The Manor of Cortlandt, devised by Stephanus Van Cortlandt at his death, in 1700, to his eleven surviving children in equal shares (except that his eldest son, Johannes, received, in addition to his equal portion, what is now Verplanck's Point on the Hudson, a tract of some twenty-five hundred acres), remained undivided for many years. The family was a very united one. The widow of Stephanus, Gertrude Schuyler, outlived her husband twenty-three years, and it was tacitly agreed that during her lifetime nothing should be done toward splitting up the estate. Meanwhile one of the eleven heirs, Oliver, died childless, willing his interest to his brothers and sisters. The manor thenceforth, until its final dismemberment, comprised ten proprietary interests. Although after the death of Stephanus there was always a recognized ''head" of the Van Cortlandt family, there was never a second "lord" of the manor. Johannes, the eldest son of Stephanus, died at a comparatively early age, leaving one child, Gertrude, who married Philip Verplanck, a descendant of one of the early Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam1 and a man of varied abilities. Among his accomplishments 1 Abraham Isaac-sen Verplanck, or Planck. He planck, who has descendants still living in this was one of the instigators of the Dutch war county. The Verplancks of Fishkill-on-theof retaliation against the Indians (1643-1645). Hudson belong to another branch of the family. Verplanck's Point was named for Philip Ver-

ARISTOCRATIC

FAMILIES

was an expert knowledge of surveying-. By articles of agreement entered into by the Van Cortlandt heirs in November, 1730, Philip Verplanck was appointed to survey and lay out the manor into thirty lots. This commission was duly executed, although Verplanck's survey was confined to the portion of the manor north of the Croton River. The lots were soon afterward conveyed to the several parties in interest by partition deeds, appraisals of value having been made by Daniel and Samuel Purdy, who were specially selected for that purpose.