Among the largest landed of the proprietors of Bedford was Jacobus Van Cortlandt, son of Hon. Oloff Stevens Van Cortlandt and brother of Stephanus Van Cortlandt, Lord of the manor of Cortlandt (which lordship embraced the upper portion of the town). This individual had purchased lands here from the Indians and settlers as late as 1 7 14, so that his estate, as we shall have occasion to show presently, when divided in 1743, amounted to 5,115 acres.

On the 10th of April, 1738, Jacobus Van Cortlandt devised " all his tenements and hereditaments situated within the patent and township-of Bedford to his son Frederick Van Cortlandt, of Yonkers, and his three daughters : Margaret, wife of Abraham Depeyster ; Anne, wife of John Chambers, and Mary, wife of Peter Jay, the parties giving mutual leases and releases to one another."0

a Address bv Joseph Barrett Julv 4th, 1S76, Recorder Katonah July "th. b Hist, sketch of the town of Bedford delivered by Joseph Barrett, 1876. Record Katonah July 7. c. Co. Kec, lib. G., fol. 20S.

THE TOWN OF BEDFORD.

Frederick Van Cortlandt, one of the above devisees, obtained a release from the following freeholders of Bedford on the 2 ist of September, 1 741 :

Hezekiah Roberts, John Holmes, Daniel Holly,

John Miller, Jonathan Westcoat, Nathan Clark,

Joseph Seely, Richard Westcoat, Moses Fountain,

Jonathan Holmes, Daniel Miller, John Miller,

Zachariah Mills, Richard Holmes, Samuel Miller,

Jonathan Seely. Daniel Haight, Samuel Barras,

Ebenezer Holmes, Philip Ayres, Ebenezer Owen.

Jonathan Miller, Vincent Simpkins.