TO ALL TO WHOM THESE
PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETING.
Know ye that we whose names are
hereunto subscribed being citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania having
been associated for the purpose of worshiping Almighty God and being desirous
of acquiring and enjoying the powers and immunities of a Corporation or body
politic, in law, according to an Act of Assembly of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania under the articles and conditions following, that is to say.
ARTICLE 1 – That the name, stile,
and title of this Corporation be, the Rector, Wardens,
and Vestrymen of St. Mary’s Church, in
ARTICLE 2 – It shall be subject to
the doctrine and discipline of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United
States of America as expressed and contained in her Articles and Liturgy.
ARTICLE 3 – The Congregation shall
meet annually on Easter Monday to choose twelve Vestrymen for the said Church
who shall be chosen by ballot and in no other way whatsoever, and the Vestry,
so chosen, shall as soon a may be, proceed to choose one warden and the Rector
for the time being shall choose the other. And if the Rector of the said Church
should be removed by death or otherwise the Vestry shall have power to choose both
the Wardens during the vacancy and no longer.
ARTICLE 4 – No person shall be
entitled to vote for Vestrymen but those who are professing members and statedly attend the public worship and are contributors to
the support of the said church.
ARTICLE 5 – The right of choosing a
Rector shall be tested in the Vestry who shall vote by ballot and not
otherwise, and the Candidate who shall have two thirds or the votes of the said
Vestry shall be the Rector of the said Church.
ARTICLE 6 – If the Rector of the
said Church should be removed by death or otherwise the Vestry and Wardens
shall exercise the powers and enjoy the privileges of this Corporation, until a
Rector be chosen.
ARTICLE 7 – That
the Reverend Levi Bull the present Rector of the said Church shall continue so
to be according to the discipline of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the
ARTICLE 8 – That William Templin,
Thomas Church, Samuel Vanleer, Thomas Bull, Joseph
Talbot, James Sands, Samuel Chesnutwood, Daniel Uble, Jacob Sheeler, Assalom Trago, William Thomas,
and Matthias Keller, the present Vestrymen and Samuel Templin and William Vanleer, the present Wardens shall continue to be until a
new appointment shall be made, in the manner prescribed by and according to the
terms and conditions of this instrument or constitution.
ARTICLE 9 – The Corporation by the
name, stile and title aforesaid shall be able and capable in law to take,
receive, and hold all and all manner of lands, tenements, rents, annuities,
franchises, and heriditaments and any sum and sums or
money and any manner and portion of goods and chattels given and bequeathed to
the said Corporation, to be employed and disposed of according to the objects,
Articles, and Conditions of this instrument, the articles and bye laws of the
said Corporation or of the will and intention of the donors, provided that the
clear yearly value or income of the mysuages, houses,
land and tenements, rents, annuities, or other heriditaments,
and real estate of the said Corporation and the interest of the money by this
Corporation lent, shall not exceed the sum of fiver hundred pounds.
ARTICLE 10 - This Corporation by the name, stile and title aforesaid shall be
able and capable in law to sue and be sued to plead and be impleaded
in any court or courts before any Judge or Judges, Justice or Justices in all
manner on suits, complaints, pleas, causes matters and demands whatsoever and
all and every matter or thing therein to do in as full and affectual
a manner as any other person or persons, bodies politic and Corporation within
this Commonwealth may or can do and shall be authourised
and empowered to make rules, bye laws and ordinances, and to do everything
needful for the good government and support of the affairs of the said
Corporation provided that the said bye laws, rules, and ordinances or any of
them be not repugnant to the Constitution and the laws of the United States, to
the Constitution and laws of this Commonwealth, or this Instrument or
Constitution……….
IN TESTEMONY
WHEREOF we have hereunto set our hands this first day of March in the year of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven.
Samuel Vanleer John
Smithe John
Benstead
Matthias Keeler John G. Jones Levi Bull
Thomas Church James _______ John Morgan
Samuel Templin John Willson William Templin
Thomas Bull Daniel Ubil John
Templin
Robert Good William Thomas ____________W. Vanleer
Francis Shaw Richard Jacobs John __________
William
Vanleer
I, Joseph B. McKean, Esquire, Attourney General of the
(signed) Joseph B. McKean
We, the Justices of the Supreme
Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby certify that at a Supreme
Court held at Philadelphia for the said Commonwealth on the sixteen day of
March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven an Act or
Instrument of Incorporation of the Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of St. Mary’s
Church in East Nantmell Township, County of Chester,
signed by a number of persons, Citizens of this Commonwealth, together with the
opinion of Joseph B. McKean, Esquire, Attourney
General of the said Commonwealth therein was exhibited to the said Supreme
Court who having perused and examined the same, concur with him in opinion that
the objects, Articles and Conditions therein set forth and contained are
lawful.
(Signatures
of Justices)
In the name and by the authority of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Thomas McKena,
Governor of the said Commonwealth, to Timothy Matlack,
Esquire, Master of Rolls in and for the said Commonwealth, whereas it has been
duly certified to my by Joseph B. McLean, Esquire, Attorney General of the said
Commonwealth, by William Filghman, Esquire, Chief
Justice, and Jasper Yates, Thomas Smith and Hugh Henry Brackenridge, Esquires,
Justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania that they have respectively
perused and examined the Act or Instrument for the incorporation of the Rector,
Vestrymen and Wardens of St. Mary’s Church in East Nantmell
Township, County of Chester above written and that they concur in opinion that
the objects, articles and conditions therein set forth and contained are
lawful. Now know ye, that in pursuance of the Act of the General Assembly in
such case made and provided, I have transmitted the said act or instrument of
Incorporation unto you the said Timothy Matlack, master
of Rolls aforesaid, hereby requiring you to enroll the same at the expense of
the Applicants, to the intent that, according to the objects, articles and
conditions therein set forth and contained, the parties may become and be a
Corporation, or body Politic, in law, and in fact, to have continuance by the
name, stile and title in the said (____________) provided and declared. Given
under my hand and the Great Seal of the State at
BY THE GOVERNOR –
Thomas McKean
Inrolled in the Rolls Office of the
Witness my Hand and seal of office
at
T.
Matlack
