History of Westchester County, New York, Vol. I

To 6 Porters, at (w 1 lU "

11 IT G

To a coffin covereil with clutli and lined within.

Finding for ditto, double gilt furniture, full trimmed with all belonging, except cloth, lining and Ribbon 10 tl 0

To making up a state room, finding stuft i tacks . . . (I 14 0

10 14 0 "

And this does not include the funeral baked meats, the gloves, mouruing rings and other items of expense.

The Dutch were thorough church-goers, and on Sundays never failed to attend " Kerck," to listen to the much-respected dominie. The duration of the sermon was limited to one hour, and, in order that the preacher should not exceed it, an hour-glass was placed upon the clerk's desk, and he was thus made the time-keeper. Another church custom was that the collection wii.s taken in a bag, which the deacon carried fixed to a long black pole, at the end of which was fa.stened a bell to arouse the sleepers. It was also the custom for the sexton to notify the people of the hour of service by rapping at their doors with his ivory-headed cane and calling out : " Church-time !" for which he was paid by each family two shillings per annum.

He also carried to the clerk all written requests for the prayers of the congregation. " The clerk had a long rod, slit at the end, into which he inserted the note, and handed it up to the minister, who occupied a very high pulpit in the shape of a half globe, raised on the top of a demi-column and canopied with a sounding-board. The minister wore a black silk mantle, a cocked hat and a neck-baud, with linen cambric 'beft'y' on his breast, for cravats were then uncanonical." ^