USA > New York > Westchester County > A history of the county of Westchester, from its first settlement to the present time > Part 20
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Colonel Caleb Heathcote in a letter to the secretary of the Vene- rable Propagation Society, dated manor of Scarsdale, Nov. 9, 1705, says, " there is not any gentleman whom the society hath sent over, that is clothed with a fairer character than Mr. Bartow, of Westchester, and truly he is a very good and sober man, and
a Church Record, Francis L. Hawks, D. D., Editor, vol. i. no 16, 1841,
b MS. Letters in Lambeth collection, vol. ii. I. 32.
e Hist. Not. of the Col. Church, by Ernest Hawkins, 276. MS. letters, Lambeth Coll. vol. ix. p. 109.
207
COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
is extremely well liked of and spoken of by his parishioners in general."
The following items are taken from the town records : " At a meeting of the justices of the vestry the 6th of March, 1704-5, John Williams late constable for the year 1703, appears with a receipt from Mr. John Bartow, bearing date the 5th of March, 1704, for the sum of £26 10, which is the full quota for the minister's rate in Westchester.
At a meeting of the justices, churchwardens and vestry of the parish of Westchester, Eastchester, Youkers and the manor of Pelham, this 12th of December, 1706, in obedience to his excel- lency the governor's order, &c., present,
Justices. John Hunt, Capt. John Drake and Major Wm. Willett. Vestrymen.
Capt. Oliver Bayley, Lieut. Joseph Drake, Thomas Pell,
Henry Fowler, Sen., Samuel Ferris, Jeremiah Fowler.
It is voted and agreed upon by the justices and vestry afore- said, that the parish church in Westchester, shall be finished, that is to say, to seal the sides up to the wall plates, and lay a board floor, and make two new door cases, with doors and window shuts for the windows in said church, the upper windows ex- cepted ; and whereas, Jeremiah Fowler and Isaac Irehil, pre- senting themselves to do said work, the justices and vestry have agreed with them to do said worke for £17, in good current money of New York, provided, that as soon as they have laid the under floor and made the doors, and door cases and window shuts, they shall be paid to the value of said work, and the re- mainder of said £17, at the finishing thereof. The justices and vestry to find bords, and nails and hinges.
Edmund Collier."
" At a subsequent meeting held by ye justices, churchwardens and vestry, &c., this 23d day of December, 1707, they found it necessary to raise ye sumes which followeth, viz.
To ye minister's rate and collecting £52 10 0
To ye poor, &c. . ·
29 8 0
To boards for Eastchester church . 5 00
208
HISTORY OF THE
To ye clerk of ye vestry £1 00
To ye bell ringer . 1 00
To ye collecting of 11 00
To ye belfry roof of Westchester church
0 70
To ye sacrament and collection
3 80
At a meeting of ye churchwardens and vestrymen, freeholders and parishioners of the borough of Westchester, held the 10th day of January, A. D. 1709, present,
Joseph Hunt,
Thomas Pinckney,
Major William Willett, John Hunt,
Justices,
Were chosen, and appointed
Joseph Hunt, jun. and Jeremiah Fowler, Churchwardens. Vestrymen.
For the borough of Westchester.
Miles Oakley,
Thomas Baxter, sen.
Thomas Hunt.
For Yonckers Precinct. John Archer,
For the Manor of Pelham. Thomas Pell.
For New Rochelle, Anthony Lespinard.
Collected for the minister, £50. For the clerk of vestry, £5. For col- lecting, £2 13. The quotas for the different precincts were
Westchester, £25 0 0
New Rochelle, £8 15 0
Eastchester, 900
Pelham, 3 00
Yonckers, 800
Morrisania, 3 00
In 1720 the quotas for the church and poor of the parish stood thus,
Westchester, £37 10 02
Eastchester, £12 14 11}
Yonckers, 11 12 104
New Rochelle, 12 14 13
Pelham, 4 4 13
Morrisania, 4 10 0
In the year 1711, the venerable Propagation Society voted one hundred and fifty prayer books, and £5 worth of tracts for the Rev. John Bartow of Westchester.a
Mr. Bartow in 1713 contributed £9 6s. 6d., towards rectify- ing the pews and seats in East and Westchester.b The same year, Mr. Charles Glen was appointed schoolmaster at Westches-
& Reports of Propagation Soc. b Ibid.
Noah Bartow.
For Eastchester.
Isaac Taylor,
John Lancaster,
Nathaniel Tompkins.
To face page S03, vol. ii.
Arms .- D'or
1
Thomas, of Perth,_
Thophilus, of= Bathsheba
Amboy, to whom his fa - ther bequeath'd lands in Mon- mouth Co. N. J
Westches- ter
Pell
Theodosius, to wh ed lands in N. J. in Christ's Chur -
1
A da. = Fre(_Elizabeth Clari -= Antho-
Fre
Ann Ho- neywell
na nv L. Underhill
Thomas, of Phil- = Helen adelphia. an-
Bartow Pre- vost
son
-Punder-
-Delia
-Uretta
-Aquila
-Emily
-Elizab'h
-John
-James
bens
-Barna-
-Phœbe
-Saralı
-Amelia
rine
-Catha-
1
1
1
Augustus_Clara Bar- Stephen=Mary
Mary_Punderson
tow, da. of Anth- ony
Thomp- son
Bartow, son of Basil
Edmund
1 Arthur
1 Sarah
-Charles
-Joseph
-Henry J.
-John
-Julia, ob.
-Mary F.
-Elrzabetlı
-Caroline
-Susan
lard
-Robert-Maria Loril-
-Wm. A _Jane flas.
-George
[ brook
-Edgar __ H C. Pierrepont-
-Jane=Ralph Duncan
-Juliana, ob. s p.
-Susan
-Mary Ann
Henrietta Emma
Pierrepor
ob 20 Feb 1794,
-Susan=John Gillespie,
-Phoebe=Dr.J.G. Wright
-Charity=Dr JGWright
-Clarina=Aug s Bartow
-Rev,
-Hannah == Thos.Tucker
-Elean ] == Th. Ileavlin
-Mary =John Reid
æt. 38.
wis.
1 Andrew. Phobe Han- Jane nah
1 An infant da.
-Stephen, N. Y. ob. s. p.
John=1. Miss Reider -2 Miss Ann Pell.
1 Theodosius, Fu- of Trinity CH- New Roche 1790
Bene- cestor of the zet Bartows, of Penn.
208
HISTORY OF THE
£1 00
To ye clerk of ye vestry
To ye bell ringer . 1 00
To ye collecting of 11 00
To ye belfry roof of Westchester church
0 70
To ye sacrament and collection
3 80
At a meeting of ye churchwardens and vestrymen, freeholders and parishioners of the borough of Westchester, held the 10th day of January, A. D. 1709, present,
Joseph Hunt,
Thomas Pinckney,
Major William Willett, John Hunt,
Justices,
Were chosen, and appointed
Joseph Hunt, jun. and Jeremiah Fowler, Churchwardens. Vestrymen.
For the borough of Westchester.
Miles Oakley,
Isaac Taylor,
Thomas Baxter, sen.
John Lancaster,
Thomas Hunt.
Nathaniel Tompkins.
For Yonckers Precinct.
John Archer,
Noah Bartow.
For New Rochelle, Anthony Lespinard.
Collected for the minister, £50. For the clerk of vestry, £5. For col- lecting, £2 13. The quotas for the different precincts were
Westchester, £25 0 0
New Rochelle, £8 15 0
Eastchester, 900
Pelham, 3 00
Yonckers, 800
Morrisania, 3
In 1720 the quotas for the church and poor of the parish stood thus,
Westchester, £37 10 02
Eastchester, £12 14 11}
Yonckers, 11 12 10}
New Rochelle, 12 14 13
Pelham, 4 4 1}
Morrisania, 4 10 0
In the year 1711, the venerable Propagation Society voted one hundred and fifty prayer books, and £5 worth of tracts for the Rev. John Bartow of Westchester.a
Mr. Bartow in 1713 contributed £9 6s. 6d., towards rectify- ing the pews and seats in East and Westchester.b The same year, Mr. Charles Glen was appointed schoolmaster at Westches-
a Reports of Propagation Soc.
b Ibid.
For Eastchester.
For the Manor of Pelham. Thomas Pell.
To face page 201, vol 51
PEDIGREE OF BARTOW OF WESTCHESTER.
Arms .- D'or à le bande de sable, chargée de trois besanta d'argent accompagnée de six annelets do goules suis en orlo.
General Bertaut, a French Protestant- who fled from Fraoce to Engliod, car. 1685.
Rev Jobo Bartow, A M. frat Rector of llelen Rend, second daughter of John Read or Reld, Bt. Peter's Church, Westchester
Misa Bartow= Dr. Hosking of England
of Middrew Castle, parish of Kirkliston, Beoutand, born 1655, and eletet of Col. Read, Governor of New Jersey, married 3705
Thomas, of l'erth,- Amboy. la whom lila fa tber bi que ath'd Inids In Mon In utb Co N.
Thephalus, of-Bathsheba Pell Westchics ler
Theodoxus, to whom his father bequenth- _ Ann ed lunds In N J ob. 5 Oct. 1746 Bur. In t'lett's Church, Shrewsbury, N J
John, ob & p. Stil. Westchester. well
Anthony, Westchester,-Charly Ste. to whom his father bequethed lands on the Montopon River
Basil, to whom his father_Clarina George brquesthed lands in Middlesex, N J. Pund- enon
1
-
Baell, ob.
Puoderson, ob = Mary Bor. Baall -_ Ellanheth Clari -= Antho- Low F
Thomas, of Phill -_ Helen odripiwa an- I' shir of the zel Jtartowy, of
Bartow Pre-
Thendonio __ Col. Alistcio Burz
4-Basif
Sophia
-Cornelia
Clara
young
-One died
-Punder.
-Della
-Uretta
-Aqulla
-Enity
-Ellzab'h
Julin=1. Miss Reider -2 Mins Ana Pell
Theodorlos, Flector _Jemling of I'niutty Church | Abralust New Rochelle, 1790
Theophilus
-Barnabas, ob. s. p.
-Cutharine, ob a. p.
-Solome
-And_Auth'y Abremse
-Helen_Dr Ebenezer
-Margaret_Thos Pell
-Euphegia_ Dr Dnb'
-Barnabas, ob.
-Leonard, oh
-- Cornelius
-lenac
-Thomas
-Euphrmia
Thomas-Jane
Anthony Anne Chari- Maria Plcbe fan-
Smith Vardell
ay
thew
-
1
Edmund
Arthur
Saralı
An infoot du.
Chartes
Josepři
Henry J.
John
Sulla, ob
-Mary F.
-Elraabetli
moro
S. White-
-John
Leooard, ob.
-Sarah A. P. F T.
Anne S.
-Margaret M _W. R.
-Matlida, ob.
-Edwin
-John
-Caroling
-Suran
-Bisphen, N Y ob s p
-Robert-M urla Lorit
-Win A _Jane Has
-George
-Erigur __ H C Pierrepont-
Jnue=Ralph Duncan
Juliann, nb. < p.
Susan
-Mary Ann
-Rev. Theodore=Isabel-
-Allred F _Mary La
-Leonard, ob
-Rev Henry B.
_Charles
-SAmuct B.
Jacob
Anne F. ob.
-Faony L =Rev Geo.
-Mary W _EA Whit-
-Charlotte L. |temore
-
la Cooper
[throp
-
Hentleila
PHtrepont
Evelyn
Theodoelus
Edward A
-Hannah Thos Tucker
-Clean t=Th Ileavlin
-Mary=John Reid
Susan-John Gillespie,
-PhobezDr.J.G Wright
-Charly=Dr JGWright
John
James
Barna
-Plusbe
-Snrah
-Amelia
rine
~Catha-
Antho- Ro. Bueno B =Rev Em'ne J ._ Rov bert W A l'artis W. II Lewis
Augustus=T lara Bor Shplien=Mary
Andrew A =Mary Thendo-ius,
Theophi- Antho- Jacob= t Jobn= 3
V.
E F. Blackwell
Matilda Stewart
-Magdatiene, ob.
-Elizabeth, ob-
-Willelminn ob.
-Samuel Gibbs
Baltimore
Montell,
[Black well
-
Willlem= AnDe WH- Thomas=Mary Var- Antho_Ba. Robert S _Sucan Duy- Jett can
dell.
dan
Henry Badan
Adelia Dru- cilla
Walle
-
tw, da uf Anth
Thomp
Mary_Purferson Bartow, jo ttuil Basil
Hunt of Savannah, Ine, mar. mar. Fran- CAS Davis
Elzab'lı Abrainse leidore.
Whit John, Francis & Thendosin_ elina ob sp. _ L Berrien Rev E E Ford
Dwight
-Elizabeth=John N
A Shelton
-Thendosius= Matilda
{ brook
A do __ Frederick I'TL FOOL
Theodosia __ Col Burr, Vice President of the United States,
Ann Ho. neywell
ha ny L. Underhill
800
ob 20 Feb 1794,
1-Ciaring : Aug & Barlow
While
-William John
209
COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
ter, with a salary of £18 per annum, "as he is recommended under the character of a person sober and diligent, well affected to the Church of England, and competently skilled in reading, writing, arithmetic, psalmody and the Latin tongue, provided he comply with the Society's rules in sending certificates of the number of his scholars."a :
In 1715, by the blessing of God on Mr. Bartow's ministry at Westchester, Eastchester, Yonckers, and the manor of Pelham, where there were formerly very few of the Church communion, there was visibly a very great reformation of manners.b
Mr. William Forster appears to have been schoolmaster in 1719. This individual had thirty scholars, " whom he catechises every Saturday and also every Sunday when Mr. Bartow goes to another part of the parish."c
In 1722, Mr. Bartow informs the Society "that they are re- pairing the church at Westchester by voluntary contributions, procured by the zealous efforts of Mr. Forster."d
" Mr. Bartow (says Dr. Hawkins) continued in the discharge of his important duties for the long period of a quarter of a century. He was the instrument of bringing many separatists back to the church, and admitting into it many hitherto careless adults. He likewise gave much of his time to the instruction of the poor negroes." " By such long and faithful services he received the general esteem of his people." The Rev. John Bartow was the son of General Bartow, a French Protestant refugee, who fled from France to England on the revocation of the edict of Nantes. A branch of this family, resident in Brittany, originally wrote the name Bertaut ;e but like other French names it was after- wards changed.
Mr. Bartow received his education at Christ College, Cam- bridge, and as we have previously shown entered upon his duties here in 1702. In 1722, he purchased of John Moss and Rosa- mond his wife, the farm now owned by Mr. Abraham Hatfield
a Reports of Propagation Soc. b Ibid. c Ibid. d Ibid.
e The arms of the Bertautes or Bertaudes, en Bretagne, Du Hertray, Du Hamel, Du Pontpierre, de la Poissonniere, were d'or à la bande de sable, chargée de trois be- sants d'argent accompagné de six annelets de geules, suis en orle.
VOL. II.
27
210
HISTORY OF THE
Here he must have resided till his death, A. D. 1725. His re- mains are supposed to be interred in the family burying ground. In 1705, he married Helen, second daughter of John Read of Middrow Castle, parish of Kirkleston, Scotland, and sister of Col. Read, Governor of New Jersey. By his last will he bequeathed an equal part of all his personal estate to his wife. To Thomas his eldest son, land in Monmouth county, New Jersey, granted to him and his wife Heleu by his father-in-law, John Read, in 1705, and all his Greek and Latin books, watch and a new Eng- lish bible quarto. To Theodosius, lands in New Jersey, a gold ring and an English bible quarto. To Anthony, lands on Mon- tapon river in the same province, and a new English bible quar- to. To Basil, an estate in Middlesex, New Jersey, also a part of the Indian purchase, called Pine hill, and a bible quarto, &c.a
In 1725, " a gratuity of £50 was made by the Propagation Society to Mrs. Bartow, in consequence of Mr. Bartow's good sei- vices of twenty-three years."b Three sons of Mr. Bartow, The- ophilus, Anthony, and Basil, left a numerous posterity, some of whom are still residing in Westchester county.
Mr. Bartow was succeeded in 1726 by the Rev. Thomas Stan- dard. In his report for the year 1728, Mr. Standard states, that he preaches alternately at East and Westchester twice a day, for the summer, and catechises the children publicly at Eastchester.
At a meeting of the trustees and freeholders of the borough town of Westchester, held the 14th of March, 1729, present Miles Oakley, president, and Thomas Hadden, Nathaniel Underhill, Underhill Barnes, Thomas Baxter, John Palmer, Thomas Hunt, Joseph Hunt, and James Baxter, trustees, ordered that Nathaniel Underhill, treasurer, pay Ebenezer Haviland
For a spindle for the church, £3 7 6 To Justice IIadden, for lath and service done 2 8 0
To Captain Oakley for service done, 0 60 Allowed the treasurer for four white oak plank,
Carting ditto, and for the weathercock, M 1 1 0
a Rec. of Wills, Surrogate's office, N. Y. vol. x. 180.
b Rep. of Propagation Soc.
Ilawkin's Hist. Not. of the Col. Church, 277.
211
COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
To Wm. Oakley for bringing the weathercock from New York, 0 30 To Israel Honeywell for 4500 shingles and carting, and paid for
mending the windows, 12
To Mr. Gillaim for work done above his articles, 9 2
1 0
3
To Mr. Gillaim for work as per articles, . 42 0 0
To expenses at making the agreement, 200
To Mr. Barnett, expenses at this meeting,
0 90
To Jeremiah Fowler's expenses,
0 10 0
Totala £73 7 9
At a meeting of the trustees, &c., had on the 6th day of May, A. D. 1729, present Miles Oakley, president, John Palmer, 'T'ho- mas Baxter, Joseph Hunt, Thomas Hadden, Thomas Hunt, Na- thaniel Underhill, John Cromwell, Underhill Barnes, and Miles Oakley, jr., trustees ; pursuant to an act of general assembly of this province passed in the tenth year of the reign of our late sovereign lord, King William the Third of glorious memory, entitled an act to enable the respective towns in this province to build and repair their meeting houses and other publick buildings. Resolved, nemine contra dicente, that the sum of £70 shall be raised, and also the collection for the same sum, for the repairing St. Peter's Church in said Westchester, and for no other use, and that they will make a rate accordingly, agreeable to ye next assessments to be made and taken of the town sworn assessors, and that they will meet on ye 22d inst. to agree with workmeu for that purpose,"b &c.
At a subsequent meeting of the trustees " £16 was ordered to be raised to finish the seats of the church, secure the frame, and to pay off the arrears, the seats to be made with backs, including the collector's fees ; and Underhill Barnes and Thomas Hunt are appointed overseers of the work, and to employ workmen. It was further ordered that a warrant be issued for raising said money according to law, to be paid at ye same time with the county tax. Also ordered, the overseers now chosen require Henry Gillaim to compleat his work, especially the front of the gallery, and to make it secure and substantial."c
& Westchester Rec. vol. ix. 212.
s Westchester Rec. vol. ix. 213.
b Westchester Rec. vol. ix. 206.
212
HISTORY OF THE
In 1743, the Rev. Thomas Standard acquaints the Society " that notwithstanding the country swarmed with vagrant preach- ers called New Lights he had a more numerous congregation than usual the Lord's day preceding."
Upon the earnest petition of the churchwardens and vestry- men of St. Peter's Church, Westchester, the Propagation Society appointed Mr. Basil Bartow schoolmaster of the parish. The king's commissary transmitted the following account of this in- dividual. "That he is son to the Rev. John Bartow, late the Society's worthy missionary there. He is a person of good tem- per, sober, and pious, and well affected to the present government, conformable to the doctrine and discipline of the church, and exceedingly well qualified for the instruction of the young."
A. D. 1745, Mr. Standard observes, " that the churches of East and Westchester, are in a peaceable and growing state."
In a letter dated the 1st of August, 1760, the churchwardens of Westchester inform the society, that the Rev. Thomas Stan- dard was dead, and that for sometime before his death, he had been incapable of performing his office of the church, of which he had been incumbent for more than thirty four years.a
Upon the 12th of June, 1761, the Rev. John Milner was insti- tuted Rector of St. Peter's church, by Governor Colden, in the following manner :
"I Cadwallader Colden, Esq., president of his majesties council and comman- der-in-chief of the province of New York, and the territories depending thereon in America, do, in pursuance of the power devolved in me, collate, institute and establish you, John Milner, clerk, rector of the parish church of Westchester, commonly called St. Peter's church, including the several districts of West- chester, Yonkers, and the manor of Pelham, in the county of Westchester, within this government, to have the care of souls of the parishioners of the said church districts aforesaid, and take your cure and mine. Given under my hand and the prerogative seal of the province of New York, at Fort George, in the city of New York, the 12th day of June, 1761."b
CADWALLADER COLDEN.
a Report of Propagation Soc.
. Surrogates office N. Y , Book of Commissions, vol. v. 343.
213
COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
On the 3d of October, 1761, the Rev. John Milner informs the society, "that after a long and dangerous passage, he arrived at his mission, May 13th, and had ever since preached to crowded audiences. He further states, that his parish is of large extent, and he is obliged to attend three churches. Until Mr. Houdin came to New Rochelle, he officiated there once a month.
In a letter dated June 4th, 1763, Mr. Milner acquaints the so- ciety " that he has procured a charter for St. Peter's church, and that the people have purchased a house with a glebe of thirty acres." The charter here alluded to, was granted in the follow- ing manner :
CHARTER OF ST. PETER'S CHURCH, WESTCHES- TER.
George the third, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ire- land, king, defender of the faith, &c., to whom these presents shall come, greeting : whereas, our loving subject the Rev. John Milner, rector of St. Peter's church, in the borough town of Westchester, and the county of West- chester, in our province of New York, and John Bartow, Isaac Willett, Lewis Morris, Jr., Peter de Lancey, Nathaniel Underhill, James Graham and James van Cortlandt, inhabitants of the said borough town of Westchester, in communion of the church of England, as by law established, in behalf of themselves and the rest of the inhabitants of the said town, in communion as aforesaid, by their humble petition, presented on the twelfth day of May last, to our trusty and well beloved Cadwallader Colden, Esq., then our lieutenant, governor and commander-in-chief of our Province of New York and the terri- tories depending thereon, in America, in council did set forth, that for many years past there had been a church in the said town of Westchester, for the regular administration of divine service according to the use of the church of England, as by law established, but that for the want of proper persons to su- perintend the affairs and interests of the same with legal authority, the building was considerably out of repair, and pious and well disposed persons were dis- couraged in the designs of contributing to and establishing proper funds for the support of the said and the minister thereof, for remedying whereof, the said petitioners did humbly pray a letter patent, constituting the said petition- ers or such of them as shall be thought proper, a body politick and corpo- rate, for the purpose of conducting and managing the affairs and interests of the said church, in such manner and form, and with such rights, privileges and immunities as were therefore granted to the inhabitants of the town of
214
HISTORY OF THE
Flushing, in Queen's county, in communion of the church of England, or with such other rights privileges and immunities as should be thought reasonable and proper ; now, we being willing to encourage the pious intentions of our said loving subjects, and to grant this their reasonable request, know ye, that of our especial grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we have ordained, given, granted and declared, and by these presents for us, our heirs and snc- cessors, do ordain, give, grant and declare, that they the said petitioners, and the rest of the inhabitants of the said borough town of Westchester, in communion of the church of England, as by law established, and their succes- sors, the rector and inhabitants of the said borough town of Westchester, in com- munion of the church of England as by law established, hereafter shall be a body corporate and politic, in deed, fact and name, by the name, stile and title of the rector and inhabitants of the borough town of Westchester, in com- munion of the church of England, as by law established, and them and their successors by the same name. We do by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, really and fully make, erect and constitute one body politic and corporate, in deed, fact and name forever, and we give grant and ordain, that they and their successors, the rector and inhabitants of the borough town of Westchester, in communion of the church of England as by law established, by the same name shall and may have perpetual successions, and shall and may be capable in law to sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, answer and be an- swered unto, defend and be defended in all courts and elsewhere, in all manner of actions, writs, complaints, pleas, causes, matters and demands whatsoever, as fully and amply as any other our liege subjects of our said province of New York may or can sue or be sued, implead or be impleaded, defend or be defended, by any lawful way or means whatsoever, and that they and their successors by the same name shall be for ever hereafter capable and able in the law to purchase, take, hold, receive and enjoy any messuages, tenements, personal and real estate whatsoever in fee simple for the term of life or lives, or in any other manner howsoever for the use ofthe said church, and alsoany goods, chattels or personal estate whatsoever, provided always that the clear yearly value of the said real estate (exclusive of the said church and the ground whereon the same is built, and the cemetery belonging to the same,) doth not at any time exceed the sum of five hundred pounds current money of our said province, and that they and their successors by the same name shall have full power and authority to give, grant, sell, leave and dispose of the same real estate for life or lives, or year or for ever, under certain yearly rents, and all goods and chattels and personal estate whatsoever, at their will and pleasure, and that it shall and may be lawful for them and their successors to have and use a common scal, and our will and pleasure further is, and we do hereby for us, our heirs and successors, ordain and appoint that there shall be for ever hereafter belonging to the said church one rector of the Church of England as by law established, duly qualified for the cure of souls, two churchwardens and eight vestryinen who shall conduct and manage the affairs and business of
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