but his relationship with his stepfather was quite poor and, according to his son, George Rapelje, Rem "sought for friendly aid elsewhere."  As a young man, Rem Rapelje hustled for his living.  As a very, very young man, he was a ship owner.  He also dealt in general merchandise and kept a store on Maiden Lane in New York City "directly in rear of his dwelling."  An uncle who was in the "corn, grain, and flour business" and owned a store for the business took him into the store "which was at the fork of Maiden Lane and Crown Street."  Soon, on behalf of the business, he was sent in a schooner to Curacao. 

Rem Rapelje was a Loyalist, but he remained in the New York region after the Revolutionary War.  When the war ended, he purchased a farm known as "Glass House Farm" located along the Hudson River about three miles from New York City. 

By 1790, according to both the 1790 U.S. Census and a plan of pews for St. Paul's Church in Eastchester, Rem Rapelje had moved to Pelham.  See Wed., Aug. 15, 2007:  Plan of Pews in St. Paul's Church 1790.  He purchased a massive 300 acre farm on Pelham Neck and the surrounding region.  He had a brother-in-law named John Hardenbrook who also resided in Pelham.  He lived in Pelham on that farm until his death in about 1805.

I have written about Rem Rapelje, his son George, and the Rapelje farm on Pelham Neck a number of times.  See, e.g.:

Fri., Jan. 08, 2016:  Pelhamite Rem Rapelje, a Loyalist, Was "Rode on Rails" During the Revolutionary War.

Wed., Oct. 03, 2007:  Book by George Rapelje, Pelham Resident Along With His Father, Rem Rapelje, Published in 1834. 

Mon., Feb. 27, 2006:  Another Description of the Farm of Rem Rapelje of Pelham Published in 1806. 

Wed., Aug. 24, 2005:  1807 Advertisement for Sale of Property of Rem Rapelje in Pelham.

A very interesting and detailed advertisement offering Rem Rapelje's Pelham farm for sale was published in early January, 1805, shortly before Raelje's death.  The advertisement sheds fascinating light on the farm, its layout, its farmhouse (and the layout of that home), outbuildings and more.

According to the advertisement, the Rapelje farm contained 350 acres, "70 of wood, 60 of salt meadow, 50 of fresh meadow, 30 of arable land, and 40 of pasture."  The advertisement touts the farm's 60 acres of salt meadow.  During the colonial era, proximity to salt marshes was considered important because the salt hay grass that grew there was harvested for bedding and fodder for farm animals and for use as garden mulch.  Additionally, in those days ordinary hay was much less likely to be bailed and stored under cover.  Consequently, when the hay stacks were left in the fields, salt hay grass was used to top the hay stacks to help protect the underlying hay from the elements.

The farm included extensive apple and peach orchards.  According to the advertisement, there were three "young" apple orchards containg about 450 trees "of the best grafted fruit."  Additionally there was "a large peach orchard, and large garden, filled with every kind of fruit in its season of the most delicate sort."  There also was an orchard nursery grafted the previous year (1804) containing "500 apple trees, fit to be transplanted."  

The main home on the farm was described in detail in the advertisement.  It was described as "commodious" with a cellar and two stories with a garret (small attic) above.  There were four rooms on the ground floor and "several rooms" on the second floor.  

The outbuildings were surprisingly numerous and extensive.  There was a kitchen with a servant's room.  There was a bake house.  The farm also included a dairy house and an overseer's house that had "several rooms and kitchen, and dairy room."  There also was a "large" barn that was 105 feet long, "with every convenience for hay and cattle."  In addition there was a "large coach house and stable" as well as a wagon house, a cart house, a work shop, a fowl house, a corn crib, a granery and "other out houses."  In short, in addition to the main house, there were more than a dozen outbuildings on the extensive Rapelje farm.  

The advertisement touted the farm as perfect for the farmer or a gentleman.  As the ad put it:  "The farm altogether has a superior advantage to most others, either for the farmer or gentleman, being surrounded with fish and game."  The ad also offered for sale the stock, the farming utensils, and "part" of the household furniture in exchange for a "fair valuation."  

In short, the advertisement published on January 8, 1805 sheds fascinating light on a large Pelham farm constructed over the period from roughly 1790 -- only two years after the Town of Pelham was formed by statute -- to about 1805.   

1805 Advertisement Offering Rem Rapelje Farm in Pelham

for Sale.  Source:  FOR SALE, The Evening Post [NY, NY],

Jan. 8, 1805, p. 4, col. 2 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access

via this link).  Text of Advertisement is Transcribed Immediately Below

to Facilitate Search.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

"FOR SALE, the Farm of the subscriber at Pelham, West Chester county, 19 miles from New-York, and 2 miles from the Boston post road, nearly surrounded by water, East Chester Bay on the southerly side, and New Rochelle Bay on the northerly and easterly side.  The Farm contains about 350 acres, 70 of wood, 60 of salt meadow, 50 of fresh meadow, 30 of arable land, and 40 of pasture.  The land is superior to most in the state, wanting no manure.  There are 3 young bearing apple orchards, containing about 450 trees of the best grafted fruit; also, a large peach orchard, and large garden, filled with every kind of fruit in its season of the most delicate sort.  There is also a nursery, grafted a year ago, of 500 apple trees, fit to be transplanted.  On the premises is a commodious dwelling, containing 4 rooms on the lower floor, a cellar underneath, several rooms upstairs, and a garret above; also, a kitchen and servants room, a bake house and dairy house, an overseer's house, with several rooms and kitchen, and dairy room, a large barn, 105 feet long, with every convenience for hay and cattle, and a large coach house and stable, a waggon house, cart house, work shop, corn crib, fowl house, granery, and other out houses -- The farm altogether has a superior advantage to most others, either for the farmer or gentleman, being surrounded with fish and game.  Any person purchasing, may have the stock and farming utensils, and part of the household furniture at a fair valuation.  A small part of the purchase money to be paid on delivery of the deeds, the residue secured by bond and mortgage.  Apply to

REM. RAPELJE,
On the premises, or
GEORGE RAPELJE,
13 Hudson-st head of Jay-st. New-York.

Who has also for sale,

A full blooded three years old stud HORSE, 18 hands high, the largest horse of his age ever seen in America.  For pedigree and terms apply as above.

Also, to Rent, from the first of April nexxt, the Country Seat where the subscriber formerly resided at Greenwich, joining the North-river, about a mile above the state prison, occupied last summer by Mr. Gilbert Robertson.

Also to Rent, joining the above, about 16 acres of Land, with house and barn, occupied several years past by a gardener.  They will be let separate or together.  Apply as above, to 

G. RAPELJE.
Jan. 3 cad 2w"

Source:  FOR SALE, The Evening Post [NY, NY], Jan. 8, 1805, p. 4, col. 2 (Note:  Paid subscription required to access via this link).  

Detail of Map Prepared in 1853 Showing Pelham Neck and Lands

Owned by the Rapelje Family. Source: Dripps, Matthew & Conner,

R.F.O., Southern Part of West-Chester County N. Y. (1853) (Museum

of the City of New York, No. 29.100.2628). NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

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Pelhamite Rem Rapelje, a Loyalist, Was "Rode on Rails" During the Revolutionary War

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A prevalent extrajudicial punishment by mob during colonial times was known as "riding the rail" or being "run out of town on a rail."  A victim of such punishment was forced to straddle a rail, usually with his hands tied behind his back.  A group then lifted the rail to their shoulders and paraded the victim, who often also was tarred and feathered, throughout the community.  Although the treatment was quite painful, it also was intended to humiliate the victim and force him to conform to the mob's demands -- or leave the community.  

American patriots during the Revolutionary War used the mob punishment against Loyalists in their midst.  One such Loyalist who lived in Brooklyn at the time, but later became an important landowner in, and resident of, the Town of Pelham was Rem Rapelje.

I have written of Rem Rapelje and the Rapelje family in Pelham before.  For a few examples, see:

Wed., Oct. 03, 2007:  Book by George Rapelje, Pelham Resident Along With His Father, Rem Rapelje, Published in 1834.  

Mon., Feb. 27, 2006:  Another Description of the Farm of Rem Rapelje of Pelham Published in 1806.  

Wed., Aug. 24, 2005:  1807 Advertisement for Sale of Property of Rem Rapelje in Pelham.

Rem Rapelje was born in Brooklyn, New York during the mid-1700s.  He lost his father as a young child.  His mother remarried but his relationship with his stepfather was quite poor and, according to his son, George Rapelje, Rem "sought for friendly aid elsewhere."  As a young man, Rem Rapelje hustled for his living.  As a very, very young man, he was a ship owner.  He also dealt in general merchandise and kept a store on Maiden Lane in New York City "directly in rear of his dwelling."  An uncle who was in the "corn, grain, and flour business" and owned a store for the business took him into the store "which was at the fork of Maiden Lane and Crown Street."  Soon, on behalf of the business, he was sent in a schooner to Curacao.

Rem Rapelje was a Loyalist, but he remained in the New York region after the Revolutionary War.  When the war ended, he purchased a farm known as "Glass House Farm" located along the Hudson River about three miles from New York City.

By 1790, according to both the 1790 U.S. Census and a plan of pews for St. Paul's Church in Eastchester, Rem Rapelje had moved to Pelham.  See Wed., Aug. 15, 2007:  Plan of Pews in St. Paul's Church 1790.  He purchased a massive 300 acre farm on Pelham Neck and the surrounding region.  He had a brother-in-law named John Hardenbrook who also resided in Pelham.  He lived in Pelham on that farm until his death in about 1805.

Notice Published After Rem Rapelje's Death in the November

30, 1805 Issue of The Evening Post.  [Text Transcribed

Immediately Below].  Source:  TAKE NOTICE [Advertisement],

The Evening Post, Nov. 30, 1805, p. 2, col. 2 (NOTE:  Paid

subscription required to access link.)  NOTE:  Click on Image

to Enlarge.

"TAKE NOTICE. . . . . All persons having just or legal demands against the estate of REM RAPELJE, late of the town of Pelham, in Westchester County, and formerly of the city of New York, merchant, deceased, are requested to present their accounts well authenticate for instant payment; and those indebted to said estate to make payment to GEORGE RAPLJE, Executor, 14 Vesey street.  Nov. 29 1m"

Before Rem Rapelje's death, his son, George Rapelje, moved to Pelham and lived for a time with his father.  Thereafter, George Rapelje sold the farm in Pelham and moved to New York City.  (As a source for much of this background information, see Rapelje, George, A Narrative of Excursions, Voyages, and Travels, Performed at Different Periods in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, pp. 2, 3, 11, 56-57 (NY, NY: West & Trow, 1834).

As a Loyalist during the Revolutionary War, Rem Rapelje found himself subject to  humiliation by a mob of American Patriots, at least according to a letter found in the collections of The New-York Historical Society.  That letter, dated "Staten Island, August 17, 1776," states:

"The persecution of the loyalists continues unremitted.  Donald McLean, Theophilus Hardenbrook, young Fueter, the silversmith, and Rem Rapelje of Brooklyn have been cruelly rode on rails, a practice most painful, dangerous, and, till now, peculiar to the humane republicans of New England."

[For a full citation to the letter and a published version of it, see the end of today's posting.]

Image Depicting a Colonial Mob Riding a Poor Victim

Who Has Been Tarred and Feathered on a Rail.

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Detail of Map Prepared in 1853 Showing Pelham Neck and Lands

Owned by the Rapelje Family. Source: Dripps, Matthew & Conner,

R.F.O., Southern Part of West-Chester County N. Y. (1853) (Museum

of the City of New York, No. 29.100.2628).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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"In the 'Upcott Collection' in the New York Historical Society Library, Vol. IV., p. 288, is a letter dated 'Staten Island, August 17, 1776,' which says:

'The persecution of the loyalists continues unremitted.  Donald McLean, Theophilus Hardenbrook, young Fueter, the silversmith, and Rem Rapelje of Brooklyn have been cruelly rode on rails, a practice most painful, dangerous, and, till now, peculiar to the humane republicans of New England.'"

Source:  De Lancey, Edward Floyd, ed., History of New York During the Revolutionary War and of the Leading Events in the Other Colonies at that Period, by Thomas Jones, Justice of the Supreme Court of the Province, Vol. I, p. 597 (NY, NY:  Trow's Printing & Bookbinding Co., Printed for the New York Historical Society, 1879) (New York Historical Society -- The John D. Jones Fund Series of Histories and Memoirs).  

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More About Anthony Wolf of Wolfs Lane Fame Who Built the Wolf Homestead that Once Stood in Pelhamville

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Yesterday I posted a brief article about the Anthony Wolf homestead that once stood in Pelhamville just north of Third Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue.  See Wed., Aug. 26, 2015:  Stories About The Old Wolf Homestead in Pelhamville, Told by J. Gardiner Minard.  That article prompted so many emails and private messages asking for more information about Anthony Wolf after whom today's Wolfs Lane is named that I decided to put together a quick article on the subject for today's posting.  

"Anthony Wolf" is the Anglicized version of the name of the man who was born as John Anthony Woolf.  That, of course, begs the question of why today's Wolfs Lane is not named "Woolfs Lane."

We know much about J. Anthony Woolf and his wife, Sarah, because the couple were among the first Mormons in the country to flee persecution and trek across the wilds of North America to arrive in today's Salt Lake City.  They were among the first Mormons to make that trek and to establish the settlement that became the center of the Latter Day Saints movement founded by Joseph Smith.  

John Anthony Woolf was born July 31, 1805 in Westchester County, New York.  He was the eighth child of John Anthony Woolf (b. 1761; d. 1829 and also known as "Anthony") and Phoebe Weeks (b. 1765; d. ?, sometimes "Phebe").  John Anthony Woolf Sr. was a naturalized American citizen who arrived in America for service among the German troops who fought for Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.  After the war, John Anthony Woolf Sr. became an extensive landowner and a farmer in Westchester County.  

Although little is known about John Anthony Woolf's early years, in addition to learning to farm he also was taught a trade.  He became a skilled shoemaker who served the "well-to-do in the city of New York."  At the age of 26, on April 30, 1831, he married Sarah Ann DeVoe of Westchester County, a daughter of John DeVoe Jr. (b. 1778; d. 1864) and Sarah Weeks (b. 1781; d. 1864), both of Pelham, New York.  

John Anthony Woolf After Whom Today's

Wolfs Lane in the Town of Pelham is Named.

NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Sarah Ann DeVoe Woolf, Wife of John

Anthony Woolf After Whom Today's

Wolfs Lane in the Town of Pelham is Named.

NOTE:  Click Image To Enlarge.

It is not known with certainty when John Anthony Woolf and Sarah Ann DeVoe Woolf moved to Pelham.  Nor is it known when they built their house that became known as the Wolf Homestead.  Genealogical information regarding the birth of their children, however, indicate that the couple lived in Pelham at least as early as 1832.  It seems likely that at least shortly before the birth of their first child, Absalom, on February 4, 1832 at Pelham, the couple was ensconced in the newly-constructed Wolf Homestead.  

Wolf Homestead in an Undated Photograph.

Photograph Courtesy of The Office of The Historian

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

It is hard to imagine today what it was like when the couple first built and moved into the Wolf Homestead.  It was, in effect, in the middle of nowhere.  The railroad had not yet been built through Pelham.  That came in 1851.  No streets had yet been laid out anywhere in today's Village of Pelham or today's Pelham Heights.  Indeed, the closest roadway was the winding dirt road known as the Old Boston Post Road (today's Colonial Avenue).  There were no other residences or structures in the area that became Pelhamville.  

There was, however, a winding dirt path that extended from the Boston Turnpike (today's Boston Post Road) and ran parallel to and inland from the Hutchinson River.  The path was ancient; it was carved by local Native Americans well before Thomas Pell acquired the region from local Native Americans.  As John Anthony Woolf traversed that little pathway back and forth over the years, it became today's Wolfs Lane and a portion of today's Fifth Avenue extending from the Boston Turnpike to the Wolf farmhouse.  

A map published in 1853, two years after the coming of the railroad and shortly after some roads had been laid out and residences built as part of the efforts to develop and sell lots in Pelhamville, shows the Wolf Homestead.  In the detail from the map that appears immediately below, the Wolf Homestead is the structure depicted between the letters "M" and "V" in the word "PELHAMVILLE."

Detail from 1853 Map Showing Pelhamville.

Source: M. Dripps & R. F. O. Conner, Southern

Part of West-Chester County N. Y. (1853).

John Anthony Woolf in An Undated Photograph.

Caption:  "Born July 31, 1805.  Came to Utah

Oct. 6, 1847, Edward Hunter Company.  Pres. of

Seventies.  Bishop's Counselor, Farmer and Stockraiser."

Source:  Esshom, Frank, PIONEERS AND PROMINENT

MEN OF UTAH COMPRISING PHOTOGRAPHS -

GENEALOGIES - BIOGRAPHIES, p. 96 (Salt Lake City,

UT:  Utah Pioneers Book Publishing Co., 1913).

In 1841, John Anthony Woolf and his wife joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Sarah was baptized by James G. Devine on May 20, 1841.  Anthony was baptized two months later by C. Wesley Wardle on July 20, 1841.  Anthony soon became president of the church branch in New Rochelle.  According to one biographer:

"John and Sarah Ann both possessed a deep religious feeling, and investigated the beliefs of the different denominations. In the year 1834, 2 Mormon Elders visited the locality in which they lived and after hearing them preach, Sarah Ann joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She was baptized 20 May 1841 by James G. Devine, John Anthony often praised her for having seen the light about a year before he did. Sarah Ann never tired of telling how she had met the Elders and how thankful she was that they had found her. John was baptized by C. Wesley Wardle on July 20, 1841, and in 1842 he was made President of the branch of New Rochelle, New York. During the time they lived in New York they had six children as follows: Absalom, Sarah Ann, James, Hannah Eliza, Isaac, and John Anthony II."

In 1843, John and Sarah packed up their family, joined with other members of their Church and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, traveling by canal boat, river steamboat and wagon to get there.  The group traveled to Nauvoo to join with Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement.  They purchased a farm near Smith's home.  According to another biographer who has studied the couple's lives:

"The Woolf Family arrived in Nauvoo in the spring of 1843. 'Nauvoo the Beautiful,' or 'Nauvoo, the City of the Saints' was the home of the prophet Joseph Smith; it was already the largest city in Illinois and rapidly growing–a city where righteousness was to abound, and the blessings of the Lord were to be made manifest in abundance. Missionaries were going out and missionaries were returning. Saints were arriving from England and from the Eastern States. The temple was under construction, and new organizations were being formed as needed to perform the functions of a rapidly-growing church and a rapidly-growing city. There was much for the Woolf family to do. A temporary home must be found, a farm purchased and cultivated, new contacts and acquaintances made, and church work done. All this fortunately left little time for John and Sarah Ann to brook over the dear friends and scenes of childhood they had left far behind or to nurse the deep hurt in their hearts over the estrangement that had sprung up between them and their beloved close relatives on the occasion of their joining the church of their choice. 

The spring of 1843 found Nauvoo in perhaps its most enjoyable era. The efforts of the Missourians to harass the Saints in Illinois had borne little fruit, and the Illinois persecutions had not yet matured. John Anthony purchased a lovely farm 2 miles east of the city, thus preserving the pattern of a rural home, but near a city where its commercial and cultural advantages could be obtained. What pleased John and Sarah even more was the fact that their farm adjoined that of the Prophet Joseph, with whom they became intimately acquainted and whose humanity, simplicity, and intelligence as a friend seemed wholly compatible with his profile as a prophet."

Within a short time, the so-called "Illinois Persecution" of the Mormons began.  "The Prophet," Joseph Smith, was murdered in Illinois on June 27, 1844.  The persecuted Mormons, including J. Anthony Woolf and Sarah Ann DeVoe Woolf, began fleeing Nauvoo and trekked across the continent.  The couple, traveling with the Edmund Hunter Company, arrived in Salt Lake City on October 6, 1847.  

According to another biographer of the couple:

"John built an adobe house in the old fort to house his family, and assisted others with their building. They survived the winter by eating the oxen that had pulled their belongings across the plains. They remained in Salt Lake 5 years, after which time they were called by Brigham Young to help settle Iron Co. In the early spring of 1852, John Anthony left for Iron County, where he planted crops and built a house. Due to pests and other adverse conditions, he harvested only 44 bushels of grain. Nevertheless, he returned to Salt Lake for his family in the autumn. At an early encampment on the Jordan River on the return journey with his family, thieves drove away their cattle. So much time was lost in finding and retrieving them that is was impossible to reach Iron Co. Before the winter storms, so John built a house for the winter on the Provo River. But now Indian trouble broke out; Indians stole most of the cattle and sheep. On advice from others, John moved his family to Nephi, returning only to tear down his house, which the Indians were using as a cover from which to shoot at passerby. 

John Anthony built a new home for his family within the fort in Nephi and lived there during the years 1856-60 inclusive. Indian troubles and drought sapped their strength and discounted their efforts. In 1855 John was set apart as a Pres. Of the 19 Quorum of Seventies. While the family was hard-pressed materially, they were blessed spiritually and enjoyed unity and good health. In March 1858, their youngest child, Wallace, was born; he was their 12 . th Because the family was now so large and the material rewards of their labor insufficient to maintain their family (because of Indian trouble, drought, and pests), they moved North in 1861 to Cache Valley, settling in the community which became known as Hyde Park, named after its first bishop and leading citizen, William Hyde. There was virgin land here, a plentiful water supply, and while there were some Indian problems, they were less consuming of the settlers’ time 

John Anthony and Sara Ann started all over again, as they had done so many times before, to build a home for themselves and their children. It was now just 20 years since they had joined the Church in New York. They were 20 years older and 20 years wiser, poorer in goods of this earth but blessed with a family of healthy, able and obedient children. Herein was their treasure. Because of the children, the Lord had not let them labor those 20 years in vain. 

Farming requires back-breaking labor even on a cultivated farm. It is much more difficult on a new farm where sagebrush has to be removed, fences built to keep the owner’s cattle in and stray cattle out, ditches surveyed and excavated, head gates installed, the land plowed, leveled, cultivated, seeded and irrigated. A farm house has to be built, corrals made, barns and sheds erected and a garden plot prepared and seeded. John and Sarah Ann, with their children, some of whom were now old enough and experienced enough to help, faced this colossal task with courage and with as much vigor as their age would permit. Within a few years, they had another home, a flowing well, barns, pens and pastures, horses and cattle. John introduced a new breed of horses into the community known as the Woolf Stock, a medium-sized horse of great strength and good action what was ideal as an all purpose horse on western farms and ranches. 

The family was expert and ingenious in making the most of what could be raised on the land or be had in the local area. They made soap and lye from wood ashes, molasses from red beets; they carded and spun wool, and from the yarn made knitted clothing and stockings. From cow and horse hides they made ropes, bridles, harnesses, and, of course, shoes. John was a reliable source of shoes wherever he lived. His granddaughter, Orilla, tells of having many times held a candle for him at night after a hard day’s work while he cut miniature wooden pegs foir tacking on the soles of shoes. They made preserves and jam from berries, from small fruits, and even from vegetables. They maintained a good vegetable cellar and made a smokehouse, where they could smoke dry meats. By their ingenuity and labor they always seemed to manage to have some food on hand. The needy were never turned away empty-handed. Their house was a beehive of activity and a gathering place for their children and their children’s friends. 

John was spared to enjoy his new home for 20 years. He died 7 Nov. 1881 at 76 years–50 years after his marriage, and 40 years after joining the church. Sarah Ann lived to age oif 90. She passed away 19 March 1905."

Grave Site with Head Stones of Sarah Ann DeVoe Woolf

and John Anthony Woolf Located in Hyde Park Cemetery,

Cache County, Utah, Plot at Section 3, Row 6, Position 3.

Photograph by Linda Ames, 2009.  Source:  FindAGrave.com.

Much has been written about J. Anthony Woolf and Sarah Ann DeVoe Woolf, after whom today's Wolfs Lane in Pelham is named.  Below is a transcription of a brief biography of J. Anthony Woolf as well as links to additional resources regarding the couple.

*          *          *          *          *

"WOOLF, JOHN ANTHONY (son of John Anthony Woolf and Phoebe Weeks of Westchester County, N.Y.).  Born July 31, 1805.  Came to Utah Oct. 6, 1847, Edward Hunter company.  

Married Sarah Ann Devoe 1831 in Westchester county, N. Y. (daughter of John Devoe and Sarah Weeks of Pelham, Westchester county).  She was born April 10, 1814 and came to Utah with husband.  Their children:  Absalom, m. Harriet Wood, m. Lucy Hamitlon; Sarah Ann, m. Homer Brown; James, m. Malinda Bradley, m. Emma Hurren; Hannah Eliza, m Homer Brown; Isaac, m. Ellen M. Hyde, m. Melissa Ashcraft; John Anthony, m. Mary Lucretia Hyde, m. Celia Ann Hatch; Andrew; William Henry, died; Phoebe Elizabeth, m. William Gibson; Harriet, m. William Gibson; Homer, m. Lolla Bates; Wallace, died.  Family resided Salt Lake City, Mona, Nephi and Hyde Park, Utah.

Married Mary Ann Atkins in 1872, Salt Lake City (daughter of William Atkins and Lucy Heert), who was born Dec. 20 1815, Hockley, Essex, Eng.  Came to Utah Sept. 26, 1862, James Wareham company.

Member 49th quorum seventies; counselor to Bishop William Hyde of Hyde Park; president of branch in New Rochelle, N. Y., in 1842; ordained president 49th quorum of seventies of Nephi 1855.  Justice of peace Hyde Park, Utah.  Farmer and stockraiser.  Died Nov. 7, 1881, Hyde Park."

Source:  Esshom, Frank, PIONEERS AND PROMINENT MEN OF UTAH COMPRISING PHOTOGRAPHS - GENEALOGIES - BIOGRAPHIES, p. 96 (Salt Lake City, UT:  Utah Pioneers Book Publishing Co., 1913).

For additional reading, see:

Woolf Family History:  John Anthony Woolf Jr. and Sarah Ann DeVoe (visited Aug. 26, 2015).

FindAGrave.com - John Anthony Woolf, I (visited Aug. 26, 2015).

FindAGrave.com - Ann Devoe Woolf (visited Aug. 26, 2015).

WOOLF JOHN ANTHONY 1805-1881 MS 7028 Church Historical Department - Brigham Young University (visited Aug. 26, 2015).

Biography of JOHN ANTHONY WOOLF JR. Typed by Kathleen J. Woolf Oct. 2002 - Brigham Young University (visited Aug. 26, 2015).

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."