Amos Tuck French

Amos Tuck French (July 20, 1863 – November 15, 1941) was an American banker who was prominent in society.

Amos Tuck French
Born(1863-07-20)July 20, 1863
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedNovember 15, 1941(1941-11-15) (aged 78)
Chester, New Hampshire, U.S.
Alma materHarvard College
Spouses
Pauline LeRoy
​
​
(m. 1885; div. 1913)​
    Martha Beeckman
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1914)​
    Children6
    RelativesWilliam Henry Vanderbilt III (nephew)
    Amos Tuck (grandfather)
    Edward Tuck (uncle)
    William M.R. French (cousin)
    Signature

    Early life

    French was born on July 20, 1863, in Boston, Massachusetts.[1] He was the son of Ellen (née Tuck) French (1838–1915) and Francis Ormond French (1837–1893), a Harvard graduate who served as president of the Manhattan Trust Company. His sister, Ellen "Elsie" Tuck French, was a close friend of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and married Gertrude's brother, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, in 1901.[2] Elsie and Alfred divorced in 1909,[3][4][5] he later died on the Lusitania, and she remarried to Paul Fitzsimons in 1919.[6] Another sister, Elizabeth Richardson French,[7] was the wife of Herbert Eaton, 3rd Baron Cheylesmore.[8][9]

    His paternal grandparents were Elizabeth Smith (née Richardson) French, a daughter of William Merchant Richardson (a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts and chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court), and Benjamin Brown French, who was Clerk of the United States House of Representatives from 1845 to 1847 and was Commissioner of Public Buildings under President Abraham Lincoln.[10][11] His maternal grandfather, and namesake, was Amos Tuck, a U.S. Representative and a founder of the Republican Party. His uncle, Edward Tuck,[12] was Vice Consul of the American Legation in Paris who owned and lived at Domaine de Vert-Mont and Château de Bois-Préau.[13]

    He graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. degree in 1885.[1]

    Career

    In 1887, he became a member of the New York Stock Exchange, and in 1888, he became treasurer, then secretary and eventually vice-president of the Manhattan Trust Company, retiring in 1900 but staying a director until 1908.[1] He served as a director of the Northern Pacific Railway, and the Northern Securities Company (a railroad trust formed in 1901 by Harriman, Hill, and Morgan that controlled the Northern Pacific Railway, the Great Northern Railway, and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad).[14]

    French was a leader for years in New York and Newport social life and was a member of many clubs, including the Harvard Club of New York, the New York Yacht Club, the Knickerbocker Club (of which he was a Governor), the Turf and Field Club, the Tuxedo Club, the Newport Casino, and the Grolier Club.[14]

    Personal life

    On December 2, 1885, French was married to Pauline LeRoy (1864–1928)[15] at All Saints' Chapel in Newport, Rhode Island by Bishop Henry C. Potter.[16] Pauline was the daughter of Stuyvesant LeRoy and Pauline Winslow (née Bridge) LeRoy. Before their separation in August 1911, and eventual divorce in March 1913, they were the parents of:[17]

    • Pauline Leroy French (1886–1964), who first married Samuel Jones Wagstaff (1885–1975),[18] son of Alfred Wagstaff Jr., in 1908.[19][20] They divorced in 1920,[21] and in December 1920, he married Polish émigré Olga (née Piorkowska) Thomas (and became the father of art collector Sam Wagstaff) and, in March 1921, she married young banker Donald Oliver MacRae.[22]
    • Francis Ormond French II (1888–1962), who married Eleanor Livingston Burrill (1891–1974), a daughter of Edward Livingston Burrill, in 1914.[23] They divorced in 1923,[24] and in 1930 he married Mary Frances Cleneay (1889–1946), daughter of Harry Quinton Cleneay.[25]
    • Julia Estelle French (1893–1963), who eloped with chauffeur John Paul Geraghty (1889–1937) in 1911,[26] causing a rift in the family.[27] They divorced in 1920,[28] and she married Howard Thomas Williams (1894–1926), an insurance broker, in 1921.[29]
    • Stuyvesant LeRoy French (1895–1974), who married Harriet Hall (née Holder) Rittenhouse (1899–1973) in 1933.[30] They divorced and he married Maud Coster (1884–1987), the former wife of Otto von Salm-Hoogstraeten (brother of Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten who married Millicent Rogers), in 1965.
    • Edward Tuck French (1899–1919), who died aged 19.[31]
    • Amos Tuck French Jr. (1901–1975), who married Emma Dulany Hunter in 1930.[32]

    In 1914, he remarried to Martha Beeckman (1863–1951) at the home of her sister in Goshen, New York.[14] Martha was the daughter of Gilbert Livingston Beeckman and Margaret Atherton (née Foster) Beeckman and the sister of Robert Livingston Beeckman, the 52nd Governor of Rhode Island.[33] Martha was a descendant of Robert Livingston the Elder, Declaration of Independence signer Philip Livingston and "The Chancellor" Robert Livingston.[34]

    French died on November 15, 1941, at his estate, Journey's End, in Chester, New Hampshire.[1] He was buried at the Chester Village Cemetery in Rockingham County, New Hampshire.

    Descendants

    Through his son Francis, he was the grandfather of Ellen Tuck French (1915–1974),[35] who was the first wife of John Jacob Astor VI in 1934.[36] After their divorce in May 1943,[37] she remarried to Raymond R. Guest in 1953.[38] Ellen's sister, Virginia Middleton French (1917–2011),[39] would marry William Force Dick, Astor's half-brother, on December 18, 1941, before her later marriage to Philip B. Pool.[40]

    References
    1. "Amos T. French SR. is Stricken at 78; Banker, Past Governor of the Knickerbocker, Tuxedo Clubs, Dies in Chester, N. H. Was a Newport Leader; Father of Francis O. French Was the Grandfather of Mrs. John Jacob Astor" (PDF). The New York Times. November 15, 1941. p. 17. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    2. "Alfred G. Vanderbilt Marries Miss French; St, John's Church, Newport, Exquisitely Decorated. 'Harbourview,' Where Reception and Wedding Breakfast Are Given, a Gorgeous Floral Bower". The New York Times. Newport (published January 15, 1901). January 15, 1901. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    3. "Vanderbilt to Defend Suit.; Details of Wife's Complaint In Divorce Action Kept Secret". The New York Times. April 3, 1908. p. 9. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    4. "2 Witnesses Heard in Vanderbilt Suit; Valet of Alfred G. and a Woman, Supposedly His Wife's Maid, Testify in Secret. Wife the Next Witness; The Greatest Reticence Observed In Divorce Action Following the Hiding of Papers In Court". The New York Times. April 4, 1908. p. 6. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    5. "Decree of Divorce for Mrs. Vanderbilt; Gets Custody of Her Son and Right to Remarry, Which Is Denied to Alfred G. Vanderbilt. Mme. Ruiz's Name in Case; Nothing In the Papers Referring to Alimony or Any Financial Arrangement". The New York Times. May 26, 1908. p. 3. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    6. "Mrs. Vanderbilt Weds Son's Friend; Divorced Wife of Alfred G. Marries Lieut. Paul Fitzsimons, U.S.N., 28--She Is 38. Big Surprise to Newport; Ceremony at Harbourview Follows Issuance of License--Bridegroom on Destroyer Evans. Major French Gives Sister Away. Graduate of Naval Academy. Her First Marriage and Divorce" (PDF). The New York Times. April 4, 1919. p. 11. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    7. Bancroft's Americans in London. American Directory Publishing Company. 1904. p. 182. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    8. Illustrated London News. Illustrated London News & Sketch Limited. 1912. p. 568. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    9. MacColl, Gail; Wallace, Carol McD (2012). To Marry an English Lord: Tales of Wealth and Marriage, Sex and Snobbery. Workman Publishing. p. 287. ISBN 9780761171959. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    10. Jacob, Kathryn Allamong (2010). King of the Lobby: The Life and Times of Sam Ward, Man-About-Washington in the Gilded Age. JHU Press. p. 172. ISBN 9780801898273. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    11. Hay, John; Hill, Douglas Warren (2006). An Idler: John Hay's Social and Aesthetic Commentaries for the Press During the Civil War, 1861-1865. Academica Press, LLC. p. 471. ISBN 9781933146119. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    12. Broehl, Wayne G. (1999). Tuck & Tucker: the origin of the Graduate Business School. University Press of New England. p. 70. ISBN 9780874519167. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    13. "Edward Tuck Dies; Philanthropist, 95; One of Leading Americans in France, Famed There for Many Benefactions; Gave Much to Dartmouth; Contributions to College Ran to Millions--Honor Legion Gave Him Grand Cross Honored by France. Gave Millions to Dartmouth Native of New Hampshire Aided National Museum Praised by Dartmouth Leader". The New York Times. May 1, 1938. p. 51. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
    14. "Amos Tuck French, Divorcee, Marries; New York Banker Weds Miss Martha C. Beeckman ;- Engagement Unannounced. First Wife was Miss Leroy; Divorce Followed Elopement of a Daughter with Chauffeur ;- Bride Sister of Gov.-elect Beeckman" (PDF). The New York Times. Tuxedo Park (published November 25, 1914). November 24, 1914. p. 11. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    15. "Mrs. Pauline L. French.; Member of Old New York Family Dies in Newport, R.I." (PDF). The New York Times. September 23, 1928. p. 26. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    16. Burke, Arthur Meredyth (1991). The Prominent Families of the United States of America. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 338. ISBN 9780806313085. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    17. "Children to Share Estate; Mrs. Pauline Leroy French's Will Is Probated at Newport" (PDF). The New York Times. October 3, 1928. p. 33. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    18. "Deaths | WAGSTAFF—Samuel J." The New York Times. January 18, 1975. p. 27. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    19. "Wagstaff-French Wedding on May 5". The New York Times. Newport, Rhode Island (published March 14, 1908). March 13, 1908. p. 7. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    20. "Miss French Weds Samuel J. Wagstaff; Swarm of Society Folks at the Marriage of Mrs. Vanderbiit's Niece in Newport. Pretty- Church Ceremony; Bridal Couple Receive at Harbourvlew Uder Wedding Bell of Pink Roses -- The Presents and Guests" (PDF). The New York Times. Newport, Rhode Island (published May 6, 1908). May 5, 1908. p. 7. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    21. "Newport Pairs Divorced.; Sorchan, Wagstaff and Colford Decrees Granted by Superior Court" (PDF). The New York Times. Newport, Rhode Island (published June 9, 1920). June 8, 1920. p. R24. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    22. "Mrs. P.F. Wagstaff Weds D.O. Mac Rae; Divorced Wife of Samuel J. Wagstaff and Young Banker Give Society a Surprise. Get License, Wed at Once" (PDF). The New York Times. March 11, 1921. p. 14. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    23. "Francis O. French Weds Miss Burrill; Elder Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Burrill a Bride in St, Bartholomew's Church. Bridesmaids and Ushers; Reception at Home of Bride's Parents -- Some of the Guests Couple to Live in Tuxedo" (PDF). The New York Times. April 24, 1914. p. 13. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    24. "Mrs. E.L. French Sues for Divorce; Secrecy Surrounds Action Filed Against Brother of Former Mrs. Jack Geraghty". The New York Times. January 16, 1923. p. 21. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
    25. "Francis O. French Weds Mrs. Galvin; Son of Amos Tuck Frenches and Boston Divorcee Had Ceremony in Cincinnati. Bride was Miss Cleneay; Mr. French, Cousin of W.H. Vanderbilt, Once Drove Taxi toRecoup From Wall Street" (PDF). The New York Times. May 9, 1930. p. 5. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    26. "Miss French Weds Chauffeur at Dawn; Daughter of Amos Tuck French Runs Away from Newport with John E. Geraghty" (PDF). The New York Times. Newport, Rhode Island (published August 10, 1911). August 9, 1911. p. 1. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    27. "Mrs. Geraghty Forgiven.; Mrs. Amos Tuck French Reconciled with Daughter Who Eloped" (PDF). The New York Times. Newport, Rhode Island (published November 1, 1912). October 31, 1912. p. 13. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    28. "Divorce for Mrs. Geraghty; Former Julia French-Gets Decree on Ground of Non-Support" (PDF). The New York Times. Newport, Rhode Island (published December 2, 1919). December 1, 1919. p. 13. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    29. "Julia French Weds Howard Williams; Former Mrs. Jack Geraghty Marries Boston Insurance Man at Her Mother's Newport Home. Baptist Pastor Officiates; A Few Relatives and Friends Attend Simple Ceremony--Motor Honeymoon in White Mountains" (PDF). The New York Times. Newport, Rhode Island (published August 18, 1921). August 17, 1921. p. 10. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    30. "Mrs. Rittenhouse Weds In Cynwyd, PA. Becomes Bride of Stuyvesant LeRoy French of New York at Home of Her Mother" (PDF). The New York Times. November 10, 1933. p. 18. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    31. "Edward Tuck French Hurt; His Motor Car Turned Turtle Twice in Ocean Avenue, Newport" (PDF). The New York Times. Newport, Rhode Island (published October 2, 1917). October 1, 1917. p. 5. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    32. "Miss Emma Hunter to Wed Tomorrow; Her Marriage to Amos Tuck French Jr. in Church of the Advent, Westbury, L.I. Relatives Only to Attend; Rev. R.D. Pope to Perform the Ceremony--Bride-to-Be's Uncle to Give Her in Marriage" (PDF). The New York Times. May 16, 1930. p. S27. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
    33. "Robert Beeckman, Ex-Governor, Dies; Descendant Also of Livingstons Served 3 Terms, 1915-21, as Rhode Island Executive. Was Friend of Harding; Republican, 68, Was Mentioned for Vice President--Had Been in State Legislature" (PDF). The New York Times. January 22, 1935. p. 19. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
    34. "R.L. Beeckman dies at Santa Barbara Home". Newport Mercury and Weekly News. January 25, 1935. p. 3. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
    35. "Ellen Tuck French Guest Dead; Wife of J. J. Astor 3d for 9 Years". The New York Times. Newport, Rhode Island (published September 7, 1974). September 6, 1974. p. 30. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
    36. Porter, Russell B. (July 1, 1934). "John Jacob Astor Weds Ellen French". The New York Times. p. 1 – via Encyclopedia Titanica.
    37. "Divorces John J. Astor; Former Miss Ellen Tuck French Gets Decree in Reno". The New York Times. May 21, 1943. p. 21. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
    38. "R. R. Guest Marries Mrs. Ellen T. Astor". The New York Times. May 2, 1953. p. 18. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
    39. "William Force Dick + Virginia Middleton French". Our Family Tree.
    40. "Virginia Pool Obituary". The New York Times. September 9, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2023 – via Legacy.com.
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