A History of the County of Westchester, Vol. I
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 since 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 said conformity, had constantly been performed in their said church, agreeable to the rites and liturgy of the Church of England as by law established -- two Sundays out of 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, bybeing 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. The petitioners, therefore, most humbly prayed our royal charter, confirming to them the said church and the lands and other rights thereunto appertaining, and also creating and constituting them