Caleb Heathcote (March 6, 1665 – February 28, 1721) served as the 31st

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

from 1711 to 1713.

Early life

Heathcote was born on March 6, 1665, in his father's house in Chesterfield in

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Caleb was the sixth son of nine children of the former Ann Chase Dickens and Gilbert Heathcote (d. 1690). He is related to the

Heathcote baronets There have been two baronetcies created for people with the surname Heathcote, both in the Baronetage of Great Britain and both created in 1733. The holders of the first creation were later elevated to the peerage as Baron Aveland and Earl of Anca ...

through two brothers: his eldest brother was

Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet (2 January 1652 – 25 January 1733) was an English merchant and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician who sat in the English House of Commons, English and House of Commons of Great Britain, Bri ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

; another brother, Samuel, was the father of

Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet (15 March 1693 – 10 May 1751), of Hursley, Hampshire, was a British merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1722 and 1741. Heathcote was the second son of Samuel Heathcote, Esq., of Ha ...

Hursley Hursley is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Hampshire, England with a population of around 900 in 2011. It is located roughly midway between Romsey and Winchester on the A3090. Besides the village the parish includes th ...

Career

In 1691, Heathcote traveled to

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

from

. He became a property owner quickly and in 1696, he created the borough town of Westchester. In 1697, he purchased the rights to

Mamaroneck Mamaroneck ( ), is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Villag ...

and Scarsdale from Ann Richbell and, in 1701, he was "instrumental in having erected the Manor of Scarsdale." From 1711 to 1713, while his elder brother Gilbert was serving as

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

, Heathcote served as the 31st

mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...

under

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Robert Hunter during the reign of Queen Anne. During the reign of

George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George of Beltan (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgoruk ...

, Heathcote served as Surveyor General of His Majesty's Customs for the Eastern District of North America. He also served as judge of the

Court of Admiralty Admiralty courts, also known as maritime courts, are courts exercising jurisdiction over all maritime contracts, torts, injuries, and offenses. United Kingdom England and Wales Scotland The Scottish court's earliest records, held in West R ...

for the Provinces of New York,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

and

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

and one of His Majesty's Council for the Province of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. His estate in

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...

, is the site of the present-day town of Scarsdale (named after

Sutton Scarsdale Sutton Scarsdale is a village in Derbyshire, England. It is in the North East Derbyshire district. It is very close to the M1 motorway. It is in the civil parish of Sutton cum Duckmanton. The settlement is notable for a large, ruined former sta ...

, his ancestral home in Derbyshire) and was granted on March 21, 1701, or 1702 by

Lieutenant Governor of New York The lieutenant governor of New York is a Constitution of New York, constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governo ...

John Nanfan.

Nine Partners Patent

On May 27, 1697, Heathcote as one of nine partners in a

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later org ...

in New York by Governor

Benjamin Fletcher Benjamin Fletcher (14 May 1640 – 28 May 1703) was colonial governor of New York from 1692 to 1697. Fletcher was known for the ''Ministry Act'' of 1693, which secured the place of Anglicans as the official religion in New York. He also built ...

known as the

Great Nine Partners Patent The Great Nine Partners Patent, also known as the "Lower Nine Partners Patent," was a land grant in Dutchess County, New York, made on May 27, 1697, by New York governor Benjamin Fletcher. The parcel included about along the Hudson River and wa ...

. The parcel included about along the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

and was believed to be wide, extending in theory to the Connecticut border.

Personal life

Caleb married Martha Smith (1681–1736), daughter of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

William "Tangier" Smith William "Tangier" Smith (February 2, 1655 – February 18, 1705) was a governor of English Tangier, Tangier, on the coast of Morocco, and an early settler of Province of New York, New York who owned more than of Atlantic Ocean waterfront property ...

, Chief Justice of

. Together, Martha and Caleb had six children, three of which died young (William, Mary and Elizabeth). Their surviving children included: * Gilbert Heatcote, who died aged twenty of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

while in England completing his education. * Anne Heathcote (1706–1778), who married

James DeLancey James De Lancey (November 27, 1703 – July 30, 1760) was an American politician from the colonial period who served as chief justice, lieutenant governor, and acting colonial governor of the Province of New York. Early life and educatio ...

(1703–1760), a son of

Stephen Delancey Stephen Delancey (born Étienne de Lancy; October 24, 1663 – November 18, 1741) was a French-born American merchant and politician in colonial New York (state), New York who served as a member of the New York General Assembly and the New York E ...

and Anne Van Cortlandt (daughter of

Stephanus Van Cortlandt Stephanus van Cortlandt (May 7, 1643 – November 25, 1700) was the first native-born mayor of New York City, a position which he held from 1677 to 1678 and from 1686 to 1688. He was the patroon of Van Cortlandt Manor and was on the governor ...

), in 1729. * Martha Heathcote, who married Lewis Johnston, son of John Johnstone of

Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in northeastern Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area, New York Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city' ...

, and brother of Andrew Johnston (who married Catharine Van Cortlandt). Heathcote died suddenly of

apoplexy Apoplexy () refers to the rupture of an internal organ and the associated symptoms. Informally or metaphorically, the term ''apoplexy'' is associated with being furious, especially as "apoplectic". Historically, it described what is now known as a ...

on February 28, 1721. He was buried in the

churchyard In Christian countries, a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church (building), church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster S ...

of Trinity Church in Manhattan, which he was instrumental in founding. As both of his sons and three of his daughters predeceased him, his entire estate, real and personal, was inherited by his two surviving daughters. His widow died on August 18, 1736, and was buried alongside him and three of their children at Trinity.

Descendants

Through his youngest surviving daughter, he was a grandfather of Margaret Johnston and Anne Johnston, who married William Burnet, only son of Gov. William Burnet and a grandson of

George Stanhope George Stanhope (5 March 1660 – 18 March 1728) was a clergyman of the Church of England, rising to be Dean of Canterbury and a Royal Chaplain. He was also amongst the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches, commissioners responsible fo ...

Dean of Canterbury The Dean of Canterbury is the head of the Chapter (religion), Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ Church, Canterbury, England. The current office of dean (religion), Dean originated after the English Reformation, although Dea ...

. Margaret Johnston was married to

Bowes Reed Bowes Reed (November 1740 – July 20, 1794) was a American Revolution, Revolutionary officer, politician, and public servant from New Jersey. He was the brother of Joseph Reed (jurist), Joseph Reed, a member of the Continental Congress and P ...

, the

Secretary of State of New Jersey The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing New Jersey State Council on the Arts, artistic, cultural, and New Jersey Historical Com ...

Legacy

A neighborhood and an elementary school in present-day Scarsdale, New York are named after Heathcote. A marble statue of him stands atop the

Surrogate's Courthouse The Surrogate's Courthouse (also the Hall of Records and 31 Chambers Street) is a historic building at the northwest corner of Chambers Street (Manhattan), Chambers and Centre Street (Manhattan), Centre Streets in the Civic Center, Manhat ...

(former Hall of Records) at 31 Chambers Street in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. A street in the Bronx, NY is named after him.

References

External links

Stirnet: 'Heathcote01'
(Caleb is near the bottom of the page) {{DEFAULTSORT:Heathcote, Caleb 1665 births 1721 deaths 18th-century American judges 18th-century mayors of places in New York (state) People from Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Caleb Caleb ( ; , Tiberian vocalization: , Modern Israeli Hebrew: ) is a figure who appears in the Hebrew Bible as a representative of the Tribe of Judah during the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land. Following the Israelite conquest of Ca ...

Mayors of New York City Politicians from Scarsdale, New York Members of the New York General Assembly Immigrants to the Thirteen Colonies Founders of cities in the Thirteen Colonies