6o HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



ariah Roberts, Justice of the Peace and keeper of the town records, was 

 determined otherwise, and stirred up the Dissenters to oppose the newly 

 inducted rector, Thomas Pitchard; so that when Joseph Morgan re- 

 signed, they called one John Jones — so determined were they to free 

 themselves from New York in the ministry. 



From the first report issued by the venerable Propagation Society, in 

 1704, we learn: — "That since their incorporation, June the 10th, 1701, 

 they had appointed the Rev. Alexander Stuart, missionary at Bedford, 

 with a salary of ^"50 per annum, besides two sums of ,£20 and ^15 for 

 books. 



To this appointment Mr. Pritchard (who was inducted into the rectory 

 cf Rye, in April, 1704) thus alludes in a letter to the Secretary: — "I per- 

 ceive by the account of the Society, that one Mr. Stuart is recommen- 

 ded to Bedford, and ^50 per annum allowed him; whereas Bedford is 

 a part of my parish, as settled by an act of Assembly, so that he can't 

 be inducted there. Hoping, therefore, that the Society will be so conde- 

 scendingly pleased to allow it me, as also to send per next conveniency, 

 the ^15 worth of books, of which mention is made in the account. 

 The Society would do very well, if in their great wisdom they think it fit, 

 to recommend Mr. Stuart to Hempstead, upon Long Island, where 

 they stand very much in need of a minister." 



The following extracts from affidavits, (in the Secretary of State's 

 office) show very plainly however, that every effort, stratagem and threat 

 was made by the Dissenters, to prevent Mr. Pitchard's taking possession 

 to this- portion of his benefice : — 



"Bexjamin Wright of Bedford in the County of Westchester, yeoman, aged 

 22 years or thereabouts, being sworn before Thomas Wenham, Esq. , one of the 

 gents of her Majesties Council for ye Province of New York, and one of ye 

 Judges of the Supreme Court of Judicature for the said Province, saith, that 

 since Mr. Pitchard has been appointed minister of ye towns of Rye and Bedford 

 in the County of Westchester, this deponent has endeavored to prevaile with the 

 inhabitants of Bedford to encourage the said Mr. Pritchard to preach and per- 

 form the duties of divine worship as used in the Church of England among 

 them, whereupon the inhabitants of ye said town of Bedford became so incensed, 

 that by their ill-treatment and threats, they have forced this deponent to remove 

 with his family from thence, and deterred the members of ye said Church from 

 speaking anything in its favor. And this deponent further saith, that one Zach- 

 ariah Roberts of Bedford, a Justice of Peace in ye said County of Westchester, 

 went to the inhabitants of ye said town to prevail with them to sign an instru- 

 ment or writing whereby to oblige them not to pay ye said minister anything, 

 and likewise that the said Zachariah Roberts at a town meeting, called by him 

 for that purpose, got such an act of the town passed accordingly, which act this 

 deponent saw, being presented to the view of the persons there present by ye 



