John Pell III (1643 - 1719)

Born 8 Feb 1643 in Southwick, Sussex, England

Ancestors

Husband of Rachel (Pinckney) Pell — married about 1674 in East Chester, Westchester, Province of New York

Descendants

Died Sep 1719 at age 76 in Westchester County, Province of New York

Biography

John Pell was born in England 3 Feb 1643.^[1]

He lived most of his youth being raised by his mother at the home of his maternal grandparents, while his father worked abroad. His mother died by 1665, and when the plague hit London that year, he removed with his maternal grandparents out of the city. His father, who had returned to England by then, remained in London and survived the plague.

In the English records (1665-1670) he subsequently was designated as "sewer in ordinary to his Majesty Charles II, King of England." This meant an officer of the royal household, master of ceremonies or superintendent of foreman banquets and state dinners. The word " sewer" meant a table attendant who placed and removed dishes from the table. "In ordinary" meant in actual constant service or statedly attending and serving. He was promoted to groom of the bedchamber in 1669.

In 1670, his uncle, Dr. Thomas Pell, died without issue; he left a large portion of his Connecticut estate to his nephew, this John Pell, who came to North America to collect it about 1670. (Prior to his departure, it is said he was knighted by the King.) There was some disagreement about the inheritance (the executors apparently did not expect the nephew to show up), and John came to an agreement with them and sold all the Connecticut estate, and removed to New York, where his uncle had begun to build the estate that would become Pelham Manor. [This needs confirming.]

In 1674 or 1675, the now Sir John married Rachel Pinckney, daughter of Philip Pinckney (one of the original ten Proprietors of Eastchester).

Soon after the marriage, Sir John erected his Mansion House on the shores of the Sound near where now stands the Bartow Mansion in Pelham Bay Park.

While King Philip's War was raging in New England (1675/6), John Pell negotiated with the local Siwanoy tribe, renewing a treaty that his uncle Thomas Pell had negotiated with John White, their chief.

In 1676, John and Rachel visited London where they had their portraits painted. They returned in 1679.

On 20 October 1687, Governor Thomas Dongan issued to Sir John a royal patent that refers for the first time to the Manor of Pelham, saying:

"...the tract of land, islands and premises aforesaid are by these present erected and constituted to be one lordship and manner, and the same shall from henceforth be called the lordship and manner of Pelham..."

This is the second royal patent to establish a Manor, the first being Fordham in November 1671. The third was Philipsborough, June 1693; the fourth, Morrisania, May 1697; the fifth, Cortlandt, June 1697 and the sixth and last, Scarsdale, March 1701.

When the Protestant French Huguenots were denied protection by King Louis XIV, thousands of the Huguenots left France to settle in the Americas. In 1688, acting New York Gov. Jacob Leister appealed to Pell to sell 6,000 acres plus a donation of 100 acres for a French church to Leister to sell to the Huguenots. The Huguenots began settling on acrage in 1688, when they founded what would become New Rochelle.

"John Pell and his wife Rachell deeded 6,000 acres of land to Jacob Leisler, agent for the Huguenots, on July 2, 1689. In exchange, the new settlers paid a "sume of Sixteens hundred twenty & Five pounds sterling currant silver money" and "one fatt calfe" to be given every 24th day of June, if demanded by John and Rachell Pell and their heirs."^[2]

There seems to be some dispute over the date of Sir John's death by drowning off City Island. A stone in the Pell private burying ground at Bartow Mansion dates his death as 1700, but according to Lockwood Barr's History of the Ancient Town of Pelham,

"there are references to him in Westchester archives, however, indicating that he was alive as late as 1719, for up to that date he was executing deeds to properties."

6000 acres deeded:

Family

He married to Rachel Pinckney ca.1674-75 in East Chester, Westchester, Province of New York.

Children:

1. Sir Thomas Pell (1676–1739) [but see duplicate entry below...]
2. Philip Tamar Pell (1675–1739) [despite date, he was not the oldest]
3. Ada Pell (1680– )
4. Hannah Pell (1681–1778)
5. Elizabeth Pell (1684–1770), m. Samuel Heustis, son of Robert Heustis.
6. Thomas Pell (1686–1739)
7. John Pell (1688– )
8. Mary Pell Pugsley Hunter (1695-1766)

1962 Pelliana book claims his children were:

• Thomas [the narrative does not name his wife, but a family tree in the Appendix calls her "Anna Wampage".]
• Philip
• Capt John; unmarried
• Ithamaria (m. a Huguenot Messr. Eustace)
• Mary ; m. Samuel Rodman

Sources

1. ↑ Unless otherwise cited, this biography is from Barbara Davis, "Sir John Pell Biography," in "New Rochelle Patch" website; sallyansel1 originally shared on 03 Apr 2011 (ancestry).
2. ↑ You can see the original deed, seen here as a scanned image, in the Thomas Paine Cottage located at North, Paine and Sicard Avenues in New Rochelle.

• Pelliana: Pell of Pelham, 1963; link

• Torrey, Clarence A. New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004.

• Portrait of Lt. Col. Sir John Pell IV, 2nd Lord of Pelham Manor, by Sit Godfrey Kneller, in possession of Robert T. Pell, Esq., posted by Jabert64 (ancestry).

• Sir John Pell Biography; Jabert64 originally shared this on 02 Jan 2013 (ancestry)

• 6000 acres deeded, Barbara Davis, "New Rochelle Patch" website; sallyansel1 originally shared this on 03 Apr 2011

• Schermerhorn Rock Family Tree (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/40179960/person/28134931257/facts)

• Gale-Ford-Gorin Family Tree (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/104479965/person/150040748573/facts)

• The Brenchak Family Tree (https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/pt/RequestTreeAccess.aspx?tid=17769782&pid=320013437549)

• Bristol, Theresa Hall. Westchester County, N. Y., Miscellanea, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (NYGBS, New York, 1920) Vol. 51, Page 41. "John Pell, by deed bearing date 11 day of December, 1685..."