THE TOWN OF WEST FARMS. 479 



His manor embraced a large portion of the parish, and contributed an- 

 nually a small rate for the support of the rector and poor. The follow- 

 ing extracts are taken from the vestry book of St. Peter's : — 



'At a meeting held by ye Justices, Vestrymen and Church-wardens 

 on ye 17th of January, 170S-9, it was ordered, yt the two church-war- 

 dens for this ensuing year shall go to Mr. Morris to know if yt he will 

 pay his arrearedges, or otherways to know if yt he will joyne issue with 

 ye parish to try ye title whether his manor be in ye parish or not, and 

 make return at ye next meeting." 



At a meeting of the same body held the 24th day of January, A.D. 

 1709-10, &c. : — 



" It being discovered amongst ye vestrymen. &c, yt some time since 

 Mr. Lewis Morris, a principal free holder of this parish made some 

 motion and overtures of erecting or building at his own proper charge a 

 convenient seat, place or pew, in some suitable part of ye church in this 

 town, for ye accommodation of himself and family; which generous 

 offer was by some (tho' a diminutive number) of the vestry rejected ; yet 

 notwithstanding did conclude them all by a tame acquiescency to ye bare 

 negative voices of but two of them, who not well weighing ye consequen- 

 ces, nor seriously considering ye rationality of the offer, did refuse giv- 

 ing ye liberty to that worthy gentleman ; which ye vestry now met, 

 having took into consideration, and seriously reflecting upon ye miscar- 

 riage of ye vestry in yt particular, (which, indeed, did look a little better 

 than black ingratitude.) have unanimously (jiemine contradiconte) agreed 

 and concluded : That ye said Mr. Lewis Morris may, if he sees cause at 

 his own proper cost and charge, build, erect, make or set up any con- 

 venient pew, seat, &c, capacious enough for ye accommodation of his 

 worthy self and family, within any convenient place (as unto him shall 

 seem best) of ye body of said church." 



Among the early benefactors to Trinity church, New York, occurs the 

 name of Lewis Morris, who contributed the timber for its erection. In 

 return for this act of munificence, the vestry of that church granted the 

 family a square pew. He was also a vestryman from 1697 to 1700. He 

 died at his seat at Kingsbury, near Trenton, on Wednesday the 21st of 

 May, 1746, aged seventy-three. 



In his will, (proved January 12th, 1746,) he directs his body to be 

 buried at Morrisania, in a plain coffin, without covering or lining with 

 cloth ; he prohibited rings and scarfs from being giving at his funeral ; 

 he wished no man to be payed for preaching a funeral sermon upon him ; 

 though if any man, churchman, or dissenter, minister or not, was in- 

 clined to say anything on the occasion, he should not object. He pro- 

 hibited any mourning dress to be worn on that account, as he should 

 die when Divine Providence should call him away, and was unwilling 



