Brought up under the eye of his father, and educated by the Dutch clergymen of New Amsterdam, ' whose scliohirship was vastly higher than it has pleased luoderii writers to state, and which would compare favorably with that of the clergy of the nineteenth century, young van Cortlandt long before the death of his father in 1G84, showed how well he had i)r()tited by the e.\anii)le of the one, and the learning of the others. He was a merchant by occupation. His first a])pointment was as a member of the Court of Assizes, the body instituted under " the Duke's Laws " over which Sir Richard NicoUs i)resided, and which, as we liave seen, exercised both judicial and legislative i)owers. In IGtlS he was appointed an Knsign in the Kings County Regiment, subseiiuently a Captain, and later its (\)l()nel. From 1G77 when at the age of 84 he wiis appointed the fii'st Native American JIayor of the City of New York, he held that office almost consecutively till his death in 1700. When by the Duke of York's Commission and Instructions to Governor Dongan, a Governor's Council was established in New York, Stephanus van Cortlandt and Frederick Philipse were named by the Duke therein as Councillors, and with them Dongan was to appoint such others as he deemed fit forthe office. His name was continued in each ofthe Commissions of all the succeeding Governors down to and including Hellomont's in 1697, and he continued in the office till his death in 1700. Early in this latter year he was appointed Chief Justice, but he only filled the office till his death in November of the same year. He had many years before been appointed Judge of the Common Pleas in Kings County, and later in 1698 a Justice ofthe Sui)reme Court.