It appears to have been held for many years by a small minority of the Huguenots who resisted the conformity of their brethren to the Church of England in 1709° Near the same time that the church was erected, Louis Bongrand did give unto the inhabitants of New Rochelle a piece of land forty paces square for a church yard to bury their dead/ A house and about three acres and a half of land were subsequently given by the town to the church forever. Upon this land the parish house and front roadway, or the minister's dwelling place, was afterwards erected ; and upon a portion of it now stands the present Trinity church. At this early period the inhabitants appear to have enjoyed the ministrations of the Rev. David Bonrepos, D.D., a French Protestant minister who was born in France, circ 1654, and accompanied the first settlers in their flight

a The lute Mr. William Lawton, of New Rochelle, Oct, 15th, 1S61, informed the anthor that th" ..id French church stood below Mr. Carpenter's house; and her mother, Mrs. .Jemima, wife of Frederick Union, in her life time always wondered how it was that the minority of the Ilujrueiiots should have held the church bo long as they did. The shield on th.' right of the plate bears the arms of Pell, that on the left the coat armor of Picknev, or 3 fusils m fesse g".

* " Louis Rongrand purchased of Jacob Leisler and Elsie, his wife, 31st May, 1690, and sold to Francis Tierena and Valentine O uger, onthe 22d June, 1693. In the conveyance of the latter lo Joost Pane, 9th May, 1698, the above Rift is specified." New Rochelle, Town Rec , p. 70. " 1 n a deed from Lewis Guiou to Zacarie Enpevin, &c.