Historic Pelham

John Pell, often referenced by members of the Pell family as the "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham," was the nephew and principal legatee of Thomas Pell who bought lands that became the Manor of Pelham from local Native Americans on June 27, 1654. Born in England in 1643, John Pell traveled to America in 1670 following his uncle's death to claim his inheritance that included the lands that formed the Manor of Pelham.

Unlike his uncle who remained a resident of Fairfield after purchasing his Pelham lands, John Pell moved onto the lands shortly after inheriting them from his uncle. It is believed that he built a Manor Home worthy of his vast land holdings. Its location has long been lost in the mists of time. Some authorities have suggested two possible locations for Pell's Manor House: (1) near today's Bartow-Pell Mansion; and (2) on Rodman's Neck, also known as Pell's Point and Anhooke's Neck. See, e.g., City History Club of New York, Historical Guide to the City of New York, p. 210 (NY, NY: 1909) ("Not far away [from the Bartow-Pell Mansion] is the site of the original Pell Manor House, though some say that it was on the extreme end of Pelham Neck.").

Although it cannot be known with certainty, an analysis of the available evidence suggests that John Pell may have lived in two homes in the area. He first may have lived for a time in the early 1670s in a home built by his uncle and referenced in an inventory of his deceased uncle's estate on Pell's Point (today's Rodman's Neck). Some say the Bowne home on Rodman's Neck was later built on the site of the Pell home. Evidence also suggests that John Pell later built a Manor House near today's Bartow Pell Mansion. I have written about this home before. See

Mon., Nov. 03, 2014: More on the 17th Century Location of the Manor Home of John Pell of the Manor of Pelham.

Tue., Sep. 12, 2006: Evidence Sheds Light on Location of An Early Home of John Pell, 2d Lord of the Manor of Pelham.

Bell, Blake A., The Manor House of John Pell, Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No. 51, Dec. 24, 2004.

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog attempts to shed further light on the history of the Manor House of John Pell that once stood in Pelham. A genealogy of the Bartow family authored by Evelyn P. Bartow and published in 1875 asserts that John Bartow, a son of Theophilus Bartow and Bathsheba Pell lived in the Manor Home built by his grandfather, John Pell (known by Pell family members as "Second Lord of the Manor of Pelham"). The book further claims that Aaron Burr, who married a member of the Bartow family, "was an intimate friend and frequent visitor at the house." Indeed, the book claims, "It was at Mr. Bartow's house, after his removal to N.Y. City, that Burr was kindly received after his return from exile."

Image of Primitive Drawing of a Home Claimed by Some to

Depict the John Pell Manor House Near Today's Bartow-Pell

Mansion Museum; Provenance and Source Information So Unclear

that It Cannot Be Known with Any Degree of Reliability Whether

This Actually Depicts the Pell Home. Source: Courtesy of the

Office of the Historian of the Town of Pelham. NOTE: Click Image to Enlarge.

The pertinent excerpts from the book are transcribed below, followed by a citation and link to the source.

"JOHN BARTOW,1 [Footnote 1 reads: "Bolton's W. C., i, 541, 551; ii. 200, 209, 213, 222; N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872; Bolton's W. Ch., 107, 124; N. Y. Marriage Licenses."] eldest son of Theophilus Bartow and Bathsheba Pell, his wife, born at Westchester 1740, lived at Pelham, in the old Manor House of his grandfather, Lord Pell. He was wealthy, and a great friend to St. Peter's Church, Westchester, of which he was vestryman. At the old manorial residence of his ancestors, Mr. Bartow kept open house to all his relatives and friends, and his home was the centre of attraction to the society of the neighborhood, from the hearty welcome they always received. Col. Burr, who had married his first cousin, was an intimate friend and frequent visitor at the house. It was at Mr. Bartow's house, after his removal to N. Y. City, that Burr was kindly received after his return from exile. Mr. Bartow sold his estate towards the close of his life, and lived in Spring street, N.Y. He died in 1816, and was the last of the Bartows who was interred in the family cemetery at Westchester. The funeral was attended by Robert Bartow, his grandson, the Reids of Eastchester, and many others of the family. The family of Robert Bartow now reside on a portion of the estate of John Bartow. A short distance from their residence is a station named Bartow, of the Harlem River Branch. John Bartow m. first, Mary Ryder, of Jamaica, by whom he had two sons and one daughter; and secondly, in 1771, Ann, d. of Joseph Pell, of Pelham, by whom he had three sons and four daughters, as follows: --

1. Augustus Bartow, b. 1762, of whom hereafter.

2. Stephen Bartow,1 [Footnote 1 reads: "Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209; N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872; Bolton's W. Ch. 124."] b. at Westchester, m. Mary Thompson, of Catskill, N.Y., and had Sarah Bartow,2 [Footnote 2 reads: "Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209; N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872, July 1874."] m. John Spencer; Edwin Bartow,3 [Footnote 3 reads: "N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872, July 1874."] d. s. p.; Alfred Bartow,3 [See Footnote 3 above] d. s. p.; Emily Bartow,4 [Footnote 4 reads: "N. Y. Gen. Rec., July 1874."] unm.; Harriet Bartow,3 [See Footnote 3 above] unm.; Maria Bartow,5 [Footnote 5 reads "N. Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872, July 1874; Noble's Life of Cole, 236; American Cyclopedia.] m. Thomas Cole, of Catskill; and Fanny Bartow,3 [See Footnote 3 above] unm.

3. Mary Bartow, 6 [Footnote 6 reads: "6) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209; N.Y. Gen. Rec., Jan. 1872."] m. Punderson, son of Basil Bartow.

4. John Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads: "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] b. 1772, m. Mary Sands, of Sands Point, L. I., and had an only child, Mary Bartow, who d. unm.

5. Phoebe Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads: "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] m. Dr. Turk.

6. Sarah Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads: "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] m. Dr. Halleck.

7. Amelia Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads: "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] d. unm.

8. James Bartow 7 [Footnote 7 reads: "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] m., and had an only child, Eliza Bartow.

9. Katharine Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads: "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] b. 1790, m. Mr. Smith.

10. Bernabeu Bartow, 7 [Footnote 7 reads: "7) Bolton's W. Co., ii. 209."] named after Don Juan Baptista de Bernabeu, who had married his cousin, died s. p."

Source: Bartow, Evelyn P., Bartow Genealogy: Containing Every One of the Name of Bartow Descended from Doctor Thomas Bartow Who Was Living at Crediton, in England, A.D., 1672 with References To the Books Where Any of the Name is Mentioned, pp. 37-38 (Baltimore, MD: Innes & Co., Printers and Binders, 1875).

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Labels: 1670, Aaron Burr, Anhooke's Neck, Bartow-Pell Mansion, Bathsheba Pell, John Bartow, John Pell, Pelham Neck, Rodman's Neck, Theophilus Bartow