History of Westchester County, New York, Vol. I

That as a clergyman he " has the care of the towns of East and West Chester. " That there is not now a clergyman of any denom- " iuation nearer than nine miles from the place of " his residence, and but one within that distance " without crossing the Sound ; so that in his absence " there is none to officiate to the people in any " religious service, to visit the sick, or bury the dead.

'' Your Memorialist also begs leave to observe : " That in order to discharge some debts which the " necessity of his afl'airs formerly obliged him to con- " tract, he, about a year ago, opened a grammar " school,^ and succeeded so far as to make it worth " one hundred pounds, York money, for the year " past. That he was in a fair way of satisfying his " creditors and freeing himself from a heavy incum- " brance. That he had five young gentlemen from " the Island of Jamaica, one from Montreal, four " children of gentlemen now in England, committed " to his care, among others from New York and the " country. That he apprehends his school to be " broken up and his scholars dispersed, probably " some of them placed at other schools, and that it " may be difhcult, if not impracticable, again to " recover them. That if there should be no other " impediment, yet if the people of West Chester are to