William Heathcote de Lancey, the first Bi.shop of Western New York, was born at Heathcote Hill, Mamaroneck, October 8th, 1797.

After attending school at Mamaroneck, and then at New Rochelle, where his teacher was Mr. Waite, father of the present Chief Justice Waite of the Supreme Court of the United States, he was sent to the academy of the Rev. Mr. Hart, at Hempstead, L. L, and on the death of that gentleman, was transferred at the suggestion of his lather's personal friend, the Hon. Rufus King, to that of the Rev. Dr. Eigenbrodt, at Jamaica. Entering Yale College in 1818, Mr. de Lancey graduated in 1817, and at once commenced the study of theology with the celebrated Bishop Hobart, as a private student. He was ordained a deacon by that prelate on the 28th of December, 1819, and a priest on March 6th, 1822.

Mr. de Lancey married on the 22d of November, 1820, Frances, third daughter of Peter Jay Munro, of New York, and of Mamaroneck, the distinguished lawyer, onlychild of the Rev. Dr. Harry Muuro, the last English Rector of St. Peter's church, Albany, N. Y., by his third wife. Eve Jay, daughter of Peter Jay, the first of that name in Rye, (one of whose younger brothers was Chief Justice John Jay) by his wife Margaret, daughter of the Hon. Henry White, of the Council of the Province of New York, and his wife Eve Van Cortlandt, of Yonkers.

While a divinity student Mr. de Lancey held the first services of the Episcopal Church in Mamaroneck; and with the aid of his father, John Peter de Lancey and Peter Jay Munro, who were its first wardens, founded the Parish of St. Thomas in that village.