214 HISTORY OF THE

Flushing, in Queen's county, in comnnunion of the church of England, or with such other rights privileges and immunities a,s should be thought reasonable and proper ; now, we being willing to encourage the pious intentions of our said loving subjects, and to grant this their reasonable request, know ye, that of our especial grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we have ordained, given, granted and declared, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do ordain, give, grant and declare, that they the said petitioners, and the rest of the inhabitants of the said borough town of Westchester, in communion of the church of England, as bylaw established, and their successors, the rector and inhabitants of the said borough townof Westchester, in communion of the church of England as by law established, hereafter shall be a body corporate and politic, in deed, fact and name, by the name, stile and title of the rector and inhabitants of the borough town of Westchester, in communion of the church of England, as by law established, and them afid their successors by the same name. We do by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, really and fully make, erect and constitute one body politic and corporate, in deed, fact and name forever, and we give grant and ordain, that they and their successors, the rector and inhabitants of the borough town of Westchester, in communion of the church of England as by law established, by the same name shall and may have perpetual successions, and shall and may be capable in law to sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, defend and be defended in all courts and elsewhere, in all manner of actions, writs, complaints, pleas, causes, matters and demands whatsoever, as fully and amply as any other our liege subjects of our said province of New York may or can sue or be sued, implead or be impleaded, defend or be defended, by any lawful way or means whatsoever, and that they and their successors by the same name shall be for ever hereafter capable and able in the law to purchase, take, hold, receive and enjoy any messuages, tenements, personal and real estate whatsoever in fee simple for the term of life or lives, or in any other manner howsoever for the use of the said church, and also any goods, chattels or personal estate whatsoever, provided always that the clear yearly value of the said real estate (exclusive of the said church and the ground whereon the same is built, and the cemetery belonging to the same,) doth not at any time exceed the sum of five hundred pounds current money of our said province, and that they and their successors by the same name shall have full power and authority to give, grant, sell, leave and dispose of the same real estate for life or lives, or year or for ever, under certain yearly rents, and all goods and chattels and personal estate whatsoever, at their will and pleasure, and that it shall and may be lawful for them and their successors to have and use a common seal, and our will and pleasure further is, and we do hereby for us, our heirs ind successors, ordain and appoint that there shall be for ever hereafter belonging to the said church one rector of the Church of England as by law established, duly qualified for the cure of souls, two churchwardens and eight vestrymen who shall conduct and manage the affairs and business of