THE TOWN OF WESTCHESTER. 3C1 



In the spring of 1 735 occurred an unhappy difference between the 

 Rev. I mdard and Mr. Forster, the Society's school-master. It 



appears, from a letter of Governor Cosby's to the Bishop of London, 

 that when Mr. Vesey, the Commissary, " was last at Westchester, (30th 

 of June, 1735,) to enquire into this affair, a complaint was exhibited 

 in form against Mr. Standard, by the principal men of his congrega- 

 tion ; " a to which Mr. Standard gave in his answer, on the 8th of October 

 following, " together with certain testimonials and affidavits which he 

 judged necessary to his vindication. " b In transmitting copies of these 

 proceedings, upon the 20th of October, 1735, to tne Bishop of London, 

 and through him to the Venerable Society, Mr. Vesey observes : 



" I have not as yet served Mr. Standard's accusers with a copy of his 

 answer to their charges against him, nor examined into the truth of the 

 allegations ; being determined to proceed no farther in a matter of this 

 consequence, without my Lord's and the Honorable Society's express 

 order and directions, as also hoping that they will be pleased favorably 

 to accept his answer, seeing he has promised to reform himself and pur- 

 sue the great end and design of his mission with more care and diligence 

 for the time to come." 



Here the matter seems, fortunately for both parties, to have ended ; 

 as no further proceedings were taken, and the Society still continued Mr. 

 Standard's services at Westchester. 



In 1743, Mr. Standard acquaints the Society, "that notwithstanding 

 the country swarmed with vagrant preachers, called New Lights, he had 

 a more numerous congregation than usual, the Lord's day preceding." c 



" Upon the earnest petition of the church- wardens and vestrymen of 

 St. Peter's church, Westchester, the Propagation Society appointed Mr. 

 Basil Bartow, school-master of the parish in 1744." The King's Com- 

 missary transmitted the following account of this individual: — "That 

 he is son to the Rev. John Bartow, late the Society's worthy missionary 

 there. He is a person of good temper, sober, and pious, and well af- 

 fected to the present government ; conformable to the doctrine and dis- 

 cipline of the Church, and exceedingly well qualified for the instruction 

 of children."** 



The Society's abstracts for 1745, say : — 



" Letters from New York bring an account that the churches of East 

 and Westchester, under the care of Mr. Standard, are in a peaceable and 

 growing state." 6 



a Ibid vol. ii. pp. 80,8'. 

 b Ibid voL ii. pp. T6, 77. 



c Printed abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc. from 1743 to 1744. 

 d Ibid from 1744 to 1743. 

 e Ibid. 



