of New York, succeeding Qiarles Conereve. gentleman, resigned ; the commission
being recorded at Albany. Lieutenant Scott was commandant at Fort Hunter,
erected 171 1, on the Mohawk river. New York. In March, 1711-12, he wrote to
the Provincial Secretary, Mr. Wileman, to get "His Excellency's" signature to an
extension of his leave of absence for four months to enable him to go to South
Carolina. The signature to the letter, which is on file at Albany, and other
signatures of the commandant, compared with the signatures on the above men-
tioned bill of exchange and other papers, leave no doubt whatever as to the
identity of Lieutenant Scott with the emigrant, the New York merchant, and the
son of Sir John Scott, of Ancrum.
SCOTT 1429
Lieutenant John Scott died in June, 1725. Family tradition says that his death
occurred from the effects of a fall which he received when landing, on some occa-
sion, at the city of New York, and that he was buried "at the foot of the fort."
His position at Fort Hunter enabled him to locate great quantities of vacant
lands in the "Mohawk Country," afterwards Ulster and Albany counties. New
York. He became a very large landowner in this region, some of his land having
been granted him for his military services. Among other purchases he bought
some land from the Indians, May 14, 1716, a tracing of the deed for which is in
possession of Mrs. Lewis A. Scott, of Philadelphia. Besides this document and a
copy of Lieut. Scott's commission, Mrs. Scott has the originals of the following;
The draft on "Sr. Pat: Scott of Anckrum," Jan. 28, 1709-10, and the assignment
of the same to his nephew, April 2, 1724, both mentioned above; the certificate of
his admission as a freeman of the city of New York, March 2, 1702 ; the indenture
of partnership between John Scott and William Glencrosse, September 4, 1703;
the certificate of the admission of "John Scott, Merchant of New York In Amer-
ica" as a "Surges and Gild-brother" of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, July 7, 1709.
Mrs. Scott also has a copy of the certificate of his admission, under the name of
"John Scott lawful son of Sir John Scott, of Ancrum," as a burgess and guild-
brother of the burgh of Peebles, Scotland, July 12, 1709, the original of which was
in 1869 in possession of Mrs. Essex Watts, of Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
One of the deeds in possession of Mrs. Scott is an important one, dated No-
vember 4, 1722, by which John Scott, of Albany county, gentleman, grants lands
in Albany county and in Perth Amboy, to two of his younger sons, Patrick and
Hunter Scott, in trust, for the use of himself and his wife, and after their death
to the use of all their children, eventually to be divided in equal shares between
the said children or their representative heirs. In the minutes of the Council of
New York there is mention of a petition from John Scott for permission to pur-
chase fifteen hundred acres of land from the Indians, which he did purchase
before Augvist 31, 1722, and a patent therefor was issued to him later by the
New York authorities.
Lieutenant John Scott married Magdalena, daughter of John \'incent, and
granddaughter of Adrian Vincent, a Hollander, who was in New Amsterdam,
(afterwards New York) as early as July 16, 1645, and had land on Broad street.
By her John Scott had nine children. These children are all mentioned in the deed
of November 4, 1722, referred to above, from John Scott to his sons, Patrick
and Hunter Scott, which was acknowledged by the grantor at Fort Hunter. Sep-
tember 14, 1724. In the acknowledgment the grantor is styled "Lieutenant John
Scott, Commandant of his Majesty's garrison called Fort Hunter, in the Mohawk
Country." At this date all of the nine children were living except Ann. Magda-
lena (Vincent) Scott survived her husband about three years and ten months.
She made a will dated .A.pril 11, 1729, at which time six of her children were living,
John, Patrick, Hunter, \"incent. Rebecca and Rachel : Patrick afterwards died,
before his mother.
Issue of Lieut. John and Magdalena (Vincent) Scott:
John Scott, eldest son, of whom presently;
Patrick Scott, to whom his uncle, Sir Patrick Scott, of Ancrum, assigned his father's
unpaid bill of exchange, and who was one of the parties to the deed of Nov. 4, 1722;
d., unm., about 1731, on the coast of Guinea, while on a trading voyage to those parts;
I430 SCOTT
Mrs. Lewis A. Scott, of Phila., has in her possession copies of two letters referring
to his death, the originals of which belonged, 1869, to Mrs. Watts, above referred to;
one of these is from Sir Patrick Scott, of Ancrum, March I, 1 731, to his nephew, John
Scott, Jr.. of New York, and says' "For we hear your brother Patrick died some
time ago on the coast of Guinea, to the great loss of all his relations and much regret
of all who knew him"; the other is from Margaret Scott, dau. of Sir Patrick, bearing
the same date, March i, 1731. to her cousin, John Scott, Jr., of New York; she writes
of "Pour Pattie's" death, and of a note she had received from him shortly before that
event, and greatly laments the family's loss; it is inferred that he visited the Ancrum
family, and that there was a love affair between Patrick and his cousin, Margaret; at
any rate she never married, as may be seen by reference to Burke's "Peerage and
Baronetage";
Hunter Scott, b. about 1700, a party to the deed of Nov. 4, 1722; with his sister, Rebecca,
he petitioned Gov. Robert Hunter (for whom he was probably named), 1718, to be
allowed to purchase, from the Indians, 2600 acres out of some vacant lands three or
four miles from Fort Hunter, Albany co., but the Council, Oct. 9, 1718, advised the
Governor not to grant the petition ; a copy of this petition is owned by Mrs. Lewis A.
Scott, who also has the original of the following deed; on Sept. 26, 1740, Hunter
Scott, of New York, gentleman, one of the children of John Scott, late Lieutenant of
one of the independent companies of Fusileers, made an indenture with his brother-
in-law, Robert Hogg, of New York, merchant, for the disposition of some of his
father's lands; this gives a great many details of the family's property and aflfairs;
refers to his mother's will and other deeds, among them that of Nov. 4, 1722, which
date it erroneously recites as 1732; it is also stated in this indenture that Hunter
Scott was "bound on an expedition in the service of the King" ; this was no doubt the
Carthagena expedition, and Hunter Scott probably held a commission in the Pro-
vincial forces; whether he m. is not known; he is mentioned in the will of his brother-
in-law. Robert Hogg. 1747;
Vincent Scott, m. and had issue;
Elizabeth Scott, d. unm., between 1722 and 1729;
Ann Scott, m. David Quackenboss, and d. before 1732, leaving issue; early in 18th century
three brothers, named Quackenboss, emigrated from Holland to the Province of New
York ; one of them settled on the Scott patent, and his eldest son, David, m. Lieut.
Scott's dau.. Ann, and also lived on the Scott patent, on the present site of the Mont-
gomery CO. poorhouse ;
Rebecca Scott, in 1718 joined her brother. Hunter Scott, in the petition to the Governor,
mentioned above; she m. Robert Hogg, a New York merchant, and they lived on Mill
St., in that city; Robert Hogg left all his estate to his wife, Rebecca, during her life or
widowhood, then to his daughter. Margaret, failing issue of whom, to Ann Quacken-
boss. Hunter Scott and their heirs; Rebecca Hogg's will was made Feb. 3. 1753, and
proved July 2^, 1753 (N. Y. Will Book 18. p. 329) ; she left her wearing apparel to her
dau., Margaret, wife of William Flanagan, and all the residue of her estate, in trust,
to John Beekman and John Bard, to pay the income thereof to her said dau., and in
case she d. without issue (as happened), the whole estate to go to the testator's sister,
Rachel Boswell. failing whom or issue of her, the same to go to the children of Vin-
cent Scott and Ann Quackenboss and their heirs; the executors were John Beekman,
John Bard and Benjamin Nicholl;
Rachel Scott, m., between Nov. 28. 1729, and Oct. 3, 1740, Charles Boswell, chirurgeon;
Magdalen Scott, d.. unm.. between 1722 and 1729.
John Scott, Jr., eldest son of Lieut. John and Magdalen (Vincent) Scott, born
in 1702, was baptized August 16, of that year, in the Dutch Reformed Church of
New York. He was a inerchant in New York and was admitted a freeman of
that city in 1726. On August 27, 1724, the Provincial Council of New York rec-
ommended the Governor to grant the petition of John Scott Jr., eldest son of John
Scott, Lieutenant and Commandant of Fort Hunter, for a warrant for his father's
twenty-six hundred acres of land in the "Mohawk Country" about four miles
above Fort Hunter. On May 20, 1725, he obtained a warrant, and on June 23 of
the same year a patent for eleven hundred acres of this land on the south side of
the Mohawk river; in both warrant and patent he is named as "eldest son of John
Scott." etc., as above. December 14, 1726, he mortgaged this land to John Vin-
cent. Copies of all the docuinents in these transactions are in possession of Mrs.
Lewis A. Scott, of Philadelphia, the originals being on file at Albany. Mrs. Scott
SCOTT 143 1
also has copies of two letters from Sir John Scott, of Ancrum, (son and heir of
Sir Patrick) to the widow of John Scott Jr., one of September 15, 1733, condoling
with her on the death of her husband, and one of August 9, 1738, telling of the
death of his own wife ; in i86g, the original of the letter of 1733, was in possess-
ion of Charles S. McKnight, of Poughkeepsie, New York, and that of 1738, was
in possession of Mrs. Essex Watts, of Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
John Scott Jr., of City of New York, merchant, by his will dated March 15, 1731,
proved May 8, 1733, left his house to his wife during widowhood; the residue of
his estate, when his son reached the age of twenty-one years, to be equally divided
between the wife and son. He made his wife sole executrix. There were various
provisions in case his wife should remarry, which she did not.
John Scott, Jr., married Marian, youngest daughter of Peter Morin, formerly of
La Rochelle, France, a Huguenot refugee, who was made freeman of New York
City, June 11, 1691. They had but one child:
Brig. Gen. John Morin Scott, born 1730, New York City, died at his resi-
dence in the same city, September 14, 1784, and was buried in Trinity Church-
yard. He received his early education in New York, and was graduated from
Yale College, 1746. He studied law in the office ofWilHam Smith, the elder, con-
temporaneously with the younger Smith, the historian, law partner of William
Livingston. He then took up the practice of law in his native city, in which pro-
fession he rapidly attained the first rank as a learned exponent of the statutes, and
an orator of no mean powers. His license to practice was dated January 23, 1752,
about fifteen months after his fellow-student, William Smith, was called to the
bar, and these three, Scott, Livingston and Smith, afterwards composed the "tri-
umvirate of lawyers" complained of in the correspondence of the Provincial Gov-
ernor with the British authorities. To each of these three, and to them con-
jointly, and also to William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, had been attributed the
authorship of the very able pamphlet, published in 1757, known as "A Review of
Military Observations in North America." The style does not resemble that of
"Smith's History," which appeared at about the same time, and the pamphlet may
have been the work of any of these men. He was the author of a variety of official
reports, and took part in most of the questions of his day, in New York, so that
his name is found in every history of that city covering his times, and also in more
general histories.
In politics he was very ardent, ranging himself, very early, and unswervingly.
on the side of his native country, and was an early opponent, with voice and pen,
of the then system of government of the Colonies without representation. He was
one of the founders of the "Sons of Liberty," the most extreme of the early colo-
nial societies in advocating the freedom of the Colonies from English control. He
was alderman of the Out Ward of the City of New York from 1757 to 1762, but
soon became the acknowledged leader of those radically opposed to British rule,
and his violent attitude against the governing powers repeatedly lost him election
to the Provincial Assembly. In February, 1761, he became a candidate for the
Assembly, receiving seven hundred and twenty-two votes, but was not elected. On
March 10, 1768, he again presented himself as a candidate for the Assembly, but
while he gained the highest number of votes of all the opposition candidates, the
regular ticket was elected. He thereupon charged James de Lancey, one of the
1432 SCOTT
successful candidates, with corruption, but the Assembly decided against the
charge by a vote of eighteen to three. A few days later, however, the Assembly
framed an Act to prevent corruption in elections, one of the first in the history of
that body politic. He again failed of election in 1769, when the last election under
the Crown was held. These repeated defeats may be attributed to his radical
attitude of opposition to the governing power and to the non-support of the con-
servative element in the independent party. At this time he was held to be "one
of the readiest speakers on the Continent" (see below) ; and his able and incisive
pen won instant recognition in the journals of the day. On June 6, 13, and 27,
in Holt's New York Gazette, the liberal organ, under the signature of "Free-
man," he wrote three masterly papers upon the consequence of non-resistance, and
during the Stamp-Act agitation he was one of a Committee of Twelve to present
a petition to the Assembly in regard to carrying on business without stamps.
Throughout the exciting period prior to the declaration of war, Mr. Scott contin-
ued to maintain and urge those ideas which were finally vindicated by the success
of the Revolution.
In 1774, Mr. Scott became a candidate for election to the First Continental
Congress, but was defeated by the "Moderates" in the Committee of Fifty-one.
On May i, 1775, he was one of the General Committee of One Hundred for the
City and County of New York, "in this alarming crisis," and gave material aid in
stopping the removal of arms and ammunition by the British in this year. He also
was sent as a delegate to the Provincial Congress or Convention of New York,
1775-76.
On June 9, 1776, he was appointed Brigadier-General of the New York Mili-
tia, in the service of the Continental Congress. He fought with his brigade during
the Revolutionary War, at the battle of Long Island, and was wounded at the
battle of White Plains, October 28, 1776. He took an active part in the campaign
around New York, but inflammatory rheumatism contracted while on duty caused
him to retire on March i, 1777, on the expiration of his commission. At one time
there was talk of giving him a commission in the Continental Line, but Gen.
Washington told him he could do more good in the New York Militia, and re-
quested him to continue to hold his position in that body. The exposure incident
to his military service, particularly the exposure for the two days and nights pre-
ceding the retreat from Long Island, to almost incessant rains, without shelter and
with but scanty food, in the lines at Brooklyn, seriously strengthened the grasp of
the disease, rheumatism, to which he was already subject, and which terminated
his existence within a year after the departure of the Loyalists from New York.
His papers were seized by the enemy, and some of them were returned from
London with a letter from Oliver De Lancey, dated February 23, 1784, which also
contained the information that he had collected five boxes more in New York and
had deposited them with William Walton. Ill health prevented him being present
at the disbandment of the Revolutionary Army, but he was made an honorary
member of the Society of the Cincinnati, July 6, 1784, the second person so
honored, being proposed by Washington himself.
After his retirement from the military service he became a member of Council
of Appointment to prepare a new form of government for New York, August i,
1777, and was also a member of the New York Council of Safety in the same
year. He was a member of the New York State Senate, 1777 to 1782, and a
SCOTT 1433
member of Continental Congress, 1779-80-81-82-83. His highest office, however,
was that of Secretary of State of New York, wherein he ably administered the
many vexatious problems of the newly-erected government from March 13, 1778,
until the day of his death, being succeeded in that office by his son, Lewis Allaire
Scott.
Gen. John Morin Scott, besides filling many honorable positions in the Province
and State of New York, was a prominent figure in the social life of New York
City. In March, 1754, together with Philip Livingston, William Alexander, (Earl
of Stirling) Robert R. Livingston, William Livingston and William Smith, all
by the way except Smith of Scottish descent, he started the New York Society
Library, which is still in existence, and a worthy monument to its illustrious
founders. Mr. Scott adhered to the faith of his more recent Scottish progenitors,
and in 1776 was made a trustee of the Presbyterian church. He was one of the
forty-seven founders of the St. Andrew's Society of New York, November 19,
1756, and its third president, 1758-9. An interesting entry concerning him was
made by John Adams in his diary, 1774-75 : "Mr. Scott is a lawyer of about fifty
years of age; a sensible man, but not very polite. He is said to be one of the
readiest speakers on the continent, * * * Jhis morning rode three miles out
of town to Mr. Scott's to breakfast, a very pleasant ride. Mr. Scott has an elegant
seat there, with Hudson's river just beyond the house and a rural prospect all
around him. We sat in a fine, airy entry until called into a front room to break-
fast. A more elegant breakfast I never saw ; rich plate, a very large silver teapot,
napkins of the very finest materials, toast and bread and butter in great perfection.
After breakfast a plate of beautiful peaches ; another of pears, and another of
plums, and a water-melon was placed before the table." This country place was
located at what is now Thirty-third street and Ninth avenue, and consisted of one
hundred and twenty-three acres of land.
An Obituary in the Nczu York Packet and American Advertiser, issue of Thur
day, September 16, 1784, reads as follows:
"We are sorry to acquaint the public that the Honorable John Morin Scott, Esquire,
Secretary of this State, and long an eminent lawyer in this city, departed this life on the
evening of the 14th instant, in the fifty-fifth year of his age, after a tedious illness, greatly
regretted. By his death this State lost a most valuable citizen, and his family and friends
a lender connection. The many eminent services he has rendered his country during the
late contest, must endear him to every friend of the liberties of America, for which he was
a decided and strenuous advocate. He served with great reputation as a member of the
United States in Congress assembled, and has distinguished himself as an active and vigilant
member of the Senate of this State, ever careful of its interests. At the commencement of
the late war, he dared to step forth in opposition to tyranny, and took the field in the rank
of Brigadier-General, where he displayed his abilities as a soldier. In a word, his country
has lost in him a zealous friend, a faithful servant, a brave soldier, and an able stdtesman."
More or less extended mention of him is to be found in Valentine's "Manual of
the Common Council of New York ;" Simm's "History of Schoharie County, New
York;" "Records of the State of New York;" Wilson's "Memorial History of
the City of New York;" Bancroft's "History of the United States;" "Willett's
Narrative ;" "Diary of John Adams ;" "Correspondence of John Jay ;" Johnston's
"Yale in the Revolution ;" Johnston's "Campaign Around New York ;" "Journals
of the Continental Congress ;" "Secret Journals of the Old Congress ;" "Journal
of the Provincial Congress of New York;" "New York in the Revolution;"
Schuyler's "History of the Cincinnati;" Lamb's "History of New York;" Daw-
1434 SCOTT
son's "Westchester County in the Revolution;" Munsell's "American Ancestry;"
"History of St. Andrew's Society of the State of New York."
In his will dated September 2, 1784, proved September 28, 1784, and recorded
in New York County Surrogate's office, Mr. Scott mentioned his wife Helena, his
son, Lewis Allaire Scott, his daughter, Mary McKnight, his granddaughter, Eliz-
abeth Litchfield, and John Litchfield, former husband of his daughter Mary
McKnight; he named as executors his wife, Helena Scott, his daughter, Mary
McKnight, and Richard Varick.
In his youth Mr. Scott had kept in touch with his cousins of Ancrum, Scot-
land ; there is a letter to him from his cousin, Margaret Scott, dated October 13,
1739, mentioning the death of her father. Sir Patrick Scott, of Ancrum, now in
possession of Mrs. Lewis A. Scott, of Philadelphia.
Gen. John Morin Scott married Helena, daughter of Petrus and Helena (Hoog-
land) Rutgers, and great-great-granddaughter of Rutger Jacobsen Van Schoen-
derwoerdt, who sailed from the Texel for New Netherland, October i, 1636.
Gen. John Morin and Helena (Rutgers) Scott beside the two children named
below, had two sons who died in infancy, whose names and dates of birth have
not been preserved :
Mary Scott, m. (first) John Litchfield, (second) McKnight; Charles S. Mc-
Knight, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and Mrs. Essex Watts, of Stockbridge, Mass., men-
tioned above as having, in 1869, possessed certain family letters and papers, were her
descendants ;
Lewis Allaire Scott, of whom further.
Lewis Allaire Scott, born February 11, 1759, died March 17, 1798, and was
buried in Trinity Churchyard, New York City. His Bible containing the entries
of these dates is in possession of the widow of his grandson, Lewis Allaire Scott,
of Philadelphia. He succeeded his father as Secretary of State of New York,
having been commissioned to that office by Gov. Clinton, October 23, 1784. He
continued to hold the position until his death. His will was dated September 28,
1793, and proved April 13, 1798.
Lewis Allaire Scott married, January 18, 1785, at Philadelphia, Juliana, daugh-
ter of William and Susanna (Deshon) Sitgreaves, of Philadelphia, where she was
born May 15, 1765; died there March 30, 1842, and was buried in Laurel Hill
Cemetery.
The Sitgreaves family was of English origin, and is known to have been in Lan-
cashire in 1626. William Sitgreaves was born in Philadelphia, February 14,
1729-30. His will, dated Philadelphia, January 7, 1799, proved December 26,
1800, mentions his wife Susannah ; children: Samuel, William, Juliana Scott and
Charlotte Cox ; his son-in-law, James S. Cox ; his late ward, Elizabeth Kershaw,
in Europe (daughter of the late Mark Freeman, of whose will William Sitgreaves
was executor;) John D. Coxe and granddaughter Hitty (daughter of James S.
Cox and late daughter Hitty). The executors were his son, Samuel Sitgreaves,
son-in-law, James S. Cox, and daughters, Juliana Scott and Charlotte Cox.
William Sitgreaves, in 1756, married Susanna, born in Boston, Massachusetts,
June 22, 1735, died in Philadelphia, June 30, 1808, daughter of Moses Deshon, of
Boston, and his wife Persis, daughter of Erasmus Stevens, a Lieutenant of the
Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston, 1739.
SCOTT 1435
William Sitgreaves was a merchant of wealth and position in his day. His
son, Samuel Sitgreaves, born in Philadelphia, March 16, 1764, became a man of
considerable prominence, and received his degree of A. B. at the University of
Pennsylvania, 1780. After completing his course at the University, and before
studying law, Samuel entered his father's counting house, where he acquired a
thorough mercantile education, which was observed throughout his eventful life.
He next became a student at law with Hon. James Wilson, who was one of the
most able men of his day, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, a member
of the Provincial Convention of Pennsylvania in 1774, of the Continental Con-
gress, and one of the first Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States,
appointed by President Washington, and whose fame has been recently revived
by the transportation of his remains from Edenton, North Carolina, and their