658 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



minister, the whole Congregation, excepting two or three families, conformed to 

 the Church of England, and kept from that time possession of the church and 

 land until my coming here, when they made appear a deed, given by the son of 

 Jacob Leisler, in which the two opponents to the conformity of the Church are 

 made trustees of the land, and Lord Pell's deed altered in such a manner, for a 

 French church who shall perform Divine service according to the French Cal- 

 vinists of the old French, and that deed bearing date four months after the con- 

 formity of our Church ; and upon such title, the Calvinists at my arrival here 

 debauched our tenants, who took leases under them, and by that keep us out of 

 our possession. Upon which the churchwardens applied to a lawyer for advice ; 

 and upon mature consideration it was found that John Pell who had given the 

 land for a French church, erected or to be erected by the inhabitants of the said 

 tract of land or their assigns, had never divested himself of the legal right of the 

 said 100 acres of land. These considered, our churchwardens applied to the 

 Executors of the heir at law of said Pell, who have released all the right of Pell 

 to the church for £100, the executors having power to sell by the will of the 

 present heir's father. With this title, joined to fifty-three years possession, our 

 churchwardens did serve three ejectments upon the three tenants, and the Calvin- 

 ists entered defendants, and on the 15th day of September last we had a trial at the 

 Supreme Court, when the Jury brought their verdict in favor of our Church, 

 upon which the attorneys of the Calvinists' party offered a bill of exception : so 

 that we must wait the issue of said bill at the Supreme Court at New York, to be 

 held the 18th day of this inst. We have to deal with very stubborn and liti- 

 gious people, which make me afraid they will not be contented before they have 

 brought us before all the different tribunals ; and by that means deprive me of all 

 the benefits of the land, which causes me a great prejudice. The congregation 

 is very unanimous and in good harmony, ready to defend their right to the last, 

 seeing the Calvinists will not agree upon any terms of peace proposed to them 

 by our Church ; but we are in hopes the strong bleeding of their purse will bring 

 them to an agreement after New York Court. 



Reverend Sir, yours, &c, 



MICHAEL HOUDIN.a 



The release, alluded to in the above letter, was given on the 2nd of 

 February, 1763, and is as follows: — 



RELEASE OF CHURCH GLEBE, FROM EXECUTORS OF JOSEPH 

 PELL TO DAVID GUION. 



" Tins Indenture, made the second day of February, in the third j r ear of the 

 reign of our Sovereign Lord, King George the Third, Annoqe Dom. one thousand 

 seven hundred and sixty-three, between Phebe Pell, widow, and Samuel Sneden 

 and Jacobus Bleecker, Esqs., all of the County of Westchester, Executors, with 

 power to sell of the last will and testament of Joseph Pell, Esqr. , late of the manor 

 of Pelbam, in the Comity of Westchester aforesaid, deceased, of the one part, and 

 David Guion of New Rochelle in the said County of Westchester, on the other 

 part. Wliereas, John Pell, formerly lord of the said manor of Pelham was 

 seized in fee of six thousand one hundred acres of land, part of the said Manor 



a N. Y. MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii., pp. 325. 326. (Hawks.) 



