744 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



ated at King's College, New York, who is very acceptable to the people, whom 

 we wish to have settled among them, provided, upon their qualifying themselves, 

 they might be so happy as to obtain the Honorable Society's encouragement. 

 Contiguous to Salem is Cortlandt's manor and Philipse's Patent, where numbers 

 of poor people are settled, and stand in great need of proper instruction — many 

 already professing, and others well disposed to our holy Church, notwithstanding 

 their distance, it being about twenty-five miles to the upper district of Salem. 

 As no other missionary is contiguous — to be as extremely useful as may be, and 

 in tenderness to their spiritual wants — I have afforded them what assistance I 

 could, consistent with the duties of my particular cure, for fifteen or sixteen 

 years past, to the prejudice of my family, and my income for twelve years, be- 

 ing too considerable to my necessities."* 



The worthy and venerable Dr. Dibblee, the founder of this parish, 

 died at Stamford, Conn., Thursday, May 9th, 1799, "old and full of 

 days, highly respected and much lamented by his congregations. His 

 funeral was attended by a large concourse of people, and he went to the 

 grave like a shock of corn, fully ripe for the gamer." 6 " He is described 

 as a venerable man, of dignified appearance ; his long white locks flow- 

 ing gracefully over his shoulders."* A neat marble tablet has been since 

 erected over his remains in St. John's church, Stamford, which bears the 

 following inscription : 



I. H. 8. 



REV. EBENEZER DIBBLEE, D.D., 



Rector of St. John*s Church, 



Stamford, Conn. 



As a missionary of ihe Society of the Gospel in Foreign parts, he en- 

 tered upon the duties of his sacred office, October 26th, 1748, and con- 

 tinued to discharge them in this capacity with great fidelity and zeal un- 

 til the close of the Revolutionary war. Subsequently to this period he 

 fulfilled his duties unconnected with the Society in England until 1799, 

 when he died full of years, in peace with God and charity with man. 



As Rector of St. John's parish for 5 1 years, he became endeared to all 

 by his unwavering devotion to their best interests, his holy life and un- 

 wearied zeal in the cause of Christ and His Church." 



About the year 1764, this parish united with the churches of Ridge- 

 field and Ridgebury, in Connecticut, and engaged Mr. Richard - S. 



a Conn. MSS. from archives at Fulhara, p. 520. (Hawks.) One of the missionaries of the 

 Society, writing in 1760, says :— " Rye tried to prevail upon him, (Mr. Dibblee,) but the good 

 man, though in greater need of better support, apprehensive of the great detriment it would 

 be to that Church (Stamford) lias refused." 



b Churchman's Magazine, new series, vol. iv: 269-270. 



c Meade's Hist, of Greenwich ; p. 271. 



