THE TOWN OF EAST CHESTER. 23 1 



as by law established, and so is our minister, Mr. Morgan, for which reason we 

 are desirous to continue him amongst us, and maintain e him by subscription 

 untill such times as your Excellency shall think fitt to have the parishes in the 

 County otherwise divided, which are at present so very inconvenient, that not 

 half of the people can have the benefit of the ministry. Your Excellency we 

 find by the return of the Justices, that our divident of the late rate ought not to 

 have been more than £7 5s. 6d., and the Vestry have layd £15 10s. upon us, 

 and there being £7 10s. layd on the parish, besides the Minister's rate and the 

 Constable's allowance for leavying the same, under the name of incidental 

 charges, and that some, by the inequality of the division falling wholly upon us ; 

 we therefore, most humbly implore your Excellency to direct that we may pay 

 no more at this time than £8, and for the future only our equal divident, and as 

 in duty bound, your Excellency's Petitioners shall Ever Pray, &c. 



John Drake, 

 Joseph Drake, 

 William Chatterton."** 



The foregoing petition shows conclusively, that although Eastchester 

 had been declared a separate parish from Westchester, as early as 1700, 

 yet the Colonial Governors still considered it as joined to that parish 

 according to the prior act of 1693. 



This the inhabitants also acknowledged by the annual election of 

 three Vestrymen for the precinct and paying the yearly rates laid on the 

 the parish. The choice of a minister, however, and providing for his 

 support, had been lodged by the act of 1693, in the Vestry ; and the 

 choice of a Vestry in the people. Into the church and freehold of the 

 parsonage lot (as it was then styled) of Eastchester, Mr. Bartow had 

 been legally presented by the Vestry and inducted by the Governor's 

 mandate, as we have already seen. 



At a meeting held by the Justices and Vestry of Westchester, the 12 th 

 of December, 1705, "John Smith, of Eastchester, constable, in the year 

 1704, proved the payment of £9 17s. 6d., which is the full proportion 

 of said Town for that year." The Vestry agreed that, " Mr. Bartow, if 

 he pleased, shall preach at Eastchester every fourth Sabbath day, which 

 was condescended to by Mr. Bartow." 



In 1709-10, the Vestry next for Eastchester were Isaac Taylor, John 

 Lancaster and Nathaniel Tompkins. 



Upon the 25th of February, 1711-12, " at a town meeting held by the 

 freeholders of Eastchester, the said freeholders did agree by vote, that 

 Judge Drake, Isaac Taylor and Moses Fowler, should be empowered to 

 constitute and hire a man or men, as they shall think proper, to repair 

 and finish the meeting-house and making a pulpit in the same ; and also 



a Doc. Hist, of N. Y. vol. III. 92-8. 



