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.