Mary Rita (Wilson) Goelet (1855 - 1929)

Born 4 Dec 1855 in Loudon, Loudon, Tennessee, United States

Wife of Ogden Goelet — married 1877 in New York City

Descendants

Died 23 Feb 1929 at age 73 in Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States

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Biography

Birth: Dec. 4, 1855

Loudon Loudon County Tennessee, USA

Death: Feb. 23, 1929

Manhattan, New York County, New York

Information Summary from FindAGrave website for Mary Rita "May" Wilson a/o 7/23/2017

The FindAGrave website for Mary Rita Wilson (May) includes detailed information about her life.. It discusses her family of origin, being the firstborn of Richard Thornton Wilson and Melissa Clementine Johnston Wilson.

It also discusses her marriage to Ogden Goelet in 1877. and his death Twenty years later aboard his Yacht the Mayflower at Cowes, Isle of Wight, England. May and the children were at his side.

She lived to be 73 years old, nearly 22 years after Ogden died. She never remarried.

The FindAGrave site also discusses her involvement in the New York and Newport societies, as well as the importance of her daughter's marriage to Duke Henry James Innes-Ker, Duke of Roxburghe. The daughter became Duchess of Roxburghe in 1903.

May and Ogden also had a son, Robert, who was also well known in New York society.
May died in her apartment at the Savory-Plaza hotel. She was the sister of Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, and one of the wealthiest women of her time. She succumbed after five days of pneumonia. At her bedside were her sister, Mrs. Grace Graham Vanderbilt; her sister in law Mrs. Richard T Wilson Jr.; her son and daughter in law Mr. and Mrs. Robert Goelet and grandsons, Ogden and Peter Goelet.

Many of Mrs. Goelet's relatives ranked high in the social scale of past generations in New York and in Newport. Ogden Goelet had a fortune of $30 million when she became his bride.

After his death, May carried on brilliantly for many years. She relinquished her leadership of the 400 when she went to Europe to remain there for several seasons. She had spent much of her time in later years with the Duchess of Roxburghe, her daughter, at Floors Castle, in Scotland.

The father of Mary Rita Wilson, Richard Thornton Wilson Sr., came to New York after the Civil War. Mary (May) was a renowned southern beauty at the time she met Ogden Goelet at New London, Conn., during a yachting event. Their marriage resulted in several strong alliances for the Wilson family.

Her sister Lelia Belle Wilson, married Lord Michael Herbert. Her oldest brother Marshall Orme Wilson married Caroline "Carrie" Schermerhorn Astor, and her other sister Grace Graham Wilson became Mrs Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Her son, Robert Wilson Goelet, married Elise Whelen of Philadelphia.

Her funeral was held at the old Goelet mansion on Fifth Avenue. It was once the scene of many brilliant social events. It has remained closed for many seasons.

She was buried with her husband Ogden at Woodlawn Cemetery.
(Ref: New York Times, Feb 23, 1929)

Family

 Parents:
  Richard Thornton Wilson (1829 - 1910)
  Melissa Clementine Johnston Wilson (1831 - 1908)

   Spouse:
  Ogden Goelet (1851 - 1897)

   Children:
  Mary Goelet Ker (1878 - 1937)*
  Robert Walton Goelet (1880 - 1966)*

   Siblings:
  Mary Rita Wilson Goelet (1855 - 1929)
  Marshall Orme Wilson (1860 - 1926)*
  Leila Belle Wilson Herbert (1864 - 1923)*
  Richard Thornton Wilson (1866 - 1929)*
  Grace Graham Wilson Vanderbilt (1870 - 1953)*
 

Created in FindAGrave website by: OurFamilyTies

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Theresa Carrier-Torrealba for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Theresa and others.

Entered in FindAGrave website by Theresa Carrier-Torrealba.

Sources

• Source: [1] Grace Vanderbilt, Wilpedia

• Source: [2] "A New Edition Of The Cossart Family History Originally Compiled And Published By The Cossart Family Association In 1939"

• Source: [3] FindAGrave website for Mary Rita "May" Wilson Goelet

• Source: Created by: OurFamilyTies, Record added: Oct 30, 2011, Find A Grave Memorial# 79600224
  

• Wikipedia contributors. "The Four Hundred (Gilded Age)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed 17 Sept 2022.