school, married Colonel Richard, a brother of Thomas Willing, of Philadelphia. They left no children, but were very wealthy. She left her money to her niece, Mary Van Cortlandt. She married a gay, dashing spendthrift, named Montross. He spent every dollar of her large fortune, and then enlisted in the war of 1812.

The other sister, Elizabeth, who was at school when Helen was married, afterward, January 3d, 1765, married William Ricketts Van Cortlandt. He was a large merchant in this city from 1760 to 1775. He kept his counting room in Beekman slip. He dealt largely in indigo. He lost so tremendously in the Revolutionary War, that it affected his mind. He left numerous descendants (Martha above mentioned,) who went up the river at Cortlandt manor. I now return to Helen, who married Colonel Brasher in 1758. On their way out from their bridal tour to New Rochelle in 1758, they met her old beau, C. D., galloping into town. He stopped, and bowed to his old flame, but as soon as he discovered that she was married, he started his horse, and flew to New York. In after weeks they tried to make a friend of him, but it was of no use. He never married, took to drink, squandered his large property, and died a very sot, whether from disappointment or weakness, is doubtful.

He was

Abraham Brasher who secured the prize, became eminent when the Revolutionary War broke out. one of the "Liberty Boys." He was a member of the Provincial Congress, and a member of the Assembly that met at Esopus, during the war. His family quit New York when the British came here in 1776. A

his head. As Colonel Abraham price was set upon Brasher, he was the friend of Washington. He was one of the principal inciters of our Independence by his verses and his speeches. He died at Morristown in 1782, and a few months later, his family, then consist ing of his brave wife, her venerable mother (who was the wife of the merchant Cornelius, killed on board his own vessel in 1740), came back to their home in this city. She started a dry good store at 88 William street, near Maiden Lane, and she kept there for many years as late as 1792.

She followed the brave example of her mother in 1743.

Two sons and Colonel Brasher left five children. three daughters. One son, Gasherie, born 3d July, 1773, married Miss Abeel, daughter of Garrit Abeel, also an eminent merchant for many years, and founder of the Abeels in this city.

He

Gasherie, named after his mother Judith's family name, was a merchant of note in this city after the war. He was in business in 1795, at Pine street wharf. His dwelling was at 37 Pine. Garrit Abeel, his father-inlaw, kept at 13 Pine street. Gasherie did a very good business up to 1802. He owned small vessels. saw a way of making money more rapidly, and he left the city in his own brig "Ceres," Captain Collins, March, 13, 1803. He was never heard of afterwards. His wife Jane, lovely and amiable, lived along many weary months, hoping the vessel or her husband might be heard of again, until the 13th March, 1807 - the very day she last saw him, and then she died, leaving five orphan children. One son, John, and four daugh ters, Mary, Ellen, Jane and Julia.

Colonel Brasher left another son, Abraham, who was born the 19th December, 1778-a few hours previous to his house being burned by the British, at Paramus, and he himself escaping by the firmness of his wife, who, after Major Byles was shot dead and the house was on fire, requested permission to carry out her sick mother (wife of old merchant Kortright, who was killed) into the yard. It was granted, and Col Brasher crawled out as the bed was slowly removed into the yard, in presence of 200 British Soldiers, and escaped after they had left.

This son, Abraham K., grew up to command a vessel out of this port. In 1812 he had a vessel out of London, and died at Drontheim in 1813.

Colonel Brasher left three daughters. Judith was born in May, 1759. She married Colonel Fitch Hall, of Boston. They had five children. Fitch, born 25th January, 1785. He married Miss Mitchell of Nantucket, and died in 1807. Benjamin, born 27th July, 1786, died young. William, born May 1, 1790, died about 1820. Helen married Mr. Levins of Boston, both dead. Emily married Mr. Nathaniel Curtis of Boston. Their daughter married Mr. Mixter of Boston. Mr. Curtis is the only survivor of the children of Colonel Hall. Judith, the mother, died in 1811.

Elizabeth, a second daughter of Colonel Brasher, married Mr. John Pintard, of this city. She had a daughter, Louisa H.; she married Thos. L. Sevoss. They had sons. Elias Boudant Sevoss married Miss Henry, and has children. George was another son of Mr. Sevoss. There were two daughters, Isabella and Elizabeth. The daughter of Col. Brasher was born

Sept. 2, 1765, and died Oct. 13, 1838, aged seventy

two years.

Helen, a third daughter of Colonel Brasher, was one of the loveliest girls in New York. She had offers every day of her life from the time she was sixteen years old, in 1793, until she married, May 16th, 1808, Samuel D. Craig, a lawyer of New York. He was

born 19th December, 1777, and was twin to Abraham K. Brasher. She died 5th March, 1853; her husband, 2d March, 1856. They left a son, Benjamin Davis Craig.

Thus I have rescued many more names from being forgotten, and many of the present generation will know more of their ancestors than they ever did before.

CHAPTER IV.

There are hundreds of Cannons in this city and in the State. It will, doubtless, be a very attractive article that will tell all of this grand old race and mercantile name, and where they came from. In other years they were great merchants among us, and the blood runs in hundreds of the best families of our present day.

Old Jan Cannon was a merchant in this city as early as 1693. In the month of September, 1697, he married Maria Le Grand. She was a daughter of merchant Peter Le Grand, who in 1686 lived with his wife in (Paerl straat) Pearl street, between State and Whitehall streets.

In 1703, Jan (John) Cannon was doing a large business. I do not know in what year he died, but he left a large property, principally to his widow. He had a son, who in 1720 succeeded to his business, under the name of John Cannon, and seven other children. His wife outlived him, and lasted until 1751.

John, the eldest son, above alluded to, married his first wife, Jerusha. She had five sons and two daugh ters, named Mary and Sarah. A lady, named Elizabeth Compton, who had been adopted by the husband and wife, when quite young, died in 1745, and left these two young ladies a very large property.