Historic Pelham Blog Archive
January 16, 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.

In 1784 Thomas Pell (a descendant of John Pell, 2nd Lord of the Manor of Pelham) began trying to sell approximately 300 acres of his land adjoining Rodman's Neck in the Manor of Pelham. He placed an advertisement that appeared in The New York Packet and the American Advertiser on July 8, July 15 and July 19, 1784. The advertisement read as follows:

"TO BE SOLD,

AN excellent NECK of LAND, lying in the Manor of Pelham, adjoining Rodman's Neck, in the county of Westchester, containing about 300 acres, a large quantity of timber and considerable salt meadow, the soil is exceeding rich, and the whole, with little expence, may be made good mowing ground ; it is advantageously and beautifully situated, having Eastchester Bay on the one side and the Sound on the other, so that a vessel may load on either ; well calculated for a gentleman retiring from business ; It is furnished with plenty of shell and other fish, most seasons of the year. Any person inclining to purchase will be pleased to apply to the subscriber, living on the aforesaid Manor, who will give an indisputable title for the same.
1 96 3 THOMAS PELL."

Pell seems to have later revised the advertisement a little to include references to "a good dwelling house, orchard and well of good water, and several springs of excellent water". The revised version of the advertisement appeared in The New York Packet and the American Advertiser on September 6, September 13, October 4 and October 18, 1784. The revised advertisement read as follows:

""TO BE SOLD,

AN excellent NECK of LAND, lying in the Manor of Pelham, adjoining Rodman's Neck, in the county of Westchester, about twenty three miles, from New-York, containing about 300 acres, on which is a good dwelling house, orchard and well of good water, and several springs of excellent water, a large quantity of timber and considerable salt meadow, which runs round the whole farm, the soil is exceeding rich, and the whole, with a little expence, may be made good mowing ground ; it is advantageously and beautifully situated, having Eastchester Bay on the one side and the Sound on the other, so that a vessel may load on either ; well calculated for a gentleman retiring from business ; It is furnished with plenty of shell and other fish, most seasons of the year. Any person inclining to purchase will be pleased to apply to the subscriber, living on the aforesaid Manor, who will give an indisputable title for the same.
1 17 6 w. THOMAS PELL."

Below is a detail from a map of the area published in 1868. On it I have added a red arrow to indicate where I believe the land described in the advertisement was located.

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posted by Blake A. Bell @ 7:08 AM Comment

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