THE TOWN OF NEW ROCHELLE. 657 



peppercorn, if demanded, in lieu and stead of all other rents, dues, duties, servi- 

 ces, claims, and demands whatsoever, for the premises. And lastly, we do, for 

 us, our heirs and successors, ordain and grant unto the said minister and mem- 

 bers of Trinity church at New Rochelle in the county of Westchester aforesaid, 

 and their successors, by these presents that this our grant shall be firm, good, 

 effectual and available in all things in the law, to all intents, constructions and 

 purposes whatsoever, according to our true intent and meaning herein before de- 

 clared, and shall be construed, reputed and adjudged in all cases and causes 

 most favorably on the behalf and for the best benefit and advantage of the said 

 minister and members of Trinity church at New Rochelle, in the county of 

 Westchester aforesaid, and their successors ; although express mention of the 

 yearly value, or certainty of the premises or any of them, in these presents is or 

 are not made any matter, cause or thing to the contrary thereof in anywise not- 

 withstanding. In testimony whereof we have caused these our letters to be 

 made patent, and the great seal of our said Province of New York to be affixed, 

 and the same to be entered on record, in our Secretary's Office of our said Prov- 

 ince, in one of the books of patents there remaining. Witness our said trusty 

 and well beloved Cadwallader Golden, Esquire, our Lieutenant-Governor and 

 Commander-in-chief of our Province of New York, and the territories depending 

 thereon in America, at our Fort George in our City of New York, the second day 

 of June, in the year of our Lord, one Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-two, 

 and of our reign the second. All of which we have exemplified by these pres- 

 ents. In testimony whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent, 

 and the great seal of our said State to be hereunto affixed. Witness our trusty 

 and well beloved George Clinton, Esquire, Governor of our said State, General 

 and Commander-in-chief of all the militia and admiral of the navy of the same, 

 at our City of New York, the fourteenth day of February, in the year of our 

 Lord one thousand, seven hundred and ninety-three, and in the seventeenth year 

 of our independence. " a 



The subjoined letter of Mr. Houdin to the Secretary, shows the un- 

 lawful method taken by the Calvinists to obtain possession of the 

 Church glebe : — 



MR. HOUDIN TO THE SECRETARY. 



"New Rochelle, Oct. 10th, 1763. 

 "Rev'd Sib: — I received your kind letter some time last summer, in which 

 you acquaint me the Venerable Society is desirous to be acquainted with our 

 troubles. To give you a true account, I must come up to the first establishment 

 of New Rochelle. One Jacob Leisler made a purchase of John Pell for the 

 French Refugees of a tract of land (called since, New Rochelle) of 6000 acres of 

 land, and in the said deed it is said that John Pell and Rachel his wife, do also 

 give one hundred acres of land more for a French Church erected or to be erected 

 by the inhabitants of the said tract of land or their assigns. The French Refu- 

 gees took possession of these 100 acres of land from the beginning and did pos- 

 sess the same until the year 1709, the time when upon the representation of their 



a Hist, of Westchester County, vol. ii:p. 413. 



