This church is one of the handsomest in the county, having been recently repaired and

■.^:

Su Johu's Rectory.

beautified at a hea\7- cost. It owes its early foundation to the Philipses. who, as lords of the ^Nlanor at that time enjoyed the advowson or riglit of patrona;je to all and evt;ry church erected therein. Its fust founder and patror^ was the Hon. Frederick Philipse, for some years speaker 01 the house of the Assembly in the province of New York, 1 721-8.

There is every reason to believe that this distinguished individual took some stej)s towards the erection of the churcli previous to his death, which happened in 1751 : (he died of consumption at the age of 53.) In his vvill, which is dated tlie 6th of June, 01 die same year, he directs,

"That out of the rents that were, or should thereafter be due liim, from the manor of Phillipsborouc^h. the sum oi ^400 be bv his executrix laid out in erectini/ a bLiil.linu^ or finishnitr a church (jf En'j:land as

THE TOWN OF VOXKERS. 64I

by law established, on the farm near and to the northv\-ard of the house then in the tenure of WilHam Jones, sen., unless he should build the said church in his lifetime; and he devised all the said farm with all the buildings thereon, unto all his cliildren, and their heirs, in trust, for the use of such ministers of the Church of England as by law estabhshed, as should be from time to time admitted or instituted in the said church; and so for ever to remain for a glebe to the said church."'*