642 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



In his letter of November 1 6th, he writes : — "That the people do 

 regularly attend divine service at all seasons, that the last time he had 

 thirty-six at the Holy Communion. That in the last year he hath bap- 

 tized 1 1 white children, and 4 blacks." 



The subjoined extract from a letter of Leonard Lispenard, and other 

 inhabitants of New Rochelle to the Reverend Mr. Orem, dated New 

 Rochelle, December 1st, 1742, shows that some of the former were dis- 

 affected to Mr. Stouppe. But whether its authors were members of the 

 Church or not, is very uncertain : 



" I went to Mr. Lispenard's who lives in ye place to enquire con- 

 cerning the inhabitants of it, who reckoned up with 80 families in the 

 boundaries of the place, 34 of which were such as understood no French, 

 24 were Calvinists, and only 4 persons which are from old France, that 

 come to ye Church of England, and they are very ancient people; 

 wherefore I and a great many others are of opinion, that although the 

 place is so situated that there seems to be an absolute necessity for a 

 minister, yet we humbly conceive, he needs not be a Frenchman, nor be 

 ordered to read and preach in French, considering how things are cir- 

 cumstanced at present. I and several others, therefore, entreat you to 

 condescend so far as to represent our case truly, as I have done to you, 

 either to Mr. Bearcroft or any other gentleman whom you think has in- 

 terest enough to procure us a minister in Mr. Stouppe's stead, who the 

 English complain has disappointed them very much since I have been 

 to England, and for 9 weeks together, never repeated the service of the 

 Church in English ; but was either sick or gone to New York, or made 

 some excuse always on the Sunday when he should have preached in 

 English."" 



In the year 1743, we find the members of the Church addressing the 

 Venerable Society on behalf of their minister as follows : — 



"New Rochelle, June 1st, 1743. 

 Db. Bearoeoft : 



Rev. Sir: — Our minister, ye bearer hereof, having communicated to us his 

 letter to you of ye ninth of Oct., 1742, wherein he expressed a desire of revisit- 

 ing his native country, and asked ye Honorable Society's leave for that purpose ; 

 we took that declaration as if he had resolved to leave us altogether and to serve 

 our church no longer ; and therefore, made bold to address ourselves unto ye 

 Honorable Society for providing us with another, that we might not remain 

 destitute. 



But learning now from his own mouth that he designs to go no further than 

 London, and is willing to return, with ye Hon'ble Society's permission, for the 

 service of our church. We therefore, upon this consideration, take ye liberty to 

 declare and acquaint you that our said minister, since his first coming, has con- 

 stantly resided among us, preaching (as directed by ye Hon'ble Society, ) two Sun- 

 days in French and one in English, much to our satisfaction and edification, his 



a New York MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii, p. 138. (ilawks.) 



