THE TO"VWST OF BEDFORD. 6 1 



said Zachariah Roberts, which town act the said Zachariah Roberts afterwards 

 burnt, and this deponent believes that he cut it out of the records or books of ye 

 said town. And the deponent further saith that the said Zachariah Roberts hath 

 refused ( tho' a Justice of Peace) to take any affidavits in behalf of ye Church 

 of England , the Queen and this Government, and when persons have offered to 

 make such affidavit Is he has said he would take none against his neighbors and 

 himself, and that they might tell my Lord so, &c. The rancour and malice of 

 said Justice Roberts being so violent that this deponent has been told by the 

 said Robert's wife, that she dares not so much as mention the name of Mr. Pitch- 

 ard or any other Church of England-man for fear of her husband's passion. 

 And this deponent further saith, that he hath been told by the said Justice Rob- 

 ert's wife, that her husband has razed or altered the records of ye said town, by 

 striking out the name of one Thomas Howard in an assignment of a bill of sale, 

 and putting his own name on in the room of it. And this deponent further 

 saith, that he hath been informed that there was formerly a parcel of land 

 bought by the said town of Bedford, to be laid apart for a minister for the said 

 town, which said parcel of land was within a year last past given at a town 

 meeting to one John Jones, a Dissenting minister in the said town for an en- 

 couragement to him, to settle and preach among them." 



"John Thomson of Bedford, In ye County of Westchester, gentleman, aged 

 40 years and upwards being sworn before Thomas Wenham, &c, saith, that 

 there having been no divine service according to ye ceremonies and usages of 

 the Church of England in the said town of Bedford, the said deponent hath often 

 gone to the Dissenting meeting in that town, where he hath heard one John 

 Jones, as the minister of the Dissenting Congregation, preach, and hath heard him 

 frequently in a very bitter and inveterate manner reflect on the present Constitu- 

 tion and Government of the Church of England, and particularly this deponent 

 heard him say, that he cared not for the said Church of England, and in his ser- 

 mon he used, to the best of this deponent's memory, these words, viz : come out 

 of her (meaning ye Church of England) my people lest ye partake of her plagues, 

 comparing likewise the said Church to ye Church of Rome, and saying at other 

 times, likewise in his sermon to his congregation, ye are in a dangerous govern- 

 ment, where they do not pray nor serve God, and that he would preach reproba- 

 tion and defiance of principalities and powers, and that ye, speaking to his con- 

 gregation, may tell 'em so at York, for yt he did not care for my Lord — and 

 this deponent further saith, that being one day with the said Mr. Jones at the 

 house of one Zachariah Roberts, at Bedford aforesaid, this deponent heard the 

 said John Jones say, he would burn the Church of England books, &c, 



The two preceding depositions were read in Council, May 8th, 1705. 

 Messrs Roberts and Jones failing to give satisfactory explanations there- 

 of, were bound over to answer to the Supreme Court. (Council Minutes.)* 



"In December, 1681, Samuel Barrett, Zachariah Roberts and Thomas 

 Canfield were received as inhabitants. This Roberts was soon chosen 

 town clerk, afterward Justice of the Peace, and for many years appears 



ct Doc. Hist, of New York, vol. iii, 933-5. 



