In 1772, John Blydenburgh, a candidate, was permitted by the Presbytery to preach for a while at North Salem. In 1774 the people again applied for direction, but the Presbytery declared itself unable to fefer them to a candidate, and granted them supplies for two months.6

In the church register-book, entitled " The Records of the Congregational Church at Upper Salem, now North Salem, copied in the year 1814," occurs the following memoranda : " Upper Salem, August 20th, 1779. At a meeting of the church members living In Upper Salem,

~a Solomon Close was, however, at this time, an WW* S™thS*i™ Congregating b The Records ol Presbytery do not mention North Salem after tms.

THE TOWN OF NORTH SALEM.

Cortlandt's manor and other places adjacent, to consult whether they were desirous of uniting for forming into church order. Present, Peter Benedict, Jehiel Tyler, Jonathan Rogers, Thaddeus Crane, Solomon Close, Ezekiel Hawley, Jesse Trusdale, Joseph Doolittle, John Piatt, James Wallace and Peter Ferris, voted Mr. Peter Benedict moderator." "August 25, 1779, it was voted to form and unite as a church in the order of the Gospel. Mr. Mead invited to attend." " At a meeting of the Society of the upper end of Salem, «nth of May, 1779, at the upper Presbyterian Meeting House," it was voted " that Jesse Trusdale, Solomon Close and Nathaniel Delavan should form a committee for one year to get preaching."

In the records of the North Salem Presbyterian Society is the following : -- " Agreeable to notice, the Society met at the meeting-house on the 21st day of June, 1840. Richard Lockwood was elected moderator, and John Close was appointed secretary. On motion, resolved, that a quit-claim of the land whereon the Presbyterian meeting-house now stands, eiven by Jesse Close to the said Society, be recorded in the County Clerk's office."a