Historic Pelham

Presenting the rich history of Pelham, NY in Westchester County: current historical research, descriptions of how to research Pelham history online and genealogy discussions of Pelham families.

Tuesday, July 05, 2016

British Loyalist Jonathan Pell of the Manor of Pelham


Jonathan Pell was a British Loyalist who, prior to the Revolutionary War, lived in the Manor of Pelham. He was a well-known Loyalist who actively supported the British Crown and, thus, was hated by American Patriots in the region even before the War actually began. Thus, at the very outset of the War, Jonathan Pell fled the Manor of Pelham.  Though I have written of the exploits of many Pell family members who lived in the Manor of Pelham at the outset of the Revolutionary War, I never have written about Jonathan Pell.

 Jonathan Pell was a son of Joshua Pell (born about 1710, died about 1786) and Phebe Palmer (born about 1710, died about 1796). Although before the Revolutionary Wary Pell clearly resided in the Manor of Pelham as period documents affirm, it is not clear if he owned property in Pelham. If he did, he apparently disposed of his Pelham real estate at or before the time he joined the British military as there appears to be no record of any confiscation of Pelham real estate belonging to him – only real estate in New York City. In any event, Pell fled to Long Island in 1776 where he joined the British Army. 

 According to a Jonathan Pell filed with the Commissioners Appointed by Act of Parliament for Inquiring Into the Losses and Services of the American Loyalists, shortly after he joined the British Army: 

 “[A] Part of the Army . . . marched from New York to the White Plains under the Command of Sir Henry Clinton and your Memorialist being acquainted with the Country offered his services as a Guide which was accepted of, & he accompanied them on that Expedition & returned with them to New York, and thereafter acted as a Lieutenant of the Militia at New York until the Conclusion of the Peace.” Pell owned real estate on Bowery Lane in New York City worth 700 pounds that was confiscated and sold by the United States after the war. He also filed a claim seeking compensation for a large 80-ton sloop “burnt by the Rebells [sic] at Cowneck Harbour near Huntington in the year 1782 valued at . . . } £400.” It appears that Pell was an owner of the sloop but did not serve as its master. According to his claim filed for compensation for the loss of the sloop, a man named William Hunt was the ship’s Master. The claim stated “the said Vessel was in June One thousand seven hundred & Eighty two, lying at Cowsneck Harbour near Huntington, at which time a number of Armed Men, in whale Boats, came from the Connecticut shore, seized upon the said Vessel & Burnt her.” 

 At some point before the war, Pell purchased a mare worth £37.6.8 from Joseph Rodman and a black horse purchased from Samuel Rodman worth £40. According to a claim Pell later filed, in 1783, Pell sent these two horses from New York City to Pelham Manor “to pasture there.” Shortly after he sent the horses to Pelham, “a person calling himself a Serjeant in the American Army came and carried away the said two Horses & Mare against the will & Consent of this Deponent who used every means to prevent him from taking them away. And that the said Horses were never returned to the said Jonathan Pell or any satisfaction whatever made him.” 

 After the war, Jonathan Pell fled to, and settled in, Shelburne, Nova Scotia. He later moved from Shelburne to Stamford Township, Welland County, Nova Scotia. From Nova Scotia, Pell filed his claim for Revolutionary War losses. It was heard by the Commissioners on December 16, 1785 (AO 13, Vol. 25, pp. 418-26). In his claim, Pell sought compensation for his burned sloop, a mare and black horse, and a lot on Bowery Lane. He sought £1,190.16.8 in “New York Currency” or £661.10.3 in “Sterling.” Interestingly, Benjamin Palmer and Enoch Hunt, both “at present of Shelburne,” submitted oaths in support of Pell’s claim. See “Revolutionary War Claims for Losses – Surnames ‘P’ Jonathan Pell” in Niagara Settlers (visited February 21, 2016) (scroll down to Jonathan Pell).

Low Resolution Image of Original Surveyor's Map
Surveyor.  22nd February 1798."  NOTE:  Click on
Link to Access High Resolution Digital Image of the Map.

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:59 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

Another Interesting History of City Island Published in 1901


City Island once was part of the Town of Pelham before its annexation by New York City in the mid-1890's.  Indeed, for much of Pelham's history, City Island was the Town's center of population.  Thus, the much of the island's early history is important to understanding the history of the Town of Pelham.

 I have written so often about the history of City Island and its citizens that it would be counter-productive to list all such articles in a single posting.  I have, however, included numerous examples of such items at the end of today's posting.

 In 1901, The New York Times published a brief but entertaining history of City Island as the opening of the new steel City Island Bridge that still connects the island to the mainland neared.  Immediately below I have transcribed the text of the article, followed by a citation and link to its source.  Although the article provides a fascinating overview of a rather complex history, great care should be taken regarding the various deeds and dates of deeds referenced in the story since some of the facts cited are not borne out by the historic record.

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.
Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity,
p. 35 (NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).

 "HISTORIC CITY ISLAND

 Opening of the New Steel Bridge May Stimulate Interest in a Section Long Neglected.

 THOUGH probably the only suburb better known to the lovers of outdoor life than City Island is Coney Island, little is known historically by the average New Yorker about this delightful spot.  In former years it was a typical fishing village, but the old farmhouses and dwellings have almost entirely been replaced by hotels, clubhouses, and cottages, and in place of the fishing smacks and oyster boats that once anchored in East chester Bay is the fleet of the Harlem Yacht Club.  But the final blow to the antiquity of the spot will be the opening of the new steel bridge connecting City Island with the mainland, which will probably take place with appropriate exercises on July 4.  This structure will replace the old wooden bridge that for years has done service.  The draw of the old bridge was formerly used on the old Harlem River bridge at Third Avenue, and was removed to City Island when the first steel structure was built across the Harlem River at this point.

 On one occasion this wooden draw was swept from its pivot pier and went floating down the Harlem with several people and a horse and carriage upon it.  Capt. John N. Munson was in charge of the bridge at that time, and he rescued the draw and its passengers as it was nearing the mouth of the Harlem Kills, one of the most dangerous points in the Harlem River.  Since that time two bridges have been built over the Harem at Third Avenue, but the old wooden draw is still doing service at City Island.

 To tell the bicyclist, the angler, the horseman or the yachtsman of to-day that those who were conspicuous in the creation of the Republic planned to make of City Island a great commercial metropolis would undoubtedly provoke expressions of incredulity, and yet such is the fact, for nearly a century and a half ago the little territory was laid out into city lots and a system of piers and warehouses was projected for the accommodation of the great trade of the Indies, which the men of that tiime reasoned was certain to come to that ideal location for a trading, manufacturing, and maritime city.

 In 1666 Mr. Thomas Pell is recorded as having applied for letters patent from the Crown, creating the manor of Pelham, embracing the territory vaguely described as between the Bronx and the Connecticut Rivers, and covering a strip of land some miles back from the shore and the islands lying upon the tract before the mainland.

 These included the island of Minnefords or Minifers, or Minnewit, names variously given to the Indians who had peopled the place [sic] before the advent of the white man.  The official records of New York State and of Westchester County say that this island, of Minnefords was the present City Island, and the term Great Minnefords is occasionally used now in legal documents relating to the island.  Thomas Pell and his nephew, John Pell, secured the royal patent or title to the territory claimed and for some time were owners of the entire tract.  On Dec. 11, 1687 John Pell sold the island to John Smith of the town of Ducklands, and though William Pate and Robert Godfrey made some pretensions of having prior claim, their title seems to have melted away in haze.  In 1700 the island passed into the possession of William Euerdon [i.e., Everdon] and Gabriel Umbriel [sic], who disposed of it to Samuel Dodge [sic], who in turn sold it to Samuel Rodman, the owner of Rodman's Neck, as the mainland adjoining it was then and is now known.  Rodman is recorded as having paid £2,300 for the island.

 On June 1, 1755, he leased the Island of Minnefords to John Jones of Jamaica [sic], 'for an annual payment of Five Shillings and one pepper corn if the same shall be lawfully demanded.'

 In 1761 the island passed into the possession of Joseph and Benjamin Palmer, and in May, 1763, Gov. Cadwalader [sic, should be Governor Robert Monckton], Captain General and Governor General in Chief of the Province of New York, conveyed to Benjamin Palmer letters patent 'for 400 feet of land under water from high water mark round Minnefords Island, which patent recognizes the plan of the island, and that it was made by the Surveyor General.'

 It is recorded that Palmer paid £2,730 for his rights, and having an eye to business he promptly divided the island into thirty equal parts, selling twenty-six parts to a company.  The company then divided their property into 4,500 building lots, 25x1000, for the purpose of creating a trading centre to be known as City Island, and fixed the price of the lots at £10 each.  When this plan was devised a ferry 'for man or men' was established between Rodman's Neck and the island at the point where the new steel bridge is being built.

 After the Revolution the islanders did not seem to prosper, and it is only within the last few years that they have shown signs of activity and improvement, which is mainly due to the discovery of the spot by bicyclists and yachtsmen.  The old wooden bridge, which will soon be torn away, was opened Dec. 1, 1873, much of the material used in its construction being taken from the wreck of the frigate North Carolina.

 The one relic of former days that now remains on the island, and which proves a great drawback, is the little one-track, one horse road, with its tiny bob-tailed cars that runs through the main street of the island and carries passengers to and from Bartow Station on the Suburban Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, about two miles from the island.  This railroad has probably stood more ridicule than any other line of cars in the United States.  Nevertheless, it is a money maker, and so crowded are the four cars that comprise the rolling stock of the system that the fishermen who frequent the islands by the hundreds on Sunday mornings are frequently seen riding on the roof.  In Summer the cars rarely miss a train, but in Winter the line is blocked about half the time.  An effort has been made to obtain a franchise to run a trolley road along the present route, but the Park Commissioners have refused to grant it on the ground that it would traverse a public park."

 Source:  HISTORIC CITY ISLAND -- Opening of the New Steel Bridge May Stimulate Interest in a Section Long Neglected, N.Y. Times Magazine Supplement, Jun. 9, 1901, p. 7, cols. 3-4.

*          *          *          *          *

I have written about various aspects of the history of City Island, once part of the Town of Pelham.  For merely a few such examples, see:

Tue., Dec. 16, 2014:  "Fifty Years Behind the Times" - City Island After its Annexation by New York City.

 Mon., Dec. 15, 2014:  Brief History of City Island Including the Legend of the Macedonia Hotel with Photographs Published in 1906.


Tue., Nov. 07, 2006:  Tour of City Island and Portions of Pelham Published in 1909.

Wed., Jul. 12, 2006:  A Brief History of City Island Published in a Book by Stephen Jenkins in 1912.





Labels: , , , , ,

posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:27 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Genealogical Information Regarding Benjamin Palmer, an 18th Century Owner of City Island in the Town of Pelham


Benjamin Palmer was a son-in-law of Thomas Pell (referenced by members of the Pell Family as Third Lord of the Manor of Pelham).  In 1761, Palmer purchased from his brother, Joseph, the island then known as Minneford's Island (today's City Island).  Benjamin Palmer had grand plans to build a large port City on the Island (hence, "City Island") to rival the port of New York City as an international shipping hub.  In 1763, Palmer announced that City Island lots had been laid out and were being offered for sale.  On May 10, 1763, the first ferry was established between City Island and Rodman’s Neck.  Throughout the 1760's many of those lots were bought and resold by land speculators. 

 Shortly before the onset of the Revolutionary War, Samuel Rodman Sr. and Benjamin Palmer successfully lobbied the New York Lieutenant Governor, the Council and the General Assembly to enact a statute authorizing them to build a free draw bridge between Rodman's Neck on the mainland and Minneford's Island (known today as City Island).  The plans were part of Palmer's grand scheme to develop Minneford's Island into a major city seaport. 

 The onset of the Revolutionary War dashed these plans.  The statute required that the bridge be built within seven years of its date of passage on April 3, 1775.  The War raged for the next eight years.  Thus, the bridge was never built and Palmer's grand plans for City Island were relegated to the trash bin of history.

 I have written about Benjamin Palmer of City Island and the early history of City Island on many occasions. At the end of this posting are links to numerous such postings.

 Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of a brief genealogy of the Palmer family with information about the ancestry and descendants of Benjamin Palmer of City Island.

 "ADDRESS

 TO THE PALMERS OF WESTCHESTER CO., N. Y., BY PROFESSOR JOSEPH H. PALMER, OF YONKERS, N. Y.

 Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Palmer Re-Union:

 Westchester County is a small part of the great territory of the Palmer family.  It was so closely allied to the State of Connecticut that for many years it was impossible to determine a boundary line of separation; but now Westchester County contents herself, lying between the Hudson River and Long Island Sound,, and having for its southern boundary the great city of New York.

 In population Westchester ranks as the ninth county in the State of New York.  It contains the city of Yonkers and numerous villages, among them White Plains, Peekskill, Tarrytown and New Rochelle.  From its proximity to New England and New York, and its beauty of situation, it is not surprising that the Palmers were among its first settlers.

 The first settlement was made at the present village of Westchester in 1642, by John Throckmorton with thirty-five English families from New England, with the consent of the Dutch who had acquired title from the Indians.  These, and others immediately following them, were refugees from New England persecution, and among them was William Palmer, who died in Westchester about 1670.

 The Palmers were not only among the early settlers, but they were among the most active participants in the affairs both of Church and of State.  As early as 1673 Joseph Palmer and Edward Waters were appointed the first magistrates of Westchester; and in 1692 John, Joseph and Samuel Palmer were appointed as commissioners for the repurchase of the land from the Indians.  John Palmer was a vestryman of St. Peter's Church, Westchester; other Palmers were Baptists, Methodists, Independents and Quakers.  Some shared the independent spirit of Ann Hutchinson, and deeply lamented her untimely [Page 105 / Page 106] and cruel death, which occurred near the creek which bears her name.  

 As the population increased and the settlements extended, we find the Palmers in the adjoining towns -- Pelham, New Rochelle and Mamaroneck, and in other parts of the county, and finally in other counties and other States.

 City Island, originally called New City Island, in the town of Pelham, takes its name from an organized effort to make it a great trading port -- a great commercial city.  The waters are deep and the tides from both extremities of the sound meet there.  

 Benjamin Palmer owned the island, consisting of 230 acres, and with his consent and co-operation it was granted to a company or corporation consisting of thirty persons, and laid out and mapped into city lots.  The plans of the company were interrupted by the Revolutionary War.  Benjamin Palmer, in the beginning of the war, at once took an active part in favor of independence.  He was driven from the island, where he had retained an interest, and was a great sufferer during the entire war, losing almost everything for his attachment to the American cause.

 In 1789 he set forth his grievances in a petition to Gen. Washington for redress, Aaron Burr being his advisor.  The petition, among other things, stated 'That himself and his family were taken prisoners by the British who used us very ill, and then ordered us off my plantation, which I then had on said island, to New York, where I have continued with my family ever since.'

 In order to give the original lines of the Palmers of Westchester, we must go still farther back, and begin with:  

 William Palmer, accompanied by his son William, a lad of nine years, came from Nottinghamshire, England, in the ship Fortune, in 1621 -- the second ship after the Mayflower -- landed at Plymouth, Mass., and settled at Duxbury, Mass., and thence to Scituate.  It is supposed he died in 1637.  His will was probated March 5, 1638.  His wife, Frances, followed her husband to America in the vessel Anne, in 1623.*  [Footnote * reads:  '*  See Palmer Records, Vol. I, p. 114.']  His son William it [Page 106 / Page 107] is supposed migrated into Westchester Country [sic], and died there in 1670.  Children,, William, Joseph, Benjamin, Samuel, Obadiah and Thomas.  Samuel settled in Mamaroneck, and became the propritor [sic] of Mangopson Neck.  Children, Obadiah, Nehemiah, Sylvanus and Solomon.  Obadiah died in 1747.  Children, William, Samuel, Benjamin, David, Obadiah, Caleb and Mary Anne.  Nehemiah died in 1760, leaving a son and a daughter.  The son died, leaving Harrison, Drake, Aaron, Nathan, Benjamin, Nehemiah and Elihue.  Sylvanus died in 1741.  Children, Robert, Sylvanus, John, Marmaduke, Edward, Anne, Susannah, Charity and Mary.

 John, son of Sylvanus, grandson of Samuel and great grandson of William, of Westchester, married Rebecca.  Children, Joseph, Philip, Marcus, Lewis, Benjamin.  The brothers Joseph and Benjamin became proprietors of City Island.  

 John Palmer of Rockland Coounty, N. Y., was probably a son of Josepoh and nephew of Benjamin, of City Island.  He lived in Rockland County as early as 1750, and called his little settlement New City, from New City Island where his father had lived.  The Palmer homestead is about one mile north of New City, which has long been the county-seat of Rockland County.  I have been unable to trace with certainty the relation between Benjamin Palmer, of City Island, and John Palmer, of New City, but there are old deeds and other papers in possession of John Palmer's descendants which establish a connection between him and the City Island property; and the dates indicate that he was the son of Joseph.  He married Martha Brown.  Children, John, Joseph and Jonathan.  Joseph never married.  The descendants of John and Jonathan, with dates, are more fully given in 'Family Sketches,' by Rev. David Cole, D. D., Yonkers, N. Yl  In these remarks I can only trace the Westchester branch from Rockland County back to Westchester.

 Jonathan Palmer, born at New City, date unknown; married Elizabeth Wood, daughter of Sheriff Ebenezer Wood, born at Tappan, July 4, 1762, and died at Camillus, Onondaga County, N. Y., December 10, 1832.  Children, Elizabeth, Jonathan [Page 107 / Page 108] Mary, John, Sarah, Benjamin, Jacob, Hannah, Ebenezer, Joseph and Daniel.

 Benjamin Palmer, born at New City, April 1, 1793; married, December 8, 1814.  Clarinda Frink, daughter of Isaac Frink and Phebe Pendleton; born at Cherry Valley, Otsego county, N. Y., July 28, 1795.  The husband died July 20, 1857, and his wife, December 12, 1872.  There were seven children, all born at Camillus, Onondaga County, N. Y., Phebe, Hannah Etta, Jane, Joseph H., George W., Warren W., and A. Judson.

 Joseph Howard Palmer (myself), born at Camillus, Onondaga County, N. Y.,, September 16, 1824; married first, December 25, 1851, Hannah maria Van Cott, daughter of John G. Van Cott and Sarah Wyckoff; born at Bushwick, L. I., April 18, 1830, died at Yonkers,, N. Y., March 17, 1859.  Married second, July 19, 1866, Frances A. Bingham, daughter of Horace B. Bingham and Emeline Jones; born at Coventay, Conn., March 31, 1835.  Children of the first marriage:

 Sarah Clarinda Palmer has the professorship of mathematics since September, 1876, in Wells' College, Aurora, Cayuga Lake, N. Y.

 John Garrison Palmer is a partner in the Pure Gold Manufacturing Company, Fairport, Monroe County, N. Y.

 Anna Maria Palmer has charge of a kindergarten in Allegheny, Pa.

 Phebe Etta Palmer is a teacher in the Park Heights Seminary, Ocean Grove, N. J.

 Children of the second marriage, Horace Bingham Palmer, Frank Howard Palmer, and Maria Whitney Palmer.  

 But few of this numerous race remained in Westchester.  The enterprises of New York City and the surrounding country became inviting; and as westward the star of empire takes her course, thitherward from every eastern county and State went many of the Palmers to act their part among the first in peaceable possession, among the first in places of honor and trust, among the first in war, in peace, and in the hearts of their countrymen.  In the wide stretch across the continent their dwell- [Page 108 / Page 109] ings ere found in almost every county, from Plymouth Rock to the Golden Gate.  From every point of the compass on land and sea the Palmers rejoice over this Palmer Re-Union -- this reuniting of heart and home.  The home in all ages has been the center of love and affection.  Its surroundings and associations engage our earliest attention, and the words father and mother are the last of all things forgotten.  The pictures of our old homes awaken commingled emotions of joy and sorrow, reminding us of the sunshine and shadows of the past.

 The remembrances of kindred and friends are precious endearments.  Art has been taxed to its uttermost to present in photography, in painting and in sculpture the forms so dear to us.  These remembrances are sacred -- our penates, our household gods.  And when these, like all earthly things, shall perish from the earth, the memory they faintly embodied, the story of virtue or valor and of useful lives, will be told to children's children.  Yes, when all who now live, and their children's children, have been carried to their last resting-place, their successors throughout all time will read the story of Plymouth Rock and Stonington, Bunker Hill and Saratoga, Valley Forge and Yorktown.  

 If memory is so enduring, and the story of one's life so indestructible, then let our lives be lives of virtue and honor; let us be exemplary parents and citizens, known and blessed by doing good amoung our fellow-men."

 Source:  Palmer, Joseph H., Address to the Palmers of Westchester Co., N. Y., by Professor Joseph H. Palmer, of Yonkers, N. Y. in Supplement to Volume No. 1 of Palmer Records.  Addresses + Poems + Proceedings of the Second Palmer Family Re-Union, Held at Stonington, Conn., August 10, 11 & 12, 1882, The Ancestral Home of Walter Palmer, the Pilgrim of 1629, Under the Auspices of the Palmer Re-Union Association, pp. 105-09 (Edited by Noyes F. Palmer, Recording Secretary, Jamaica, Long Island, NY:  Privately Printed, 1882).

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.
Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity,
p. 35 (NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).

 *          *           *           *          *
Below are examples of many prior postings that touch on Benjamin Palmer, Members of the Palmer Family and the early history of City Island.

 Tue., Oct. 07, 2014:  Legislative History of the 1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge.

 Fri., Oct. 03, 2014:  1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge.

 Tue., Dec. 01, 2009:  Brief History of City Island Published in 1901.

 Tue., Dec. 26, 2006:  1775 Statute Authorizing Samuel Rodman and Benjamin Palmer to Build City Island Drawbridge.  

Labels: , , , , , , ,

posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:47 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Benjamin Palmer's 1789 Petition to President George Washington Seeking Redress for Damages Sustained During the American Revolution


The Manor of Pelham, including today's City Island, suffered grievously as part of the Neutral Ground during the American Revolution.  The Neutral Ground was an extensive area that included southern Westchester County.  It sat between the warring armies and was prowled by American Patriots and British Loyalists throughout the War. 

The plight of Benjamin Palmer of City Island perhaps best illustrates the sufferings of the local population during the American Revolution. Records indicate that on August 27, 1776, British troops raided City Island, killing some of Palmer's livestock and plundering Palmer's farm on the island.  Within months, Palmer bravely (though perhaps injudiciously) sent to the Commander-in-Chief of the invading British forces, General William Howe, a letter in which Palmer set forth “the just Case of the people of this Country had to oppose the King’s orders."

Palmer subsequently claimed that Howe vengefully retailiated for the cheekish letter.  Palmer and his entire family were taken prisoner by the British.  According to Palmer, after he and his family were captured and imprisoned, they were released, but were ordered to abandon their "plantation" on City Island and to move to New York, which they did.  After the War, Palmer submitted a petition addressed to George Washington in September, 1789.  Washingtonwas then serving the first months of his first term as first President of the United States.   Palmer claimed in the petition that he and his family had been unduly persecuted and imprisoned by the British at the outset of the War in retaliation for the letter that he wrote to Howe.  One author has described the events of that time as follows:

"On August 27, 1776, as British ground forces swarmed across Brooklyn, three Royal Navy vessels with one hundred armed men raided City Island.  The British troops killed Palmer's livestock and 'plundered many things, all of which they carried off and never paid for,' Palmer later wrote.  Two months later, Palmer sent a letter to British general William Howe, justifying the Revolution.  This letter, Palmer would later claim, prompted Howe to seek revenge:  In 1779, the British warship Scorpion captured Palmer, taking him and his family to New York against their will.  Although he found a neighbor to farm his land, Palmer never again lived on City Island."

Source:  Seitz, Sharon & Miller, Stuart, The Other Islands of New York City:  A History and Guide, p. 108 (3rd Edition, Woodstock, VT:  The Countryman Press, 2011).

 Palmer's petition to President Washington seeking redress for the injuries he suffered at the hands of the British was part of a larger effort by Palmer during which he also later wrote to New York Governor John Jay seeking reimbursement for his losses during the War.  After losing his land in a "war-related lawsuit," Palmer was left destitute.  Aaron Burr, who had many family and real estate connections to the Manor of Pelham, eventually "raised enough money to support Palmer through his old age."  See id.

Benjamin Palmer’s brief petition to President Washington seeking unspecified redress for the damages he suffered at the hands of the British during the American Revolution is worthy of being reproduced here in its entirety because it sheds important light on the sufferings of local residents during the War:

 “[29 September 1789] 

 The Petition of Benjamin Palmer Most humbly Sheweth. 

 That your Petitioner lived on Minefords Island commonly called City Island in the State of new York in the beginning of the War between Great Brotain and those States and your Petitioner with all his Family were taken Prisoners by the British who used us very Ill. And then ordered us off my plantation which I then had on said Island down to New York where I have continued with my Family ever since – The case of their using me so ill was on Account of sending a Letter to General How the Commander of the British Army in Vindication of and setting forth the just Case of the people of this Country had to oppose the King’s orders – A copy of said Letter I wish to lay before your Excellency with the proceedings our people made to take away my Lands from me after they had got quiet possession of those States with several other copies of Letters of consequence, which your Petitioner has a great desire that your Excellency will take some suitable time to peruse them. And your Petitioner as in duty Bound will ever pray &c. 

 Benjn Palmer” 

 Source:  Letter from Benjamin Palmer to George Washington, Sep. 29, 1789 in Benjamin Palmer Papers, 1669-1817, New-York Historical Society Library, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024.  Neither the original letter to British Commander-In-Chief Howe from Palmer, nor the copy of the letter submitted by Palmer to President Washington in 1789 has ever been located.  The text of Palmer's petition to President Washington is also available online.  See National Archives and Records Administration and University of Virginia Press, Founders Online:  To George Washington From Benjamin Palmer, 29 September 1789 (visited Oct. 12, 2014).



Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.
Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity,
p. 35 (NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).

 *          *           *           *          *
Below are examples of many prior postings that touch on Benjamin Palmer, Members of the Palmer Family and the early history of City Island.

 Tue., Oct. 07, 2014:  Legislative History of the 1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge.

 Fri., Oct. 03, 2014:  1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge.

 Tue., Dec. 01, 2009:  Brief History of City Island Published in 1901.

 Tue., Dec. 26, 2006:  1775 Statute Authorizing Samuel Rodman and Benjamin Palmer to Build City Island Drawbridge.  

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:41 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Legislative History of the 1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge


A few days ago I wrote about the statute passed by the Colony of New York on April 3, 1775 authorizing Benjamin Palmer and Samuel Rodman, Sr. to build a draw bridge from Rodman's Neck on the mainland to City Island.  See Fri., Oct. 03, 2014:  1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge.

 A review of the legislative history of the statute suggests that in 1774, Rodman and Palmer sought and obtained the support of residents of the Manor of Pelham, the settlement of New Rochelle, and the borough and town of Westchester to urge the General Assembly of New York to enact a law authorizing the construction of a free draw bridge from the mainland to City Island.  

 The Journal of the General Assembly of New-York reflects that on March 10, 1774, a petition signed by a number of the freeholders and inhabitants of Pelham, New Rochelle and Westchester "was presented to the house and read, praying a bill may be brought in to enable Benjamin Palmer and Samuel Rodman, to build a free draw-bridge over the Narrows from Miniford's Island to said Rodman's Neck."  

 The house ordered representatives Thomas and Van Cortlandt to prepare and present such a bill.  Later in the day, Representative Thomas presented to the house the bill entitled "an act to enable the persons therein named to build a free bridge over the Narrows from Minfords island to Rodman's Neck.  The bill was read to the house and a second reading was ordered.

 Below is the text from the entry of the Journal of the General Assembly of New-York on March 10, 1774.

 "Die Jovis, 10 ho. A. M. the 10th March, 1774.

 Theengrossed bill from the council, entitled 'an act for the amendment of the law for prevention of frauds and perjuries,' was read the second time, and committed to a committee of the whole house.

 A petition of a number of the freeholders and inhabitants of the manor of Pelham, New-Rochelle, and the borough and town of Westchester, was presented to the house and read, praying a bill may be brought in to enable Benjamin Palmer and Samuel Rodman, to build a free draw-bridge over the Narrows from Miniford's Island to said Rodman's Neck.

 Ordered, 

 That a bill be brought in pursuant to the said petition, and that Mr. Thomas and Mr. Van Cortlandt prepare and bring in the same.

 Mr. Wilkins, from the committee appointed the 8th inst. to prepare the draft of an address to his Excellency the Governor, pursuant to a resolution entered into on that day, reported, that they prepared a draft accordingly; which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered it in at the table, where the same was again read; and thereupon it was

 Ordered,

That the said draft be referred to the consideration of a committee of the whole house.

 Mr. Thomas, according to order, presented to the house a bill, entitled 'an act to enable the persons therein named to build a free bridge over the Narrows from Minifords island to Rodman's Neck,' which was read the first time, and ordered a second reading. . . ."

 Source:  Journal of the Votes and Proceedings of the General Assembly of the Colony of New-York, from 1766 to 1776, Inclusive / Reprinted in Pursuance of a Joint Resolution of the State of New York, Passed 30th April, 1820, p. 90 (Albany, NY:  Printed by J. Buel, Printer to the State, 1820).

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.
Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity, p. 35
(NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).
*          *          *          *          *

 To read more about Benjamin Palmer, Samuel Rodman, City Island and early efforts to develop the City Island bridge, see:  







Labels: , , , , , , ,

posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:22 AM 0 comments

Friday, October 03, 2014

1775 Statute Authorizing Construction of City Island Bridge


Benjamin Palmer was a son-in-law of Thomas Pell (referenced by members of the Pell Family as Third Lord of the Manor of Pelham).  In 1761, Palmer purchased from his brother, Joseph, the island then known as Minneford's Island (today's City Island).  Benjamin Palmer had grand plans to build a large port City on the Island (hence, "City Island") to rival the port of New York City as an international shipping hub.  In 1763, Palmer announced that City Island lots had been laid out and were being offered for sale.  On May 10, 1763, the first ferry was established between City Island and Rodman’s Neck.  Throughout the 1760's many of those lots were bought and resold by land speculators.

Shortly before the onset of the Revolutionary War, Samuel Rodman Sr. and Benjamin Palmer successfully lobbied the New York Lieutenant Governor, the Council and the General Assembly to enact a statute authorizing them to build a free draw bridge between Rodman's Neck on the mainland and Minneford's Island (known today as City Island).  The plans were part of Palmer's grand scheme to develop Minneford's Island into a major city seaport.  

The onset of the Revolutionary War dashed these plans.  The statute required that the bridge be built within seven years of its date of passage on April 3, 1775.  The War raged for the next eight years.  Thus, the bridge was never built and Palmer's grand plans for City Island were relegated to the trash bin of history.  

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes the text of the statute.  I have written about this statute before, but am providing today's transcription from a different source because it differs slightly from the text of the statute about which I originally wrote.  See Tue., Dec. 26, 2006:  1775 Statute Authorizing Samuel Rodman and Benjamin Palmer to Build City Island Drawbridge.  

Benjamin Palmer spent decades supporting efforts to expand settlement in the region northeast of New York City.  He was involved in early efforts to develop a free bridge connecting the Island of Manhattan with the mainland to the north as an alternative to the King's Bridge which was a toll bridge that was the only bridge connecting Manhattan with the mainland at the time.  While developing and constructing the free bridge (known as the "Free Bridge" and the "Farmer's Bridge") the British colonial authorities were so incensed that Palmer was "pressed" (i.e., drafted) twice in one year to be sent to Canada to fight in the French and Indian War.  Both times he hired substitutes to go in his place.  Palmer later wrote "Notwithstanding this I continued building the free bridge until finished."  

I have written of Benjamin Palmer and his exploits on a number of occasions.  Links to earlier such postings may be found at the end of today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog.  


Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.
Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and Vicinity,
p. 35 (NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).


"Chapter CXXV.
(CHAP. 78, LAWS OF 1775.)

AN ACT to enable the Persons therein named to build a free draw bridge over the Narrows from Mineford's Island to Rodman's Neck.

PASSED the 3d of April 1775.

Preamble.

WHEREAS a free draw Bridge over the Narrows from Rodman's Neck to Mineford's Island in the Manor of Pelham in the County of West Chester, will considerably shorten the Distance of the present Ferry from Rodman's Neck to Great Neck on Long Island, as the said Ferry may then with great Convenience be kept on Mineford's Island aforesaid; and will moreover afford a convenient and proper Station for taking great Quantities of fish with Nets and Fikes, which will give considerable Employment and Relief to the Poor in the Neighborhood of the said Bridge, and lessen the Price of that useful Article in the Markets of the City of New York [Page 210 / Page 211] 

Erection of Draw Bridge authorized.

Be it therefore Enacted by his Honor the Lieutenant Governor the Council and the General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the Authority of the same, That Samuel Rodman Senior, and Benjamin Palmer both of the said Manor of Pelham and County of West Chester shall be, and they are hereby impowered to erect and build a draw Bridge over the said Narrows from Rodman's Neck to Minifords Island aforesaid in such Place as they the said Samuel Rodman Senior and Benjamin Palmer shall judge most fit,

Manner of Construction.

Provided that such Bridge there shall be two or more Apertures of at least twenty five Feet each, for the Convenience of navigating the said River by small Boats:

Bridge to be a free bridge.

And the said Bridge when so built shall be and is hereby declared to be a free and public Highway for the Use Benefit and Behoof of all his Majesty's Subjects whatsoever.

Act, when to become Null and Void.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Bridge shall be erected and built in the Space of Seven Years after the passing hereof, or in Default thereof, that this Act and every Thing therein contained shall be Null and Void, any Thing herein before contained to the contrary thereof notwithstanding."


*          *          *          *          *








Labels: , , , , ,

posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:37 AM 0 comments