UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 5
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
( ) Form 3 Holdings Reported
( ) Form 4 Transactions Reported
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Burns, Jr., John J.
   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
   December 31, 2001
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   (X) Director  ( ) 10% Owner  (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   President
7. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting (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     |
                             |Date  |Code|                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                             |      |    |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                             |      |    |    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Year      |ect(I)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                               
Common Stock                 |3/20/0|A(1)|7,863             |A  |$204.90    |                   |      |                           |
                             |1     |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |3/20/0|D(1)|3,932             |D  |$204.90    |                   |      |                           |
                             |1     |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |5/7/01|G   |632               |D  |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |6/19/0|A(2)|7,803             |A  |$204.26    |                   |      |                           |
                             |1     |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |6/19/0|D(2)|3,901             |D  |$204.26    |                   |      |                           |
                             |1     |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |6/19/0|A(3)|7,803             |A  |$204.26    |                   |      |                           |
                             |1     |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |12/14/|G   |500               |D  |           |                   |      |                           |
                             |01    |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |12/21/|G   |1,000             |D  |           |                   |      |                           |
                             |01    |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |12/27/|G   |100               |D  |           |74,150(4)          |D     |                           |
                             |01    |    |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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                             |      |    |                  |   |           |732(4)             |I     |by wife                    |
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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 |Date |Code| rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                        |cise Pr |     |    | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                        |ice  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    |     |    |  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Year        |(I)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                               
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Explanation of Responses:
(1) Settlement of 7,863 performance shares for 3,931 shares of Common Stock and
$805,666.80 in cash.
(2) Settlement of 7,803 performance shares for 3,902 shares of Common Stock and
$796,798.76 in cash.
(3) Vesting of 7,803 performance shares for 7,803 shares of Common Stock.
Payout is deferred until the month after the undersigned ceases to be
an officer of Alleghany Corporation and will be paid one-half in shares of
Common Stock and one-half in cash (based upon the fair market value of the
Common Stock at the time of the
payout).
(4) Includes shares of Common Stock paid by Alleghany Corporation as a stock
dividend in April 2001.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ John J. Burns, Jr.
DATE
January 30, 2002