Thomas Pell II facts for kids

Thomas Pell, 3rd Lord of Pelham Manor (born around 1686 – died September 3, 1739), was an important American landowner. He owned a large area of land that included what is now Pelham, New York, parts of the eastern Bronx, and southern Westchester County, New York. He was known as the 3rd Lord of Pelham Manor, meaning he was the main owner and manager of this large estate.

Early Life of Thomas Pell

Thomas Pell was born in 1686 at Pelham Manor, New York, in the Province of New York. His parents were John Pell and Rachel Pinckney Pell. He had several brothers and sisters, including Hannah, John, Elizabeth, Mary, Phillip, and Ada.

His grandfather was John Pell, a famous mathematician. Thomas Pell's great-uncle, also named Thomas Pell, was a doctor who worked for King Charles I. His mother's family, the Pinckneys, first lived in Boston and then in Fairfield, Connecticut. They later bought a large piece of land called "Ten Farms" near the Hutchinson River.

How He Became a Landowner

Thomas Pell's great-uncle, the first Thomas Pell, made a special agreement with Chief Wampage and other members of the Siwanoy Native American tribe. This agreement gave him about 50,000 acres of tribal land. This huge area included parts of the Bronx and land along Long Island Sound in what is now Westchester County. It stretched west to the Hutchinson River and north to Mamaroneck.

In 1666, this land was officially made into a special area called a "manor." Since his great-uncle died in 1669 without any sons, Thomas Pell's father, John Pell, inherited the entire manor. When his father passed away around 1712, Thomas Pell inherited the whole manor. He managed this large estate and later divided it among his own children.

Thomas Pell's Family

Thomas Pell married Anna (or Ann), who was the daughter of Ninham-Wampage. Her grandfather was Wampage I, a leader of the Siwanoys. Anna's grandmother was Susanna Cole, whose mother was Anne Hutchinson, a famous historical figure.

Thomas and Anna had seven sons and one daughter. Their children included:

• Mary Pell (born around 1700–1741), who married Samuel Sands.
• John Pell (1702–1773), who married Mary Totten.
• Joshua Pell (1706–1781), who became the 4th Lord of Pelham Manor. He married Phoebe Palmer.
• Ann Pell (born 1716), who married Samuel Broadhurst, a silversmith.
• Bersheba Pell (1720–1779), who married Theophilus Bartow.
• Joseph Pell
• Thomas Pell
• Philip Pell
• Caleb Pell

Thomas Pell died at the manor house on September 3, 1739. After his death, each of his sons—Joseph, John, Thomas, Joshua, Philip, and Caleb—received about 10,000 acres of land. Only his son John had children, but his six sons all died without having their own children. The last of them was Richard Moore Pell, who died at the Manor in 1868. Joshua Pell's son, Thomas Pell (born 1744), was the last owner of the property from the Pell family. The land later went to the Bartow family.

Later Generations

Through his son Joshua, Thomas Pell was the grandfather of Benjamin Pell (born around 1750–1828). He was also the great-grandfather of William Ferris Pell, who was a horticulturist (someone who studies and grows plants), and Alfred Sands Pell, who was a merchant.