To give you a true account, I must come up to the first establishment of New Rochelle. One Jacob Leisler made a purchase of John Pell for the French Refugees of a tract of laud (called since, New Rochelle) of 6000 acres of land, and in the said deed it is said that John Pell and Rachel his wife, do also give one hundred acres of land more for a French Church erected or to be erected by the inhabitants of the said tract of land or their assigns. The French Refugees took possession of these 100 acres of land from the begiuuiug and did possess the same until the year 1709, the time when upon the representation of their

a Hist, of Westchester County, vol. U:p. 413.

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HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.

minister, the whole Congregation, excepting two or three families, conformed to the Church of England, and kept from that time possession of the church and land until my coming here, when they made appear a deed, given by the sou of Jacob Lcisler, in which the two opponents to the conformity of the Church are made trustees of the land, and Lord Pell's deed altered in such a manner, for a French church who shall perform Divine service according to the French Calvinists of the old French, and that deed bearing date four months alter the conformity of our Church ; and upon such title, the Calviuists at my arrival here debauched our tenants, who took leases under them, and by that keep us out of our possession. Upon which the churchwardens applied to a lawyer for advice ; and upon mature consideration it was found that John Pell who had given the laud for a French church, erected or to be erected by the inhabitants of the said tract of land or their assigns, had never divested himself of the legal right of the said 100 acres of land.