The American Revolution and Philipse Manor Hall
Many people, perhaps about a third of the population remained loyal to the King rather than join the cause of the Thirteen Colonies. This number was higher in New York, Philadelphia and South Carolina where Loyalists were perhaps in the majority.
The Patriots hated the Loyalists bitterly. Washington called them "abominable pests". Many were driven from their homes, tarred and feathered or even hanged. Their property was seized and in New York State alone more than $3,600,000 from this source. The Philipse family estate accounted for a large percentage.
Upon the arrival of the British fleet in New York City in 1776, General Washington orders the arrest of individuals who may be engaged in activities detrimental to the American Cause. Colonel Philipse, Frederick III, because of his sympathies to the old order. The Colonel had signed a declaration at White Plains in support of the King and the Constitution that acknowledged "no representatives but the General Assembly". He was the first of 312 signers and a Member of the Assembly and had avoided answering an earlier summons by claiming to be too ill to answer. He was the first on Washington's list of New York Loyalists to be arrested. He was held in New Rochelle and then in Connecticut and later paroled and allowed to return to his family at the Manor Hall after agreeing to do nothing to harm the Patriot cause. The following spring Frederick, his wife Elizabeth, two daughters and three sons fled to the safety of British- occupied New York City. They were never to see the Manor again.
The state legislature in Albany ordered the confiscation of their lands in 1779 and sentenced them all to death if they were ever captured. In 1783 they fled to England where Frederick III died in 1786.
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Although no known image of Frederick Philipse III exists, this portrait by John Wollaston, an English artist was believed by some historians to be Fredrick Philipse III; note the compass the figure holds in his right hand.The original painting in the collection the New York Historical Society |
