Governor Thomas Dongan's Commission Appointing John Pell a Justice of the Court of Sessions in 1685

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Westchester County was formed by the so-called "Dongan Assembly Act" of 1683.  At its formation on November 1, 1683, the County included the Manor of Pelham then owned by John Pell, the nephew and principal legatee of Pelham founder Thomas Pell who died in late September, 1669.  Within a matter of months, the Court of Sessions of the County of Westchester was formed to handle judicial matters and held its first session on June 3, 1684 (Old Style, Julian Calendar).  It appears that John Pell was appointed First Judge of the first Court of Sessions.

The Dongan Assembly Act of 1683, named after Thomas Dongan (New York's colonial governor at the time), designated the tiny Village of Westchester as the County Seat where the Court of Sessions held many of its proceedings.  The Village of Westchester once stood roughly where today's Westchester Square is located in the Bronx and was founded by settlers to whom Thomas Pell sold lands from his original land purchase from local Wiechquaeskecks.  There are also indications that the rival adjacent village of Eastchester shared the hosting of some proceedings of the Court of Sessions.  In addition, Justices of the Court were assigned to "Ridings" and rode on horseback throughout their assigned jurisdictions to hear small matters (see below).

In their multi-volume history of the "Courts and Lawyers of New York," Alden Chester and Edwin Melvin Williams wrote:

"Under the Dongan Assembly Act creating Westchester County, the village of Westchester became the county seat; or at least shared the sessions of the County Court with Eastchester.  The first Court of Sessions held in Westchester, as shown by court records, was on June 3, 1684.  John Pell was, it seems, appointed First Judge of Westchester County in that year, but the records do not show whether he sat at the June session of 1684.  He seems to have been recommissioned by James II in 1688 [sic; should be 1685], after the status of the latter had changed from the duke to the king.  [See registered copy of the Commission and transcription thereof below.]"

Source:  Chester, Alden & Williams, Edwin Melvin, Courts and Lawyers of New York:  A History, 1609-1925, Vol. I, p. 1298 (Clark, NJ:  The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., 2005).

Soon after his arrival in New England in late 1670, John Pell was accepted as a respected member of the landed gentry of the southern parts of the Province of New York.  When he was appointed Justice of the Court of Sessions of Westchester County, the court's jurisdiction was divided into three "Ridings" with Justices "riding" about the area to hold court in various places within each "Riding."  The three Ridings at the time were the North, East, and West Ridings.  John Pell was a Justice in the North Riding. 

The court of sessions was held by all the justices of the peace within their respective riding three times a year, June, December and March in the earlier years. (In later years some were held in November rather than December.)  During a court session, in the absence of a member of the Provincial Council, the oldest justice presided. The jury was composed of overseers elected from the various towns within the Riding. The court of sessions possessed both civil and criminal jurisdiction. It had cognizance of all actions of debt, account, slander, trespass and actions on the case, where the sum involved was more than five pounds and not over twenty pounds. Court days likely were lively affairs that attracted visitors from throughout the Riding to participate in markets and for the "entertainment" offered by lively court sessions. 

The Court of Sessions of the County of Westchester was somewhat different than what we may think of a court in our separate judicial branch of government today.  Some of the issues it addressed and relief it granted had legislative aspects.

John Pell's long involvement with the Court of Sessions and the many judicial proceedings that were held in the Village of Westchester are commemorated in a massive mural painted in 1932 that is ten feet high and thirty-six feet wide.  It was painted by James Monroe Hewlett on a wall of The Bronx County Building located at 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY, 10451.  The mural, which is shown below, depicts the first meeting of the Westchester County Court of Sessions in the Village of Westchester with Justice John Pell presiding.  Pell was painted from a portrait of him prepared during his life.  According to an article written by Bronx Historian Lloyd:

"The subject of the mural was chosen for two reasons.  First, the building in which it was displayed was a courthouse with several courtrooms.  Secondly, the structure was the Bronx County Building and the convening of the first county court on the soil of a county about to celebrate the twentieth year of its founding in 1914 seemed appropriate.  The central portion of the mural shows a trial in progress.  The litigants and the lawyers are around the table to the right.  They face Justice John Pell occupying the high seat with the bench in front of him.  The members of the jury sit in the seats in the background.  A small group of men, probably awaiting the next trial on the docket, confer in an alcove on the extreme left side of the mural.  On the extreme right, another group, probably including the man recording the trial, cluster around a table bearing documents.  On the wall beside them is a map showing the divisions of the area that is now The Bronx.  Hewlett's image of John Pell is a simplified version of a portrait of the man that has survived.  [See below.]  The courtroom, however, is far too large and spacious for the one in which trials were held in 1684.  In reality, construction on a building that would house this court did not begin until 1686.  The coat of arms of England is at the top center of the mural." 

Source:Ultan, Lloyd, The Bronx County Building's Historical Murals:  An Artistic Legacy, p. 7 (Bronx, NY:  The Bronx County Historical Society, 2018) (Written by Lloyd Ultan; Photos by Robert Benimoff, In Cooperation with The Bronx County Historical Society). 

James Monroe Hewlett's Mural Depicting John Pell of the Manor

of Pelham Sitting as a Justice of the Court of Sessions of Westchester

County During a Court Session.  Text at Top of the Mural Reads on left:

"IN 1684 THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED A COUNTY COURT

IN THE TOWN OF WESTCHESTER OF WHICH COURT THE HON. JOHN PELL

WAS THE FIRST JUDGE." and on Right:  "THE TRIAL OF GABRIEL LEGGETT A

COLONIST WAS HELD IN THIS COURT BEFORE JUSTICE CALEB HEATHCOTE

BENJAMIN COLLIER BEING HIGH SHERIFF OF THE COUNTY."  NOTE:  This

Copyright-Protected Image is Embedded Here from Another Web Location.  Thus,

if it is Taken Down from that Location or its URL is Changed, this Embedded

Version of the Image No Longer Will Be Visible.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

I have written about John Pell's service on the Court of Sessions before.  See Mon., Mar. 14, 2016:  Three Days of Westchester County Sessions Court Run by John Pell of Pelham Manor in June of 1687.  Today's Historic Pelham Blog article addresses the recommissioning of John Pell as a Justice of the Court after King James II rose to the throne in England.

When John Pell was first appointed as Justice of the Court of Sessions, it appears that he was commissioned under authority of Charles II who was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.  Charles II died on February 6, 1685 and was succeeded, beginning that day, by his brother, James II.  James II is known as James II and VII since he was King of England and Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII.  He served as King from February 6, 1685 until he was deposed in the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688.  He was the last Roman Catholic King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.  

Before rising to the throne, James II was designated "Duke of York" at birth. During the Anglo-Dutch Wars his brother, King Charles II, asserted England's claim to the New Netherland region in America by granting his brother, James (then Duke of York) a patent.  The new colony, of course, was named New York.  

The Duke of York succeeded to the throne upon his brother's death.  Thus, in 1685 New York Governor Thomas Dongan recommissioned John Pell and others as Justices of the Court of Sessions of the County of Westchester.  The commission named John Pell, John Palmer, William Richardson, Joseph Horton Sr., and Joseph Thealle as Justices and specified the scope of their powers as members of the Court of Sessions.  John Palmer was a member of the Provincial Council and, as such, also was a justice of the Court of Assize in 1684-85 and 1687-88.  He also was a judge of Admiralty in 1684.  William Richardson was a notable local citizen who operated a mill on the Bronx River.  

The recommissioning document was registered in the Westchester County Book of Deeds, Volume A-B, 1681-1698.  Images of the pertinent two pages are presented below, together with a transcription of the handwriting.

Portrait of John Pell, So-Called "Second Lord" of the Manor

of Pelham Who Was a Nephew and the Principal Legatee of

Thomas Pell, the Founder of the Manor of Pelham. NOTE: Click

on Image to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

"JAMES THE SECOND, BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, FFRANCE [sic] AND IRELAND DEFENDER OF THE FAITH, &c, SUPREAME LORD AND PROPRIETOR OF THE COLLONY AND PROVINCE OF NEW YORK &c., 

TO OUR WELL BELOVED, JOHN PELL, JOHN PALMER, WILLIAM RICHARDSON, JOSEPH HORTON, SENIOR, JOSEPH THEALLE ESQRES. (GREETING) KNOW YEE, that wee have assigned you and every one of you dureing oe Will and Pleasure joyntely and severally our Justices to keepe our peace in the County of Westchester and to keepe and cause to be kept all lawes and ordenances made for the good of the peace and for conservation of the same and for the quiett rule and government of our People in all and every the Articles thereof, in our said County according to the force forme and efect of the same, and to chastize & punnish all persons offending against the forme of these laws and ordenances or any of them in the County aforesaid as according to the forme of these lawes and ordenances shall befitt to be done and to cause to come before you or any of you all those persons who shall threat on any of our People in their persons or in burneing their houses to find sufficiant securety for the peace or for the good behaviour towards us and our People and if they shall refuse to find such securety then to cause them to be kept in safe prison untill they find such securety wee have also assigned you and any three of you, whereof any of you the said John Pell, John Palmer, William Richardson, shall be one our Justices to enquire by oate of good and lawfull men of the County aforesaid by whom the trute may be the better knowne of all and all mannor of petty larcenys trespasses and extortions and of all and singular other misdeeds & offenses of which Justices of the Peace may or ought lawfully to enquire by whomsoever & howsoever don or perpetrated which hereafter shall happen howsoever to be done or attempted in the County aforesaid and of all these who in the County aforesaid have laine in waite or hereafter shall presume to lye in waite to maime or kill our people, AND ALSOE of Inholders ***** [asterisks in orginal] AND of all and singular other persons who have offended or attempted or hereafter shall presume to offend or attempt in the abusses of weights or measures or in the saile of victually against the forme of the lawes or ordenances or any of them in that behalfe made for the Common good of this our Province and the People thereof, in the County aforesaid and alsoe of all Sherriffs Bayliffs Constables Goalers [i.e., Jailers] and other officers whatsoever who in the execution of their offices about the premises or any of them have unlawfully demeaned themselves or hereafter shall presume unlawfully to demeane themselves or have beene or hereafter shall be careless remise or neglegent in the County aforesaid and of all & singular Articles & circumstances and all other things whatsoever by whomesoever & howsoever done or perpetrated in the County aforesaid or which hereafter shall happen howsoever to be done or attempted in any wise & to heare & determine all & singular the petty larseneys trespasses extortions aforesaid and all & singular other the premisses according to law and to chastize & punish the said persons offending & every of them for there offences by corporall punishment, ffines, ransomes, amercements, forfeitures or otherwise as ought to be don according to the laws, & whereas by an acte of oe Generall Assembly you are impowered in yoe sessions to trye as well Civill causes as causes Crimenall.  Wee have likewise assigned you and any three of you whereof any of you the said John Pell, John Palmer, William Richardson, shall be one in yoe said Courts of Sessions to heare trye & determin all such said causes as shall be brought before you according as in the said acts is prescribed & appoynted and according to the lawes of the province provided always that if a case of diffecalty upon the determenation of any of the premisses shall happen to arrise before you or any three or moore of you; your nor any three or more of you doe proceed to give judgmt therein except it be in the pressence of one of our Judges of our Court of Oyer & Termenor and Generall Goale delivery in the County aforesaid.  AND wee comand by vertue of these presence the Sherriffe of the said County that at certaine days & places which you or any such three or moore of you as aforesaid shall cause to be made knowne unto him he cause to come before you or such three or more of you as aforesaid such & as many good & lawfull men of his Baliwick by whome the trute in the premisses may be the better knowne & enquired of.  IN WITNESS WHEREOF wee have caused the seale of oe said Province to be hereunto affixed this 20te day of Octobe. 1685 & in the first yeare of our Reigne.

TEST:  THO. DONGON.

Past the Offices, J. Spragg, Secr.
Compared with the origionall this being a true coppy from the same
Pr. me Joseph Lee, Registe."

Source:  County of Westchester New York Deedbook A 1681-1688, pp. 43-44 (via FamilySearch, New York Land Records, 1630-1975, Westchester, Deeds 1681-1698, Vol. A-B; free account registration required to access via this link).

First Page of Registered Copy of Governor Thomas Dongan's

Commission Appointing John Pell a Justice of the Court of Sessions

on October 20, 1685 (Old Style Julian Calendar).  Source:

County of Westchester New York Deedbook A 1681-1688, p. 43 (via

FamilySearch, New York Land Records, 1630-1975, Westchester,

Deeds 1681-1698, Vol. A-B; free account registration required to

access via this link).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Second Page of Registered Copy of Governor Thomas Dongan's

Commission Appointing John Pell a Justice of the Court of Sessions

on October 20, 1685 (Old Style Julian Calendar).  Source:

County of Westchester New York Deedbook A 1681-1688, p. 44 (via

FamilySearch, New York Land Records, 1630-1975, Westchester,

Deeds 1681-1698, Vol. A-B; free account registration required to

access via this link).  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "The Haunted History of Pelham, New York"
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."