Stephen De Lancey[1] (December 1738 – May 1809) was a lawyer and political figure in New York state and Nova Scotia. He represented Annapolis Township in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1784 to 1789.[2]
Stephen De Lancey | |
|---|---|
| Member of the General Assembly of Nova Scotia for the Town of Annapolis | |
| In office 1784–1786 | |
| Preceded by | Obadiah Wheelock |
| Succeeded by | James De Lancey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 1738 West Farms, Province of New York, British America |
| Died | May 1, 1809 (aged 70) Annapolis, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Spouse | Esther Rynderts |
| Relations | James De Lancey (brother) Alice De Lancey Izard (sister) Thomas Barclay (brother-in-law) James De Lancey (uncle) Etienne de Lancey (grandfather) Cadwallader Colden (grandfather) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Peter DeLancey Elizabeth Colden |
Early life
editHe was born in West Farms, New York, the eldest son of Peter DeLancey (1705–1770) and Elizabeth (née Colden) DeLancey. His sister, Susan DeLancey (1754–1837), was married to Thomas Henry Barclay (1753–1830), a lawyer who became one of the United Empire Loyalists in Nova Scotia and served in the colony's government.[3]
His paternal grandparents were Etienne de Lancey and Anne van Cortlandt (1676–1724), herself the third child of Gertrude Schuyler (born 1654) and Stephanus van Cortlandt (1643–1700), the Chief Justice of the Province of New York.[4] Both his uncle, James DeLancey (1703–1760), and maternal grandfather, Cadwallader Colden (1688–1776), served as Colonial Governors of New York.[5]
Career
editHe studied law and later moved to Albany.[6] From 1765 to 1766, he served as clerk for the city and county of Albany. In 1770, he was named a masters in the provincial chancery court. He was elected to the Albany committee of correspondence in 1775.[7]
Nova Scotia
editIn 1776, because of his loyalist sympathies, he was stripped of his posts and deported to Hartford, Connecticut.[8] In 1783, he moved to Nova Scotia with his family. He was first elected to the provincial assembly in a by-election held in 1783, taking the seat on Nov. 16, 1784, and was elected again in 1785. There is a website[6] claiming that in 1786, he was named to the province's Council, however he does not appear in a list of their members. A more reliable source[2] reports that he was appointed to office in the Bahamas, and his seat was declared vacant April 6, 1789. His brother James won a by-election to replace him in the provincial assembly, and he took the seat on Feb. 26, 1790.[2] James was indeed named a member of the Council on June 6, 1794, and this may be the source of confusion.
Personal life
editDe Lancey was married to Esther Rynderts of Albany.[7][9][10] Together, they were the parents of three children:[11]
- Elizabeth De Lancey
- Mary De Lancey
- Cadwallader De Lancey
De Lancey died in Annapolis at the age of 70.[6]
References
edit- ^ His surname also appears in some sources as de Lancey, DeLancey or Delancey.
- ^ a b c Elliott, Shirley B. (1984). The Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, 1758-1983: a biographical directory (PDF). Halifax: Province of Nova Scotia. p. 253&50. ISBN 0-88871-050-X.
- ^ Tulloch, Judith (1987). "Barclay, Thomas Henry". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. VI (1821–1835) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
- ^ "Loyalist, Col. James Delancey UE, born 1746 or 1747, died 1804". www.thefreelibrary.com. 2016 United Empire Loyalists' Association 02 Nov. 2017 | The Free Library. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ Ketchum, Richard M. (2002). Divided Loyalties: How the American Revolution Came to New York. Macmillan. p. 374. ISBN 9780805061192. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ a b c Bielinski, Stefan. "Stephen De Lancey". exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov. New York State Museum. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ a b Lamb, Martha Joanna; Harrison, Mrs Burton (1896). History of the City of New York: Its Origin, Rise, and Progress. A. S. Barnes. p. 532. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ Calnek, W. A. (1999). "History of the County of Annapolis, Nova Scotia : Including Old Port Royal & Acadia". ourroots.ca. Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ New York State (1857). Documents relative to the colonial history of the state of New York, procured by J.R. Brodhead, ed. by E.B. O'Callaghan. p. 480. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ Brodhead, John Romeyn (1861). Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New York. Weed, Parsons, Printers. p. 547. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ Holgate, Jerome Bonaparte (1851). American Genealogy: Being a History of Some of the Early Settlers of North America and Their Descendants, from Their First Emigration to the Present Time ... J. Munsell. p. 118. Retrieved 2 November 2017.