That the said John Pell at the same time, did also give and grant to the said Jacob Leisler, the further quantity of one hundred acres of land for the use of the French church erected or to be erected by the inhabitants of the said tract of land or township, or by their assigns; that the petitioners' ancestors had loug since built a decent church within the said township, and dedicated the same to the service of Almighty God, aud that the}- aud

THE TOWN OF NEW ROCHELLE.

the petitioners bad enjoyed the same with the said tract of one hundred acres of land, as a glebe thereto to that day.

That on the twelfth day of June, in the year of the Lord one thousand seven hundred and nine, all the then Inhabitants of the said township who were members of the said French Church, excepting two, unanimously agreed and consented to conform themselves in the religious worship of their said church to the liturgy and rites of the Church of England as established by law, and by a solemn act or agreement did submit to, and put themselves under the protection of the same ; that fourteen years before, and ever siuce such conformity, their respective ministers and pastors have been invested with holy orders by episcopal ordination, and had received their principal support from the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts; and that divine service, since the conformity, bad constantly been performed in their said church, agreeable to the rites and liturgy of the Church of England as by law established -- two Sundays outof three in the French tongue, and every third Sunday in English-- for the instruction of such of the inhabitants as frequented the said church and were ignorant of the French language ; and the petitioners did further set forth, that their said church was then greatly decayed and out of repair and their minister or pastor but indifferently provided for ; and that, although they were sincerely disposed to make a suitable provision for both, yet they could not accomplish this good design, unless, by being incorporated, they should become enabled to receive, apply, and improve the donations and contributions that might be collected among themselves, and given for these purposes by other pious and charitable people.