James De Lancey

Who was James De Lancey?

James De Lancey was a political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Annapolis township in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1786 to 1794. His surname also appears as Delancey, de Lancey or DeLancey.

He was born in Westchester County, New York, the son of Peter De Lancey, who was the son of Etienne de Lancey and Elizabeth Colden. He served as sheriff of Westchester County from 1769 to 1776 and as an officer in the militia. Because of his loyalist sympathies, he was forced to leave the area and went to New York City, where he raised a loyalist unit known as "De Lancey’s Cowboys" and "De Lancey's refugees". De Lancey himself was called the "Outlaw of the Bronx". He married Martha Tippett around 1780. Around the start of 1783, he moved to Nova Scotia, settling at Round Hill in Annapolis County. De Lancey was elected to the provincial assembly after his brother Stephen was named to the province's Council; in 1794, James was also named to the Council. He resigned from his seat on the council in 1801 due to poor health and died at Round Hill three years later at the age of 57.