William Bayard Cutting

William Bayard Cutting, Esq. (1850-1912), a member of New York's merchant aristocracy, was an attorney, financier, real estate developer, sugar beet refiner and philanthropist. He was trained at Columbia College, as a lawyer, in which capacity he assisted his grandfather, Robert Bayard, in the management of his railroad company. Cutting and his brother, Fulton, started the sugar beet industry in the United States in 1888. He was a builder of railroads, operated the ferries of New York City, and developed part of the south Brooklyn waterfront, Red Hook. He was an outdoorsman and a gardener of great ability. His grandfather, Robert Cutting, was Robert Fulton's partner [Cutting and Fulton were brothers-in-law who had married Livingston sisters.] in the ferry from Brooklyn to New York, and Bayard Cutting continued to operate the ferry system of New York City and the city of Brooklyn.

In 1877 he married Olivia, the daughter of Bronson Murray of Murray Hill, New York. They had four children:
* William Bayard Cutting (1878-1910), secretary to the US embassy to the Court of St. James's. He married 30 April 1901, Lady Sybil Marjorie Cuffe, daughter of Hamilton John Agmondesham Cuffe, 5th Earl of Desart and Lady Margaret Joan Lascelles. [ [http://www.thepeerage.com/p5285.htm The Peerage.com] ] She was the mother of Iris Origo, the Marchesa Origo, the author of many books.
*Justine B. Cutting (Ward) (1879-1975) She married George Cabot Ward in 1901. She developed the Ward Method of music education as a way to teach sight-singing to children in Catholic schools in order to promote Gregorian chant.
*Bronson Murray Cutting, (1888-1935) [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C001028 Cutting, Bronson Murray] , Biographical Directory of the United States Congress] , U.S. senator from New Mexico who was killed in an airplane crash. Biography: Richard Lowitt, "Bronson M. Cutting: Progressive Politician"
*Olivia M. Cutting (James) (1892-1949) She married Henry James, son of psychologist William James, in 1917.

Portions of his Long Island estate, "Westbrook", along the east bank of the Connetquot River, purchased from George L. Lorillard in 1884, are now the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. [ [http://www.thehistorybox.com/ny_city/society/printerfriendly/nycity_society_business_men_article00126.htm "Wealthy New York Businessmen Tid-bits"] , The History Box]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.eastislip.org/Pages/Estates/Bayard%20Cutting%20Estate/bayard_cutting.htm East Islip Historical Society: Bayard Cutting estate]
* [http://www.geocities.com/taheo_92234/murr_4.htm The Murray family tree]