Pitchard has been appointed minister of ye towns of Rye and Bedford in the County of Westchester, this deponent has endeavored to prevaile with the inhabit ants of Bedford to encourage the said Mr. Pritchard to preach and perform the duties of divine worship as used in the Chinch of England among them, whereupon the inhabitants of ye said town of Bedford became so incensed, that by their ill-treatment and threats, they have forced this deponent to remove with his family from thence, and deterred the members of ye said Church from speaking anything in its favor. And this deponent further saith, that one Zachariah Roberts of Bedford, a Justice of Peace in ye said County of Westchester, went to the inhabitants of ye said town to prevail with them to sign an instrument or writing whereby to oblige them not to pay ye said minister anything, and likewise that the said Zachariah Roberts at a town meeting, called by him for that purpose, got such an act of the town passed accordingly, which act this deponent saw, being presented to the view of the persons there present by ye

* THE TOWN OF BEDFORD. 6 1

said Zachariah Roberts, which town act the said Zachariah Roberts afterwards burnt, and this deponent believes that he cut it out of the records or books of ye said town. And the deponent further saith that the said Zachariah Roberts hath refused ( tho' a Justice of Peace) to take any affidavits in behalf of ye Church of England , the Queen and this Government, and when persons have offered to make such affidavits he has said he would take none against his neighbors and himself, and that they might tell my Lord so, &c. The rancour and malice of said Justice Roberts being so violent that this deponent has been told by the suid Robert's wife, that she dares not so much as mention the name of Mr.