History of West Farms, (Bronx County) New York United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for West Farms, (Bronx County) New York, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

The Biography of James De lancey

James De lancey, soldier, was born in West Farms, N.Y., about 1750; son of Peter de Lancey (1705-70), a merchant and a member of the New York 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 Governor Tryon in 1777, captain of a company of fifty 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 county, and was there twice taken prisoner, but his troop known as "cowboys" was never captured although the object of repeated attempts by Washington and his generals. After the war closed he was attainted, his property confiscated, and he fled to Nova Scotia where he was for several years a member of the council, and where he died in 1809.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor