Douglas Robinson Jr.

Douglas Robinson Jr. (January 3, 1855 – September 12, 1918)[1] was an American businessman who was married to Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, a sister of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and an aunt of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Douglas Robinson Jr.
Robinson (left) with Theodore Roosevelt in 1910
Born(1855-01-03)January 3, 1855
Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
DiedSeptember 12, 1918(1918-09-12) (aged 63)
Amsterdam, New York, U.S.
Alma materOxford University
Spouse(s)
​
(
m. 1882; his death 1918)
ChildrenTheodore Douglas Robinson, Corinne Douglas Robinson, Monroe Douglas Robinson, Stewart Douglas Robinson
Parent(s)Douglas Robinson Sr.
Frances Monroe
RelativesJoseph Alsop (grandson)
Stewart Alsop (grandson)

Early life

Robinson was born on January 3, 1855. He was the son of Douglas Robinson Sr. (1824–1893) and Frances "Fanny" (née Monroe) Robinson (1824–1906). He had one sister, Harriet Douglas "Missy" Robinson, who married an Englishman,[2] the Rev. Henry Bazeley Wolryche-Whitmore, an heir and nephew of William Wolryche-Whitmore, a Member of Parliament who represented Bridgnorth and Wolverhampton in the House of Commons.[3]

Robinson's maternal grandparents were Elizabeth Mary "Eliza" (née Douglas) Monroe and James Monroe, a Virginian born member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York who was the nephew of 5th President James Monroe.[4] His paternal grandparents were William Rose Robinson and Mary (née Douglas) Robinson, who resided in Scotland.

Robinson graduated from Oxford University in Oxford, England in 1876.[1]

Career

Robinson was a prominent real estate broker and considered "one of the leading figures in New York City realty transactions."[1] He served as president of Douglas Robinson, Charles S. Brown Company and the Douglas Land Company.[1]

Following the Panic of 1907, he was appointed one of the receivers of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company in 1908.[1]

He served as a board member for numerous banks, insurance companies and other corporations including the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company, the Equitable Life Assurance Company and the Astor Trust Company.[1]

Society life

In 1892, Robinson, his wife, and father were all included in Ward McAllister's "Four Hundred", purported to be an index of New York's best families, published in The New York Times.[5][6] Conveniently, 400 was the number of people that could fit into Mrs. Astor's ballroom.[7] He was a member of the University Club, the Riding Club, the Downtown Club and the Essex Country Club in West Orange, New Jersey.[1]

In 1893, upon the death of his father, he inherited Overlook, his father's 72 acre estate in West Orange, New Jersey.[8] While originally only a weekend home, the Robinsons moved to West Orange and Overlook became their primary residence between the years 1894 and 1911.[8] His wife hosted lavish parties at their home where she was known as "Queen of the Orange Mountain." In 1898, at one such Christmas party for the Roosevelt family, Overlook played host for the first dance and beginning romance between their niece Eleanor and distant cousin Franklin Roosevelt.[8]

Personal life
His wife Corinne (upper top left row) at the 1920 Republican Convention.

On April 29, 1882, he married his friend Elliott Roosevelt's sister,[9] Corinne Roosevelt (1861–1933)[10] at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.[11] Corinne was the youngest child of Theodore Roosevelt Sr. and Martha (née Bulloch) Roosevelt. She was the younger sister of Bamie Roosevelt, President Theodore Roosevelt, and Elliott Bulloch Roosevelt (therefore the aunt of future First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt).[12] The Robinson's had a home in New York City at 147 East 61st Street, as well as a country home, known as Gelston Castle, in Mohawk near Jordanville, New York.[10] Together, they were the parents of four children:[13]

Robinson died suddenly and unexpectedly on September 12, 1918 in Amsterdam, New York.[1] His funeral was held at his "Scottish Castle" country home, Henderson House,[9] followed by a burial at the Robinson Cemetery in Herkimer County, New York.[19] His widow died of pneumonia on February 17, 1933, age 71 in New York City.[20][10][21] The bulk of her estate was divided among her three surviving children with smaller bequests made to grandchildren, nephews, friends and institutions. She left all real and personal property she had received from her uncle, Cornelius V. S. Roosevelt to her daughter, Corrine. The household furniture, residue of the property, including $30,000 left to her by another uncle, James King Gracie,[22] was to be shared equally among her children.[23]

Descendants

Through his eldest son Theodore, he was the grandfather of Douglas Robinson (1906–1964),[23] inherited a portrait of Harriet Douglas, sister-in-law of James Monroe, painted by Sir William Beechey.[24]

Through his only daughter Corinne, he was the grandfather of columnists Joseph Wright Alsop V (1910–1989) and Stewart Johonnot Oliver Alsop (1914–1974).[25]

Through his son Monroe, he was the grandfather of Dorothy Douglas Robinson (1917–1995),[26] who married Randolph Appleton Kidder (1913–1996),[27] the son of archaeologist Alfred Vincent Kidder, in 1938.[16] Her husband later served as U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia.[28][29]

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References
  1. "DOUGLAS ROBINSON DIES SUDDENLY AT 63. Brother-in-Law of Col. Theodore Roosevelt Stricken with Heart Disease on a Train NOTED AS REALTY OPERATOR Father of State Senator Was Partner of W. H. Wheelock, in Charge of Government Real Estate" (PDF). The New York Times. September 13, 1918. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  2. "Autograph Letter Signed Theodore Roosevelt, to Harriet Douglas Robinson Dear Missy, congratulating her on her engagement to Henry Bazeley Wolryche-Whitmore by Theodore Roosevelt on James Cummins Bookseller". www.jamescumminsbookseller.com. James Cummins Bookseller. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  3. The Wroe and Chancellor Families: With Special Attention to the Descendants of Chancellor Wroe (1782-1818) and His Wife, Elizabeth Monroe Chancellor (1793-1872). W.C. Wroe. 1992. p. 568. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  4. "Douglas Robinson, Jr. + Corinne Roosevelt". Stanford.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-10-30.
  5. McAllister, Ward (16 February 1892). "THE ONLY FOUR HUNDRED | WARD M'ALLISTER GIVES OUT THE OFFICIAL LIST. HERE ARE THE NAMES, DON'T YOU KNOW, ON THE AUTHORITY OF THEIR GREAT LEADER, YOU UNDER- STAND, AND THEREFORE GENUINE, YOU SEE" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  6. Patterson, Jerry E. (2000). The First Four Hundred: Mrs. Astor's New York in the Gilded Age. Random House Incorporated. p. 217. ISBN 9780847822089. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  7. Keister, Lisa A. (2005). Getting Rich: America's New Rich and How They Got That Way. Cambridge University Press. p. 36. ISBN 9780521536677. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  8. Fagan, Joseph (June 30, 2013). "Romance Blossoms for Future President and First Lady in West Orange". TAPinto. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  9. "Corinne Roosevelt Robinson". www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org. Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson University. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  10. "CORINNE ROBINSON DIES AT AGE OF 71 | Sister of the Late President Roosevelt Was Widely Known as Poet. | LONG ACTIVE IN POLITICS | Seconded the Nomination of Wood in 1920 - Served as an Adviser to Coolidge". The New York Times. 18 February 1933. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  11. "ROBINSON--ROOSEVELT.; A BEAUTIFUL CHURCH WEDDING AND A BRILLIANT HOUSE RECEPTION". The New York Times. 30 April 1882. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  12. Brogan, Hugh and Mosley, Charles American Presidential Families October 1993, page 568
  13. "DANCE FOR MISS ROBINSON | Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Robinson Entertain for Debutante Daughter". The New York Times. 23 December 1904. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  14. Times, Special To The New York (15 April 1934). "NOTABLES MOURN FOR T. D. ROBINSON; | Mrs. F. D. Roosevelt, His Cousin, Attends the Funeral Near Herkimer, N.Y. | SIMPLE SERVICE AT HOME | Burial in Family Cemetery on Estate - Wagon Substituted for a Hearse". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  15. Downes, Stephen (2016). The Szymanowski Companion. Routledge. p. 180. ISBN 9781317014447. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  16. "DOROTHY ROBINSON BECOMES ENGAGED; Daughter of Mrs. Elbridge G Chadwick Will Be Married to Randolph Kidder" (PDF). The New York Times. September 18, 1937. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  17. "Eben D. Jordan Dead. Senior Member of the Firm of Jordan, Marsh & Co., of Boston. Millionaire, Once A Penniless Boy. Architect of His Own Fortune. Ranked Among Public-Spirited Citizens and Representative Men" (PDF). New York Times. November 16, 1895. Retrieved 2015-07-29.
  18. "PRESIDENT'S NEPHEW KILLED AT HARVARD; Stewart Douglas Robinson Falls from Sixth-Story Window in Hampden Hall Dormitory. BODY FOUND IN STREET Young Man Complained of Illness to Friends and Had Window Opened to Get Air". The New York Times. 22 February 1909. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  19. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. (2 volume set), by Scott Wilson, McFarland, Aug 22, 2016
  20. "MRS. ROBINSON UNCHANGED; Sister of Late President Roosevelt Suffering From Pneumonia". The New York Times. 17 February 1933. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  21. "ROOSEVELT AT BIER OF MRS. ROBINSON; | President-EIect and Wife Are Among Mourners for Theodore Roosevelt's Sister | 1,000 FRIENDS AT SERVICE | Many Notables in Audience at St. Bartholomew's - Dr. George P. T. Sargent Officiates". The New York Times. 21 February 1933. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  22. "LEGACY TO MR. ROOSEVELT; President Inherits $30,000 from James King Gracie. Kermit and Ethel Receive $5,000 Each -- Estate of $500,000 Is Disposed Of, Partly to Charity". The New York Times. December 4, 1903. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  23. THE NEW YORK TIMES., Special to (March 3, 1933). "ROBINSON ESTATE GOES TO CHILDREN | Will of Theodore Roosevelt's Sister Filed at Herkimer Divides Family Heirlooms. | CONDITIONAL BEQUESTS | Friends, Kin and Institutions to Get Sums If Estate Is Sufficient to Pay Them". The New York Times. p. 13. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  24. Hopson, Caryl. "The Garden in the Woods - The Cemetery at Gelston Castle". www.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Herkimer County Historical Society. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  25. Robert W. Merry (1997). Taking on the World: Joseph and Stewart Alsop, Guardians of the American Century. Penguin Group. p. 4. ISBN 9780140149845.
  26. "Dorothy Kidder, 78; Helped the Homeless". The New York Times. September 20, 1995. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  27. "OBITUARIES | Randolph Appleton Kidder". Washington Post. 8 January 1996. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  28. "Envoy to Cambodia Named" (PDF). The New York Times. June 17, 1964. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  29. "Randolph Appleton Kidder - People - Department History". history.state.gov. Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs United States Department of State. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
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