HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 MAMAEONECK. 
 
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^(cm y&M^ 
 
 Reproduced from the Engraving from the Original Painting in possession of the 
 Rt. Rev. W. H. De Lancey, Bishop of Western New York. 
 
TITSTORT 
 
 '*¥ ifMlK 
 
 TOWN OF MAMAliONECK 
 
 ,'^i*' .' '*ii8i* 
 
 OOTJNTY 01^' WI^M^CHESTER 
 
 AJ»D 
 
 STATE r)F NKW YORK 
 
 
 
"UitS AM^^^^-^ 
 
HISTORY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 TOWN OF MAMARONP]CK 
 
 IN THK 
 
 COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER 
 
 AND 
 
 STATE OF NEW YORK. 
 
 BY 
 
 EDWAED F. DE LANCEY 
 
 NEW YORK 
 1886. 
 
i 
 
 ■1^ ^'i 
 
 1 > 
 
 jk 
 
 'I' 
 
 f I 
 
 I B /^ D I 
 
'H) TMK 
 
 HOXORAHLK MATTHIAS BANTA, 
 
 FOR MANY VEARH 
 
 SUPERVISOR OF MAMARONECK, 
 
 UNANIM0r8I,Y ELECTED, 
 
 THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED 
 
 BY HIS FRIEND, 
 
 THE AUTHOK. 
 
PREFATORY NOTE. 
 
 This volume is simply a separatoly-printed chapUM" from " Scharf's His- 
 tory of Westchester County." Owing to the rapidity with which the chapter 
 was originally printed, a very ivw points intended to have appeared therein 
 were accidentally omitted. > 
 

 
 ., .1 I , .1 
 
 
 MAMAEONECK. 
 
 The Town of Mamaroneck was erected as a Town 
 with its present boundaries by the "Act for dividing 
 the Counties of this State into Towns," passed the 
 7th of March 1788.> The language of the Act is, 
 "And all that part of the said County of Westchester, 
 bounded southerly by New Rochelle, easterly by the 
 Sound, Northerly by Mamaroneck River, and westerly 
 by the Town of Scarsdale, shall be, and hereby is, 
 erected into a Town, by the n;inie of Mamaroneck." 
 Scarsdale, which comes just befoi - Mamaroneck in the 
 Act, was erected into a town witii these boundaries: 
 " Westerly by Bronx River, Southerly by the Town of 
 Eastchester and New Rochelle, easterly by the East 
 Bounds of a Tract of Land called the Manor of Scars- 
 dale, and Northerly by the North Bounds of the 
 said Manor of Scarsdale." Both Towns were carved 
 out of the old Manor of Scarsdale, hence the ref- 
 erence to Scarsdale in the boundaries of each. The 
 latter have never been altered since the erection of 
 the Town and are its bounds to-day. It fronts upon 
 Long Island Sound, and extends from it north- 
 westward nearly four miles, with an average width 
 of nearly three miles. It is situated twenty-one miles 
 Northeast of New York City, and is distant South 
 from Albany, the Capital of the State of New York, 
 about one hundred and forty miles, and the village 
 is south from White Plains, the county seat, seven 
 miles. All these distances are those of the roads as 
 they existed prior to the introduction of Rail-Roads. 
 
 The town of Mamaroneck has an area of about 4000 
 acres, or fij square miles. Its population as shown by 
 the State and U. S. census reports at different periods, 
 has been as follows: in ]7!K), 452: in 1800,503; in 
 1810, 4%; in 1814, 7!)7; in 1820, 878; in 1825, 1032; 
 in 1830, 838 ; in 1835, 882 ; in 1840, 141 (! ; in 1845, 780 ; 
 in 1850, 928; in 1855, 1068; in I860, 1351 ; in 1865, 
 1392; in 1870, 1484; in 1875, 1425; in 1880, 1863. 
 Owing to a political squabble in 1885, the Legislature 
 being Republican, and the (Governor a Democrat, the 
 former would not pass a law to take a census in that 
 year, consequently there are no figures for it, but the 
 population is now believed to be 2000. The average 
 number of voters is about 350. 
 
 The name is Indian, and signifies "The Place where 
 the Fresh water falls into the Salt," and describes the 
 unusual natural fact, that the bed of the Mamaro- 
 neck River some distance above the place of the 
 present bridge connecting it with the town of Rye, 
 
 > II, June! and Vdrck's Ijiwi, 3in. 
 
 (at which place a bridge did not exist till the ynt 
 1800) was originally crossed by a ledge of rocks 
 sufficiently high to prevent the tide rising above 
 it, over which the fresh water fell directly into the 
 salt water, and at low tide with a strong rush and 
 sound.' The Indians gave the name to the place of 
 this uncommon occurrence and to the River itself. 
 
 In the earliest deeds and documents, the word is 
 spelled " Momoronock," "Maraoronack"and "Mam- 
 aranock;" the modern spelling does not seem to 
 have obtained generally till toward the middle of the 
 eighteenth century. Very many ways of spelling 
 this word are met with, but all evidently aiming at 
 expressing its Indian sound. The Indians having no 
 written language, all their names and other words 
 which we now have, are based upon the reproducing 
 of their spoken sounds in our letters. If a Dutch- 
 man, Frenchman or an Englishman, undertook to 
 write the same word from an Indian's mouth, very 
 different looking and sounding words would be pro- 
 duced. And as very many of our New York Indian 
 terms and names represent an English spelling of a 
 Dutch or French translation of an Indian sound, we 
 should never be surprised at any variety of spelling." 
 
 Though erected a town so late as 1788, Mama- 
 roneck is one of the oldest places in the County and 
 the State, dating back to 1661, when the then 
 Indian owners Wappaquewam and Mahatahan 
 sold and deeded their individual lands to John 
 Richbell, an Englishman, on the 21st of Sep- 
 tember 1661. Long previous to this time, and in the 
 year 1640 the entire and general Indian title, both 
 to the land and the sovereignty, of all the territory 
 of southeastern Westchester and Connecticut as far 
 east as the Norwalk Islands inclusive, had been ob- 
 tained for the Dutch West India Company by pur- 
 chase by Governor Kieft, through Cornelius van Tien- 
 hoven, from the Siwanoy Indians.* Richbell however 
 was the first white man to purchase the individual 
 right of the local Indian owners to the lands at Ma- 
 maroneck. 
 
 He was an Plnglishman of a Hampshire family of 
 
 3 Time, blflHting, and a Buccewtun uf danii, have oliliterated the orig- 
 inal ledge, but tkv remains of the reef can still be seen. 
 
 ^Ithaa iHien stateil that " Mamaroneck'* meant *' the place of rolling 
 stones,** but for this f can not titid any authority. Therv are not rolling 
 stones anywiiere about Mamaroneck either in the rirer or the town, 
 though Iwth abound with rocks I'li ailil, lu the lauguaguof the geologista. 
 
 * I. Brod. '200, 11. AUiaiiy Kscerds 78, 147, II. Ua»ird 27;i, 1. O'Call, 
 N. N. 21.1. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 Bouthampton or its neighborhood, who were mer- 
 chai.ts ill London, and who had business tranaactions 
 with the West Indies and with New England. He 
 was in CharlcHtown Massachusetts in 1648 according 
 to Siivagc's (tenealogical Dictionary, and he appears 
 in an Inventory of the estate of Robert Gibson of 
 Boston, as owing the estate 36£ on the 8th of August 
 1656. Prior to 1657 he had I)een in St. Christopher's 
 Island in the West Indies. In 1657 he entered into 
 a business pnrtnershi]> in Barbadoes, then the centre 
 of the English trade with the West Indier ar.d North 
 America, being at that time, ns it is now, an English 
 Island. The severe aud oppressive English Naviga- 
 tion laws the scope of >vhich Cromwell had enlarged, 
 and which he strictly enforced, drove many English- 
 men at that period to embark in a contraband trade, 
 a trade whicli increased in the nextcentury to so great 
 an extent in North America, that the severe measurts 
 adopted by the English Government to suppres. it 
 in the latter part of that century provJ to be one of 
 the strongest, if not very strongest of the causes of 
 the American Revolution. ' At Barbadoes the follow- 
 ing curious and striking agreement was entered into 
 by John Richbell with Thomas Modi ford of that island, 
 and William Siiarpe of Southampton, to establish on 
 the North American coast a plantation for the carry- 
 ing on a trade not permitted by the Navigation laws. 
 
 It is headed, 
 
 " iMtrucUons delivered Mr. John Richbell in order to 
 the intended settlement of a Plantation in the south-west 
 parts of New England, in f>eha(f of himself and of 
 nibtcrihers .•" 
 
 " God sending you to arrive safely in New England 
 our advice is that you informeyourselfe fully by sober 
 understanding men of that parte of land which lyeth 
 betwixt Connecticott and the Dutch CoUony and of 
 the seacoast belonging to the same and the islands 
 that lye bettwixt Long Island and the Maine, viz. : 
 within what government it is, and of what kinde 
 that government is, whether very strict or remisse, 
 who the Chiefe Magistrates are, on what termea ye 
 Indians stand with them, and what bounds the Dutch 
 pretend to, and being satisfyed in these particulars, 
 (viz.) that you may with security settle there and 
 without oiTence to any. Then our advise is that you 
 endeavor to buy some small Plantation that is already 
 settled and hath an house and some quantity of 
 ground cleared and which lyeth so as you may en- 
 large into the woods at pleasure in each, be sure not 
 to fayle of these accommodations. 
 
 " I. That it be near some navigable Ryver, or at least 
 some safe port or harbor, and that the way to it be 
 neither longe or difficult. 
 
 "II. That it he well watered by some running 
 streame or at least by some fresh ponds and springs 
 near adjoining. 
 
 ■ The ramoiia came of the Write at AisUtanc*, in which Juhii Adanu 
 first (liRtintniiohed liiiiiHetf, were lu defence of Boeton MerchMnte en- 
 gaged In thie contraband trade. 
 
 " III. That it be well wooded which I thinke you can 
 hardly misse of. That it be healthy high ground, 
 not bogs or fens for the hopes of all consists in that 
 consideration. 
 
 " Being thus fitted with a place look carefully into 
 the title and be sure to have all pretenders satisfied 
 before you purchase, for to fall into an imbroylid dis- 
 putable title would trouble us more than all other 
 charges whatsoever. Having passed these difflcultyes 
 and your family brought in the place direct your 
 whole forces towards the increase of provision which 
 must be according to their seasons, for planting of 
 corne, pease, beanes and other provisions which the 
 country affords, increasing your orchards and gardens, 
 your pastures and inclosures; and for ye familyes 
 employment in the long winter be sure by the first 
 opportunity to put an acre or two of hemp-seed into 
 the ground, of which you may in the winter make a 
 ijuantity of canvass and cordage for your own use. ^n 
 the fulling and clearing your ground save all y( ur 
 principal timber for pipe stands and clap board and 
 knee timber, &c., and with the rest endeavor to make 
 Pott ash, which will sufficiently recompense the 
 charge of falling the ground. But still mindfull not 
 to put so many hands about the matter of present 
 profitt that you do in the meane tyme neglect planting 
 or sowing the grounds that are fitt for provisions, our 
 further advice is that as you increase in pasture fitt 
 for cattle and sheep you fayle not tostocke them well, 
 but be sure never to over-stock them by taking more 
 than you can well keep, for an hungry cowe will 
 never turne to account. Lastly we desire you to ad- 
 vise us or either of us how affairs stand with you, 
 what your wants are and how they may ^e most ad- 
 vantageously employed by us : for the life of our bus- 
 iness will consist in the nimble, quiet and full corre- 
 spondence with us; and although in these instructirms 
 we have given you clearly indicates, yet we are not 
 satisfied that you must needs bring in the place so 
 many difficultyes and also observe many inconve- 
 niencies which we at this distance cannot possibly 
 imagine and therefore we refer all wholly to your 
 discretion, not doubting but that you will doe all 
 things to the best advantage of our designe thereby 
 obliedging 
 
 your faithful friends and servants 
 Thos. Modiford 
 
 Will. Sharpe.' 
 Barbadoes, Sept. 18, 1657." 
 
 The precise date of Richbell's arrival in the prov- 
 ince of New York is not now known. He seems first to 
 have gone to Oyster Bay Long Island, and thence to 
 Mamaroneck. He certainly could not have found a 
 place more in accordance with his " instructions " on 
 the whole coast of North America than the latter. 
 
 Directly on the Sound, dose to Connecticut, and 
 claimed by its people, but a part of the Dutch prov- 
 
 > De«d Bool< ili. 126, Sec. uf gtate'i OIT*, Alb. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 8 
 
 ince of New Nethcrlund and ruled by its authoritiex, 
 with a running river fulling directly into its liarbour 
 the latter overlooked by high wooded hilla, and its 
 borders slcirted by the cleared " planting fields " of 
 the Indians, and within a day's easy sail of the 
 " Manhadoes" it was well adapted to the " nimble " 
 business proposed to be can'' il on by his IJarbadoes 
 friends and himself. liichbeil first went to Oyster 
 Bay, where on tho r>th of Septemlier IKtJd he bought 
 the beautiful ])eninsula, afterwards and still known 
 as '' Lloyd's Neck." He had a controversy with the 
 Oyster Bay people about some land at Matinecock, 
 which he also bought, and which was finally settled 
 in his favor. In ItJCS, after the English conquest he 
 obtained a patent for Lloyd's Neck from Governor 
 Nicolls dat(^d December 18th lt)()5, and the next year 
 sold it to Nathaniel Sylvester, Thomas Hart, and 
 Latimer Sampon, for 450£, by deed dated October 18, 
 1666.' He then resided at Oyster Buy where in 1662 
 he was appoiit.jd a constable.' In the preceding year 
 1661 his name . ppearg on the Southampton Records 
 as a witness to a mortgage to one Mills on a Virginia 
 plantation.' In May 1601 he was one of the Commis- 
 sioners for the five P^nglish Towns in Long Island." 
 In the autumn of that year the English captured New 
 York from the Dutch. Of the expedition to attempt 
 that capture Kichbell probably hud early knowledge. 
 It will be recollected that two of the ships the 
 "Martin" and the "William and l^icolas," of the 
 expedition sent to capture New Netherland by the 
 Duke of York, were forced to run into PiseatHway, 
 now Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the 20th of 
 July 1664, on board of which were Carr and Maver- 
 icke, two of the Commissioners.' One or both of 
 them knew, or had lettere to John Richbell who ap- 
 parently was then in Boston to whom they sent the 
 following communication announcing their arrival, 
 written the third day after it happened, — 
 "Mr. Richbell 
 
 Wee shall desire you to make all convenient haste 
 to your habitation on Long Island, and by the waye 
 as you pass through the Countrey and when you come 
 hither, that you acquaint such as you tliinke the 
 Kings Commission" will be welcome to, and are af- 
 fected for his Majestyes Service, that some of us are 
 arrived here, & shall suddenly bee in Long Island 
 where they hope they will be ready as in other places 
 to promote his Majestyes interest, their readiness & 
 affection shall be much taken notice of, and your care 
 and Incouragement bee acknowledged by 
 Your very lovinge friends 
 
 Robert Carr. 
 
 Samuel Mavericke. 
 Pascataway July 23d, 1664. 
 
 to Mr. John Richbell, there. 
 
 III. Tliompson'a "HUt. Long bland." 
 tVoI. II., 1». 
 
 <II. TbompioD'a " Luug ItlitDd." 
 < Ant*, pug* 76. 
 
 A warrant under the same hands to prcssc a horse 
 for Mr. Richbell if occasion should bee, hee paying 
 for the hire." » 
 
 Four years before, Charles II. had constituted a 
 Council in England, to which he committed the care 
 of the Trade with the Plantations in America. It 
 was created by Royal Patent on the seventh of No- 
 vember 1660. This " Council of Trade " consisted 
 of the Lord High Chancellor Hyde, the Lord Treas- 
 urer of England, Thomas Earl of Southampton, 
 Monk Duke of Albemarle, eleven other peers and 
 Nobles, twenty-three Baronets and Knights, and 
 twenty five " Merchants," together sixty two persons 
 all mentioned by :iame in the Patent itself. Amon^ 
 the "Merchants" was included Robert Richbell, the 
 brother of John. As this "Council of Trade" em- 
 braced the leading public men in England at that 
 day, with the noble at its head who four years later 
 drew the King's Patent to his brother James for New 
 York, it is almost certain that John Richbell had 
 some prior intimation, from his brother, a member ol 
 the same Council, of the expedition intended for the 
 capture of that Province from the Dutch, and the 
 persons who were to be at the head of it. Hence, 
 his presence in Boston before its arrival, and if neither 
 Carr nor Mavericke, the latter of whimi had been in 
 America before, knew John Richbell personally, they 
 undoubtedly had been informed beforehand where 
 he was to be addressed and what his sentiments were, 
 or they could not have written him the above letter. 
 
 It is apparent that Richbell was a man of a better 
 position than the ordinary class of Englishmen then 
 in America, at the time he made his purchase of lands 
 at Mamaroneck in 1661. His purchase of Lloyd's 
 Neck was in September 1660. A year later on Septem- 
 ber 23d 1661 he bought his lands at Mamaroneck, and 
 received from its Siwanoy Indian proprietors Wap- 
 paquewam and Mahatahan, their " Indian Deed " 
 for them dated on that day. 
 
 An attempt by another Englishman, also a mer- 
 chant of Barbadoes, and resident of Oyster Bay, who 
 seemsto have been either a business rival, or a personal 
 opponent of Richbell, to outwit him and the Indians 
 has singularly enough been the means of preserving 
 for us a perfect history of the original purchase of 
 Mamaroneck in all its details. This man was one 
 Thomas Revell " merchant of Oyster Bay." Finding 
 that Richbell had obtained the Mamaroneck lands in 
 September 1661 Revell undertook in October of 
 the same year to buy the same lands or a part of 
 them, from some other Indians, including Wappaque- 
 wam however, for an increased price. Richbell after 
 getting his deed of the 23d of September 1661 applied 
 to the Dutch Government at New Amsterdam for a 
 "Ground Brief," and subsequently a " Transport," as 
 the Dutch License to purchase Indian lands, and the 
 Patent for them, were respectively termed. Governor 
 
 • ntgoi. Hilt., 66. 
 
MAMAUONECK. 
 
 Stuyveaant and his Council thereupon had the pur- 
 chase as well as Revell's claim thoroughly investi- 
 gated and testimony taken, and after full deliberation 
 decided in Richbell's favor and issued to him both 
 the " Ground Brief " and the " Transport." Aaer the 
 English conquest and the order directing the confir- 
 mation of the Dutch grants to their proprietors and 
 before his English Patent of the ItJth of October, 1668, 
 was obtained, Richbell recorded these instrument 3, 
 and he also had recorded the evidence taken bef»;re 
 the Dutch Council, his Indian deed of June 6, 1666, 
 confirming that of 1661, and an aifldavit of another 
 witness of the original purchase sworn to in 1665. 
 
 These documents in full arc as follows, and they 
 give us a very lively picture of the men and matters, 
 at Mamaroneck and at Manussing Island both whites 
 and Indians, in the autumn of 1661. ' 
 
 Immediately after these curious papers will be 
 found the Indian Deed to Thomas Revell, and the 
 Indian Power of Attorney by which he tried to defeat 
 Richbell. These papers Revell had recorded in the 
 records of the Town of Southampton upon Long Island 
 December 23d, 1661, probably as a means of strength- 
 ening his claim. Thus we have a documentary his- 
 tory of both sides of this contest for the beau- 
 tiful lands of Mamaroneck in the reign of Charles the 
 Second. 
 
 INDIAN DEED TO JOHN RICHBELL. 
 
 Recorded Mar: 13CA 1666 for Mr Richbell. 
 (Liber Two of Deeds 192-199, Albany). 
 
 1. Mammaranock, y" 23d Sept. 1661. 
 
 Know all Men by these pres". That I Wappaque- 
 wani Right owner & Proprietor of part of this Land, 
 doe by order of my brother who is another Proprie- 
 tor & by consent of the other Indyans doe this day, 
 sell, Lett & make over, from mee my heyres as- 
 sigues for ever unto John Richbell of oyster 
 bay his heyres & assignes for ever three necks of 
 Land. The Eastermost is called Mammarsinock 
 Neck, and the Westermost is bounded with M' Pells 
 purchase : Therefore know all Men whom these pres- 
 ents concerne that I Wappaquewam, doe this day 
 alienate & estrange from niec, my heircs & assignes 
 for ever unto John Richbell his heyres & assignes for 
 ever, these three necks of Land with all the Mea- 
 dowes Rivers & Islands thereunto belonging, also 
 the sd. Richbell or his assignes may freely feed Cat- 
 tle or cutt timber twenty miles Northward from the 
 marked Trees of the Necks, ffor «fc in consideracon 
 the sd. Richbell is to give or deliver unto the afore- 
 named Wappaquewam the goods here under men- 
 tioned, the one hulfe about a moneth after the date 
 hereof, and the other halfe the next Spring following. 
 As the Interpreters can testify, & for the true per- 
 
 > The doings of the parties at Manuanlng lelHOd in thif matter art 
 it if) believed the earliest actions in which its settlers took part outaida 
 of tbenuelTse, that are now known. 
 
 formance hereof I Wappaquewam doe acknowledge 
 
 to have rec"*' two shirts & ten shillings in wampum 
 
 the day & date above written, 
 
 Twenty two Coates 
 
 one hundred fathom of wampom 
 
 Twelve shirttt 
 
 Ten paire of Stockings 
 
 Twenty hands of powder 
 
 Twelve barrs of Leid 
 
 Two firelockes 
 
 flifteene Hoes 
 
 ffifteene Hatchets 
 
 Three Kettles " 
 
 John Finch's affidavit. 
 
 2. The deposition of John P'inch &. Edward Qritten 
 both of Oyster bay. 
 
 These deponents testify & affirme. That they being 
 at Peter Disbroes Island ' (being to the westward of 
 Greenewich) the 23'' day of September last past & 
 being there employed by me John Richbell for to In- 
 terpret betwixt the said Mr. Richbell & the Indyans 
 (mentioned in this writing annext) about the pur- 
 chase of three Necks of Land. The said deponents 
 doe both of them atfirmc, that this herein written was 
 a true and reall bargaine, made the day above s''. be- 
 twixt the said Mr. John Richbell & the said Indyans, 
 & the Condicons thereof. 
 
 Taken before mee 
 
 John Heickes 
 
 Hempsteed this 20th of December 1661. 
 Peter Disbrmv's affidavit. 
 " The Deposicon of Peter Disbroe of Monussing Is- 
 land ffitates su£e 30th. 
 
 3. The s*" deponent upon oath Testifieth, that Mr. 
 Richbell &c went to Mr. Revell (then on the Island 
 afores'') & warned Mr. Revell not to buy the Land 
 beyond Mammaraneck River of the Indyans, for that 
 (hee said) hee had bought it already : At that time 
 Wappaquewam came to my house Mr. Richbell and 
 John iRnch being there also, the said Wappaquewam 
 said hee was the owner of the Land, & did in my 
 hearing owne that hee had sold the land to Mr. 
 Richbell, but the other Indyans over persuaded him 
 to sell it to Mr. Revell, because hee would give a great 
 deale more ; The said Wappaquewam did also owne 
 that hee had rec'd part of pay for the Land, of Mr. 
 Richbell & John flinch : This to my best understand- 
 ing was y* Indyans speech unto them ; Also at the 
 same time the said Indian Wappaquewam did ver- 
 bally o.ffer unto Mr. Richbell the Pay that hee had 
 rec'd in part for the sd Land. But Mr. Richbell re- 
 fused, saying hee would not receive it, but according 
 to bargaine hee would have the land & pay him (the 
 sd Indian) his pay : Moreover the said deponent saith 
 that Mr. Revell being at his house (before the former 
 discourse) that hee the said deponent did tell Mr. 
 
 ' Peter Oisbro or Disbrough, was the leading man «f tha OraaDwieli 
 pwpl* who Dnt Mttlad Manniwslng Iiland. 
 
MAJVIAHONECK. 
 
 Revell that the Land whs af^reed for by John Finch, 
 &, some part of the pay paid. Tiiis deposed unto the 
 
 12"' of 
 
 M 61 
 1=62 
 
 Before uit 
 
 Kichard Laws 
 Francis Bell 
 
 Affidavit of William Joanen. 
 
 4. The depos'con of William Joaues of Monusaiiig 
 iHland about 22 years of age, 
 
 The ad Deponent upon oath testitieth, ThatThouias 
 Close & himselfe be:ng mates, the said Close having 
 beene at oyster bay upon his returne to Monussing 
 aforesd, did tell hin\ that when bee was at oyster hay, 
 That John ffinch niid Henry Disbroe of oyster bay 
 did tell him, that John flinch & M' Riehbell had 
 agreed to purchase the land at Mammaranock River, 
 & desired him not to discover what hee had told 
 them, for that hee had promised them to keepe 
 silence, & it' it should bee knowne that hee had told 
 him (the said Joanes) hee should then bee counted a 
 Trayto', this was about September 1661 : Severall 
 moneths after M' Riehbell & John flinch & Edward 
 Griffin being at Mamaranucke River & they waiting 
 for the Indyans coming to them to receive that part 
 of the pay for the land as was agreed there to bee 
 paid, & M' Riehbell had then by him ; They want- 
 ing bread sent for some to the Island Monussing, 
 wherefore the sd deponent came and carryed them 
 some : when to the land he came M' Riehbell had 
 there sett up a Shedd to shelter from the weather, & 
 took possession there. Staying for y" Indians to receive 
 the pay as was promised. M' Revell being then at 
 Monussing, & hearing that M^ Revell came to buy the 
 land, did tell M' Riehbell what hee had heard : Where- 
 fore M' Riehbell & John flinch & myselfe came to 
 Monussing M' Riehbell saying that hee would pur- 
 posely goe to forewarne M' Revell not to buy the 
 land, being hee had already agreed for the same: 
 When to Monussing they came, there was some of the 
 Indyans that had sold y° land viz': Cakoe & Wappa- 
 quewam, who would have secretly gone away (as they 
 judged) but that, John flinch spyeing of them, called 
 them againe, saying to them, are you ashamed of 
 what you are doeing : Then at Peter Disbroe's house 
 the said Cakoe & Wappaquewam did tender to M' 
 Riehbell & John flinch the pay againe which they 
 had rec* in part of payment for the Land, but they 
 refused. John flJnch & M' Riehbell saying to them 
 that they would stand to y' bargaine that they had 
 made: The said Wappaquewam did there fully owne 
 that he had sold the Land to M' Riehbell & John 
 ffinch: Stamford Apr. 5'" 1662. given before me 
 
 Rich : Lawes. 
 
 The originall was Intcrlin'd 
 before deposed (unto) in the 
 28* line, (And M' Riehbell) 
 In the 13* line (Monussing), 
 
 Affidavit of John Fliwh. 
 
 I't. The deposition of John flinch of oyster bay & also 
 Edward Griffin. 
 
 The sd deponents upon oath testifye, M' John 
 Riehbell Merchant of ( )yster bay did buy of Wappa- 
 quewam a Certaine Tract of land lyeing westward of 
 the River called Mammaranock River & bounded by 
 Land purchased by Mr Thomas Pell of the Indians. 
 The said Wappacjuewam being entrusted by his 
 brother Mathetuson ' formerly called Mohey (as the 
 said Wappaquewam & Mathetuson did enforme) to 
 sell all his property in the sd Land, & himselfe with 
 Edw'' Griffin accompanied the said John Riehbell 
 unto y" h" Indian Wappaquewam to buy the »* Lands, 
 which accordingly hee did, & pay*" unto the s** Wap- 
 paquewam in part of payment for the purchase of the 
 said Lands, Two shirts & ten shillings in wampom, 
 and agreed upon Time for the payment of the residue, 
 according to a writing made at Momoronock River, 
 bearing date 23'' of Sept' 1661, & on that day the said 
 Riehbell tooke possession of the s** Lands. 
 
 In & upon the 7* day of March 1661, The s'' John 
 Riehbell employed them the s'' deponents & one Jacob 
 Young a Sweed (which are Indian Interpret.") to goe 
 with him to the Indyans to talke w"* them, Hee the 
 8* Riehbell hearing a Report that y" s* Indian Wap- 
 paquewam had afterwards sold the s'' lands to M' 
 Revell, & in our voyage to speake w"" Wappaquewam 
 we mett with his brother Mathetuiton alias Mohey 
 afores'', who did fully manifest unto us that 
 hee (acccording to his brothers luformacon), 
 did emi)loy & give power to his brother Wap- 
 paquewam to sell his propriety of Land to Mr Rich 
 bell, whom Wappaquewam enformed him would 
 buy it of him, & withall did relate to us sev- 
 erall of the particulars that the said John Rich- 
 bell by agreement was to pay for the s* Lands : 
 Moreover the s* Mathetuson seemed to bee much 
 disturbed in his mind That any Contract was made 
 with any other for y' said Lands, hee affirming that 
 hee knew not that any other than John Riehbell had 
 made any contract about it, untill hee came down to 
 the Sea Coast. Wherefore Mr John Riehbell did tell 
 the s'' Mathetuson that he was now come to settle & 
 plant the same, — And the said Mathetuson did give 
 him free liberty to the same, onely desiring M' 
 Riehbell that hee might be payd for it, & not tu loose 
 his pay for a neck & halfe of land, which he was yet 
 unpaid for : 
 
 To the former part were deposed John ffinch & 
 Edward Griffin the 11th of y' 1" moneth U 
 Before mee 
 
 Rich: Lawes. 
 
 To the latter part the s'' John ffinch & Edw* Griffin 
 & also Jacob Young have deposed this ll* ^ ,j 
 Before mee 
 
 Richard Lawes. 
 
 > This affidavit Is the ouly paper where this name is so speiled. In ull 
 other iustruiuent« it is spelled " Mahatahan." 
 
6 
 
 MAMARONE(!K. 
 
 Affidavit of Jimathtm I/ickwond. 
 
 t). TheTestinionyof Jonutliaii Loi'kwood beiiigaged 
 30 years or therealx/Ut. 
 
 Saith.I being at peter D:.Hbroe8,& M' Thuiiiat* Kov- 
 ell being there present, I hearu M'. Revell sayhec wan 
 buying a pari-oU of Land of tlie Indyans of tlie West 
 side of Mammaranoi'k River to M' Fells Ihnd k I 
 wisht him not to medle with it, for it wr.< nlready 
 bought by M' Richbell & I was a wittnesse to it, I 
 saw a part of the moneys pay'' for it by M' Richbell — 
 M' Revell made this answer to inee, that howsoever 
 hee would buy it & M' Richbell & he would try for it 
 afterwards ; tfarthcr this deponent saith not. Given 
 in upon oath before mee, Stamford Apr. 4"' 1665. 
 
 Rich Lawes 
 Taken out of the Records & compared therewith this 
 23d of August 1665 
 
 p. me John Allyn, Recorder 
 
 INOIAK DEED OR CERTIFICATE OF CONFIR.MATION 
 TO JOHN RICHBELL. 
 
 Recorded for Mr. John Richbell, the 6* day of June 
 1666, this Indyan Deed. I Wappaquewam, together 
 with my Brother Mahatahan, being the right owners 
 of three Necks of Land, lying and being Bounded on 
 y* East side with Mamaranock River, and on y* west 
 side with the Stony River, which parts the said Land, 
 and Mr. Pells Purchase, Now These are to Sertify to 
 all and every one whom it may concerne. That I 
 Wappaquewum, did for myselfe, and in the behalfe of 
 my above said Brother Mahatahan, firmly Bargaine 
 & Sell to M' John Richbell of Oyster Bay, to him 
 and his Heires forever, the above mentioned three 
 Necks of Land, together with all other Priviledges 
 there unto belonging. Six weeks before I sold it to 
 M' Tho Revell, And did mark out the Bounds, and 
 give M' Richbell possession of the said Land, and 
 did receive part of my pay then in hand, as Witness 
 my hand 
 
 The mark of Wappaquewum ' 
 
 Wittness 
 Jacob Yough 
 Catharine Yough," 
 
 The next papers are those Thomas Revell obtained 
 from several Indians, after John Richbell's Purchase, 
 upon which he based his claim. 
 
 COCKOO'S DEEK TO REVELL. 
 
 " Be it known unto all Christian peo|)le, Ingians & 
 others whom it may concern that I Cockoo' Sagamore 
 do Ijy vertue of a full and absolute power & order un- 
 to me given & intrusted by Maharaequeet Sagamore 
 & Meamekett Sagamore & Mamamettchoack & Capt 
 Wappequairan ' all Ingines living up Hudson River 
 
 1 Rocoraed in Liber Two of Deeda, at p*ge 128, Sec. of SUte'a off., 
 Albany. 
 3Jd aome |iapen uf tliat day tbla name appears aa " Cakoe," 
 ) Uaant for Wappaquawam. 
 
 on the Maine land, for me to bargaine St absolutely 
 to sell unto Tho Revell his Hiiyres Kxect" Adniinis- 
 trato" & Assigns have or any of them have in one 
 tract of land on ye Main being bounded by ye sea on 
 the south /est and at the oust of Maramack River and 
 at ye west with Mamgapes River, with two necks of 
 land and meadow & planting hind, the necks of lai d 
 called by the Ingins Caywaywest* & Mamgapes witli 
 all yt' lands Meines and niineralls & trees to cut down 
 at ye said Revell** itlea.sure to plant with all right« & 
 priviliges with (two words here illegible) without let 
 or niolestation of un any under us quietly & peaceably 
 to Injoy ye s'' land reaching one and a half miles above 
 Westchester path and fr<)m thence twenty englisli 
 miles to the Norward into the County for grass for 
 teed for cattell and Timber as he shall have occasion ; 
 for ye lands afforesaid I the said Cockoo doe confess 
 to have received now in hand of the said Thomiw Rev- 
 ell at the house of John Coe in full j)ayment for the 
 aforesaid tracts of land in severall goods to the just 
 sum of Eighty odd pounds sterling for the said lands 
 with all reall rights. And fardder more I doe prom- 
 ise and ingauge my self in the behalf of the fore named 
 Ingains & ye re.st of those Ingains which I now sell 
 this l<ind for and them to bring suddenly after ye date 
 hereof for to give unto Thomas Revels or his order 
 quiet and peaceable possession to him and his Heyres. 
 And peaceably to keep and defend against all Dutch 
 and English that shall molest him, in witness whereof 
 have ingaidged and confess my hand Subscribed this 
 27"" Oct. 1661 
 
 the marke -)- of Cockoo ' 
 y* marke -f- 
 of Wappequairan 
 Signed and delivered in the presence of us 
 John Budd 
 John Coe 
 
 Thomas ilobe? (close) . 
 
 Simon Cooper 
 
 Murl( 
 Tho. + Stedwell 
 Dec 2.3" 1661, A true copy per me 
 
 Henry Pierson Regis'. 
 
 Indian Power of Atforney to Vockoo to Convey 
 ' Lands. 
 
 Be it known unto all Christian people In- 
 gains ;-nd others whom it may come unto that we 
 whose names are hereunto published Mahameqeat & 
 Meamehet Naskeway all Sagamores with vngoetaken 
 Mamamettchauck, Wachithe Rawnottoy with Capt 
 Wappaquewam all Ingains living up Hudson River 
 & else where in America, Doe acknowledge & confess 
 to have fully & absolutely & by oath of our free & 
 voulantary Acts, given granted full & absolute power 
 unto our friends & one of our Coungell Cockoo by 
 
 * Tbla la aa near aa tbia word can be made out. 
 i The aame aa " Cakoe " above menUoned. 
 
 3> 
 

 ^yVtiP or 
 
 MAMARONECK 
 
 Drawn- fronv Mmxucript Map fbtcnd. in- State. Records 
 
 otAlbamf NY: 
 maiein,179f. 
 
 „^ theBnOtli: crossing 
 
 "^ ^ Jiea,vrrCrefk. tdt^ > 
 
'■■tr I 
 
 i- r 
 
MAMAKONECK. 
 
 name an In^aine the which wee do approve of and 
 •loe contirni whuUoevcr the itnid Cockoo ithnll doe in 
 harKiiiniriK & nellirifj; iintn Thim Uovell of l<Hrliiidoi>M 
 all our rv.n\ right i"fe interest wcr or either of iin have, 
 our tlayreii Kxctrx AdminlB'" A AoHiKnH have in one 
 trnel of liiiid on the Muync the which hath two neekw 
 of land within it failed C'ui|uanoHt and the other 
 Mamga|)oH. Itoiinded on the Houthwent agaiuHt I^ong 
 Island & at the emt with Marramark Itiver &. at the 
 weHt with Manigaiioii Kiver, and i ihe north one and 
 a half niilcH if noe more above VVestchenter pafli for 
 planting ground <% it is lo improve at thcitaid llevelln 
 pleiiMure an he or hiHxhall «ee good with the Meddow 
 grounds & other groundH TrceH, Moyneti, MinnerallH 
 or whatH Hocver hh ItiverH HpringH within Haid boiindH 
 of aaid trart of land. As allnoe free liberty for feed- 
 ing for all eattell horneM & Mayera without lett to 
 Rang or grase & trees to fall and carry away at his or 
 any of his Heirs pleaMure above the niarke<l trees for 
 the bounds Twenty F^nglish miles if not more into 
 the Cuntry northward if not more with a plot of the 
 tracts of land hereunto annexed and allsoe the marked 
 trees. Now whereas wee the aforesaid the true and 
 well proprietors and Honnors ' before named of the 
 tracts of land wee are fully contented & paid and 
 satisfied that our friend Cockoo bath bargained and 
 sould the aforesaid tracts of land with all the bounds 
 as aforesaid unto tne h'' Thomas Revell with all 
 things standing or lying thereon for himself, Heyres, 
 Kxct", Admiiiistrat" or Assignei freely and forever 
 to [>o«Bcs8 and peaceably injoy and keep as his proper 
 right without lett or hindrance of us or any from by 
 or under uc And allsoe we the aforesaid true 
 honnors and right proprietors of the said land Maha- 
 meqeat Meamehet Naskeway Sagamores with 
 vngoetaken Maniametchouch Wachithe Ronnottoy 
 and Capt \Va|)paquewam wee and every on of us 
 joyntly <Sr severally doe allow <fe approve of what our 
 friend Cockoo hath done to bee fearme sold fast and 
 good in selling the said land to Thomas Revell. And 
 of him have received in hand full satisfaction & to 
 our consent for the said land in personal goods to 
 the just sum of ninety pounds sterling to the use of 
 us the aforesaid Ingaina. Now for the better 
 Right & tittell of the said land unto the said 
 Revell his Heyres Excf" Administrat" & Assigns 
 with all the Proprietors Rights & privileges 
 Regard or whatsoever else is just, and allsoe wee ye 
 aforesaid Ingains do freely and absolutely assign and 
 make over all our rights tittell and Interest wee had 
 in the fore mentioned tract of land as appeareth by 
 this our Deed and fearme bill of sail that we now give 
 unto the said Revell and his reall right in the said 
 land before Butting and Bounding as aforesaid. And 
 now for the more fearme and absolute assurance of the 
 said tract of land wee do jointly and severally for us 
 and ours as I Mahameqeat Meamehet with Naskeway 
 
 ' Owuera. 
 
 Sagamorei with Vngoetaken Mamamettchoack Warh 
 ithe Kownottoy & Capl. Wappai|uewam promise and 
 doe ingoge ourselves unto the sairl Revell his Heyrex 
 & Kxc'" to put the saidRevell or his order in ipiietand 
 peaceable (HMisession fi him so to keep and for ever (o 
 injoy a* h Is and to his all right, .^nd Allsoe we do 
 further promise A ingage keepe and defend ye sd 
 Revell and his against all person or persons thai 
 shall directly or indirectly annoy Molest or trouble ye 
 sd Revell or his, or lay any daime or former grant of 
 the same by ye Ingains Dutchmen or Knglish rir 
 whomesoeverfrora the beginningof the world unto the 
 day of Dat; &, forever to mayntaine our right and 
 tittle unto the said Revell A his Heyres Exct" A 
 .Vssigns as witness our hands this 1 1 of Novenib' 1661. 
 Whereas it is above mentioned the land for plant- 
 ing land shall run one & a half miles and more above 
 Westchester path. All of us above Ingains doe freely 
 allow A consent unto that Revell shall have his line 
 run as farre above Westchester path for planting 
 ground into the (Jiintry the lull length as is from 
 Westchester path to the bottom of the Necks to the 
 sea, this being in consideration the land to the north 
 east is not fit for planting ground but full of hills and 
 Rockey Woods above Westchester path. This we 
 consent unto freely. As witness our hands possession 
 given 
 
 In the presence of as The mark of -}- Cockoo 
 witnessess Signed y*markof-|- Maniamettchouch 
 and delivered in y' mark of -|- Wappaquaican 
 presence of us y * mark of + Hayoro Sagamore 
 
 Simon Cooper y" mark of + Petowwahen 
 
 Ttie iimrk uf 
 
 Tho. -f- Stedwell y'niarkof-(- CauronsoroSarho 
 Humphry Hughes y" markof + WappomusSarho 
 Thomas i lobs' 
 John Coe 
 
 The mark of 
 
 Stephen E Champion 
 
 A true Coppey December the 2.Sd 1661 
 
 Pr me Henry Pierson Regist'. ' 
 
 Of the litigation which grew out of this transaction 
 we have the following account in the nature of a re- 
 port of the evidence produced, taken from the record 
 at Albany. It bears no date but was probably what 
 took place before the English Patent was issued by 
 Governor Lovelace. 
 
 " An account of what part was acknowledged be- 
 fore ye Governor concerning ye Purchase of Mama- 
 ronock, by Mr. Richbell, and Mr. Revell, and Jaus. 
 Rockett, Wappaqucem, and many other Indians, 
 
 Present. 
 
 Wappaqueem saitli, that Mr. Richbell was ye first 
 that spake to him about ye purchase of said lands. 
 
 '•i This mmiiit for Ttiuiiiai! Clow. 
 
 !* For tlifi copies of tliis Iiuliiin ilryd aad Powrr of Attorney ttie wrtter 
 Id indebted to WiUiuni S. JVlIf treau, the aide e«lltur of the three volunien 
 of tho " Soiitbauipton Reconltt." The map referred to Ik unfortunately 
 such ft rough and mixed up scrawl that It was useless to reproduce it. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 .larjH. Rockrtt iicknow|pfl(r«^ ye like. 
 
 WappHnuwtn sHith that Thonmn clotte with Cokoo 
 ipake to him tii sett hii* liund to Mr. Keveli's deed 
 ■iid he dhoiild have h coHte, on which he did it. 
 
 He miitli t'tirtiier that Mr. Iliclibeil, cttiiu' and view- 
 ed :. d agreed for ye land, hut not l)rin)riiig liin ({imhIm 
 tyme enough lie Nold it to Mr. Rcvell. He eonfoHnes 
 that Mr. Kichbell gave another Imlian a coate and 
 some Heawant and a Hhirt, to marke out ye trees atler 
 ye agreement, but tliat he liad notliing. 
 
 .Vnotiier Imlian miith that Cockoe and ThoniaH 
 Close received Mr. Kevell'n money hetweene them and 
 kept it themselve*, for yo proprietors hud none of it. 
 
 W8ppa<|ucem wiith that what he received from Mr. 
 Richliell waM by way of (unintelligible) but not in 
 parte of payment. 
 
 He whose land it was, and Wappaqueem called 
 brother, but were not natural brothers. 
 
 11th Nov. l*)fil, the power entrusting Wappaqueem 
 and Corkoo to sell 8th, l()rtl, the date of ye deed which 
 is before ye power. ' 
 
 It is evident from this that Thoma» Close and 
 Cockoo were very sharp, but the blunder of dating 
 the power after the deed to Revell ruined their cime. 
 
 Riuhbell continued in undisturbed possesHion, and 
 no claim was ever at any time afterward set up under 
 those Indian deeds to Thomas Revell. 
 
 On the lt)th of October 1(>()8, the Knglish Patent 
 from Ooveinor Francis Lovelace conlirming and 
 granting to John Richbell the lands privileges and 
 immunities he possessed under his Dutch grants and 
 Dutch court decisions passed the seals of the I'rov- 
 ince. 
 
 These Instrunients, Dutch and English, having been 
 already set forth'fully in part number 14 of the chapter 
 on Manors relating to the Manor of Scarsdale in this 
 work are not repeated here. The de8cri])tion of the 
 lauds granted in Lovelace's Patent of Confirmation is as 
 follows: — "A certain parcel of land within this gov- 
 ernment, on the Maiu, contained in three Necks, of 
 which the easlermost is bounded with a small river 
 called Mamaranock river, being almost the east bounds 
 or limits of this government ujwn the main, and the 
 westermost with the gravelly or stony brook or river 
 which makes the east limits of the land known by the 
 name of Mr. Pell's purchase. Having to the south 
 the 8ound, and running northward from the marked 
 trees upon the said Necks twenty miles into the 
 woods . . . together with all woods, beaches, mar- 
 shes, pastures, creeks, waters, lakes, fishing, hawking 
 hunting and fowling, and all other profits immuni- 
 ties, and emoluments to the said ]>arcel or tract of 
 land belonging, annexed, or appertaining, with their 
 and every of their appurtenances, and every part and 
 parcel thereof." 
 
 These " Three Necks " were called the " East," the 
 •Middle," and the "West" Necks. The Middle 
 
 > Deed book III. 97, Sec. of State's otllce. 
 
 ' Neck was sometimes cm Med the Great Neck, from ita 
 j longer extent of water jit, which at first leil to the 
 ! supposition that its »• .> below Westchester Path waa 
 ^ greater than that of the F]ast NecK. "The East 
 I Neck " extende<l fro' . the Mamaroneck river on the 
 ' east to a small stream called " Pipin's brook " on the 
 ' west, which divided it from the " Middle " or "Oreat " 
 I Neck, and is the same which now crosses the 
 I Boston road through the land, and just east of the 
 i house of the lute Mr, Oeorge Vai. lerburg.' The Mid- 
 i die Neck extended from the latter stream west- 
 ward to a much larger brook called " Cedar or Grav- 
 elly brook " which is the (me that now bounds the 
 land belonging to Mr. Meyer* on the west. 
 
 The " West Neck " extended from the latter to 
 another small brook still further to the westward, 
 termed "Stoney or (Jravelly Brook " which was the 
 east line of the Manor of Pelham. 
 
 Of the three in their order. The East Neck from 
 Mamarimeck River to Pipin's Brook, upon which 
 Richbell took up his permanent residence about 
 IfitiS, as near as can now be ascertained, was called by 
 the Indians " Mamaranock Neck." This fact is so 
 stated in the Petition of Richbell of the 24th of De- 
 cember Kifil, for a "ground brief" or Dutch license to 
 purchase Indian lands.* A misunderstanding by Mr. 
 Robert Itolton of the word " Mummaranock" in the 
 crabbed writing of this ancient Document as recorded 
 led him to state in the first edition of his History of 
 Westchester County, published in 1848, that the " ab- 
 original name " of the East Neck was " Wanmain- 
 uck," ' and the error has appeared in the second edi- 
 tion, " and it has been hence followed by other writers. 
 It wasa pure mistake in deciphering the written word. 
 The true " aboriginal name of the East Neck was" 
 " Mamaranock " the same as the town and village 
 bears to-day under the later spelling of " Mamaro- 
 neck." That portion of it between the Harbour on the 
 east and Pipin's brook and the salt creek into which 
 it runs on the west, bears the name of " De Lancey's 
 Neck " from the fact that it has been possessed us a 
 whole for more than a century and until a few years 
 ago, and in part still is possessed, by the family of 
 Gov. .Tames de Lancey, the son-in-law of Col. Caleb 
 Heathcote, the purchaser of the whole East Neck in 
 ltiS»7. It formed the largest part of the "demesne 
 lands" of Colonel Heathcote's Manor of Scarsdale, and 
 as such was held by his widow until her death in 173H, 
 when an undivideil half descended to her daughter 
 Mrs. James de Lancey, who by agreement with her 
 brother-in-law Ur. Lewis Johnston of New Jersey 
 continued in the possession and control of the other 
 undivided half until 1774, when it was divided in the 
 
 s Kunni^rly a fKtrtioii of !ti« wmttern iwrt of the farm of Mr. IVtpr .Ih>' 
 Miinro, and lutur owned by .fames T. Koosevelt. 
 •The old ** Duncan" or *' Danbeny " farm. 
 * Deeil'Ilook iii. :IT, Sec. Slate's office, Albany. Anlt, p. I4.'i. 
 »Vol. 1. p. 282. 
 «VoI. i. p. «3. "+*: ' 
 
MAMAKONKCK. 
 
 Fartitioa (il'tliiil yciir ol'tlic iititlividuil portioniiot'the 
 Manor ol' HciirHdiilit. HiilM(>i|iifiitly John I'etur ilu 
 I^iinccy till! Hoii of Mnt. l)c I.anioy who had HUccueded 
 to Monic ol' hiH niothcr'H hiiulM |iur<'hiiMcd all the rtiit 
 ot'tho landti on De Lani'i'y'N Nt-clc from hiH brother, 
 and juiittcr, and couHitiM, and thiiH became the owner of 
 the whole Ne<'k, nearly a rentiiry ago. There waH 
 however a Bmall piece of land of about thirty acrcM on 
 the left of the entrance to the Neck from the old 
 WeiitclieHter I'utii or old ItoMton Itoad, which never 
 bclonKeil to the Manor of Hcantdalu nor to the llealh- 
 eote or de Lancey luniilieH. Thin piece whm given on ' 
 the 8th of AugiiHt 1<>H4, by Mrti. liichbell jmtt after 
 her hiiHband'H death, to her daughter Mary and her 
 husband Cupt, Jamcii Mott, and wan expretisly re- 
 Herved in her deed to Colonel [leathcote of all the 
 rent of her ewtute in Manuironeck. This piece from 
 Mott'H lieirH piwsed by sale through varioUH partieM 
 and about a century ago became the property of a ven- 
 erable (Quaker long well known in Maniaroneck,CiileH 
 Heaman. At his death in the settlement of his estate 
 it was bought by the bite Isaac Hall, and by him 
 it was sold to the enterprising gentlennm who u])on it 
 erected the handsome summer hotel, since called by 
 histown name — tht! " Kushmore," as well as several 
 handsome private residence, now owned by various 
 parties. 
 
 In the chapter on Manors in this work, part 14,' 
 will be found at length the history of the Eaat Neck 
 as a part of the manor of Hcarsdale. It is only neces- 
 sary here to give an outline. John Uichbell died on 
 the 2tith of July l(i84 ' leaving his widow Ann, and 
 three daughters him surviving. His wife's mother, 
 Margery Parsons, had advanced him some goods in 
 the island of St. Christopher's in the West Indies long 
 previous to his ever coming to Mamaroneck. As 
 soon as he got hi.-* English I'atent of the l(Jth of Octo- 
 ber ItitiS, and on the 14th of the ne.Kt month he 
 deeded the entire " East Neck" to her in considera- 
 tion of that advance. Mrs. I'arsons two days later, 
 on the Kith of November lti(i8, in consideration of 
 natural love conveyetl the East Neck to her daughter 
 — Ann the wife of John Uichbell as a token of allcc- 
 tion and dutiful behaviour. This made Mrs. Rich- 
 bell the owner in fee of the entire East Neck. But 
 to make her perfectly secure, Richbell made a settle- 
 ment of it by way of jointure in her favor, by a deed 
 in Trust to John Ryder of the 23d of April, ItitiK, in 
 consideration of a marriage long since solemnized be- 
 tween them.' He died as above stated on the 26th of 
 July 1684, and Mrs. Ann Richbell thereupon be- 
 came vested in her own right in fee in the entire East 
 Neck, from Mamaroneck River to Pipin's Brook and 
 twenty miles back from the Sound northward into 
 
 1 Ante, 147. 
 
 < WMt. Co. Keconla Lib. A, p. M. 
 
 B Ancient copim of all thoBo dueds in the writer*B posMssion. All are 
 recorded In West. Cu. Recurds, except that from Mra. Parsons to Mrs. 
 Kichbell. 
 2 
 
 the woods. Hho continued in poMomion nnttl bjr 
 deed of the 2<'id of December \*>'M, she sold her entire 
 estate of every kind and nature in her and her lat« 
 husband's landH to Colonel Caleb Hi>atheote for the 
 sum of X)i<iO Now York ('urrency and certain other 
 benolicial provisions recited in the instrunit nt.' Theae 
 lamls and some others adjoining which he had ac- 
 i|uired ('olonel Hcathcote had erected into "the 
 Lord.^hip and Manor of Hearsdale" by a Maiior- 
 <>rant from Lieutenant (}overiior Nanfan then at the 
 head of the Province iin the 21st .March, I7I>1.* Upon 
 the eminence at the head of the Harbour, still called 
 Hcathcote Hill." he built a large double brick Manor 
 
 i I l_ii_ t'''iF: 
 
 HEATHCOTi: HILL. 
 
 House in the style of that day in England, with all 
 the accompanying offices and outbuildings, including 
 the American addition of negro quarters in accord- 
 ance with the laws, habits, and customs of the period. 
 Here he lived during the remainder of his life, which 
 terminated on the 28lh of February 1720-21 in his 
 56th year. The house stood till some six or seven 
 years before the American Revolution, occupied 
 however, only by tenants after the death of his widow 
 in 1736. Later it was accidentally destroyed by fire. 
 The present double frame dwelling standing on a 
 portion of the old site, of which a cut is given, wax 
 built in 1792 by the late John Peter de Lancey, a 
 grandson of Colonel Hcathcote who had succeeded 
 to the property, on his return to America with his 
 family, having been a captain in the British Regular 
 Army in which he had been placed in 1771, on leav- 
 ing Harrow School, after a short period at the Mili- 
 tary School of (ireenwich. Mr. de Lancey lived in 
 this house till his death in 1828. In it were born all 
 his children except the two elder ones, and amongst 
 
 4 Bee. Lib. B, .'JTl, West. fo. Becords. 
 » Lib. 7, p. 1U5, Sec. of Stote'e 0flf». 
 
 ^ And still in the possession of the writer who is his great, great, 
 grandson. 
 
16 
 
 MAMA1U)NK(!K 
 
 them his son William IFeathcote, ihe late Bishop of 
 Western New York, and Susan Augusta, the wife of 
 the late James Fenimore Cooper, who were also niar- 
 ritid in it on the Ist of January 1811. 
 
 But to return, Colonel Heatheoto had succeeded, 
 with the rest of the property, to the Richliell proprie- 
 tary rights in the two mile hounds of Mamaroneek 
 and 'le suhsequcntly t his Manor-Grant jturchased 
 in addition a tweltlli undivided j)art of the whole 
 tract. This tract had been set apart by John Kich- 
 bell in his life time about tiio year KiTO for what he 
 called " allotments or house lots," comparatively 
 small pieces fronting on the Westchester Path or old 
 roatl to Boston eight in number running northwardly. 
 One he reserved for his own house lot, and he and 
 his wife seem to have sold only two or three others, 
 the first was a gift by deed to one John Basset in 
 1069, which was No. four, next to his own lot No. 5. 
 Another, No. one, was sold to one Jeremy Kannifl'e, 
 and Nos. 2 and 3 to Robert Pennoyor, and another to 
 James Mott. These seem to have been all that were 
 sold up to 1(J76 when another was sold to Henry Dis- 
 brough on the IGth of P'ebruary in that year. From 
 the language of ancient co|iies of the first deed to 
 John Basset, and tlut to Henry Disbrough, in the 
 writer's possession it would seem that these " allot- 
 ments" were twenty and a half rods wide front on 
 the Westchester Path, and the same in the rear, by 
 eighty rods on each side in depth running north- 
 westerly. Each was subject to areservation of an annu- 
 al payment of one bushel of winter wheat or the value 
 thereof on the Ist of March, and one day's work at 
 harvest time, to the Proprietor, and to a covenant that 
 they could not be sold without their consent and ap- 
 probation. To each lot was appendant an undivided 
 eighth right to commonage and pasture in the two 
 mile bounds. The precise extent of these bounds we 
 know from the Deed to Disbrough, which calls them 
 " Mainniaroneck limmits " and describes the tract as 
 " being in length two miles and in Breadth one mile 
 and a half and Twenty eight rods." The length was 
 from the Westchester Path northward, and the 
 breadth was from Mamaroneck lliver to Dirty t^wamp 
 on the west. "Dirty 8wam[)" being the swampy 
 ground over which the road passed near and east of 
 the intersection of the present Weaver Street. The 
 swamp began some distance north of the Uoad and ex- 
 tended across it to the salt water, a little stream or 
 ditch ruuning from it under the road in old times 
 through a stone culvert, sometimes dignified by the 
 name of " Dirty Swamp Bridge." 
 
 As soon as Colonel Heathcote obtained his Manor- 
 Grant, and about two months thereafter he obtained, 
 on the 11th of June 1701, from the two Indian chiefs 
 of the neighborhood Patthunk and Wapetuck an In- 
 dian deed of confirmation for this two mile tract to 
 himself and the seven other persons who in 1701 were 
 the owners of these "allottments or house" or 
 " home " " lotts." There were himself, Caleb Heath- 
 
 cote, Capt. James Mott, William Penoir,' John Wil- 
 liams, Henry Disbrough, Alice Hatfield, .lohn Dis- 
 brough, and Benjamin Disbrough.' This was to sat- 
 isfy all persons desirous of settling in Mamaroneck, 
 that there would be no difficulty with the natives. 
 About five years later Colonel Heathcote suggested to 
 the owners of the house lots that instead of keeping 
 all the rest of the two mile bounds as undivided prop- 
 erty, that they should have it laid out and divided 
 among themselves in severalty. It was talked of, 
 approved, and finally carried into efi'ect by a mutual 
 agreement under seal, made and executed by all tho 
 parties on the liUh of February 170t)-7. The instru- 
 ment accom])anied by a well executed Map of the lota 
 as laid out, into eight "Long Lotts" is in Colonel 
 Heathcote's handwriting, and bears the autographic 
 signatures of himself and all tlie other parties above 
 named. It is in these words ; — 
 
 Mamoroncck fleb. y' 14'" 170()-7. 
 The tt'ree holders of Mamoroneck whose names are 
 hereunder written have mutually and unanimously 
 agreed for dividing the Long or Upper Lotts in said 
 Township as followeth — No. 1 containing 20 chains 
 broad to James Mott, No. 2 containing 21 chains, and 
 No. ;{ coiitaining 22 chains to William Penoir, No.* 4 
 containing 21 chains to Henry Disbrow, No. 5 con- 
 taining 18 chains to John Disbrow, No. 6 containing 
 20 chains to John Bloodgood, No. 7 containing 20 
 chains to Peter Hattfield, and No. 8 containing all 
 the remainder of the land to the lliver to Caleb 
 Heathcote, reserving out of the said Lotts the follow- 
 ing Highways for the use ami benefit of all the (free- 
 holders and Inhabitants one highway to be five Rods 
 wide in the tfront of the said l^otts, one highway of 
 four Rods wide through the Sixth Lott into the Woods 
 Leading on the west side of Nelson's tfield into the 
 Woods. 
 
 Signed sealed and 
 delivered in the presence of ub 
 
 Joseph Purdy Caleb Heathcote [l.s.] 
 
 Thomas White 'ii- 
 
 Wm X Penoir [i..8.] 
 
 iimrk 
 
 Jatues Mott ['•■•8.] 
 
 Henry Disbrow [i,.8.] 
 John Disbrow [l.s.] 
 John Bloodgood [L.8.] 
 Peter Hattfield' [l.s.] 
 This instrument finally closed and determined for- 
 ever all tho common interests in the lands in the " two 
 mile bounds" of Mamaroneiik and made them the sep- 
 arate ])rivate property in fee of the various owners. 
 To this there is apparent exception. The five rod 
 
 > So In the deed. Ho wiu a son of Rulwrt Ponoycr the original Krau- 
 too 
 
 ' AncloMt copy in wrltnr's jKwmmlun, R«e. Mb, C. WeRt. Co. p. ."ia. 
 
 ^ The original hiBtruniont canio Into the |>ofMofwlunnf the (.irllTen Fam- 
 ily who purcliamiil No. li fiimi .lohu UIoimIkouiI, iind now bolonga !•> 
 Mr. ChiirlM Fielil (iriiriMi to whom I am Imli'Miul for ita examination. 
 A fkcainille uateni|K>mry copy la in my own iHwaegaiou, 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 11 
 
 Highway they left at the 8outh end of tlieir " Great ' 
 Lottfl " or " Long Lots " was found to he useless, and | 
 the owners suhsequontly divided it up into nine small I 
 lots of about 10 ncrea each among themBelvt>s which 
 ended the whole matter. These " Great " or " Long " ] 
 Lots, as well as the small ones are all shown on the 
 Map of the Manor of Scarsdale in this volume. They 
 never belonged to any body but the grantees of the 
 eight original house lots to which they were append- 
 ant and appurtenant, and with their division by the 
 owners of those lots among themselves all their com- 
 mon rights ended, and the "two mile bounds" or 
 " Mamniaroneck Limmits" come to an end forever. 
 The Proprietary rights in them of Colonel Heathcote 
 of course were terminated by his agreeing to their di- 
 vision in fee. 
 
 Of the owner of the " allottments or house Lotts " as 
 they were in 1701 the descendants of none except of 
 Colonel Heathcote are now in possession of any part 
 of them, although descendants of Hatttield and the 
 
 ■ 53M *v., . . . 
 
 DISBKOW IIOI'SE, KKECTEI) l(i77. 
 
 Disbroughs are tftill well known residents and prop- 
 erty holders in other parts of the present Town ol 
 Mamaroneck, among whom is Mr. William H. Dis- 
 brow as the name is now spelled, the Civil Engineci 
 whose home is scarcely a niu.sket shot from the old an- 
 cestral house. But there still stands upon the south- 
 ern part of the " House Lott " of Henry Disbrougii 
 the identical house he built there in 1677 the year 
 after he was deeded the lot by John and Ann Kich- 
 bell, a memento of the earliest days of Mamaroneck, 
 of the old family who built it, of New York and 
 Westchester in the reign of Charles the Second, and of 
 the Duke of York as its Lord Proprietor. It renniined 
 in the Disbrough family till within thirty or thirty- 
 five years, and is now the property of the widow of the 
 late well known Publisher of New York, Mr. Stringer 
 of the firm of Stringer & Townsend. The accompa- 
 nying cut gives a good idea of it but it is a rear view, 
 the road shown in it and now existing in front of the 
 house not having been opened till the year 1800. It 
 faced the harbour, the side toward the present Union 
 avenue, which at this place is built upon the old 
 Westchester Path, being theorigiuul frontof the house. 
 
 It is built of rough hewn timber, and the coarse 
 stoneof the country even to the chimney above the 
 roof. The siding has been renewed but always in the 
 old style. It has long been used simply as a store- 
 house as it was understood when it passed out of the 
 Disbrough family that it should never be pulled 
 down. Its last owners of the name were two maiden 
 ladies who, a few years before their deaths built in the 
 same enclosure the present new and good frame house, 
 which stnnds almost between the old one and the 
 waters of the harbour. The old house has well borne 
 it-4 200 years but in the course of things can not last 
 much longer. 
 
 The "Middle Neck" or the "Great Neck" or 
 •' Munro's Neck " as it was styled after Mr. Peter Jay 
 Munro became the owner of nine-tenths of it about 
 the year 17!K), has a curious history. But before it is 
 given it may be better, though a little out of order, 
 to state the facts more fully than they have been 
 mentioned in treating of the Manor of Scarsdale, re- 
 garding the Pell-Uichbell controversy about the West 
 Neck. Both the Middle and the West Necks to- 
 gether form that part of Uichbell's land, tiow in the 
 town of Mamaroneck, which lay almoit wedge 
 shaped between the southern parts of the Manors of 
 Scarsdale and Pelham. 
 
 The West Neck extended from the Cedar Tree or 
 Gravelly Brook, (that now running to the west of 
 Mr. Meyer's present house,) westward to another 
 Brook, which was that which crossed the Westchester 
 Path or Uoad just west of the i)re3ent residence of 
 Mr. Geo. Stephenson, and upon which for years stood 
 a mill, for a very long time a snutf mill. This brook 
 bore the name of Stony or Gravelly brook. Mr. Pell 
 claimed that his eastern line was the Cedar Tree or 
 Gravelly Brook, that now by the present Mr. Meyer's ; 
 Mr. Iliclil)ell claimed that the Stony or Gravelly 
 lirook, also called Cedar or Gravelly Brook, that near 
 Mr. Stephenson's, was his western line and Pell's 
 eastern line. The controversy was a very hot one and 
 grew out of the use of similar designations of streams 
 in their respective Patents. Aller proceedings in the 
 Court of Assizes, and before the Governorand Council 
 the following .\;::reenient was finally entered into by 
 both parties; " Whereas There hath been a .Matter or 
 cause of Difference depending between Mr. John 
 Riclibell and Mr. John Pell for the which There was 
 an order Issued forth from y° (iovernor for a tryall by 
 a Special Court of Assizes yet Notwithstanding upon 
 proposal of an amicable igreenu>iit between them, 
 and to prevent further trouble to his Honour the 
 (lovernour and the Country by having a speciall 
 Court, it is this Day nuitually consented unto and 
 agreed upon, that the Neck of Land and meadow be- 
 tween Ceeder or (Iravelly brooke on the East, and 
 (iravelly or Stony Creeke on y° West shall be layed 
 out by y" Surveyor Generall and devi<leil between 
 them, so that each party shall have Meadow and up- 
 land eipiivalent and proportionable Quantity and 
 
a 
 
 MAMARONECK. 
 
 Quality alike. To thia agreement both partys do 
 joyntly consent in token of Amity and Friendship burl- 
 ing in oblivion what unkindness hath ibrmerly past 
 between them and this to be a barr to all future 
 Claymes or pretences that can or may be made on 
 either side or by either of y' heires Executors or Ad- 
 ministrators for ever. As to what expense or charges 
 Either party hath been at Each is to bear his own 
 charges, but for the charges of the Surveys and such 
 other Necessary expenHcs Kelating to the Division of 
 y° Lands according to this agreement it is Equally to 
 be Borne betweene them. In testimony Whereof the 
 partyes to these presents have Later changeably Sett 
 to their hands and Seals y° 22 Daye of January in the 
 23* year of his Maj' Keigiie Annoq" Dom. 1671 
 
 John Pell (L S) > 
 
 Sealed and Delivered in y" presence of 
 
 Henry Taylor 
 Allard Anthony 
 
 Remains (as all other Lawful Acts) of forces and 
 There Surveyor may proceed accordingly 
 
 E. Andros " 
 
 Though thus confirmed by the above order of Gov. 
 Andros, no survey was made, why it is now impossi- 
 ble to say, until the 22'' of May 1G77, when it was 
 done by Robert Ryder. His description is in these 
 words ; — 
 
 Whereas there hath been a difterence between John 
 Richbell and Mr. John Pell which by virtue of an 
 order from the right Honourable Major Edmund An- 
 dross Esq'. Governor General of New York, I have 
 made a division of the within mentioned Neck of 
 Land by and with the mutual consent of both par- 
 ties, which is in manner and Form as is hereafter 
 Expressed viz'. That the said Richbell shall extend 
 from Cedar Tree Brook or Gravelly Brook, south 
 westerly fifty degrees to a certain mark't Tree, lying 
 above the now Common Road, thirty and four chains 
 in length, mark on the east with R. and on the West 
 with P., thence Extending South Sixty three degrees 
 East by certain marked Trees p'fixed Ending by a 
 certain piece of Meadow at the salt creek which Runs 
 up to Cedar Tree Brook or Gravelly Brook Extend- 
 ing from the first marked Trees Nor Nor West to 
 Brunkes River by certain Trees in the said Line 
 marked upon the West with P. and upon the eaat with 
 R. performed the twenty-second day of May 1677. 
 p me Robert Ryder Surv.^' 
 
 The Preceding Survi yor above mentioned is mu- 
 tually consented unto by the above mentioned Mr. 
 John Richbell and Mr. John Pell in presence of us 
 
 Thomas Gibbs 
 Walter Webly 
 John Sharp 
 Joseph Carpenter '" 
 
 >Thl« Isfrom an ancient Copy of the document tigned by Pell that 
 was delivered to Uiohliell, in the writer's powewlon. 
 « Ancient copy in the writer's po««e»)lon. 
 
 Thus was settled finally the line, afterwards of much 
 importance, as being the east line of the 6000 acre 
 tract carved out of Pelham Mannor and sold by Pell 
 to Leisler for the Huguenots in 1689. And as also as 
 taken for the line between the later towns of New 
 Rochelle and Mamaroneck when erected in 1788 by 
 the State Township Act of that year. 
 
 We now recur to the singular history of the Middle 
 Neck. 
 
 It will be remembered that John Richbell pur- 
 chased his three Necks from the Indians on the 23* 
 of September 1661, and obtained the Dutch Govern- 
 ment's groundbrief and Transport (or 'License to pur- 
 chase' and ' Patent ') for them in May 1662, and his 
 English Patent for them on October 16, 1668 ; and 
 that the East Neck alone was sold by his widow in 
 1697 to Colonel Caleb Heathcotc, and was included 
 by him in his Manor of Scarsdale in 1701. 
 
 Five years after the date of his Patent for the three 
 Necks, on the 20"" of November 1673, Richbell mort- 
 gaged the West neck to Cornelius Steenwyk, a rich 
 burgomaster, of New Orange, as New York was called 
 on its reconquest by the Dutch in that year, and a 
 member of Governor Colve's Council, by the follow- 
 ing singular instrument — one of the few Dutch Mort- 
 gages that have come down to our days ; 
 
 " Appeared before as subscribed Aldermen of the 
 City of New Orange, the honest Mr. John Richbell, 
 Inhabitant of the place Marraneck, in the Main, 
 within this province, who acknowledged and declared 
 for himself, his heirs and executors, fully and duly to 
 be indebted Mr. Cornelius Steenwyck Chief Council' 
 of this Province, a just and neat sum of Two thousand 
 and four hundred Guilders, Wampum,* being occa- 
 sioned by and from delivered Merchandizes, disbursed 
 Moneys, or otherwise, by him the said John Richbell, 
 to his full satisfaction received and enjoyed of Mr. 
 Cornelius Steenwyck, which aforesaid sum of 2400 G. 
 he the said John Richbell by these acceptetly and 
 promiseth to pay, or cause to be paid to Mr. Steen- 
 wyck aforesaid, or to him, that should or might ob- 
 tain his action with good current Wampum, or to de- 
 liver the value thereof on or before the first of Octo- 
 ber next ensueing, without delay. For the better se- 
 curity of the aforesaid Mr. Steenwyck, in the full 
 satisfaction of the sum aforesaid, he the said John 
 Richbell bindeth and engagcth for a special Mortgage 
 and a Pledge certain of his the said John Richbell's 
 Neck or ^lice of Land lying upon the Main, being 
 the most Westerly neck of liand of the three, to him 
 the said John Richbell in lawful Propriety belonging, 
 pursuant to certain Patent of Governor Lovelace, 
 dated 16 October, 1668, limiting the Neck of Land 
 aforesaid, upon the gravelly or Stony Water or River, 
 which are the Easterly Limits of Mr. Pell's Land, 
 having at the South side the Hound, and runing thua 
 
 ■ So In the original, it means "of the chief council." 
 * The shell money of the Indians, 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 it 
 
 from the Marked trees, standing un the side' Neck, 
 North Twenty miles into the Woods, and further in 
 Qeneral, his Person, and Goods Moveable and im- 
 moveable, none excepted or reserved, submitting the 
 same to all Courts, Laws, and Justices. 
 
 In witness whereof is this by the said Mr. John 
 Richbell benevolently or willing.' The Elsquires 
 Aldermen Gelyn ver Plank and Lawrence Spiegel. 
 
 In the Record Books of this Town. Signed in New 
 orange 20 9ber.' 1673."* This mortgage only covered 
 the West Neck as settled in the agreement with Pell 
 above mentioned. 
 
 On the 12"" May, 1675, two years later, a mortgage 
 was made by John Richbell on the Middle Neck 
 alone, in consideration of " £250 Boston Silver " to 
 Robert Richbell of Southampton, England for the 
 term of 99 years, redeemable at any time in the term 
 upon the payment of the principal and interest.' 
 
 The very next year, on the 17 July 1676 Richbell 
 made still another mortgage to one Thomas Kellnnd 
 of Boston, in consideration of £100 New England 
 money, upon the reversion of the Middle Neck for the 
 term of 99 years, and also the reversion of the West 
 Neck for 99 years, after payment of the £2500 to 
 Robert Richbell and the 2400 Guilders to Steenwyck. 
 
 These Richbell Mortgages on the Great Neck passed 
 by assignments into the hands of Samuel Palmer, o< 
 Mamaroneck ; the first of a family of that name who 
 have been closely and honourably connected with Ma- 
 maroneck from that day to this, and as they arc still 
 robust and numerous, will probablyso continue indefi- 
 nitely for the future. A Palmer was elected to a town 
 office at the first recorded election i .Mamaroneck 
 in 1797, and a Palmer is a Justice of the Peace in Ma- 
 maroneck to-day. ' 
 
 By these assignments Samuel Palmer became legal- 
 ly entitled to the remainder of the term of bi) years 
 in the Middle Neck, and by his will, dated March 18th, 
 1712-13, he dsvised all his right, title and interest in 
 and to the Middle Neck to his four sons, Nehemiah, 
 Obadiah, Sylvanus, and Solomon Palmer. They con- 
 tinued in possession, and on the 8th of February 
 1722, Edward Richbell, who describes himself as "of 
 the Parish of St. James in the County of Middlesex,' 
 in Great Britain hoir-at-law of John Richbell there- 
 tofore of Mamaroneck in the Precincts of Westchester 
 in the Government of New York (who was Eldest son 
 and Heir of Edward Richbell late of the City of 
 Westminister Esq. who was Eldest son and Heir of 
 Robert Richbell of Southampton in Great Britain, de- 
 ceased, who was the only Brother and Heir of the 
 
 iSo In thflurigliml, it nioaiiB *'HHi(l/' 
 *8o in Uie original. 
 » Novemlier. 
 
 <Froni an ancient Engliali tranriatlon in the writer'! poaMinlon. 
 ft Not recorded, copy in County's poeaeHHiuii. 
 •William D. Palmer, 1^. 
 
 'Now uaiially called St. .Tames's Piccadilly, tbough its legal dseignation 
 la "St. Jamae's, WestmiuUter," 
 
 said John Richbell '' released, in consideration of 
 £380 sterling, to the above four Palmers, the Rever- 
 sion and Equity of Redemption in the Middle Neck, 
 and all his right title and interest therein. The four 
 Palmers then cimveyed a right in fee in that Neck to 
 one Josiah Quinby. 
 
 But, the Steenwyck Mortgage of 1673, above men- 
 tioned, and another also made by John Richbell to 
 him on the 6th of July, 1678, had been assigned to 
 Frederick Philipse, and under his will passed to his 
 daughter Eve, the wife of Jacobus Van Cortlandt of 
 Yonkers, and of course under the law to him. These 
 were both upon the West Neck. Both Van Cortlandt 
 and Adolph Philipse his brother-in-law were Execu- 
 tors of Frederick Philipse's Will. They sent to Eng- 
 land to Edward Richbell, and in consideration of the 
 cancelling of John Richbell's mortgages and of £400 
 sterling in addition, he by Lease and Release of the 
 12th and 13th of August, 1723, conveyed to them all 
 his right not only in the West Neck, but in all the 
 lands possessed by John Richbell, except what he 
 had released to the four Palmers above mentioned. 
 Philipse and Van Cortlandt claimed that all the land 
 the Palmers were entitled to under their deed from 
 Edward Richbell lay between the Westchester Path 
 and the Sound, and that they by their later convey- 
 ance from Edward Richbell were entitled to all be- 
 tween the Westchester Path northward to the Bronx. 
 This claim the Palmers met by filing a bill in Chancery 
 against Philipse and Vaii Cortlandt and on May 2, 
 1729, obtained a decree that the Proprietors of the 
 Middle Neck under their mortgages and their Release 
 from Edward Richbell, were entitled to have the Mid- 
 dle or Great Neck extended as far Northward as the 
 East and the West Neck extended, and that Philipse 
 and Van Cortlandt should be perpetually enjoined 
 from making any claim or pretences to that part of 
 the Great neck south and east of the Bronx River. 
 
 In 1731 an action between James De Lancey and 
 wife and Mrs. Martha Heathcote against Josiah Quin- 
 by was tried at Westchester for a trespass in the Ma- 
 nor of Scarsdale committed by the defendant. The 
 defendant pleaded that the premises were not in the 
 Manor of Scarsdale, but in the Manor of Pelham, and 
 produced Pell's Patent. The agreement between Pell 
 and Richbell, above given, for dividing the land be- 
 tween Cedar Tree brook and Stony or Gravelly brook 
 was then produced by the Plaintiffs, and the jury 
 found a verdict for the piaintifl's with damages and 
 costs. 
 
 A great question arose some thirty five years later 
 in relation to the Middle Neck and the Manor of 
 Scarsdale. Many persons had become interested in 
 the former both as purchasers and as mortgagees. The 
 Palmers had early sold undivided twelfth parts to 
 various persons, among others "one twelfth and a half 
 of one twelfth " were sold to Robert Livingston July 
 20* 1728. The purchasers had many of them died 
 and lefl numerous heirs and among these was Mr. 
 
14 
 
 MAMARONECK. 
 
 LivingBton. There wert) heirs of iiiaiiy others, who 
 in the same way had become possessed of interests 
 larger or smaller in that Neck. The Palmers under 
 the erroneous idea that the division line between the 
 Middle and the Eact Neck ran due north and not 
 Northwestward sold some three or four farms up- 
 wards of 500 acres altogether to one Cornwall who 
 entered thereon. This laud was within the Manor of 
 Scarsdale and a jiatt of the East Neck. Thereupon, 
 the purchaser having in the mean time died, four 
 ejectment suits were begun by Anne de Lancey and 
 Lewis Johnston against his sons Benjamin Cornell 
 (as the name soon began to be spelled and pronounced) 
 Joseph Cornell, Peter Cornell, and John Cornell. 
 This was in 17(i4. The number of persons who found 
 themselves interested was so great as to greatly delay 
 the proceedings. The question was where was the 
 proper starting point between the Necks and what 
 the true direction the line was to run. Finally it 
 was at last determined by all parties to leave the 
 question to a board of arbitrators. But so delayed 
 was the business by the numbers it affected that the 
 Articles of Agreement to arbitrate were not executed 
 till the 21" of March 176i). The Parties were, " Wil- 
 liam, Earl of Stirling, Peter van Brugh Livingston, 
 John Stevens, John Reid, Walter Rutherford, Robert 
 R. Livingston, Gentlemen, William Smith Jun'., Esq 
 Thomas Smith Esq. Joseph Cornell, John Cornell, 
 Benjamin Cornell, and Sarah Cornell, E.xecutors of 
 Peter Cornell, Edward Burling, Benjaii.ln Palmer, 
 John Palmer, Yeomen, Mary Ashfield Spinster, Sarah 
 Morris as widow and Richard Morris Esq', William 
 Smith Jun', Esq', Surviving Executors of Lewis Mor- 
 ris deceased, James Kinsey of Nc Jersey, and John 
 Thomas jun'. of Westchester, of the one part, and 
 Anne De Lancey widow of the Honourable James De 
 Lancey Esq. Deceased, and Lewis Johnston of Perth 
 Amboy New Jersey, Physician of the other part." ' 
 
 The Arbitrators chosen were " Samuel Wyllys of 
 Jericho Long Island, Gentleman, Abraham Clark of 
 Elizabethtown New Jersey, Stephen Crane of the 
 same place, Gentlemen, William Nicoll J', of Islip, in 
 Suffolk County Esq." These Parties gave bonds in 
 £5000 each to abide by the award, and it was agreed 
 that each side should bear its own expenses, except 
 as to those for the services of the arbitrators and 
 the running of the line in accordance with the award, 
 of which each side was to pay one half. The point 
 to be decided as stated in the articles of agreement 
 was to fix the true point near and below Westchester 
 Path from which the dividing line was to be run in a 
 North Northwesterly direction. 
 
 The hearings were long and much evidence locally 
 interesting was brought forward. The Counsel were, 
 for Anne de Lancey and Lewis Johnston, Thomas 
 Jones, for the other parties. Whitehead Hicks, John 
 Morin Scott, and William Smith Jun', all but Scott 
 
 From the orlgloal iaatrumeut in tha writer's poawMion. 
 
 subsequently Judges of the Supreme Court of the 
 Province, two, Smith Jun', and Jones, were the two 
 historians of the Province. Hicks was also Mayor of 
 New York, and John Morin Scott was one of the 
 Generals on the Whig side in the Revolution, and a 
 lawyer of eminence. The award was unanimous and 
 the operative part is in these few words, " we do 
 award, order judge, and determine, that the place 
 where the straight line of partition that is to run be- 
 tween the said two Necks or Tracts of Land shall begin 
 in the middle of the creek or run of water leading from 
 Dirty Swamp where the said Creek or Run of Water 
 crosses Westchester old Path." All the original 
 papers in this transacticm bearing the autographs 
 of all the distinguished men and other parties men- 
 tioned above are in the writer's possession in perfect 
 preservation and from them this sketch has been 
 drawn up. The result was to show the Cornell farms 
 were in the Manor of Scarsdale where Colonel Heath- 
 cote had originally laid them out, except in one in- 
 stance where the line went througn one of the 
 houses, which threw a little of the land west of the 
 line and on the Middle Neck. 
 
 The Middle Neck continued in the hands of several 
 owners, most of them members of the Palmer family 
 until about 1790 when Mr. Peter J. Munro who a 
 year or two before had bought the original Samuel 
 Palmer House (now pulled down and which stood 
 back and a little to one side of the two enormous 
 elms now standing east of, and near, the Larchmont 
 Railroad crossing at the Boston Road, and about 150 
 feet south of the road itself) and its farm, acquired all 
 the other lands on the Neuk, except the Scott House 
 and the mill pond on the extreme western extremity 
 of the Neck, and became the owner in fee simple 
 of the whole. In his possession and that of his 
 family it remained till the year 1845 when the part 
 south of the Boston road, with the great house he 
 built upon it was sold to the late Mr. Edward K. Col- 
 lins. From him or his representatives it passed 
 finally into the hands of the late Mr. Flint and his 
 associates who upon it have erected the beautiful 
 summer village called Larchmont. 
 
 It is sometimes styled Larchmont " Manor" bat as 
 this sketch shows the Neck upon which it is situated 
 never was either a Manor or part of a Manor. The 
 Munro farm was very large and the extent of the part 
 of it below the Boston Road, some 330 acres, and the 
 large Munro House now the chief Hotel, suggested 
 the idea of calling it a " Manor " to the first or- 
 ganizers of the enterprise simply to give it prestige 
 and name. No pleasanter place can be found near 
 New York for a summer home. 
 
 The origin of the name Larchmont is a little odd, 
 as neither larches nor hills are indigenous to the 
 Neck. When Mr. Munro built his house, he wished 
 to plant a quick growing grove of trees along the 
 turnjjike road west of his entrance. His Scotch 
 gardener, a man of the name of Rae, suggested the 
 
MAMAllONKCK. 
 
 16 
 
 lurches of his native land as they grow very rapidly 
 indeed, and oflered to send to his relatives in Scot- 
 land for seed. Mr. Munro assented, the seed came, 
 the trees were planted, and answered the jmrpose ad- 
 mirably for about twenty or twenty five years, then 
 they grew scraggy, began to die, and were gradually 
 removed, the last of them during Mr. Collins' owner- 
 ship, by whom the name was given to the place while 
 it was his. This was the origin of the Scutch Larch 
 in Westchester County, neither a handsome, nor 
 long lived tree and not an acquisition of value. The 
 " Mont " Mr. Collins evolved from his own conscious- 
 ness, perhaps because the larch grows chiefly upon 
 hills in itti native land. 
 
 Larchmont possesses one of the largest and most 
 flourishing yacht-clubs in the country. The beauty 
 and accessibility of its situation and the wide ap- 
 proach to its shores by water gives it very great ad- 
 vantages, as well its position at the wide opening of 
 the western end of Long Island Sound. The mem- 
 bership is about 400 and is increasing, and the club 
 house on the water's edge is a fine and convenient 
 building. Long Beach Point the western extremity 
 of De Lancey's Neck extending out parallel to the 
 shores of Larchmont forms a cove or small harbour, 
 of great beauty directly in front of the village it- 
 self. 
 
 That part of the Munro farm west of the Turnpike 
 was bought about 1840 by the late Judge James I. 
 Roosevelt, who arranged the Cottage now the property 
 of the family of the late Mr. George Vanderburg for 
 his own residence. It has since been laid out in 
 several small village plots, a large part of it is also 
 owned by the Proprietors of Larchmont, through 
 which runs the surface railway to tl: Larchmont 
 stationof the New Haven Railroad, \Miich is upon 
 this property. West of the Railroad but invisible 
 from it on account of the forest, is " Hannah's Peak," 
 the highest point on the Southeastern shores of Long 
 Island Sound and one of the stations of the Coast 
 Surtey. In its neighborhood can also be seen a fine 
 specimen of that natural curiosity, the Rocking 
 Stone. It is an immense boulder so accurately poised 
 that it can be moved without being overthrown. 
 
 The part of the East Neck which early in the last 
 century acquired the name it has since borne of " de 
 Lancey's Neck," remained continuously in that family 
 without any of it being sold until 1848 when the 
 late Mr. Thomas James de Lancey who had inher- 
 ited the western part of it, with the assent of his 
 uncle the late Rt. Reverend William H. de Lancey 
 who had inherited the eastern part, sold his por- 
 tiofl in large divisions to various parties. Its splendid 
 situation, with its two beaches Long Beach and 
 Scotch Beach, with Ma'maroneck Harbour on its east 
 side and De Lancey's Cove on its west side marked 
 it out as a place for the fine seats and marine villas 
 of gentlemen, with which its entire water front is 
 now covered. The roads and drives upon it, and 
 
 the marine and inland views it commands are very 
 beautiful and extensive. The central poiuun is dot- 
 ted also with the handsome residences of gentlemen, 
 and on the high ground at the picturesque entrance 
 to the Neck is a large and handsome Hotel in the 
 midst of large grounds handsomely laid out through 
 the good taste and enterprise of Mr. Thomas L. Rush- 
 more the gentleman who built it and who dwells in 
 the neighbourhood with his children around him, 
 each with his or her family possessing handsome 
 places of their own. 
 
 Upon Long Beach Point on the west extremity 
 of the Neck stands the splendid home of 'Mr. Henry 
 M. Flagler. This point, originally with a splendid 
 beach on each side of it, juts into the Sound from 
 the Body of the Neck. The late Mr. John Oreacen 
 bought it of Mr. Thomas J. de Lancey, and built 
 a large double brick house, now a part of Mr. Flag- 
 ler's magnificent mansion, at the western end of 
 this unique situation, and surrounded the [loiiit with 
 a huge wide stone sea wall upon the top of which he 
 laid out a drive, which is without a rival of its kind 
 on the American sea coast. The Neck itself is the 
 " Satanstoe " of Fenimore Cooper's novel of that 
 name and is therein generally described. To this 
 point the late Mr. Greacen gave the name of 
 " Orienta," the origin of which as he himself told 
 the writer was this. After he got his house built 
 he found that in the summer mornings, he could 
 lie in bed and see the Sun rise directly out of the 
 water far up the Sound, and therefore he called 
 his place " Orient," but '• subsetjuently " said he, 
 finding that a little hamlet at Oyster-pond Point, 
 Long Island, had appropriated that name, I just 
 tacked an " a " to the end of it and called my place 
 "Orienta." Being a musical name it is often heard 
 as applied to the Neck itself, a fact Mr. Greacen 
 said, he did not like " for it ought to be kept for the 
 place I made, especially as everybody on the Neck 
 laughed at me when I adopted it." Unfortunately it 
 has been taken of late to designate drinking saloons 
 &c in the village of Mamaroneck. 
 
 " Vergemere " the writer's place is at the East end 
 of the Neck. It and Mr. Flagler's are the only places 
 upon it which have a double water front, and where 
 vessels can lie in safety in all winds. It is surrounded 
 by old forest trees, is very handsomely laid out, and 
 commands extensive and striking marine views. Be- 
 tween these two are the seats of Mr. James M. Con- 
 stable, Mr. J. A. Bostwick, the Hon. David Dudley 
 Field, Mr. Wm. G. Read, Miss Van Hchaack, Mr. 
 Ambrose McGregor, as well as those of Mr. Leonard 
 Jacob, Mrs. Eldridge, Mr. Meigham, and that of the 
 late James M. Miller, and Mr. James T. Burnet. 
 
 The town records of Mamaroneck consist of two 
 volumes, one a small parchment covered folio, begin- 
 ning only on the 2d of April, 1G97, containing the 
 records of the annual elections down almost to the 
 present time, when it became full. The other is a 
 
u\ 
 
 MAMARONECK. 
 
 large folio about half full of deeds and miscellaneouH 
 papers among which are many freeing negro ulavt-H 
 under the state laws gradually abolishing slavery. It 
 was opened in 1756. 
 
 The first entry in the records of Maraaroneck is as 
 follows : 
 
 " Captain James Mott elected and chosen assessor 
 for the ensuing year 1G97, Samuel Palmer chosen 
 supervisor, Henry Disbrow chosen collector and sur- 
 veyor of the highways, William Palmer elected and 
 chosen constable and recorder. All done by the free- 
 holders and inhabitants of the above said place at a 
 town meeting held at the house of Madam Richbil's 
 on the 2d day of April 1697." 
 
 The entries of elections are made irregularly for a 
 few years subsefjuently to the above date, but after- 
 wards quite regularly. From an examination the 
 following is a list of the supervisors and clerks of the 
 town from the beginning iw accurate as it can he 
 made : 
 
 SliPKKVISOIU. 
 
 1697. Sniuiiel Palmer. 
 KiUfWW, 17(tt. Jiiiiies Slott. 
 17117-8. Henry Dinbrow. 
 1710-11. Samuel Piilmor. 
 1712-14. Noliulniiill I'almor. 
 1716-16. SilvuniiB Palmer. 
 
 1717. Joalah yuliiby. 
 
 1718. John lirlffuii. 
 1719-20. Henry I'uwier. 
 1721-22. Silvanuu Palmer. 
 
 1723. Henry Fuwier. 
 
 1724. Silvanus Palmer. 
 1725-28. Henry Fowler. 
 1727-42. Silvanus Palmer.' 
 
 1743. Underbill Budd. 
 
 1744. Nehemlali i'almcr. 
 1746-17. Underliill Budd. 
 1748-68. John Stevenson. 
 Dec. 1768. John Townsend.s 
 176'J-0O. Reuben Bloomer. 
 1761-70. Jcdin Town«-nd. 
 1771-7S. William Sutton. 
 1776. ReulKU Bloomer. 
 1783-U3. Gilbert Budd. 
 1704-U7. BuiOandn (iriffen, 
 1798-1800. John P. De Lancey. 
 1801-2. Edward Merrltt. 
 1803-6. Aaron Palmer. 
 1807-13. Joliu Pinkney. 
 1814. John Peter I)e Luncey.^ 
 1816. Monmouth Lyon. 
 
 1816. A iron Palmer. 
 1817-1. John Pinkney. 
 
 1820-24. John I). Underbill. 
 IN26-27. Aaron Palmer. 
 IH28. John Morrill. 
 1H2II. (Mwin Post. 
 1h30. Henry Munro. 
 l8:)l-32. James H. Union. 
 1833-34. Slonmouth Lyon. 
 18.'ta-42. James H. <iuion. 
 l843-4.'i. Benjamin M. Brown. 
 1846. Stephen C. Orlff.n. 
 I847-4U. Ueujaniin 51. Brown. 
 
 1860. James II. Guion. 
 
 1861. Charles W. Hopkins. 
 18i')2. Louis Walsh. 
 
 1853. Zachuriali Voorhees. 
 
 1864. Louis Walsh. 
 
 186.')-6H. John Morrell. 
 
 1850-60. William L. Darker. 
 
 1861. Louis Walsh. 
 
 1X62-64. Jonas D. Hill. 
 
 1865-66. Louis Walsh. 
 
 1867. Jacob B. Humphrey. 
 
 1808. Sehuromau Ilalsted. 
 
 I86U-70. Thomas L. Itushmore. 
 
 1K71. James J. Burnet. 
 
 1872-76. Charles II. Birney. 
 
 1877. Matthias Bunta, who has 
 been continually re-elected to the 
 present year, 1886, and for the 
 last few years by a niuiuinions 
 vote of all parties, although he is 
 a strong Democrat. 
 
 161)7-99. William Palmer. 
 1702. Obadluh Palmer. 
 1708-18. Eliezer Oeduey. 
 1718-64. Nebemiah Palmer. 
 
 Town Clkrkii. 
 
 1758-66. William Mott. 
 1766-70. John Townsend. 
 1771-1806. UllbortBudd. 
 1807-16. Dr. David Rogers, Jr.* 
 
 1 Died 1742. Nohemiah Palmer was elected supervisor in his stead. 
 
 2Ele<;ted in the place of John Stevenson, who had removed from the 
 town. 
 
 ^ The candidate! for supervisor in 1814 wore Henry Merrltt and John 
 Pinkney. The result of the election was contested, and in June, 1814, 
 the Jnsticeof the peoceappoiuted Mr. De Lancey supervisor. 
 
 < Dr. Rogers and (illbert Budd Horton were the candidates for town 
 olerk iu 1814. A contest took place between them over tbe result of the 
 
 1817-24. Honmonth Lyon. 
 IS26-26. (iuy ('. Ilayley. 
 1827. Coles TompkiuB, 
 1828-311. Munnioulli Lynn. 
 18.31. Daniel D. T. llaildeu. 
 I8.')2-;I4. Walter Manhall. 
 1836. Horace B. .Shiul. 
 18.36. AnioaF. Hattli'ld. 
 1837-41. Epunetns C. Hadden. 
 1842-4.'). Elijah (i. Dixon. 
 1846-47. Edwuril Seaman. 
 1848. OeoriciMlaxter. 
 l84t*-53. Edwui'd Seaman. 
 1 854-66. Joseph IIofTluan. 
 lh.',7-.'>8. Edward S<'aman. 
 |8.')0. Joseph llofiinun. 
 
 1860-61. Edward Seamen. 
 1862-64. JiKepli Hoffman. 
 1865-66. Albert Lyon. 
 1867-69. JohmD. Hill. ' > ' 
 
 1870. Albert Lyon. 
 
 1871. Jacob Buckler. 
 
 1872. John N. Boyd. 
 1873-74. Francis 0. Corner. 
 1875-76. William A. Boyd. 
 1877. John C. Kaircblid. 
 1878-79. Joseph H. McLoughlln. 
 1880. William A. Sickle*. 
 
 1K81. Joseph H. McLoughlln. 
 
 1882. William H. Langu. 
 
 1883. William A. Sickles. 
 1884-86. William H. l.ange. 
 
 Space will not permit the introduction of much curi- 
 ous information contained in the town records which 
 it was the iutention to give, and which is found mixed 
 up with the routine entries of town meetings, Ac. &c. 
 The following entry however is of much importance 
 showing as it does the burial place of John Richbell 
 the first white man who bought Mamaroneck of the 
 natives — the Father of the Town, his mother in law, 
 and one of his daughters. .As Mrs. Richbell his 
 widow continued to live iu Mamaroneck and sur- 
 vived till the first years of the eighteenth century, 
 though the precise date of her death can not be 
 found, it is most probable that she too is buried with 
 her husband. There is no date to the entry, which 
 shows beside the intimacy between the Richbell and 
 the Disbrow families. The James Mott who makes 
 i his declaration was the husband of Richbcll's daughter 
 Mary whose burial is mentioned in it. 
 
 The Burial Place of Richbell. 
 
 " I James Mott do give and grant to Margaret Dis- 
 brow and her three sons Henery John and Benjamin 
 all belonging to Momoronack to them and their fain- 
 ylies forever the Liberty of burying their dead 
 whether Father or Mother, husband or wife, brother 
 ur sister, son or daughter, in a certain peace of Land 
 Laying near the Salt Meadow, where Mr. John Rich- 
 bell and his wife's Mother, and my wife Mary Ikiott 
 was buried in my home lot or feild adjoining to my 
 house, written by William palmer Clerk of Momoro- 
 nack by order of Capt James Mott." 
 
 I. Town Records 71. 
 
 The spot is on the property of Mr. Thomas L. 
 Rushmore on the little knoll between the Harbour 
 and De Lancey Avenue, marked by a few trees and a 
 few half buried tombstones of a comparatively late 
 date. How many of the Disbrows are buried there 
 nought remains to tell. They have had for sixty or 
 seventy years a cemetery of their own on West St. 
 The last person whom the writer knows to have been 
 buried on the knoll, was the venerable Quaker who 
 once owned the farm and the knoll itself. Seaman Giles 
 — and of whom he has a vivid recollection. It is the 
 
 election, which was terminated in June of that year by the Justices of 
 the peace electing Dr. Bugers to the office. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 M 
 
 oldest burial place of civilized man in the town, and 
 it in hoped thut some proper historic monument may 
 yet mark this spot ao sacred in the memory of the 
 earliest settler of Mamuroncck and his family and 
 friends. 
 
 There is one other entry in the town book of such 
 an odd nature that it must be mentioned, an entry 
 which shows the strength of an agricultural supersti- 
 tion very prevalent in the hwt century and which may 
 linger still in some old fashioned regions. 
 
 "April 5"", nsrj. The Freeholders and Inhabitants 
 agree that the overseers of Highways are impowered 
 to call on all the Men in their several Districts fi>r 
 the purpose of Destroying the Barbery bushes, so often 
 as the said overseers shall think proper, until the 
 whole are destroyed, any man refusing to come, if he 
 is legally warned, shall forfeit 4«. for every day, to be 
 recovered in the same manner as the fines for neglect 
 of working the roads are, which fines shall be lay'd 
 out as the overseers think proper." It wasthepopul ir 
 belief of that day that the smut or blight in wheat and 
 other grains was caused by these unfortunate barberry 
 bushes, hence in Mamaroneck as in many other 
 places, ridiculous as it seems at this day, they were 
 proceeded against as public enemies. 
 
 The de Lanceys of New York so closely connected 
 with the Province, and State, and the County of West- 
 chester, are of French origin, the first of them in 
 America having been driven from France by the Re- 
 vocation of the Edict of Nantes, being a Huguenot. 
 The annexed account of this family ia mainly from 
 Bolton's """"ud edition of his History of West- 
 chester Con wiiich was drawn up irom the au- 
 thorities referi to in it, and later information from 
 the late Bishop de Lancey and the present writer. 
 
 The de lianceys of New York, are a branch of the 
 ancient house of de Lancey in France, springing 
 from Guy de Lancey, Eeuyer, Vicomte de Laval et de 
 Nouvion, who in 1432, held of the Prince-Bishop of 
 the Duchy of Laon, the fiefs of the four banier of La- 
 val, and that of Nouvion.' These territories formed 
 one of the fourVicomte-cies of the Laonnois, a divi- 
 sion of the old province of the " Isle of France," 
 bordering on Picardy. 
 
 The manuscript genealogies of this family are pre- 
 served in the Armorial General de la France 2d Reg- 
 ister, 2d volume, in t*he National Library of France'' 
 at Paris, and in the archives of the department of 
 the Aiane, at the city of Laon. The latter have been 
 given in the Dictionnaire Historique du Depart- 
 ment de' I'Aisne of M. Melville.' The descent is 
 thus given from the French authorities.* 
 
 1 Soiiietimeii spollud " Noiiviitn." Tlieae laiiilB iiiiil vllliigw uro Hitiiutril 
 a few nilliM from thi> city of Laon iu tlio iirescnt dopiirtuieiit of the 
 Abne. 
 
 a Tlio o(Bi:lttl MSS. of thin work, the great National Register of tlio 
 French Nobleaee, were flrat printed by unier of I/oiiin XV., in 17:)8. 
 
 ' In two TOls. 8vo., |iublieiie(i ut I'ariii and ut Laon in 18(i5. 
 
 < Le Nobilialre de I'lcarrtio, l'uri», (',<.'• tiflu "Lauui," Dictionnaire de 
 
 8 
 
 The prefixed Roman numerals are bo used in the 
 French genealogies to denote the ditt'erent in- 
 divi<luals bearing the same Christian name. 
 
 1432. Guy de Lancy, Eeuyer ' Vicomte de Laval et 
 de Nouvion. Wife, Anne de Marcilly. 
 
 1436. Jean I, (John) de Lancy, 2d Vicomte. 
 
 1470. Jean II, (John) de Lancy, 3d Vicomte, Deputy 
 to the States -General at Tours in 1484, present at 
 the battles Fornoue and Ravvenna. 
 
 1525. Charles I, dc Lancy, 4th Vicomte. Wives, 
 1. Nicole St. Pere, issue, one daughter, mar- 
 ried Antoine Pioche, of Laon. 2. Marie de 
 Viliiers, issue two sons, Charles 6th Vicomte, 
 and Christophe, Seigneur de Raray. 
 
 1535. Charles II, de Lancy, 5th Vicomte. Wife, Isa- 
 bel Branche, married 15th April, 1534 ; issue, 
 Charles 6th Vicomte, Jacques (James) Claude, 
 and a daughter Barbe. 
 
 1561». Charles III, de Lancy, 6th Vicomte. Wives, 1. 
 Madeline Le Brun, married 2l8t of July, 1569 ; 
 issue, Charles IV., de Lancy, Seigneur de Coc- 
 quebine, (who died in 1()(>7, leaving by Francoise 
 Crochart, his first wife; Charles V, de Lancy, 
 Seigneur de Charlomont, who died unmarried. 
 By his second wife Marthe de Resnel, the 
 Seigneur de Cocciuebine, who was created a Coun- 
 sellor to the King, 20th of March, 1652, by whom 
 he had no children.) 
 Charles III, de Lancy, 6th Vicomte, was pres- 
 
 1590. ent at the battle of Ivry in 1590 2. By his 
 second wife Claude de May, married 15th Janu- 
 
 1593. ary, 1593, he had issue, Charles de Lancy, Sieur 
 de Suine et de Niville, Antoine, a Canon of the 
 Cathedral of Laon, and Claude. 
 
 1611, Charles de Lancy, Sieur de Suine et de Niville, 
 
 1653. born in 1611, married 25th June, 1653, Jeanne 
 Ysore, was created a Counsellor of State to the 
 
 1689. King in 1654, and died 23d of November, 1689, 
 leaving issue, one child, — 
 Charles Ambroise de Lancy, Seigneur de Ni- 
 
 1702. ville et du Condray, de Frenoi, et d'Orgemont, 
 who married 9tb January, 1702, Marie Made- 
 leine Labbe. He was confirmed in his nobility 
 
 1697. by a decree of the King in Council, Nov. 30th, 
 1697. He had issue, an only son, — 
 
 1707. Pierre Charles de Lancy, Seigneur de Niville 
 et de Blarus, born 5th of June, 1707 ; an officer of 
 
 1750. the King's Guards, who died unmarried in 
 1750. 
 
 Christophe de Lancy, Signeur de Raray, 
 above named, the younger of the two sons of 
 Charles de Lancy 4th, Vicomte de Laval et de 
 
 1525. Nouvion, created Baron de Raray, having no 
 issue by his first wife, Barbe de Loueu, married 
 
 1553. Secondly, January 19th, 1553, Francoise Lami, 
 daughter of Pierre Lami, Seigneur de la Morliere. 
 
 In KobleiMw de France, by Chuuaye De^buiB, vol, Tiii : title *' Laucy;'* An- 
 nnaire de la Nobleflau of Borel d'Hauterive for 1656, ** Lancy — Raray.** 
 > Eeuyer, denotue a gentleman entiUed to use coatamior. 
 
18 
 
 MAMARONECK. 
 
 1584. He died in 1584, leaving a son Nicholas de 
 Lancy, second Baron, Treasurer of Gaston, first 
 Duke of Orleans who married Lucrece de 
 Lancise, a Florentine lady, and had four chil- 
 dren. 1. Henry de Lancy, third Baron, who 
 
 1654. was created January 17th, IGM, Marquis De 
 Barai. 2. Francois de Lancy, Seigneur D'Ara- 
 niont, called the Chevalier de Karay, who was 
 killed at the siege of Cdiule, 17th August, 1074, 
 unmarried ; and 3. Charles de Lancy, Seigneur 
 de Ribecourt, et Pimprii, who married Made- 
 leine d'Aguesseau and died without issue in 1675. 
 4. Madeleine de Lancy, nuirried 11th Novem- 
 ber, 1619, Charles de Mornay, Seigneur de Mont- 
 chevreuil. 
 
 Henry de Lancy, above named, Ist Marquis de 
 Raray, married January 30th, 1633, Catharine 
 d'Angennes, daughter of Louis d'Angennes, 
 Seigneur de la Loupe and his wife Francoise, 
 daughter of Odet, Seigneur d'Auberville, Bailly 
 of the city of Caen, in Normandy, by whom he 
 had, 1. Gaston Jean Baptiste de Lancy, 2d Mar- 
 quis ; 2. Charles de Lancy-Raray, killed at the 
 siege of Lille, in 1667, unmarried ; and 3. Marie 
 Charlotte, wife of Louis des Acres, Marquis de 
 I'Aigle, who died in Paris, August 27th, 1734, 
 aged 82 years.' 
 
 1660. Gaston Jean Baptiste de Lancy, second Mar- 
 quis de Raray, married 4th May, 1660, Marie 
 Luce Auberj-, daughter of Robert, Marquis de 
 Vatan, and had two sons, Charles Henry de 
 Lancy, third Marquis, made a page to the King 
 
 1679. in 1679, who died shortly after, unmarried, and 
 Gaston Jean Baptiste de Lancy, who succeeded 
 his brother an fourth Marquis and died unmar- 
 ried not long after. Both these brothers died 
 
 1680. in 1680 ; and with them ended the males of 
 this branch of the family. Their sisters were 
 five, Henriette, wife of the Marquis de Creve- 
 coBur ; Catharine, wife of the Seigneur de la Bil- 
 larderie ; ' Francoise, died unmarried ; Annette, 
 died unmarried, and Marie Luce, wife of the 
 Comte de Nonant, who died 16th March, 1743, 
 
 ;, aged eighty. 
 
 ' Le PsUia d'LIIonneiir, Paris, 1604, pago ;112, family " d'Angonnos." 
 •In front of tlie altar at the Church of Vrclierio, (de|>artmeDt of 
 Cite, France), there is a toiiilMtone erected to thia laily, inacabed : — 
 
 D. O. M. 
 
 let ropoae 
 Haute etpiiiaanute Dame 
 Madame Fkancoisf. iik Lanci Rabi, dame 
 Dea Terrea et Setgneuriea, d'Haramont, Kibecourt, 
 Pimpre St. Qcrraain et Kuy, en lurtio Chatelaine 
 Bereditaire et engugiatu dee DomalneH de lUthlzy 
 et Verborie, pneaidea par sea jwrea de puigplua 
 deux centa ana veuve de Meaaire llarthelemi de 
 Flahaut Chevelier aeigneur de la Billarderie Mai tro 
 de camp de Cavalerie, exempt dea gardes du corps 
 du Roi toe a la batalle da Mai plaqust. La dita 
 " Dame de la Billarderie eat decedee la 2S Juin, 16ij4. 
 
 • ' agree de 61 ana. 
 
 Fiiez pour aon knt ■ . ' :\_'' 1 
 
 The Arms are blazoned in the "Armorial 
 General de la France," thus, " Akmks; or, a I'aigle 
 eployee de stible, charge sur I'estomac d'un ecusson 
 d'azur, a trois lances d'or, posces en pal, pointes en 
 haut." In English, Akmh : Or, an eagle wings dis- 
 played, sable, charged on the breast with a shield 
 azure, three tilting lances or, in pale, points upward. 
 
 On becoming a British subject, Ktienne (or Ste- 
 phen) de Lancy modified these arms which had 
 originated before the use of crests in heraldry, to 
 make them more like those of English families, most 
 of which have crests ; and though not registered in 
 the English College oi Arms, they appear as so modi- 
 fied in most English heraldic works, and have since 
 been so borne in America, notably on the official seal 
 of his son James de Lancey, aa Lt. Governor and 
 ('aptain General of New York. They are thus blaz- 
 oned: — Arms; Azure, a tilting lance proper, point up- 
 ward with a pennon argent bearing a cross gules 
 fringed and floating to the right, debruised of afess, or. 
 Crest ; a sinister arm in armor einbowed, the band 
 grasping a tilting lance, pennon floating, both proper. 
 Motto ; Certum voto pete finem. 
 
 The name of this family, anciently spelled " Lanci," 
 and later "Lancy," in France, was anglicised by 
 Etienne de Lancy on being denizenized a British sub- 
 ject in 1686, after which time he always wrote his 
 name Stephen de Lancey — thus inserting an " e" in 
 the final syllable. The " de" is the ordinary French 
 prefix, denoting nobility. 
 
 The Seigneur Jacques (James) de Lancy, above- 
 named, second son of Charles de Lancy, fifth Vicomte 
 de Laval et de Nouvion, was the ancestor of the 
 Huguenot branch, the only existing one, of this fam- 
 ily. His son the Seigneur Jacques de Lancy of Caen, 
 married Marguerite Bertrand,daughter of Pierre Ber- 
 trand of Caen, by his first wife, the Demoiselle Firel, 
 and had two children, a son Eticnnc (or Stephen) de 
 Lancey, born at Caen, October 24, 1663, and a daugh- 
 ter, the wife of John Barbaric. ' On the revocation 
 of the edict of Nantes, Stephen de Lancey was one of 
 those who, stripped of their titles and estates, fled 
 from persecution — leaving his aged mother, then a 
 widow, in concealment at Caen, he escaped to Hol- 
 land, where, remaining a short time, he proceeded to 
 England, and taking out letters of denization as an 
 English subject at London, on the 20th of March, 
 1686, he sailed for New York, where he arrived on 
 the 7th of June following. Here with three hundred 
 pounds sterling, the proceeds of the sale of some 
 family jewels, the parting gift of his mother, he em- 
 barked in mercantile pursuits. By industry and strict 
 application to business, he became a successful mer- 
 
 ' M8S., " Bertrand" Genealogy : — John Barbarie and hia family came 
 to New York in 166S, in which year (on 5th January), he and hia aoni 
 Peter, and John Peter, were denizened aa Engllah aubjeita in London. 
 He waa aubseqiiently a merchant in New York, in partnerahip with 
 hia brother-in-law, Stephen de Loucy, and a member of the Council of 
 the Prorince. 
 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 19 
 
 rhniit iind amasRed a large fortune. He was a highly 
 eateemed and influential man, and held, through all 
 his life, honorable appointments in the councils of 
 the city, as well as in the Representative Assembly of 
 the Province. He was elected Alderman of the west 
 ward of the city, five years after his arrival, in 1691. 
 He was representative from the city and county of 
 New York, in the Provincial Assembly, from 1702 to 
 1715, with the exception of 170!> ; and in 172.'), on the 
 decease of Mr. Provoost, he was elected again to that 
 body. The following year he was re-elected, and con- 
 tinued in ofiSce until 1737 ; a service of twenty-six 
 years in all. In 1716, being a vestryman of Trinity 
 church, he contributed £50, the amount of his salary 
 as Representative to the General Assembly, to buy a 
 city clock for that church, the first ever erected in 
 New York. To him and Mr. John Moore, his part- 
 ner, the city is also indebted for the introduction of 
 fire engines, in 1731. ' He was one of the principal 
 benefactors of the French church, Du St. Esprit, es- 
 tablished in New York by the refugees who fled upon 
 the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and a warm 
 friend of the French Huguenots at New Rochelle. 
 The following letter addressed by him, 1591, to his 
 friend Alexander Allaire, is still preserved among the 
 public records at New Rochelle. 
 
 NiEU TOBK, LE 27 JlXIET, lOOl. 
 
 HoNt. Allaibi : 
 
 Monsieur Notre Amy Mona. Bonheiler, aviint de partir ine ilonneru 
 urdre qu'cri cufl <iiiil viii^Mo A inourlr 11 Holt fair donitation de bpk t^rres 
 & wi fllleiile vutre tlllo, 8y vouh |n)uvu'/ fulre qiielque 1k>iii>tlce den dlU) 
 terroit. Sott A (^iijier de8 arbruH on ii fulre des folns sur lew [iralrlei} vou8 
 le poiiveH a rexcluslon de qui qiiese Holt, .lo suit*. 
 
 Muns, votre tr6 humble servlteiir, 
 
 ETIENNE DK I/ASCKV, 
 
 Ceil est la v{)retable copple de Torlglnal. • 
 
 He was a vestryman of Trinity church, New York at 
 the time of his death, in 1741. He married January 
 23d, 1700, Anne Van Cortlandt, daughter of Stephanus 
 Van Cortlandt (whose family was then one ofthi- 
 most opulent and extensive in the Province). Stephen 
 de Lancey at his death in 1741 left issue surviving, 
 James, Peter, Stephen, John, Oliver, Susan and 
 Anne. Of these sons Stephen and John died bache- 
 lors. Susan married Admiral Sir Peter Warren, and 
 Anne ttie Hon. John Watts of New York. The eldest 
 son, Juiiiesde Lancey, a man of great talent, was born 
 in the City of New York, 27tl November, 1703, and 
 received his education at the University of Cambridge, 
 England. He was a fellow commoner of Corpus 
 Christi College (where he was styled the " handsome 
 American") and studied law in the Temple. In 1725, 
 he returned to New York, and on the decease of John 
 Barbaric, his uncle by marriage, was appointed by 
 George II. to succeed him in the Provincial Council. 
 He took his seat at the board, January 29, 1729, and 
 held it to April 9, 1733, when he was appointed Chief 
 
 Justice of New York and continued so the remain- 
 der of his life. In 1753, on the accession of Sir Uan- 
 vers Osborne os Governor, in the place of George 
 Clinton, ho received the commission of Lieutenant- 
 Governor, which had been conferred upon him in 
 I 1747 by George I) . and had been kept back by Clin- 
 ton until this time. The oath of office was adminis- 
 tered October 10, 1753. The tragical death of Sir 
 Danvers Osborn by suicide two days afterwards, oc- 
 I casioned the elevation of Mr. de Lancey to the Gu- 
 I bernatorial chair, which he occupied till the 2d of 
 I September, 1755, when the new Governor, Admiral 
 ] Sir Charles Hardy arrived, who administered the 
 ' government till the 2d of July, 1757. Preferring a 
 naval command Hardy resigned, and sailed in the 
 expedition to Louisburgh, and Mr. De Lancey again 
 took the reins of Government. 
 
 The ministry of England wished to keep the com- 
 mand of New York in the hands of Mr. de Lancey, 
 but it was then, as it is to this day, a rule of the Eng- 
 lish Government never to appoint a native colonist to 
 the supreme command over his own colony. To effect 
 their object in this case without violating their 
 rule, they decided not to appoint any new Governor 
 as long 08 Mr. de Lancey lived; he therefore re- 
 mained the Governor of New York under his commis- 
 sion as Lieutenant-Governor until his death, some 
 three years afterwards, on the 30th of July, 1760.' 
 
 "On the 19th of June, 1754, Governor de Lancey 
 convened and presided over the celebrated Congress of 
 Albany, the first Congress ever held in America, over 
 which he presided. This was a Congress of delegates 
 from all the colonies, which the home government di- 
 rected the Governor of New York to hold, for the pur- 
 pose of conciliating the Indian nations who were in- 
 vited to attend it; of renewing the covenant chain 
 and attaching them more closely to the British inter- 
 est, and comprising all the provinces in one general 
 treaty to be made with them in the King's name, and 
 for no other purpose.* Speeches and presents were 
 made to the Indians who promised to do all that was 
 asked of them, but no formal treaty whatever was 
 concluded. The Congress voted instead, that the 
 delegation from each colony except New York, should 
 appoint one of their number, who together should be 
 a committee to digest a plan for a general union of all 
 the colonies. 
 
 The choice of the New York committee-man was 
 left to Governor de Lancey, who, acting most impar- 
 tially, appointed his political opponent, William 
 Smith, Esq., the elder.* This movement, which was 
 not within the objects of the Congress as defined in 
 
 > Mlacellsneoiu works, by Oen. de Peyster ; Ba Poyater Oen. Ref. 
 p. 64. 
 < Copied tnm original H88. iu Beo. of New Bochelle. 
 
 ' For a fiill biographical sketch of Oovernor De Lancey, see Docamen- 
 tary History of New York, toI. IV, p. 1037. 
 
 * Virginia and Carolina did not send delegates, but desired to be con- 
 sidered as present. Doc. Hist. N. Y., II, 6fi7. 
 
 ' See Letter of Lords of Trade, directing the holding of the Congress, 
 and the minutes of its proceedings In full. In Doc. Hist. N. Y., II, 6i6 
 and N. Y. Col. Hist., tI. p. 853. 
 
 *"%..* 
 
20 
 
 MAMAROiNEUK. 
 
 the letter of the Board of Trade above mentioned, ru- 
 Bulted in the itdopting of a plan of a union to be made 
 by an act of Parliament, which, after the provinioni* 
 were resolved on, was put into form by lienjamin 
 Franklin, who wiu a delegate from Pennsylvania, and 
 which was not decided upon, but merely sent to the 
 different provincn* for consideration. 
 
 Before the motion for the appointment of this com- 
 mittee wa« made, (Jovernor de Lancey, being in favor 
 of the colonies uniting for their own defence, pro- 
 posed the building and maintaining, at the joint ex- 
 pense of the colonies, of a chain of forts covering their 
 whole exposed frontier, and some in the Indian coun- 
 try itself. But this plan, like the other, was without 
 effect upon the Congress ; for, as he tells us himself, 
 "they seemed so fully persuaded of the backwardness 
 of the several assemblies to come into joint and vig- 
 orous measures that they were unwilling to enter 
 upon the consideration of the matters." ' His idea 
 seems to have been for a practical union of the col- 
 onies for their own defense to be made by themselves; 
 whilst that of the committees, who despaired of a vol- 
 untary union, was for a consolidation of the colonies 
 to be enforced by act of Parliument. Neither plan, 
 however, met with favor in any quarter, and the Con- 
 gress effected little but the conciliation of the In- 
 dians.' 
 
 In the autumn of IITA, the Governor suggested to 
 the Assembly the system of settling lands in town- 
 ships instead of patents, a measure which, being 
 passed by them, rapidly increased the population and 
 prosperity of the colony.'' 
 
 On the 3l8t of October, 1754, Governor de Lancey 
 '(;ned and passed the charter of King's (now Colum- 
 ) college, in spite of the long and bitter opposition 
 ot the Presbyterians, led by Mr. William Livingston. 
 So decided were they against the Episcopalians at 
 this time, and so determined were the efforts of Mr. 
 Livingston to break down the college, that, though 
 signed and sealed, the charter was not delivered in 
 consequence of the clamor, till May 7th, 1755, when, 
 after an address. Governor de Lancey presented it to 
 the trustees in form.* 
 
 " No American had greater influence in the col- 
 onies than James de Lancey. Circumstances, it is 
 true, aided in raising him to this elevation — such as 
 education, connections, wealth, and his high conser- 
 vative principles ; but he owed as much to personal 
 qualities, perhaps, as to all other causes united. Gay, 
 witty, easy of access, and frank, he was, personally, 
 the most popular ruler the Province ever possessed, 
 even when drawing . tightest the reins of Govern- 
 ment,"* 
 
 1 See bin speech to the Aaaembly of AiigiiBt 2Uth, 17S4. Am. Jour., II, 
 Wll, 387. 
 
 2 Sfv the proceedingB of the Congress. Doc. Hist. N. Y., II, 3«8, 387. 
 '^Auimiibly Juiiruul, II, fur September, 1754. 
 
 <Duo. Hist. N. r. IV, 1061. 
 ' Doc. Hist. N. r., p 11)57. 
 
 The death of Governor James de Lancey, which 
 took place on the <'il)th of .luly, 17(>0, was an event 
 which had a great influence in the affairs of the Prov- 
 ince. He was found expiring u])on that morning, 
 seated in his chair in his litirary, too lute for medical 
 aid. His funeral took place on the evening of the 
 31st of July, I7(iO. The body was deposited in his 
 family vault, in the middle aisle of Trinity Church, 
 the funeral service being performed by the Kev. Mr. 
 Barclay, in great magnificence; the building was 
 splendidly illuminated. The accounts of the funeral 
 and the procession from his house in the Bowery to 
 the church, filled columns of the papers of the day.' 
 
 The following particulars are copied from a memo- 
 randum written by the elder John Watts, of New 
 York, in 1787 : 
 
 "Jameade I.nncey wua man of iinroiiinion alillltlet In erery view, 
 from the law to agrlcnltiin', utid uu ol»gant, plouiwnt ctiniiiAiiioii — what 
 mrely unitm In one i>orriun ; it RcttnuKl duubtfiil which excelled, his 
 quick iwnetmtlon or his sound {iidgnient ; thH first seenied an Instant 
 f^ulde to the last. No man in either otnce, (('binf Justice or Lieut. 
 ('tovernt>r,) bad mure the li>va ami confidence of the iwoplo ; nor any 
 man, Ixtfuru or since, half the influence, lie whk unfortunately taken 
 from us In July, 17IM), so suildi'Uly that hU vi'ry family sus|H3ctoil no 
 danger. We bwl spout, Tcry aKreeably, the day before on !<Uten Island ; 
 after ten at night he left my house iwrfectly well, in the niurning be 
 was as usual, but about nine a servant was disiHitcbed to tell me his nuu- 
 ter was very III. I mounted instantly and hurried to bis house In Ilowery 
 Lane, but on the way was alarmed by a call * that all woii over,' and too 
 true I found It ; he sat reclined in his chair, one leg drawn in, the other 
 extendetl, his arms over the elbows, so natumlly, that bad I not been 
 apprized of It, I certainly should have spoken as I enterud the room. 
 \ulKHly but bis youngest ilaugbter, a child, was present at the time, so 
 little illd the family apprehend the UioAt danger. Never did theee eyes 
 behold such a spectacle, or did my spirits feel such an Impression. The 
 idea alTects nie whenever I think of It ; to lose such a comiHinlou, such 
 a counsellor, such a friend.'* 
 
 James de Lancey married as above stated, Anne, 
 eldest daughter and co-heiress of the Hon. Caleb 
 Heathcote, Lord of the Manor of Scarsdale. By her, 
 he had four sons ; first, James ; second, Stephen ; 
 third, Heathcote ; fourth, John Peter ; and four 
 daughters ; first, Mary, wife of William Walton, who 
 died in 1767 ; second, Susannah, born 18th November, 
 1737, died a spinster in 1815 ; third, Anne, born 1746, 
 and died in 1817, who married Thomas Jones, Justice 
 of the Supreme Court of New York, author of the 
 History of New York during the Revolutionary War ; 
 and Martha who died a spinster, aged 19, in 1769. 
 
 James De Lancey, the eldest son of the Lieutenant- 
 Governor, born in 1732, was the head of the political 
 party, called by his name, from his father's death to 
 the Revolution and its leader in the Assembly of the 
 Province. He married, August 17th, 1771, Margaret 
 Allen of Philadelphia, daughter of William Allen, 
 Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, whose sister was the 
 wife of Governor John Penn of that Province. The 
 late Mrs. Harry Walter Livingston (born Mary Allen) 
 who died in 1855, was a niece of these two sisters. 
 James de Lancey had two sons, Charles in early life 
 a British naval officer, and James, Lieut-Colonel of 
 
 * Puker's PmI Boy uid oth«r newqxven. 
 

 ■■lA *. 
 
 
20 
 
 MAMAUOiNKCK. 
 
 th 
 
 ■u . 
 
 b} Mil K<;l of I'niltMDirnt, Hhtcii, ■■* 
 
 Wvrc rKW'ixKt •>», wuM i«Ml jhUj 
 
 FrAnkliii. who wiuift'lfli -a.*: -'V<»rn 
 
 w 
 
 di . ./ 1 ■ 
 
 Ucfure th'- motion U-t 
 
 of tlx' I'niu 
 
 trj' it.<pl(. Bn' 
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 i (t( tbiii ciitit- 
 
 ■•• ; id fiiviT ' 
 
 ■ Hire, pro- , 
 
 ^ iliu joint K%- I 
 
 ■■ovwrini? tluir , 
 
 : ii«< ill th(t Iiulinn conn- 
 
 !;i.'' th* <ilh<T. Willi witljout 
 
 for, ad III' i<'n« 11^ liinisDlf, ; 
 
 "tl vtv 4»voi'joil HO hnlv pcntuiuU'il of 'hi br-i k w»nlutf« 
 of iltv Hewrik) AK«<<inlilieM to «:.)me lato Joint attit vii;- 
 OfniH iiiOMur> <■ thiU they wor« unwiDing to enter 
 npu'i the nonaidisrfttion of tlif< iv.ait«»r«."' Hi- id-ia 
 ■e- ii> to Imvt. 'it'll '.■•r 1 priM:lii'»l Uiiion '»r fiii» imi!- 
 
 iif Ui**:! own dofcnuo l<^ bo made h^thciu* ' 
 itjivt if the mir.ittbC*, w!jo dcupttirt"' • 
 uif^vij, wat* for ft cor'*!ili'l«»i'jn of tl 
 
 fffori:«s*J by ocl of i'n,' 
 
 »*r iti«t wUh f««'rt .^<' •► 
 
 on 
 wl 
 ui 
 to 
 ho 
 
 dii 
 
 •bo .iQiniitA !if l/H, ^»U«!«f«r«nir wigK«*»t«l to 
 th wuii'lv '.h'' »y«t«»« «if Mi'UlIiJfr IhhiU lu «o^Tn- 
 sh innf«n{ fit jjutents, u mciwiiio 'vbiiii. beiiiij 
 pa i by then, nipidly iucreiwed-tb*? {.opuIa»ir»ii «nd 
 privfu'riLy 'it ii^f wilouy/ 
 «> ■ St of Ociv'i>er, 1754, Oovcrnior dcT*,ac«cy 
 
 . ,. ,i.»OTed (be cliailer ol FJingS (n<>«- (;<>liiui 
 Jit ; ■■ ' , in ujtite of tb« b»ng uid bitter uppoBition 
 of .ji)liyttri»a», led by Mr. William LidBf»i»A 
 
 I'ilef) wero tht^y agairih! thc< K|>i'»c()piiliin?< «t 
 thi iiiift, Kti'l «o dctt^nuiucd ■vorc the tiTortu <ti Mf. 
 Li ir«Uju t4) V.,c»k down tbt coilnge, llmt, th'H,!)j,i. 
 aig 1 urn:' nenletl, rJie chart<*r wiis not d<>liv«'iM| m 
 coi \i)<iTic<» of tht> el»ii»or, till May 7th, ITjW, vi'iuH, 
 aft UI inlSr***; <«»vi>tuor do LAUcey pre«n:i»t«r'^ .t t» 
 thi. busttes IB tw'w ' 
 
 •• No AiaertcsKft feijiii j£r«;i)ter iMflueiwe in the col. 
 oniti thjiri Jfiriifcti dw t.feut;»*. CircumHtnuc**, it i« 
 tru aiJcfl ni laJxirK ■'"'' to thJi» «»*■ vauou — such mh 
 edncation. conneciio.t.-, v^i-i.'<tU, 2.t\d hio bijrh couuoi- 
 
 ^! ii>. 
 
 Vfttivc principles; '-"^ '^ ' "" 
 qualiti','*, ("crluvjw, . 
 wliiy, eHRV of at'oCN^, :j\>[ u 
 the mo«t |/.ipuUr ruler ihi- 
 ercQ whtin 'Iniwinpr UgbK-- 
 me.-'.'" 
 
 li-i' W.-- •)«.. ii .1' ill.! AwukU; urAotftUtyMh, ' 
 MB, :'■< 
 
 • S"' til' iiior«f«iiusii uf I1ii» li.ic ■•»•. Doe. imi. 
 
 «J>^. HM. ,■*. t. IV, KBl. 
 
 • Pu.. Hint. S. f.,p.ll»7. 
 
 I !( to }ipr>:o!Vil 
 
 ■ ^. h 
 
 . . :,. .||t, 
 
 . »[ in II. ' At 
 
 ,.*J t. liW f>ll:i II •■ 
 
 Tl.tt .'f July, iiirt). 1 
 (Wiiilly vmtlt, in tbu tuitdli: m* 
 Ibo lurieral H«:r»ic« *'«<ln«j psrfoi.i. ., .- -l. 
 
 l«iir<l«y, ill gxtM uiairiiiBi-.«n<.'« ; th« h<u)dti)K « 
 ■•jil'iiididly illutniuiit«;ii. Tin- :■ .iil 
 
 iirnl the pr(ici'!«.Hiou from liin ; ■ - '> 
 
 th«) oaurrh, fltlod uoluini'« of (hv />upont of td 
 Tb« totlowin^ parti(:u>M»ar« c<>|>iit<l fruin 
 r.Ui'.luni wMttcu Iiy ib« oMci J"tm Watt»». 
 York, in IT^T: 
 
 '■ ■••■I'* Jl> liWlTOjr >•••■■ •■..■■ ■" ol ■.. •' ■ •••- .' ■••":> 
 
 frum i!i'. !»• ii' n^rioiltnio. mul »i i'Ut(«'il, ;'lMutiiii ■ ii«»»(iat.; ii— • 
 tarnljr iiit) * in uii.. ^iw i 't •-.«.. i .> hiv'i.I Mi.lrh ftiiiuU* I. 
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 iflUii* trt '*!•■ Ht ".. » .!,■ ' '.-tk"* ' r**.>vi 
 
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 « ui'VWntiwv «H& • trkMI.'' ^ 
 
 ■ /-ariciiy married asi alxi.-ii .natiHi, ,\ 
 i.iitnr aud i;*>-heir«'»i« of the Uon. *'. 
 "iti'^tfttCTJv, Lord of the Manor of Sciinnlale. ft; 
 : h* W.I frill r Honi«;-tiribt, Jauics ; »oi.oiul, HtH|"* 
 ; rrtiW; tfWltlicotft; fourth, .Joliu Peicr ; aud 
 ' :i.'iii|{ivit".n<; iirnt, Mary, wiic of VVillimn Wflltno, viLo 
 UWl J» Ittj" : iH'Cor.d,SuiiannAh, horo tStUNovemlnsr, 
 17«I7, diwl a Bpinater in 1S13 ; third, Ann<», born T'4«. 
 and dl'.'d in 18i7, wbomarrii'd '" 
 ofthr Htiprouio t^'wr' ■■<' *<; • 
 History of Ncv. - onjkri- \\ .. 
 
 ajiii Marrhs wh. , .» -J i'.i, in 17^0. 
 
 .fiujieK l><i r.*' ♦»« ofihc Lifuteuant' 
 
 ttovfrr ..;4 uic head of thp )H,i!i!: -» 
 
 !!:?■"• iiuiu his father's dea»- 
 
 ■.lid it'» leader in the Aaaembly «t 
 -i :: luriod, August 17th, 1771. Miirg.. . 
 .i)*ihdphia, daughter of William Allen, 
 •' '■>{' Piuiuaylviioia, wUose sisti-r v»hi« the 
 , ernur .John I'lniu of that Pro/ince. Ilie 
 iftt* Mrs, lltirry Walter iUyiugftou (born Mary All«i»> 
 "'.i& in IS-W, was a nitiee of tt-iwe t'vo gk- • 
 . k Laiivay bad two ftoim, Charlw fu fai!> 
 iinti«h naval o(lli)e;^«Bd Jitfiaei, Jy^ut'Colont 
 
 ' i'l'jl' 
 
4 
 
 Yjt^rtM*i WJ '- Buttr« 
 
 ran ■anm <Hm.mi.Uka BCi&iraKcairi m iuHciv.[ii.ii,iiLJi.raix.L. 
 
 fl.-SlUV OF WESTmN .VKW YCB-K 
 
 Ia3» IB(>5 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 tt 
 
 the First Dragoon Guards; both died bachelors, the 
 former May 6th, 1840, and the latter May 26th, 1857 ; 
 and three daughters, Margaret, married July 17th, 
 1794, Sir Jiikes Granville Clifton Jukes, Bart, and 
 died June 11th, 1804 without leaving children ; Anna 
 and Susan who both died spinsters, the first, August 
 10th, 1851, and the last April 7th, 1866. 
 
 Stephen the second son of Lieutenant-Governor de 
 Laiicey was the proprietor of what is now the town of 
 North Salem in this county, which came to his father 
 as part of his share in the Manor of Oortlandt, which 
 town Stephen de Lancey settled. He built a large 
 double dwelling, which he subsequently gave to the 
 town for .'■•■ Academy which is still in existence.' He 
 married Hannah Sackett, daughter of Kev. Joseph 
 Sackett of Crom Pond and died without issue May 
 6th, 1795. Heuthcote, the third son of the Lieuten- 
 ant-Governor, died young before his father. 
 
 John Peter de Lancey, the fourth son of Lt. Gov- 
 ernor de Lancey, was born in the city of New York, 
 July 15th, 1763, and died at Mamaroncck, January 
 30th, 1828. He was educated in Harrow school in 
 England, and at the military school at Greenwich. 
 In 1771, he entered the regular army as Ensign, and 
 served up to the rank of captain in the 18th, or Royal 
 Irish Regiment of Foot. He was, also, for a time by 
 special permission, Major of the Pennsylvania Loyal- 
 ists, commanded by Col. William Allen. 
 
 He received the Heathcote estates of his mother, 
 in the Manor of Scarsdale; and having retired from 
 a military life, in 1789 returned to America and re- 
 sided at Mamaroneck. He built a new house, still 
 standing on Heathcote Hill, the site of hia grandfather 
 Heathcote's great brick manor-house, which was ac- 
 cidentally burnt several years prior to the Revolu- 
 tion. He married 28th September, 1785, Elizabeth 
 Floyd, daughter of Col. Richard Floyd of Mastic, 
 Suflblk County, the head of that old Long Island 
 family, and had three sons and five daughters. The 
 sons were, 1. Thomas James, a lawyer, who died in 
 1822, at the earTy age of 32, leaving by his wife Mary, 
 daughter of Thomas Ellison, an only child, a son, 
 also named (Thomua Jiimes.Jwho married Frances 
 Augusta Bibby, and died in 1859, without having had 
 issue. 2. Edward Floyd, born 18th June, 1795 and 
 died a bachelor, 19th October 1820, S. William 
 Heathcote, born 8th October, 1797, at Mamaroneck, 
 and died at Geneva, New York, April 5, 1865, the 
 late Bishop of Western New York. 
 
 The daughters were five in number. 1. Anne 
 Charlotte, born 17th September, 1786, married 10th 
 December, 1827; John Loudon McAdam, the cele- 
 brated originiitor of McAdamized roads," and died at 
 Hoddesdon, in England, 29th May, 1862, without is- 
 
 > See Town of North Salem. 
 
 < She was hia eeconJ wife. Hi§ first wife wu Qloriannu Nicnll of 
 Saffolk County, Long lalaml; a lint coniin uf Hn. John Petordo Lancey, 
 the mother of hia aecond wifu. 
 
 sue. 2. Susan Augusta, wife of James Fenimore 
 
 I Cooper, the eminent American Author, born 28th 
 
 January. 1792, married 1st January, 1811,' and died 
 
 20th of January, 1852. 3. Maria Frances, born 
 
 August 3d, 1793 ; died 17th of January, 1806. 4. 
 
 Elizabeth Caroline, born 4th March, 1801, and died, 
 
 ! single, 25th February, 1860. 6. Martha Arabella, 
 
 born lOlh January, 1803, who died in May 1882. 
 
 William Heathcote de Lancey, the first Bishop of 
 
 I Western New York, was born at Heathcote Hill, 
 
 Mamaroneck, October 8th, 1797. 
 
 After attending school at Mamaroneck, and then 
 at New Rochelle, where his teacher was Mr. Waite, 
 father of the present Chief Justice Waite of the Su- 
 preme Court of the United States, he was sent to the 
 academy of the Rev. Mr. Hart, at Hempstead, L. I., 
 : and on the death of that gentleman, was transferred 
 at the suggestion of his father's personal friend, the 
 Hon. Rufus King, to that of the Rev. Dr. Eigen- 
 bi'odt, at Jamaica. Entering Yale College in 1813, 
 [ Mr. de Lancey graduated in 1817, and at once com- 
 • inenced the study of theology with the celebrated 
 j Biihop Hobiirt, as a private student. Ho was or- 
 dained a deacon by that prelate on the 28th of De- 
 ! cember, 1819, and a priest on March 6th, 1822. 
 I Mr.de Lancey married on lhe22dof November, 1820, 
 ! Frances, third daughter of Peter Jay Munro, of New 
 ! York, and of Mamaroneck, the distinguished lawyer, 
 onlychild of the Rev. Dr. Harry Munro, the last English 
 Rector of St. Peter's church, Albany, N. Y., by his 
 third wife, Eve Jay, daughter of Peter Jay, the first 
 of that nar •2 in Rye, (one of whose younger brothers 
 was Chief Justice John Jay) by his wife Margaret, 
 daughter of the Hon. Henry White, of the Council of 
 the Province of New York, and his wife Eve Van 
 Cortlandt, of Yonkers. 
 
 While a divinity student Mr. de Lancey held the 
 first services of the Episcopal Church in Mamaro- 
 neck; and with the aid of his father, John Peter de 
 Lancey and Peter Jay Munro, who were its first 
 wardens, founded the Parish of St. Thomas in that 
 village. 
 
 After serving for short periods as deacon iu Trinity 
 church, and in Grace church. New York, he was in- 
 vited by the venerable Bishop White of Pennsylvania 
 to be his personal assistant in the " Three United 
 Churches" of Christ church, St. Peter's, and 8t 
 James in Philadelphia, of which he was also the Rec- 
 tor. Mr. de Lancey accepted this position and re- 
 moved to Philadelphia, where he continued to reside 
 in the closest and most confidential relations with 
 Bishop White, until the death in 1836, of that great 
 and venerable prelate, the first Bishop of the Ameri- 
 can Church, consecrated by Anglican Bishops. 
 
 During this period, in 1827, in his thirtieth year, 
 Mr. de Lancey was chosen Provost of the University 
 
 ' Thia marriage i 
 Heathcote Bill. 
 
 I aolemnized in the hoaae of Mr. de Lancey, at 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 of Pennsylvania, that old " College in Philadelphia" 
 founded by Benjamin Franklin ; and also received 
 the degree of D.D., from his Alma Mater, Yale Col- 
 lege — being the youngest man upon whom, up to that 
 time, she had conferred that honor. He remained 
 in the Provostship five years, having brought the 
 University up to a very flourishing condition, when 
 he resigned to resume his profession and was elected 
 assistant minister of St. Peter's church, Philadelphia, 
 with the reversion of the Rectorship upon the death 
 of Bishop White. 
 
 That event occurring in 1836, Dr. de Lancey then 
 became Rector of St. Peter's and remained such until 
 1839, when, upon the division of the State of New 
 York into two Dioceses, he was elected Bishop of 
 that p:;r» of the State, west of Utica, and consecrated 
 Bishop of Western New York, at Auburn, May itth, 
 1839, and took up his residence at Geneva in Ontario 
 County, a town nearly in the centre of the new Dio- 
 cese the same year. 
 
 After a long, distinguished and successful episcopate 
 of twenty -seven years, Bishoj) de Lancey died in his 
 own house in Geneva, on the 5th of April, ISeS, in the 
 sixty-eighth year of his age. " In him," said a writer 
 of the day, " the Church in America loses the further 
 services of one of her oldest and wisest Bishops. De- 
 scended from one of the oldest and best families in 
 this country — which dates far back in our colonial 
 history, and was from the first one of the staunchest 
 pillars of the Church — Bishop de Lancey had also the 
 good fortune to be personally connected with the 
 leading minds in our American branch of the Church 
 Catholic. After studying for holy orders under 
 Bishop Hobart, and being ordained by him both 
 Deacon and Priest, he became assistant to the vener- 
 able Bishop White, and continued in the closest and 
 most confidential intercourse with him to his death 
 in 1836. * * » During his connection with 
 the Diocese of Pennsylvania, he filled numerous posts 
 of dignity and useful service, among which were the 
 Provostship of the University of Pennsylvania, the 
 Secretaryship of the House of Bishops, and of the 
 Pennsylvania Convention ; his activity, high charac- 
 ter and living influence, were inferior to those of no 
 other Priest in the Diocese. This early promise was 
 not disappointed, but abundantly fulfilled, in his 
 career as the first Bishop of Western New York. He 
 was one of the men whom nature had marked out for 
 a ruler among his fellows. With sound principles, 
 earnest devotion, personal gravity, and spotless purity 
 of life, he possessed a clearness of head, a keen knowl- 
 edge of human nature, and a coolness, caution, readi- 
 ness, and boldness, which all combined in making 
 him a successful Bishop. His skill in debate was re- 
 markable, and was fully equalled by his mastery of all 
 the resourcesof parliamentary tactics, either for carry- 
 ing a measure which he favored, or defeating one to 
 which he was opposed. His vigilance and unflinching 
 tenacity were fully on a par with his other qualities; 
 
 and yet his courtesy and gentlemanly bearing, together 
 with a pleasant touch of humor, so lubricated the 
 friction of every contest, that no undue heat remained 
 on either side when the struggle was over. No higher 
 testimony could be given to the manner in whi'ih he 
 discharged his high office, than the fact of great and 
 steady growth in his Diocese, together with a main- 
 tenance of an internal harmony, unity and peace, such 
 as no one of our great Dioceses has been able to equal, 
 much less surpass ; nor was he ever the subject of 
 systematic attack from outside of hisown jurisdiction. 
 But his care was not limited to his own immediate 
 charge. While Hobart College, and De Veaux Col- 
 lege, and the Theological Training School, and other 
 flourishing Church schools, manifest his power of 
 organization and maintenance, and his success in 
 rallying aid by means of the confidence which his 
 personal and otficial character inspired, he never ne- 
 glected the General Institutions of the Church. Not 
 only in General Convention was he one of the strong 
 men of the Upper House; but in the Board of Mis- 
 sions, in the Church Book Society, in the General 
 Theological Seminary, he has been among the fore- 
 most, sometimes the one of all others to lead the way 
 at critical moments, and to sound the call to which 
 others were glad to rally. His clear-sightedness, in- 
 deed, sometimes made him a little in advance of his 
 time; and no truer proof of wisdom could be given by 
 a tenacious man than the promptness with which he 
 dropped a subject when satisfied that it was not yet 
 ripe for action. One case of this kind was in regard 
 to the General Theological Seminary, which he fore- 
 saw must sooner or later change its form from a gen- 
 eral to a local institution ; and about twenty years 
 ago he proposed it in the Board. The proposal failed, 
 and was not renewed. The time for that change is 
 much nearer now than it was then, and the shape 
 which it will take, will probably be different in some 
 important respects from Bishop de Lancey's ideas at 
 that time.' But his foresight as to the coming change 
 will continue on record. Another and still more im- 
 portant subject was also introduced first by him into 
 General Convention — the adoption of the Provincial 
 System. Bishop White, indeed, had sketched out the 
 plan long before, and he had taken it from the uni- 
 versal system of the Church in all ages and countries ; 
 but Bishop de Lancey was the first to propose it, 
 formally, to the Legislature of the Church. The 
 time had not come; and the Bishop wisely let it sleep 
 thereafter ; but here, as before, the proof of his fore- 
 sight as to the approaching and certain needs of the 
 Church is written in the records of her institutions. 
 Bishops of more brilliance in some departments, of 
 more moving eloquence, of more sympathetic temper- 
 aments, of more personal popularity, of more rapid 
 visible success, we may behold ; but a Bishop more 
 
 > The change did not com* till about flfteen or alxtean jean after 
 BUbop de L.'i death, when the Seminary waa totally reorganlied aa it 
 now Is. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 23 
 
 sagacious, more steady, more true, in laying the 
 foundations of the Church, liice a wise muster-builder, 
 we never expect to see." 
 
 John Peter De Lancey by will (dated 28th of Janu- 
 ary, 1823) devised his property in this town to Thomas 
 James De Lancey, the only child of his deceased son 
 Thomas James, and to his son William Heathcote De 
 Lancey the Bishop of Western New York (except a 
 portion of the western end of De Lancey's Neck which 
 he had conveyed in his life^time to his deceased son 
 Thomas James, who had devised the same to his only 
 child Thomas James the younger). All the property 
 of Thomas James the younger lay upon the western 
 part of de Lancey's Neck. The eastern part of that 
 Neck, the Heathcote Hill tract, and sedge lots, with the 
 other lands of John Peter de Lancey in Mamaroneck 
 passed to the late Bishop dejLancey, who devised the 
 same to his four surviving children, Edward Floyd. 
 John Peter, William Heathcote, Jr., and Margaret, 
 wife of Thomas F. Rochester, M.D. The Heatlicote 
 Hill estate was devised to them equally, and subse- 
 (juently by purchase of the shares of his brothers and 
 sister became the sole property of Edward Floyd de 
 Lancey, the present proprietor. Thomas James de 
 Lancey, the younger, sold his part of de Lancey's 
 Neck in his lifetime, and it is now held by many 
 owners. The eastern part, has now been sold 
 by the children of Bishop de Lancey except the 
 extreme south-eastern part, the country seat of Ed- 
 ward F. de Lancey. 
 
 Peter de Lancey, second son of Etienne de Lancey 
 the Huguenot, prominent in the affairs of the 
 Province, Member of Assembly from Westchester for 
 many years, and High Sheriff was born 2G August, 
 1705, and died 17 October, 1770; he married Eliza- 
 beth daughter of Gov. Cadwallader Colden Jan. 7th 
 1737-8 and had issue twelve children. 1. Stephen a 
 lawyer, Kecorder of Albany, and Clerk of Tryon 
 County ; 2. John succeeded his father as Member 
 for Westchester and was also High Sheriff of the 
 County, married Miss Wickham and had an only 
 child a daughter who was the wife of the Hon. 
 Christopher Yates, Chief Justice and Governor of the 
 State of New York. 3. Peter a lawyer of Charleston, 
 S. C. 4. Anne wife of John Coxe of Philadelphia. 5. 
 Alice, wife of Balph Izard of S. C. Delegate to the 
 Continental Congress from South Carolina, 1780 to 
 1783, U. S. Commissioner to Tuscany in 1777, and U. 
 S. Senator from S. C. 1789 to 1795. (i. Elizabeth died 
 single; 7. James High Sheriff of Westchester at and 
 for several years preceding the outbreak of the 
 American Revolution, Colonel of the Westchester 
 Light Horse, the alert ar.d famous Partisan Chief of 
 the Neutral Ground in the war of the Revolution, 
 Member of the Council of Nova Scotia, died May 2d, 
 1804 at his residence Willow Park, near Annapolis, 
 Nova Scotia, aged 58 years ; 8. Oliver, of Westfarms, 
 Lieutenant in the Brititii Navy, resigned because he 
 would not fight against hia native laud in the Revolu- 
 
 tion, died at Westchester 4th Sept. 1820 ; 9. Susanna 
 wife of Col. Thomas Barclay and mother of Henry, 
 de Lancey, Thomas, George, and Sir Anthony Bar- 
 clay, and Beverly Barclay, and of Eliza wife of 
 Schuyler Livingston, Maria wife of Simon Eraser, 
 and Susan, first wife of the late Peter G. Stuy- 
 vesant of New York, and Ann wife of William H. 
 Parsons of that city ; 10. Jane wife of her cousin the 
 Hon. John Watts Jr, for a time first Judge of West- 
 chester County, and afterwards Recorder of New 
 York; 11. Warren, drowned by accident, a child; 12. 
 Warren, made a cornet of Horse for his gallantry at 
 the battle of White-plains at the age of 15, he having 
 run away from his mother's house at West-farms to 
 join the British Army; afterwards of New York, and 
 subsequently of Madison County New York, where he 
 left descendants. 
 
 Oliver de Lancey, the youngest of the sons of the 
 Huguenot, and the third of them who left issue, born 
 16th Sept. 1718, died at Beverly, Yorkshire, England, 
 27th Nov. 1785, a merchant of New York, but more 
 prominent in Public life, was Colonel of the Forces, 
 and Receiver-General, of the Province of New York 
 for many years ; Member of Assembly for the City 
 from 1756 to 1760; Member of the Governor's Council 
 from 1760 to 1783 ; commander of the Forces of the 
 Province in the French War, and as such present at 
 the Repulse of Ticonderoga; commander of the De- 
 partment of Long Island during the whole Revolu- 
 tionary War, for which he raised a brigade of three 
 Regiments called " De Lancey's Battalions " of which 
 he was the Brigadier-General. Married Phila Franks 
 of Philadelphia in 1742, and had issue two sons and 
 four daughters ; 1. Stephen, a lawyer born 1748, died 
 6 Dec. 1798 at Portsmouth N. IL, Lt. Col. of one of 
 his Father's Battalions, after the war Chief Justice 
 of the Bahamas, and Governor of Tobago, 
 married Cornelia daughter of Rector Barclay of 
 Trinity church, N. Y., had one son. Sir William Howe 
 de Lancey, K. C. B. (iuarter-Master-General of Wel- 
 lington's Army in 1815, who was killed at Waterloo. 
 The daughters of Gov^ Stephen, were, 1. Susan, mar- 
 ried 1st Col. Wm. Johnson eldest son of Sir .lohn 
 Johnson, Bart., and 2d General Sir Hudson Lowe, K. 
 C. B. Governor of St. Helena during the captivity of 
 Napoleon the Great. Charlotte her only daughter by 
 Col. Johnson married Count Balmain, the Russian 
 Commissioner at St. Helena ; 2. Phila died, single, 3. 
 Anne married Wm. Lawson of the Island of Berbice, 
 4. Charlotte married Col. Child of the British Army. 
 
 2. Oliver De Lancey the second son of Brigadier 
 General Oliver, (often confounded in histories and 
 other writings with his Father) entered the British 
 Regular Army, as Cornet in the 17th Light Dragoons, 
 a youth, several years prior to the American Revolu- 
 tion. He succeeded Andre (being then a Major) in 
 1780 as Adjutant-General of the British Army in 
 America. In 1 794 was made Colonel of his Regiment 
 in succession to the Duke of Newcastle, and Barrack 
 
a 
 
 MAMARONECK. 
 
 Muster Geiienil of the Empire ii year or two lutcr. 
 Died unmarried, Colonel of his Keginient and a full 
 Qeneralin the Ilritish Army in 1820. 
 
 The Daughters of Brigadier-General Oliver de 
 Lanccy were, 1. Susanna wife of General Sir Wm. 
 Draper, the conqueror of Manilla, and the opponent 
 of "Junius." 2. Phila wife of Stei)hen Payne-Qalwey 
 of the Island of Antigua, 3. Anna wife of Col. John 
 Harris Cruger, the gallantdefendcrof Fort Ninety Six 
 in Carolina, Member of the Council of the Province 
 of New York, and as such certified to the correctness 
 and legality of the final Partition of the Heathcote es- 
 tate in the Manor of Scarsdale in 1774. 4. Charlotte 
 wife of Field ]\[arshall Sir David Dundas K. C. B. 
 who succeeded the Duke of York iis commander-in- 
 chief of the British Army. 
 
 All the usual stores and markets, and conveniences 
 of living are to be found in Mamaroneck, and of a 
 class and grade not exceeded by any other village in 
 the County. Divided from the villiige of Rye Neck 
 only by the Mamaroneck river with a free bridge 
 across it, the latter has drawn ofl" a large portion of 
 the population naturally belonging to Mamaroneck 
 which is the post town for both, and has nuide prac- 
 tically both places one except in voting. Hence too 
 the different societies of all kinds found in an Amer- 
 ican town, social, charitable, musical, mechanical, 
 and to some extent religious have their headquarters 
 in Rye Neck and will be found described in the 
 Chapter on Rye. 
 
 The village of Manuironeck until within the last 
 few years has suffered, from and Rye Neck has been 
 benefited by, a singular cause as far as growth is 
 concerned. In 1811 under a special act of the Leg- 
 islature was incorporated " The Westchester County 
 Manufacturing Society." ' The Act gave this corpo 
 ration power to purchase, hold, and convey, lands 
 and tenements, goods, wares, and merchandise what- 
 soever necessary to theobjectaof this incorporation." 
 Under this sweeping clause it bought two farms on 
 the Mamaroneck side of the river belonging to Gil- 
 bert Budd, a most honorable and respected man, one 
 called the " Hadley " farm of about fi2 acres, the 
 other the "Homestead" of about 182 acres, or to- 
 gether 244 acres. This was all the land in the imme- 
 diate neighbourhood of the mouth of the river on its 
 west side and the village upon which the latter could 
 grow. The company built a large dam and factory. 
 But after a moderate success for a few years it ended 
 in failure, and from that time till 1870 it was followed 
 by a long succession of unsuccessful enterprises of a 
 manufacturing character each in turn succumbing to 
 failure, or forced sale. The consojuence was that the 
 title to the property became so involve<l, embarrassed, 
 and confused, that faith was lost in it. The land be- 
 came unsaleable, and it remained practically dead to 
 the great detriment of the village in every respect. 
 
 > Cb, IT UWB of IHll. 
 
 About 1870 began a change, and now it is understood 
 that the clouds are entirely dispersed. As soon as this 
 was found to be really the ease, village improvement 
 bc'iin at once, and is now going on with increasing 
 r: lity. 
 
 . imaroaeck was without a newspaper until four 
 years ago, its local wants being supplied by the 
 neighbouring Journals of Rye and Portchester. In 
 May 1882, The Mamaroneck Register was established 
 by William E. Peters, met with very fair success and 
 is still in existence under him as Editor and Propri- 
 etor. It is a four page paper, of six columns to a 
 page, and is issued every Wednesday. It pursues an 
 independent course in politics. Several years prior 
 to 1882 an attempt was made to publish a paper 
 called the JnvesHtjator by George M. Forbes. 
 But it met with no success, and after a brief exist- 
 ence, was given up. 
 
 About 1856 an attempt to run a steamer called the 
 Island City, between Mamaroneck and New York was 
 made, stopping at New Rochelle and City Island, and 
 carrying both passengers and freight. The leading 
 man in the enterprise was the late John Griffin. Her 
 landing place was at the foot of Bleecker now 
 Union Avenue in De Lancey's Neck, Bishop de Lan- 
 cey who owned the spot having at the request of Mr. 
 Griffin and the other gentlemen obtained a grant per- 
 mitting the building of a Dock below low water mark 
 at that point, and leased them the privilege at a nominal 
 rent. The enterprise failed, was subsequently re- 
 newed by Wm. Taylor with a landing on Harbor 
 Island, but that also failed. The "Mary E. Gordon." 
 freight boat only, was built by Capt. Gedney, the old 
 sloop owner in 1880, and makes trips three times a 
 week. Her owners arc Captain Joseph H. Gedney and 
 sons. She is the first boat that has brought freight 
 regularly to the present dock, and is the modern suc- 
 cessor of a very long line of " Mamaroneck Sloops." 
 Famous vessels in their day were those Mamaroneck 
 sloops, and their day was a very long one. 
 
 Some of them were very fast, and there was a fierce 
 rivalry between the old sloop captains of all the 
 ports on the sound as far as New London. They 
 carried passengers regularly as well as freight, and 
 great was the excitement, and often high the betting, 
 when a new and fust vessel made her first appearance 
 from any of the little ports on the "East River." 
 
 The necessity of having a fire department was 
 forced upon the attention of the inhabitants of Mam- 
 aroneck by a conflagration which took place in the 
 business part of the villugc on Junuary 1st, 1884. 
 Soon after a Hook and Ladder Company was formed, 
 known as Union Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1, of 
 Mamaroneck and Rye Neck. Joseph H. McLough- 
 lin, a very active man and the leading plumber of 
 the town, was elected foreman of the company, An- 
 drew Coles, assistant foreman, Lewis R. Bramm, 
 Treasurer, and Charles F. Seaman, Secretary. The 
 aiqiaratus wtis purchased by public subscription, aud 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 is lodged in the basement of the town hall. The 
 number of members in 188*5 was 2-"). 
 
 On January 4, 1881, application was made to the 
 autiiorities of the town of jVIamaroncck by Henry M. 
 Flagler, Jabez A. Uostwick, Ambrose M. McGregor, 
 James M. Conntable, Thomas L. Rushmore, William 
 G. Read, David Dudley Field, David F. Britt, Joseph 
 Hoti'man, M.D., ISamuel W. Johnson, Edward F. De 
 Laneey, Charles J. Osborne, William T. Cornell and 
 Leonard Jacob for authority to form and organize 
 the Mamaroneck Water Company and lay pipes 
 through the town streets. The application was 
 granted, the company was formed and soon after 
 began the construction of a water works, and in the 
 spring of 188o water was introduced through their 
 pipes into houses in the village. The company has 
 a capital of $25,000. The source from which the 
 water sup|)ly is taken is the Mamaroneck River. 
 The site of the old saw mill originally erected by 
 Colonel Ileathcote before referred to, was bought, the 
 dam rebuilt in an enlarged form forming a large 
 pond, the waters of which are pumped up into a 
 reservoir on adjacent high ground, about 117 feet 
 above high water mark of the sound. This head is 
 sufticient for all general purjmses. The officers of 
 the company are, President, James M. Constable; 
 Treasurer, J. A. Bostwick; Secretary, William T. 
 Cornell. 
 
 There are two School Districts in Mamaroneck, 
 Nos. Olio and Two, well attended and in a good state 
 of efficiency. But they sulfer as does the whole 
 school system of the State of New York, from being 
 one of the foot balls of politics, and like all others 
 throughout the State are therefore liable to evil in- 
 fluences. An instance of how oppressive and unjust 
 the School system as now administered is, upon the 
 owners of the real estate of the Commonwealth, is 
 furnished now by our County of Westchester. The 
 writer is informed that the amount apportioned to 
 this County this year, 188(), from the Common School 
 Fund is $i')6,000 while the amount assessed upon and 
 collected from its real estate last year for that fund 
 was $75,000. No renmrks are necessary, the fact 
 speaks for itself. 
 
 The Town possesses a Town Hall, a large frame 
 edifice on High Street : ear Mount Pleasant Street, 
 which was bought and altered for its present pur- 
 pose, from the former JMethodist Society of Mamaro- 
 neck a few years ago, when that society removed to 
 Rye Neck. It contains a Urgo Public Hall on the 
 main floor, with public offices, a lock-uj), and a 
 house tire ap])aratus beneath it. There is also in it 
 the Library of the Athenreum Society, and the Safes 
 and Cases of the Town Records in charge of the 
 Town Clerk. 
 
 Mamaroneck is a post town and one of the oldest 
 
 in the State, dating as such from the last century. 
 
 The present postmaster is William A. Boyd, who has 
 
 held the office and administered for very many years 
 
 4 
 
 past to the general satisfaction of the entire commu- 
 nity. The salary now is $1100 per annum. 
 
 The New Haven Rail Road runs through the town, 
 but so far north of the village, the harbor and the 
 Necks on each side of it and the Sound, that neither 
 can be seen from the station. The daily trains are 
 numerous and convenient. It is now understood 
 that a new Rail Road will be built in a very short 
 time, which will run near the water and across the 
 upper edge of the harbor, and enter the City of New 
 York over the new Bridge across the Harlem river 
 at Second avenue. 
 
 The churches of Mamaroneck are two only, the 
 Episcopal church of St. Thomas, and the Society of 
 Friends. The meeting house of the latter, however, 
 is a few feet across the line of Mamaroneck in the 
 adjoining town of Scarsdale, having been thrown 
 into that town by the town line as fixed by the Act 
 of 1788. The Society itself is it is believed the sec- 
 ond oldest meeting in the County of Westchester, 
 the first being that at the town of Westchester which 
 was organized in 1(585. The Friends came to West- 
 chester, both the town and the County, from Long 
 Island, those who came to the neighborhood of Mam- 
 aroneck, chiefly from Flushing and the country imme- 
 diately about it. The meeting at Mamaroneck was 
 organized in 1686 and was held at a private house.' 
 This house the writer believes was that of Samuel 
 Palmer, afterwards the "Old House" of Peter Jay 
 Muuro, before referred to and its position described. 
 They increased so much, that in 1704 an ajiplication 
 was made to the Court of General Sessions, Colonel 
 Caleb Heathcote presiding, that Samuel Palmer's 
 house at Mamaroneck be recorded as an authorized 
 place for Quaker worship under the Act of William 
 and Mary. The order was granted and a copy signed 
 by Colonel Heathcote delivered to Samuel Palmer. 
 In 1728 the meeting was made a " Preparative Meet- 
 ing for Business," that is, for the administration of 
 discipline, &c. On the opposite side of the Westches- 
 ter Path, and west of Samuel Palmer's house, and at 
 the top of the rising ground ascended by the Path or 
 road was laid out, and still is, the old burying ground 
 of the Palmers, and adjoining it was another plot 
 larger, and still existing and still called the Quaker 
 Burying-Ground. The Boston Road to-uay at that 
 point is still the old Westchester Path. Both plots 
 were directly opposite the entrance to Mr. Peter Jay 
 Munro's rounds within which, in 1819, he erected 
 his splendid Country House, now the Hotel at Larch- 
 mont, termed the "Manor House." In the centre of 
 the last mentioned plot, some little distance back 
 from the road, was built, probably the first Quaker 
 Meeting House in Mamaroneck. The exact year ia 
 uncertain but was probably 1739,' in which year Mr. 
 
 ' MS. Icftor of .lanieii Wood, tho prwont I'rMldont of the Wostchwrter 
 lUstorionl Soeli'ty, who hiis iniirto exhiiustiTe rwieikrchua into tho history 
 of the Friends in Westchoflter County, 
 
 ' Letter of Junies Wood. 
 
u 
 
 MAMARONECK. 
 
 Wood says a meeting house wiia built there, but he 
 does not know whctli' rit was the first. Mr. William 
 H. Carpenter of the present meeting who at the 
 writer's request made investigations of this point 
 says it was "in 173;') or thereabout." ' On that sjiot 
 stood the house, and there the Meeting was held, till 
 17(58. On the Gth of the 2d month,— February — in 
 that year the quarterly meeting at the Purchase 
 directed five Friends to "review" "the place near the 
 centre of said meeting " to which it wiw proposed to 
 move the Meeting House at Mamaroneck, there being 
 some dissatisfaction. 
 
 At the quarterly meeting held at the " oblong " on 
 the 30th of the succeeding 4th month, April, 17<i8, 
 the committee made the following interesting report: 
 
 "The friends that were appointed a Committee to 
 take a review of the place to set the meeting house 
 on made report that they had met the friend'i belong- 
 ing to Mamaroneck weekly meeting and taken a re- 
 view of the places proposed to set the meeting house 
 on for Mamaroneck weekly meeting & are of opinion 
 that a piece of land of Benjamin Palmei's near & ad- 
 joining Cornells land is the most suitable place for 
 that purpose as being near the centre of said weekly 
 meeting & as Benjamin Palmer offered to give half an 
 acre of land to our Society for that use & purpose & 
 John Cornel half an acre adjoining to it for the same 
 use & also each of them to sell half an acre for three 
 pounds ten shillings apiece therefore this meeting 
 approves of having a meeting house set up & erected 
 on said land of Benjamin Palmer, & appoints Edward 
 Burling & Joseph GriH'en to take deeds of Benjamin 
 Palmer & John Cornel for said land, & John Cornel 
 Edward Burling and .Joseph Grifl'en & lienjamin 
 Cornel, or the majority of them are appointed a Com- 
 mittee to sell the meeting house at Mamaroneck with 
 the ground it stands on & the land to the westward 
 of the house adjoining the road the width of the house 
 & give a deed for the same or remove the house to & 
 on the land of Benjamin Palmer aforesaid — if that 
 house should be sold the new house to be near the 
 dimensions of the old meeting house, & to be one 
 story high with a chimney to it, & report to be made 
 by said Committee to next Quarterly Meeting, & said 
 Committee or some of them are to get a subscription 
 made by the weekly meeting of Mauiaroneck & bring 
 to next Quarterly Meeting." 
 
 The old meeting house was not sold but was taken 
 down and apart and removed to the new location, on the 
 beautiful and commanding hill where it stands to-day. 
 The old plot was not sold but kept as a burying 
 ground. Another plot beside it on the west was sold 
 and is now within the place of Mr. Meyers. This 
 was the lot long known as the Locust lot from its 
 being covered for many years with those trees. At 
 the succeeding meeting in October, Edward Burling 
 reported for the Committee " that the Meeting House 
 
 1 Iietter of Ur. Carpenter. 
 
 was removed from Mamaroneck and set on said land 
 of Benjamin Palmer, and that the expense of removing 
 the house and setting it u]), and completing it will 
 amount to about eighty pounds, including the seven 
 pounds for one acre of land bought of Benjamin 
 Palmer and John Cornell, and that a subscription 
 was made by friends belonging to the weekly meeting 
 of Mamaroneck amounting to Twenty-eight Pounds 
 towards the expense of the said house beside the land 
 given ; and requested the quarterly meeting to ask for 
 and from each monthly meeting towards paying the 
 debt. At the succeeding November meeting at Pur- 
 chase, six pounds, 13 shillings were reported from the 
 Weekly meeting at Westchester " and paid in," and 
 there was also "paid in" a subscription "from Os- 
 wego particular meeting " of seventeen shillings and 
 sixpence, and delivered to Edward Burling jr. It is 
 most surprising that in 17()8, a gift from Oswego then 
 a mere frontier Indian trading stati(ui should have 
 been sent down to the Friends at Mamaroneck I By 
 the 6th of 5th month, June 1769, Benedict Carpenter 
 reported that the debt had been reduced to £18, 10, 05. 
 In due time that was paid off, and the new Meeting 
 house — if it may be called so — was entirely paid for. 
 From that time to the present the meeting has con- 
 tinued. It felt the change growing out of the move- 
 ment of Elias Hicks upwards of sixty years since. 
 The two parties quietly separated and another meeting 
 was formed which erected another small Meeting 
 House in the same grounds with the old one, where 
 worship is also maintained- 
 
 "In 1883 the meeting house being in an almost hope- 
 lessly dilapidated condition a movement was success- 
 fully inaugurated to restore it, retaining however the 
 frame of the venerated structure, which resulted in 
 the , resent exceedingly comfortable and neat house 
 of worship. During the greater portion of its exist- 
 ence the meeting has been large and influential, 
 many of it« members have been noted for their prom- 
 inence in business and social circles and always for 
 their integrity and stability. During very many 
 years latterly there has been no acknowledged min- 
 ister in connection with the meeting, yet it has con- 
 tinued without it, and from present appearances al- 
 though its members are not numerous yet it bids fair 
 to hold its own for many years to come a continuing 
 testimony to spiritual worship without priest or choir. 
 It may be of interest to name a few of its adherents 
 now living, viz. Jonathan Carpenter, William Bur- 
 ling, David F. Britt, Samuel J. Barnes, Thos. K. 
 Morrell, Noah Tompkins, John D. Schureman, James 
 Griffen, George Millets and William H. Carpenter 
 who with their families are earnest in the support of 
 the ancient society they are proud to be connected 
 with."' 
 
 From 1693 to 1784 Mamaroneck was one of the Pre- 
 
 » Letter of William H. Carpenter to whom and Mr. Berling I am In- 
 debted fur copies of tUe Uociunents lued and cited in tbe above alietch. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 27 
 
 cinctH of the Parish of Rye, one of the two territorial 
 parishes erected in Westchester Coiinty in the former 
 year under the Act establishing parishes of the Chiircli 
 of England within the Counties of New York and 
 Westchester passed March 24, 1()93,' an act which with 
 several amendments made in later years continued in 
 force till repealed by the Legislature of the State in 
 the year 1784, just about a hundred years. The Estab- 
 lishment of the Church of England within the Prov- 
 ince of New York and its Parochial organization in 
 Westchester County will be found fully described in 
 Parts 10, and 11, of the chapter on Manors in this vol- 
 ume." The Inhabitants of the Parish of Rye elected 
 Church wardens and Vestrymen, and paid the charges 
 authorized by law during this whole period. Their 
 duties besides those of seeing to the proper religious 
 Services in the parish churches, were also those in re- 
 lation to assessments, taking care of the poor, and 
 other duties now performed by town officials. During 
 his residence here Colonel Heathcote was usually 
 chosen a vestryman and often a Warden. The first 
 election under the act of 1693 we know was held pur- 
 suant to the summons of Justice Theall under the law 
 at Rye on the 28th February l(»94-5. John Lane 
 and John Brondig (Brundige) were elected church 
 Wardens, and Jonathan Hurt Joseph Horton 
 Joseph Purdy, Timothy Knapp, Hachaliah Brown, 
 Thomas Merritt, Deliverance Brown, and Isaac Den- 
 ham, vestrymen." In 1702 is the record of another 
 election, when on the 12"' of January at a lawful 
 town meeting in the Precinct of Rye Colonel Caleb 
 Heathcote and the Justice Theall (who summoned 
 the meeting of the Inhabitants for the election of 
 1695) were elected Church Wardens, and Justice 
 Purdy, Justice Mott, Capt. Horton, Deliverance 
 Brown, Hachaliah Brown, George Lane, Sen., 
 Thomas Purdy, Thomas Disbrow, Isaac Denhara, 
 and Samuel Lane, were elected vestrymen for the 
 ensuing year. * 
 
 These elections will be found mentioned in Baird's 
 History of Rye, chapter 24th, from which I have taken 
 the particulars not having had the time to examine the 
 Rye Records personally as was intended.' The very able 
 and Reverend Author of that very valuable work was 
 evidently unaware of the legal nature of the origin of 
 the establishment of the church of England in West- 
 chester County, and has given an eroneous view of it 
 in that chapter, as will be seen by comparing it with 
 that which will be found in the chapter on Manors in 
 this work. A view based on tne mistaken idea that 
 it was the Act of 1693 which established the church 
 
 1 II. Bradfurd's Lawa, 19. 
 
 < Ante pp. B8 to 1U8 Inclusive. 
 
 » Town Rdconis of Rye. 
 
 «Town Recordi of Kye. 
 
 'In 1704, MadHHie Knight, in ber Journul before referred tu, iiayii in 
 apealcingof the towns of Mamaroneclc, Bye, and Horseneclc (Qreenwich) 
 " that one church of England parson officiated in all these three towns 
 once ever)' Sunday throughout the year." 
 
 of England within New York, whereas it was estab- 
 lished by the royal authority many years before. New 
 York being a conquered Province. And being the 
 only British American province so conquered from 
 another nation by the English Crown, it was there- 
 fore the only one in America in which that Crown, by 
 the law of England, had the power and right to es- 
 tablish the church of England. In 172.') Mamaroneck 
 paid towards the tax to support the Rector of Rye 
 under the act of 1693, £18. Later, in 1767, the 
 amount then, was £19, 2, 6. These sums were the 
 annual ones for those years. The amounts were an- 
 nually fixed by board of Justices under the law. 
 
 So strong was the connection of Mamaroneck 
 with Rye as a part of that Parish, in fact and in feel- 
 ing, that it continued practically down to the founding 
 of St. Thomas' Church, Mamaroneck. All Mamar- 
 oneck people of the Episcopal Church attended at 
 Rye church, and were married and buried, and their 
 children baptized, by the Rectors of Rye, A very few 
 went to the New Rochelle church but the large ma- 
 jority went to Rye. It was simply an example of the 
 power of faith and habit which descended to them 
 from their ancestors. 
 
 While a youth in Yale College the late Rt. Rev. 
 William Heathcote de Lancey first begun holding 
 Episcopal services in Mamaroneck while on his 
 visits to his home at Heathcote Hill. He entered 
 college in 1813 and graduated in 1817, and these ser- 
 vices began in 1814. He met with better success 
 than he anticipated. His Father John Peter De 
 Lancey took great interest in the matter, as did his 
 friend and neighbor Mr. Peter J. Munro, and Mr. 
 and Mrs. Peter Jay, the blind Mr. Jay, of Rye. 
 Finally young Mr. de Lancey was so successful that 
 on April 12th, 1814, under the auspices of his Father 
 and Mr. Peter J. Munro a parish was organized under 
 the old act of 17th March, 1795, to which was given the 
 name of St. Thomas. Mr. John Peter de Lancey 
 and Mr. Peter Jay Munro Church Wardens, and 
 Capt. William Gray, Benjamin Hadden, Henry Ged- 
 ney, Samuel Deal, Abraham Guion, and Matthias G. 
 Valentine Vestrymen " at the first election held on 
 Tuesday in Easter week of that year. The Rev. Mr. 
 Haskell Rector of Rye and several of the clergy of 
 the neighbouring parishes took charge of the services, 
 which were held in the present Town Hall, then a 
 Methodist Church just built, by the courtesy of that 
 Society which hud just previously been organized. 
 They were continued with much though not perfect 
 regularity. In 1813 the Legislature passed a new 
 " Act relating to Religious Societies " which changed 
 and made more favorable the method of organizing 
 Episcopal Churches. The parish continued however 
 under the original organization of 1814, till 1817, 
 when by the advice of Mr. Munro, a new organization 
 
 •Certificate recorded in Lib. A. of Rellgiuu Societies in West. Go. 
 Reg^r. office p. 50. 
 
S8 
 
 MAMAKONECK. 
 
 was effected under the later law, in order that some 
 of its benctitri miglit be availed of. 
 
 The first meeting with this object was held 5 April 
 1817 and the new incorporation was effected June 
 9th 1817. The Pariah was admitted to union with 
 the Convention on the 1st of October 1817, Dr. 
 Guy Carlcton Bayley being its first delegate. The 
 next year 1818 Mr. William H. de Lancey then pur- 
 suing his studies in Theology with Bishop Hobart 
 was the lay delegate. The Church Wardens were the 
 same, John Peter de Lancey and Peter Jay Munro. 
 The vestrymen under the new organisation were 
 Henry Qedney, Benjamin Hadden, Jacob Mott, 
 Thomas J. de Lancey, Benjamin Crooker, Ouy 0. 
 Bayley, Monmouth Lyon, Kdward F. de Lancey. 
 The Rev. Mr. Haskell, who was Mr. John P. de Lan- 
 cey's Rector at Rye, and under his influence long 
 afforded a nursing hand to the infant parish, often 
 giving it services both on Sundays and week days. 
 Mr. de Lancey kept up his connection with, and pew 
 in Rye Church to the time of his death in 1828, and 
 
 ST. THOMAS' CHURCH, (OLD). 
 
 he also had a pew in the church at New Rochelle by 
 way of aiding that parish then needing all the help 
 it coul 1 g t. 
 
 No ckigjiiian was regularly called at first. After 
 Mr. William H. de Lancey was ordained Deacon in 
 1820 he served temporarily for a few months in Grace 
 church, New York, and subsequently in Trinity 
 church, N. Y. In the spring of 1821, when the 
 latter temporary engagement ended he returned to 
 his father's House at Mamaroneck, until Bishop Ho- 
 bart could give him a permanent parish. While at 
 Mamaroneck he was called to .St. Thomas's, accepted, 
 and served gratuitouHly, till 1822 when through Bishop 
 Hobart's recommendation he was invited by Bishop 
 White of Pennsylvania, to become his personal 
 assistant in the "three United churches" of Christ 
 church, St. Peter's, and St James's in Philadelphia of 
 which he was also Rector. This invitation Mr. de 
 Lancey accepted, and in April 1822 took up his resi- 
 dence in that city. He thus became from June 1821 
 
 to April 1822, Hl""it ten months, the first clergyman 
 regularly in chargi of St. Thomas's, Mamaroneck. 
 
 In 1823 a frame church with pointed windows and 
 a low tower was erected, and consecrated on the 17th 
 of June in that year by the Rt. Rev. John Henry Ho- 
 bart, then the Bishop of New York. The expense 
 was mainly borne by Mr. John Peter de Lancey, Mr. 
 Peter Jay Munro, and Mr. Purdy the father of the 
 present Mr. Samuel O. Purdy, of Harrison. The 
 clergy present were the Rev. Lewis P. Bayard and the 
 Rev. Lawson Carter, both warm friends, and the former 
 a relative of Mr. de Lancey and the wife of Mr. 
 Munro. A cut of it is given which shows the edifice 
 as it wa-s originally. It was enlarged some years later, 
 in 1835 by a chancel, and again in 1857 — at the chan- 
 cel end by an addition containing another window on 
 each side, and so remained until removed, and subse- 
 quently torn down, on the erection of the i)re8ent 
 striking and exceedingly handsome stone church, 
 built at their sole expense and presented to the 
 church corporation, by Mr. James M. Constable and 
 his children as a memorial of his wife and their 
 mother the late Mrs. Henrietta Constable, who de- 
 parted this life February 11"', 1884. The Corner- 
 stone was laid December 4th, 1884, by the Rt. Rev. 
 Henry C. Potter, Assistant Bishop of New York, and 
 the church was consecrated by the same Prelate 
 June 10th, 188C, the Rev. Dr. Swope of Trinity Par- 
 ish, New York, preaching the sermon. The new 
 church, of which an engraving is given from a draw- 
 ing expressly made for the purpose by Mr. Bnssett 
 Jones its masterly Architect, is a beautiful building, 
 chaste, simple, dignified, and very effective. It is a 
 perfect specimen of an old English Parish Church. 
 The style is the Early English (iothic, with the mas- 
 si veness often found in the churches of that period. 
 It is built of Belleville brown stone, rusticated, and 
 consists of chancel, nave, tower, and two porches. 
 The entire length is 127 feet, that of the nave alone 
 70 feet, the chancel, a square one, is 25 deep by 19 
 feet wide, and the height of the tower is 87 feet. It 
 has a high open timbered roof in the rich yellow pine 
 of the Southern states. The altar and reredos are 
 of Caen stone richly sculptured, the latter .showing 
 an exquisitely executed bas-relief of the Last Sup- 
 per of Leonardo da Vinci. The pulpit is also of 
 Caen stone carved, surmounted by a wide polished 
 brass panelled rail of antique design. The windows 
 are of English stained glass all showing figure subjects 
 finely executed. The font, after a special and beau- 
 tiful design of the architect, is of the deeply rich 
 tinted Derbyshire Spar, recently discovered in larger 
 masses than ever before known, not far from the City 
 of Chesterfield in Derbyshire in England, all highly 
 polished inside and outside. The pews in num- 
 ber 80 afford 350 sittings'and are of oak. The Tower 
 contains a very musical sweet toned chime of 10 
 bells, and a clock which strikes the quarters and half 
 hours, as well as the hours. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 In the same enclosure with the church, and a short 
 distance from it stand the Rectory and parish build- 
 ings in the same style of architecture but built of 
 brick with brown stone cawings, and slate roofs. They 
 are happily of irregular shape and combined so under 
 a series of varying angles and roofs, that they present 
 to the eye but a single very picturesque edifice. 
 The whole together, though the general effect is im- 
 paired by being in the business and not very attrac- 
 tive partof the village, an evil that has been partially 
 remedied by the liberal purchase and removal of ad- 
 joining buildings, and throwing their area into fair 
 gardens, form one of the most thorough, complete, 
 beautiful and churchly group of Parish edifices, with 
 appropriate surroundings in this county, and are a 
 noble monument to the Wife and Mother in whose 
 memory they have been erected. 
 
 
 ST. THOMAS' CHURCH, (NEW). 
 
 At Larchmont a handsome frame chapel was erect- 
 ed four years ago by the Trustees of the Larchmont 
 Land Company for general services. Afterward it 
 was organized as a chapel of ease of St. Thomas's 
 Church Mamaroneck under the ministration and 
 direction as to its services of the Rector of that 
 church for the time being. It and the Sunday school 
 attached to it is only open during the summer season. 
 Usually an arrangement is made with the assent 
 of the Rector of St. Thomas with some clergyman 
 temporarily for the services at the chapel during the 
 season. The Trustees in 1886 are Marcus P. Wood- 
 ruiT and David Jardine. 
 
 A Methodist Society was organized and a frame 
 church built in Mamaroneck, on High Street in 1813. 
 It there continued with a small congregation till 
 about the year 1850, when it was removed to Rye 
 Neck and a large and handsome frame church edifice 
 was there erected about a third of a mile from the 
 Mamaroneck River Bridge and nearly at the junction 
 of the old Westchester Path with the road running 
 east from that Bridge, ar account of which falls ap- 
 
 propriately in the chapter on Rye. The late Mr. 
 .Tames M. Fuller organized a Methodist Sunday- 
 school and ert'ct«Ml 11 building for its use in 1878 on 
 Weaver street mainly at liis own expense, which he 
 superintended himself until his lamented death in 
 June 188.'), when Mr. William H. Stiles succeeded 
 him assisted by Mr. Hriullbrd RliodoH. The object 
 is to afford Sunday-school instruction to children in 
 the neighbourhood, which is distant from the villages 
 of Mamaroneck and Rye Neck. All the gentlemen 
 connected with it are Methodists but it is under- 
 stood that it is not conducted under the auspices of 
 any denomination in particular. 
 
 The Incidents of the Revolution which occurred in 
 Mamaroneck are not ninny. Its inhabitants as well 
 as the great majority of the Peopleof the County were 
 a perfectly satisfied, quiet, community, satisfied with 
 their surrounding, and their lot. They had a market 
 within a day's journey or a day's sail for all that they 
 could raise beyond their own wants. Their taxes were 
 light and they managed their local concerns for them- 
 selves under the easy laws of the Province. They 
 felt no pressure of any kind or from any quarter. 
 Kven in the politics of the day there was no high 
 party feeling, still loss any undue excitements. They 
 were a happy, contented people perfectly satisfied to 
 be let alone. 
 
 When the movements of politicians of New York 
 and other places against the English Ministry began, 
 which resulted, contrary to the wishes of those who 
 first started these movements, in the Declaration of 
 Independence, the i)eople of Westchester as a mass 
 were not in favor of them. Neither were some of those 
 whogaveafinal assent to them. Hence it was that not- 
 withstanding that Westchester eventually became the 
 Neutral Ground, the people who dwelt in it were more 
 in favor of the old state of things than in the proposed 
 new one. It was natural. It is so in all countries 
 under all systems. Those who excite revolutionary 
 movements to overthrow old governments, are always 
 a minority, and usually a very great minority, of the 
 inhabitants of the Country the institutions of which 
 are changed by violence or war. Hence it was that 
 in 1774 the people of Mamaroneck opposed the 
 action of the Committee of Correspondence, set forth 
 in their circular of 29 July 1774 as also did those of 
 Rye. ' 
 
 When it was known that Gage's Army in Boston 
 was getting short of provisions late in 1775, a sort of 
 killing bee was held at William Sutton's house at de 
 Lancey's Neck, the neighboring farmers drove cattle 
 there and a certain day killed and dressed, and after- 
 ward salted down and barrelled as soon as it coulJ be 
 done, beeves enough to load a sloop as a contribution 
 to the besieged troops at Boston. She was loaded at 
 Indian point, near the present home of Mr. James J. 
 Burnet, and sent off on her voyage, Butshe never got 
 
 iSee PruceediugH of Maiuaruueck, Ac, iu 1. Forctj'o Archives. 
 
30 
 
 MAMAKONECK. 
 
 to Boston. Through some carck-wiiioiiH in runninfr 
 out with u amiirt breeze, xho run it little too near the 
 end of a reof in rounding the Scotch Ctipa, struck h 
 pointed rock, and wink beyond it with all nn board. 
 The crew was saved hut the beef in the hold was all 
 loat. It u not related that any second attempt was ever 
 made. 
 
 The most important Revolutionary incident, v/aa 
 the night buttle on Heuthcote Hill und the high 
 ridge above it, between the Delaware Regiment, und 
 parts of First and Third Virginia Regiments of Wash- 
 ington's army, under Colonel Haslet and Major 
 Green, and Roberts's Rangers of Howe's Army under 
 Major Rogers, resulting in the repulse of the former 
 with severe loss to the latter who retained their posi- 
 tion. On October 2l8t, 1776, Rogers's Cor}>8 of about 
 400 or 450 men which formed the extreme end of the 
 right wing of Howe's Army, then moving up from 
 Pelhum Neck, reached Mamaroneck and encamped 
 upon the high flat of Heathcote Hill, under the lee 
 of the ridge above it for protection from the North- 
 west winds, which at that season had grown cold. 
 No enemy was beyond them and this position was 
 therefore chosen. Rogers himself nmde his head- 
 quarters in a small house which then stood directly 
 on the north side of the old Westchester Path or 
 road, right opposite the gate of the lane which ran 
 down de Lancey's Neck to Sutton's House, which 
 stood within the present Miller premises now owned 
 by Mr. J. A. Bostwick. On the 22d of October Wash- 
 ington rode up to White Plains in advance of his 
 army, who had then reached Valentine's Hill. Learn- 
 ing there of Rogers's advance and position, he at once 
 sent orders to Colonel Haslet to take his Delaware 
 regiment of 600 strong, and 150 men of the First and 
 Third Virginia under Major Green, and surprise and 
 cut him oft'.' The Virginians were to lead the attack 
 and the Delaware troops to support them. Rogers 
 had been a scout of Sir William Johnson's with Israel 
 Putnam, in the French War, was a man of fair edu- 
 cation, not much principle, but extremely bold, cour- 
 ageous, and wary. Knowing the American Army was 
 below his position and to the southwest of it, he ex- 
 tended his pickets more than a third of a mile the 
 second night beyond where they wers on the first night 
 and doubled their numbers, cad then went to his own 
 headquarters. Haslctt marched all night and reached 
 the neighborhood before day. His guides not aware 
 of the change in Rogers's pickets led the Virginians 
 directly upon them in the dark, which threw them 
 into confusion. At once all hopes of a surprise van- 
 ished. The uproar roused Rogers's camp, the men 
 rushed to the top of the ridge overlooking it and be- 
 fore they could form, their own pickets and the Vir- 
 ginians mixed together came rushing in upon them. 
 It was pitch dark, and the fighting went on in the 
 utmost '>nfusion, the Delawareans, Virginians and 
 
 in. Force, Fifth S«riea, a76. 
 
 Hungers being all mixed together each man fighting 
 for himself Right in the midst of it rushed Roger*. 
 Roused by the noise, he flew up to the fight not know- 
 ing how it was going, but roaring out with presence 
 of mind, in stentorian tones, "They are running," 
 " they are running," " give it to 'em boys, damn 'em, 
 give it to 'em." Reassured by his voice ami words 
 the Rangers, actually on the jioint of fleeing, rallied, 
 red(mbled their efforts, and the American forces fell 
 buck taking many prisoners with them, and the 
 Rangers remained in possession of the ground. The 
 surprise was a failure, the action really a drawn one 
 though the Rangers retained the field, Rogers's wari- 
 ness und presence of mind being all that saved them 
 from defeat and capture. Such is the account that 
 has come down from men living in Mamaroneck at 
 the time. Col. Tench Tilghman, Washington's aid, 
 writing the afternoon after the fight to Wm. Duer 
 Huys " They uttucked Rogers ut daybreak, put the 
 party to flight, brought in thirty-six prisoners, sixty 
 arms, and a good many blankets ; and had not the 
 guides undertook to alter the first disposition. Major 
 Rogers, and his party of about 400, would in all prob- 
 ability have f'ttllen into our hands. We don't know 
 bow many we killed, but an ofHcer says he counted 
 twenty-five in one orchard. We had twelve wounded, 
 among them Mujor Green und Captain Pope."" The 
 fact is the number killed on each side ia not certainly 
 known. All of both sides were buried just over the 
 top of the ridge almost directly north of the Heath- 
 cote Hill house, in the angle formed by the present 
 fnrm lane und the east fence of the field next to the 
 ridge. There their graves lie together friend and foe 
 but all Americans.' The late Stephen Hall, (father of 
 the late Abram, Isaac, and Thomas, Hall) a boy of 17 
 or 18 at the time, said that they were buried the morn- 
 ing after the fight and that he saw nine laid in one 
 large grave.* Such was the skirmish on Heathcote Hill, 
 the only " engagement " about Mamaroneck during 
 the Revolutionary War. There was another on the 
 back part of the Manor of Scarsdale at the Fox Mead- 
 ows, immediately before the battle of White plains, 
 but that does not fairly belong to this chapter. 
 
 The writer, knowing that Mamaroneck did her full 
 duty in the late civil war, tried some years ago to get 
 at Albany the returns of enlistments and names of 
 the men, but failed, 'le supervisor never having filed 
 them. 
 
 The following is an account of the descendants of 
 .John Richbell, who left only daughters, and of the 
 Mott family of whom one of them was the ancestress. 
 The writer is indebted for it to Mr|. Thomas C. Cor- 
 nell, of Yonkers : 
 
 John Richbell, the first patentee of Mamaroneck 
 
 2 III. Force, Fifth Series 67, 6. 
 
 ^ My father told me when he waa a buy their green grares were diH- 
 tinctly viaihie. 
 * Abraham Hall told the writer this fact many yean ago. 
 
MA.MARONKrK. 
 
 leaving no sons, hii name hii not been perprtuuted 
 in hiH children, liut HOinc of the duMcendunU of hix 
 dauf^hter have been well known in Miimitroncck, and 
 in WeHtchcBtiT County, and in the State and Nation, 
 and Hhould he mentioned here. John and Ann Rich- 
 hell left three daughtent. t". Eli/.aheth, the eldeHt 
 who became thcHucond wife of Adam Mott cif Heni|>- 
 Htead, about the time that her father removed from | 
 Oysterbay, — where he had been Adam Mott'it nciKb- 
 bour, — to make hiH ftnal settlement at Maniaroneck. 
 — 2* Mary, who in 1()70 married Captain Jainex 
 Mott, second Hon of Adam Mott of llemiMtead by liiit 
 firHt wife Jane Hulett. Captain James Molt wawlon^ 
 prominent in Mamaroneek, was .Fuutice of the I'eaee 
 and Hupervisor, and left two children .lames and Mary. 
 -3''. The youngestdaughterof John Uichbell, named 
 Anne after her mother, married John Knierson of 
 White River, Talbot County, Maryland. 
 
 Elizabeth (Richbell) Mott, gave to her eldest son 
 her father's name and called him Richbell Mott and 
 his grandmother Ann Richbell i ide him one of her 
 executors and three of the grand ins of this Richbell 
 Mott bore the same name. Richbell Mott was a man 
 of Character and Substance, and in 10. M5 married 
 Elizabeth Thorne. He possessetl considerable land in 
 Hempstead and made his home on Mad Nan's Neck 
 (Little Neck). His grandson Richbell Mott son of his 
 eldest son Edmond, — born in Hempstead in I7i'8 mar- 
 ried in 1749 Deborah Doughty, and died in 1758 leav- 
 ing two daughters Margaret and Phebe. This Mar- 
 garet Mott married in 1772 the Hon. .Melancthon 
 Smith of New York one of the most prominent men 
 of the State during and after the Revolution in the 
 policy opposed to that of Alexander Hamilton. Rich- 
 bell Mott Smith, one of the sons of Hon. Melancthon 
 and Margaret (Mott) Smith died on the coast of Ja- 
 pan in 1800. Another son was Colonel Melancthon 
 Smith, the father of Admiral Melancthon Smith U. 
 8. N. on the retired list who distinguished himself 
 so highly during the late Civil war e8])ecially at the 
 capture of New Orleans, and who is now living in 
 an honored old age, at South Oysterbay L. I. 
 
 Dr. Valentine Mott, the celebrated Surgeon of New 
 York was descended from Elizabeth (Richbell) Mott's 
 younger son William Mott of Great Neck, — L. I. 
 
 James Mott of Premium Point, long a well known 
 resident of the Mamaroneck of a hundred years ago, 
 was the only child of the first Richbell Mott's young- 
 est son Richard, and Sarah (Pearsall) Mott, and was 
 born in Hempstead at " the Head of the Harbor '' — 
 nowRoslyn in 1742. He married in 17t)5 his second 
 cousin Mary Underbill, dau iter of Samuel and Ann 
 (Carpenter) Underbill of Oysterbay. Samuel Under- 
 bill a cousin of the Underbills of Westchester Coun- 
 ty, was a great grandson of the celebrated Capt. John 
 Underbill who died in Oysterbay in 1671, and Ann 
 Carpenter's mother Mary Willet, wife of Joseph Car- 
 penter of Glencove was a grand daughter on her fath- 
 er's side of Capt. Thomas Willet the first English 
 
 .Mayor of New York, and on her mother'a aide of Wm. 
 Coildington the first (loveriior of RhtKle Island. The 
 I'nderhillH and the Coddingtoiis and the Willet* and 
 the Motts ha<l become Quakers. James Mott, atler a 
 few year* iw a successful merchant in New York re- 
 tired Just before the Revolution, with a moderate com- 
 |>etence, at the early age of thirty-three and settled in 
 .Mamaroneck, on the " West Neck " of his (irandfatb- 
 er's grandfather, John Riehbcll, on the peninsula 
 nearly in front of the Village of New Rochelle. Hia 
 wife was then in failing health and he sought a quiet 
 home, remote from the threatenings of war which per- 
 vaded the City. Hut the war soon came, and in place 
 of t|uiet, he found himself with wife and children be- 
 tween the lines of hostile armies and exposed to dep- 
 redations from outlaws on both sides. }Iis wife died 
 early in the Revolution. 
 
 The ancient handsome two story farm house, occu- 
 pied by .Tames Mott, with its double-pitched roof, 
 still stands in good repair, fronting to the South, 
 on its own private latie, half a mile eaatof the lioston 
 road, surnmndcd by trees and with its own farm 
 buildings and cultivated fields, and in recent yeara 
 has been occui)ied by the Pryor family. But the an- 
 cient tide Mill which stood near the house on the 
 land locked bay which made the Mill Pond, and whieb 
 .lames Mott continued to operate after the Revolu- 
 tion, was replaced about the end of the last centuvy 
 by a large new Mill, and a new <lani about hal'.' a 
 mile lower down the bay near itM mouth. — Jamea 
 Mott's three sons Richard Robert and Samuel had 
 grown to manhood, and they fitted up the new Mill 
 with twelve runs of Mill Stones, and all the improve- 
 ments then known and gave it the name of the Pre- 
 mium Mill, and it was operated with much success 
 and exported Hour to Europe while England and 
 France were at war, with large profit. S<x)n after the 
 Premium Mill was built Richard Mott, the eldest son 
 withdrew from the milling business, and commenced 
 cotton spinning in a small Mill still standing disman- 
 tled, near his pleasant dwelling house, to which he 
 gave the name of Hickory Grove, a little west of 
 where the N. Y. and N. H. Rail Road now runs 
 near Mamaroneck, — and " Mott's Spool Cotton," bad 
 a good reputation for many years. Richard Mott 
 became a Quaker Minister of considerable reputation. 
 He was a man of fine presence and a graceful and 
 pleasing speaker. H( died in Mamaroneck in 1857, 
 in his S»Oth year. 
 
 James and Mary (Underbill) Mott had four chil- 
 dren, born in New York but brought up in Mamaro- 
 neck. Their eldest son Richard just mentioned was 
 born in 1767. Their only daughter Anne born 1768 
 married at Mamaroneck in 1785, while still wanting 
 three months of her seventeenth birthday, her fatber'a 
 cousin Adam Mott of Hempstead, in whose veins ran 
 the blood of the best Quaker families of that first set- 
 tlement of the Quakers in America. The young Adam 
 Mott, the third in descent of the first Adam Mott 
 
MAMAKONKCK. 
 
 of II(>in|iiit<>it(l, iukI llic loiirtli from .loliii IIIiIiIh'II,— 
 lirou^'ht hilt youii^ l)ri<le to tlit' old Mott lioiiifMtciitl, 
 on the chore of thit Soiiiul iiciir Hciii|>Htcii(l Hiirbor, 
 on hind whidi had bi'i'n ^riuitcd to hi:* ^rt>iit Unclti 
 Kichlu'll Mott in l7ilHatid \vhi<h Kirliliill Mott hoM 
 to hi« brother Adam Moti in l71-'>. The yoiint; Adam 
 between 1785 and 17'.MHinilt a new Mill at Cow l)ay — 
 (now I'ort NVaMhiii);toii,) and iiroHpercd tiiere for more 
 tinin tifleen yearn, and wiien liis wifeV l)r(itiit'r Ui<'hurd 
 retiri'tl from the I'reminm Mill, the renniiningbrotherH 
 Hubert and i^nmuel indueud tiieir brotherin-law Adam 
 Mott of Hempstead to leave hiii proMperouH Mill at 
 C'nw liay and join Ihem in the I'reminm Mill, an<l he 
 removed to Mamaroiieek in IMOIt and settled in u iion.se 
 ufterwarda the properly of I'eter Jay Monroe, and 
 ualle<l the "Mott Home," oii ii pK'iutant farm adjoin- 
 ing what is now known an liarchmont. The oldest 
 Mon of Adam and Annr Mott, born in tlieaneient Mott 
 homestead near the :nouth of Hempstead Harbour in 
 1788 and uiinied after his grandfather Jamett Mott, 
 went to Philadelphia and there married in 1811 Lu- 
 eretia Collin, who afterwards as fiUeretia Mott of I'hil- 
 ailelphia became eminent as a (Quaker preaelier and 
 eloipient advocate of nniiiy reforms. In 1H14, lames 
 and Lueretir Mott spent some months at Manuiro- 
 neek on the invitation id' their Unele Uichard Mott to 
 jtnn liini in Cotton 8pinning, and if the project had 
 been carried out n.' lirMt proposed, the eio<|nent t^iia- 
 ker Preacher would have been known as Lueretia Mott 
 of Maunironcck, itistead of Lueretia Mott of Philadel- 
 phia. Hut she was then only 21 years old, and 
 did not so much as imagine that S'he could speak in 
 public, and the spinning project <iot coming to satis- 
 factory terms they returned to Phihulelphia. Adam and 
 Anno Mott's youngest son liiehard, born at Premium 
 Point in 1804, now for many years the lion. Iliehard 
 Mott of Toledo Ohio still survives in a vigorous old 
 age of 82, one of the best known men in Northern 
 Ohio. 
 
 When the laws of the first Napoleon dragged the 
 United Slates into controversies with France and 
 England which culminated in the war of 1812, Amer- 
 ican Commerce was erijjjiled or ruined and the Pre- 
 mium Mill at length went under a cloud. One 
 entire Ship's cargo from the Mill was confiscated in 
 France on a charge of violating a paper blockade, and 
 no restitution ever made. 
 
 James Mott made Premium Point his home until 
 1816 and died in New York in 182H in his eighty-first 
 year. He was a man of culture and high character, 
 unusually handsome in person, tall, erect, and of much 
 grace and dignity of manner and stood high in general 
 esteem. In dress and habits he was always a strict 
 Quaker of the old days, and active in the interests of 
 his religious society travelling much in their service 
 in the States of New York, Pennsylvania and New 
 F^ngland. He gave freely for many years, in time and 
 means, and in the use of his pen in the advancement 
 of Education, and the suppression of intemperance, 
 
 and woi.id allow nothing produced by Slave labor to be 
 used in his house, and hm far as poMiblo limited hia 
 hoUHchold to Americati Mannfacturen. Robert Mott, 
 the second son of Jame* Molt of Premium Point died 
 in New York in IMori and hi« youngest son Samuel 
 died there in I84K. 
 
 The Premium Mill continued to bo operated with 
 varying success for nnmy years and after .lames Mott 
 and his sons, passed through other hands and in 184.'< 
 was purchased by Henry Partridge; Kellogg then of 
 Poughkeepsie in whose family it remained for nearly 
 forty years. The .Mill itself venerable with age was 
 finally removed within the last three or four years, 
 and near its site now stand several handsome modern 
 Cottages or Villas. 
 
 The Three Great Patmti of Central Wentcheiter. 
 
 Very closely connected with Mamaroneck and 
 Scarsdale as parts of the Manor of Scarsdale, was that 
 part of the County lying between that Manor and 
 Harrison's Purchase on the south, the Manor of Cort- 
 landton the north, the Colony of Connecticut on the 
 east, and the Manor of Philipseburgh on the west. 
 This immense area containing 7(),()()0 acres of latid, 
 was bought from the natives by Colonel Heathcote 
 for himself and associates and grunted to him and 
 them in three extremely large Patents, called from 
 their relative situations the West, the Middle, and 
 the East Patents. 
 
 In the purchase of the Indian title to these lands, 
 and in the Patents for them express provision was 
 made that the rights of Heathcote nntler the Rich- 
 bell patents and deeds, should not be interfered with. 
 Hence their long connexion with his lands now com- 
 priseil in the towns of Scarsdale and Mamaroneck. 
 Those " Great Patents,"' as they were styled were 
 bounded in part by Scarsdale Manor and are so 
 intimately connected with its history, that some 
 mention must be briefly made of them and their 
 origin. By its terms the Manor-Grant, of Scars- 
 dale endiraced White Plains, a part of Northcas- 
 ; tie, part of Uedford, and part of Harrisons Pur- 
 I chase, but it expressly provided as to White 
 j Plains that it should give its Lord no other title 
 I than that he already possessed by virtue of his 
 purchase of the right title and estate of Mrs. Ann 
 I Richbell in the Estate of her husband John Richbell 
 the origirutl grantee from the Indians and from both 
 I the Dutch (lovernment and the English (lovernment. 
 These Great Patents were not Manors, though two of 
 them were larger than either of the Manors of Pel- 
 I ham, Morrisania or Fordham. They were simply 
 Patents for great tracts of land issued according to 
 ; law to three bodies of grantees as individuals, who 
 I each possessed an undivided share, bodies which in 
 modern parlance would be called " syndicates." They 
 were based upon a license to Colonel Heathcote to 
 purchase vacant and unappropriated laud in West- 
 chester county and extinguish the title of the Natives 
 
MAMARONKC'K. 
 
 88 
 
 granted by (Jovernitr Fletcher on the r2th of Ortober, 
 IGiN). 
 
 He wait the ninat proniiiient of the gentlemen 
 who formed the boilien above mciitiuned and wlio be- 
 came the OwniTM und I'utentei'ii uf theHe tlireu I'at- 
 enta. The flrat purchaite made by Colonel Ileuthcoto 
 in the region nieriiioned, waa from Pathunck, Wum- 
 pun, Cohawney, and Hvi other Indiana, who on the 
 19th of October, Iti'.Ni, executed to him a deed con- 
 veying " for and in conttidvration £100 good and law- 
 ful money of New York," " all that tract of land iiitu- 
 ate lying and being in the County of Westchester in 
 the I'rovinceof New York in America, bounded north 
 by Hcroton's ' Uiver, easterly by Byram River and 
 Bedford line, southerly by the land of John Harrison 
 and his associates, and the line stretching to Byram 
 river aforesaid, and westerly to the land of Frederick 
 I'hiliime." ' 
 
 This covered all the present town of New castle 
 and most of North cuHtle as it now exists, and other 
 lands south and east of the latter. It is hence some- 
 times called " North castle Indian Deed," or from one 
 of the Indians " Wampus's Land Deed." Colonel 
 Heathcote made most of the purchases of the Indians 
 of Northern and Central Westcbexter then inhabiting 
 it, in accordance with the customary rule in such mat- 
 ters which has been before explained. That for the lands 
 between the Mchanas'^ and Byram liivers, he delegat- 
 ed his powers to others to obtain, by this license dated 
 at Mamaroneck the 4th of July 17U1, " I underwritten 
 do give free liberty, so far as it lyes in my power (by 
 virtue of a grant to me from Colonel Benjamin Fletcher, 
 late (Jovcrnor of New York) unto Robert Lockhard, 
 Richard 8cotield, Nathaniel Selleck, and (lershom 
 Loukwood, to purchase of the Indian proprietors the 
 lands hereafter mentioned from Mehanas river to Byram 
 River, and so run northward three miles into ye woods 
 upon Byram River, and one mile into ye Woods on 
 the Mehanas River, provided it does not injure the 
 right of Bedford or Greenwich, nor is within my pat- 
 ent right from Mrs. Ann Richbell. Witness my hand. 
 
 Caleb Heathcote. 
 
 Mamaroneck, July 4th, 1701. 
 
 The same day the following Indians " in considera- 
 tion of a certaine sume of good & lawful money " ex- 
 ecuted a deed for the land to the above named four 
 persons and Coll. Heathcote, Capt. James Mott, Jon- 
 athan Lockhard, GershomLockhard'sion, and Henry 
 Disbrow, the same persons mentioned in Heathcote'a 
 license, thus describing it, " to begin at Byram river at 
 y' CoUony Line & so to run to Mehanas river as said 
 line goes running northerly on Mehanas river as y* 
 river goes a mile into y'' woods, & from the Collony 
 Line on Byram river three miles northerly as the river 
 
 iMewCroton River. 
 
 •Lib. I. A2, of I)e«dB,Seo. uf State's otl; Alt«ny. 
 
 > Now ipeiied " Mianiifl." 
 
 6 
 
 runs into the Woo<ls, A from the head of said line to 
 y* head of the other line afore mentioned.* 
 The witnesses were Heringo 
 
 Benjamin Disbrow Raresiiuasb -^ 
 
 Benjamin Collier, with Washpakin 
 
 Uraticus and Ilanchomo ^^^ 
 
 six other Indians I'ackanaim -{- 
 
 On the same fourth of July, 1701, when there seems 
 to have been a meeting of all the parties in interest, 
 Indians and whites, at Mamaroneck, to consummate 
 several Indian purchascs,'8eringo, and three other In- 
 dians executed the following deed to Joseph Horton 
 for a very large tract indeed. It is printed verbatim 
 from the original in John Horton's hand writing in 
 the writer's posaesaion : 
 
 " The : 4 : of July— 1701 
 
 " Biet' known to all home it may consarn That I 8a- 
 ringo hafe This day Sold unto Joseph Horton saner 
 (senior) A sarten Track or pareal of Land Setuaten 
 and Lyen within the profence (province) of Nu 
 Yorcke which land beginen at the purch[a«e] lastly 
 purch*^ by Cornal Hacoc" John Horton Cap" 
 Thall Joseph' Purdy and all the Land from biram 
 reuer ' wassward unpurch"" and so to run upward to 
 brunkess reuer,' and I Haringo do oblidge myself my 
 ars'" orassinstomarcket" outebyMark Trecseasmay 
 aper her agan " and This To be marcked oute The 
 Sext: or Saventh Day of Thisentant" munth and for 
 the Tru Burformance I haf Sat ray hand and Sale 
 Sineded Saled and Dleaved In pranta of ua Thia been 
 in order To a furder confmashon. , 
 
 Saringo -(- 
 and three other 
 Indians (namea 
 illegible). 
 
 John Horton 
 (illegible) Hattield 
 Hannah park 
 
 hit 
 
 John -f- Cake 
 
 Diaric 
 his 
 
 Robard -f Smeth 
 
 nurli 
 
 Endorsed upon the deed is this statement of the 
 consideration by Horton, 
 I Joseph Horton oblige mysalf To pay one Sarengo 
 
 < Aiu'iriit copy of tlie nrigjiial ili'ed villi llealhcote't licenM appended. 
 Id the writer's poMrwiun. Alao recorded in Weet. Co. tUecordi Lib. 
 C, 96. 
 
 >B«it. 
 
 ' Colonel Ileatlicotc. 
 
 ' Capt. Tbeall. 
 
 •Byram Ri»er westward unptirchixHl. ,_ 
 
 •Bronx River. ^ ;, 
 
 '"Helm. , . 
 
 "Markit. ■ ; _ -, ,--,'; , • r- „- ■ ,„ .,■;. 
 
 >* Appear here again. , 
 
 " InsUiit. , 
 
MAMARONKCK. 
 
 :: ■»■;.*-> 
 
 he performen hia part accorded to bagen * as may 
 apen connsarnend Land which he Is or (illegible) 
 to performe 
 
 The a buv named horton Is obliged To Pay Sringo 
 aud the raa ' of his (illegible) as folas ' 
 
 1 barel of Sidar :■ • ; 
 
 6 Shurts 
 
 5 galans of rum 
 ^ ICot 
 • 1 shepe 
 
 And this to be payd at or before The furst day of 
 Jnery * nex in (three small words illegible) The day 
 mansbshened' July: 4: 17001' , ,, ., 
 
 -'"■ ' ? 
 
 1 hors: 1 Sadal : 1 bridal ' '" 
 
 .: i ,,( ■.•,,,1--- ?' 1 >;i .■ 
 
 2 cots 
 
 leaf •■• :^ ■ ^ : • 
 
 2 shurds ' 
 
 1 ancher of rum " " 
 
 •■<!• <h.: 
 
 This deed included all the land that hud not before 
 been purchased, from Byram River northwestward to 
 the Bronx River. In the month of June preceding, 
 on the eleventh, twenty-three days prior to the execu- 
 tion of the above deed, Seriugo and two other Indians 
 "in consideratione of a certain sum of money" deeded 
 to Colonel Heathcote, Capt. Joseph Theal, Lieut. John 
 Horton,' and Mr Joseph Purdy of Mamaroneck a 
 tract "bounded as followeth, — Southerly by Byram 
 River, Northerly to the Northwest corner of a great 
 swamp commonly culled the Round Kwauip, thence a 
 southwesterly line to Rye, great Pond, and bounded 
 by the said pond westerly, and so runs to Harrisons 
 great marked tree." 
 
 On the 5th of July 1701, the same Seriugo and 
 the other Indians deeded to Heathcote, Theal, Joseph 
 Horton, and Purdy a tract bounded "southerly by 
 the Colony Line, easterly by Mehanus River, north- 
 erly by Bedford line and marked trees to Mehanus 
 River, and southerly as said river goes against the 
 stream to the head thereof." '" 
 
 On the 27th of March 1702 a deed for lands north 
 of Cross River above Bedford village was executed 
 to Colonel Heathcote by Katonah the Sagamore of 
 all that region, which as it is not recorded is here 
 given from the original in the hand writing of the 
 
 ' >Acc<mllng to bargain. 
 
 8 KuUuWB. 
 
 <J»niii»ry. 
 
 * Montluiitxl. 
 
 *8o In tliu original. > 
 
 r Bhirta. 
 
 'Till! «xtraonlinnrf deed li wrltUiD on the reverse ilde of a privHte 
 letter to Joseph Horton from one Samuel IlfTurd, dnted " Stratford the 
 Ulh day of May," but no yeir ; it is nut recorded. 
 
 9 The drauglitenian of the last ln<Uan deed. 
 x> Rec, In " Albany Recortli," i. p. »4. 
 
 noted Zachariah Roberts " of Bedford, in the writer's 
 possession : 
 
 Katonah' B Deed to Col. Caleb Heathcote. 
 
 " This Bill of Seall bearing date in the year one 
 thousand seven hundred and two : testifyeth that we 
 Katonah, Wackamane and Wewanapeag proprietors 
 of the sd land afternamed lying above Bedford and 
 bounded Southward by Cross Riuer, eastward by 
 Marked trees, westward by Cortlandt's land & North- 
 wards petticua Small Riuer, which sd track of land 
 is estimasion is five miles long and three miles wide : 
 this above sd. upland & medow land we Katonah 
 Wackamane and Wewanapeag, we for ourselves and 
 from our ayrs and all other Indians whatsuineuer do 
 sell, alienate, asigne, & set over this abousd land lying 
 in the County of Westchester & in ye provence of 
 New Yorck unto Cornall Caleb Hethcut of Mama- 
 ranuck and Captain petter " Mathews of new Yorck, 
 Joseph purdy of Ry and Richard ScofTeld of Stan- 
 ford, or any other conserned in the aboue said pur- 
 ches. We the aboue sd indiens trew proprietr.rs of ye 
 aboue sd land as the bounds are named we have sold 
 & doe set over from us our ayrs executors administra- 
 tors, or asignes for euer unto the aboue named Caleb 
 Hethcut, petter Mathews, Joseph Purdy, Richard 
 Scoffeld to them their ayrs executors administrators 
 and asignes for euer with all the rights titles privileges 
 & apurtenances thereunto belonging promising to 
 them & theyrs that they shall enioye the same pees- 
 ably without let or molestation from us or ours or any 
 other Indians laying any claimc thereunto for euer, 
 and we doe acknowledg that we have reciucd full 
 satisfacktion for the aboue said track of land as 
 witness our hands and sealls this 27 day of March 
 1702. 
 
 Signeil Seal led and delivered 
 in Bedford in the pres 
 ance of us 
 
 Zechariah Roberts ■ i ■ 
 
 John Dibell 
 
 John Miller . 
 
 Chickheag -f- 
 
 Caconico -|- 
 
 Arottom -|- .' 
 
 Mangockem-f- 
 
 Katonah + 
 Wackamane -f- 
 Wewanapetig -|- 
 
 Acount of good 
 
 to one 6 guns 
 to anker of rum 
 to 20 bars of lead 
 to 12 drain ** knifs 
 
 to 12 par sockins 
 to 12 citels " 
 to (> iron citels 
 to cotun cloth 
 
 >i Roberta was the leading man of Bedford, noted for hii bitter hoitlllty 
 to the Cliurch of England, and bin intense desire to profit by all the 
 public eniploymeniB he could obtain. 
 
 M Peter. 
 
 u Sickles. 14 Urawing-kniTsi. ; 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 35 
 
 to 20 knifa 
 to 12 hos ' 
 to 12 awordR 
 to 12 axis " 
 
 to dufils > 
 
 tu blankita 
 
 to 10 barils of aider ' 
 
 One of the peraona prominently engaged with Col- 
 onel Heathcote in obtaining the several Indian deeda 
 above set forth for the lands between Harrison and 
 the Croton River waa Joseph Horton of Rye the 
 grantee in the above deed of the 4th of July 1701 for 
 all the unpurchased land between Byrain river and 
 the Bronx. The following instrument shows the 
 nature of the agreentent between them and incident- 
 ally Heathcote'a precise view of his own bounds and 
 what belonged to him under hia Richbell convey- 
 ances in the territory covered by the foregoing Indian 
 deeda and the three great patents subsequently based 
 upon them. 
 
 Agreetnent of Joseph Horton with Colonel Heathcote. 
 
 Whereas by virtue of a License from Coll. Benj" 
 ffletcher late Governor of this Province unto Coll. 
 Caleb Heathcote impowering him to buy any lands 
 from the Indian Proprietors betwixt Scroton's River * 
 and the north end of Harrisson's Pattent, the said 
 Heathcote and Joseph Horton have [bought] & are 
 about to buy of the Indian Proprietors considerable 
 tracts & parcells of Land ; Now know all men by 
 these presents that It is mutually agreed & concluded 
 betwixt the said Caleb Heathcote & Joseph Horton 
 that such parts of any tract or parcells of land bought 
 by them of the indian Proprietors as falls within 
 said Heathcote'a lines by virtue of his deeds from 
 Mrs. Ann Richbell late deceased, the bounds whereof 
 run with Mamaronock River to the head thereof 
 thence in a north line twenty miles into the woods 
 from Westchester Path, now all such lands as fall 
 within the lines of those deeds as before mentioned 
 shall be and remain to the said Caleb Heathcote his 
 Heirs & assigns forever notwithstanding any deed or 
 bill of sale in Partnership betwixt said Heathcote & 
 Horton to them from the Indians, the said Heathcote 
 paying and bearing the full charge of the purchase of 
 all such land as "ills within hisiincsafToresaid, & the 
 said Heathcote not claiming a greater breadth through 
 said purchase that is, or shall hereafter be made by 
 him & said Horton, than he has at Westchester Path, 
 which is from Mamoronock River to PijMn's brook 
 adjoyneing the great Neck. In witness whereof the 
 said Joseph Horton hath here unto sett his hand & 
 seal this (fourteenth of July in the year of our Lord 
 one thousand seven hundred & one. 
 
 Signed Sealed & Delivered in presence of 
 Benjamin Collier 
 
 > A cokrae and thick, but luft woulen clotli made In Holland. 
 <HaM. 
 
 > Thla waa a very good price fur that day. 
 « Now CrotuD BlTer. 
 
 Anne Millington 
 
 Joseph Horton (L. S.)' 
 
 Out of the lands the Indian title to wnioh was ex- 
 tinguished by the various Indian deeda above set 
 forth were formed the three Great Patents mat have 
 been mentioned, the West Patent dated H"- February 
 1701 to ten Patentees, the Middle Patent dated 17"" 
 February 1701 to 13 Patentees, and the East Patent 
 dated 2" March 1701 to 11 Patentees. Ten of theae 
 Patentees were the same in all three Patents. They 
 were the ten persons to whom the West Patent, the 
 earliest of the three, was issued, and their names 
 were Robert Walters, Leigh Attwood, Cornelius De 
 Peyster, Caleb Heathcote, Matthew Clarkson, John 
 Chollwell, Richard Slater, Robert Lurting, Barne 
 Cosens, Lancaster Symes, all well known as promi- 
 nent men of the City and Province i>f New York. 
 In the Middle Patent in addition to the above ten, 
 Joseph Theale, John Horton, and Joseph Purdy, all 
 of Rye, appear as Patentees. In the East Patent 
 besides the above ten Peter Mathews of Bedford a])- 
 l)ears as a Patentee. Several of these Patentees held 
 their shares not for themselves but in trust for friends 
 and some of them sold their shares to other persons. 
 
 Immediately after the Patents were issued, all the 
 different Patentees named in each executed joint cove- 
 nants under seal, that no survivorship should take place 
 among them, and that each should be divided into ns 
 many distinct parts as there were Patentees. The 
 covenant for the West Patent was dated February 
 18'" 1702, those for the Middle and East Patents were 
 both dated the same day, the 25* of June 1702.* 
 
 The following statement showing in the three 
 Patents, the changes of the Patentees names, the 
 Quit-rents payable for each, the number of acres of 
 improvable land in each, and their respective boun- 
 daries, is from the original in the writer's possession. 
 It is undated, but was evidently made out in Colonel 
 Heathcote's lifetime, and probably about 1715 or 
 
 1716. 
 
 The West Patent. ,_ . 
 
 " Patent : 14 Feb : 1701 ,; . ,, t.^- ,' 
 
 5000 Acres Improvable Land ' \ '-' 
 
 ilG, 5, 0, Quit-Rent 
 
 10 Shares. 
 Patentees Names 
 R.Walter 
 L. Atwood 
 C. Depeyster 
 C. Heathcote 
 M. Clarkson 
 Jno. Chollwell 
 R. Slater 
 R. Lurting 
 Barne Cosens 
 
 In trust for or sold to, 
 Schellcnx & Lyon 
 Clarksona 
 
 Quinby . 
 
 T, Weaver 
 C. Heathcote 
 Peter Fanconnier 
 
 ' Original <le«d in Colo. Hoatlicote's handwriting in (Hiwewiuii or tlie 
 writer. It in not rccordoit, 
 
 c From ancient copiea of these covenanta in th* wriler'a poaieaeion. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 Bounded 
 
 Northerly, 
 
 By Croton River and the Mannor of Cortlandt, or one 
 of them. 
 
 Easterly, 
 
 With Bedford Line of Three Miles Square, the White 
 Fields, and Byram Point. 
 
 Southerly, 
 By the land of John Harrison &c, Ry» Line stretch- 
 ing to Biram River and the White Plains, 
 
 Westerly, 
 By Brunk's River and the Mannor of Philipshurgh, 
 Excepting out of y* Bounds aforesaid all y* Lands 
 within Richbell's Patent, now in y'TenourA occupa- 
 tion of Coll. Caleb Heathcote. 
 
 The MiddU Patent. 
 
 " Patent : 17 February, 1701 
 • 1500 Acres Improvable Land 
 
 - ;,i £1, 17, 6 Quit Rent 
 
 13 Shares ' ' "■ 
 
 Patentees Names 
 C. Heathcote 
 Jo. Theale 
 J. Horton 
 J. Purdy 
 R. Walter , . 
 Leigh Atwood 
 M. Clarkson 
 Lan. Symes 
 C. De Peyster 
 R. Slater 
 John ChoUwell 
 Barne Cosens 
 Robert Lurting 
 
 In Trust for or Sold to 
 
 ■41 ):■: 
 
 Schellinx & Lyon 
 Clarksons , 
 
 Y' Heirs Coll. Depeyster 
 Tho. Weaver 
 
 Quinby 
 
 P. Fanconnier 
 C. Heathcote ,, 
 Bounded <..■■■■ > ■ 
 
 Southerly, 
 by the Division Line betweene y' Colony of Connecti- 
 cut and the Province of New York paruUell to the 
 Sound. 
 
 Easterly, 
 By Mahanas River. 
 
 Northerly, ' ' ^ 
 
 by Bedford Line and Mark' Trees runiug westerly 
 
 to Mahanas River. . . • 
 
 Westerly, - - ' , • - . 
 
 again and as the said River goes against the stream to 
 the head thereof, then along the Easterly branch of 
 Biram River to the said Colony Line again where the 
 same began. 
 
 The East Patent 
 
 "Patent: 2 March 1701 
 6200 Acres Improvable Land 
 £7, 16, 0, Quit-Rent 
 11 Shares. 
 
 Patentees Names 
 Ro. Walter 
 Jno. Chollwell 
 L. Atwood 
 C. De Peyster 
 R. Slater 
 Barne Cosens 
 M. Clarkson 
 Lan. Symes 
 Rob. Lurting 
 Peter Mathews 
 Caleb Heathcote 
 
 In Trust for or sold to 
 Schellinx & Lyon 
 
 Quinby 
 
 Clarksons 
 
 T. Weaver • 
 
 P. Fanconnier 
 
 C. Heathcote 
 
 Bounded ' ^ 
 
 South 
 by the Division Line between N. Y. and said Colony of 
 Connecticut, and so along said Line until it meets with 
 the Patent of Adolph Philipse, and so along his south- 
 ern bounds till it meets with the Mannor of Cortlandt 
 and from thence by a Line that shall run upon a 
 direct course until it meets with the first easterly Line 
 of 20 of the said Mannor of Cortlandt, and from thence 
 along the said line Westerly till it meets with the Pat- 
 ent granted to R. Walter & others, thence southerly 
 along the said Patent untill it meets with the bounds 
 of the Township of Bedford & thence round along 
 said bounds untill it meets with the patent granted to 
 Coll. Heathcote and others, and along the bounds of 
 said Patent unto the Colony Line where it first began. — 
 
 Also a small Tract of Land beginning westerly at a 
 great Rock on the Westmost side at the Southmost 
 end of a Ridge Known by the Name of Richboll or 
 Horse Ridge and from thence Northwest and by North 
 to Brunk's River, Easterly beginning at a mark'd Tree 
 at the Eastmost side on the Southmost end of the said 
 Ridge and thence north to Brunk's River." 
 
 This West Patent by its bounds excluded White- 
 plains, which Colonel Heathcote claimed under his 
 Richbell deeds and Patents. This led to a contro- 
 versy between him and some " Rye Men " who 
 claimed Whiteplains as a part of their town. This 
 claim however remained passive, and nothing but a 
 claim during Colonel Heathcote's life as the result of 
 the Richbell verdict against Rye in 1696 (set forth 
 above in full) the year before Colonel Heathcote 
 bought the Richbell estate of Ann Richbell. The 
 I 1 was then worth very little, and the Rye claim- 
 auw were very few. Colonel Heathcote died Febru- 
 ary 28, 172(F-21, and his entire estate passed under 
 his will to if s two daughters, Ann, the elder, subse- 
 quently the wife of James de Lancey chief justice of 
 the Province of New York who died its Governor in 
 1760, and Martha, the younger, subsequently the 
 wife of Lewis Johnston, M.D., of Perth Amboy, New 
 Jersey, who died in 1774. His widow, Mrs. Martha 
 Heathcote, was the sole executrix. By her and the 
 two gentlemen just named, in the course of time, 
 settlements were effected of Colonel Heathcote's in- 
 terests in Whiteplains, the three patents above men- 
 tioned and in Harrisson's purchase. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 37 
 
 In relation to White plains it has been stated er- 
 roneously that Colonel Heathcote died, " about four 
 years later " than 1702, in which year a committee of 
 Bye people were appointed to agree with him on a 
 line between his Patent and White plains, and that 
 the question remained " still unsettled." ^ This is an 
 entire mistake, Colonel Heathcote lived nearly twenty 
 years instead of four, after 1702, and maintained his 
 right to White plains, but was always ready to agree 
 with the Bye people about the matter, but they, 
 though occasionally talking about it, practically re- 
 mained passive, in consequence of the Bichbell ver- 
 
 ' diet against them of December 3, 1696, above set 
 forth. Not till after Colonel Heathcote's death, 
 which occurred on February 28, 1720-21, was the matter 
 closed, though negotiations were pending in his life- 
 time, and Governor Burnet's Patent for White plains 
 was issued to Joseph Budd, Humphrey Underbill and 
 others, bearing date the 13th of March 1721. The 
 Patentees named therein, with four or five exceptions, 
 were entirely different men from the " proprietors of 
 the White plaines purchase " ' whose names appear 
 in a li!>t taken from the Bye Town Becords under 
 date of 1720, in Bolton's History, (1st ed. vol. ii. p. 
 341) and copied in Baird's Bye and Bolton's second 
 edition. This list was probably one of the proprie- 
 ors of some part of the grants embracing the present 
 tcwnship of Bye. 
 
 The terms of the settlement with Bye of adjoining 
 lands with Colonel Heathcote's representatives, about 
 which there was dispute are thus set forth, in " Notes 
 of agreement between Bye and Devisees of Heath- 
 cote," in the writer's possession i — " Bye is to give us 
 their title to all lauds which we claim in Harrison's 
 purchase, as also to all the lands lying between the 
 old CoUony Line and Mamaroneck Biver and the 
 White plains. We are to give them the benefit of 
 the covenants in Jamison's deed ta Coll. Heathcote 
 for the purchase lands." This was carried out by a 
 deed from Bobert Bloomer, John Budd, Samuel 
 Purdy, John Horton, Nathan Kniffen, John Disbrow, 
 Samuel Brown, Boger Park, Joseph Oalpin, Abra- 
 ham Brundige, and nineteen other inhabitants of Bye 
 and White plains, to Mrs. Ann de Lancey and Mrs. 
 Martha Johnston dated September 6th 1739 for all 
 the lands referred to in the above agreement.' In 
 connection with these matters it must be borne in 
 
 , mind that when the first claim of the Bye people was 
 defeated by the verdict against them in favor of Mrs. 
 Bichbellof Decembers, 1696, they were already greatly 
 angered by the grant of the Patent to John Harrison 
 and his associates for what has ever since been known 
 as "Harrison's Purchase" by the Governor of New 
 ' York, on the 25th of June 1696, about six months 
 
 > IWrd'i Htatory of Bye, p. 166. The annie erroneo<is statement wu 
 copied flroni Baird into the lecond edition of Bolton'i Weetrheater, vol. 
 Ii. p. US. 
 
 < Bo atjrled in Baird, Hiat. Rye, p. 150. 
 
 * rrom an aoolent copy of the deed in the writer'* poaaaaaioo. 
 
 before the verdict was rendered. They claimed that 
 territory under an Indian deed to Peter Disbrow and 
 three others of 2d June 1662, for " a certain tract of 
 land above Westchester Path to the marked trees 
 bounded with the above said Blind Brook," (this is 
 the whole description) and as being in Connecticut 
 of which they insisted Bye was a part, but they never 
 would take out a patent for it. Hence when the 
 Quaker Harrison, and his four or five associates, ap- 
 plied to the New York government for a grant of it 
 as "unappropriated and vacant land" it was, after 
 due deliberation, granted them by Patent. In order 
 to quiet the border disputes of that day they had pre- 
 viously tried to get the people of Bye to take out a 
 patent for this land, but they always refused to do so. 
 This grant for Harrison's Purchase, and the Bichbell 
 verdict coming only about six months afler it, was 
 more than the Bye people thought they could bear, 
 and therefore, early in 1697, they revolted, seceded 
 from New York, and again set themselves up as a 
 part of Connecticut. The New York government by 
 peaceful means tried to bring them back, but in vain, 
 and this secession continued for about three years, 
 until King William by a sharp " Order in Council," 
 made on the 28th of March, 1700, ordered them back 
 to the old jurisdiction, in the words of the order 
 "forever thereafter to remain under the Government 
 of the Province of New York." * That government 
 in the beginning had even tendered them a Patent, 
 and Colonel Heathcote, who was one of the Gover- 
 nor's Council, at the request of the latter, in 1697 
 went to Bye, and personally endeavored to settle the 
 controversy. His letter to the Governor and Council 
 describing his visit and its failure, gives the facts of 
 the case very clearly, and they prove that their own 
 folly lost the Harrison lands to the people of Bye. 
 " I asked them " he says, " why they did not take out 
 a patent when it was tendered them. They said they 
 never heard that they could have one. I told them 
 that their argument might pass with such as knew 
 nothing of the matter, but that I knew better ; for 
 that to my certain knowledge they might have had 
 a patent had they not rejected it ; and that it was so 
 far from being done in haste or in the dark, that not 
 a boy in the whole Town, nor almost in the County, 
 but must have heard of it ; and that I must always be 
 a witness against them, not only of the many mes- 
 sages they have hud from the Government about it, 
 but likewise from myself." * * * * 
 
 " I told them as to the last purchase wherein I was 
 concerned, if that gave them any dissatisfaction, 
 that I would not only quit my claim, but use my in- 
 terest in getting them any part of it they should de- 
 sire. Their answer was, they valued not that; it 
 was Harrison's Patent that was their ruin." ' 
 
 Mt. Ool. mat. r.27. 
 
 • Vol. xii. p. ;«) of the Col. Haa. In Sec. of State'a office, Albany. It 
 la printed in Baird's Hist, of Bye, p. 100. 
 
38 
 
 MAMARONECK. 
 
 tBome five years after the granting of the West 
 Patent to Robert Walter and hi8 assouiatea in 1701, 
 the southern part of it on the Byram River was, in 
 derogation of their rights, granted to Anne Bridges 
 and four others of the town of Rye. The West Paten- 
 tees remained (luietly in possession however of all their 
 territory. About twenty-three years afler the issu- 
 ing of the West Patent, and about two after Colonel 
 Heathcote's death, a suit in ejectment was brought, by 
 the persons named in the Bridges grant of 1705-6 
 against Robert Walter and other owners of the West 
 Patent. The reasons for it are now unknown as the 
 latter had never been disturbed in the possession of 
 their lands by any-body. It was unsuccessful how- 
 ever. The following curious and interesting paper 
 entitled " A true state of the case," gives all the facts, 
 and also shows how thoroughly Colonel Heathcote 
 was even then considered "authority" in West- 
 chester County matters. Its author, evidently a law- 
 yer, is unknown, but it is in the small, clear, beauti- 
 ful, handwriting of Peter Fauconnier an owner, by 
 trust or by purchase, in all three of the great Patents 
 above mentioned, and one of the best surveyors of 
 that day. It is printed from the original in the 
 writer's possession. 
 
 " A true state of the case. 
 
 Between the ejector John Horton &c., and Robert 
 Walter &c., in behalf of the ejected, for lands in 
 Westchester County. 
 
 " Coll. Caleb Heathcote well acquainted with 
 the North bounds of the Tract of land called Well's 
 and Coxe's purchases, being the lands long before 
 claimed by, and since patented to, the Town of Rye 
 the 11th day of August 1720; 
 
 " With the East and North bounds of the lands 
 granted the 25th day of June, 1696, to William Nicoll 
 Esq., Ebenezer Willson, David Jamison, John Harri- 
 son, and Bamuel Haight, called Harrison's purchase ; 
 
 " With the North bounds of the lands claimed by 
 the Inhabitants of White Plains ; 
 
 " With the Eastmost bounds of the several con- 
 tiguous tracts of laud granted the 23rd day of Decem- 
 ber, 1684, to Frederick Phillipse, and the course of 
 Brunks river ; 
 
 " With the South bounds of those granted the 17th 
 of June, 1697, to Coll. Stephen Cortlandt ; 
 
 " With the North and West bounds of the lands be- 
 longing to the Town of Bedford ; 
 
 " And well knowing how, and where, the three 
 several lines which have to divide this Province from 
 the Colony of Connecticut, are to fall and to run, and 
 consequently the location, extent, and limits, of the 
 then still vacant lands adjoining thereunto ; he did 
 acquaint there with the Persons hereinafter named 
 jointly with, and for the use of, whom, with and by 
 the assistance of Joseph Theale, John Horton, Joseph 
 Purdy, Nathaniel Beleick, Richard Scofeild, James 
 Mott, and Henry Disbrow, he did wholly and law- 
 fully purchase the same. 
 
 " Being all that certain tract of land in the County 
 of Westchester, bounded Northerly by the Manor of 
 Cortlandt, Easterly with Bedford line of three miles 
 square, the Whitefeilds, and Byram River, Southerly 
 by the Colony second line. Rye line stretching to 
 Byram River, the land of John Harrison, and the 
 White Plains, and Westerly by Brunk's river and 
 the Mannor of Philipsburgh. On the return of which 
 purchase the said Coll. Heathcote and his associates 
 applyed for, and on the 14th day of February 1701-2, 
 obtained the Crown's Grant for the same. To Robert 
 Walter, Leigh Atwood, Cornelius Depyster, Caleb 
 Heathcote, Mathew Clarkson, John Cholwell, Rich- 
 ard Slater, Lancaster Symes, Robert Lurting [in 
 Quest for the said Coll. Heathcote again] and Barn6 
 Cosens, under £6, 5. — Quitrent. 
 
 "Notwithstanding all w'" yet, and the said Ian is 
 being vacant and unappropriated, the purchass there- 
 of was so lawfully made, and the grant obtained : On 
 the 12th day of January, 1706, being near five years 
 after, Anne Bridges, John Clap, Augustin Qraham, 
 John Horton, and Thomas Height, on a wrong notion 
 of an insufficiency of power and authority in the then 
 Lieutenant-Oovernour to grant the above mentioned 
 tract to the above named purchasers thereof, and on 
 such other groundless surmises, did sue for and then 
 obtained, an other posterior grant for the Southern 
 part of the same individual tract of Land : 
 
 " It being for A certain tract of land in the county 
 of Westchester within the Province of New York, be- 
 ginning at a Beach tree standing by Byram river near 
 a great rock, markt with the letters I. H. I. P. I. C, 
 thence running up the said river North North West 
 to a certain Ash Tree, on the upper end of a place 
 commonly called Pondpound's Neck, marked with 
 the letters aforesaid &c to the Colony line. Westerly 
 to the eight miles stake standing between three white 
 oak trees markt [viz.] one of the said trees is marked 
 with the letters C C R on the north side and Y D un 
 the south side, and from the said trees on a direct line, 
 runs to the Northernmost corner of Rye pond, and 
 thence south ten degrees Westerly to a white oak sap- 
 ling marked by the Pond side with the letters T. I. P. 
 thence by a range of marked trees south sixty four 
 degrees East to an Ash Tree standing by Blind Brook 
 on the East side thereof, and thence by another range 
 of marked trees to a certain Chestnut tree markt with 
 the letters J. P. on the North side, on the West side, 
 with the letters I. P. on the south side with the letters 
 I. H. and thence by a range of marked trees to the 
 place where it begun. 
 
 "That this last-mentioned grant is all included 
 in, and that the east, south, and most of the west 
 bounds thereof are, the very same with the southmost 
 ones specified in the aforementioned grant of the 14th 
 February, 1701-2 to Robert Walter Ac., will unques- 
 tionably appear by comparing the southern bounds 
 of the one with those of the other, and both with the 
 northern bounds of the Patent granted the 11th day 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 39 
 
 of August, 1720, to Samuel Purdy and others for the 
 Township of Rye, and with the eastern and northern 
 bounds of that granted to William Nicoll &c., the 
 2dth day of June, 1696, called Harrison's Lands, or 
 Harrison's Purchase. 
 
 "Matters relating to that aifair being in reality as 
 hath been related, the several questions which do 
 naturally arise therefrom, are, first, what could induce 
 thcHe last Patentees to sue for a Grant of that laud 
 in 1705-6, which they well knew had been already 
 patented in 1701-2. Secondly, Why, having been at the 
 trouble and charges thereof, they not only left the 
 said first Patentees so long quietly owne, but also 
 survey the same, and not only be present thereat 
 without the least objection, but also shew them the 
 East and North lines of Well's and Harrixon's pur- 
 chasses ; to let them dispose of several pieces part of 
 it, and the buyers thereof without interruption en- 
 joy the same about 23 years after that first grant was 
 obtained; and lastly what could induce them, so 
 late then to serve a Lease of Ejectment on it." 
 
 The answers to these questions we arc left to con- 
 jecture, as except the boundaries of the jjatents it 
 refers to, which accompany it. Nothing else appears 
 on the paper. It is apparently part of a lawyer's 
 statement of facts, upon which to base an opin- 
 ion. It would seem from the statement itself 
 that the Bridges Patent was granted on the idea 
 that Lieutenant-Governor Nanfan for some reason 
 not stated, had not the power to issue the West 
 Patent when he did, and that it was therefore of no 
 effect. An utterly false idea, for his power as Com- 
 mander-in-chief was exactly that of all Governors- 
 in-chief, as set forlh in the royal " Instructions " to 
 each of them. The West Patent remained, undis- 
 turbed, and is the foundation of the present title to 
 the region covered by it (now New Castle and a 
 large part of North Castle and a part, of Bedford). 
 The suit was probably a scheme of some lawyer, or 
 some person, who was a personal or political oppo- 
 nent of some one or more of the proprietors of the 
 West Patent, for the value of the land then was en- 
 tirely too little to induce a speculative action. The 
 following is the text of the West Patent from a certi- 
 fied copy of 1734, in the writer's possession. 
 
 THE WEST PATENT. 
 
 Recorded at the request of Robt. Wa/ters A- others. 
 
 William the third by the grace of God of England 
 Scotland ffrance & Ireland King Defender of the ffaith 
 &c, To all to whom these presents shall come or may 
 consern Greeting Whereas — our Loving Subjects Rob- 
 ert Walters Leigh Attwood Cornelius Depeyster Caleb 
 Heathcote Matthew Clarkson John Chollwell Richard 
 Slater Lancater Simes Robert Lurting & Barne Copens 
 have by their petitions presented unto our trusty & 
 wellbeloved John Nanfan Esq'', our Leiut', Gov', & 
 Commander in Cheif of our Province of New York 
 and the territorieti depending thereon in America &c, 
 
 prayed our Grant & confirmati<m of a Certain tract of 
 Land in our County of West Chester Bounded North- 
 erly by the Mannor of Courtlandt Easterly with 
 Bedford lane of three Miles Square the white fcilds 
 & Byram River Southerly by the Land of John Har- 
 rison Rye line Stretching to Byrani River afores'', & 
 the White plains & Westerly by Bronckx river &th 
 Mannor of phillipsburgh excepting out of the bounds 
 aforesaid all thcLand within Richbills patent now in 
 the tenure & Occupation of Coll Caleb Heathcote 
 which first above named tract of Land was purchased 
 by Caleb Heathcote & others with whom lie has 
 agreed excepting James Mott & Henry Disbrowwhom 
 he hath undertaken to Satisfy within wiiich bounds 
 there are by Estimation about five thousand Acres 
 of profitable Land besides Waste & Woodland which 
 reasonable request we being willing to grant Knoii 
 Ve that of our Special Grace certain knowledge & 
 meer motion we have given granted ratified & con- 
 firmed and by these presents do for us our heirs & 
 Successors give grant ratify & confirm unto our Said 
 Loving Subjects Robert Walters Leigh Attwood 
 Cornelius Depeyster Caleb Heathcote M. Clarkson 
 Jn° Chollwell Rich'' Slater Lancaster Symes Robert 
 Lurting & Barne Cosens all the aforesaid tract of 
 Land within our County of Westchester & within 
 the limitts & bounds afores'' together with all and 
 Singular the woods underwoods trees timber feedings 
 pastures meadows marshes swamps ponds poolles 
 waters water Courses rivers rivulets runs brooks 
 Streams fishing (fowling hunting & hawking mines 
 Mineralls (silver and Gold mines Excepted) and all 
 other profitts benefitts priviledges Libertys advantages 
 Hereditaments & Appurtenances whatsoever co the 
 afores'' tract of Land within the limitts & bounds afores'' 
 belonging or innywise appertaining To have and to 
 hold all the aforesaid tract of Land together with all 
 & Singular the woods underwoods trees timbers feed- 
 ings pastures Meadows Marshes Swamps ponds pools 
 waters water Courses Rivers Rivuletts runs brooks 
 Streams fishing fowling Huuting and Hawking Mines 
 Mineralls Silver and Gold mines Excepted & ail other 
 profits benefits priviledges I^ibertys Advantages He- 
 reditaments & appurtenances whatsoever to the afores'' 
 tract of Land in this the Limitts & bounds afores'' 
 belonging or in any way appertaining unto them the 
 said Robert Walters Leigh Atwood Cornelius Depey- 
 ster Caleb Heathcote Matthew Clarkson John Choll- 
 well Richard Slater Lancaster Symes Rob' Lurting 
 and Barne Cosens their heirs and assigns to the only 
 proper use benefit & behoof of them the S'' Robert 
 Leigh Attwood Cornelius Depeyster Caleb Heathcote 
 M Clarkson, Jn°, Chollwell Lancaster Symes Richard 
 Slater Robert Lurting & Barne Cosens their heirs & 
 Assigns for ever 7b be Holdrn of us our heirs & Suc- 
 cessors in free & Common Socage as of our Mannour 
 of East Greenwich in our County of Kent within our 
 Realm of England Yeilding rendering; & paying there- 
 fore Yearly & every Year for ever at our City of New 
 
40 
 
 MAMARONECK. 
 
 York unto us our heirs and Successors or to Such Of- 
 ficer Or Oflicera as shall from time to time be im- 
 powered to receive the same the Annual & Yearly 
 rent of Six pounds five Shillings Current money of 
 New York in Leiu & stead of all other rents dues 
 duties Services demands w'aoever In Testimony where- 
 of we have caused the great Seal of our said Prov- 
 ince to be hereunto affixed Wititeit John Nanfan 
 £^' our Leiu': Governour and Commander in 
 Cheif of our province of New York & the territories 
 depending thereon in America & Vice Admiral of the 
 same &c at our ffort in New York the fourteenth day of 
 ifeb^ A° 1701, & in the thirteenth Year of our Reign 
 John Nanfan, By his Hon" Command M. Clarkson 
 Secry. 
 
 Sccry" Office N York Mar 22d 1733 
 A true Copy from the Record 
 
 fkred" Morris, D Secry 
 Compared with the Record 
 ALD 
 
 It will be noticed how carefully this patent by ex- 
 press words excepted and preserved to Colonel Heath- 
 cote his lands under the Richbell Patent, which in 
 part were covered by its boundaries. The portion of 
 this Patent in Bedford under the deed from Katonah 
 above given, became the subject of controversy — 
 and remained unsettled till 1771, when the dispute 
 was finally terminated by the following mutual Agree- 
 ment, the original of which is in the writer's pos- 
 session. 
 
 Agreement between the Proprietors o/ the West Patent 
 and Becyord. 
 " It is this day agreed between the proprietors of 
 that part of the West Patent in Westchester County 
 which was releiuied to the said proprietors by Caleb 
 Fowler Benjamin Smith, & Joseph Sutton & the 
 persons settled upon the same Lauds and claiming a 
 title thereto under the Township of Bedford, that the 
 whole matters in Dispute between the said parties, 
 shall be submitted to the arbitration of Richard 
 Willis & William .Seaman of Jerico, George Town- 
 send of Norwich, Thomas Hicks, & Hendrick Onder- 
 douk of the Township of Hempstead, & all of Queens 
 County, Gent". That the whole matters Differ- 
 ences in Dispute between the said parties shall be 
 submitted to the determination of the said retTerees 
 or any three or more of them without any Exception 
 whatever. That Bonds shall be executed mutually 
 each in the penall sum of £5000 New York Money ' to 
 stand to the award of the said Refferees or any three 
 or more of them. That the award shall be made and 
 ready to be delivered to the parties or some of them 
 on or before the first day of September next. That 
 if the Arbitrators or any three or more of them shall 
 award the Lands in Dispute to be the property of the 
 proprietors claiming under the West Patent, then the 
 
 > 12,a00 dolUn. 
 
 said Reiferees or any three or more of them are to 
 award what sum the persons claiming under Bedford 
 are to pay by the acre for the said Lands and the 
 West Patent proprietors are, upon payment thereof, 
 to release all their right in the Lands to the persona 
 claiming under Bedford, & shall warrant & Defend 
 them .'^i. all persons claiming under the West Patent. 
 The jiinproveraents are not to be valued, and if the 
 RetTerees or any three or more of them award that 
 the proprietors of the West Patent are not entitled to 
 the Lands in Dispute but that the same are the prop- 
 erty of the claimants under Bedford, then that the 
 former shall release all their right to the latter of, 
 in, and to, the Lands in Dispute. Dated this 27th 
 day of March 1771, 
 
 John Baru | 
 
 David Clarkson \ in Behalf of the West 
 Thomas Jones ' ) Patent Proprietors. 
 James Wright I in Behalf of the claim- 
 John Lawrence i ants under Bedford. 
 
 Under this agreement the settlement was made, the 
 Bedford people paying about eight shillings per acre, 
 it is believed, for the land to the proprietors of the 
 West Patent. 
 
 A somewhat similar settlement had been made six 
 years before, in 1765, by the Proprietors of the Mid- 
 dle Patent, or "the Whitefields Patent" as it was 
 often called, which adjoined the West Patent on the 
 East, by a like arbitration with Samuel Banks and 
 some twenty four others, who having bought the 
 rights of two or three of the Patentees entered upon, 
 and took possession of the whole of that Patent, the 
 grant for which is as follows : 
 
 THE MIDDLE PATENT. 
 
 {The Whitefieldt). 
 " William the Third, by the grace of God, of Eng- 
 land, Scotland, France, and Ireland, King, Defender 
 of the Faith, &c., to all to whom these presents shall 
 come or may concern, sendeth greeting : Whereas our 
 loving subjects Col. Caleb Heathcote, Joseph Theal, 
 John Horton, Joseph Purdy, Robert Walters, Leigh 
 Atwood, Matthew Clarkson, Lancaster Sims, Cornelius 
 Depeyster, Richard Slater, John Ghollwell, Robert 
 Lurting, and Barne Cosens, have by their petition, 
 presented unto our trusty and well beloved John Nan- 
 fan, Esq., our Lieut. Governor and Commander-in- 
 chief of our Province of New York and territories 
 depending thereon in America, &c., and prayed our 
 grant and confirmation of a certain tract of land in 
 the county of Westchester, bounded southerly by the 
 colony line of Connecticut, easterly by Mahanas 
 river, northerly by Bedford line and marked trees to 
 Mahanas river again, and southerly as the said river 
 
 > Then recorder of New York, and Ister Judge of the Supreme Oourt, 
 the Author of the Hiitorv of New York during the Kf volutlonsry War. 
 He repreaentvd the Heathcote eaUto, bh wifa, Anna De Laneajr, being 
 a granddaughter of Colonel Heathcote. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 41 
 
 goes against the stream to ye head of the said river, 
 and so to the said colony line, which said tract of 
 land on the 6th day of July last past, was by our said 
 Caleb Heathcote, Joseph Theal, John Horton and 
 Joseph Purdy, &c., purchased of the native proprie- 
 tors, and containing within the limits aforesaid, by 
 estimation, about 1500 acres of profitable land, be- 
 sides wastes and wood lands, which reasonable request, 
 we being willing to grant, know ye, that of our espe- 
 cial grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we 
 have given, granted, ratified and confirmed, and by 
 these presents doe for us, our heirs and successors, 
 give, grant, ratify and confirm unto our said loving 
 subjects, Col, Caleb Heathcote, Joseph Theal, John 
 Horton, Joseph Purdy, Robert Walters, Lsigh At- 
 wood, Matthew Clarkson, Lancaster tiims, Cornelius 
 Depeyster, Richard Slater, John Chollwell, Robert 
 Lurting and Barne Cosens, all the afore recited tract 
 of land within the county of Westchester, and within 
 the limits and bounds aforesaid, together with all and 
 singular the woods, underwoods, trees, timber, feed- 
 ings, pastures, meadows, marshes, swamps, ponds, 
 pools, waters, water-courses, rivern, rivulets, runs, 
 brooks, streams, fishing, fowling, hunting, hawking, 
 &c., mines, minerals, &c., (silver and gold mines ex- 
 cepted,) and all other profits, benefits, privileges, lib- 
 erties, advantages, hereditaments and appurtenances 
 whatsoever to the aforesaid tract of land, within the 
 limits and bounds aforesaid, belonging or in any way 
 or ways appertaining, unto them the said Colonel 
 Caleb Heathcote, &c., <&c., their heirs and assigns to 
 the only proper use, benefit and behoof of him the 
 said Colonel Caleb Heathcote, &c., &c., their heirs 
 and assigns for ever, to be holden of us, our heirs and 
 successors, in free and common soccage as of our 
 manor of East Greenwich in our county of Kent, 
 within our realm of England, yielding, rendering, and 
 paying therefor yearly and every year, on the first day 
 of the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour, the annual 
 yearly rent of one pound, seven nhillings and six- 
 pence, current money of New York, in lieu and stead 
 of all other rents, dues, duties, services and demands 
 whatsoever. In testimony whereof, we have caused 
 the great seal of our said Province to be hereunto af- 
 fixed. Witness John Nanfan, Esq., our Lieutenant 
 Governor and Commander-in-chief of our Province 
 of New York and territories depending thereon in 
 America, and Vice- Admiral of the same, at our Fort 
 in New York, this 17th day of February, 1701-2, and 
 in the fourteenth year of our reign.'' ' 
 
 "John Nakfajj." 
 
 This, the smallest of the three Great Patents, was 
 held by its Patentees without a division of their 
 interests till 1733, when the following appointment 
 of Samuel Purdy to lay it out was made : 
 
 "New York Aug. y". 20'": 1733. 
 
 " We the Undersigned owners and Proprietors of a 
 
 certain Tract of Land, Called Whitefeild' in the 
 County of Westchester, Do authorize and appoint 
 Samuel Purdy, Esq*, to Lay out and Divide the said 
 Lands in Order To our coming to an Entire Division 
 of the Same, to Each Respective Pattentee or his 
 assigns. 
 Witness our Hands 
 
 James De Lancey 
 D. Clarkson 
 C. D'Peyster 
 P. Fauconnier 
 John Symes 
 , Josiah Quimby. 
 
 Memorand". for Justice Purdy to take Notice 
 where the Division Line between Greenwich and 
 Stamford falls upon the Colony Line. 
 
 A true copy From y* Originall by 
 
 Sam'. Purdy." > 
 
 Mr. Purdy accepted the appointment and acted. 
 He divided the Patent into two parts which he called 
 the " East " and " West" Ranges, containing thirteen 
 "Lotts " each. The number of acres in each is not 
 now known, but the value of each lot is shown by the 
 original list and valuation by Purdy, in the writer's 
 possession, which is as follows : — 
 
 An Estimate of the Lotts in Whitefield Fatten/. 
 
 Kut Range. 
 No. 
 1. 
 
 £ 
 ... 93 00 
 
 No. 
 1 
 
 Wen Range. 
 
 £ 
 
 73 00 
 
 2 
 
 .. U3 no 
 
 2 
 
 78 00 
 
 3 
 
 .. 8.') 00 
 
 3 
 
 H5 00 
 
 4 
 
 ... 85 00 
 
 4 
 
 6. 
 
 U5 00 
 
 5. 
 
 80 00 
 
 96 00 
 
 6 
 
 ... &4 00 
 
 6 
 
 92 00 
 
 7. 
 
 14 00 
 
 7. 
 
 77 00 
 
 8 
 
 .. 44 UO 
 
 8 
 
 77 00 
 
 
 
 ... 44 00 
 
 9 
 
 84 00 
 
 10 
 
 ... 44 00 
 
 10 
 
 11 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 88 00 
 
 11 
 
 ... 50 OU 
 
 96 00 
 
 12 
 
 .. 82 00 
 
 100 00 
 
 13 
 
 .. 72 00 
 
 100 00 
 
 Tntall 
 
 £850 00 
 
 £1189 00 
 860 00 
 
 £1989 00 
 
 1 Book of Patent*, No. vll. 224, Sec. of State'a Office, Albnny. 
 
 Pr nie 
 
 Sam" Purdy. 
 
 The names of the persons living on this Patent six 
 years after Purdy's appointment above given were 
 collected by Benjamin Fox of King Street and sent 
 to Mr. Murray of New York, who was the lawyer and 
 agent of some of the patentees. Under date of " King 
 St. 8"' y' 7"", 1739," Fox writes Murray, " Inclosed 
 have sent you the names of the People Possessed on 
 the Whitefeild, or Middle Patent which have Indev- 
 our* to colect as well as I could." The list which 
 is on a separate paper, is as follows : 
 
 'This name, aingularly enough is ao tpelled in all the old deeds anil 
 documents. It should, of course, have been " Whitefleids." 
 
 ■ From an ancient copy in the writer's puaeesion, In ^muel Purdjr's 
 handwriting. 
 
48 
 
 MAMARONECK. 
 
 Owens 
 
 John Finch 
 John Briuh 
 Bcnj Brush 
 Bam" Peters 
 Ebius Urouk 
 Francis Purdy 
 John Purdy * 
 
 ThoB. Hutchins 
 Thos. Meritt 
 John Runells, Sen' 
 John Runells Jun' 
 Beiy. Piatt 
 Jacob Finch 
 Sam" Banks 
 1'tinM »'i ->niiii. 
 
 When, twenty-flve years later, the final settlement 
 of 1765, between the patentees and the settlers above 
 referred to, was made, the parties then in possession, 
 whose names are recited in the award, were; — Sam" 
 Banks, John Banks, Benoy Piatt, Jonathan Piatt, John 
 Runnels, Jonathan Owens, John Rundle, John Arm- 
 strong, Roger Sutherland, Smith Sutherland, Charles 
 Green, Charles Green, Jun', David Bnindige, Walter 
 Morris, Aaron Furman, Jun', Shubel Brush, James 
 Bnindige, Stephen Edegett, Nehemiah Brundige, ' 
 Abraham Knapp, Joshua Lounsbery, Daniel Brown, 
 Jun', Fhinehas Knapp, Jeremiah Numau, Robert 
 Murfee, Jeremiah Green. 
 
 Some of these names appear in Fox's list of 1739, 
 but only a few. 
 
 The arbitrators in 1765 were: "Daniel Kissam, 
 Samuel Townsend, George Weekes, Benjamin Tread- 
 well and David Batty, all of Queens County" and 
 their award dated October 6, 1765, recites that they, 
 " having sat as arbitrators and heard the said disputes, 
 and having deliberately heard, examined, and consid- 
 ered all the proofs and allegations of the said Parties 
 in Controversy, do for the settling peace and amity 
 between them make this our award, order, arbitra- 
 ment, determination, and judgment of and upon the 
 Premises as Follows — First, We do award and order, 
 that the said Anne De Lancey, John Bard, Pierre De- 
 peyster, David Clarkson, Peter Remsen, and John 
 Ogelbie, and all others who claim lands under the said 
 Patent which are not already sold or conveyed to the 
 persons now in possession of the said lands, or to 
 those under whom they claim, or to some or one of 
 them, shall and do upon demand execute and deliver 
 in due form of law a release of all their rights and 
 Titles of, in, and to, the lands specifyed in the said 
 Letters Patent, to said Samuel Banks and the other 
 persons above named who are now in possession of 
 the said Lands, and to their heirs and assigns forever; 
 and that the said Samuel Banks and the other per- 
 sons above named, who are now in possession of the 
 said Lands, shall and do upon the delivery of such 
 Release pay unto the said Anne De Lancey and such 
 other persons as are hereby ordered to Execute the 
 said Release, the sum of nine Shillings New York 
 money ' for every acre of said lands, which the said 
 Samuel Banks and the other persons above named or 
 those under whom they claim, or some or one of them, 
 have not already purchased of some, or one, of the 
 
 I Origliutl letter and llat in the writer'! pomnlon. 
 -One dollar and twelve centn. 
 
 patentees in the said letters Patent Named, or of 
 those claiming under the said patentees, or some or 
 one of them." ' 
 
 The East Patent was granted March 2* 1701 to the 
 same Patentees as the West Patent with the addition 
 to their number of Peter Matthews of Bedford. Five 
 days before, on the 25th of February in the same 
 year, Katonah, Wakemane, and another Indian exe- 
 cuted a deed of contirmation to the Patentees of their 
 right and estate in the tract* in which they thus de- 
 scribe, " bounded as foUoweth viz. Westward by Bed- 
 ford, and by the patent granted to Caleb Ileathcoto 
 and others," northerly by Coll. Cortlandt's purchase 
 and Croton's river, southerly and easterly by the Col- 
 ony lines." 
 
 The patent itself in its general language is similar 
 to those of the Wost and Middle Patents above set 
 forth. It bounds the Tract granted in these words ; — 
 
 The East Patent BouncU 
 " Bounded South, by the division Line between 
 New York and Connecticut, Eiist, by the other 
 division Line between New York and Connec- 
 ticut, and so along said Line untill it meets with 
 the Patent of Adolf Philipse," and so along his 
 southern bounds till it meets with the Manner 
 of Cortlandt, and from thence by a Line that 
 shall run upon a direct course untill it meets with the 
 first easterly Line of twenty miles of thesaidMannor 
 of Cortlandt, aud from thence along the said Line 
 Westerly till it meets with the Patent granted to R. 
 Walter and others,' thence southerly along the said 
 Patent, untill it meets with the bounds of the Town- 
 ship of Bedford, and thence round along said bounds 
 until it meets with the Patent granted to Coll. Heath- 
 cote and others, and" thence along the bounds of said 
 Patent unto the Colony Line where it began," 
 
 No attempt was made to settle this tract till about 
 the year 1744, when parties from Stamford and its 
 neighborhood acquired portions of land witl in its 
 limits. 
 
 The area of these three great Patents, the " West," 
 the " Middle," and the " East," was very much greater 
 than is commonly supposed. The Patents themselves 
 only give their respective areas in what those instru- 
 ments term " profitable land," that is, land that could 
 be easily cultivated. But as the greater part of north- 
 ern and central Westchester abounded in high semi- 
 mountainous ridges, rocky heights, and great forests, 
 characteristics which to a large extent it still retains, 
 the " profitable land " really bore but a small pro- 
 portion to what was then deemed the unprofitable 
 land. How very extensive these great patents really 
 
 > From the original award itgned by all the arbitratora, in the writer's 
 poneaaion. 
 
 4 Book I. p. 100, Sec. uf State'a Offe. Albany. 
 
 >The "Middle Patent." 
 
 * Phillpae'i TTpper Patent, now Putnam County. 
 
 > The Weit Patent. 
 'The Middle falmt. 
 
MAMARONECK. 
 
 48 
 
 were, will be seen from the following authentic state- 
 ment : 
 
 Peter Fauconnier, who was a surveyor, and as has 
 been stated, an owner in all three patents, was, with 
 Lancaster Symes, the active managers for the own- 
 ers of all three patents. An account showing the 
 amounts due from each owner, arran^ced under, the 
 head of each Patent separately, dated in 1710, in the 
 handwriting of Fauconnier is in the writer's posses- 
 sion, and it shows that the three Patents together con- 
 tained seventy thousand, 70,000, Acres of Land. The 
 headings of the accounts of the three patents are 
 these ; — 
 
 " The first of the 3 Patents above mentioned con- 
 taining about 30,000 acres of rough Land, between 10 
 Patentees." ' 
 
 " The Second of the 3 Patents here-above mentioned 
 containing about 5000 acres of rough Land, between 
 13 Patentees." '' 
 
 " The Third of the 3 Patents here-above mentioned 
 containing about 3r),000 acres of rough Land, between 
 11 Patentees."' 
 
 In a " statement of the three Patents " which has 
 already been given, siiowing the dates of the Patents, 
 the Patentees' names, and the boundaries granted by 
 each, the areas of each are set down in what that doc- 
 ument calls " Improvable Land," corresponding to 
 
 ' Tlio " Went Patent." 
 3 The tliddlo Patent. 
 » The " Gut Patent." 
 
 the " Profitable Land '' of the Patents themselves. 
 As will be seen, by referring to it, that document 
 gives for the different Patents these areas ; — 
 
 In the West Patent, 5,000 Acres Improvable Land, 
 In the Middle Patent, 1,500 Acres Improvable Land, 
 In the East Patent, 6,200 Acres Improvable Land, 
 In all together, 12700 Acres Improvable Laud, which 
 is not quite one sixth of the actual area of the terri- 
 tory of the three Patents by Fauconnier's account. 
 
 As the whole Manor of Cortlandt north of the Cro- 
 ton River and east of the Hudson containing 5(Kio 
 acres was only valued in 1732 at £962") or *25,()62,' 
 and as the twenty six lots of the " Middle Patent " 
 were only valued in 1733, at iXSm," or about $5,001), 
 both valuations being made for the respective pro- 
 prietors by the same man, Justice Samuel Purdy, 
 and as the Patentees of the latter were only awarded 
 nine shillings, one dollar and twelve cents, an acre, for 
 their unsold lands in the same patent in 1765, a gen- 
 eration later, it is easily seen how very little, was the 
 actual value of the 70,000 acres of the three great pat- 
 ents when they were granted, and during the lifetime 
 of their original Patentees. These facts also show how 
 careful we should always be in considering these mat- 
 ters not to judge of estates in the 17th, and 18th, cen- 
 turies in Westchester County, large or small, by the 
 values of, either the early, or the latter part of the 
 19th century. 
 
 < Sw in Part 13, ante, p. \Xt. 
 i> See ante, p. 88li. 
 
 JhrY> £l.j:=^>^ cc^t^cA^-^^--^ 
 
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