THE TOWN OF RYE. 1 93 



His tombstone bears the following simple inscription : 



Ix Memory 



of the 



REV. MR. DAVID FOOTE, 



late Pastor of Rye and "White Plains, 



who departed this life the first of August, 



1793, 



aged 32 years. 



Blessed are the dead who 

 die in the Lord. 



The Rev. John J. Sands was called to, and accepted, the rectorship in 



1793. For the successors of Mr. Sands, see the list of rectors. 

 Another important event occurred about this time, in the winter of 



1794, The parsonage house, on the west side of Blind brook, was 

 burnt. This house had been the residence of the rector since Mr. Wet- 

 morels time. The vestry at first inclined to rebuild the parsonage on its 

 former site, but afterwards concluded to purchase the house and land of 

 Isaac Doughty, near the church; and May 24, 1794, this purchase was 

 made for ,£400. Thus they acquired the beautiful and spacious rectory 

 grounds which they now possess. 



In 1S52, steps were taken to replace the old wooden church built in 

 1788; and in 1855, Bishop Wainwright consecrated the new church. In 

 1864, a neat and convenient Sunday-school room was erected near the 

 church, and soon afterwards the church was enlarged and embellished. 

 But on the evening of December 21, 1866, this beautiful church was de- 

 stroyed by fire, and within two years a new and larger edifice arose on 

 the same site. The present church was consecrated on the 19th of 

 June, 1869, by Bishop Potter. 



At a meeting of the rector, wardens and vestrymen, held in 1794. it 

 was resolved to substitute the title Christ's instead of Grace, by which 

 the church had heretofore been distinguished. 



The principal benefactors to this parish have been the Hon. Caleb 

 Heathcote, St. George Talbot, Esq., Ann Jay, a sister of the Hon. John 

 Jay, and the wardens and vestry of Trinity church, New York/ 



Christ's church, Rye, was incorporated on the 12th of March, 1796. 

 Peter Jay and John Barker, church- wardens ; Joshua Purdy, Sen., Roger 

 Purdy, John Haight, Thomas Carhart, Gilbert Hatfield, Roger Purdy, 

 Jonathan Horton and Jonathan Purdy, vestrymen. A second incorpo- 



a This lady left a legacy of $250 to the church. 



b In 1800, Trinity church contributed $750 for a parsonage at Eye ; to which was added in 

 1813, the sum of $500. 

 c Co. Rec. Religious Soo. Lib. A- 



