THE TOWN OF BEDFORD. 67 



At a vestry meeting holden on the 8th Dec er , 1S06, it was resolved 

 "that the residue of the bequest of St. George Talbot be appropriated 

 towards defraying the cost of the building a church in Bedford." The 

 Hon ble John Jay, Chief Justice of the United States, took an active part 

 in the construction of this edifice and was a constant attendant upon the 

 services held therein until the year of his death, 1829. 



In 1804 it was resolved by the Vestry, "expedient to call and settle 

 a minister without further delay • the Episcopalians of North Salem and 

 Stephentown joined with Bedford in endeavoring to effect it. It was 

 agreed between them, " that the minister should perform divine service 

 in the different towns of Bedford, New Castle, North Castle and Stephen- 

 town, so often as should be in proportion to the amount of their annual 

 subscriptions." In all these places Churchmen manifested the sincerity 

 of their professions by subscribing liberally to the support of a minister. 



Upon the 30th of July, 1804, the Vestry called the Rev. George Stre- 

 beck as rector of the United Churches. He officiated in Bedford and 

 its vicinity from August, 1804, to March, 1805, when he resigned, and 

 accepted the rectorship of St. Stephen's church, New York. At a 

 vestry meeting held on the 8th of December, 1806, it was resolved, 

 " that the residue of the bequest of St. George Talbot be appropriated 

 towards defraying the cost of building a church at Bedford." 



In 1809 the Rev. Nathan Felch was called as minister of the united 

 parishes. The next year he reported to the Diocesan Convention : — 



"That the Episcopal Church in Bedford is in a very flourishing state; 

 the congregation is numerous, respectable and devout: an attachment 

 to all the rites and forms of the Church is continually increasing among 

 them ; and as this attachment increases, so veneration for, and delight 

 in sober, rational and scriptural piety and virtue increases." 



Mr. Felch resigned his charge in 1813, and was succeeded by the 

 Rev. George Wells, A.M., in 181 6, for whose successors, see list of 

 Rectors. 



St. Matthew's church is situated in the northern part of a small scat- 

 tered hamlet, about half a mile north of the village of Bedford. It is a 

 neat structure of brick, erected in 1807, and consecrated the same year 

 by the Rt. Rev. Benjamin Moore, D.D. It has been recently thoroughly 

 repaired, and the interior somewhat remodelled. 



The communion silver was the united gift of Mrs Banyar and Anne 

 Jay, (daughters of the late Hon. John Jay, Chief Justice of the United 

 States) on the 29th of October, 18 10. The service books were presented 

 by the late Mrs. Ann Raymond, of Bedford. The bell was purchased by 

 subscription in 1874. To this church is attached a rectory and glebe. 



