THE TOWN OF' NEW ROCHELLE. 603 



Coeval with the foundation of the village was the organization of a 

 church, in which the Huguenots appear to have adhered to the principles 

 and as far as they were able at that time to have maintained the Articles, 

 Liturgy, Discipline and Canons, according to the usage of the Reformed 

 Church in France. " It was for their religion that they suffered in their 

 native country, and to enioy its privileges unmolested they fled into the 

 wilderness," 



As soon as the church was organized, the most active measures were 

 taken for the erection of an edifice. Provision had been partly made 

 for this purpose in the grant to Jacob Leisler on the 20th of September, 

 1689. It was there declared that John Pell, lord of the manor, with the 

 consent of Rachel, his wife, did (besides the six thousand acres) give and 

 grant " to the said Jacob Leisler, the further quantity of one hundred 

 acres of land for the use of the French church, erected, or to be erected 

 by the inhabitants of the said tract of land." 



The first church edifice of which anything is known, was built by the 

 Huguenots in 1692 — as appears from documents taken from the corner 

 stone soon after the church was burnt, about 1723. 



It was constructed of wood, and stood a little below Mr. Stephen Car- 

 penter's house, almost on the site of his barn, near the Presbyterian 

 church and directly fronting the old Boston post road. It appears to 

 have been held for many years by a small minority of the Huguenots 

 who resisted the conformity of their brethren to the Church of England 

 in 1709* Near the same time that the church was erected, Louis Bon- 

 grand did give unto the inhabitants of New Rochelle a piece of land 

 •forty paces square for a church yard to bury their dead. 3 A house and 

 about three acres and a half of land were subsequently given by the town 

 to the church forever. Upon this land the parish house and front road- 

 way, or the minister's dwelling place, was afterwards erected ; and upon 

 a portion of it now stands the present Trinity church. At this early 

 period the inhabitants appear to have enjoyed the ministrations of the 

 Rev. David Bonrepos, D.D., a French Protestant minister who was born 

 in France, circ 1654, and accompanied the first settlers in their flight 



a The late Mr. William Lawton, of New Rochelle, Oct, 15tH, 1861, informed tHe author that 

 the old French church stood below Mr. Carpenter's house ; and her mother, Mrs. Jemima, 

 wife of Frederick Guion, m her life time always wondered how it was that the minority of 

 the Huguenots should have held the church so long as they did. The shield on the right of 

 the plate bears the arms of Pell, that on the left the coat armor of Pickney, or 3 fusils in fesse 

 gu. 



b " Louis Bongrand purchased of Jacob Leisler and Elsie, his wife, 31st May, 1690, and sold 

 to Francis Tierens and Valentine Cruger, on the 22d June, 1693. In the conveyance of the 

 latter to Joost Bane, 9th May, 169S, the above gift is specified." New Rochelle, Town Rec , 

 p. 70. "In a deed from Lewis Guion to Zacarie Engevin, &c. On the 26th Dec, 1701. The 

 former was to have a particular lane or road to serve the latter f 10m Boston road giving to 

 the church yard, all along the swamp, &c, making a door (gate) which shall be shut by those 

 who will make use of it,' ' &c. New Rochelle, Town Rec, p. 20. 



