An Obituary of Charles Henry Roosevelt of Pelham Manor

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There is a handful of ancient families who have had important influences on the history of the Town of Pelham.  Among them is the Roosevelt family, a line related (as one might expect) to the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, and to the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  

In 1901, an important member of the Pelham Manor branch of the Roosevelt family died.  
His name was Charles Henry Roosevelt.  I have written about him (and several members of the Pelham Manor branch of the family who were important supporters of our Christ Church) on many occasions.  See, e.g.:  

Tue., May 13, 2014:  Elbert Roosevelt, An Early Settler of the Manor of Pelham, and Other Members of His Family.

Mon., Apr. 05, 2010:  Obituary of Noted Pelham Manor Resident C. H. Roosevelt Published in 1901. 

Thu., Jan. 01, 2009:  A Brief History of Pelham Bridge. 

Wed., Jan. 29, 2008:  Brief Obituary of Rev. Washington Roosevelt of Pelham Published February 13, 1884. 

Mon., Nov. 19, 2007:  1901 Obituary of Charles Henry Roosevelt, Grandson of Elbert Roosevelt, One of the Early Settlers of Pelham Manor. 

Mon., Dec. 18, 2006:  What May Be The Earliest Patent Awarded to a Resident of Pelham: Patent Issued to Elbert J. Roosevelt on May 29, 1866. 

Wed., Dec. 13, 2006:  More About Isaac Roosevelt of Pelham Who Carved His Name on a Glacial Boulder in 1833. 

Mon., Nov. 13, 2006: The Isaac Roosevelt Stone Carved in 1833. 

Wed., Sep. 20, 2006:  Brief Biographical Data About Elbert Roosevelt of the Manor of Pelham.

Fri., Jan. 06, 2006: Pelham Loses its Right To Use the Town Dock in the Early 1900s.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog adds another important obituary for Charles Henry Roosevelt.  The text of the obituary, immediately below, is followed by a citation and link to its source.  

In 2006 I Climbed All Over the Shores at the Border of Today's
Village of Pelham Manor and New York City's Pelham Bay Park
To Find the Faint Remnants of the Carvings on the 
Isaac Roosevelt Stone, Carved by a Member of the Pelham 
Branch of the Roosevelt Family in 1833.  The Locally-
Famous Carving Was Almost Impossible To Find The First
Time I Looked for it.  Photograph by the Author, 2006.  

"OBITUARY.
-----
CHARLES HENRY ROOSEVELT.

Charles Henry Roosevelt died early yesterday morning at his home in Pelham Road, Pelham Manor.  Mr. Roosevelt was born in 1832.  He was the son of the Rev. Washington Roosevelt, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, and a grandson of Elbert Roosevelt, who was one of the early settlers of the manor of Pelham-on-the-Sound.  The family is related to Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt.

Mr. Roosevelt studied law in Poughkeepsie, where his father was at one time stationed.  After his marriage in that city to Miss Jackson he came to New-York and began the practice of law.  He was well known as a practitioner in Westchester County, and at the time of his death had offices at 203 Broadway.  He was the manager of many large estates, and owned valuable real estate in Pelham Manor and New-Rochelle.  The family for many years were the largest owners of real estate in Pelham Manor.

Mr. Roosevelt had been in poor health for about a year, but his death was quite sudden.  He was a member of the State and County Bar associations, the Westchester Bar Association, the St. Nicholas and Holland societies and Huguenot Lodge, F. and A. M., of New-Rochelle.  A widow and one son, Elbert C. Roosevelt, a member of the New-York Athletic Club, survive him.  The funeral is to be held on Wednesday morning in Christ Episcopal Church, in Pelham Manor, the Rev. A. F. Tenny officiating."  

Source:  OBITUARY -- CHARLES HENRY ROOSEVELT, New-York Tribune, Mar. 25, 1901, p. 7, col. 4.  

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Town of Pelham Seeks Grant of Underwater Land to Build Town Dock in 1871

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In 1871, Elbert J. Roosevelt owned lands in the Manor of Pelham on the shore of Long Island Sound near and south of today's Shore Park.  That year he conveyed to the Town of Pelham a right of way over his lands extending from Shore Road to the Sound in exchange for an agreement by the Town to build and maintain a dock at the end of the right of way for use of the Town of Pelham.  

Elbert J. Roosevelt died in 1885. The Town of Pelham built the dock. The people of the Town used the dock for years.  Immediately below is an image (admittedly of rather poor quality) from a map of the area published in 1889 noting the location of the dock.  Travers Island is visible just north of the dock.

By 1902, the dock was in a terrible state of disrepair.  It even lacked flooring boards and supporting stringers across the decrepit piers driven into the land beneath the waters of the Long Island Sound.  According to one account, no use of the dock had been made for many years "except that men and boys occasionally 'fished from the dock and went in swimming'". 

In September, 1902, persons including Augustus V. H. Ellis purchased the land that included the right of way to what was left of the dock.  The new owners claimed that the Town had breached a condition in the grant of the right of way to the dock by failing to maintain it. They commenced a lawsuit to clear title to the land. Ultimately, New York courts agreed with their claim. The Town of Pelham lost its right to use what was left of the dock for access to Long Island Sound. To read one of the number of reported opinions issued by courts in the case, see Ellis, et al. v. Town of Pelham, 94 106 A.D. 145, 94 N.Y. Supp. 103 (App. Div. 2d Dep't 1905).

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes a notice that appeared in local newspapers in May, 1871 regarding the Town of Pelham's plans to use the underwater land conveyed by Elbert J. Roosevelt.  The notice followed special legislation enacted by the State of New York the previous month to authorize the Town of Pelham to use the underwater land as a town dock.

I have written about the Pelham Town Dock before.  See Fri., Jan. 06, 2006:  Pelham Loses its Right To Use the Town Dock in the Early 1900s.

"NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A GRANT OF LAND UNDER WATER. -- Notice is hereby given that the town of Pelham, in the county of Westchester, in pursuance of an act of the legislature of the State of New York, passed April, 1871, with the consent of Elbert J. Roosevelt, the owner in fee and occupant of the upland adjoining high-water mark of the waters of Long Island Sound, at a point called Shoal Harbor, in said town of Pelham, will make application to the Commissioners of the Land Office of the State of New York, in the city of Albany, on Wednesday, the 5th day of July, 1871, at ten o'clock in the forenoon of that day, for a grant from the State to the said town, for the purpose of building a dock for the use of the people of the town of Pelham, and between high and low-water makr, and to promote the commerce of the State, and which lands are situated in the said town of Pelham, Westchester County, and State of New York, and are bounded and described as follows:  Beginning at original high-water mark on the northwesterly shore of Long Island Sound, at a point on the land of Elbert J. Roosevelt, distant from the Pelham road ninety-seven feet, at a point on said Pelham road forty-seven feet from the easterly line of land owned by Miss Annette [sic] Bolton; thence running north, twenty-nine degrees east, fifty-seven feet; thence south, twenty-nine degrees west, sixty feet; thence north, sixty-one degrees west, fifty-seven feet; thence north, twenty-nine degrees east, thirty feet, in the place of beginning.  The upland in front of and adjacent to the said land -- a grant of which is to be applied for -- is situated as aforesaid, and owned by Elbert J. Roosevelt, and is bounded on the east and west by lands owned by Miss Annette Bolton, and on the north by the Pelham road, and is occupied by the said parties. -- Dated May 15, 1871.  

BENJAMIN HEGEMAN, Supervisor.
JAMES HYATT, Town Clerk.
C. H. Roosevelt, Att'y and Counsel."

Source:  NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A GRANT OF LAND UNDER WATER, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], May 26, 1871, Vol. XXVII, No. 5, p. 4, col. 4.

Detail of 1881 Map of the Town of Pelham Showing "DOCK" Area.

Source: Bromley, George Washington & Bromley, Walter Scott,

"Town of Pelham, (With) Pelham-Manor. (From Actual Surveys and

Official Records by G.W. Bromley & Co., Civil Engineers, Published

by Geo. W. & Walter S. Bromley, 1881)" in Atlas of Westchester

County, New York, From Actual Surveys and Official Records,

pp. 56-57 (Washington, D.C.: G.W. Bromley & Co. 1881).  NOTE:

Click to Enlarge the Image.

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Another Brief Account of the January 1, 1883 Annual Meeting of the Pelham Manor Protective Club

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I previously have written about the Pelham Manor Protective Club including an account of its January 1, 1883 annual meeting.  See:

Thursday, September 24, 2009:  Brief Newspaper Account of the January 1, 1883 Annual Meeting of the Pelham Manor Protective Club.

Friday, April 3, 2009:  Biography and Photograph of Henry Beidleman Bascom Stapler, an Active Member of the Pelham Manor Protective Club in its Latter Years.

Friday, November 16, 2007:  Photograph and Biography of William E. Barnett, a Founding Member of the Pelham Manor Protective Club.

Thursday, February 15, 2007:  Text of January 1, 1885 Annual Report of the Pelham Manor Protective Club.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006:  The Pelham Manor Protective Club Flexed its Muscles in the 1886 Town Elections.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006: 1890 Circular of The Pelham Manor Protective Club on Lamp Lighting

Wednesday, February 23, 2005: The Westchester County Historical Society Acquires Records of The Pelham Manor Protective Club from Dealer in Tarrytown, NY

Monday, January 23, 2006: The Beginnings of Organized Fire Fighting in Pelham Manor?

Today's posting transcribes another brief newspaper account of the January 1, 1883 annual meeting of the Pelham Manor Protective Club that appeared in the January 6, 1883 issue of the New Rochelle Pioneer.

 "Annual Meeting.

The annual meeting of the Pelham Manor Protective Club, was held at the residence of Mr. George H. Reynolds New Year's day.  A large number of gentlemen residing at the Manor were present, besides many invited guests.  Among those from New Rochelle, were Col. Richard Lathers, Mr. E. D. Griggs and Charles H. Roosevelt; also, Superintendent William H. Stevenson, of the New Haven Railroad, and Mr. Silas Witherbee, of New York were present.  After business matters relating to the Club were finished, a bountiful repast by the generous host was fully enjoyed.  The Protective Club is a live organization, accomplishing the purpose for which it was organized, and doing much to promote good order in the Manor, and helping to make it one of the most desirable country resorts adjoining New York city."

Source:  Annual Meeting, New Rochelle Pioneer, Jan. 6, 1883, p. 2, col. 2 (the page number has been surmised and may not be accurate; the above-quoted item appears on a single newspaper page that reflects no page number).

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