Signature of Madam Brett Opp

schedule; hence passage ,was slow and delivery of letters infrequent. Furthermore, in 1715 navigation was closing' about the first of December and from then until the following spring no boats would touch at the mouth of the Val Ka at Poughkeepsie, where Colonel Lewis lived. For a period_ of from three to five months some sixty households which in, 1715-1716 were within the area now Dutchess County were. isolated in the wilderness and possessed of the barest necessaries in shelter, food and clothing. There were no luxuries in Dutchess in 1715. That under such conditions the, thought of at least one man in the small community turned to public affairs and to measures for the up-building of the county stamps that man as a natural leader. Dutchess County 1715 Nov 23

Mr. Bradforth

Cind Sr. I have Recevid Yours Were in You Tell mie spek Wid His Extilenty Which gevfs Me the friedim to Tru-ble you wans More Hoping I May fave the Apurtunety to, Sarve You Wen ocasion presents- My Desior is of You to, Move the governor To Send Me A Comision for to kiep a. Coort of Common pl ( ) which wode bee very nesesarym - i oure County And Att This Time bee Sumting of Benefit to Me before The Nine Monts is Expired To Naterlesise the people of furreng burt I wish hies Extilenty will appuint Capt. Barendt Van Kleeck & Mr. John Terbus Too Bee My Asistent Judges in the Comision And or Any other tow of the-: Justeses of the peas And Alsoo That Capt. Richard Sacket., May be Clarck of the Coert & County pray fael Not to spied_ the Matter Soo That I May have it op By This Slope which . will Bee the Laast This Yeare Then Capt. Sackett have the Apurtunety to Cum op toe Soo have Nomore to Ad Att present But Remaine Youre umble Frend And Sarvent Leonard Lewis,

Pray Give My harty Sarves To hies Extilenty & Lady (In another hand) Capt. Leonard Lewis Capt. Barendt van Kleeck

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Mr. John Terbus Richard Sackett for Clerk of the Peace (In State Library, Albany, N. Y. Vol. 60 P. 85 of N. Y. Col.

MSS. Signed in Verification thereof Dec. 17, 1909. A.

J. F. Van Laer, Archivist.)

Madam Bretfs Discarded Will

One of the outstanding figures in southern Dutchess in the eighteenth century was a woman. "Madam" Brett, as her neighbors called her, was the daughter of Francois Rom bout and the wife of Roger Brett and she inherited her father's large holdings in land in this county. Left a widow in her early youth, the story is well known of how she bravely and capably developed her property and established for herself in doing so a reputation which won for her the title by which she still is spoken of. Madam Brett died in 1764, leaving a will, dated December 13, 1763, which was proved March 14th, 1764, and duly put into effect. The will is in print at page 304 of the Collections of the New York Historical Society for 1897 and also at page 28 of the Calendar of Wills published by the Society of Colonial Dames of the State of New York.

Prior to the will of 1763, Madam Brett had, however, made another, a fact which in March, 1927, became known under unusual circumstances. Mr. William J. Scheilds of Poughkeepsie, having chanced to purchase a desk at second hand, was emptying the desk of its contents and threw on the floor a newspaper. A jolly little puppy, frisking near by, seized upon the newspaper, dragged it, shook it, tore it but, in his antics, dislodged from its folds a document yellow with age. Fortunately Mr. Scheilds saw the puppy's treasure-trove in time to rescue it and , with a courtesy and discretion which are much appreciated, he deposited the old ,document with this society. It proved to be a will made by :Madam Brett on September 20th, 1762, which was properly

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