Whereas many religious and well disposed Persons in this Province, have agreed among themselves to build and endow a decent and commodious Chappel for the performance of Divine Worship according to the forms of the Church of England by Law established, and to inclose a certain piece of ground contiguous thereto for the purpose of a Burying place and to provide a fund for the maintenance of the Poor.
Be it therefore enacted by the Governor, Council and Assembly, and by the authority of the same, that two acres of land now the property of Thomas Macknight situate in the County of Currituck at a place called the Indian Town, and bounded as follows viz, beginning at a Cedar Stake and running thence by a line of Stakes round the said two acres to the first station, be and is hereby vested in Thomas Macknight, Isaac Gregory, Francis Williamson, Samuel Jarvis, William Ferribee, William McCormick and Thomas King, and their Successors forever, who are hereby constituted & appointed Trustees for the purposes hereinafter mentioned, that is to say to enclose the said two acres of land and to build thereon a commodious Chappel, to be called and known by the name of St Martin's
Chappel, and to receive and take all such voluntary subscriptions and donations as religious and public spirited persons may think proper to bestow for the purpose of building and endowing the said Chappel, for enclosing of the Burying Ground and providing a fund for the maintenance of the poor.And the said Trustees and their successors are hereby empowered to agree with and employ from time to time a Minister of the Church of England duly admitted into Priests Orders and of approved morals, to perform public worship according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England and from time to time to make and ordain such Rules, Orders and Regulations for the good government of the said Chappel and disposal of the Funds belonging thereto towards promoting the religious public spirited and charitable intentions of the proprietors hereinafter named for the time being and of the Donors to the said Chappel and fund for the maintanance of the poor. Provided such Rules, Orders and Regulations be not repugnant to the Laws of Great Britain or this Province.
And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the consent of the major part of such Trustees shall be competent to the doing or performing any Act to which they are empowered by this Law, and provided also that when anything of consequence is to be transacted or determined, the Proprietors hereinafter designed shall be summoned to meet at the Chappel by public notice given there for two Sundays preceeding the time of meeting, and the consent of the major part of them so meeting shall be necessary to enforce the Rules, Orders and Regulations of the Trustees.
And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid that every person subscribing and paying such a sum as the Majority of the subscribers shall agree upon with the consent of the Trustees shall be deemed and held a Proprietor in the said Chappel and Burying Ground and shall have full power to erect a pew in such part of the said Chappel as shall be laid off and assigned to such Proprietor by the Trustees for the use of the said Proprietor and his Heirs and Assigns forever.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that the Proprietors of the said Chappel or a majority of them are hereby empowered to elect and choose a Treasurer who shall give Bond and security to the Trustees and their Successors for such sum as shall seem necessary, with a condition that he shall account with for and pay to the order of said Trustees as often as he shall be by
them or a majority of them required, all Monies or other estate as shall come to his hands for the uses and purposes aforesaid. And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid that the Trustees or a Majority of them be from time to time empowered to choose a Clerk or Register of the said Chappel to register the Conveyances of the property in the said Chappel and Burying Ground and also all Marriages, Christenings and Burials which shall be administered, solemnized or performed by the Minister serving the cure of the said Chappel and to remove the said Clerk at their discretion. And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that nothing in this Act contained shall be deemed or construed to exempt any of the Proprietors of or Subscribers to the said Chappel or endowment thereof from any Parish Charges or Duties in the respective Parishes where he, she or they shall be resident. Provided that the Execution of this Act be suspended and deferred 'till His Majesty's Royal Will and pleasure be known thereupon.