UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Sismondo, Peter R.
   Alleghany Corporation
   375 Park Avenue
   New York, NY  10152
   USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Alleghany Corporation
   Y
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)

4. Statement for Month/Year
   August 1, 2001
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   Vice President, Controller, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person


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 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
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1. Title of Security       |2.    |3.    |4.Securities Acquired (A)         |5.Amount of        |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect       |
                           | Transaction |  or Disposed of (D)              |  Securities       |ect   |  Beneficial Ownership     |
                           |      |      |                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                           |      |    | |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                           | Date |Code|V|    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Month     |ect(I)|                           |
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Common Stock               |2/1/01|A   |V|2,000             |A  |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |2/1/01|G(1)|V|1,432             |D  |           |                   |      |                           |
                           |      |(2) | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |3/20/0|A(3)|V|1,921             |A  |$204.90    |                   |      |                           |
                           |1     |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |3/20/0|D(3)|V|961               |D  |$204.90    |                   |      |                           |
                           |1     |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |3/20/0|G(1)|V|554               |D  |           |                   |      |                           |
                           |1     |(2) | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |8/1/01|P   | |62                |A  |$205.00    |4,856(4)           |D     |                           |
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                           |2/1/01|G(1)|V|1,242             |A  |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |3/20/0|G(1)|V|430               |A  |           |                   |      |                           |
                           |1     |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |8/1/01|P   | |62                |A  |$205.00    |3,224(4)           |I     |by wife                    |
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                           |2/1/01|G(2)|V|190               |A  |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |3/20/0|G(2)|V|100               |A  |           |                   |      |                           |
                           |1     |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                           |8/1/01|S   | |124               |D  |$205.00    |692(4)             |I     |by children                |
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
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1.Title of Derivative |2.Con-  |3.   |4.    |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount  |8.Price|9.Number    |10.|11.Nature of|
  Security            |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and|  of Underlying     |of Deri|of Deriva   |Dir|Indirect    |
                      |or Exer |     |      | rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                      |cise    |     |      | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                      |Price of|     |      | posed of(D)   |Day/Year)  |                    |rity   |Benefi      |or |            |
                      |Deriva- |     |      |               |Date |Expir|                    |       |ficially    |Ind|            |
                      |tive    |     |      |           | A/|Exer-|ation|   Title and Number |       |Owned at    |ire|            |
                      |Secu-   |     |    | |           | D |cisa-|Date |   of Shares        |       |End of      |ct |            |
                      |rity    |Date |Code|V|  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Month       |(I)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                            
                      |        |     |    | |           |   |     |     |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Explanation of Responses:
(1) Includes gift to wife sharing the household of the
undersigned.
(2) Includes gift to children sharing the household of the
undersigned.
(3) Settlement of 1,921 performance shares for 960 shares of Common Stock and
$196,908.90
(4) Includes shares of Common Stock paid by Alleghany Corporation as a stock
dividend in April 2001
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ Peter R. Sismondo
DATE
September 6, 2001