Notice of Chancery Court Order Directing Auction Sale of Nicholas Haight's Farm in Pelham in 1820

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On Friday I published to the Historic Pelham Blog the text of a newspaper advertisement published by Nicholas Haight on March 10, 1820 offering his 130-acre farm on Rodman's Neck in the Town of Pelham for sale. See Friday, November 30, 2007: 1820 Advertisement for Sale of Nicholas Haight's Farm on Rodman's Neck.

Now, it seems, there is a mystery to explore. It seems that Haight was in financial straits at the time and needed to sell the property. A few months later, in November, a notice appeared in a New York City newspaper indicating that a Chancery Court had ordered the sale at auction of large parcels of land owned by Haight in Pelham. The text of the notice appears immediately below, followed by a citation to its source.

"IN CHANCERY.

George Faile, vs. Nicholas Haight and Mary his wife, John Hunter and Peter A. Jay.

IN pursuance of a decretal order of the Court of Chancery, made in the above cause, will be sold at public auction at the Tontine Coffee-House, in the city of New-York, on Saturday, the thirtieth day of December next, at twelve o'clock at noon of that day, under the direction and superintendance of the subscriber, one of the masters of this Court, 'All that certain farm, tract, piece, or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the town of Pelham, in the county of Westchester, and state of New-York, and bounded as follows, to wit: Beginning at two rocks by the water side, and from thence running southwesterly by and with the land of George Rapelje, utnil it comes to a long stone set in the ground by the side of the road leading to property now or late of one Joshua Huestis; thence southerly by and with the said road until it comes to the land formerly of William Rodman, deceased, and now or late owned by Nicholas Haight; thence easterly and southerly by and with the land of the said Nicholas Haight, until it comes to the Sound, or East River; thence easterly and northerly along the said river to the place of beginning, containing seventy acres of land, be the same more or less.' And also, 'All that certain tract, piece, or parcel of salt meadow situate, lying and being in the town, county, and state aforesaid, adjacent to the premises above mentioned and described, and lying and being on the south side of the road, beginning at the northwest corner thereof by the said road; thence running southerly by and with a certain ditch along land now or late of one James Harvey, to a certain ditch by the land of the said Nicholas Haight; thence by and with the said ditch and the land of the said Nicholas Haight, to a stake by the division line of George Rapelje; thence northerly along the said division line to the before mentioned road; thence westerly along the said road to the place of beginning,' together with all and singular the buildings, privileges, hereditaments, and appurtenances to the said several tracts, pieces, or parcels of land belonging, or in anywise appertaining. Dated New-York, November 11, 1820.

JOHN M. MACDONALD,

nov 13 -- law5wd1w Master in Chancery."

Source: In Chancery, The National Advocate, Vol. VIII, Issue No. 2248, Nov. 28, 1820, p. 1, col. 2.

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1799 Advertisement Offering 225-Acre Farm of Caleb Pell For Sale

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In the late 18th century, Caleb Pell, a descendant of John Pell who often is referred to as "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham", owned a farm that encompassed lands in Eastchester and Pelham. In 1799 a series of advertisements appeared in a New York newspaper offering the farm for sale. The text of the advertisement is quoted below, followed by citations to its sources.

"FOR SALE,
A Farm containing 225 acres, including salt meadow, in the town of East-Chester, on the main road to Boston, and within half a mile of the Church [now Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site]; for many years in the possession of Mr. Caleb Pell -- It is well watered with living springs, and has the best tract of timber in the county -- There are on the premises a good Farm-house, barn, cyder-mill, with a new screw, and an orchard of ten or twelve acres of the best grafted trees, capable of making sixty hogsheads of cyder annually, a garden with a number of the best kind of peach trees, and a fine well of water at the door. An indisputable title will be given, and a great part of the purchase money may remain on mortgage -- For particulars enquire of

HENRY POPE,
No. 7 - Maiden lane,
N.B. No application will be received after the first of April.
Feb. 22 2w"

Source: For Sale, A Farm Containing 225 Acres, Commercial Advertiser [New York], Mar. 1, 1799, Vol. II, Issue 440, p. 4, col. 3. The same advertisement also appeared as For Sale, A Farm Containing 225 Acres, Commercial Advertiser [New York], Mar. 5, 1799, Vol. II, Issue 443, p. 4, col. 3.

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