Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 03.djvu/224

 1)K LANCKV

I)K i.AXCEY

Xew Ynrk (ISol); The Capture of Fort Washington the Jiesult of Treason (1877); Memoirs of James ]\'. Bee^maii {IHI^)); Memoirs of William Allen, Chiif Justice of rennsijleania (1879); Oritjinal History . he escaped the i)ersecutions of Protestants by fleeing to Holland, lie then went to Eng- land. tiK.k the t>atliof allegiance, and immigrated to America, with sucli laniily jewels as had been presented to him by his mother as his only cap- ital. Tlje.se he sold for £300 and with it amassed a fortune of £100,000. He was married Jan. 23, 170!). to Anne, daughter of Stephamis van Court- landt. He was a member of the state assembly for twenty-four years, gave the first town clock to New York and imported the first fire engine into the province. He erected the de Lancey hou.se in 1700 on a piece of land given as a bridal gift to Ids daughter by Stephanus van Cort- lantlt. and resided there with his family for many years. This house, afterward Fraunce's tavern, was used by "Washington in 1783 as a meeting place from which he took leave of his officers. It was standing in 1899, the oldest hou.se in the city of New Y'ork. He died in New York city. Nov. IS, 1741.

DE LANCEY, James, jurist, was born in New York city. Nov 27, 1703; son of Etienne and Anne (Yan Cortlandt) de Lancey. He was graduated in arts at Cambridge, England, and in law at the Inner Temple, London. He was a memljer of the New York council, 1729-31, judge of the supreme court, 1731-33, and chief -justice, 173:i-60. In 1730 he drew up the ''Montgomery charter " for the city of New Y'ork, and for his work ref-eived the freedom of the city, the first l>erson to receive that honor. He was commis- sioned by the king, lieutenant-governor, Oct. 27, 1747, but Governor Clinton purposely neglected to deliver the commi.ssion, and the delayed docu- ment was not placed in liis hands until October, 17.*)3. He i)resided over the first colonial con- gress, held June 19. 17.14, and on Oct 31, 1754, he granted the cliarter of King's college, but with- held it, out of deference to the oppo.sition offered by the Pre.sbyterians, until May, 1755. In 1755, on the arrival of Governor Sir Charles Hardy, he rcHurned lii.s duties on the bench but on the de- parture of Sir Cliarles at the head of the expedi- tion against Loui.sburg, de Lancey resumed the reins of government and held them till his death. He. was married to Anne Heathcote and they liad three sons and four daughters who were prominent in the social and business life of the city. He died in New York citv, Julv 30, 17G0.

DE LANCEY, James, .soldier, was born in New York cit\- in 173:2; .son of Judge James and Anne (Ileatiicote) de Lancey. lie was educated at Eton and Cambridge, England, and entered the liriti.:.li army on his return to New York, serving in the Niagara campaign in 1755, and commanding tlxe detachment that compelled the surrender of the fort by the French. He was an aide to General Abercrombie at Ticonderoga in 1758, and in 1760, on the death of his fatlier, re- signed from the army and took up the care oi the most valuable estate in New Y'ork city, and probabh' in America. He was a member of the state assembly, 1768-75, drew up the resolutions adopted March 25, 1775, demanding from the king and parliament redress for the grievances of the colonists, and in May, 1775, sailed to Eng- land to urge the views of the home government. In this he was unsuccessful and he never re- turned to America, sending for his family and suffering the confiscation of his vast estates. He was married in 1771 to Margaret, daughter of Chief-Justice William and Margaret (Hamilton) Allen. He died in Bath, England, April 8, 1800.

DE LANCEY, James, soldier, was born in West Farms, N.Y"., about 1750; son of Peter de Lancej' (1705-70), a merchant and a member of the New Y^ork state assembly, 1750-68; and grandson of Etienne and Anne (Van Cortlandt) de Lancey. He was high sheriff of Westchester county, 1770-76, and was commissioned by Gov- ernor Try on in 1777, captain of a company of fiity light horse selected from Colonel Hewlett's militia regiment. In 1780 he succeeded as colonel of the regiment, then known as "Refugees," his own company having met great loss in killed or captured. He did not serve in the British army outside his own countj', and was there twice taken prisoner, but Iiis troop known as "cowboys" was never captured although the object of repeated attempts by Washington and his generals. After the war closed he was at- tainted, his propertj-^ confiscated, and lie fled to Nova Scotia wdiere he was for several years a member of the council, and where he died in 1809.

DE LANCEY, John Peter, .st)ldier, was born in New York city, July 15, 1753; son of Chief Justice James de Lancey (1703-60). He was educated in Enghmd, and was ensign in the British army, 1771, being promoted captain of the 18th foot. He served in the Kevolutionary war as major of a regiment of Pennsylvania loyalists, and was engaged in the battles cf Brandy wine and Germantown, and also at the capture of Pensacola, Fla. On the declaration of peace he returned to his regiment in Englaml. In 1789 lie resigned from the British army and returned to the L^nited States, residing at Mamaroneck, N.Y., where lie died, Jan. 30, 1828.