590 Assembly Proceedings, May 26-June 11, 1697.

Lib. L. L. 2

were thereby Capacitated and Impowered by the names of
the Principal Vestryman and the rest of his Brethren Vestry-
men of such parish to take and receive any Deed or gift for
the same notwithstanding the Charges of the respective
parishes in building Churches or Chapells thereon is like to
be lost or the Title thereunto very disputable for want of such
Deed of Gift or Conveyance inrolled and recorded as by the
Act of Assembly is required the first Donors or Grantors
thereof being Dead and the heires of such Donors or
Grantors either refuseing to make over such Land as afore-
said or under age not Capable of so doing Be it therefore
Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Maty by and with the
Advice and Consent of this Present Generall Assembly and
the Authority of the same That all such Lands that have
formerly been Given to the use of any Church or Chapell and
for which the Donors or Grantors thereof in their life times
haveing not given any Deed of gift for the same or otherwise
refuseing so to do and in Confidence of whose promise the

p. 146

parish have been at the Charge of Erecting and building their
Churches thereon be and remaine to the use of the parish
forever against all Claimes and pretentions of Claims made or
that shall hereafter be made by such Donors or Grantors or
his or their heires Ex^rs or Assignes as firmly and absolutely as
if the same had been made over by Deed of Gift grant or
otherwise enrolled and Recorded as aforesaid. And to the
end it may be known what Lands have been so given to the
use of any Church or Chapell af^d and not made over and
Confirmed by Deed of gift or grants as aforesaid, the Grand
Jury in each repective County within this Province next after
the publication of this Act shall have in Charge to Enquire by
what Titles such Lands whereupon the severall Churches or
Chapells aforesaid within the respective parishes and in their
precincts are held and to render an Acc^t thereof to the Court
who are hereby Impowered where any such Lands shall
appear to be given and not Confirmed as aforesaid in open
Court to Examine Wittnesses in perpetuam rei Memoriam
and the same Cause to be recorded in the County Records
which shall be Deemed adjudged and taken in all Courts of
Records within this Province as Sufficient proof of the Dona-
tion or grant as also to the quantity of Acres given or
Granted as af^d and in Case it shall appear upon such Exami-
nation that Lands have been Given for the use of any Church
Chapell and Church Yard as aforesaid but the quantity thereof
not mentioned by the Donors or Grantors thereof as aforesaid
that then and in every such Case the Vestry of the respective
parish where such gift or grant hath been made and the quan-
tity not mentioned as aforesaid may Demand and take of such