THE TOWN OF NORTH SALEM. 743 



MR. DIBBLEE TO THE SECRETARY. 



" Stamford, in Conn., N. E., March 25th, 1761. 

 " Rev. Sib : — I preached at Salem, in the Upper District, on Sunday, the 22d 

 of February last, to a very large congregation ; and the poor people scattered 

 about in the wilderness, are, I am informed, concerting measures to build a small 

 church, as a private house will seldom contain the people that went to church 

 when I preach among them — which is as often as the duties of my extensive mis- 

 sion will permit."* 1 



The next year, Mr. St. George Talbot, a liberal benefactor of the 

 Church in this county, thus addresses the same : 



TO THE -SECRETARY. 



(Extract.) 



" Baen Island, July 10, 1763. 



" On my return from Connecticut I desired Mr. Dibblee to accompany me to 

 Salem, where he preached the first Sunday in Trinity to a large congregation ; not- 

 withstanding it was a very rainy day, too many to be accommodated in a private 

 house, and gave the communion to about thirty persons, who behaved very de- 

 cently. There they have built and almost covered a church ; this is in the Prov- 

 ince of New York, which people Mr. Dibblee hath taken principally care of for 

 several years. This church at Salem is about four miles from Ridgebury, to the 

 west, and seven miles from Ridgefield, where they have raised a church, &c." & 



The church to which Mr. Talbot alludes, in the foregoing letter, was 

 built on land given for that purpose by Stephen de Lancey, in 1763, 

 and appears to have been first opened for Divine worship on Sunday the 

 31st of August, 1766, by the Rev. Ebenezer Dibblee ; who, a few months 

 later, sends the subjoined communication to the secretary: — 



[Extract.] 



"Stamford, Conn., N. E., Oct. fth, 1766. 

 "Rev. Sir: — I preached on Sunday, in August,^ in the new church in the 

 upper district of Salem, to a numerous and devoutly-behaved congregation ; and 

 gave the Holy Communion to about thirty communicants, and baptised fifteen 

 children. In compassion to their circumstances, and the people of Ridgebury 

 and Ridgefield, who are contiguous upon the borders of Connecticut, Mr. Learn- 

 ing and I have recommended to read divine service and sermons to them, Mr. 

 EpeDetus Townsend — a very exemplary, sober, worthy young gentleman, gradu- 



al Conn. MSS. from archives at Fulham (Hawks). 



b New York MSS., from archives at Fulham, vol. i, p. 317. 



c Dr. Dibblee records the following in his register :— " Salem, Sunday, 1776, Aug. 31," bap- 

 tised " Fred. Knox, Rob't Knox, Jos. Lobdell, Daniel Lobdell, Levy Lobdell, Jacob Lobdell. 

 Rob't Lobdell, Ebenezer Lobdell, Abigail Cable, Sam : l Cable, Mary Morehouse, John and 

 Deborah Morehouse, Theophilus, Daniel and Mary Morehouse, Philip Pukett Piatt, Isaac 

 Piatt, Jemima Patterson, William and Anna Patterson, (two children, names and parents for- 

 gotten,) Cornelius Delivan, Timothy and Hannah Delivan, Stephen Brusn, Stephen and Abia 

 Brush, Sarah Palmer, Gideon and Jane Palmer, Walter Lockwood, Joseph and Ann Lock- 

 wood." On Sunday, the 25th of August, 1765, he had baptized fifteen at Salem. (St. John's 

 Rec, Stamford.) 



