Governor de Lancey, was born in the city of New York, July 15th, 1753, and died at Mamaroneck, January 30th, 1828. He was educated in Harrow school in England, and at the military school at Greenwich. In 1771, he entered the regular army as Ensign, and served up to the rank of captain in the 18th, or Royal Irish Regiment of Foot. He was, also, for a time by special permission. Major of the Pennsylvania Loyalists, commanded by Col. William Allen.
He received the Heathcote estates of his mother, in the Manor of Scarsdale; and having retired from a military life, in 1789 returned to America and resided at Mamaroneck. He built a new house, still standing on Heathcote Hill, the site of his grandfather Heathcote's great brick manor-house, which was accidentally burnt several years prior to the Revolution. He nuirried 28th September, 1785, Elizabeth Floyd, daughter of Col. Richard Floyd of Mastic, Suffolk County, the head of that old Long Island family, and had three sons and five daughters. The sons were, 1. Thomas James, a lawyer, who died in 1822, at the early age of 32, leaving by his wife Mary, daughter of Thomas Ellison, an only child, a son, also named Thomas James, who married Frances Augusta Bibby, and died in 1859, without having had issue. 2. Edward Floyd, born 18th June, 1795 and died a bachelor, 19th October 1820. 3. William Heathcote, born 8th October, 1797, at Mamaroneck, and died at Geneva, New York, April 5, 1865, the late Bishop of Western New York.