136 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHES i 



united parishes of St. Peter's, Cortlandt, and St. Philip's, Philipstown. 

 The next year he makes report to the Diocesan Convention, for the 

 two churches, of ten communicants. He was succeeded by the Rev. 

 John Urquhart, who entered upon his duties as minister of the united 

 parishes in i8og, a and resigned in December, 18 14, whereupon the 

 " Rev. Adam Empie and the Rev. John Brown were selected to supply 

 the vacant congregations at Peekskill and Philipstown." The following 

 year the Rev. Adam Empie (chaplain and professor in the military 

 Academy at West Point) reported : — " That in compliance with the 

 appointments made at the last Convention he has performed divine ser- 

 vices, and preached two Sundays at Philipstown and two Sundays at 

 Peekskill; in each of which place he administered the Holy Com- 

 munion, of the advantages of which they had for more than two 

 years been deprived." The Rev. Petrus S. Ten Broeck, Deacon, re- 

 siding in New York, succeeded Mr. Urquhart in 18 17. In the fall of 

 1 8 1 6 he reported to the Convention, " That the congregations at Fish 

 skill, Philipstown and Peekskill, have been in a depressed state in con- 

 sequence of having been destitute of the regular services of a clergy- 

 man for some time past ; the two last particularly, which have been 

 longest destitute. 6 They now appear to be rising from their depres- 

 sion." For the successors of Mr. Ten Broeck see list of rectors. 



At a vestry meeting held January 4th, 1828, Pierre Van Cortlandt, 

 James Wiley and John Oppie were appointed a committee to rent the 

 glebe farm, and also to petition the Chancellor for leave to sell the 

 same, &c. Permission was accordingly granted on the 10th of Novem- 

 ber, 1828, and on the 20th of October, 1838, the glebe was sold for the 

 sum of five thousand dollars. On the 18th of April, 1840, (in answer to 

 an application of the wardens and vestrymen of St. Peter's church and 

 St. Philip's chapel,) an act was passed by the Legislature of this State, 

 authorizing a separation of said church and chapel. 



In 1829 an organization was formed in the village of Peekskill by the 

 name of St. Paul's church, rf which continued until 1840, when the above 

 mentioned act of the Legislature took effect, and the present corpora- 

 tion was formed under the title of " St. Peter's church, Cortlandt, in the 

 village of Peekskill." 



a Jacob Lent was allowed $25 in 180S-9, for reading services in bom churches. 



b The vestery on February 22d, 1817, "refused to allow the Independent Congregation to 

 occupy a part of the church and further consideration." 



e This application appears to have been made without a formal meeting of the vestry. 



d The Rev. Edward J. Ives in his report to the Diocesan Convention of 1S29, says : " A new 

 congregation has also been organized in the village of Peekskill, who contemplate the erection 

 of a new church as soon as their pecuniary resources shall be enlarged, being now insufficient 

 to carry their good object into effect." 



