THE TOWN OF EAST CHESTER. 233 



iBut religious contracts were found to be as binding as civil bargains. 

 Mr. Standard says, "The church of Eastchester was supposed to be in- 

 cluded among the rights and appurtenances of Westchester parish; that 

 Mr. Bartow was legally presented and inducted into the church, and 

 died possessed of it; that he too was legally presented and inducted, and 

 therefore laid claim to it as his own proper right exclusive of them, and 

 so kept them out of it." a 



In 1744, Mr. Standard, who had now taken up his residence in East- 

 chester, writes to the Secretary as follows : — 



MR. STANDARD TO THE SECRETARY. 



[extract.] 



Eastchester, May 14th, 1744. 

 Rev. Sir, 



" My Brother Vaughan informs me, that Archbishop Tennison hath 

 left upon his will, ^50 per annum, to be paid to the oldest missionary, 

 being an Englishman, which missionary he saith I am, and that it will 

 be necessary for me to go home in order to obtain it, which if I do, and 

 apply to my Lord Chancellor, he doubts not of success; and he further 

 adds, that Mr. Talbot received the same during his time. If you, good 

 sir, know any thing of that affair, be pleased to communicate it to me 

 and to intercede for leave for me to come home. 



I' am yours and the Venerable Society's 

 very humble servant, 



Thomas Standard." 6 



The following year he informs the Society, that the parishes of East 

 and Westchester are in a peaceable and growing state. 



As Church business was at this time transacted with town matters, we 

 find the inhabitants electing a sexton for Eastchester. On April the 1st, 



1755, it was resolved, "That Richard Stevens be appointed grave-dig- 

 ger for the town, for the year ensuing, and to dig a grown person's grave 

 for six shillings and three shillings for children." On the 7th of April, 



1756, the town appointed the same individual for grave-digger and sex- 

 ton for the town. 



In 1758, Mr Standard presented the bell to the church, which still 

 summons the parishoners every Lord's day to the house of prayer, and 

 by it, "He being dead, yet speaketh." 



At the commencement of this year, the aged missionary was called to 

 mourn over the grave of an affectionate wife, who came to her death in 



a See "Rev. Henry E. Duncan's Jubilee Sermon for 1851. 



6 New York MSS. from Archives at Fuiliam, vol. ii, 152. (Hawk's). " In "1726, Mr. Delpecn 

 was schoolmaster at Eastchester. 



