Delancey, James

  • DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY ARTICLE: Barry M. Moody, “DeLANCEY (de Lancey, De Lancey, Delancey), JAMES,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/delancey_james_5E.html
  • DCB profile notes:
    • Army officer and politician; b. 6 Sept. 1746 in Westchester County (New York City), fourth son and seventh child of Peter De Lancey and Elizabeth Colden; m. c. 1780 Martha Tippett (Tippetts), and they had six sons and four daughters; d. 2 May 1804 in Round Hill, N.S.”
    • James DeLancey was a member of one of the most prominent families in the colony of New York. Although several DeLanceys were active politically, James served quietly as sheriff of Westchester County (1769–76) and as an officer of the county militia. Most of his time was devoted to looking after the family estates. In the years immediately prior to the American revolution, James was openly and emphatically tory in his sentiments.
    • After the outbreak of fighting, he was forced by local patriot leaders to give his parole, which he promptly broke, having decided that it was neither morally nor legally binding.
    • After the outbreak of the American revolution, DeLancey raised a troop of horsemen to fight for the British: the “Cowboys,” who became one of the best-known and most feared loyalist units. His property having been confiscated, he, like many loyalists, emigrated to Nova Scotia, together with his family and six enslaved individuals. There he ran a prosperous farm and contributed to Annapolis County’s development. In 1801 DeLancey became involved in a famous debate on the legality of enslavement in the colony after one of his slaves escaped.
  • United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=9497
  • Find a GRAVE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154937943/james-delancey