A History of the County of Westchester, Vol. I
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
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and the rest of the members of the said church a body politic and corporate for the managing and conducting the affairs and interests of the said church, with such powers, privileges and immunities as should appear fit and reasonable : which petition having been then and there read and considered of, our said Council did afterwards, on the same day, humbly advise our said lieutenant governor and commander-in-chief to grant the prayer thereof. Wherefore we being graciously disposed to encourage and promote the pious intentions of our said subjects, and to grant this their reasonable request, Know Ye, that we of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, have made, ordained, constituted, granted and declared, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do make, ordain, constitute, grant and declare, that the said petitioners and the rest of the members in communion with the said French cburch at New Rochelle aforesaid, being the most ancient French church now there, and known by the name of Trinity Church, be, and they and their successors, the minister and members in communion with the said French church at New Rochelle aforesaid for that time, shall be, from time to time, and at all times forever hereafter, a body politic and corporate in deed, fact and name, by the name and style of the Minister and Members of Trinity Church at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester, and them and their successors, the minister and members in communion with the said church at New Rochelle aforesaid, for the time being by the name of the Minister and Members of Trinity Church at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester, one body politic and corporate in deed, fact and name, really and fully, we do for us, our heirs and successors, erect, make, constitute, declare and create by these presents, and that, by the same name, they and their successors, the nfiinister and members in communion with the said church at New Rochelle aforesaid, for the time being shall and may have perpetual succession, and shall and may be responsible and capable in the law to sue and be sued, to implead and be impleaded, to answer and be answered unto, and to defend and be defended, in all courts and elsewhere, in all and singular suits, causes, quarrels, matters, actions, demands and things of what nature and kind soever ; and also, that they and their successors by the same name be, and shall be forever hereafter capable and able, in the law, to take, accept of, and acquire and purchase, receive, have, hold and enjoy in fee, forever or for life or lives, or for years, or in any other manner, any messuages, buildings, houses, lands, tenements, hereditaments and real estate, and the same to lease or demise for one or more years, or for life or lives, or to grant, alien, bargain, sell and dispose of in fee simple, and also to accept of, take, purchase and possess any goods, chattels or personal estate, and the same to have, let, sell or dispose of at their will and pleasure, and all this as fully as any other corporation or body politic within that part of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, or in our province of New York, may lawfully do, provided that such messuages and real estate as they for their successors shall have or may be entitled unto, shall not at any one time exceed the yearly rent of five hundred pounds over and above the said church