[J. Thomas Scharf (1886)] Cortlandtown and report on its condition, stated that he had found that the congregation had lost their church, were diminished in numbers and were greatly scattered. The church was destroyed by fire about the time of Mr. Jackson's visit, and it is prob-able thai it is to that event he refers in speaking of the loss of the church. To Mr. Jackson, is due the credit of having done much towards re-establishing the congregation. On the 31st of March, 1795, James Cockroft, of the city of New York, presented the elders and deacons of the Reformed Dutch Church of the town of Cortlandt with a warranty deed for one acre and a half of land on which to erect a new church building. The present church, a neat frame edifice, was put up on this piece of ground some time between the years 1795 and 1799. The deed was signed only by James Cockroft. His widow, Lydia Cockroft, who afterwards married Charles White, gave a quit-claim deed to the property December 26, 1799, in order that no claim of dower might arise thereafter. The elders and deacons of the church mentioned in this instrument were Hercules Lent, Peter Goetchius, Abraham Lent, Martin Post, Richard Schiggel, Samuel Vessels, John