my Daughter Elizabeth ye Ring, and to my Daughter Katharine th Thimbl This is my full Will, and my Sonns desir; as Witness or Hands this 14th day of ffebruary 16 9 at flushing.

PETITION OF THE PALMER CHILDREN.

To ye Honor Govenor Lovelace Govenor of all his R. Hss. ye Duke of Yorke's Territories in America Greeting

The humble Peticon of yor Honor humble Petitrs request is that whereas it hath pleased ye Lord to take away our fathr lately out of this life, & that with a sudden blow of death without sickness, that we could any wayes conceive onely a distemp he hath had on him many yeares wch we could not conceiv mortall, and dying suddenly left no will onely verbally wch was Exprest to none but we his Children that were by long before his death & heard him say he having but little Estate in this life his whole desire was not Knowing how it might please ye Lord in his Goodnesse & Mercy to deal with him said that what he left behind him should fully & freely be left to his wives will and disposing for her maintenanc in respect she was stricken in years & far unfitt for labour. Your Honors humble Petrs desire is that your Honour will be pleased to grant such favor for us that or mother ye widdow being so left may fynde so much favour from your Honors to have a £re of Admcon graunted her without any further charge in respect ye Estate is but small & shee incapable of paying charg that may aris & yor Honors Petrs shall ever pray

Westchester April 26th, 1670

Adm graunted & issued out according to request

JOSEPH PALMER

BENJ: PALMER

SAM: PALMER

OBADIAH PALMER

THOMAS SPUCHER
MARTHA M PALMER

her marke

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES.

ABEEL JOHN NELSON,* a Presbyterian minister of distinguished eloquence, who died in New York, Jan. 20th, 1812, in the fortythird year of his age. He was graduated at Princeton College in 1787, and for some time afterwards was engaged in the study of the law. Subsequently, he pursued the study of divinity, and was licensed to preach in April, 1793. For a short time he officiated in Philadelphia, but in 1795 was installed as one of the pastors of the Reformed Dutch Church of this city, where he died, leaving a most brilliant record.

ADLER GEORGE J., a teacher of languages, was born in Leipsic, Germany, in 1821. He came to this country in 1833, was graduated at the University of New York in 1844, became professor of German there in 1846, holding the position till 1854. He wrote a German Grammar in 1846, a Reader in 1847, and a Dictionary in 1848, all these being much esteemed. In 1858 he wrote a Latin Grammar, and in 1860 he translated a History of Provençal Poetry, by C. C. Fauriel, which is rather a heavy performance. He also published several magazine articles. His reason became attacked in 1860, and he was sent to the Bloomingdale Asylum, where he died, August 24th, 1868.

ADRAIN ROBERT, LL.D., an Irishman by birth, and an American by naturalization, was born September 30th, 1775, at Carrickfergus. When a child he was remarkable for precocity of talents, but at the age of fifteen his education was interrupted in consequence of the death of both parents. At this early age he resorted to school keeping for a support, and soon had his taste for mathematics called forth. In the rebellion of 1798 he commanded a company of insurgents, but was able to escape to America, although badly wounded. He landed in New York during the prevalence of the yellow fever, soon finding occupation as a teacher at Princeton, New Jersey. There he remained

* In these Notes no attempt has been made at originality. The language is frequently a reproduction of that of the authority used. Of many of these worthies a fuller and more careful account will appear hereafter, based upon original investigation.

two or three years, then removing to York, Pennsylvania, to engage in the same calling. In 1805, he was employed in the academy at Reading, Pennsylvania, at the same time being a contributor to a scientific periodical published in this city. Among his contributions were a "Disquisition concerning the Motion of a Ship which is Steered to a Given Point of the Compass," and a "View of Diophantine Algebra." His solutions were remarkable for their simplicity, ingenuity and elegance; and he soon became favorably and extensively known as a man of science. In 1810 he was appointed to fill the professorship of mathematics and natural philosophy in Rutgers College. He soon after received the honorary degree of doctor of laws; in 1812, he was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society, and in 1813 a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. After being three years at Rutgers, he was appointed to a like professorship in Columbia College. After thirteen years of persevering and indefatigable devotion to science in the latter institution he returned to the professorship he had before held in Rutgers, in order to recruit the failing health of his wife by a change to country air. Subsequently he was called to the professorship of mathematics in the University of Pennsylvania, where he continued from 1827 to 1834, reaching the dignity of vice-provost. Soon, however, a disposition to be erratic, contracted in early life, led him to remove elsewhere as an instructor, for he was a professor in Columbia College afterwards. He was there in 1839, when he edited Ryan's Algebra. But his energies were on the decline, and three years before his death, which was at New Brunswick, August 10th, 1843, he rested from his labors. His mathematical powers, and a creditable acquaintance with the work of French geometers, were displayed in two papers communicated to the American Philosophical Society in 1817, entitled respectively, "Investigation of the Figure of the Earth, and of the Gravity in Different Latitudes," and "Research concerning the Mean Diameter of the Earth." He started two journals for the discussion of mathematical subjects, the "Analyst," published at Philadelphia in 1808, and the "Mathematical Diary," of which eight numbers appeared in New York, between 1825 and 1827. He also edited

Hutton's Mathematics, and belonged to several learned societies, both in Europe and America. He left behind him a number of manuscripts which, like his published works, have been pronounced by a competent judge to exhibit a very high order of ability. He was also a good classical scholar, and was extensively acquainted with general literature.

AGATE FREDERICK S., an artist, was born in Sparta, New York, in the year 1807. He early took an interest in art, turning his attention chiefly to historical painting, and for this purpose visited Italy in 1835. His best known works are "Count Ugolino," "The Ascension," "Dead Christ and Mother," and "Columbus and the Egg." He died in New York in May,

1844.

AKERLY SAMUEL, M. D., a learned and philanthropic physician of this city, born about the year 1785. He studied medicine with his brother-in-law, Dr. Samuel Latham Mitchill, having previously graduated at Columbia College in 1804. He con tributed largely to medical and scientific journals, and was interested in agriculture. He was one of the founders and most efficient supporters of the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Institution for the Blind. Dr. Akerly was a classmate of the Rev. John McVickar, D.D., and of William Gracie. He died on Staten Island July 6th, 1845.

ALEXANDER ROBERT, a merchant, who was appointed by General Carleton one of five commissioners to act as a board for the settling and adjusting all matters of debt or accounts, of the value of ten pounds or upwards, contracted since the British took possession of New York in 1776. He married Jane Willett in 1772. She died in Augusta, Georgia, where he was then transacting business, in 1800. He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce of this city.

ALLICOCKE JOSEPH, a merchant of this city, and a member of the Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Sons of Liberty before the Revolutionary war, and its Secretary just before the outbreak, but he resigned shortly after, and remained in the city during the British occupation.

ANDERSON ALEXANDER, M.D., the father of American wood en. graving, was born near Beekman's Slip in this city on the 21st of

amusement.

April, 1775, two days after the first bloodshed in the war for Independence had occurred at Lexington and Concord. His father, John Anderson, was a Scotchman, who had come to this country some little time before and had married a New England woman. He differed in politics from most of his countrymen in America at that time, as they were distinguished for their loyalty, while he was at the time of his son's birth the publisher of a patriotic paper which supported this country's cause and was named the Constitutional Gazette. He continued to publish it in opposition to the loyal sheets of Gaine and Rivington until the British took possession here in September, 1776, when he was compelled to fly, with his books and printing materials, nearly all of which were lost before he attained a place of safety. At the age of twelve years, young Anderson began to use the graver for his own He was a timid lad, shrunk from asking questions, and gained information by silent and modest observation. Peeping into the windows of silversmiths he saw the shape of the graver and the method of manipulating it in the lettering of spoons, and rolled out copper cents gave him his plates for his first efforts. Some of his earlier essays in the engraver's art were in making copies of anatomical figures from medical books. His father perceived this proclivity towards medicine with pleasure, and deprecating the lad's manifest love of art he allowed him to make preparations for the profession of a physician. In May, 1796, he received the degree of Medical Doctor from the Faculty of Columbia College. The subject of his address on that occasion was Chronic Mania," the theories which he then advanced concerning its cause and cure being now long-established facts in medical science. Soon after he began his medical studies, at the age of about seventeen years, his proficiency in art had become so great, notwithstanding the many difficulties which lay in his way, that he was employed by William Durell, a bookseller, to copy the illustrations of a popular little English work entitled the "Looking Glass for the Mind." The engravings that adorned it were made on wood by Bewick, the father of modern woodengraving. Up to this time Anderson's engravings had been made on type metal, and he had no idea that wood was used for the purpose. When he had completed about half the illustrations