A. Cornell, Rev. John Genealogy of the Cornell Family.
"Thomas Cornell, born about 1595 in Co Essex, England*, (*He was from Essex as his
daughter Sarah is so described in her marriage record.) married Rebecca Briggs
(sister of John Briggs); died about 1655; she was born 1600; February 8, 1673
died aged about 73 years. Children:
"Thomas Cornell came to America about 1638, with his wife and most, if not all,
of his children. He is first found in Boston, where by a vote of the Town
Meeting, 20 Aug 1638, he is permitted to buy 'William Baulstone's house, yard, and
garden, backside of Mr. Coddington, and to become an inhabitant.' This
property was situated in Washington Street, between Summer and Milk Streets
(see map). He sold it in 1643 to Edward Tyng, who had a warehouse and brew
house, and constructed a deal there 6 Sep 1638.
'Thomas Cornhill ws licensed upon tryal to keepe an inn in the room of (*General Court held at Newtone, 2.9 m. in 1637. `It shall not be lawful
for any person that shall keepe any such inn or common victualling house to sell
or have in their houses any wine or strong waters, nor any beare or other drinke
other than such as may and shall be souled for 1d the quart at the most.'
This law was repealed 23 May 1639. Thomas Litchfield's note book contains
a copy of Thomas Cornell, setting forth that in the winter time, he had much less
by his small beare which he was at cost to preserve from the frost, by fire, that
he was ignorant of the law, is sorry for his offenses, and that he hath not been
heretofore accustomed to such housekeeping, wherefore he prays for a remission of
his fine.)
Two days later he was abated £10 of his fine and allowed a month `to sell off
his ware which is upon his hand and then to cease keeping intertainment and the
town to furnish another.'
"The Antionomians were great disturbers of the religious peace of the people
of Boston, and in 1637 Ann Hutchinson and her adherents were expelled from the
Colony. Among them we do not find the name of Thomas Cornell, whose
vocation as an innkeeper perhaps saved him from doctrinal errors, but among the
obnoxious ones were his neighbors, Baulstone and Coddington, and his brother-in-law,
John Briggs. By the advice of Roger Williams, then settled at Providence,
the exiles purchased, March 28, 1638, from the Indians Cannonicus and Miantonomi,
the island on which Newport now stands, and on the north end of that island on
which they began a settlement to which they gave the name of Portsmouth.
Thomas Cornell arrived two years later and was admitted freeman of Portsmouth
6 Aug 1640. 4 Feb 1641 `a piece of meadow' was granted him to be fenced
in at his own cost. The same year he was made constable, and the following
year ensign (name spelt Cornill). At the same time, Richard Morris was
elected captain and Mrs. Baulstone lieutenant. Some suppose this last
office to have been held by his son Thomas, as the father may have been in New
Amsterdam at that time.
In the autumn, 1642, he went to New Amsterdam, and it has been supposed that
Roger Williams and John Trockmorton went with him, and for this reason: the
fugitives from Boston, who joined Roger Williams had formed a sort of colony
in Rhode Island, but it was only a self-created government or squatter
sovereignity that they had, and it was thought best by them in 1646, that Roger
Williams should go to England and obtain a royal charter for his colony.
He could not sail (19) from Boston (which would be the nearest port) because he
was banished from Massachusetts, so he went to New Amsterdam for that purpose as
the Dutch were more tolerant. There was not (as today) many steamers
departing every week for England from that port and he did not embark until
June 1643.
We know, moreover, that he went to England then, and obtained a charter for his
colony and returned. Roger Williams, Throckmorton and Cornell seem to have
been much associated together and friends, and this has led to the supposition
that they may have come from England in the same ship; at nay rate we know Roger
Williams and Throckmorton did.* About a year after Thomas Cornell's arrival
in New Amsterdam, Governor Winthrop reports *Mr. Throckmorton and Mr. Cornell'
established with buildings, etc., on neighboring plantations under the Dutch.
On 2 Oct 1642, the local Dutch government granted him permission with his
associated (thirty-five families) to settle 'within the limits of the jurisdiction
of their mightinesses to reside there in peace' (this was eleven miles from New
Amsterdam).
After this general license to settle, Cornell and Throckmorton made examination
of the territory, procured a survey and map, and on 6 Jul 1643 Governor Kieft
granted to John Throckmorton for himself and his associates, a tract of land in
what is now the town of Westchester (see map).
A serious Indian war, though of short duration, was caused by Governor Kieft's
unwise attack upon two neighboring camps of Indians on the night between 25 and 26
Feb 1643, and in retaliation the Indians within the following month or two
destroyed many of the white settlers outside of the city; and many others, who
escaped fled panic stricken to New Amsterdam. Roger Williams says: `Mine
eyes saw the flames of these towns, the flights and hurrying of men, women, and
children and the present removal (20) of all that could to Holland.'
Governor Winthrop says `By the mediation of Mr. Williams who was then there
to go in a Dutch ship to England the Indians were pacified and peace reestablished
between the Dutch and them.' Cornell and Throckmorton who were probably in
New Amsterdam City limits at that time, escaped, but Mrs. Hutchinson, whose
residence was near Throckmorton's, was killed. For, says Governor Winthrop
of this event, under the date of September 1645, `The Indians set upon the English
who dwelt under the Dutch. They came to Mrs. Hutchinson in way of friendly
neighborhood, as they had been accustomed to, and taking their opportunity, they
killed her and Mr. Colvin, her son-in-law, and all of her family and such of
Mr. Throckmorton's and Mr. Cornell's families as were at home, in all sixteen,
and put their cattle into their barns and burned them'. He also adds
'These people had cast off ordinances and churches, and now at last their own
people, and for larger accomodation had subjected themselves to the Dutch, and
dwelt acatteringly near a mile asunder.' Some that escaped the Indian
attack went back to Rhode Island.
Thomas Cornell it appears during these troubleous times, returned to Portsmouth,
Rhode Island, and secured a grant of land from that town, 29 Aug 1644, in company
with Mr. Brenton and Mr. Baulstone. `Butting on Mr. Porter's round meadow',
and on 4 Feb 1646, a grant of 100 acres was made to Thomas Cornell by the town of
Portsmouth `on the south side of the Wading River and so as to run from the river
towards the land that was laid out to Edward Hutchinson' (a son of Ann Hutchinson). This may be considered
the original Homestead of the Cornell family. Previous grants were made to
him in company with other parties and as we will see the grant of Cornell's Neck
was later. This land or the part on which the house and burial plot are
situated has never been out of the family.
In September, 1894, Rev. John Cornell (the writer of this) purchased from Mrs.
Ellen Grinnell (Cornell) Smith and others about 80 acres of this grant, and in
1902, 45 acres more; a house has been erected in colonial style on the site of
the one that was destroyed by fire, 21 Dec 1889, and somewhat on its old plan,
(21) that is, the plan which it is understood to have had before it was modernized
about 50 years before its destruction.
After the restoration of peace in New Netherlands, brought about by the
mediation of Roger Williams, Thomas Cornell returned to the Dutch Colony, but not,
it seems, to restore and rebuild what had been destroyed of his property on
Throgg's Neck. But he asked for a tract adjacent, fronting on the south
and west of that of Throckmorton, from which it was separated on the shore by
the mouth of Westchester Creek, and extending thence about wo miles on the Long
Island Sound to the Bronx River and extending back two miles or more from the
Sound to the westerly edge of the present village of Westchester, formerly and
even now known as Cornell's Neck; this estate was granted by Governor William
Kieft to Thomas Cornell by patent, dated July 25, 1646 (see appendix and map).
This was only the third private grant of land of which there is any record
in Westchester County.
Jonas Bronck in 1637, and Throckmorton in 1642, being previous, and possibly
Adrian Van der Donk in 1642. Thus he was there four years prior to Adrian
Van der Donk at Yonkers in 1646. Thirty-five years before Col.
Stephanus Van Cortland, in 1677, obtained from Governor Andros permission to make
his first purchase of lands from the Indians, in Westchester County, nearly forty
years earlier than the first acquisition of Westchester lands by Frederick
Phillipse within the present towns of Greenburgh and Mt. Pleasant in 1681 and
thirty years before his first interest in Yonkers, 1672, and fifteen years before
the great grandfather of the illustrious George Washington first settled in
Virginia in 1657.
"Cornell's Neck was within the limits of Greater New York. After the
death of Mr. Cornell, Thomas Pell set up a counter claim to the land and
litigation issued between him and Sarah Bridges, in the course of which it
appeared in evidence that Thomas Cornell had been at considerable charge in
building, manuring and planting, that he was after several years driven off by
the barbarous violence of the Indians, who burned his (22) house and destroyed
his cattle, that the widow Cornell, sole executrix of the last will and testament
of her husband (although neither the will nor a copy was produced), conveyed the
land to Sarah Bridges and her sister. The litigatin established the
validity of the Cornell title and Sarah Bridges was put in possession of the
land. A new patent was issued April 15, 1667, for `Cornell's Neck' setting
forth the fact that Thomas Cornell's interest devolved long since on Sarah Bridges,
one of the daughters of Thomas Cornell deceased, and that said Sarah had conveyed
her interest by heed to William Willett, her eldest son, to whom the new patent
was issued (see appendix).
The history of this grant and of the litigation respecting it is given at
ength with the documents in Bolton's History of Westcheser County. Thus we
infer that after several years residence in Cornell's Neck, perhaps nine years,
Thomas Cornell was again driven by the Indians from his property in New Netherlands,
and returned to his homestead at Portsmouth, where he lived and died, and was buried.
For we find a record of him as serving on a coroner's jury in 1653, and in
1654 Thomas Cornell was one of the commissioners of `Ye foure-towns upon ye
re-writing of ye Colonie of Providence Plantations.' He probably died the
following year.
"As an old memorandum made by Stephen B. Cornell of Portsmouth about the
beginning of the last century, and still preserved in the family, states that
Thomas Cornell, by will dated December 5, 1651, gave to his wife Rebecca all
his real estate, also that Rebecca, by will dated September 2, 1664 gave to her
son Thomas all her land lying on the west side of Rhode Island and lying between
the farms of Thomas Hazard and John Coggeshall. Neither of these wills is
known to be now in existence nor any copy of them. The records of the
Society of Friends at Portsmouth, Rhode Island have numerous entries respecting
Thomas and Rebecca Cornell and their descendants.
"As some of the preceding statements with regard to Thomas' two residences in
New Amsterdam have been questioned, it has seemed best to give here a letter
written by Roger Williams which may be considered authority and throw some light
on the subject.
"Letter of Roger Williams to the General Court of Massachusetts, `Not having liberty of taking step in your jurisdiction I was forced to repair `It was in this war, in September, 1643 that Ann Hutchinson and 16 of her
family were murdered by the Sewanoy Indians. Her daughter Susan, then
eight years old, was carried into captivity, and four years afterwards was
redeemed by the Dutch and returned to Rhode Island. The place were
Mrs. Hutchinson ws killed was long after known at Manhattan as `Ann Hook's
Neck,' since known as Pelham Manor. Nearby, at that time, there was
a more numerous settlement of Rhode Islanders. John Throckmorton,
who had been found worthy of excommunication with Roger Williams from the
Salem Church, and who had accompanied Williams to Providence, had obtained a
grant of half a league of land at what is now known as `Throg's Neck' and he,
with Thomas Cornell from Rhode Island, John Updike, afterwards changed to
`Opdyke,' and others, sought to establish a colony in the same neighborhood,
but they were driven off by the Indians and went to Long Island, from whence,
some of them seeing Mrs. Hutchinson's house on fire, crossed over in a boat to
make an effort for her rescue. They succeeded in rescuing some persons, not
of the Hutchinson family, but at the expense of the lives of two of their
number. Throckmorton returned to Rhode Island, Opdyke went to New
Jersey; while Cornell remained in New York, and the descendants of each of
these persons have among them names which have attained to an enviable
distinction.'
"1657 Dec 10 Rebecca Cornell, widow was granted 10 acres in lieu of 10 acres
granted her husband. 1659 Rebecca Cornell deeded these 10 acres to her son and
daughter Kent. 1661, April 30 Rebecca Cornell, widow and executrix of Thomas
Cornell, sold Richard Hart for £30, two parcels of land, containing 8 acres with
house, fruit trees, etc. Confirmed by her son Thomas, 1663.
1663 Oct 25 Rebecca conveys to her son Joshua one sixth of a share of land at
Coshena and Acookset (part of Dartmouth) in Plymouth Jurisdiction. This
he conveyed 21 Nov 1664 to his brother Samuel, also 20 acres of land he bought
of William Earle. July 27 she deeded (24) to eldest son Thomas, all her
housing, orchard and fencing in Portsmouth. At her death she held Thomas'
bond for £100. 1669 she conveys to son Samuel land in Dartmouth, one sixth
of a share* (see No. 10). (*It appears Rebecca had three-sixth (1/2) of a
share; she conveyed to Samnuel one-sixth, to Joshua, one-sixth and perhaps
one-sixth to John, who lived in Dartmouth. Thomas she gave land in
Portsmouth. Richard, her other son, had gone to Long Island 1656, and had
probably received his patrimony.)
1673 Feb 8 Friends Records state `Rebecca Cornell, widow, was killed strangely
at Portsmouth in her own dwelling house, was twice viewed by the Coroner's Inquest
and buried again by her husband's grave in their own land'. May 25, her son
Thomas ws charged with murder, and after a trial that now reads like a farce, was
convicted and executed. Among the witnesses of this rial were John Briggs
(brother of Rebecca), Mary, wife of John Cornell (her son), Thomas Stephen, Edward
and John, sons of Thomas2, Rebecca Woolsey (her daughter), etc.
It appears that the old lady, having been sitting by the fire smoking a pipe,
a coal had fallen from the fire on her pipe, and that she was burned to death.
But on the strength of a vision which her brother John Briggs had, in
which she appeared to him after her death, she said `See how I was burned with
fire.' It was inferred she was set fire to, and that her son who was last
with her did it; and principally on this evidence Thomas Cornell was tried,
convicted and hung for her murder. Durfee in his Legal Tracts of Rhode
Island comments on the strangeness of this trial and the injustice of the
execution.
The writer of this remarked to a leading lawyer of Newport (who knows much of
the history of Rhode Island) that there seemed very little evidence to convict
this Thomas Cornell, the lawyer's answer was simply `There was no evidence.'"
B. Cornell, Rev. John. New York Genealogical and Biographical Record XXXI (1900): "The following are some inscriptions copied from the tombstones now standing in
the Cornell Homestead Burial Plot at Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
--- (11 individuals omitted)
"As will be seen, the oldest monument is 1740, and the inscription is still
very distinct. The stone is of slate, which though seemingly the most
perishable, is really the most enduring, remaining when the stone, marble and
even granite perish in (181) this climate. There are stumps and remains
of other tombstnes in this family burial plot, and some still standing on which
the inscriptions are entirely effaced.
We have good reason to suppose that the Emigrant was burined in this place,
for the Quaker Records state that Rebecca, his wife, was buried by her husband
`in their own ground'. This Cornell homestead was a grant to Thomas
Cornell, 4 Feb 1646 and earlier than that of Cornell's Neck in Westchester
County by Governor Kieft, which was dated 14 Jul 1646.
This Thomas does not seem to have remained there long for he was driven
away by the Indians, and returned to his former home in Portsmouth, where he lived,
died and was buried. It may be of interest to know that he came from Essex
County, England, to Boston about 1636, and in 1640 to Portsmouth, Rhode Island,
closely following Roger Williams and Ann Hutchinson', a son of Ann Hutchinson.
This Cornell homestead, which is about six miles from Newport, has been in the
family ever since, and is now owned by the Rev. John Cornell, eighth in descent
from Thomas."
C. Bolton, Robert. History of the County of Westchester --- 1848. "The second grantee under the Dutch (in this town) was Thomas Cornhill or
Cornell, who obtained the following `grond brief' or grant in 1646.
`We, William Kieft, Director-General, and the Council on behalf of the High
and Mighty Lords, the States General of the United Netherlands, the Prince of
Orange and the noble Lords, the Managers of the incorporated West India Company
in New Netherlands residing, by these presents do publish and declare that we,
on this day the date underwritten, have given and granted unto Thomas Cornell
a certain piece of land lying on the East River, beginning from the Kill of
Bronck's land, east south east along the river, extending a bout a half a Dutch
mile from the river till to a little creek over the valley (marsh) which runds
back round this land; with the express condition and terms tha tthe said Thomas
Cornell, or they who to his action hereafter may succeed, the Noble Lords the
Managers aforesaid, shall acknowledge as their Lords and Patrons under the
sovereigbnty of the High and Mighty Lords, the States General and until their
Director and Council here shall in all things be confirmed as all good citizens
are in duty bound, provided also that he shall be furthermore subject to all such
burdens and imposts as by their noble Lords already have been anacted, or such as
hereafter may yet be enacted constituting over the same the aforesaid Thomas
Cornell in our stead in the real and actual possession of the aforesaid piece of
land, giving him by these presents the full might, authority and special license,
the aforesaid and piece to enter, cultivate, inhabit and occupy in like manner as
he may lawfully do with other his patrimonial lands and effects, without our the
grantors in the quality as aforesaid thereunto any longer having, receiving or
saving any part, action or control whatever, but to the behoof as aforesaid for
all destiny, for this time and forevermore, promising furthermore this their
transport firmly, inviolably and irevocably to maintain, fulfill and execute,
and furthermore to do all that in equity we are gound to do without fraud or
deceit, these presents only as undersigned and confirmed with our seal of red
wax here underneath suspended.
Done in the Fort Amsterdam in New Netherlands, this 26th of July, 1649
undersigned --- William Kieft'
"Upon the death of Thomas Cornell, the neck became vested in his widow who
conveyed the same to her eldest daughter, Sarah, the wife of Charles Bridges.
(Most of pages 153-155 concerns details of Charles Bridges and Sarah, his wife,
as plaintiffs against Thomas Pell defendant. The Bridges won.)
"In 1709 Col. Thomas Wilett6 of Flushing, Long Island, conveyed to his eldest
son, William Willet1, all that certain parcel of land contained within (6 Col.
Thomas Willett was the son of the Hon. Thomas Willett, first mayor of the city
of New York, in 1665.) a neck, commonly called and known by the name of Cornell's
Neck, bounded on the west by a certain rivulet that runds to the black rock and
so into Bronx's river. From William Willett, the neck passed to his brother
Thomas Willett, who conveyed the same to his son William Willett. The latter
was father of Isaac Willett Esq., high sheriff of this county in 1738.
Cornell's neck is now (1848) owned by the family of Ludlow, Clason and Beach."
(Sarah Cornell who m. (2) Charles Bridges, m. (1) Thomas Willett hence the
Willett's interest in Cornell's Neck.)
D. West, Edward H. History of Portsmouth 1638-1936: 37-38.
Thomas Cornell was licensed to keep an Inn in Boston in 1638 and came to
Portsmouth about 1641. He served as Commissioner for one yer and died in
1657.
He had a small tract on Common Fence Point, another on the East Road, south of
Richard Borden's, but his large tract was south of Wading River, part of it being
what we now call Lawton's Valley, a piece of which is still owned by a descendant.
His widow was granted land north of Union Street.
E. Savage, J. Genealogical Dictionary of First Settlers of New England. We feel that his note is uncalled for by Savage.
"Thomas, Boston 1639 rem. to Portsmouth, Rhode Island 1654, or earlier, was
freeman there 1655, perhaps had Thomas Jr. of wh. perhaps that he was hang for
murder of his mo., is all that is now wish. to be kn."
F. Bowen, R.L. Early Rehoboth. Rehoboth, Mass., 1948, III:136, 138.
"John Throckmorton of Providence excommunicated with Roger Williams from the
Salem Church, had obtained from the Dutch a grant for Throckmortons Neck (in
Westchester) and, with Ensign Thomas Cornell from Portsmouth, John Updike and
others sought to establish a plantation." Ann Hutchinson also banished
from Massachusetts Bay also adjoined Throckmorton. All three more or less
adjoined.
Rebecca Briggs
Rebecca Briggs m. Thomas1 Cornell
G. West, Edward H. History of Portsmouth 1638-1936: The Government: 17, 18.
We should not forget the case of Rebecca Cornell, who was burned to death in
1673. Her son, Thomas Cornell [see Thomas's
Testimony], ws found guilty of murdering his mother, principally on the
testimony of John Briggs, brother of Rebecca, who claimed that his sister had
appeared to him in a dream, shown him her burns and accused her son Thomas of
causing her death. As all testimony is in the Court records, no one
believes, on reading it, that Thomas was guilty, but that his mother had set
herself on fire with her pipe. However, the Court found him guilty and
Thomas Cornell was hanged.
H. Arnold, J.N. Vital Record of Rhode Island 1636-1850,
Vol VII Friends and Ministers: 96.
Deaths
"Cornell, Rebecca, widow, Portsmouth, killed strangely at her own house, 8 Feb 1672."
John Briggs
Notwithstanding John Briggs came to have a prominent place in his community,
his testimony against his nephew Thomas2 Cornell, husband of his sister Rebecca,
eliminates him from extended attention. He lived in Portsmouth, Rhode
Island and had six children, - John, Thomas, William, Susanna, Job and Enoch.
Some of them lived in Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton, Rhode Island and
Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
In John Osborne Austin's The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island, Albany, 1887,
we have this note: "February 20 he testified calling himself sixty-four
years or thereabouts in the trial of Thomas Cornell. He had a dream and
saw a woman at his bedside "whereat he was much affrighted and cryed out, in the
name of God, what art thou!" The apparation answered `I am your sister
Cornell' and twice said `see how I was burnt with fire!'
To mention sentencing any man to be hanged on dream evidence would cause any
lawyer of any subsequent period in U.S.A. to express amazing horror and unbelief
of its happening. We therefore dismiss John Briggs.
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