"The humble petition of several inhabitants of the town of New Rochelle, in the Province of New York, in behalf of themselves and other inhabitants of the said Place. The extraordinary care that your Honorable Society hath shewn in these parts of America, for the settlement of the Church in places which want directions and encouragement, to come to the happy terms of union and conformity to the national Church of England, makes us confidently to hope that your charity will

a New York, MSS. from arcliivea at FulUam, vol. 1, pp. 187-8-9. (Hawks.)

6i6

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.

be pleased to take into your pious consideration the condition of a poor company of refugees, inhabitants of the town of New Rochelle, whose case hat li been represented already several times by the Hon. Col. Heathcote, by whose assistance and concurrence we were provided fourteen years ago with a worthy minister, Mr. Daniel Bondet, ordained by the Lord Bishop of London ; who, by his constancy and tender condescension hath shewed us how confidently and with good conscience we may comply with the Church of England and further our edification in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake we have left our native country and have been with great pity and charity relieved in England.

We have now happily brought that work to a fair and resolved conclusion. The Hon. Col. Francis Nicholson, Colonel Heathcote and Colonel Morris, have promised to use their interest with the Venerable Society to have some regard to the just representation of our circumstances which are unable to support the charges of a ministry, having been able to pay to Mr. Daniel Bondet but £20, this country money, per annum -- sometimes more, often less. Notwithstanding which, he hath courageously continued to edify us by his doctrine and irreproveable conversation.