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Lot 161
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John Bradstreet Archive of Six Documents Relating to His Family Estates
John Bradstreet Archive of Six Documents Relating to His Family Estates
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Description:

John Bradstreet Archive of Six Documents Relating to His Family Estates

An archive of six documents relating to Major General John Bradstreet and his family, dating from 1772 to 1815. The group includes items relating to the marriage of his granddaughter, Martha, his land at Cosby Manor, and early sales of land in New York. Major General John Bradstreet (1714-1774) was born in Nova Scotia and became a British Army officer with the 40th Regiment of Foot. He served during King George's War, the French and Indian War, and Pontiac's War and was promoted to Major General in May 1772. He also served as the Commodore-Governor for Newfoundland. Martha Bradstreet was born in 1780, the daughter of General Bradstreet's son, Samuel Bradstreet. She married Matthew Codd in 1799 and the couple divorced in 1816. Martha had a number of legal difficulties in securing land and property (mainly Cosby's Manor) bequeathed to her by both General Bradstreet and Elizabeth Livius, step-daughter of General Bradstreet. Cosby's Manor was originally the property of Major General John Bradstreet, the stepfather of her father, Samuel Bradstreet. Some of these legal battles are evidenced in this collection of documents, and details of each item can be found below:

1. Last Will and Testament of Elizabeth Livius. 1p of vellum, measuring 27.5" x 22.5", London, dated July 12, 1815. Elizabeth Livius was Martha's aunt and sister to Samuel Bradstreet. In her will, she left all her goods, chattel, and credits "to Martha Codd (formerly Bradstreet), wife of Matthew Codd & the niece of the said deceased…" With a large paper and wax seal adhered to the lower margin of the large document.

2. Statement by Sir Charles Morgan Baronet. 4pp with additional blank pages, measuring 8" x 12.5", London, dated June 4, 1800. A statement given by Sir Charles Morgan Baronet, relating to his having given his consent to the marriage of Martha Bradstreet and Matthew Codd. Reading in part: "Understanding that doubts have been entertained, whether my consent has been given to the marriage of Miss Martha Bradstreet with Mr. Matthew Codd her present Husband, upon which circumstances the effect or operation of a Bequest mode to her by the last Will or Testament of her Aunt the late Mrs. Elizabeth Livius may depend, I think it incumbent upon me to certify how that business stands…" The statement has been notarized by Thomas Bonnet, Royal Notary Public.

3. Document Requesting Adjustments to the Payments to Heirs. 1p, measuring 7.25" x 12.25", Utica, dated April 3, 1807. A request was sent to General Platt on behalf of the heirs of General Bradstreet, arguing that there is a disparity in the costs of rent for Cosby's Manor. Reading in part: "Mr. Eldridge has 12 1/4 acres more than the 1/4 of Lot No. 43 in Cosby's Manor…he ought to pay $342.17 to the heirs of Genl. Bradstreet…" With divisions of the total sum given to Samuel Bradstreet, Mr. & Mrs. Codd, and the Heirs of Mrs. Bainbridge.

4. Sale of Cosby Manor. 3pp of a bifolium, measuring 8" x 13", [New York], dated December 12, 1805. An agreement for the sale of Lot No. 43, Cosby's Manor, containing 400 acres, between Matthew & Martha Codd, Benjamin Walker, Nathan Williams and Jonas Platt (Executors and Trustees of the Will of Francis Bainbridge), Samuel Bradstreet, and Thomas Eldridge.

5. 1772 Sale of Land to Nanino Vischer. 1p of vellum, measuring 27" x 10.25", Albany, dated May 7, 1772. A written direction from Hon. Daniel Horsmanden Esq., Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, to the Sheriff of Albany County, calling for a large plot of land, totaling 20,000 acres, to be auctioned off. On verso is recorded the sale of a portion of the land, reading in part: "By virtue of the within process to me directed in consequence of an advertisement by me made pursuant to the Act of the Lieutenant Governor the Council and the General Assembly within mentioned I have on this fourth Day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy two…at publick vendue or outcry to Nanino Vischer the highest & best Bidder Nineteen thousand Nine hundred Acres of the within mentioned Tract of Land…for the within mentioned sum of one thousand, one hundred & thirty two pounds two shillings & nine pence…" Signed by Henry Ten Eyck Jr., Sheriff. The document is accompanied by a statement, dated May 26, 1802, by Goldsbrown Banyar, attesting to Horsmanden's handwriting.

6. 1772 Sale of Land to Philip Schuyler. 1p of vellum, measuring 27" x 10.25", Albany, dated May 7, 1772. A written direction from Hon. Daniel Horsmanden Esq., Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, to the Sheriff of Albany County, calling for a large plot of land, totaling 20,000 acres, to be auctioned off. On verso is recorded the sale of a portion of the land, reading in part: "By virtue of the within process to me directed in consequence of an advertisement by me made pursuant to the Act of the Lieutenant Governor the Council and the General Assembly within mentioned I have on this fourth Day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy two…at publick vendue or outcry to Philip Schuyler the highest & best Bidder all the tract of Land within mentioned (except fifty acres)…for the within mentioned sum of Seven hundred and twenty one pounds two shillings and one penny…" Signed by Henry Ten Eyck Jr., Sheriff. The total amount of land was 17,200 acres.

The documents all have flattened folds, with varying degrees of toning, soiling, and wear. Overall very good.

Before the American Revolution, General John Bradstreet was the Deputy Quartermaster General of the British forces in New York. In the winter of 1755–1756, Philip Schuyler became Bradstreet’s deputy, a position he held until Bradstreet’s death in 1774. Schuyler’s responsibilities and activities were extensive, and he not only purchased supplies for the British army in New York in Bradstreet’s name, but he also bought land jointly with Bradstreet, looked after Bradstreet’s personal and official accounts, and dealt with his debtors and creditors. A measure of Bradstreet’s confidence in his deputy is revealed by the fact that Schuyler was named an executor in Bradstreet’s final will in 1774. When Schuyler died on November 18, 1804, he left part of his lands in Cosby Manor to his daughter and her husband, Elizabeth and Alexander Hamilton.

In his will, Bradstreet divided his Cosby Manor lands equally between his daughters Martha and Agatha. When Martha died in 1782, she left one-third of her share to her sister Agatha, one-third to her stepsister, Elizabeth Livius, and divided the remaining one-third equally between Samuel and Martha Bradstreet, the children of Major Samuel Bradstreet. The land in question consisted of 21,900 acres in Cosby Manor, which was located in the present Oneida and Herkimer counties and which Schuyler and Bradstreet had purchased in 1772. In 1794, after Agatha Bradstreet's husband had died, Schuyler transferred two-thirds of General John Bradstreet’s estate to Agatha Evans and the remaining one-third to Edward Goold, a New York City merchant who held the land in trust for the heirs of Martha Bradstreet. In 1801, Martha Bradstreet Codd, turned twenty-one and, with her husband, Matthew Codd, she brought numerous suits against the above parties and others for the land she believed rightfully hers located in Utica, N.Y. as part of Cosby Manor. Unfortunately for Martha, the Supreme Court of New York officially denied her claim toward Cosby Manor in 1831.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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