Historic Pelham Blog Archive
November 3, 2006

350TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION BOOK:  "THOMAS PELL AND THE LEGEND OF THE PELL TREATY OAK" -- $11.95 (PROCEEDS AFTER PRINTING COSTS WILL GO TO BARTOW-PELL MANSION MUSEUM).  CLICK HERE TO BROWSE BEFORE YOU BUY! LEARN MORE.

 On June 27, 1654, Thomas Pell signed a "treaty" with local Native Americans acquiring the lands that became Pelham and surrounding areas. A copy of that treaty, said to be in Thomas Pell's handwriting, exists. It is among the Pell family papers maintained by the Fort Ticonderoga Museum.

That document offers some of the best evidence we have of those who knew Thomas Pell. I have been working to shed light on the lives of those Englishmen who witnessed the agreement on June 27, 1654. An image of that agreement and a transcription of its text is available on the Historic Pelham Web site by clicking here.

Among those whose signatures or marks appear on the document as witnesses are "Richard Crabb", "Henry Accorly", "John Ffinch", "William Newman" and others. Inquiry into the backgrounds of these men, hopefully, may shed additional light on Thomas Pell and his purchase.

Recently I posted my research notes regarding one of these men: the magistrate who witnessed the treaty signing named Richard Crabb. See Thursday, May 18, 2006: Richard Crabb, the "Magistrate" Who Witnessed the Signing of Thomas Pell's Treaty with Local Native Americans on June 27, 1654. Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting transcribes the text of a brief biography of Richard Crabb included in a two-volume publication published in 1902 entitled "History of The Colony of New Haven To Its Absorption Into Connecticut". The transcription appears immediately below, followed by a citation to the source.

"PERSONNEL OF STAMFORD (Rippowams). . . .

RICHARD CRABB (16__-16__) was a Representative from Wethersfield 1639-41. In 1643 he sold his land in that town and went to Stamford; in 1654 he was in Greenwich. He had a leaning towards the Quakers, harbored them and possessed Quaker books, and was disciplined and fined £30 by the church and town authorities."

Source: Atwater, Edward E., History of The Colony of New Haven To Its Absorption Into Connecticut with Supplementary History and Personnel of the Towns of Branford, Guilford, Milford, Stratford, Norwalk, Southold, Etc., Vol. 2, p. 685 (Meriden, CT: The Journal Publishing Company 1902).

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posted by Blake A. Bell @ 4:42 AM Comment

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