Stevensen Van Courland or Cortlandt, then residing at Courland or Cortlandt, in South Holland, whose son Oloff Stephensen or Oloff Stevens Van Kortlandt, as he subsequently signed his name; was Burgomaster, or, chief magistrate of Wyck Duurstede* or Wyck by Durstede one of the five principal towns in the Province or Lordship of Utrecht in the Netherlands, 1635-6. The latter was bom at Cortlandt in South Holland about 1600.

Like his illustrious ancestors, Oloff Stephensen Van Cortlandt chose the military profession ; as early as 1637 we find him attached to the military service of the Dutch West India Company. " He is said to have been also a privy councillor of the States General of Holland and acted as secretary of this Government to the Governor of New Amsterdam."

"He comes to New York in 1637," "and in the summer of that year he was transferred to the civil service as commissary of cargoes." On

a (Wyck bie Duurstede,) prov., and 13 M. E. S, Utrecht a town, cap. disL, on the Rhine where it gives off the Leek. Pop. 2, 413.

HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.

the 26th of February, 1641-2, he married Anneken Lookermans of Turnhout," now in Belgium, daughter of Govert Lookermans. In 1648 Oloff Stephensen Van Cortlandt left the Dutch West India Company's service and embarked in business at Brouwer straat. He was a politician of influence, and was Colonel of the Burghery or City train bands in 1649. In 1650 he was president of a body called the "nine men," representing the citizens at large; as such, he opposed the policy of Governor Stuyvesant with considerable effect, Stuyvesant retaliated by turning the "nine men" out of their pews in church, and tearing up the seats. Mr. Van Cortlandt became one of the most considerable men in the city of New York, or New Amsterdam, as it was then called, and acquired a large property, amongst which was a plot on the west side of Broadway 238 ft. front extending to the North River and adjacent to the present Courtlandt St."6 "In 1654 he was elected schepen