1892 Obituary of 85-Year-Old Jane Eliza 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.  

One member of the Roosevelt family of Pelham Manor was Jane Eliza Roosevelt.  She was a daughter of Elbert Cornelius Roosevelt, an early 19th century owner of lands near Long Island Sound in today's Pelham Manor.  She was born October 13, 1807 in New York City in the family mansion on South Street.  

Elbert Cornelius Roosevelt was born October 9, 1767 in New York City.  He was a son of Cornelius and Margaret [Haering] Roosevelt.  On December 29, 1794 he married Jane Curtenius, a daughter of Peter Theobaldus Curtenius and Catharine [Goelet] Curtenius.  Peter Theobaldus Curtenius served as Commissary General and rose to the rank of Colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. 

According to one source, the couple had at least eight children including Jane Eliza Roosevelt, the subject of today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog: 

"The children of Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt were: 

400 PETER CURTENIUS, b. Sept. 30, 1795; d. unmarried, Dec. 29, 1891. 
401 ELBERT JONES, b. Sept. 12, 1797; d. unmarried, June 7, 1885. 
402 HENRY, b. Aug. 18, 1800; m. July 29, 1828, Eliza Louisa Champlin. No. 622. No issue; daughter of W. O. and Elizabeth S. (De Peyster) Champlin. No. 311; d. Nov. 6, 1848. 
403+WASHINGTON, b. Nov. 14, 1802; m. 1st, Mary A. Swift; 2d, Jane M. Young. 
404 CLINTON, b. Nov. 3, 1804; d. unmarried, Aug. 1, 1898. 
405 JANE ELIZA, b. Oct. 13, 1807; d. unmarried, Dec. 4, 1892. 
406 MARY, b. July 10, 1810; d. June 13, 1822. 
407 ISAAC, b. Nov. 27, 1812; d. Sept. 30, 1856." 

Source: Whittelsey, Charles Barney, The Roosevelt Genealogy, 1649-1902, pp. 41-42 (Hartford, CT: C. B. Whittelsey 1902) (126 pp. with "Addenda," six leaves inserted at end).

I have written about Elbert Cornelius Roosevelt and other members of the Roosevelt family in Pelham Manor before.  For examples, see:

Fri., Oct. 16, 2015:  An Obituary of Charles Henry Roosevelt of Pelham Manor.

Thu., Aug. 21, 2014:  Biographical Sketches of Two Members of the 1887-88 Westchester County Board of Supervisors With Pelham Connections.

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.

Jane Eliza Roosevelt was a daughter of Elbert Cornelius Roosevelt and Margaret Haering Roosevelt.  Born in New York City in 1807, as noted above, she never married.  

She moved with her family to Pelham Manor as a young girl.  She was active in the community throughout her life.  She was, for many years, an active member of the American Tract Society, an evangelical organization founded on May 11, 1825 in New York City to publish and disseminate Christian literature.  At one point Roosevelt served as Treasurer of the New Rochelle branch of the American Tract Society.

Jane Eliza Roosevelt died in her home in Pelham on December 14, 1892 at the age of 85.  Her obituary appeared the next day in The Sun, published in New York City.  That obituary is transcribed below, followed by a citation and link to its source.

"OBITUARY.
-----

Jane Eliza Roosevelt, daughter of the late Elbert Roosevelt, died yesterday at her house in Pelham, after an illness of more than a year.  She was 85 years old and a spinster.  Miss Roosevelt was born Oct. 13, 1807, in the old Roosevelt mansion on South street, which stood at that time in an orchard of peach trees that stretched almost to the East River.  Her youth was passed between this city and Pelham, where her father owned the land on which the present town [sic] of Pelham Manor is built.  For some years she had lived entirely in Pelham.  Her mother was a member of the old Curtenius family, and her grandfather, Peter Theobaldus Curtenius, was a Commisary in the Revolutionary army under Washington.  During the hardships of the winter of 1783, spent by Washington and the troops at Newburgh, Curtenius sold his residence at the corner of Broadway and Liberty street to aid the army.  He was afterward repaid in Continental money, which is still in the possession of the family.  Miss Roosevelt came of a family which enjoys unusual longevity.  Her father lived to the age of ninety-one years.  One of her brothers, Peter Curtenius Roosevelt, died in December, 1891, aged ninety-eight, and another, Elbert J., died in his eighty-ninth year.  Both were bachelors.  One brother, eighty-eight years old, survives her, and is unmarried.  Miss Roosevelt was endeared throughout the region where she lived by her charities and gentleness of character.  The funeral will take place on Saturday morning, in the Presbyterian Church at New Rochelle.  The body will be interred in Beachwood [sic] Cemetery."

Source:  OBITUARY -- Jane Eliza Roosevelt, The Sun [NY, NY], Dec. 15, 1892, p. 7, col. 4.

Detail from 1881 Bromley Map Showing Location of Various Parcels

of Land Held by Roosevelt Family. Source: "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 by G. W. Bromley & Co., Civil

Engineers, pp. 56-57 (NY, NY: Geo. W. & Walter S. Bromley, 1881).

NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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The Beginnings of Today's Shore Park in Pelham Manor

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Today's posting to the Historic Pelham documents the early history of the development of "Manor Shore Park," the name of the Village of Pelham Manor Park known by most residents as "Shore Park."  For any who ever have wondered why use of the park is limited to residents of the Village of Pelham Manor and their guests, read below.

Town of Pelham Builds a Town Dock

Since at least the early 1870s, Pelham residents longed to have easy public access to Long Island Sound near the end of today's Pelhamdale Avenue where it intersects with today's Shore Road.  In 1871, Pelham resident 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 extending into Long Island Sound for use of the Town of Pelham.  The easement Roosevelt conveyed to the Town included a critical condition that provided as follows:

"And it is further agreed that in case the party of the second part [i.e., the Town of Pelham] shall fail to maintain the said dock for the use of the town and shall abandon the same, then and in that case this grant shall become null and void and the said right of way shall cease and determine, and the party of the first part, his heirs or assigns, shall be at liberty to close the same and exclude all persons therefrom."

The Town of Pelham built the planned dock.  The area where the dock was built was known locally as "Shoals Harbor."  The Town Dock Pelham built at Shoals Harbor extended quite distant from the shore, hundreds of feet into the Sound so that it could be used to access the water even when the tide receded.  It became known as the "Town Dock."  

A few remnants of pilings stand roughly where the the Town Dock once stood.  Pelham resident Paul Mottola points out that those piling remnants were installed for the starting docks for a rowing course that was built for the 1964 U.S. Olympic team trials and that they were still functional up through the early 1980s.  

Remnants of Pilings Believed to Be from the Starting Dock
Built for the 1964 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Still Visible Along

the Southern Edge of Today's Shore Park (Thank You to Paul Mottola).
Photograph by the Author, Taken on April 18, 2015.

Remnants of Pilings Believed to Be from the Starting Dock
Built for the 1964 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Still Visible Along

the Southern Edge of Today's Shore Park (Thank You to Paul Mottola).
Photograph by the Author, Taken on April 19, 2015.

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.

Area Owners Begin to Purchase Rights to Underwater Lands

In 1888, the New York Athletic Club purchased nearby Travers Island as the site for the Club's new summer clubhouse.  Travers Island was nearly adjacent to the Town Dock that extended into Long Island Sound.  Included as part of the Club's purchase was certain surrounding "land under water" to permit the club to enlarge the island and, later, to connect it to the mainland more substantially than through a mere causeway.  

The move by the New York Athletic Club to include adjacent lands "under water" as part of its purchase may have prompted other nearby property owners over the next few years to acquire similar such underwater interests.  Among such nearby property owners was Adele Stevens Allen, wife of Frederick Hobbes Allen and owner of Pelham Priory on Shore Road across from the Town Dock.  In the late 1890s, Adele Stevens Allen purchased from the State of New York underwater lands extending into the Long Island Sound adjacent to those acquired by the New York Athletic Club.

The Town of Pelham Loses its Easement and is Barred from Use of its Dock

Pelham residents used the Town Dock for many years.  By the turn of the century, however, the Town Dock was in a terrible state of disrepair.  In September, 1902, persons including a man named Augustus V. H. Ellis purchased the land that included the right of way to what was left of the Town Dock from the heirs of Elbert J. Roosevelt.  

Apparently fearing that the poorly-maintained Town Dock might be deemed by Ellis and the other new owners of the property to be out of compliance with the condition that it be "maintained" for the use of the Town as required by the easement, Pelham attempted to repair the dock.  The new owners blocked the effort, claiming that the Town had breached a condition in the grant of the right of way to the dock by failing to maintain it for the use of the Town.  They commenced a lawsuit to clear title to the land by cutting off the right-of-way across their land and ending the easement owned by the Town of Pelham.  Ultimately, New York courts agreed with the new owners' claims.  The Town of Pelham lost its right to use what was left of the Town Dock for access to Long Island Sound.  To read one of a number of reported opinions issued by courts in the case, see Ellis, et al. v. Town of Pelham, 106 A.D. 145, 94 N.Y. Supp. 103 (App. Div. 2d Dep't 1905).

I have written before about the circumstances leading to the Town's loss of the Town Dock.  See:

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

Wed., Dec. 31, 2014:  Town of Pelham Seeks Grant of Underwater Land to Build Town Dock in 1871.

The Village of Pelham Manor Acquires Land on the Mainland for a Shorefront Park

For more than two decades after the Town of Pelham lost access to its dock, Pelham residents were left with no easy public access to Long Island Sound from the area where Pelhamdale Avenue intersects Shore Road.  As the Roaring Twenties progressed, however, the Village of Pelham Manor began to covet such access.  A portion of the land was still owned by Augustus V. H. Ellis who was among those who had bought it in 1902 and had successfully blocked the Town of Pelham from the use of its former easement.  

During the Spring of 1927, the Village of Pelham Manor entered into a contract with Augustus V. H. Ellis to acquire 1.1 acres of land on the mainland where the Town Dock once stood.  The Village hoped the land would eventually become part of a much larger parcel to serve as a major recreational park with bulkheads intended to provide easy access to the Sound even when the tide was out.  According to an announcement at the time:

"On the proposed park site, property rights extend for several hundred feet into the Sound and the territory made between can be bulkheaded and filled in order that the village may enjoy shore front advantages regardless of tide conditions.  The program of improvement is an extensive one and includes the installation of a fully equipped recreation center."  (See article below.)

The Village of Pelham Manor Supplements its Purchase by Acquiring Underwater Lands Off the Shore of its New Property

In 1929, after the New York Athletic Club had used landfill to create new land attached to the mainland connecting Travers Island to the real estate along Shore Road, the Village of Pelham Manor was able to convince Mrs. Adele Stevens Allen to sell her interest in the underwater lands adjacent to those of the New York Athletic Club to the Village of Pelham Manor for $57,860.  The Village prevailed upon Mrs. Allen to sell her interest to permit it to create a new park for the benefit of residents of the Village of Pelham Manor.  

In conveying her underwater interest to the Village, however, Adele Stevens Allen included a restriction that the property "shall be utilized for the purpose of a public park for the residents of the Village of Pelham Manor exclusively."  The only exceptions to this restriction were that the property could be sold to the New York Athletic Club (that owned property on one side of her underwater interest) or to Augustus V. H. Ellis (who owned property on the other side of her interest) free and clear of the deed restriction.  See Westchester County Records of Land Conveyances, Liber 2951, Folio 9 (special thanks to Pelham Manor resident and New York Athletic Club member Mark Gaffney for providing the citation and a copy of the deed.)

In short, for those who wonder why the Village of Pelham Manor continues to restrict use of Shore Park to its own residents and their guests even to this day, it is to preserve its continuing ownership of the underwater property on which most of Shore Park is built through continued compliance with the deed restriction imposed by Mrs. Adele Stevens Allen in 1929.  

The Unbuilt Park Becomes Known as "Beecroft's Beach"

The underwater lands were not filled promptly and, thus, the planned park was not constructed before the advent of The Great Depression.  Soon after the Great Depression began, the planned park was derisively called "Beecroft's Beach" apparently in honor of former Pelham Town Supervisor Edgar C. Beecroft who was in office when the Town lost its right to use the Town Dock.  In 1932, the local newspaper reported:  

"'Beecroft's Beach' is apparently a lasting name.  When we used it jokingly a few years ago in reference to the proposed shorefront park in Pelham Manor little did we think that it would become a political issue.  The Democrats' criticism of the park prompted increased interest in the future garden sport and it is evident that the name will stick. * * * Campaign propaganda is not without its humor, and at the meeting of the Pelham Manor Village Board on Monday night there were frequent references to the Democrats charge that 'Beecroft Beach' was a breeding place for mosquitoes.  When a sudden hailstorm sounded on the roof of the building one wag suggested that it might be 'the mosquitoes.'"

Source:  [Untitled], The Pelham Sun, Mar. 17, 1932, p. 12, col. 2.  

Over time, of course, landfill was used to create Mannor Shore Park.  Eventually, the landfill was sealed with a membrane and landscaped to become the lovely and inviting park that serves Pelham Manor residents and their guests today.  The story of how all of that came to pass, however, is another story for another day. . . . 

*          *          *          *          *

Below is text of a number of articles relevant to the beginnings of Shore Park.

"Manor To Acquire Shorefront Land For Village Park
-----
Ten Acre Section to Be Taken Over By Village At Cost of $40,000 For Development As Recreation Center
-----
Site Was Formerly Town Dock Which Was Lost By Failure of Town to Care For Property
-----

Approximately one half mile of Long Island Sound shorefront property is to be acquired by the Village of Pelham Manor for the purpose of improvement as a park for the benefit of the residents of the village.  Such acquisitiion will afford an opportunity for the residents of the village to enjoy aquatic pleasures without expense incident to membership in Shore or Beach clubs.  At the meeting of the Board of Trustees held Tuesday night the Village fathers voted to take up the proposition.  It will entail an expenditure of $40,000.  Under the amended Village Law which becomes effective July 1, this amount can be appropriated in a bond issue without submitting the proposal to the taxpayers at a special election.

The proposed park covers approximately ten acres and is situated between the property of the New York Athletic Club and the property of Arthur W. Cole [a real estate developer of the time].  It is now owned by A. V. H. Ellis and the Westchester County Park Commission.  The first step in the program has already been consummated by the execution of a contract with Mr. Ellis for the acquisition of 1.1 acres of the property.  The village expects to acquire a part of the remaining properties through negotiation with the Park Commission.

The property includes the site of the old Town Dock, which was granted to the Town of Pelham in 1880 by Isaac Roosevelt [sic, actually Elbert J. Roosevelt].  Stipulation was made at the time of the grant that the town should forever maintain his property as a dock.  Subsequently the grantors contended that the town had not fulfilled its part of the contract and after lengthy litigation, the Court of Appeals rendered decision that the town had forfeited the right to the property.  

While the Town of Pelham is fortunate enough to have a substantial water front, no means of access to the water have been provided for its citizens.  On the proposed park site, property rights extend for several hundred feet into the Sound and the territory made between can be bulkheaded and filled in order that the village may enjoy shore front advantages, regardless of tide conditions.  The program of improvement is an extensive one and includes the installation of a fully equipped recreation center."

Source:  Manor To Acquire Shorefront Land For Village Park, The Pelham Sun, Jun. 3, 1927, Vol. 18, No. 15, p. 1, col. 1.  

Pelican Weather Vane Atop Manor Shore Park Gazebo.

Photograph by the Author, Taken on April 18, 2015.

Manor Shor Park Gazebo.

Photograph by the Author, Taken on April 19, 2015.

Pair of Adult Egrets with Juvenile Off the Shore of

Manor Shore Park.  Photograph by the Author,

Taken on April 19, 2015.

Manor Shore Park with Long Island Sound and Portion

of Hunter Island Visible in the Distance.  Photograph

by the Author, Taken on April 19, 2015.

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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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Elbert Roosevelt, An Early Settler of the Manor of Pelham, and Other Members of His Family

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I have written before of Elbert Roosevelt, one of the early settlers in the Town of Pelham.  Roosevelt settled in Pelham on November 14, 1801 according to an obituary of one of his sons.  See Wed., Sep. 20, 2006:  Brief Biographical Data About Elbert Roosevelt of the Manor of Pelham.  

Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting collects miscellaneous research I have pulled together about Elbert Cornelius Roosevelt and various members of the Roosevelt family who lived in Pelham for more than a century.  This branch of the Roosevelt family, as one would expect, included distant relatives of President Theodore Roosevelt and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Elbert Cornelius Roosevelt was born October 9, 1767 in New York City.  He was a son of Cornelius and Margaret [Haering] Roosevelt.  On December 29, 1794 he married Jane Curtenius, a daughter of Peter Theobaldus Curtenius and Catharine [Goelet] Curtenius.  Peter Theobaldus Curtenius served as Commissary General and rose to the rank of Colonel in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.  According to one source, the couple had at least eight children:

"The children of Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt were:

400 PETER CURTENIUS, b. Sept. 30, 1795; d. unmarried, Dec. 29, 1891.
401 ELBERT JONES, b. Sept. 12, 1797; d. unmarried, June 7, 1885.
402 HENRY, b. Aug. 18, 1800; m. July 29, 1828, Eliza Louisa Champlin. No. 622. No issue; daughter of W. O. and Elizabeth S. (De Peyster) Champlin. No. 311; d. Nov. 6, 1848.
403+WASHINGTON, b. Nov. 14, 1802; m. 1st, Mary A. Swift; 2d, Jane M. Young.
404 CLINTON, b. Nov. 3, 1804; d. unmarried, Aug. 1, 1898.
405 JANE ELIZA, b. Oct. 13, 1807; d. unmarried, Dec. 4, 1892.
406 MARY, b. July 10, 1810; d. June 13, 1822.
407 ISAAC, b. Nov. 27, 1812; d. Sept. 30, 1856."

Source: Whittelsey, Charles Barney, The Roosevelt Genealogy, 1649-1902, pp. 41-42 (Hartford, CT: C. B. Whittelsey 1902) (126 pp. with "Addenda, six leavs inserted at end).

Roosevelt was a New York City Merchant.  Some papers relating to his life exist in the collections of the New-York Historical Society.  See, e.g., Map of lands the property of Elbert Roosevelt / surveyed and laid out into lots by Casimir Th. Goerck ; a true copy from the original Edwin Smith.Smith, Edwin, surveyor. (Nov. 23, 1832) (Map: ms., color; 40 x 59 cm; "Cadastral map.  Covers the area later bounded by Christopher Street, Bleecker Street, Morton Street and Hudson Street, Manhattan, New York (N.Y.); Bleecker Street was formerly Herring Street.  Map shows property and lot lines, lot numbers and owners' names.  Gives some dimensions . . . On verso:  'No. 177 New York Elbert Roosevelt between Commerce & Christopher, Herring & Bedford Sts. W.C. Wetmore.'").

According to Bolton's History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the County of Westchester County:  

"In the Roosevelt family vault [of Christ Church in the Town of Pelham] are the following:  Elizabeth Curtenius, daughter of Peter T. Curtenius, (Commissary during the Revolution) who died May, 1837, aged 80 years.  Jane Roosevelt, wife of Elbert Roosevelt, and sister of the above, who died in Pelham, January 31st, 1846, aged 75.  Elizabeth Roosevelt, daughter of Cornelius Roosevelt, who died April 25th, 1850, aged 84.  Mary Eliza Roosevelt, daughter of the Rev. Washington Roosevelt, and grandaughter [sic] of Elbert Roosevelt, who died August 13th, 1851, aged 7 years."

Source:   Bolton, Robert, History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, In The County of Westchester, From Its Foundation,  A. D. 1693, to A. D. 1853, p. 700 (NY, NY:  Stanford & Swords, Publishers, 1855).

According to the second edition of Bolton's History of Westchester County published in 1881:

"The residence of the late Elbert Roosevelt, Esq., now occupied by his sons, is pleasantly located directly on the banks of the Sound, and has fine views of Long Island and the surrounding shore.  The Roosevelt family, which have settled here since 1802, is of Dutch extraction; and claim descent from Claus Martens ze van Roosevelt, i.e., Nicholas the son of Martin of the Rose-field, a native of Holland, and first of the name who came to America.  His son was Nicholas, whose son Johannas was the grandfather of Cornelius, father of the late Elbert Roosevelt, Esq., of Pelham."  

Source:  Bolton, Robert, The History of the Several Towns, Manors, and Patents of the County of Westchester, From Its First Settlement to the Present Time, Carefully Revised by its Author, Vol. II, p. 89 (NY, NY:  Chas. F. Roper, 1881).

Some of the papers of Elbert Roosevelt are held in the collections of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.  Access information is as follows:  Roosevelt Family Papers Donated by the Children of Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt C. 1686 - 1959, Accession Numbers:  MS. 55-4; MS. 55-15 described as "Container 1-6" and "Series Old Family Papers (Roosevelt, Ludlow, and Hall). c. 1686-1912 and Undated.  6 containers." and described so as to include the following:  "Chiefly, these are the papers of Elbert Roosevelt, 1767-1817, a New York City merchant and ancestor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt."  An index of the material is available here:  http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/archives/collections/franklin/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=170

For other Blog postings I have published on the Roosevelt family of Pelham, see:

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.  

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

*          *          *          *          *

Below I have transcribed numerous obituaries and other items about various other members of the Roosevelt family who lived in or near Pelham.  Each is followed by a citation to its source.

"The Rev. Washington Roosevelt.

The Rev. Washington Roosevelt died at Pelham on Monday.  He was the son of Elbert Roosevelt, an old New York merchant of revolutionary times, who retired from business in 1798 and settled at Pelham on Nov. 14, 1801.  Young Roosevelt entered Middlebury College, Vermont, in 1826, and was graduated with honors in the class of '31.  He then entered the ministry of the Dutch Reformed Church, his first pastorate being at Sandy Hill, Washington County, where he remained three years, going thence to Valatis, near Kinderbrook, where he was settled for many years.  After a successful mission there, he came to New York and undertook the founding of the North Presbyterian Church, now at Thirty-first street and Ninth avenue.  The first meetings of the church were held in the Institute for the Blind, then far out in the country.  As the membership increased, Mr. Roosevelt became actively engaged in securing means for the erection of a building, and this was finally accomplished, the edifice when dedicated being free from debt.  He was settled there for 10 years, and was then called to the Church at Bronxville, where he remained for 16 years, retiring from the pulpit about five years ago, but continuing his pastoral duties until a few years later, when sickness overcame him.  Altogether, his work in the ministry extended over a period of 51 years.  Mr. Roosevelt married in 1832 Miss Jane M. Young, who survives him, and leaves one son, Mr. Charles H. Roosevelt of this village.  His funeral took place on Thursday last at 2 P.M., at the Presbyterian Church at Pelham Manor, and was largely attended.  The Rev. D. M. Freeland took charge of the services, assisted by Rev. Charles Higbee, of Christ Church, Pelham; Rev. S. B. Rossilter, of the North Presbyterian Church of New York; Rev. Mr. C. K. Clearwater represented the Classes of Westchester.  Rev. E. J. Runk, of Bronxville; Rev. C. E. Lindsley, and Rev. W. B. Waller, of New Rochelle.

The following gentlemen acted as pallbearers:  Mr. Graham, of the North Presbyterian Church, Messrs. Alex. Masterton, Theodotus Buriwell, Robert Masterton and John M. Masterton, of Bronxville Church, and Mr. J. K. Johnson, of the Pelham Manor Church.  At the grave the Episcopal services were read by the Rev. Charles Higbee, after which the earthly remains were placed in the family vault at Beechwood Cemetery by the side of his parents, and surrounded by his children."

Source:  The Rev. Washington Roosevelt, New Rochelle Pioneer, Feb. 16, 1884, Vol. XXIV, No. 47, p. 3, col. 3. 

"OBITUARY.
-----
CLINTON ROOSEVELT.

Clinton Roosevelt, a well-known resident of Pelham, a well-known resident of Pelham, and years ago a prominent member of the New York bar, died on Monday at Fisher's Island, where he was spending the summer.  Mr. Roosevelt was born in Pelham ninety-four years ago, and was the son of Elbert Roosevelt, one of the first settlers of the town.  His father died at ninety years of age, and Mr. Roosevelt's three brothers and one sister each lived to be more than eighty years old.  Mr. Roosevelt was the last member of his father's family, and inherited the old country home in Pelham Road and a fortune estimated at nearly $1,000,000.  He never married, and his estate will probably go to his nearer relatives, Charles H. Roosevelt and Elbert C. Roosevelt, of Pelham Manor.  The funeral services were held in Christ Church, Pelham Manor, on Thursday, and the burial was in Beechwood cemetery."

Source:  OBITUARY -- CLINTON ROOSEVELT, New Rochelle Pioneer, Aug. 13, 1898, Vol. XXXX, No. 21, p. 4, col. 3.

 "DIED. 

*     *     *

ROOSEVELT. -- At Fisher's Island, N. Y., Aug. 8, Clinton Roosevelt, in the 94th year of his age.  Funeral services at Christ Church, Pelham Manor, on Aug. 11, at 3:30 P. M."

Source:  DIED . . . ROOSEVELT, N.Y. Times, Aug. 11, 1898. 

"Clinton Roosevelt
-----

Clinton Roosevelt (November 3, 1804 - August 8, 1898) was an American politician, pro-labor economic reformer, and inventor from New York City. A member of the Roosevelt family, he was the son of Elbert Roosevelt, who was a grandson of Johannes Roosevelt, making him a distant cousin of U.S. Presidents Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt.[1] He was an early and prominent member of the Locofocos, or Equal Rights Party, a radical faction of the Democratic Party.[2] He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1836 and served one year.[3] Roosevelt was an opponent of the monopoly banking system and cited bank paper currency as the cause of economic problems. After the Panic of 1837, when New York's economy worsened and the working population suffered, he changed his views, calling for an entirely new economic system with greater government involvement.[3] He was also an inventor and an advocate of patent reform. In the 1850s, he invented a warship design, but neither the United States nor Russia were interested; he later proposed trade unions to increase the profits of inventors.[4] He died on Fisher's Island, New York.[5]

*     *     *

[1]  Whittelsey, Charles B. (1902). The Roosevelt Genealogy, 1649–1902. 

[2]  Byrdsall, Fitzwilliam (1842). The History of the Loco-foco, Or Equal Rights Party. Clement & Packard. 

[3]  Greenberg, Joshua R. (2007-10-12). The Panic of 1837 as an Opportunity for Radical Economic Ideas. Retrieved 2008-03-06. 

[4]  To Secure Inventors' Rights.; Mr. Clinton Roosevelt Calls for a Conference". New York Times. March 31, 1893. 

[5]  "Obituary". New York Times. 1898-08-11."

Source:  Clinton Roosevelt, Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Roosevelt (visited May 2, 2014).  

"DEATH LIST OF A DAY.
------
Charles Henry Roosevelt.

Charles Henry Roosevelt, a lawyer, who practiced in this city and in Westchester county, died early on Sunday morning at his home, in Pelham Road, Pelham Manor.  He was born in 1832.  His father was the Rev. Washington Roosevelt, 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 was the manager of many large estates, and owned valuable real estate himself in Pelham Manor and in New Rochelle.  His New York offices were at 203 Broadway.  He was a member of the State and County Bar Association, 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 will be held on Wednesday morning in Christ Episcopal Church, in Pelham Manor."

Source:  DEATH LIST OF A DAY -- Charles Henry Roosevelt, N.Y. Times, Mar. 26, 1901.  

"CHARLES HENRY ROOSEVELT died early on Sunday morning March 24, 1901, at his home, on Pelham Road, Pelham Manor.  He was born in 1832.  His father was the Rev. Washington Roosevelt, 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.

Mr. Roosevelt was the manager of many large estates, and owned valuable real estate himself in Pelham Manor and in New Rochelle.  He studied law in Poughkeepsie and after admission to the bar practised [sic] in New York City and Westchester County.  He was a member of the State and County Bar Association, the Westchester Bar Association, the St. Nicholas Society and Huguenot Lodge, F. & A. M., of New Rochelle.  He was one of the oldest members of the Holland Society having been elected in 1885.  He served as Vice-President for Westchester County in 1892."

Source:  Banta, Theodore M., Year Book of The Holland Society of New York, 1901, Prepared by the Secretary Theodore M. Banta, p. 103 (NY, NY:  The Holland Society of New York, 1901).

"OBITUARY
-----
Elbert C. Roosevelt.

Elbert Curtinius Roosevelt died on Christmas Eve at his country home on the Shore Road, Pelham Manor, aged forty-five years.

Mr. Roosevelt was a son of the late Charles H. Roosevelt, and a third cousin of ex-President Theodore Roosevelt.  He was a nephew of Peter Roosevelt, who at one time owned a large farm on the Shore Road, which is now a part of Pelham Bay Park.  His grandfather, Washington Roosevelt, was a Dutch Reformed minister, having a pastorate in this city.  The Roosevelt family comes from old Knickerbocker stock and is prominent in the history of Westchester County.

Deceased was the victim of heart trouble.  He is survived by his mother, who was Annie J. Jackson, and one daughter.  Mr. Roosevelt was a well known club man and for years had been a member of the New York Athletic Club and the Larchmont Yacht Club.  His profession was that of attorney-at-law, and he once occupied an office in the Lambden Building, corner of Main and Bank streets.

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon and were of a private nature.  Rev. Charles F. Canedy conducted the services.  Huguenot Lodge, No. 46, F. & A. M., of which the deceased was a member, also held the Masonic services.  His remains were placed in a receiving vault in Beechwoods Cemetery."

Source:  OBITUARY - Elbert C. Roosevelt, New Rochelle Pioneer, Jan. 1, 1910, p. 8, col. 1.  

"OBITUARY .
-----
Elbert Roosevelt.
-----

Elbert Roosevelt, a second cousin of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, died last Friday in his country home, in the shore road at Pelham Manor, aged 45 years.  Mr. Roosevelt was a member of many clubsand well known as a golfer.  For many years he had been one of the leading members of the New York Athletic Club and the Huckleberry Indians, a branch of that club.  He was also a member of the Larchmont Yacht Club and other organizations, including the Masons.  He left one daughter."

Source:  OBITUARY -- Elbert Roosevelt, Dobbs Ferry [NY] Register, Dec. 31, 1909, Vol. XXVIII, No. 53, p. 4, col. 1.  

"Elbert C. Roosevelt's Competency.

WHITE PLAINS, N. Y., Aug. 15. -- Supreme Court Justice Dykman has appointed M. J. Tierney of New Rochelle a Commissioner to inquire into the competency to manage his own affairs of Elbert C. Roosevelt, a wealthy resident of New Rochelle, who is alleged to be an incompetent person.

Mr. Roosevelt will contest the inquiry.  The petition was made by Annie J. Roosevelt of Pelham Manor, the mother of the young man.  She says that for over two years he has been incompetent to manage his affairs by reason of habitual drunkenness and neglect of business."

Source:  Elbert C. Roosevelt's Competency, N.Y. Times, Aug. 16, 1901. 

For more about Elbert Cornelius Roosevelt (who was born in 1767), his wife and their children, see, e.g.:  

Elbert Roosevelt, Find-A-Grave Memorial, available at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=88427977 (visited May 2, 2014).  

Jane Curtenius Roosevelt, Find-A-Grave Memorial, available at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=88428162 (visited May 2, 2014).  

Peter Curtenius Roosevelt, Find-A-Grave Memorial, available at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=88429677 (visited May 2, 2014).  

Rev. Washington Roosevelt, Find-A-Grave Memorial, available at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8813971 (visited May 2, 2014).
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."

The March 6, 1812 New York Statute Authorizing Construction of the Pelham Bridge

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."

On March 6, 1812, the New York State Legislature enacted a statute incorporating the "Eastchester Bridge Company" to build a bridge over the Hutchinson River where it empties into Eastchester Bay.  The bridge was built shortly afterward and is believed to have been completed by about 1815.  In 1817, the Westchester and Pelham Turnpike Company was incorporated to construct a turnpike from the causeway at Westchester to the bridge.  That bridge came to be known as "Pelham Bridge"  -- the name it bears today.  Even in its first iteration, Pelham Bridge was a draw bridge to permit masted ships to pass.  

Within its first few years, the first Pelham Bridge was destroyed by a storm.  On April 12, 1816, the company was authorized by the Legislature to sell its property and toll franchise for a period of forty-five years. The second bridge was built in 1834 by George Rapelje, with the right to charge tolls for a period of thirty years, but the supervisors of Westchester County purchased the bridge in 1860 and made it free. The bridge was replaced with an iron bridge constructed in 1869-1870.  That bridge, in turn, was replaced by the present larger bridge, opened by the New York City Department of Bridges on October 15, 1908.  

I have written before about the history of the Pelham Bridge.  See, e.g.:  Thu., Jan. 1, 2009:  A Brief History of Pelham Bridge.  Additionally, I have written about other aspects of the Pelham Bridge and its history on numerous occasions.  For a lengthy list of such postings with links, see the end of today's article.

 Downstream Side of Pelham Bridge, Looking

Northeast Across the Hutchinson River on October 19, 2008.

Source:  Wikimedia Commons, Photograph by Jim Henderson.

Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting transcribes the text of the March 6, 1812 statute that incorporated the Eastchester Bridge Company and authorized it to build the first Pelham Bridge.  The statute contains a wealth of information relevant to the early history of the Town of Pelham.

"CHAP. XXII.
An ACT to incorporate the Eastchester Bridge Company.  Passed March 6, 1812.

Preamble

WHEREAS Herman Le Roy and others have, by their petition to the Legislature, prayed to [Page 23 / Page 24] be incorporated for the purpose of erecting, by voluntary subscriptions, a bridge across Eastchester creek, and to be authorised to exact from all persons using such bridge, a toll merely adequate to the repairs thereof:  Therefore,

Eastchester bridge company incorporated

I.  Be it enacted by the people of the state of New-York, represented in Senate and Assembly, That Herman Le Roy, James Harvey, William Bayard, John Bartow, Richard Ward, Elbert Roosevelt, Daniel Pelton, Joshua Heustice and John Hunter, and all such other persons as shall associate for the purpose of building a bridge across the mouth of Eastchester creek, from the farm of James Harvey, in the town of Pelham, to the point of Throgh's Neck, called Dormer's Island, in the county of Westchester, and shall subscribe and pay towards building the said bridge a sum not less than twenty-five dollars, their successors and assigns, shall be and hereby are created a body corporate and politic, by the name of 'the president and directors of the Eastchester bridge company,' and so to remain for the term of thirty years and no longer; 

Their style and corporate rights.

and they are hereby constituted and declared to be a body politic and corporate, in fact and in name, and by that name they and their successors may have continual succession, and shall be capable in law of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered unto, defending and being defended, in all courts and places whatever; and that they and their successors may have a common seal, and may make, change and alter the same at their pleasure, and also that they and their successors, by the same name and style, shall be capable in law of purchasing, holding and conveying, any real or personal estate for the use of the said corporation:  

Proviso.

Provided, That the estates so to be holden shall be such only as shall be necessary to promote or attain the objects of this incorporation.

Capital stock

II.  And be it further enacted, That the capital stock of the said company shall consist of so many shares of twenty-five dollars each, as shall amount to a sum sufficient, for building the said bridge, and the toll house and gate thereunto belonging; and each stockholder shall be entitled to as many votes for directors of the [Page 24 / Page 25] said company as he may hold shares of the said stock; 

7 directors chosen annually.

and the affairs of the said company shall be managed by seven directors, who shall be chosen annually from among the stockholders of the said company, by a plurality of the votes of the said stockholders, at such times and in such manner as may be prescribed by the by-laws of the said company; and a majority of the said directors shall elect one of their number to be president, and the said president, with a majority of the said directors, shall be a quorum capable of transacting the business of the said corporation; 

Their powers.

and shall have power to make such by-laws, rules, orders and regulations, (not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of this state or of the United States,) as shall be necessary for the well governing the affairs of the said company.

The company may build a bridge over Eastchester creek.

III.  And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the said company to erect and build at their own expense, a good and substantial bridge across Eastchester creek, at the place before mentioned:  

Proviso.

Provided, That the said bridge be built at least twenty-four feet wide in the clear between the sides or railings thereof, and be well covered with planks, not less than three inches thick, and the sides of the said bridge be well secured with good and substantial railings, not less than four feet, six inches height:  

Further proviso.  

And provided further, That the said bridge be constructed with a draw, to open at least twenty feet, so as to permit vessels with standing masts conveniently to pass and repass the said bridge, which passage shall be freely passed, repassed and used, by all persons whatever, without toll or reward.

The bridge to be kept in repair.

IV.  And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said company to keep and maintain the said bridge, and the floor, sides, railings and draw thereof, in good and sufficient repair from the time the said bridge shall be completed, during the continuance of this act; 

A person shall attend night & day to open the draw.

and when they have completed the said bridge, they shall at all times thereafter, as well by night as by day, provide and keep a sufficient person or persons at or near the said bridge, to open the draw thereof; and such person or persons so attending, on sufficient no- [Page 25 / Page 26] tice being given to him or them by the master or owner of any vessel having necessary business or occasion to pass the said bridge, by blowing a horn or otherwise, such person or persons so attending the said bridge shall immediately open or cause to be opened, the said draw, and shall permit every such vessel to pass through the said draw unmolested and freely as aforesaid; 

The company shall pay a fine of five dollars
for every 10 minutes neglect to open the draw.

and when any vessel shall be unnecessarily detained from passing through the said draw for more than ten minutes, by the refusal, neglect or delay of any person or persons so attending the said bridge, the said company shall pay to the owner or master of such vessel so unnecessarily detained, the sum of five dollars for every ten minutes such vessel shall be so unnecessarily detained beyond ten minutes before mentioned, which sum or sums shall be paid upon demand, to be made of the president of the said company; 

Masters and owners of vessels to pass with due diligence.

and the owner or master of any vessel at whose request the said draw shall be opened, shall use all due diligence and expedition in passing such vessel through the said draw, 

For every 10 minutes delay to forfeit 5 dollars to the company

and shall pay to the said company five dollars for every ten minutes of unnecessary delay in passing such vessel through the said draw, after the said draw shall have been opened to permit her to pass through it; which sum or sums shall be paid upon demand to be made of the master or owner of such vessel, by an authorised officer or agent of the said company.

The judges of Westchester county to give a certificate
that the bridge is sufficiently constructed.

V.  And be it further enacted, That as soon as the said bridge shall be finished, and the judges of the court of common pleas in and for the county of Westchester, or a majority of them, shall, upon inspection, have certified under their hands that the said bridge is well and sufficiently constructed and built, and will admit the passage of loaded teams and other carriages, and is in all things conformable to the true intent and meaning of this act, it shall and may be lawful for the said company to erect a gate at or near the said bridge, and to exact and demand of all persons passing the said bridge a toll to be received and taken for the use of the said company, to enable them to keep and maintain the said bridge in repair, which toll shall not exceed the following rates, to wit:  

Rates of toll.

For every stage-waggon, drawn by [Page 26 / Page 27] two or more horses or mules, twelve and an half cents; for every four wheel pleasure carriage, with two or more horses, twelve and an half cents; for every two wheel pleasure carriage or sleigh, and horses or mules, six cents; for every waggon and horses or mules, other than stage-waggons, four cents; for every man and horse or mule, two cents; for every ox-cart with oxen, four cents; for every market sleigh or sled and horses, or mules or oxen, four cents; for every cart with one horse or mule, three cents; for every ox, bull, cow, steer, mule or horse, led or driven loose over the said bridge, one cent; for every score of sheep or swine, two cents, and in that proportion for a greater or less number of them.

President and directors

VI.  And be it further enacted, That Herman Le Roy shall be president, and John Hunter, Richard Ward, John Bartow, Elbert Roosevelt, Daniel Pelton and Joshua Hustice, directors of the said comapny, until an election for directors of the said company shall be held according to the provisions of this act.

The company shall render to the

comptroller an account of the costs of the bridge.

VII.  And be it further enacted, That as soon as the said bridge shall be finished, the said company shall render to the Comptroller of this state an account of the costs thereof, 

And annually thereafter render an

account of monies received and expended.

and that they shall annually thereafter render him a full and just account of all monies received by them for tolls for passing the said bridge, and of all expenditures to be made by them in repairing and maintaining the said bridge, to the end that if it shall be found that the rates of toll hereby established shall be more than adequate to the repairs of the said bridge, the said rates of toll may be reduced in such manner as the Legislature may from time to time think proper and expedient.

The provision in the 7th section

of a certain act repealed.

VIII.  And be it further enacted, That the proviso contained in the seventh section of the act, entitled 'an act for improving the road from Eastchester to Byram,' be, and the same hereby is repealed:  

Proviso.

Provided, That it shall not be lawful to erect the most easterly gate therein mentioned to the eastward of the dwelling-house of Thomas Theall, in Rye.

IX.  And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the company incorporated by the last mentioned [Page 27 / Page 28] act 

The draw in the bridge at
Fisher's Landing discontinued.

to discontinue the draw in the bridge across Eastchester creek, at Fisher's Landing, directed by the said act to be maintained in the said bridge.

This is a public act.

X.  And be it further enacted, That this act be, and the same is hereby declared to be a public act."

Source:  "CHAP. XXII. An ACT to Incorporate the Eastchester Bridge Company Passed March 6, 1812" in Laws of the State of New-York, Passed at the Thirty-Fifth Session of the Legislature Begun and held at the City of Albany, The Twenty-Eighth Day of January, 1912, pp. 23-28 (Albany, NY:  Printed for S. Southwick, Printer to the State, 1812). 

*          *          *          *          *

Below is a listing of other postings I have published regarding the Pelham Bridge.  Together they present a rather interesting history of the bridge that was so important to the development and expansion of the Town of Pelham during the nineteenth century. 

Tue., Sep. 22, 2009:  Names of Early "Keepers of Pelham Bridge" Appointed by Westchester County.  

Thu., Jan. 08, 2009:  Another Brief History of The Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Jan. 1, 2009:  A Brief History of Pelham Bridge.

Wed., Jan. 2, 2008:  New York State Senate Report on Petition by Inhabitants of Westchester to Allow Construction of Toll Bridge Across Eastchester Creek in 1834.

Tue., Aug. 28, 2007:  The Laying Out of Pelham Avenue From Fordham to Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Wed., Jul. 4, 2007:  1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of the Pelham Bridge.

Fri., Jul. 22, 2007:  1857 Real Estate Advertisement for Sale of "Country Seat" at Pelham Bridge.

Fri., May 18, 2007:   Celebration at Pelham Bridge in 1872.

Wed., May 16, 2007:  Board of Supervisors of Westchester County Vote to Build New Iron Bridge to Replace Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Tue., May 15, 2007:  The Owner of the Pelham Bridge Hotel Sold it for the Princely Sum of $22,000 in 1869.

Mon., May 14, 2007:  Plans to Widen Shore Road in the Town of Pelham in 1869.

Fri., May 11, 2007:  A Sad Attempted Suicide at Pelham Bridge in 1869.

Thu., Dec. 08, 2005:  The First Stone Bridge Built Across Eastchester Creek in Pelham, 1814-1815.

Thu., Aug. 18, 2005:  The Opening of the New Iron "Pelham Bridge" in 1871.

Tue., Aug. 9, 2005:  Cock Fighting at Pelham Bridge in the 19th Century.

Thu., Jul. 21, 2005:  Today's Remnants of the Bartow Station on the Branch Line Near City Island.

Tue., Jun. 28, 2005:  The Hotel and Bar Room at Pelham Bridge.

Thu., Mar. 24, 2005:  The Bartow Area of Pelham in the 19th Century: Where Was It?

Wed., Mar. 23, 2005:  Prize Fighting at Pelham Bridge in 1884.

For more about the Pelham Bridge and its history, see Pelham Bridge, Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelham_Bridge (visited May 6, 2014).

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."