The first inducted rector of the parish was the Rev. Thomas Pritchard. In a summary account of the state of the church in the Province of New York, as it was laid before the clergy, convened October 5th, 1704, at New York, &c., it was stated, that '' ai Rye, of which the Rev. Thomas Pritchard is rector, there is no church, but the minister preaches in the town house ; the parish is divided into three districts, viz. Rye, Bedford and Mamaroneck.

" There is a salary of £50 per annum, established by act of Assembly; the number of communicants are considerably increased, since the first celebration of the sacraments, (fec."^

In a letter addressed to the Propagation Society, dated Rye, November 1st, 1704, Mr. Pritchard proposes to that body the Rev. Mr. Stewart then missionary at Bedford, as a most suitable person to fill the vacant parish of Hempstead, Long Island.

The Rev. Thomas Pritchard married Anna Stuyvesant, daughter of Nicholas William, and grand-daughter of the illus-

'^ Church Rec. Vol. i. No. 16. Francis L. Hawks, D. D., editor.

Vol. II. 8

58 ' HISTORY OF THE

trious Peter Stuyvesant.!^ Mr. Pritchard appears to have been inducted in 1702. He died A. D. 1706.

His successor was the Rev. George Muirson. Of this gentleman the Rev, Mr. Evans thus writes in a letter to the Bishop of London, under date of October 17ih, 1704. "This comes by the hands of the ingenious Mr. George Muirson to receive holyorders from your Lordship, by the approbation of liis Excellency my Lord Cornbury. I find that he is very well beloved and esteemed by all sorts of people, a man ef a very sober and blameless conversation. He seems to be indued with great humility of mind, and has the character of being very prudent in his conduet.