Biographies

Pelham Personages
(Brief Biographies of Notable Pelham Residents)

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Anhõõke (aka Wampage) - Anhooke was a name by which a Siwanoy named Wampage subsequently became known. Wampage was a Siwanoy who is said to have led the war party that attacked Anne Hutchinson and her family on August 20, 1643 and subsequently boasted that he personally scalped Anne Hutchinson. According to Lockwood Barr's History of the Ancient Town of Pelham "[i]t was customary among the Indians when they murdered some important personage, to add the name of their victim to their own name--and so Wampage took the name of Anne Hutchinson, which became Anhooke. The territory where he had his village became known in the archives as the Land of Ann Hook, spelled in various ways." Anhõõke was one of the five Siwanoys who on June 27, 1654 signed the treaty that sold the lands that later became The Pelhams and surrounding areas to Thomas Pell. The other Siwanoys who signed the treaty were Shawanórõckquot, Poquõrúm, Wawhamkus and Mehúmõw. Three additional Siwanoys signed as "Indyan Witnesses" to the "Articles of Agreement" section of the Treaty: Marke Cockho, Mark Kamaque and Marke Cockinsecawa.

Barr, Lockwood - A long-time executive in the Public Relations Department of General Motors Corporation who lived at 20 Beech Tree Lane, designed by Electus Darwin Litchfield (b. 1872, d. 1952) and constructed in 1927. Barr was the author of A Brief, But Most Complete & True Account of the Settlement of the Ancient Town of Pelham Westchester County, State of New York Known One Time Well & Favourably as the Lordshipp & Manour of Pelham Also The Story of the Three Modern Villages Called The Pelhams (The Dietz Press, Inc. 1946). Sources: The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991 118 (James B. Saunders, ed., 1991) (photo of Barr included).

Bartow, John - Lockwood Barr wrote in his history of Pelham: "John Bartow was the son of Theophilus Bartow and Bathsheba Pell, daughter of Thomas [Pell], the 3rd Lord. Theophilus was a son of Rev. John Bartow, Rector of St. Peter's Church in West Chester. John Bartow was married twice: 1st m. Mary Ryder, and 2nd m. Ann Pell, the daughter of Joseph Pell, the 4th Lord. By the first wife, John Bartow had a son Augustus, who married Clarina Bartow, a cousin, and their son was Robert Bartow, who married Maria Lorillard. John Bartow was a man of wealth and influence. In the town of West Chester he was elected a Trustee and one of the Assessors in 1788. He was Clerk of West Chester County 1760-1764, and Surrogate 1754-61. He was a Vestryman of St. Peter's. He was one of the promoters, in 1812, of the Pelham Bridge, across the mouth of the Hutchinson River. According to Bartow family tradition, John kept open house for his relations and entertained lavishly his many distinguished guests, among them Colonel Aaron Burr, who had married into the family of Bartow. John Bartow, towards the end of his life, moved to Spring Street, New York, where he died in 1816."

Bartow, Robert - Robert Bartow was grandson of John Bartow and Ann Pell. He has been described as a "man of means" who took an "active interest in the affairs of the community". He served as a Warden of old St. Paul's Church in Eastchester and died in Pelham on June 24, 1868. On August 25, 1836, Robert Bartow bought from Herman LeRoy, Jr. a large estate in what was then part of the Town of Pelham, but today rests largely in Pelham Bay Park in Bronx County. Some time between 1836 and 1842, Robert Bartow built the mansion that still stands on Shore Road and is known as the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum. It is the headquarters of the International Garden Society and is open to the public.

Bolton, Rev. Robert - Rev. Robert Bolton founded Christ Church in Pelham in 1843 and built Bolton Priory, still standing on Priory Lane in Pelham Manor, beginning in 1838. Bolton also served as minister of St. Paul's Church in East Chester, still standing in today's Mt. Vernon, from 1837 to 1843. Bolton and his children were among the most influential members of the Pelham community in the mid-19th century.

Burr, Aaron - Aaron Burr (1756-1836), who killed Alexander Hamilton in an infamous duel held on July 11, 1804 (a duel that ended his political career), had many ties to Pelham. He was the son of the Rev. Aaron Burr, President of Princeton. Burr graduated from Princeton in 1772 and joined General George Washington's Army in 1775. In 1779, he was "in charge of the Westchester County Line facing the British in New York City". According to Otto Hufeland in his book Westchester County during the American Revolution, after the Revolutionary War in which Col. Aaron Burr served but reportedly never gained the full confidence of General George Washington, he and his wife spent part of some summers in Pelham, living in a home that no longer exists that stood approximately where today's Boston Post Road crosses the Hutchinson River. That home was known as the Shrubbery and was owned by his step-son Augustine Prevost, son of his wife's previous marriage (see below). Aaron Burr's wife, Theodosia, was the daughter of Theodosius Bartow, and cousin of John Bartow, son of Theophilus Bartow, who owned Bartow Mansion on the Shore Road. According to Lockwood Barr, Theodosia "had married 1st, James Marcus Prevost, a British Army officer who died 1779, leaving two sons. In 1782 Widow Theodosia married 2nd, Col. Aaron Burr -- he then being twenty-five, and she ten years his senior. To this marriage in 1783 was born one child, the lovely Theodosia Burr who mysteriously disappeared at sea in 1813." Aaron and Theodosia were said to be frequent visitors in Pelham, visiting both the Shrubbery and the homes of members of the Bartow family who lived in the Pelham area. Aaron Burr served as a member of the New York Assembly in 1784, Attorney General of the State of New York in 1789, U.S. Senator from New York beginning in 1796, and Vice President of the United States beginning in 1800.

Chenery, Christopher T. - President of the Federal Water Service Company and founder of the Meadow Stable in Virginia, one of the country's most notable thoroughbred racehorse stables. The Meadow Stable presented the world with such stellar racehorses as triple crown winner Secretariat, Hill Prince, Riva Ridge and others. Chenery lived in Pelham Manor for nearly fifty years and was the brother of William L. Chenery, Editor-Publisher of Colliers Magazine. Sources: The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991 116 (James B. Saunders, ed., 1991) (photo of Chenery included).

Chenery, William L. - Editor-Publisher of Colliers Magazine and brother of Christopher T. Chenery, President of the Federal Water Service Company and founder of the Meadow Stable in Virginia. William L. Chenery was a resident of Park Lane in Pelham Manor. Sources: The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991 116 (James B. Saunders, ed., 1991) (photo of Chenery included).

Chenery, Penny - Daughter of Christopher T. Chenery who, after her father's death, took over operations of the Meadow Stable in Virginia which presented the world with such stellar racehorses as triple crown winner Secretariat, Hill Prince, Riva Ridge and others. She was a resident of Pelham Manor for many years. Sources: The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991 116 (James B. Saunders, ed., 1991) (photo of Chenery included).

Dongan, Governor Thomas - Governor Thomas Dongan issued a royal patent to Sir John Pell, 2nd Lord of the Manor of Pelham, on October 20, 1687 confirming the validity of his inheritance of the lands that his Uncle, Thomas Pell, purchased from the Siwanoys on June 27, 1654.

Glover, Col. John - Col. John Glover, of Massachusetts, was a member of General Washington's Army during the Revolutionary War. Early on the morning of October 18, 1776, Col. Glover observed the landing of 4,000 British and German troops led by General Howe as those troops moved by boats from Throg's Neck to Pell's Point. He led up to 750 men to meet the British and German troops on Split Rock Road in Pelham where he and his men fought valiantly and delayed General Howe's troops so that General Washington's Army could escape to White Plains. Col. Glover subsequently became a General. He and his Marblehead Mariners distinguished themselves on a number of occasions throughout the War.

Hackes, Peter - Television and radio correspondent who worked for the CBS and NBC networks from the 1950s through the 1980s. Hackes received an Emmy award for his reporting on the Apollo space program in 1969-70. He resided in a home on Suburban Avenue as a youngster. Sources: The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991 117 (James B. Saunders, ed., 1991) (photo of Hackes included).

Hutchinson, Anne - While it now appears that Anne Hutchinson and her family never resided in what is today's Town of Pelham, it long was believed -- erroneously -- that at the time of her massacre her homestead was near Split Rock in Pelham. Still, her memory is inextricably intertwined with the history of The Pelhams. Anne Hutchinson was born in England in 1591. She traveled to Boston, Massachusetts with her husband, their children and some of her husband's relatives in 1634 to seek greater religious freedom. She was a strong-willed and charismatic woman with religious beliefs that religious leaders found difficult to accept and with her own following of those who agreed with her beliefs. During late 1637 and early 1638, Anne Hutchinson was banished from Massachusetts due to her beliefs and her actions. She found refuge with her family in Rhode Island. In 1642, Anne Hutchinson and her family migrated from Rhode Island and started a small settlement somewhere in the area that later became the Town of Eastchester near the Hutchinson River. On August 20, 1643, she met tragedy. That day Anne Hutchinson and most of her family were massacred during a Native American uprising. Today's Hutchinson River Parkway and Pelham's Hutchinson School, among many other things, are named after Anne Hutchinson.

La Barre, Earl "Pop" - Director of Athletics and one-time physical education teacher and baseball coach at Pelham Memorial High School who joined the high school faculty in 1929 and retired in 1966. He lived at a home on Carol Place. Sources: The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991 116 (James B. Saunders, ed., 1991) (photo of La Barre included).

Leisler, Jacob - Jacob Leisler, a Dutchman, was a leading citizen and merchant of New York City in the 17th Century who reportedly was commissioned to find a home for refugees known as French Huguenots who had fled their homeland in France due to religious persecution. Leisler and a group of Huguenots reportedly purchased a tract of land subsequently known as Davenport's Neck and an adjacent Island now known as Fort Slocum. The land was not enough for the continuing flood of refugees. Thus, on July 2, 1687, Leisler purchased from Sir John Pell a large tract of land from the lands originally purchased by Thomas Pell from the Siwanoys. By 1688, a small settlement was well-established on the tract. That settlement became today's New Rochelle. On September 20, 1689, Sir John Pell and his wife, Rachel, conveyed to Jacob Leisler an additional 6,100 acres of land. The arrangement required Jacob Leisler, his heirs and assigns, to pay unto John Pell and his heirs and assigns, Lords of the "Manor of Pelham" an annual tribute of "one Fatt Calfe on every four and twentieth day of June yearly and each year for ever . . . if demanded." Even today, every so often, the event is staged and members of the Pell family receive from representatives of New Rochelle a "fatt calfe" in ceremonies to celebrate the original event. Jacob Leisler subsequently was tried and unjustly condemned and executed for high treason in May 1691 in New York City.

Ludington, Francis H. - Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chase Bag Company who lived at 1 Hillcrest Drive. Sources: The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991 117 (James B. Saunders, ed., 1991) (photo of Ludington included).

McGraw, John J. - Manager of the New York Giants, a major league baseball team. McGraw managed the Giants as they won 10 National League championships. He resided in Pelham Manor in the 1920s and 1930s. According to The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991, "[h]e had homes first at the corner of the Boston Post Road and Edgewood Avenue and later at 620 Ely Avenue". Sources: The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991 118 (James B. Saunders, ed., 1991) (photo of McGraw included).

Nicholls, Governor Richard - Governor of New York who, on October 8, 1666, confirmed in a royal patent issued to Thomas Pell the validity of Thomas Pell's purchase of the lands that became The Pelhams and surrounding areas from the Siwanoys.

Pell, Rev. John (1611-1685) - Rev. John Pell, D.D. was the brother of Thomas Pell (1st Lord of the Manor) and the father of John Pell (2nd Lord of the Manor and sole heir of his uncle, Thomas Pell). Rev. John Pell, D.D. was a professor of mathematics in England and, according to Lockwood Barr: was "the author of several volumes on subjects pertaining to that science. Persona grata with both Charles I and Charles II, he was sent by Oliver Cromwell as Minister to Switzerland. He returned to England to live, just before the death of Cromwell. In 1661 he was ordained Deacon by the Bishop of London and subsequently given the living of the Rectory of Fobbing in Essex. (See Pelliana, Vol. I, No. 2, issue 1935, pps. 11-45 for his biography.) Dr. John Pell for a while appeared to prosper. However, in the political turmoil that followed his lucky star descended rapidly, so much so that when he died, in 1685, he was in actual want."

Pell, John (2nd Lord of the Manor) - Sir John Pell was the sole heir and nephew of the founder of Pelham, Thomas Pell (1st Lord of the Manor). Sir John, the son of Rev. John Pell, D.D., was born in England, on February 3, 1643. In the English records he subsequently was designated as "Sewer in ordinary to his Majesty Charles II, King of England." Upon his uncle's death, Sir John traveled to North America in 1670. In 1674 or 1675, Sir John married Rachel Pinckney, daughter of Philip Pinckney (one of the original Ten Proprietors of East Chester). Soon after the marriage, according to Lockwood Barr's History of the Ancient Town of Pelham, "Sir John Pell erected his Mansion House on the shores of the Sound near where now stands the Bartow Mansion in Pelham Bay Park." Thomas Pell (3rd Lord of the Manor) was born to Sir John Pell and his wife, Rachel Pinckney Pell in 1675. Sir John and Rachel also had a son named John who "died young" and a son named Philip Tamar who later married James Eustace. She married Sir John Pell in 1674 or 1675 and had a son with Sir John named Thomas (3rd Lord of the Manor), as well as a son named John who "died young" and a son named Philip Tamar who later married James Eustace. On October 20, 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. There seems to be some dispute over the date of Sir John's death by drowning off of 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 "[t]here 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."Rev. John Pell, D.D. (1611-1685) a professor of mathematics on the Continent, and the author of several volumes on subjects pertaining to that science. Persona grata with both Charles I and Charles II, he was sent by Oliver Cromwell as Minister to Switzerland. He returned to England to live, just before the death of Cromwell. In 1661 he was ordained Deacon by the Bishop of London and subsequently given the living of the Rectory of Fobbing in Essex. (See Pelliana, Vol. I, No. 2, issue 1935, pps. 11-45 for his biography.) Dr. John Pell for a while appeared to prosper. However, in the political turmoil that followed his lucky star descended rapidly, so much so that when he died, in 1685, he was in actual want.

Pell, Joseph - Joseph Pell was the eldest son of Thomas Pell II (3rd Lord of the Manor). He was born in 1715. Although he was in line to be the 4th Lord of the Manor, he apparently died before his father Thomas Pell II and never inherited his father's properties. His eldest son, Joseph Pell II, instead inherited the title and the properties. His date of death is unknown.

Pell, II, Joseph (4th Lord of the Manor - Last Lord of the Manor) - Joseph Pell II was the eldest son of Joseph Pell. Joseph Pell II's father, Joseph, died before his own father, Thomas Pell II (3rd Lord of the Manor). Consequently, Joseph Pell II became 4th Lord of the Manor -- the Last Lord of the Manor. Joseph Pell II (4th Lord of the Manor) was born in 1740 and died in 1776.

Pell, Lucy French Brewster - Lucy French Brewster Pell was the wife of Thomas Pell (1st Lord of the Manor) -- perhaps his second wife. Lucy French was the widow of Frances Brewster. She married Thomas Pell in New Haven, Connecticut in 1647 and, in June of that year, relocated with her husband Thomas to Fairfield, Connecticut. Some say that Thomas Pell never built a homestead in the area of Pelham because Lucy French Brewster Pell preferred life in Fairfield, Connecticut. Lucy died in 1667 or 1668, about a year before her husband Thomas. It is unknown if she and Thomas had any children but, if they did, Thomas Pell did not mention them in his will in which he named his nephew Sir John Pell his sole heir.

Pell, III, Colonel Philip - Col. Philip Pell III was the son of Philip II (1732-1788) and Gloria Treadwell. Philip Pell II, in turn, was the son of Philip Pell (died 1751) and Hannah Mott. Philip Pell was the son of Thomas, 3rd Lord of the Manor. According to Lockwood Barr, "Colonel Philip III, was born July 7, 1753. He was graduated at the age of 17 years from Kings College, now Columbia, Class of 1770. He entered the Continental Army in 1776, in the 3rd Dutchess Militia. For a while he served as a member of the Forage Commission, charged with buying supplies for the Army in Westchester County. He served as Judge Advocate of the Continental Army, 1781-82-83, and as such attracted the attention of George Washington. He was a member of the Commission for the Exchange of Prisoners at the end of the Revolution. When the British forces moved out of New York City, on Evacuation Day, Nov. 25, 1783, Col. Pell was invited to rid with other Continental officers as an escort of honor to George Washington upon his Triumphal Entry into the city. He was proposed by Washington as a Member of the Society of Cincinnati on July 6, 1784. After the Revolution he was a member of the Assembly, 1779-81, and practiced law in New York City and Westchester County and Regent of the University of the State of New York 1801-11. Col. Pell resided in the Town of Pelham after the Revolution, his home being located where is now Cliff and Colonial Avenues, in the Heights. He married twice: 1st, Mary Ward, and 2nd, Ann Lewis. Among his children was Philip IV. Colonel Philip Pell III died May 21, 1811, and was buried in the churchyard of old St. Paul's in East Chester."She married Sir John Pell in 1674 or 1675 and had a son with Sir John named Thomas (3rd Lord of the Manor), as well as a son named John who "died young" and a son named Philip Tamar who later married James Eustace.

Pell, Rachel Pinckney - Rachel Pinckney Pell was the wife of Sir John Pell (2nd Lord of the Manor). Rachel was the daughter of Philip Pinckney, one of the original Ten Proprietors of East Chester. She married Sir John Pell in 1674 or 1675 and had a son with Sir John named Thomas (3rd Lord of the Manor), as well as a son named John who "died young" and a son named Philip Tamar who later married James Eustace. Soon after marrying Sir John Pell, Rachel and Sir John reportedly built a mansion "on the shores of the Sound, near where now stands the Bartow Mansion in Pelham Bay Park."

Pell, Thomas (1st Lord of the Manor) - Thomas Pell is considered the founder of Pelham and the "1st Lord of the Manor" although the designation of the "Lordshipp and Manner of Pelham" did not occur until the patent of October 20, 1687 issued by New York Governor Thomas Dongan confirming the inheritance of Sir John Pell from his uncle, Thomas Pell. On June 27, 1654, Thomas Pell signed a treaty with the Siwanoys purchasing approximately 9,166 acres that included what we know today as Pelham, New Rochelle, portions of Bronx County and much of the land east of the Hutchinson River northward to Mamaroneck. Thomas Pell was born in England, the son of the Rev. John Pell, D.D. As a young man he reportedly served as a Page to Prince Charles and, later, a Gentleman of the Bedchamber of Charles I, King of England. He died childless in late September or early October 1669 and left his property, including the lands that later became The Pelhams, to his nephew, John Pell, 2nd Lord of the Manor.

Pell, Thomas (3rd Lord of the Manor) - Thomas Pell (3rd Lord of the Manor) was a son of Sir John Pell (2nd Lord of the Manor) and Rachel Pinckney Pell. Thomas (3rd Lord) was born in 1675 and died in 1752. He married Aeltje Beeks (according to Dutch) or Anna. Pell family tradition says that Anna was the daughter of the "reigning Indian Chieftain of Westchester" who was "a descendant of the Hutchinson child, who escaped the massacre, and Wampage, alias Anhooke". Thomas Pell (3rd Lord) and Ann had ten children: Ann, John, Joshua, Philip, Caleb, Joseph, Mary, Sarah, Bathsheba and Thomas.

Penfield, Edward - Famed illustrator who lived in Pelham Manor. He was born in 1866. His work appeared in Colliers Magazine, Scribner's and Harper's Magazine. e served as President of the Society of Illustrators (1921-22) and died in 1925.

Shattuck, Gerald - Chairman of the Board of the Frank G. Shattuck Company, a restaurant company and manufacturer of candies and ice cream. He resided in Pelham Manor for many years. Sources: The Pelham Manor Story 1891 - 1991 117 (James B. Saunders, ed., 1991) (photo of Shattuck included).

Sorrells, John H. - Executive Editor of the Scripps Howard Newspapers and Deputy Director of Censorship during World War II. Sorrells resided on the Esplanade in Pelham Manor during the 1940s and was famous for the New Year's parties that he threw each year which attracted newspaper luminaries, Broadway stars and other notables.

Wampage (aka Anhõõke) - Wampage was a Siwanoy who is said to have led the war party that attacked Anne Hutchinson and her family on August 20, 1643 and subsequently boasted that he personally scalped Anne Hutchinson. According to Lockwood Barr's History of the Ancient Town of Pelham "[i]t was customary among the Indians when they murdered some important personage, to add the name of their victim to their own name--and so Wampage took the name of Anne Hutchinson, which became Anhooke. The territory where he had his village became known in the archives as the Land of Ann Hook, spelled in various ways." Wampage, as Anhõõke, was one of the five Siwanoys who on June 27, 1654 signed the treaty that sold the lands that later became The Pelhams and surrounding areas to Thomas Pell. The other Siwanoys who signed the treaty were Shawanórõckquot, Poquõrúm, Wawhamkus and Mehúmõw. Three additional Siwanoys signed as "Indyan Witnesses" to the "Articles of Agreement" section of the Treaty: Cockho, Kamaque and Cockinsecawa.

Pelham Personages (Brief Biographies of Notable Pelham Residents)

Pelham Personages
(Brief Biographies of Notable Pelham Residents)