NEW EOCHELLE 237 



pursued their jomney, and arrived at the French chuich 

 in time for service. The earliest French church in New 

 York wiis in Marketfield Street, near the Battery. It 

 was a very humble edifice, but still, being the house of 

 God, sufficient to attract the worshippers from States- 

 Island and New Rochelle on the Sabbath, where they 

 used to chant Marot's hymns — those animating strains 

 that bad so often cheered their pious fathers at the stake 

 iu the time of the bloody persecution of their fatherland. 

 With these hymns in their heads, and the little Testa- 

 ments which they brought fi"om France concealed in 

 their hair, they enjoyed that peace of mind which passeth 

 knowledge, unknown to their persecutors." 



The first church building was erected in 1692, and was The First 

 a small edifice constructed of wood. Provision for a worship 

 chm'ch had been made in the grant of laud to Jacob '^^ 

 Leisler, it being there declared that John Pell, lord of 

 the manor, with the consent of Rachel, his wife, did (be- 

 sides the six thousand acres) give and grant '• ' to the said 

 Jacob Leisler, the further quantity of one hundred acres 

 of land for the use of the French church, erected, or to 

 be erected by the inhabitants of the said tract of land." 

 The church stood on the old Boston post road, near the 

 location of the present Presbyterian church. About the 

 time that the church was built Louis Bongraud donated 

 a piece of land forty paces square to be used as a "church- 

 yard to bury their dead." And subsequently a house church Yard 

 and about three and a half acres of land were given " by 

 the town to the church forever." 



It would seem that the emigrants had a pastor two Notes from 

 years before they had a church, as is shown by the fol- *^* Pastor 

 lowing note to Governor Leisler : 



Sir : I have too much respect for your orders not to execute them 

 punctually, so that pursuant to what you did me the honour lately to 

 give me, I spoke to the principals of this new colony about the nomi- 

 nation of some persons for the vacant office of Justice of the Peace ; 

 but as the condition you require — that is a knowledge of the English 



