Dr James Henderson dot com

Through the last five or so years I have done research in Albany and New York City to attempt to learn where Dr. Henderson lived and what I might be able to discover in documentary evidence.

Not too much, at least not so far. His Patent for the 6,000 acres in southern Herkimer county is mentioned quite a lot in many different publications and biographies and family lore. His estate inventory lists several warehouses full of goods in New York City, which suggests that he was more than just any old doctor.

Just recently another professional historical researcher sent me an email that shows where he is named many times in various land and patent references in the Calendar of New York Colonial Manuscript Indorsed Land Papers; in the Office of the Secretary of State of New York. 1643-1803.

Here are some of the listings:

at page 152 – October 3, 1721 – Petition of James Henderson, praying a patent for 2,000 acres of land, lying vacant and unappropriated in the province. Vol. VIII p.69

at page 152 – October 4, 1721 – Warrant of survey for 2,000 of the vacant land, in Evans’ patent, now vested in the crown, for James Henderson. Vol VIII p. 70.

at page 167 – Feb. 11, 1723 – Certificate to James Henderson, for two certain tracts of land in the county of Ulster, being part of the tract formerly granted to Capt. John Evans, one containing 1,184 acres, the other 530 acres, (New Windsor and Cornwall, Orange Co.,) . Vol. IX page 24 The description and survey is on page 25

at page 167 – February 12, 1723 – Warrant for a patent, to James Henderson, for two certain tracts of land set out to him, as appears by a certificate, (see page 24) Vol. IX page 30

at page 225 – Sept. 23, 1736 – Petition of James Henderson and John Lindesay, for a license to purchase 2,000 acres of a tract of land in the Mohocks country Vol. XII page 43

at page 225 – October 7, 1736 – Petition of James Henderson and John Jost Petrie, in behalf of themselves and company, for license to purchase 6,000 acres of a tract of land on the south side of the Mohawks river, above the falls, Vol XII page 44

at page 229 – July 2, 1737 – Indian deed to James Henderson and others, of 7 miles square, of land about three miles below the fall hill, on the sough side of the Moquas river Vol. XII page 87

at page 233 – March 6, 1738 – Petition of James Henderson, junr., and others, praying a patent for 6,000 acres of a tract of land below the Fall hill, on the south side of the Macquase river Vol. XII page 125

at page 239 – May 17, 1739 – Petition of James Henderson and Philip Livingston, for a grant to each of them respectively the quantity of 2,000 acres of land lying about 3 miles below the fall kill on the sough side of the Maquase river Vol XIII page 29

at page 240 – Aug. 8, 1739 – Warrant for patent for James Henderson and others, for 4 tracts of land and certificate. XIII page 49.

I have been looking for real old maps of the tip of Manhattan circa 1700-1750 but have only found a couple and they usually do not go way up out of the City to where Greenwich Village is today. In those days the northern edge of the city was at Wall Street, where they actually had built a wall to keep out any invaders.

More needs to be done in this matter but for reference we will start with the information above.

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From Wikipedia, the following is about Greenwich Village.

Greenwich Village is located on what was once marshland. In the 16th century Native Americans referred to it as Sapokanikan (“tobacco field”). The land was cleared and turned into pasture by Dutch settlers in the 1630s who named their settlement Noortwyck. The English conquered the Dutch settlement of New Netherland in 1664 and Greenwich Village developed as a hamlet separate from the larger (and fast-growing) New York City to the south. It officially became a village in 1712 and is first referred to as Grin’wich in 1713 Common Council records. In 1822, a yellow fever epidemic in New York encouraged residents to flee to the healthier air of Greenwich Village, and afterwards many stayed.

As Greenwich Village was once a rural hamlet, entirely separate from New York, its street layout does not coincide with most of Manhattan’s more formal grid plan (based on the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811). Greenwich Village was allowed to keep its street pattern in areas west of Greenwich Lane (now Greenwich Avenue) and Sixth Avenue that were already built up when the plan was implemented, which has resulted in a neighborhood whose streets are dramatically different, in layout, from the ordered structure of newer parts of town. Many of the neighborhood’s streets are narrow and some curve at odd angles. Additionally, unlike most of Manhattan above Houston St, streets in the Village typically are named rather than numbered. While some of the formerly named streets (including Factory, Herring and Amity Streets) are now numbered, even they do not always conform to the usual grid pattern when they enter the neighborhood. For example, West 4th Street, which runs east-west outside of the Village, turns and runs north, crossing West 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th Streets.

The neighborhood is bounded by Broadway on the east, the Hudson River on the west, Houston Street on the south, and 14th Street on the north. The neighborhoods surrounding it are the East Village to the east, SoHo to the south, and Chelsea to the north. The East Village, which was formerly known as the Bowery, is considered part of the Lower East Side. The West Village is the part of Greenwich Village west of 6th Avenue.

Greenwich Village was better known as Washington Square – based on the major landmark Washington Square Park[3] or Empire Ward[4] in the 19th century.

It should be noted that Encyclopedia Britannica’s 1956 article on “New York (City)” (subheading “Greenwich Village”) states that the southern border of the Village is Spring Street. But currently, according to Landmark Preservation maps of New York City, [5] the Village’s erratic borders go no farther south than 4th Street or St. Luke’s Place, and no farther east than Washington Square East or University Place. Consequently, the newer historic districts of SoHo and NoHo encroach on the Village’s historic borders.

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First Generation:

01. – Dr. James HENDERSON was born in Gelston Castle, Scotland at an unknown date (estimated circa 1670-1680.)
His parents have not yet been located in any of the compiler’s research.
His death occured in October 1743, (no age given,) most likely on his estate Greenwich, in New York City.
He had worked as a surgeon in the Greenwich Hospital in London, England, before removing to New York circa 1708.
He named his estate in memory of the hospital and this general area in New York is now known as Greenwich Village.
One story is that he had died shortly after his 19 year old son did.

Dr. James Henderson received a Grant of 6,000 acres of land in 1739, from King George II, known as Henderson’s Patent, lying South of the Mohawk River and covers the now Town of Warren in Southern Herkimer county. The village of Jordanville is the only populated area within the bounds of Henderson’s Patent. Various writers have commented that he most likely never visited his lands in Herkimer county.

Note: much of the genealogical information that has been collected is from various mentions in descendant’s reports and almost none of this is from sound documentary evidence. All of it is reported as was discovered, in the form mentioned, and a liberal use of the question mark symbol will show that which has not yet been proven. (compiler)

James married unknown (BENSON.) No given name has been found and her surname is most likely her maiden name, but that is not proven yet either.
No date for this marriage has been found, but it was likely circa 1708-1723. (Estimated from known arrival date and only date of birth discovered for any of his children which is estimated at 1724. They had other children but none of their dates of birth are known.) The marriage more than likely took place in New York City.

Children from this marriage: (Order of births unknown.)

02 – James HENDERSON Junior, born circa 1724, and died circa 1743, at age 19.

03 – a daughter, possibly Elizabeth? (no dates)

04 – a daughter, unknown name (no dates)

05 – a daughter, possibly Margaret? (no dates)

06 – a daughter, possibly Letitia? (no dates)

07 – a child, unknown name (no dates)

Second Generation:

02 – James HENDERSON Junior, born circa 1724, and died circa 1743, at age 19.
No further information (nfi)

03 – Elizabeth? HENDERSON, married Captain Peter CORNE/CORME/CORME’

+ 09 – Margaret CORNE

+ 10 – unknown child CORNE

+ 11 – unknown child CORNE

04 – unknown daughter HENDERSON, married Doctor unknown MOORE

+ 12 – unknown daughter MOORE

05 – Margaret? HENDERSON, married Captain unknown HANKS?

06 – Letitia? HENDERSON, married Doctor Alexander HORNE?

07 – Catherine? HENDERSON, married John IMLAY?

08 – unknown child HENDERSON, nfi

Third Generation:

(more to come…)

Dr. James Henderson circa 1710

This oil painting portrait came into the possession of the compiler of this website data about five years ago. The portrait had hung in an Upstate New York Antiques Shop for some time, with no known information regarding the subject or artist.

It is a lovely oil painting created by a master painter in approximately 1710, the facts of which we shall discuss in great detail with sources cited in a later posting. The image is of what is apparently either a noble man or certainly a man of means and with a stance of importance.

The painting measures 40 inches wide by 50 inches high and it has been carefully restored at least twice. The main image is of a standing man, 3/4 length, dressed in a long coat, with a sword at his side. If nothing else were ever to have been discovered, it would still be considered an excellent painting, of great value.

The provenance of this painting has some gaps in the trail of ownership that are slightly difficult to trace, however the compiler shall explain every single detail here on this website as to it’s genuineness and most likely avenue of changes in ownership. Every detail shall be shared and the opinion of the compiler will be explained in sincere honesty.

To start with the compiler believes this is just an extremely rare situation in which a family heirloom was allowed to migrate out of the original family’s possession through generational lack of knowledge coupled with the fact that it had had some damage many years ago and the family just lost interest in it.

The painting has been examined by art dealer experts as well as historians, historical societies, a major Art Museum and it has had a forensic examination by a well known Art University Lab. There has never been even any slight possibility mentioned that it is not genuine in any way and has been proclaimed by all viewers and studies to be 100% genuine and authentic.

It is believed by the compiler to have been painted in America circa 1710 as that is where Dr. Henderson resided at the time.

There has been a major amount of research done to attempt to compare the workmanship of the artist with one of the earliest known American Portrait Painters, John Watson. Watson’s ledgers exist and there is an accounting where he stated that he painted three portraits for Dr. Henderson in 1710, two of which were acquired from descendants of Dr. Henderson, and are now owned and on display at the Boscobel Museum on the Hudson River, in the town of Garrison, NY.

The whereabouts of the third painting that Watson made for Dr. Henderson are unknown, however there is the possibility that this is that said painting. More work needs to be done to attempt to prove or disprove this theory.