How Extensive Did Thomas Pell Believe His Land Acquisition from Local Wiechquaeskecks To Be?

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For nearly 150 years, Pelham lore held that Thomas Pell's land purchase from local Natives on June 27, 1654 (old style Julian Calendar) involved 9,166 acres.  During the late 1980s, Pelham Town Historian Susan Swanson reviewed primary sources and demonstrated that Pelham lore was flatly wrong.  Pell's purchase involved up to roughly 50,000 acres of land in today's Bronx and lower Westchester County.  What lands, however, did Pell believe he acquired from local Wiechquaeskecks?

The agreement Pell signed with local Natives that day provides some evidence of the lands Pell believed he bought in 1654.  It describes the lands as follows:

"a piece of land Bounded by ye Sea to ye South wth yt Tract off land Called by ye English Longe Island; to ye west & west & by South wth ye bay & River & River Diawockinge Acqueonunge (Chemaqūanaock to ye East) wth all ye Islands yt are in ye salt water to ye South South East & South West Against yt Tract off Land wch is Beffore expresd."

In his history of the Town of Pelham published in 1946, Lockwood Barr described the bounds of the purchase in modern terms, stating:

"This treaty [sic] conveyed to Thomas Pell the lands east of Hutchinson River to Mamaroneck, including City Island, Hunter's Island, Travers Island and all the others, large and small, bordering the Shore. On the mainland, the tract included Pells Point, all the Pelhams, and New Rochelle. West of the River it included the Town of East Chester, part of Mt. Vernon, and a portion of the Bronx."

Source:  Barr, Lockwood Anderson, A Brief, But Most Complete & True Account of the Settlement of the Ancient Town of Pelham Westchester County, State of New York Known One Time Well & Favourably as the Lordshipp & Manour of Pelham Also The Story of the Three Modern Villages Called The Pelhams, pp. 12-13 (The Dietz Press, Inc. 1946).

A variety of conveyances of portions of the property by Thomas Pell (and by his legatee nephew and nephew's wife, John and Rachel Pell) as well as lawsuits over disputed boundaries of the land Pell purchased shed fascinating light on the extent of the lands that Pell believed he purchased from the Natives and demonstrates that Pell understood his purchase to encompass lands explicitly claimed by the Dutch on which the Dutch previously had planted settlers in 1643 and, perhaps, earlier.  

Pell clearly believed his purchase to extend from Long Island Sound (while including numerous islands off the shores of the mainland) westward to the Bronx River.  Clearly he also understood it to extend southwest of Eastchester Bay to encompass not only today's Throgg's Neck but also the entire mainland from Throgg's Neck to the Bronx River and extending all the way to the mouth of the Bronx River where it enters Long Island Sound (including Cornell's Neck, an area now known as Clason Point in the Bronx).  To the north, Pell clearly believed his land holdings extended into portions of today's Mamaroneck on the coast and even as far as an area slightly beyond the northwestern tip of today's City of New Rochelle.

This, indeed, was a vast swath of land nearly six times the size of the 9,166 acres of land that most historians claim Pell purchased.  See, e.g., Bolton, Jr., Robert, A History of the County of Westchester from its First Settlement to the Present Time, Vol. I, p. 513 (NY, NY: Alexander S. Gould, 1848) (noting that Pell's purchase "originally embraced nine thousand one hundred and sixty-six acres"). 

What evidence do have that Pell understood his purchase to be that large?  First, by November 14, 1654, only months after his purchase, Pell planted a group of English settlers in a settlement that became known as "West Chester" by the English and "Oostdorp" by the Dutch.  Indeed, it appears that on November 14, 1654 (old style; Julian calendar), Thomas Pell entered into some form of agreement selling the portion of his lands that became the little settlement of West Chester to the English settlers.  Before the settlers paid (or completed payment) for the lands, there arose "some troubles which hindered the underwriters possession". That trouble, of course, was the intervention of Dutch authorities who arrested and imprisoned many of the settlers claiming that they had settled on land owned by the Dutch. Ten years later, Pell seems to have "settled" this longstanding matter by obtaining written confirmation from the inhabitants of the Town of West Chester that he remained the owner of the land because they (or their predecessors) had not paid Pell for the land. At the same time, Pell affirmed in writing that the inhabitants could continue to "enjoy the present improvements of Their labors, Their home Lotts, and planting grounds with what meadowes were in times past laid out to each man's particular". In short, he affirmed that he would not evict them from the land.  For more, see Mon., Nov. 06, 2006:  The Source of Confusion Over the Date Thomas Pell Acquired the Lands That Became the Manor of Pelham. 

Next, on June 24, 1664, Thomas Pell sold lands between the Hutchinson River and the Bronx River to Phillip Pinckney and James Eustis from Fairfield, Connecticut who, in turn, arranged for ten Puritan families to come by boat in August of that year to settle on a portion of the land previously occupied by Anne Hutchinson before her murder by local Natives in 1643.  Those lands included today's Town of Eastchester, City of Mount Vernon, and portions of the Bronx.

Two years later, in 1666, Pell became embroiled in a significant lawsuit with Charles Bridges and Sarah Cornell Bridges disputing ownership of Cornell's Neck.  The map immediately below illustrates the location of Cornell's and its relationship to Pelham Neck, the settlement of Westchester, and Throgg's Neck. 

Map Showing Location of Cornell's Neck and its Relation to the

Settlement of Westchester, Throggs Neck, and Pelham Neck.

Source:  Cornell, John, Genealogy of the Cornell Family Being

an Account of the Descendants of Thomas Cornell of Portsmouth,

R. I., Opposite p. 21 (NY, NY:  Press of T. A. Wright, 1902).

NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

Pell claimed ownership of the region including Cornell's Neck and argued, essentially, that the claims of Charles Bridges and Sarah Cornell Bridges to the land derived from a chain of title that began with an award of the land by Dutch Colonial authorities which, according to Pell, had no ownership of, or right and title to, the land.  Eventually the court rejected the positions taken by Pell.

Next, only two weeks before Thomas Pell died in late September, 1669, John Richbell of Mamaroneck started a lawsuit against him claiming that he "Doe unjustly detaine & keep from him a certain parcell of meadowe Ground lyeing & being neare unto or upon one of ye three necks of Land at Momoronock."  Pell claimed these lands as part of his original purchase.  Richbell also claimed the lands.

The death of Thomas Pell two weeks after John Richbell first demanded a hearing on the matter before the Court of Assizes seems to have brought the matter to a halt for quite some time.  In the interim, Thomas Pell's nephew, John Pell, became the principal legatee under Thomas Pell's will and succeeded to his estate including his large land interests.

Eventually, Francis Lovelace, Governor of the Province of New York, stepped into the matter and appointed a group of Commissioners to make recommendations regarding resolution of the dispute.  The Commissioners could not agree on a resolution. Interestingly, however, they reported to Governor that they had discovered a tree in the disputed meadow "markt on ye East side with J. R. [John Richbell] & on the West with T. P. [Thomas Pell]" from which, if a line were drawn from the tree directly toward Long Island Sound, would divide the meadow exactly in half.  Though the Commissioners did not resolve the dispute, Governor Lovelace ordered Pell and Richbell to consider the report and attempt to resolve the matter before a trial would be conducted.  On January 25, 1671/72, the men reportedly settled the matter and "agreed upon [the land] to bee divided equally between them, both Meadow & Vpland, quanity & quality alike."  Consequently, a portion of the lands originally claimed by Thomas Pell were confirmed as the property of John Richbell due to his purchase from "Cakoe," a local Native who sold the land to Richbell and likely was the "Cockho" who was among the local Natives who signed the Pell Deed in 1654.  See Tue., Oct. 24, 2006:  Thomas Pell's and John Pell's Land Dispute with John Richbell in the Late 1660s and Early 1670s.

Two decades after Thomas Pell's death, on September 20, 1689, Pell's principal legatee and nephew, John Pell, and John Pell's wife (Rachel) conveyed to Jacob Leisler of New York City 6,100 acres of land that had formed portions of the northeastern part of Thomas Pell's original land acquisition in 1654.  See Fri., Apr. 06, 2007:  The Deed Reflecting John Pell's Sale of the Lands that Became New Rochelle.  

Finally, of course, in 1895, New York City annexed a large part of the Town of Pelham including Pelham Bay Park, City Island, and other islands nearby.  All of these lands likewise were part of Pell's original purchase.  Out of roughly 50,000 acres that Pell believed comprised his original purchase from local Natives, only slightly less than 1,570 acres of remain within the boundaries of today's Town of Pelham.

During the 1980s, then Town Historian Sue Swanson reviewed material and crafted a map that serves as a powerful visual aid to understand the magnitude of the lands that Thomas Pell believed he bought from local Wichquaeskecks in 1654.  An image of the map appears immediately below.

Map of Pell's Purchase from the Indians and Pelham Today

by Susan Swanson, Former Town Historian of the Town of

Pelham.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

Another such map sheds similar light on the monumental scope of Pell's original purchase.  Although the map does not purport to depict the entire area acquired by Pell, it is an early map that helps understand the size of the purchase.  It is a map prepared in 1708 in connection with efforts begun in 1704 to have John Drake, Henry Fowler, Joseph Drake, Edmund Ward and Jeremiah Fowler act on behalf of the freeholders of the town of Eastchester in connection with procuring a patent for local lands as they sought to clarify a land dispute with the settlement of Westchester.  The map was entitled "A Draft of the Lands in Controversy Between the Inhabitants of East Chester Joynd with William Pear Tree & Surveyed & Laid Down 1st August - Graham Lell."  An image of a later copy of the map appears immediately below.

"A Draft of the Lands In Controversy Between the Inhabitants of

Westchester & the Inhabitants of East Chester Joynd with William

Pear Tree & Surveyed & Laid Down 1st August - Graham Lell" prepared

by Colonel William Peartree in 1708. NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

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John Pell and John Richbell Selected in 1671 to Assess Best Roadway to New England -- The Beginnings of Old Boston Post Road

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In the early fall of 1670, about a year after the death of his uncle, Thomas Pell, John Pell, Jr. sailed into the harbor of Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony on his way to Fairfield.  There he planned to claim his inheritance of properties that included what later became the Manor of Pelham from the executors of his uncle’s estate.

Extensive research of seventeenth century records suggests that John Pell moved into a house built during his uncle's lifetime on "Ann Hooks Neck" (later known as Pelham Neck and, today, as Rodman's Neck).  He seems later to have built his own Manor Home near today's nearby Bartow-Pell Mansion.  

Given his large inheritance, John Pell immediately assumed the mantle of "gentleman" and used letters of introduction from English notables to gain prompt access to Francis Lovelace, an English Royalist who served as second governor of the colony of New York from 1668 until 1673.

"PORTRAIT OF GOVERNOR FRANCIS LOVELACE.

Courtesy of Pennsylvania-German Society."

Only months after John Pell's arrival in the Colony of New York, Governor Lovelace designated him to work with John Richbell of Mamaroneck on an important roadway project.  A new roadway recently had been laid out as a common highway near the settlement of Eastchester adjacent to the Manor of Pelham to facilitate travel from New York to New England.  

The new road was said to be "much more convenient" than the former roadway that led into New England, but some people objected to the route of the new roadway.  Governor Lovelace sought a study to determine which of the two roads would be the "most convenient to be maintained" so that the Governor could resolve the objections and designate the roadway to New England that would continue to be maintained -- likely the beginnings of the Old Boston Post Road, a portion of which still passes through the Town of Pelham where it is named Colonial Avenue.

The records of the Town of Eastchester contain an entry reflecting instructions from Governor Lovelace issued on May 17, 1670 appointing "Mr. John Pell of the Manor of Ann Hooks Neck and Mr. John Rickbell of the Moroneck [i.e., John Richbell of Mamaroneck]" either to prepare the study the Governor sought or to hire other "understanding persons" to prepare such a study.  The entry is quoted below in its entirety, followed by a citation to its source.

Portrait of John Pell.

"Whereas there is a new road laid out for the common highway into New England near Eastchester the which is said to be much more convenient than ye former as well for strangers and travellers as the inhabitants, but yet by some persons it hath been objected against.  That a right understanding may be had here upon in having ye said way viewed by knowing and in different persons, Mr. John Pell of the Manor of Ann Hooks Neck and Mr. John Rickbell [sic] of the Moroneck [i.e., Mamaroneck] are hereby appointed either by themselves or some understanding persons in such affairs who they shall employ to take a view of ye said roads or highways within three weeks after the date hereof and make report unto me which of them they shall judge most convenient to be maintained the which thereupon shall be confirmed and allowed of accordingly.

Given under my hand in New York, 17 May 1671, Francis Lovelace."

Source:  Haacker, Fred C., Records of the Town of Eastchester, Westchester-County, New-York, p. 111 (typewritten manuscript citing p. 24-1/2 of the Eastchester Records) (Ancestry.com subscription required to access electronic version of this record).

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Executive Council of Province of New York Urges Settlement of John Pell's Boundary Dispute with John Richbell on January 18, 1671/72

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Only two weeks before Thomas Pell died in late September, 1669, John Richbell of Mamaroneck started a lawsuit against him claiming that he "Doe unjustly detaine & keep from him a certain parcell of meadowe Ground lyeing & being neare unto or upon one of ye three necks of Land at Momoronock".  Many of the papers relating to the dispute that formed the basis of that lawsuit were published in 1910 as part of the "Minutes of the Executive Council of the Province of New York Administration of Francis Lovelace 1668 - 1673 Volume II".  The papers are fascinating for a host of reasons. 

The death of Thomas Pell two weeks after John Richbell first demanded a hearing on the matter before the Court of Assizes seems to have brought the matter to a halt for quite some time.  In the interim, Thomas Pell's nephew, John Pell, became the principal legatee under Thomas Pell's will and succeeded to his estate including his large land interests. 

The dispute seems to have simmered, however.  In September, 1671, John Pell arranged the issuance of a Special Warrant demanding that three men affiliated with John Richbell (including one described as Richbell's "servant") appear before the Court of Assizes to answer trespass charges.  Pell claimed that the men harvested hay from the same meadow that had been the center of the dispute between Thomas Pell and John Richbell before Thomas Pell's death.  John Richbell stepped forward and took over the defense of the three men. 

The papers are fascinating.  They recount Richbell's acquisition of lands including the area in dispute from Native Americans in the 1660s.  Significantly for students of Pelham history, close inspection of the materials shows that Richbell joined with a man named John "Ffinch" (also referenced as "Finch") to acquired the lands from Native Americans including one named "Cakoe."  

These same two individuals likely are the "John Ffinch" and the Native American "Cockho" who signed Thomas Pell's "treaty" (actually, a deed) by which he acquired the lands that became the Manor of Pelham on June 27, 1654.  

Francis Lovelace, Governor of the Province of New York, appointed a group of Commissioners to make recommendations regarding resolution of the dispute.  The Commissioners could not agree on a resolution.  Interestingly, however, they reported to Governor that they had discovered a tree in the disputed meadow "markt on ye East side with J. R. [John Richbell] & on the West with T. P. [Thomas Pell]" from which, if a line were drawn from the tree directly toward Long Island Sound, would divide the meadow exactly in half.  Though the Commissioners did not resolve the dispute, Governor Lovelace ordered Pell and Richbell to consider the report and attempt to resolve the matter before a trial would be conducted.  On January 25, 1671/72, the men reportedly settled the matter and "agreed upon [the land] to bee divided equally between them, both Meadow & Vpland, quantity & quality alike".

I have written about this fascinating boundary dispute before and have transcribed many of the records relating to it.  See Tue., Oct. 24, 2006:  Thomas Pell's and John Pell's Land Dispute with John Richbell in the Late 1660s and Early 1670s.  Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes an additional record relating to the boundary dispute that began between Thomas Pell and John Richbell and that was settled by John Pell and Richbell after Thomas Pell's death.  The record consists of the minutes of the Executive Council of the Province of New York held on January 18, 1671/72 where Provincial Governor Lovelace urged that the matter be settled.  [Note, the "double date" results from the leap year correction of the Julian calendar resulting in the transition to the Gregorian calendar by England and British Dominions in 1752; the dual year is due to England and British Dominions beginning their numbered year on March 25 rather than January 1 until the passage of the Calendar Act of 1750 which made the start of the year January 1 and advanced the calendar by eleven days as of Wednesday, September 2, 1752.]

In essence, the dispute that began between Thomas Pell and John Richbell essentially was a dispute over a meadow and uplands that lay between two brooks.  Richbell claimed the entire meadow and uplands, contending that the brook nearest Pell's land marked the boundary between the properties.  Pell, in contrast, claimed the entire meadow and uplands, claiming that the other brook nearest Richbell's land marked the boundary between the properties.  In the end, there was a piece of evidence discovered by Commissioners assigned to mediate the matter that seemed fatal to the claims of both men.  The Commissioners found a tree in the middle of the meadow marked with "T.P." on one side and "J.R." on the other.  If a line were drawn from that tree directly to Long Island Sound, that line split the meadow exactly in half.  The matter was settled consistently with that "line," splitting the meadow and the uplands equally between the Pell and Richbell properties.

17th Century Copy of Pell Deed Signed by Thomas Pell

and Native Americans on June 27, 1654. Believed to be 

In Thomas Pell's Handwriting.  The Whereabouts of the

Original Deed Are Unknown.  This Copy is on Display in

the Thompson-Pell Research Center Located near Fort

Ticonderoga National Historic Landmark in Ticonderoga, New York.

For Another Image of this Copy of the Deed and a

Transcription of the Handwriting, Click Here.

The  Executive Council Minutes for the meeting held on January 18, 1671/72 appear immediately below, followed by a citation to their source.

"At a Councell held at ye Fort
Jan ry 18th 1671.

Present

The Governor
Mr. Delavall
Mr. Steenwijck
The Secretary.

The Matt r under Consideracon was ye difference between Mr Pell & Mr Richbell.  2 [Footnote '2' reads as follows:  '2 Collateral and Illustrative Documents, No. LXVII.  Thomas Pell, of Norfolk, was an Englishman and adherent of the royal cause, who in 1654, purchased a large tract of land, including the town of Pelham, Westchester County.  He died at Fairfield, Conn., in 1669, and made his nephew, John Pell, only son of Dr. John Pell 'of ould England,' his heir.  His plantation or manor in Westchester County was known as 'Anne Hooks Neck,' and he died while the litigation with John Richbell was in progress.  Singularly enough, Richbell was one of those who were appointed to make an official inventory of Thomas Pell's estate, on October 13, 1669. -- Brodhead, Hist. of N. Y., vol. I, p. 593; Collections of N. Y. Hist. Society, 1892, pp. 11, 12; Court of Assizes, vol. 2, p. 423a, 550, 562.  See also Bolton, Hist. of County of Westchester (1881 edition), vol. I, pp. 468-469; vol. 2, pp. 44-49.  Jacob Young, a resident of Pell's manor, was sworn in as constable, February 1, 1670/1.  -- Court of Assizes, vol. 2, pp. 639, 641.  Young later removed to Phillipsburg and was survived by his wife, who was married to John Tanke. -- Pelletreau, Westchester County Wills, p. 388.'] 

The Commission rs Papers delivered, Sealed up, were now opened and read.  

Capt Dudley Lovelace, & Capt Jaques [Cortelyou] in a manner Agree, yet referr to a Tree in the middle of the third Neck, markt on the one side w th J. R Eastward, on ye Westward with R. P. w ch would divide ye Meadow between them.  [Page 119 / Page 120]

Mr Elyas Doughty declares positively of [90] Mr Richbells Bounds by Purchase to bee Stony Brooke.

Mr Ponton saith, That ye Brooke menconed in both Patents is the same; & that hee hath known the afore named Cedar Tree or Gravelly Brooke to bee called by that name for 16 yeares.  And concerning that w ch is now called Stoney Brooke, it was formarly called Chapmens Brooke or Stoney Brooke.

ffrancis Yeates 1 [Footnote '1' reads as follows:  'Francis Yates, of Westchester.  For his will dated November 29, 1682, and proved February 3, 1682/3, see Collections of N.Y. Hist. Socieety, 1892, p. 123.'] saith that in his Judgment Mr Pells Bounds comes to Gravelly or Cedar Brooke.

An Ord r to bee referr d to.-- }

Vpon perusall & Consideracon had hereupon, two of the Commission rs making Report, That between the two Brookes now called Stoney & Gravelly Brookes, there being a Tree markt on the East side with J. R. & on the West wth T. P. from ye which if there were a Line run directly down to the Sound, 2 [Footnote '2' reads as follows:  '2  Long Island Sound.] It would divide the Meadow in difference between both Partyes, & putt an End to ye Matt r in question, & neither of the other three agreeing amongst themselves as to their Opinion of the Bounds, The Governor being very desireous of an Amicable Composure of the Matter between both Partyes, doth recommend the same unto them; However if either Party shall not seem satisfyed herew th, that then they have Liberty to proceed to a Tryall at a Speciall Co rt according to the Ord r of the Last Gen all Co rt of Assizes; of their Resolutions hereupon a speedy Answ r is expected, that Order may bee taken accordingly. 3  [Footnote '3' reads as follows:  '3  Collateral and Illustrative Documents, No. LXVII.']"

Source:  Paltsits, Victor Hugo, ed., Minutes of the Executive Council of the Province of New York Administration of Francis Lovelace 1668-1673 Volume I Minutes -- Collateral and Illustrative Documents I-XIX, pp. 119-20 (Albany, NY:  State of New York, 1910).

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Inventory of the Estate of Pelham Founder Thomas Pell Taken Shortly After He Died in Late September, 1669

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Thomas Pell acquired the lands that became the Manor of Pelham from local Native Americans on June 27, 1654.  Pell died in late September, 1669.  Previously I have transcribed both a published abstract of the last will and testament of Thomas Pell as well as the unabridged text of that will.  See:  

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

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes an inventory of Thomas Pell's estate taken shortly after his death.  It sheds interesting light on Pell's life in the Manor of Pelham during the 17th Century.

On October 13, 1669, the Court of Assizes of the Colony of New York  issued an order authorizing and appointing John Richbell, William Leyden, and Samuel Drake to take an inventory of the estate of Thomas Pell and noting that "Mr. Thomas Pell, of Ann Hook's Neck, is lately deceased, and having left a considerable estate in this government."  See Bolton, Jr., 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. 46 (NY, NY:  Chas F. Roper, 1881) (citing "Assize Rec. Albany, vol. ii. 78.").  

The reference to "in this government" is significant.  The inventory is of Thomas Pell's property in New York -- not Connecticut.  The Court of Assizes designated local citizens to conduct the inventory.  John Richbell lived in Mamaroneck.  Samuel Drake lived in Eastchester.  (I have not yet located William Leyden.)

The inventory of Thomas Pell's estate is a fascinating document that seems to reveal much about Pelham's earliest years.  According to tradition, Thomas Pell never lived on the lands bought from Native Americans that came to be known as Pelham.  His principal abode remained in Fairfield in the Colony of Connecticut.  The inventory, however, strongly suggests that Thomas Pell built a substantial farm on his Pelham lands and that the farm, which likely was located on what we know today as Pelham Neck, was in use at the time of Pell's death.    

The inventory shows that Pell had "howsing [housing], lands, barnes" on the land that came to be known as Pelham.  There is an additional reference in the inventory to "House and land in Westchester" owned by Pell.  This is interesting because Westchester County was not created until 1683.  There was, however, a settlement known by the English as "West Chester" or "Westchester" in a portion of today's Bronx County on land that Pell sold to the early settlers of that community.  There is at least the possibility that Thomas Pell had a working farm on Pelham Neck that included some form of housing as well as a house in the settlement of West Chester.  

The inventory of Pell's property in New York reflects that he owned a substantial number of livestock at the time of his death -- livestock that would have required daily care.  This strongly suggests that even if Pell did not live on the farm, someone did, whether they were caretakers or hired hands.  The inventory further reflects that at the time of Pell's death, there were edible foodstuffs among Pell's property, as well as most of the ordinary personal effects of day-to-day life as would be expected.  Below I have organized the inventory to give a sense of the day-to-day property and personal effects that it covered.

Household Goods

Five beds, 17 pillows / cushions, 4 cushion cases, 6 pairs of sheets, 16 blankets, 3 bedspreads, 1 hammock, 4 rugs, 2 sets of curtains and valances, 3 chairs, 2 stools, 2 chests, 1 table, 2 tablecloths, 6 silver spoons, 6 alchemy spoons, four knives, 1 silver cup, 1 pewter "pint pot," 2 pewter platters, 9 napkins, 7 towels, writing paper, 1 candlestick, 1 tub of tallow, 5 tubs of soap, 1 parcel of beef, 1 tub of butter, 2 "cheeses," 1 barrel of molasses, 2 parcels of sugar, 4 barrels of salt, 1 pound of pepper, and 1 bag of ginger.  

Kitchen Implements

Five iron pots, 5 skillets, 4 pairs of pot hooks, 4 kettles, 1 warming pan, 2 chafing dishes, 1 dripping pan, 1 mortar and pestle, 1 pair of tongs, 1 gridiron, 1 iron, 24 trays, 2 sifters, 1 cheese plate, 5 bottles, 8 peels (iron paddles to place food into, or remove food from, a hot oven or fire), measuring equipment, and 1 churn.

Clothing

One coat, 1 waistcoat, 1 pair of underwear, 2 shirts, 18 pairs of stockings / hose, 1 neck-cloth (i.e., a cravat), 2 handkerchiefs, 1 cap, 18 felt hats with hatbands, and 5 hatbands.

Books

One bible, 1 copy of Culpeper's Dispensary (an herbal medicine book published in 1659), 3 other unidentified books, and 2 copies of "Cradock's works" (possibly theological works by mid-17th century author Samuel Cradock).  

Cloth / Fabric / Animal Hides

Eighteen yards of Penistone wool cloth, 30 yards of linen, 21-1/2 yards of stiff cotton cloth, 25 yards of fabric remnants, 20-1/2 yards of wool fabric, 5 yards of cotton cloth, 17 yards of broad cloth, 2 yards of material for britches, lace, 3 pounds of black and brown thread, sheep's wool, "cotton wool," "fleeces of wool," 36 deer skins, 1 boar skin, 2 cow hides, and 2 hides from unspecified animals.  

Livestock

Fifty cattle, 11 calves, 15 cows and milk cows, 18 oxen, 53 sheep, unspecified number of horses and horse colts "running in woods," unspecified number of mares and mare colts "running in woods,"  unspecified number of swine, and 1 "bull stag."  

Harvested Crops

Fifteen bushels of winter wheat, unspecified amount of "wheat," unspecified amount of "old wheat," 33 bushels of "Indian corn," tobacco, and 64 "loads" of hay.  

Farm Implements and Hardware

Two plows, 4 plowshares, 3 plow chains, miscellaneous plow parts, 2 sheep shears, 1 pair of cotton cards to clean picked cotton, 48 or more casks, 7 axes, 1 hatchet, 3 wedges, 1 handsaw, 2 pitchforks, 2 augurs, 2 hammers, 1 wood boring tool, 8 hoes, 12 scythes, 3 sets of draft chains for draft oxen and draft horses, 3 sets of timber chains, 3 yokes, 1 horse collar, 3 bridle bits, 3 sets of bridle reins, 3 grindstones, 2 carts, 4 pairs of cart wheels, 3 cart ropes, harrow parts for use after plowing a field, 2 weighing scales, 380 pounds of nails, 9 pounds of tacks, 2 brushes, 7 door-bolts, miscellaneous boxes, rings, etc. 

Ships / Sailing

One boat sail, 1 canoe, 1 "lead line" to sound depths while sailing, and 63 yards of canvas.  

Armaments / Hunting Equipment

Three guns, 14-1/2 pounds of lead bars, and 7 pounds of gunpowder.  

"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.

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The inventory is transcribed in its entirety below, followed by a citation to its source.  I have added notes in brackets and bold text explaining some of the more unusual or arcane references.  However, there are several references I have not yet been able to figure out.  I would be most appreciative of any ideas as to what the following six references might mean (readers should leave ideas in the comments section for this post):

1.  "1 piece of girt web and lead lyne" - I do not know what the reference to "girt web" would be.  The reference to "lead lyne" is a reference to a sounding line used to test water depth.

2.  "2 1/2 yds. of bongala" (Seems to be a fabric, but nothing else known.)

3.  "24 yds. of flew lynnen" (some type of linen, but not sure what "flew" means)

4.  "2 paire of geres for horses" (perhaps some type of horse collar?)

5.  "beetle rings" (I do not know what this would be.)

6.  "1 paire fell'rs" (Again, I do not know what this would be.)

"An inventory of ye estate of Sir Thomas Pell, late deceased, appraised by us whose names are underwritten, and yt according to an order or commission directed unto us by ye Rt. Hon'ble ye govern'r, and his Royal High., ye Duke of Yorke, of all his territories in America.

Imprimis [a late Middle English term and contraction of Latin phrase meaning "in the first place"] 1 old feather bed, 2 feather bolsters [i.e., long and often cylindrical cushion or pillow for a bed], 2 pillows, 1 rug, 1 blankett, 1 coverlett, 1 bedstead, and 1 pr. of old sheets . . . 14     0     0

1 paire of old kitterminster curtains [likely a reference to Kidderminster, a town in Worcestershire, England known for textiles and carpets] and vallance [i.e., "valance," a short curtain or piece of drapery hung from the edge of a canopy or frame of a bed] . . . 1     0     0     

63 yrds. of canvass [spelling variant of canvas, a closely woven, heavy cloth of cotton, hemp or linin, used for sails, tents, etc.] at 2s. pr. yd. . . . 6     6     0

36 drest [i.e., "dressed"] buck and doe skins at 4s pr. piece, . . . 7     0     0

1 pr. of wooden scales and weights, . . . 0     3     0

2 paire of old sheep sheres [i.e., shears] . . . 0     4     0

1 table and frame, . . . 0     10     0

6 silver spoons and 1 dram cup, . . . 2     0     0

9 pound of tacks, . . . 0     4     0

1 pr. of brasse scales and pound weights, . . . 0     5     0

1 piece of girt web and lead lyne [i.e., "lead line," a sounding line used in shipping and boating], . . . 0     6     0

1 pound of pepper, . . . 0     2     0

4 knives, . . . 0     2     0

14 buckles and 2 bridle bits, . . . 0     2     0

2 1/2 yds. of bongala at 3s p . . . 0     7     6

14 yds. of peniston [uncertain reference, but possibly a reference to wool cloth from the Penistone sheep, also known as the Whitefaced Woodland sheep from the South Pennines in England] at 2s p. yd. . . . 1     8     0

6 yds of Holland [a coarse linen cloth, used especially for furnishing, named for where it typically was made] at 4s. p. yd. . . . 1     4     0

21 yds 1/2 of Brockram [perhaps a reference to burckram, a stiff cloth made of cotton and, occasionally, linen used to stiffen clothes and to to cover and protect books; additionally, in the Middle Ages "bokeram' was a fine cotton cloth that was not stiff], at 1s. 6d. p. yd. . . . 1     12     3

60 lbs of pewt. [i.e., pewter] at 12d pr. lb. . . . 3     0     0

8 old napkins, 1 table cloath and towell, . . . 0     14     0

1 old lynnen wast coate, 1 pr. of drawers and 2 shirts, . . . 0     16     0

1 chest, . . . 0     5     0

1 old wast coate, . . . 0     6     0

[Page 46 / Page 47] 

5 pr. of woosted [i.e., worsted wool] stockings at 4s pr. pair, . . . 1     0     0

1 pr. of home spun stockings, . . . 0     4     0

1 pair of serge [either a twilled worsted or woolen fabric or cotton or silk in a twill weave] boot hose and tops, . . . 0     6     0

4 cushion cases, . . . 0     10     0

13 yds. of several remnants of several stuffs [i.e., material of some unspecified kind] at 2s pr. yd. . . . 1     6     0

12 yds. more ye sd stuffs, . . . 1     4     0

9 yds. of remnants of serge [see above] at 3s pr. yd. . . . 1     7     0

1 piece of serge, . . . 3     0     0

11 1/2 yds. of remnants of kersey [i.e., a coarse twilled woolen cloth with a cotton warp, used especially for work clothes] at 4s pr. yd. . . . 2     6     0

24 yds. of flew lynnen at 2s. pr. yd. . . . 2     2    0  

4 yds of penistone [see above] at 2s. pr. yd. . . . 0     8     0

5 yds. of cotton at 2s. 6d. p. yd. . . . 0     12     6

3 lb. of black and browne thread, . . . 0     6     0

Remnants of gimp. [Gimp lace is lace of particularly intricate knotting and plaiting] and other laces, . . . 1     0     0

1 pair of cotton cards [cotton cards are paddle-like hand tools used to disentangle, clean and intermix cotton fibers to produce a continuous web or sliver of cotton suitable for subsequent processing], . . . 0     1     6

14 lb. and 1/2 of lead in barres [i.e., bars] at 3d. p. 1b . . . 0     3     2

1 pair of bridle reines, . . . 0     1     6

3 quire [a "quire" is a set of 24 uniform sheets of paper] of paper, . . . 0     1     6

1 chest with a lock, . . . 0     10     0

2 joynt stooles [a "joint stool" is a low wood stool having turned legs with all parts joined by a mortise joint], . . . 0     4     0

3 chaires at 2s. per chair, . . . 0     6     0

7 lb of powder at 1s. per lb. . . . 0     7     0

1 old neckcloth [an obsolete 17th century reference to a cravat often made of, or trimmed with, lace and worn about the neck by men in the 17th century], 5 old bands, 2 handkerchiefs, and old red cap, . . . 0     10     0

3 gunnes, . . . 3     0     0

1 old patch flock bead ["flock" is a Middle English term that can refer to material used to stuff things such as a mattress, or a reference to a form of decoration], 2 boulsters [see above], 3 old blanketts, 1 old coverlett, . . . 0     10     0

1 chaffe bed being broke [i.e., "chaff bed" which was a bed in which chaff consisting of husks separated from edible grains like rice chaff, oat chaff, etc. was used in place of an ordinary mattress], 1 feather bolster, 1 per of coarse sheet, . . . 2     10     0

1 hammock, . . . 0     12     0

1 old coate, . . . 0     4     0

2 feather bol. [i.e., bolsters, see above] 1 pillow, 2 blanketts and 1 coarse sheet, . . . 2     10     0

1 dressed boar skin, . . . 0     4     0

1 very old boat sayle [i.e., "sail"], . . . 0     4     0

1 old bible, . . . 0     4     0

Culpeper's dispensatory, wh 3 other small books, . . . 0     10     0  [NOTE:  This is likely a reference to a copy of of Nicholas Culpeper's "English Physician:  Or, An Astrolog-physical Discourse of the Vulgar Herbs of This Nation by Nicholas Culpeper (1616-1654) first published in 1652; the book was described as a "complete family dispensatory" guide.]
2 of Cradock's works in quarto, . . . 0     __     0  [NOTE:  This may be a reference to some of the theological works of Samuel Cradock (ca. 1620-1706) who authored, for example:  "Knowledge & Practice:  Or, A Plain Discourse of the Chief Things Necessary to be Known, Believ'd & Practised in Order to Salvation.  Drawn Up & Principally Intended for the Use & Benefit of North-Cadvury in Somersetshire" (London:  F. Hayes for J. Rothwell, 1659).]

2 brushes, . . . 0     1     0

18 old fashioned felt hats wh bands . . . 5     0     0

2 yds. of bayes and duffets for 1 paire of Indian breeches . . . 0     7     0

15 bushells of winter wheat at 6s. p. bushell, . . . 3     0     0

3 bushells of Indian corn at 2s. 6d. p. bushell, . . . 0     7     6

A parcell of sheep's wool, . . . 2     0     0

A parcell of cotton wool, . . . 1     6     0

A parcell of lumber casks in ye chamber, . . . 0     12     0

380 lb. of nayles [i.e., "nails"] at 10d. p. 1b, . . . 15     0     8

7 bolts for dores, . . . 0     4     0

2 paire of bridle raines, . . . 0     3     0

1 paire of bridle bitts, . . . 0     1     0

1 feth'r bed, 1 boulster [see above], 2 blanketts, 2 rugs, 2 pillows, 1 pr. of sheets, . . . 5     0     0

1 large feather bed, 1 boulster, 2 blanketts, 1 rug, 1 pr. sheets, . . . 7     0     0

[Page 47 / Page 48]

2 blanketts, . . . 1     0     0

1 old feather bed, 1 boulster, 1 pillow, 1 paire of sheets, 1 blankett and 1 coverlett, . . . 5     0     0

17 yds. of coarse broad-cloth at 7s. p. yd. . . . 5     19     0

17 lumber casks, . . . 0     17     0

1 old chest without a lock, . . . 0     5     0

4 iron potts, 1 skillett, 3 pair of pot hooks, . . . 2     10     0

3 brasse kettles, 1 skillett, 2 chafing dishes, 1 pestell and mortar, and 1 copper skillett, . . . 5     0     0

2 trammells [unclear, but may be fowling nets or fishing nets; rare usage], 1 dripping pan, 1 spitt, 1 frying pan, 1 paire of tongues, 1 gridiron [a utensil consisting of parallel metal bars on which to broil meat or other food], 1 smoothing iron, . . . 1     15     0

2 doz. trayes, 2 boults [the verb boult can mean to pass flour or some other powder through a sieve, suggesting these may be flour sifters], 1 cheesplate, 5 wooden bottles, 8 peales [this may be a reference to "peels" which are a shovel-like implement for putting bread, pies, etc. into the oven or taking them out], 1 1/2 bushell, 1 peck, 1 quarter cann, 1 old small churn, . . . 1     5     0  

2 ploughs, 2 shares [i.e., the cutting part of the moldboard of a plow, known as a "share"], 2 coulters [i.e., "colter" which is a sharp blade or wheel attached to the beam of a plow, used to cut the ground in advance of the plowshare], bolts, collars and 1 pr. of chaines, . . . 1     10      0

3 draught chaines, 1 timber chaine, . . . 2     0     0
2 paire of geres [unclear; a gyre is a ring or circle, suggesting the possibility that this is a reference to some sort of horse collar for horses] for horses, . . . 1     0     0

6 falling axes and 1 hatchett, . . . 1     0     0

2 mattocks [an instrument for loosening soil in digging; shaped like a pickax, but having one end broad instead of pointed], 2 spades, 2 iron crowes [presumably crowbars], 2 sledges, 6 wedges, 1 drawing knife [i.e., a knife with a handle at each end at right angles to the blade, used by drawing over a surface], 1 hedging bill, 1 clapboard hoe, 1 crosse cut saw, 1 hand saw, and beetle rings, . . . 2     10     0 

1 piece of an iron barre, . . . 0     10     0

2 old carts, 3 paire of wheels, 1 paire of them shod with iron, and 1 cart rope, . . . 5     9     0

3 old table napkins, 1 table cloth, 6 old towells, . . . 0      10      0

1 warming pan, &c. . . . 0     16     0

24 harrow teeth [i.e., spike-like "teeth" used on a harrow, an agricultural implement drawn over plowed land to level it, break up clods and root up weeds, etc.], 1 swivell, 1 horse lock, 1 small chaine, 3 gimbletts [i.e., gimlet, a small hand tool consisting of a pointed spiral tip attached at right angles to a handle, used for boring small holes in wood], 8 howes [i.e., Hoes], . . . 1     10     0

1 small bag with ginger, . . . 0     1     0

20 yearling cattle, . . . 40     0     0

9   2 yeare old, . . . 22     10     0

9   3 yeare old, . . . 31     10     0

6   4 yeare old, . . . 27     0     0

6 milch cows, . . . 27     0     0

12 oxen, . . . 72     0     0

5 calfes, . . . 5     0     0

1 hogsd. and 1 barrell of mollasses, . . . 4     0     0

4 barrells of salt, . . . 1     10     0

16 lumber casks, . . . 0     16     0

All ye tobacco, old and new, . . . 50     0     0

2 hydes, . . . 1     0     0

1 parcell of feathers in a pillow case, and 1 pr of old stockens, . . . 0     4     0

Horses and horse colts as they run in the woods, . . . 40     0     0

Mares and mare colts, . . . 50     0     0

53 sheep, . . . 22     0     0

Swyne, small and greate, . . . 40     0     0

The howsing [i.e., "housing"], lands, barnes, islands, adjoyning from Hutchinson River westward, and so far eastward as were Mr. Tho. Pell's inst. and lawful right, . . . 500     0     0

[Page 48 / Page 49]

House and land in Westchester, . . . 20     0     0

6 new sythes, . . . 0     18     0

6 unwashed fleeces of wool, . . . 0     12     0

6 old scythes, . . . 0     14     0 

In Applebyes keeping, 2 cows and 1 plow chaine . . . 9     8     0

[Note:  The reference to "In Applebyes keeping" is very, very interesting.  Hunter's Island, once part of the Town of Pelham was long known as "Appleby's Island."  As Lockwood Barr noted in his history of the Town of Pelham published in 1946, however, there seems to be no record of who Appleby was.  Barr said:  "The first conveyance of the Island [Hunter's Island] found in the office of the County Clerk of Westchester, is a deed dated January 17, 1797, transferring an Island ". . . commonly called Appleby's. . ." from John Blagge to Alexander Henderson."  See Barr, Lockwood, A Brief, But Most Complete & True Account of the Settlement of the Ancient Town of Pelham Westchester County, State of New York Known One Time Well & Favourably as the Lordshipp & Manour of Pelham Also The Story of the Three Modern Villages Called The Pelhams, pp. 91-93 (The Dietz Press, Inc. 1946).  Thus, this reference in the inventory supports an inference that today's Hunter's Island was occupied at the time of Thomas Pell's death and that Appleby had two cows and one plow chain belonging to Thomas Pell.]  

In Jonathan Burge his keeping, 2 oxen, 3 cowes, 2 yearlings, 4 calfes, 1 timber chaine, 1 plough chaine, 1 colter [see above], 1 share [see above] and boult, . . . 

1 plough share, colter, boult, coller and yoke irons, in John Holy's hands, . . . 2     0     0

64 load of hay, . . . 16     0     0

5 firkins of sope [i.e., a firkin is an English unit of capacity usually equal to a quarter of a barrel; it also can refer to a small wooden vessel or tub for butter, lard, soap, etc.]  and parcell of tallow, . . . 3     0     0

1/2 barrell of rum, . . . 1     10     0

1 paire of stillyards [likely a reference to a pair of "steel yards" which are portable balances with two unequal arms, the longer one having a movable counterpoise and the shorter one bearing a hook or the like for holding an object to be weighed], . . . 0     10     0

3 yoaks and 2 grind stones, . . . 0     12     0

1 canow [unclear, possibly a "canoe," although the context suggests otherwise], parcell of beef, and 2 small parcells of sugar, . . . 1     10     0

4 cowes more, . . . 18     0     0

4 oxen, . . . 24     0     0

2 of two years old, . . . 5     0     0

2 of three years old, . . . 7     0     0

2 calfes, . . . 2     0     0

1 bull stag, . . . 6     0     0

Wheate, . . . 12     0     0

30 bushells of Indian corne . . . 3     0     0

Old wheat, . . . 5     0     0

2 draught chaines, 1 timber chaine, 1 pr. cart wheels, boxes and rings, . . . 3     0     0

1 colter [see above], 1 share [see above] colter and boult, . . . 1     10     0

1 broad axe, 3 iron wedges, 1 pr. of beetle rings, 1 cart rope, 1 coller for a horse, 2 pitchforks, 1 grind stone . . . 1     10     0

1 flock bed [i.e., a bed with a mattress stuffed with wool refuse, shearings or cloth, or the like] and boulster, 1 handsaw, 2 augurs, 2 hamers, and 1 paire fell'rs

1 iron pott, pot hooks and tramell [see above], 1 brasse kettle, 1 kellett and candlestick, 1 pewter pint pott, 2 old pewter platters, . . . 2     0     0

6 alchymy [i.e., alchemy, a "science" no longer practiced that sought to transform one chemical element into another through a combination of magic and primitive chemistry; considered to be a predecessor to modern chemistry] spoons, . . . 0     1     0

15 old lumber casks, . . . 0     15     0

1/2 firkin [see above] butter and 2 cheeses, . . . 0     15     0

2 cowe hydes, . . . 0     10     0

Total sume. . . 1294     14     4

This inventory and appraisem't was finished ye 20th of October, 1669, as witness o'r hands, we having according to o'r best knowledge and understanding done as witness o'r hands ye day and yeare aforesaid, we have apprised as money of this country.,

JOHN RICHBELLS, 
WM. [Sideways "H" as his mark] HOYDEN.
his marke.
SAMUEL DEAKE."

Source:  Bolton, Jr., 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, pp. 46-49 (NY, NY:  Chas F. Roper, 1881) (edited by C.W. Bolton).   

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