John Banks, One of Two Executors of the Will of Pelham Founder Thomas Pell

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Recently I have analyzed the Last Will and Testament of Pelham founder Thomas Pell, executed on September 21, 1669, only days before his death.  I am trying better to understand Thomas Pell, his life, and times through such primary sources.  I have written about Thomas Pell, his will, and an inventory of that portion of his estate located in New York at the time of his death before.  See:  

Tue., Jun. 28, 2016:  Who Was Daniel Burr, an Executor of the Will of Pelham Founder Thomas Pell?

Fri., Jun. 24, 2016:  Archival Record of the Last Will and Testament and Estate Inventory of Pelham Founder Thomas Pell.  

Wed., Mar. 07, 2007: Published Abstract of 1669 Will of Thomas Pell, Followed by Entire Text of Will of Thomas Pell. 

Mon., Mar. 31, 2014:  Inventory of the Estate of Pelham Founder Thomas Pell Taken Shortly After He Died in Late September, 1669.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog collects information about "John Bankes" (i.e., Banks) who was one of the two men named to serve as "Executors of Trust" of the Last Will and Testament of Thomas Pell.  The principal purpose, of course, is not to document data about John Banks, but to shed light on the life of Pelham founder Thomas Pell.  

John Banks was born about 1619 in England.  He died January 22, 1684/5 in Greenwich, Fairfield County, Colony of Connecticut.  The reliable record seems unclear regarding when John Banks arrived in New England.  Though undocumented, one source claims he came from Yorkshire, England in 1630 in the ship Mary and Jane.  See Mead, Spencer P., Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich, County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, p. 495 (Knickerbocker Press, 1911).  

Banks seems to have settled first at Windsor in the Colony of Connecticut, though later he moved to Fairfield.  In 1643 he was clerk for weights and measures in Windsor.  

Clearly John Banks was both a respected and beloved citizen of the region.  He served for eighteen sessions in the Legislature of the Colony of Connecticut from Fairfield and Rye (once part of Connecticut, but now part of New York).  He served as deputy in the Legislature from Fairfield in 1651, 1661, 1663, 1664, 1665, 1666, 1673, 1674, 1675, 1676, 1677, 1678, 1679, 1680, 1682, and 1683.  He served as deputy from Rye (now part of New York) in 1673.  

In 1666 Banks served as a Commissioner for Fairfield and a member of the War Council in 1675 and 1676.  Bankes was an attorney who played a prominent role in a witchcraft-related lawsuit in Magistrate's Court.  Banks represented Thomas Staples who claimed that Deputy-Governor of the Colony of Connecticut Roger Ludlow had defamed his wife by repeating what are believed to be allegations of witchcraft that reportedly were made by Goodwife Knapp to Ludlow as she stood at the gallows shortly before she was hanged for witchcraft in 1653.  I have written before about the witchcraft persecution of Goody Knapp and the related defamation lawsuit by Thomas Staples that followed.  See:

Mon., Apr. 18, 2016:  Another Account of the 1653 Witchcraft Trial of Goodwife Knapp In Which Thomas Pell's Wife Testified.

Fri., Jul. 07, 2006:  The Involvement of Thomas Pell's Family in the Witchcraft Persecution of Goody Knapp. 

Thu., Oct. 30, 2014:  Did Thomas Pell Act on Pangs of Remorse After Witchcraft Persecution Involving His Family? 

Bell, Blake A., The Involvement of Thomas Pell's Family in the Witchcraft Persecution of Goody Knapp, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 4, Jan. 23, 2004, p. 11, col. 1.

According to researchers who have documented the life of John Banks:

"John Banks was a lawyer.  On 12 Jan 1649, he bought the Daniel Frost home and land there.  On 4 Feb 1665, he bought land from Indians on Aspebuck River.  Witnesses were Thomas Lyon, William Ward, Joseph Lumas and Matthew Sherwood. (Fairfield Probate Records, vol 3, 1675-1900)  Between 1651 and 1666, he was several times Fairfield deputy in the Connecticut legislature. He founded the town of Rye, CT and represented the town, 1670-73, and owned land there.  He laid out the town square in Fairfield to which he then returned.  He was called sergeant at his death [However in Power-Banks Ancestry he says this probably refers to his son John]. [Note: the references to Rye, CT apparently refer to today's Rye, NY, which is near to Fairfield, CT.] (Info from the History of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut, from the Settlement of the Town in 1639 to 1818, by Elizabeth H. Schenck, vol I, 1889, as provided by Anita Jones). . . .

In 1673, John Banks was sent to the Dutch governor of New York to protest against interference with the English colony on Long Island.  Governor Colve put him under restraint for 15 days.  He returned reporting Colve was insolent and unpopular there.  In 1675, John was on a committee to run a boundary line between New York and Connecticut, from Mamoroneck to the Hudson.  He was on another boundary committee in 1684. (Powers-Banks Ancestry, by William H. Powers, 1921, p 99 - no source listed -- Powers suggests that Banks was particularly interested in the boundary because of his propertry in Rye, NY)  Powers also indicates Schenck's history lists Banks as a frequent bearer of dispatches to Gov. Andros in NY & in 1678 was on a committee to hear the claim of Tunstacken.  However, his usual occupation later in life seems to have been as surveyor, where he fixed the boundaries of a number of southwestern Connecticut towns. (In NY State Archives, vol II, is mention that John Bankes, messenger of the Secretary of Connecticut to the Dutch at Ft. William Hendrick -- apparently confirmed by the Dutch. Gov. Winthrop wrote to the Dutch about this, Oct 1673)."

Source:  Compilation Project All Deceased Banks & Bankes Persons of European Origin in the U.S. & Their Immediate Families (visited Jun. 25, 2016).  

Clearly John Banks was a prominent, respected, and successful member of the community.  Thomas Pell likely chose Banks to serve as an executor of his will not only because he was an attorney, but also because his prominence, age, and wisdom might counter-balance the comparative inexperience of Pell's 30-year-old co-executor, Daniel Burr, the husband of a granddaughter of Pell's wife, Lucy Brewster Pell.  

"Thomas Pell" by Thom Lafferty from an Original by

an Unknown Artist Who Imagined Pell as He Would

Look. There Are No Known Images of Thomas Pell.

NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

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Published Abstract of 1669 Will of Thomas Pell, Followed by Entire Text of Will of Thomas Pell

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Thomas Pell, often decribed as "First Lord of the Manor of Pelham", died in late September 1669. Below is a published abstract of his will, followed by the full text of the same will. An extensive inventory of his estate, taken only weeks after his death, may be found by clicking here.

Immediately below is an abstract of Pell's will published in 1893. It is followed by a full citation to its source.

"ABSTRACTS OF WILLS -- LIBER 1-2.

Page 39. -- THOMAS PELL, Westchester. 'It hath pleased ye all wise God many years to exercise me with much weakness of body, and having lately taken to Himself my beloved wife Lucy,' 'I give my body to a comely burial, that it may be decently buried in such a comely manner, that God may not be dishonored.' Leaves all real estate to 'my nephew John Pell, living in ould England, the only son of my only brother John Pell, Doctor of Divinity, he had by his first wife.' Legacies to Abigail, wife of Daniel Burr, Nathaniel French, Elizabeth White, Mary White, and Nathaniel White. Leaves 'to my son Francis French all my Tobacco, growing or not growing.' Remits debts due him from 'these four poor men, Joseph Patton, James Evens, Thomas Bassett, Roger Percy.' Makes Daniel Burr and John Bankes, executors.

Dated Septebmer 21, 1669. Witnesses, Nathan Gould, John Cabell. Proved September 30, 1669. Inventory mentions 'The housing, lands, barnes, and Islands adjoining, from Hutchinson's river westward, as so far eastward as were Mr. Thomas Pell's just and lawful right.' £500. The inventory, very extensive, amounts to £1,294 14s. 4 1/2 d, and taken by John Richbell, Wm. Haydon, Samuel Drake.

Page 46. -- Daniel Burr and John Bankes of Fairfield, Conn., admitted as executors of the will of 'MR. THOMAS PELL, of Ann Hook's Neck,' October 13, 1669."

Pelletreau, William S., Abstracts of Wills on File in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York, 1665-1707 in Collections of the New-York Historical Society For the Year 1892, p. 11 (NY, NY: The New-York Historical Society 1893).

Robert Bolton, Jr. first published the complete text of Thomas Pell's will in the first edition of his two-volume "History of Westchester County" in 1848. The text appears immediately below, followed by a citation.

"The last will of Thomas Pell.

In ye name of God, Amen -- It hath pleased ye all wise God many years to exercise me with much weakness of body, and having lately taken to himselfe my beloved wife Lucy, it being ye good pleasure of God to deny me natural issue of my owne body, his good hand of mercy continueing unto me to keep me in perfect memory and my understanding in a comfortable measure, according to proportion of wisdom and knowledge, where he saw meet to proportion to me, I desire in faith to give up my soule to God which gave it, my body to a . . . [Page 522 / Page 523] comely burial, that I may be decently buryed in such a comely manner that God may not be dishonored. It beinge my desire that peace may be attended in enjoyment of what God hath been pleased to give to me -- this being my last will and testament -- I doe make my nephew, John Pell, living in ould England, the only sonne of my only brother John Pell, Doctor of Divinity, which he had by hsi first wife, my whole and sole heire of all my lands and houses in any parte of New England, or in ye territoryes of ye Duke of Yorke. I also give to my nephew John Pell (my whole and sole heire) all my goods, moveable or immoveable whatsoever -- money, plate, chattells and cattle of all kinde -- except such parcells and legacyes which I give and bequeath to persons as followeth, my just debts being first paid : and if my nephew, John Pell, be deceased, and hath left a sonne or sonnes surviving him, then what I have above given to my nephew, John Pell, I give to such issue of his ; and in ye default of such issue, it's my will that my brother John Pell's daughter shall enjoy ye abovesaid portion ; and in case they or any of them be deceased, then it is my will that the children of my brother's daughters shall inherit the abovesaid portion, to be equally divided amongst them. It is my will, that in case my nephew, John Pell, my brother's sonne by his first wife, be deceased, and hath left no male issue, if my brother hath a sonne or sonnes by his last wife, he or they shall enjoy ye above said portion ; and in ye default of them or their male issue, then my brother's daughters, or their children, shall enjoy ye above portion as is above expressed. I give to Abigail Burr, ye wife of Daniell Burr, ye best bed in my house in Fairfield, and boulstis, with two blancoates, a rug and dormink suit of curtains, six cushions, two paire of sheets, six chairs, the brewing kettle in use, two new keelers, a brewing tub, six silver spoons, with ye use of all ye plate in the house, if she desire of my executors of trust, till my heirs or heires come or send his or their order how or whcih way all things shall be disposed of. Item -- I give to Daniell Burr all my horses and horse colts which I have in New England, and in ye territoryes of ye Duke of Yorke : I except my mares and mare colts, which I do not give him ; I except my saddle gelding, which my heire is to have if he come over -- otherwise, Daniel Burr is to have him, Daniell Burr is to take ye horse flesh as they run ; without any further dehinery, lett the mares be disposed of according to ye understanding of my executors of trust. Item -- I give to my sonne, Francis French, all my tobacco, grwoing or not growing, in casks, or otherways made u in rolls or twist. Item -- I give to Nathaniell French two young cowes and one young bull. Item -- To Elizabeth White I give the worst feather bed and boulster, one iron pott, six porringers, six spoons of alcamy, six pewter platters, one brass skellet, and fifteen pounds more in goods or cattle, current pay, and two comely suits of apparel, one for working days, another for Sabbath dayes, with two paire of shoes. Item -- to Mary White I give six pounds and one suite of aparell of serge, with two shifts, and wool for stockings. I give to Nathaniell White, an apprentice to some handicraft trade ; and if it be for his advantage, to give tenne pounds [Page 523 / Page 524] with him out of my estate, not diminishing his twenty pounds, which is to be improved for his use. I give to Barbary, my servant -- I sett her at liberty to be a free woman a month after my burial, except my nephew, John Pell, come in person ; she then to attend his occasions whilst he is there, not exceeding three months. Further, I do gibve to Barbary, my servant, one flock bed and boulster, and two blancoats, a pair of sheets, and cotton rug, one iron pott, an iron skellett, six trays and chest, with a lock and key to it, six porringers, two pewter platters, six pewter sppons or ye value of them, two cowes or the value of them. I give to my ancient maid, Katharine Rysten, five pounds in cattle or county pay. I make, ordain, constitute and appoint Daniell Burr and John Bankes to be my executors of trust, and order them to pay, after my burial, all my just debts and legacyes, and to make sale of any utensils which are subject to decay -- old cattle -- and to be accountable to my heire or heires and to keep up housing and fencesupon my heires' charge, that the estate may not suffer. I give to my said executors of trust twenty pounds apiece, and to be paid what first charge they are at upon any incumbrances. Item -- I give those poor men their debts upon my booke, whose names follow -- Joseph Pathon, James Evers, Thomas Bassett, Roger Percy : and that this is my last will. In witness whereof, I have hereunto sett my hand this twenty and one yeare of the raigne of our sovereigne lorde, King Charles, and the twenty first of September, 1669.

Me, THOMAS PELL.

Signed in the presence of us, Nathan Gould, John Cabell.

John Cabell gives oath that he was witness to Mr. Pell signing this will, with Mr. Gould, as he hath entered his hand. Taken upon oath before me,

Nathan Gould, Assistant,

This 3d of -------------, in his Majestie's Colony of Connecticut, September, 1669."

Source: Bolton, Jr., Robert, A History of the County of Westchester From Its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. I, pp. 522-24 (NY, NY: Alexander S. Gould 1848).

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1670 Letter from John Winthrop, Jr. to William Lord Brereton, Describing the Arrival of John Pell in America to Receive Thomas Pell's Estate

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A privately printed book published in 1858 transcribed records in the English archives relating to the history of Maine. Among the papers transcribed in that book was a letter from John Winthrop, Jr. sent to William Lord Brereton, on October 11, 1670.

The letter is fascinating. In it the author describes a wondrous and inexplicable event that occurred in June or July of 1670 near the Kennebunk River in Maine. Though I profess no expertise in the analysis, it seems apparent that the letter describes the aftermath of a meteorite that crashed into the top of a hill blowing the hilltop over the tops of nearby trees and into the river, blocking the river's waters for a time. The clay of the hill was hardened into many small "bullets" and fossilized shellfish shells were exposed though -- as the letter noted in a puzzled fashion -- the sea "floweth" nowhere near the hill.

Though fascinating in its own right, the letter is all the more interesting to students of Pelham history because it describes the arrival of John Pell, nephew of Thomas Pell, in America to receive the estate of his deceased uncle, Thomas Pell. The letter is transcribed in its entirety below.

"JOHN WINTHROP, JR., TO LORD BRERETON.

Right Honble, - I was at Boston in the Massachusetts Colony when Mr John Pell arrived there, by whom I had the great favour of your Lordships letter. He came into that Harbour very opportunely for the expedition of his business. For one Mr John Bankes, a neighbour of Mr Thomas Pell, deceased and one of those whom he had intrusted with the estate, was in a vessel of Fairfield [the place where Mr Pell had lived] returning thither and met the ship coming in and came back with Mr John Pell to Boston. Where I spake with them both and upon the reading of your Lordships letter informed Mr Bankes that I had full assurance from your Lordship and divers others that the person there present was Mr John Pell and he to whom Mr Thomas Pell deceased had given his Estate. And that very day, Mr John Pell imbarqued with Mr Bankes, and sailed towards Fairfield carrying also with him my letters to the magistrate and others there, certifying the same to them concerning him with desires of all good loving respects to him and their helpfulnesse as his occasions should require, and that order might be taken forthwith for his quiet possession of that estate. I have heard since of [Page 94 / Page 95] his safe arrival and welcome there and that he hath accordingly the possession of the lands and houses and goods to which he had right both at Fairfield and Westchester, which is a place neere New York, where his uncle had also a considerable plantation, with good accommodations belonging to it.

My Lord, the relation which I am now presenting to your Lordship is of a very strange and prodigious wonder this last summer in this part of the world, that the like hath been knowen for the whole manner of it I doe not remember that I have read or heard.

There was an hill neere Kenebunke River in the province of Maine (the eastern part of New England) which is removed out of its place and the bottom turned upward. The time is not certaine when it was done, but that it is so is very certaine. And it is concluded by those who live neerest to it, that it was removed eyther the later end of June or the beginning of July last. The relation which I have from credible persons concerning the manner of it is this, viz. that the hill being about eyght rodds from Kenebunke River side on the west side of the River, about foure miles from the sea, was removed over the drye land about eyght rods or perches, and over the tops of the trees also which grew between the hill and that river, leaping as it were over them into the River, where it was placed (the upper part being downward) and dammed up the river till the water did work itself a passage thorow it. The length of the hill was about two hundred and fifty foote, the breadth of it about fourscore foot, the depty of it about twenty foot. The situation of the hill as to the length of it was norwest and south east. The earth of it is a blue clay without stones. Many round bullets were within it which seem to be of the same clay hardened. I have not yet seene the place my selfe, but sent purposely to inquire into the truth of what had beene reported concerning it. And had this relation from Major William Phillips who dwelleth not farr from the place and Mr. Herlakenden Symons, who went to the place and took very good notice and brought me the same report of the truth and manner of it, which I had before received by a letter from Major Philips in answer to my letter of enquiry and told me that the earth of the hill did not lie between the former place of the hill and river, but was caried together over the tops of the trees into the river, which seemes to be as if it were blowne up by such a force as caried the whole body of it so farr together. I had fro' them some few of those rounds bullets, I think there were but two or three, and some pieces of the earh in other formes which were found upon that now-upper part, which was before the [Page 95 / Page 96] lower or the inward bowells of that hill. As also a small shell or two of a kinde of shell fish, like some shell fishe commonly founde where the sea floweth, but how they should be within that hill is strange to consider. I have sent all that I had thence with other things to the Royall society for their repository. I understand also from some of those parts, that there was no notice taken of any earthquake about that time, nor did I hear of any in other parts of the country. I give your Lordship the relation only of this prodigie as I had it upon the best inquiry I could make, leaving the discussion of the natural causes which might concurre a matter too hard for man to comprehend, but the power of his Almighty arm is herein manifest to all who weigheth the hills in a balance and at whose presence the heavens drop, the hills are melted like wax. Sinai it selfe is moved. I hope to have opportunity to see the place and if any other matter considerable upon my observation or further inquiry shall appeare, I shall be obliged to give your Lordship further account thereof and for present am bold humbly to subscribe my selfe.

Right Hon ble Your Lordships most obliged humble servant

Boston, Oct. 11. 1670. JOHN WINTHROP."

Source: Massachusetts Historical Society, Letters of John Winthrop, Jr. in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Vol. VIII, 5th Series, pp. 138-40 (Boston, MA: Published by Massachusetts Historical Society, 1882) (transcribing text of letter from John Winthrop, Jr. to William Lord Brereton dated October 10, 1670). See also A Catalogue of Original Documents in The English Archives Relating to the Early History of the State of Maine, pp. 94-96 (NY, NY: Privately Printed 1858) (transcribing same letter but misattributing it as a "Letter to JOHN WINTHROP, Governor of Connecticut").

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