Notwithstanding the complete partition of the estate, the " Lordship and Mannour " of Cortlandt, as erected by letters patent front Governor Fletcher in 1697, did not in any respect lose iis original identity or the peculiar privileges bestowed upon it by the terms of that grant. It continued to be a distinct political division, and, indeed, was separated front the remainder of Westchester County in an even more formal way than any of the other manors, since it enjoyed The exceptional right of sending its own exclusive representative to the provincial assembly. Ii was not until 1788, under the regime of the State of New York, when Westchester County was divided into townships, that Cortlandt Manor ceased to exist. The apportionment to this manor of a separate assembly representative was conditioned upon the proviso thai no such representative should be chosen until the year 1717. In point of fact, the manor did not elect its tirsi delegate to the assembly until 17o4. Philip Yerplanck was then chosen. Early in his career in that body he brought in a bill directing that ••one supervisor, one treasurer, two assessors, and one collector" should be elected annually by the people of the manor, which was passed. In 1750, on account of increasing population, the election of two constables was authorized -- one for the portion of the manor near the Hudson River and the other for the interior sections. In L708 the number of constables was increased to three. Ryck's Patent (Peekskill) acquired in 1770 the privilege of choosing its own local officers independently of the manor, although the inhabitants of this settlemenl still joined with the people of the manor in electing the member of assembly. Yerplanck represented Cortlandt Manor for the remarkable period of thirty-four years, his successor being Pierre Yan Cortlandt, who served during the remainder of the colonial era.