completely repaired and beautified within a few years. It owes its early foundation to the Philipses's, who, as lords of the Manor at that time enjoyed the advowson or right of patronage to all and every church erected therein. Its first founder and patron was the Honorable Frederick Philipse, for some years speaker of the house of Assembly in the province of New York, 1721-8. There is every reason to believe that this distinguished indi. vidual took some steps towards the erection of the church previous to his death, which happened in 1751: (he died of consumption at the age of 53.) In his will, which is dated the 6th of June, of the same year, he directs, "That out of the rents that were, or should thereafter be due to him, from the manor of Philipsborough, the sum of £400 be by his executrix laid out in erecting a building or finishing a church of England as by law established, on the farm near and to the northward of the house then in the tenure of William Jones, sen., unless he should build the said church in his lifetime; and he devised all the said farm with all the buildings thereon, unto all his children, and their heirs, in trust, for the use of such ministers of the church of England as by law established, as should be from time to time admitted or instituted in the said church; and so for ever to remain for a glebe to the said church."a That the building was commenced in 1752, there is no doubt, for among the family papers, occurs an account of the expenses on the church at Philipsborough to the estate of Frederick Philipse, debtor," commencing Nov. 1752, closing December, 1753, whole amount, £623 6s. 9d. This sum shows that his executrix had exceeded the original bequest in the will, £223. The curious reader will not be displeased with one or two more of these accounts, showing the expenses attendant on building a church at that early period : "Benjamin Fowler's account in full for ye church: May 11th, 1753, dito 6 days works at geting timber for the dors and the winder frams for the church, at 5 shillings per day, £1 12 6. September the 20th, to working and going to ask VOL. II. Surrogate's office, N. Y. No. xviii. 3. the peple to come to work at the church, 8 days, &c., &c. John Underhill's receipt for supplying the workmen at the church with beef, commencing August 31st. Madame Philipse dito, 69 pound of beef at 2s 3d per pound, £15 10 3. Received of Beverly Robinson . the above amount in full. JOHN UNDERHILL." Nothing remains of the original structure, except the walls and tower, the roof and wood work having been destroyed by an accidental fire, May, 1791. When the ruins of the church came to be examined after this melancholy accident, the skeleton of a full sized man was discovered behind the remains of the pulpit. In 1792, it was again repaired, and on the 21st August of that year, consecrated to the service of Almighty God, under the name and title of St. John's Church, Philipsborough, by the Right Rev. Samuel Provoost, first Bishop of the State of New York. The present edifice consists of a square tower surmounted with a wooden cupola and spire, body and vestry room in the rear. The principal entrance is by a circular headed door on the south side. There are two monumental tablets in this church: the first placed against the south wall is inscribed; To perpetuate the memory of the REV. ELIAS COOPER, 27 years Rector of this church, who departed this life, Jan. 16, 1816, aged 58 years and 11 days. He laboured industriously to promote the happiness by advancing the influence of the Christian religion. BIGOTRY; a friend to the poor and an ornament to the church, respected and honored through life by those and in his death universally lamented. who knew him, loved him, and lament their loss, their esteem, affection and regret. The second on the chancel wall is erected TO THE MEMORY OF THE REV. ALEXANDER H. CROSBY, A. M., January 4, 1839, aged 35 years. In the General Theological Seminary, THE PIETY, VIRTUES AND TALENTS, were nurtured, which fitted him for the CHRISTIAN MINISTRY, sincerity of character, kindness of heart, and purity of life, united with steady zeal, In all things he was an example and a A BELOVED BROTHER and faithful minister in the Lord. The flock for whose sakes he gladly spent himself, have erected this tablet to attest their sense of his excellence, and their grief for his loss. The bella was presented to the church, by the late Joseph Howland, Esq., and contains the following inscription: "B. Hanks, Mansfield, Con., 1818." It is much to be regretted, that the old communion service of this church was carried off during the war of the Revolution for safe keeping, to the city of New York. Some years after the close of the war, the altar cloth was discovered in an old dusty box, where it had lain through the whole period of the Revolution: this is now in use at St. John's chapel, Tuckahoe. The silver now used at the administration of the holy sacrament, consists of one large silver flagon, 2 silver chalices, a silver bason or font; the latter presented by a member of the Van Cortlandt family; and a silver plate bearing the following inscription: "Presented to the Episcopal Church of the town of Yonkers 1795." ■ Bells were used by the ancient Romans to signify the time of bathing, and naturally applied by the early Christians to denote the hours of devotion. During the troubles of the Revolution, an American soldier killed in this neighbourhood is known to have been interred beneath the floor of this church, but there is no tradition of the cause of so unusual a place of sepulture being chosen. "Here the warrior rests in peace, And holy church his tomb doth grace." The church-yard has been long since abandoned on account of its rocky situation. The one now used is located on the old parsonage property, and formed once a portion of the glebe. It is beautifully situated on a rising knoll in the valley of the Saw Mill. The first interment on record occurs 1783, Richard Archer. Among other memorials in this yard are those of LEMUEL WELLS, Esq. born in the city of Hartford, mar. Eliza H. died Feb. 11, 1842, aged 82. MISS SUSANNAH HOWLAND born in Boston, 1753, died in Greenburgh, 1823, aged 73 years. The first mention of the parish of Yonkers occurs in an act passed during the first session of the third Assembly, 5th of King William and Queen Mary, September, 1693, entitled an act for settling a ministry and raising a maintenance for them in the city of New York, counties of Richmond, Westchester and Queens; "Wherein it was enacted by General Assembly, and by the authority of the same, that in each county there shall be called and inducted two clergymen for the county of Westchester, one to have the cure of Westchester, Eastchester, Yonkers and the manor of Pelham; the other to have the cure of Rye, Mamaroneck and Bedford; and allowed £100 each, to each £50 to be paid in country produce. In raising the respective maintenances for the ministers, the respective justices of every city and county aforesaid, or any two of them are required to issue out warrants to the constables to summon the freeholders of every city, town and precinct, for the chosing two vestrymen and two |