686 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



point, " upon which several companies of diggers for Kidd's money have 

 expended much time and labor."" At a short distance from the village 

 and east of the steamboat landing, is Davenport's Neck, designated in the 

 early division of the town as Leisler's and Le Count's Neck, containing 

 200 acres. This neck subsequently became the property and residence of 

 the Lespinards — an old family of French extraction, claiming descent 

 from the ancient noblese* of France. Antoine or Anthony Lispenard 

 was born in France in 1643, and emigrated to the West Indies; from 

 thence he removed to America, about the year 1681, with the Huguen- 

 ots. He finally settled at New Rochelle, when the town was first pur- 

 chased of John, Lord Pell, in 1689, and died some time in July, 1696. 

 The will of Antonie Lispenard, of New Rochelle, bears date July 5th, 

 1696, in which he bequeaths to his wife Abigail and his children — An- 

 thony, Margaret and Abigail — all his estate situated upon what is now 

 known as Davenport's Neck, New Rochelle. His son, Anthony Lis- 

 pinard, on the 3d of November, 1705, married Elizabeth, daughter of 

 Leonard de Klyn, of New York. He died in the latter part of the 

 year 1758, at an advanced age, leaving issue five children, viz: Leon- 

 ard, David, Magdalina, Abigail, Mary, and three grand-children — daugh- 

 ters of his deceased son Anthony, by his wife Sarah Barclay. The will 

 of Anthony Lispenard is dated Aug. 16th, 1755, and is proved Jan 3d, 

 1759.^ Leonard, the eldest son of Anthony, removed from New Ro- 

 chelle to the city of New York prior to the death of his father. He 

 was assistant-alderman of the North Ward from 1750 to 1755, and al- 

 derman of the same from 1756 to 1762. He married Elsie Rutgers, 

 the daughter of Anthony Rutgers, of the Kalck Hook. e He became a 

 very prominent citizen of New York, and for a period of fifty years filled 

 the highest offices of honor and trust. In 1765 he was a delegate to the 

 first Congress of the American Colonies, held in New York on the 7th 

 of October of that year, and represented the Colony of New York with 

 Robert R. Livingston, Philip Livingston, John Cruger and William 

 Bayard. From 1759 to 1768 he was a representative in the Colonial 

 General Assembly of New York. He was also a member of the Pro- 

 vincial Convention which met in New York on the 20th of April, 1775; 

 and on the 23d of May, 1775, was a deputy to the first Provincial Con- 

 gress of New York. During this period he was one of the active sons 



a Geology of N. Y., vol. vii. No. 200, p. 128. 



b Family tradition says that the Baroness Lispenard emigrated from the West Indies to 

 New Yoik. In September, 1710, Marget Leppener, (who was born in France in 1644,) with, 

 her two children, Anthony and Susanna, were living at New Rochelle. 



c This will was proved July 29, 1G%. Suit, office, N. Y., Lib. V., 161. 



d Suit, office, N. Y., Lib. XXI. of wills, p. 171. 



a Th'! residence of Anthony Rutgers was on the siteof the old New York Hospital grounds 

 fronting on Broadway, where he lived lor many years. 



