NYGenWeb Westchester County, NY

Scarsdale Manor
And Its First Lord,
Colonel Caleb Heathcote

Continued

This page was last updated: Wednesday, 05-Nov-2008 14:32:32 MST

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Roundly speaking, the Manor was bounded on the south by the waters of the Sound; on the east by the Mamaroneck River; on the north by White Plains and on the west by the Hutchinson River. It comprised what is now the townships of Mamaroneck, Scarsdale and Harrison, in Westchester County. It was called the Manor of Scarsdale in honor of the Valley of Scarsdale in Derbyshire, England, at the head of which stands the old City of Chesterfield, the birthplace of Caleb Heathcote. Within its boundaries lie some of the most beautiful and picturesque Country about the City of New York. Here are the beautiful Villages of Mamaroneck, Larchmont and Scarsdale.

At Mamaroneck, on a hill overlooking the waters of the Sound, Colonel Heathcote built his Manor house with the usual farm houses and outbuildings. It was named Heathcote Hill, and must have been for its day, quite a pretentious place. It is described by Madame Sarah Knight, who journeying from Boston to New York, speaks of "the Manor-house of Colonel Caleb Heathcote, with its broad lawns, handsome gardens elegant shade trees, and great deer park after the most approved English fashion."

Here he lived until his death in 1721. The mansion was burned at the time of the revolution, and later replaced by a frame dwelling erected in its place, where his descendants lived for many years.

His widow, Martha Heathcote, survived him until August 18, 1836, making the old Manor house her home.

Caleb Heathcote left him surviving, a son Gilbert Heathcote, and two daughters. The son, Gilbert died in 1727 before reaching his majority. On his death the male line becoming extinct, the Manor ceased to exist as such. One of his daughters Anne, married James de Lancey, who became Chief Justice of the Province of New York and its Lt. Governor. The other daughter, Martha, married Lewis Johnston of New Jersey. Governor de Lancey was a distinguished figure in Colonial history. Although holding a commission as Lieutenant Governor of the Province, he in fact for years was its acting Governor until his death in 1760.

It was the immemorial practice of the English Government to name no one as Governor of its provinces or dependencies except residents of Great Britain. de Lancey, however, stood so high in the esteem of the English Government that it named no one as Governor of New York, thus permitting him to exercise as Lieutenant Governor, all the powers and authority belonging to that position. Perhaps de Lancey should be best remembered as the presiding officer of the Albany Convention of 1756, where representatives of the various American colonies met to consider the welfare and better defense of those colonies. Here Benjamin Franklin advocated the closer union and confederation of the colonies, a scheme afterward realized by the formation of the confederation of States at the time of the Revolution.

Governor de Lancey was an ardent and influential supporter of Franklin in advocating this action in the convention of 1756.

The only male heir of the first Lord of the Manor of Scarsdale, having died during his minority, the lands of the Manor were partitioned among his heirs and deeded away to purchasers, and the Manor thus ceased to exist.

Heathcote Hill, however, the Manor house continued in the possession of the descendants of Colonel Heathcote many years. Here lived Anne de Lancey, the widow of Governor de Lancey, after her husband's death, and here also lived and died his youngest son John Peter de Lancey. In the house on Heathcote Hill, James Fenimore Cooper, the novelist courted and married his wife, Susan, the daughter of John Peter. At Heathcote Hill, Cooper wrote his novel "The Spy."

Here was born the Right Reverend William Heathcote de Lancey, D.D., who became Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, and afterwards the first Episcopal Bishop of Western New York, whose descendants are living in that diocese.

Through Caleb Heathcote's daughter, Martha, who married Lewis Johnston, is descended the late Rt. Rev. Charles Pettit McIlvane, D.D., Bishop of Ohio. Colonel Heathcote was in his lifetime a devoted and sincere member of the Church of England, and the first American member of the Society for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts. He took an active part in the organization of Trinity Church, New York, and was a member of its first vestry. On his death his remains were buried at the South East corner of the first church edifice of that parish. In addition he took an active part in founding the early churches and parishes in Westchester County. He was interested in extending the church into Connecticut, and the making of Missionary expeditions into that Province from Rye. These efforts met with great opposition from the Puritans of that Colony, and it is said on such occasions Colonel Heathcote went fully armed. The zeal of Colonel Heathcote in his lifetime for the church seems to have manifested itself later in these two distinguished prelates mentioned.

Colonel Heathcote's distinction does not, however, rest so much on his having been First Lord of the Manor of Scarsdale, as upon the other public positions he filled with honor.

As we have previously noted, soon after his arrival in America he was made a member of the Governor's Council, which was a marked tribute to the character and abilities of one so young. Later he became Mayor of the City of New York, and while holding that office many improvements to the City were made. After taking up his residence in Westchester County, he was made Mayor there and appointed Colonel of its military forces, from which he derived the title by which he is commonly known. In addition to these honors he was Judge of the Admiralty Court for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, due doubtless to his knowledge and familiarity with the laws relating to shipping, although so far as I can ascertain he never was admitted to the bar as a proctor in admirality.

He was also a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Westchester County, and last, the Surveyor of Customs for all North America, north of Virginia. In addition to the ordinary duties of Collector of Customs, he was in all matters the chief authority to decide all revenue questions between the different provincial officers and the merchants of their respective districts. These positions with which he was honored attest the great respect in which he was held and the natural abilities he possessed.

The times in which Colonel Heathcote lived were not wholly peaceful. There was friction between the Colonial Governors and the representative Assembly of the people, resulting in charges and counter charges, but so far as I can ascertain nothing imputing any dishonor was ever brought against Colonel Heathcote, who retained the confidence and respect of all to the end.

Here we must leave the subject of our sketch. His statue in bronze stands at the top of the Hall of Records in New York City, where unfortunately, it can only be seen from a distance. He is, however, entitled to be classed as one of the worthiest who laid the foundation of the City which has become the metropolis of the nation.

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