THE TOWN OF CORTLANDT. 121 



skill, by the same name shall and may have perpetual succession, and shall and 

 may be capable in law to sue and be sued, impleade and be impleaded, answer 

 and be answered unto, defend and be defended in all courts and elsewhere in all 

 manner of actions, suits, complaints, pleas, causes, matters and demands what- 

 soever, as fully and amply as any our liege subjects of our said province of New 

 York may or can sue or be sued, impleade or be impleaded, defend or be de- 

 fended, by any lawful ways or means whatsoever; and that they and their 

 successors by the same name shall be forever hereafter capable and able in the 

 law to purchase, take, hold, receive and enjoy any messuages, tenements, houses 

 and real estate whatsoever in fee simple, for term of life or lives, or in any 

 other manner ho-w soever for the use of the said church; and also any goods, 

 chattels, or personal estate whatsoever, provided always that the clear yearly 

 value of the said real estate (exclusive of the said church and the ground where- 

 on the same is built , and the cemetery belonging to the same) doth not at any 

 time exceed the sum of one thousand pounds cm-rent money of our said Province ; 

 and that they and their successors, by the same name, shall have full power and 

 authority to give, grant, sell, lease and dispose of the same real estate for life or 

 lives, or years, or forever, under certain yearly rents, and all goods, chattels and 

 personal estale whatsoever at their will and pleasure. And that it shall and may be 

 lawful for them and their successors to have and use a common seal. And our 

 will and pleasure further is, and we do hereby for us, our heirs and successors, ordain 

 and appoint that there shall be forever hereafter belonging to the said church, one 

 rector of the Church of England as by law established, duly qualified for the cure 

 of souls, two churchwardens and six vestrymen, who shall conduct and man- 

 age the affairs and business of the said church and corporation in manner as 

 hereafter is declared and appointed ; and for the more immediate carrying into 

 execution our royal will and pleasure herein, we do hereby assign, constitute and 

 appoint Beverly Robinson and Charles Moore to be the present church-wardens, 

 and Jeremiah Drake, Caleb Ward, John Johnson, Joshua Nelson, Thomas 

 Davenport and Henry Purdy to be the present vestrymen of the said church, 

 who shall hold, possess and enjoy their said respective offices until Tuesday in 

 Easter week now next ensuing ; and for the keeping up the succession in the 

 said offices, our royal will and pleasure is, and we do hereby establish, direct and 

 require, that on the said Tuesday in Easter week, now next ensuing, and yearly 

 and every year thereafter for ever, on Tuesday, in Easter week, in every year, 

 the rector and members of St. Peter's church, in the manner of Cortlandt, near 

 Peekskill, shall meet at the said church, and there by the majority of voices of 

 such of them as shall so meet, elect and choose two of their members to be 

 church-wardens, and six others of their members to be vestrymen of the said 

 church for the ensuing year, which said church-wardens and vestrymen so elect- 

 ed and chosen shall enter upon their respective offices and hold, exercise and 

 enjoy the same respectively from the time of such elections, for and during the 

 space of one year, and until other fit persons shall be elected and chosen in their 

 respective places ; and in case the church-wardens or vestrymen, or either of 

 them, by these presents named and appointed, or who shall be hereafter elected 

 or chosen by virtue of these presents, shall die before the time of their respec- 

 tive appointed services shall be expired, or refuse or neglect to act in the office 

 for which he or they is or are herein nominated and appointed, or whereunto he 



