THE TOWN OF LEWISBORO. 427 



In 1 816, the Rev. George Weller, missionary in Westchester and 

 Putnam counties, writes to the Bishop as follows : " Since my ordina- 

 tion, I have been engaged two-thirds of my time at Bedford, and one- 

 third at North Salem, &c. I have performed divine service and preached 

 twice in South Salem, and intend occasionally to preach lectures in that 

 town. Being centrally situated, their communicants unite with us at 

 Bedford and North Salem. Number of communicants, eight." 



According to the testimony of the late William Weston Wellman, of 

 New Haven, the following persons had been keeping up the church 

 organization when he arrived in South Salem about 1822. Samuel 

 Ambler** and Benjamin Sherwood, church- wardens ; Peter Benedict, 

 Era Mead, Daniel Jones, Timothy Jones and others, vestrymen. 6 



In 1852, the Rev. Messrs. Harris, Partridge and Vermilye, entered 

 into an arrangement by which they were enabled, besides their regular 

 services every Sunday, to conduct services here once a fortnight. By 

 their efforts a good congregation was gathered numbering about two 

 hundred persons, and the Church services, were held in the beautiful 

 grove of the late Mr. Stephen Hoyt. According to the certificate of in- 

 corporation, bearing date the 16th day of August, 1852, " the said church 

 and congregation should hereafter be known in law by the name of i The 

 Rector, Church-wardens and Vestrymen of St. John's church, in the 

 town of Lewisboro, in the county of Westchester.' The Rev. Alfred H. 

 Partridge was elected Rector; Jonathan Beers and Isaac Hayes, 

 church-wardens ; William H. Robinson, Samuel Field, Amos. N. Ray- 

 mond, John B. Whittlock, Jr., Stephen L. Hoyt, Feris Bout on, William 

 Lockwood and Timothy Jones, vestrymen ; and the first Wednesday in 

 Easter week was fixed on as the day of the election ; William H. Robin- 

 son, clerk ; Timothy Jones, treasurer."^ 



Exertions were at once made to re-build the church. The following 

 deed was given for the site of the new edifice by Stephen Hoyt, and 

 Sarah, his wife: — 



DEED FOR CHURCH LOT SOUTH SALEM. 

 This Indenture made the twenty-third day of August in the year one thousand 

 eight hundred and fifty-two between Stephen Hoyt and Sally his wife of the 

 town of Lewisboro, in the County of Westchester, and State of New York, par- 



a Samuel Ambler resided at that time in the village of South Salem ; died subsequently at 

 Spencer Town, Columbia County, New York. Benjamin Sherwood resided west of the late 

 Timothy Jones's place. 



b Testimony of Mr. Wellman to his son, Rev. Merritt H. Wellman, July, 1ST0. Mr. Wellman 

 was at one time a warden with Mr. Ambler, and removed from Salem in 1836. Isaac Rockwell 

 another member of the vestry resided in the old mansion, at South Salem, now occupied by 

 Sandy Barrett. The chimney of this house bears the following inscription, " J. R., 1T49," the 

 initials of Job Rockwell, father of Isaac. 



c Minutes of the Vestry. 



