[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] Consequently, says a Bedford historian, " when Van Oortlandt-s surveyor, working on his fc due east ' line, was.advancing through Bedford, he Avas doubtless apprised by our settlers that he was on Connecticut soil. No use to go farther; so he ran his line around the north side of Bedford, leaving her out of the Van Cort-landt Manor." 1 Indeed, Van Cortlandt or his heirs, fully accepting the claims of the Bedford people regarding their northern limits, built along those limits, to indicate the line of separation between Bedford and the manor, a solid stone wall, much of which still re-mains. This wall is to-day, says the writer from whom we have just quoted, kk undoubtedly the most notable landmark in this part of the county," and "for nearly two miles extends right across the country, without regard to the lay of the ground, broken only by two highways, and until lately with not even a barway through it." By the census of 1712 Bedford was given a population of 172. There are reasons, however, for supposing that this was an under-enumeration. It is noteworthy that no slaves were then owned in Bedford, " the people here being too poor at that early date to in-dulge in such luxuries." Early in the eighteenth century Jacobus Van Cortlandt, son of Oloff Stevense Van Cortlandt, and younger brother of Stephanus Van Cortlandt, of Cortlandt Manor, became one of the principal landed proprietors of Bedford.