Dibblee of Stamford writes to the Secretary of the Venerable Propagation Society, as follows: "Mr. Townsend thankfully accepts the leave to go home for Holy Orders; and if the society is not pleased to appoint him their missionary, at Salem, and parts contiguous, where he is much wanted, he will submit to the will and superior wisdom and direction of the society."* Mr. Townsend returned from England, April 22nd, 176s, and was formally inducted rector of Salem on Sunday, the 29th of May, 1768, by his predecessor, the Rev. Ebenezer Dibblee b In one of his earliest communications to the society from Salem, Mr. Townsend says:

"The fatigue which necessarily arises from a steady performance of my duty in these three places, I have hitherto, and I trust in God, I shall for the future be enabled to undergo with cheerfulness, tho' I expect it will in a little while be increased, occasioned by the building a new church in Salem, which when it is finished, I propose, with the society's leave, to officiate in it sometimes. To acquaint the society witli the propriety of building a new church in Salem, I would observe that Salem is a township twelve miles in length, and but two in breadth -- joining on the one side to Connecticut, and on the other partly to Cortlandt's manor, which extends twenty miles westward to Hudson River; and partly to another patent, which extends several miles westward towards Bedford, which is the utmost limit of Mr. Avery's mission. The church, which is already built, is situated within about two miles of the north end of Salem, on the borders of Cortlandt's manor, as the society was informed in the petition of the church wardens and vestry. It was built by people of this part of Salem and Cortlandt's manor in conjunction, and this congregation is larger than either of those in Connecticut -- there being generally, in good weather in the Summer season, upwards of two hundred people assembled.