On the death of CoL James van Cortlandt, the property passed to his brother, Augustus van Cortlandt, the ne.xt heir of the entail. This gentleman held the office of Clerk of the Common Council in New York, on the breaking out of the Reva Surrogate's oilice, N. Y. fol. .xlii. 423.

6 Tilt; will of Fr.iKrick van C. bcar.s date 2cl Oct. 1740. To Ins wife Frances ho benneath3 tvs-i) negro RirU aiM a fuur wlu'eleil chaise. Jiis cliililreii wlto JaiU'.'a, Augustus, FrcJonct, Auaa .Mari:^ litid Kva -- tJurrogutL-'d oillce, N. Y. fol. xvui &i.

6l8 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF \\T,STCHESTER.

olution ; this appears from the following letter addressed by him to the New York Committee of Safety -- Dated Sept. 5, 1775 : --

''Gexts. -- Being requested by the Provincial Congress to enquire for some place of safety to deposits the public records in, and to inform ih^ Committee of safety thereof, agreeable to which, Mr. Cortlandt informs the committee of safety, that prcrious to the above request, he caused tlie public records to be put into chests, and secured them in a cellar in his garden, made for that purpose, of stone and brick, well arched and exceedingly dry. This precaution was taken against accidents happeni;ig by fire ; should the city be invaded by an arniy from Great Britain, or British troops, he in such case intended to remove them to his brother's at Yonkers, m the county of Westchester. If the committee of safety shall judge any other place more secure, Mr. Van Coitlaudt will be glad to be informed thereof, that he may communicate the same to the corporation of this city for their approbation.""