Houdin must have returned to New York in 1761, for about August of that year he was appointed by the Venerable Society to be their missionary at New Rochelle. With regard to this appointment, the Society's abstracts say : -- " That the French refugees are, according to Dr. Barclay, a very orderly, sober, and religious people ; to whom, at their earnest request, he hid preached twice lately, and had administered the holy communion, and was much pleased with their devout behavior. All this being maturely considered, the Society have thought proper to remove the Rev. Mr. Houdin, itinerant missionary, whose chief residence was at Trenton in New Jersey, to the mission at New Rochelle, he being a Frenchman by birth, and capable of doing his duty to them both in the French and English language ; but he is to officiate for the most part in English, that being well understood by much the greater part of the congregation."2

The Rev. John Milner, rector of the parish, who arrived from England, May 13th, 1761, in a letter to the Secretary the 3d of October of that year, says: -- "He was obliged to attend three churches, and till Mr. Houdin came to New Rochelle officiated there once a month."

It appears from the following document, that in appointing Mr. Houdin, the Society had carefully stipulated with the people at New Rochelle, that they should not only give him a comfortable support, but immediately put the old parsonage house in order : --