Rutherfurd Stuyvesant was born John Stuyvesant Rutherfurd on September 2, 1843. He was the first born son of Lewis Morris Rutherfurd (1816-1892) and Margaret Chanler Stuyvesant (1820-1890)a descendant of Peter Gerard Stuyvesant. His mother, Margaret was the niece and adopted daughter of Peter Gerard Stuyvesant and Helena Rutherfurd Stuyvesant (Lewis Morris Rutherfurd's aunt). His father, Lewis Morris Rutherfurd was a known scientist, astronomer and inventor. "The Rutherfurd Crater" on the moon is named after him.
Rutherfurd Stuyvesant was born J. Stuyvesant Rutherfurd. In 1847, young Stuyvesant changed his name to Rutherfurd Stuyvesant as a provision under the will of his grand uncle Peter Gerard Stuyvesant in order to transmit the Stuyvesant fortune. Application was made to the State Legislature and granted to change his name at the age of 6 years old.
Lewis Morris and Margaret Rutherfurd had 7 children:
J. Stuyvesant Rutherfurd (1843-1909), Louisa Morris Rutherfurd (1855-1892) died at the age of 37, Margaret Rutherfurd White (1854-1916) married Henry White a US diplomat. Winthrop Chanler Rutherfurd (1862-1944) married Alice Morton(1879-1917), daughter of Levi P. Morton(1824-1920, US Vice President under Benjamin Harrison from 1889 to 1893 and then Governor of New York from 1895 to 1897. Winthrop married his second wife in 1920, Lucy Mercer. Lucy served as Eleanor Roosevelt's social secretary in 1914 and shared a romantic affair with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lewis Morris Rutherfurd Jr. (1859-1901) initiated the family's breeding of fox terrier dogs. Two daughters Elizabeth Winthrop(1/21/1847-10/3/1847) and Helen Rutherfurd (5/13/1844-10/5/1845) both died in infancy.
The Stuyvesant family are descendants of the Dutch colonial Governor of New Amsterdam (New York) Governor Peter Stuyvesant, born in 1592 Scherpenzeel, Friesland, Netherlands. Governor Stuyvesant remained on his farm called "The Bouwerie", from which the present Bowery in New York City takes its name, until his death in 1672.
Having inherited much of the Stuyvesant fortune from his grand uncle, young Stuyvesant Rutherfurd became a very successful land developer of New York City. He developed much of the land with his new styled apartment houses which he styled after the apartment houses in France.
The Morris and Rutherfurd families are direct descendants of: Royal Colonial Governor Lewis Morris(1671-1746), who inherited the track of land in New York that became the basis for the "Morrisania Manor". This estate was over 2,000 acres and would remain the Morris family home for many generations. Eventually the property would be known as Bronxland and is now the Bronx section of New York City. Lewis Morris III (1726-1798) was a Signer of the US Declaration of Independence. Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816) was a US Senator and Signer of the US Constitution.
John Rutherfurd (1760-1846) served in the New Jersey Legislature from 1788 to 1789. He was then elected to the US Senate representing New Jersey from 1791 to 1798. He resided on the Rutherfurd family estate of "Edgerston" on the Passaic River. Present day Rutherford, New Jersey. The Rutherfurd family also owned their grand country estate "Tranquility Farms" between Sussex and Warren Counties, in New Jersey.
Rutherfurd Stuyvesant graduated from Columbia College in 1863. He was a great sportsman and yachtsman, he owned a NY City residence and owner of the Tranquility Farms Estate in New Jersey. His memberships in clubs and societies included the Union, Century, City Racquet, New York Yacht, Atlantic yacht and Seawanhaka-Corinthian Yacht clubs, The Downtown Association, The Columbia College Alumni Association, New York Historical Society, and the American Geographical Society. He was a fellow at the American Museum of Natural History and the National Academy of Design, a patron, trustee, and second vice president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He was also president of the Board of Proprietors of East New Jersey.
He married the beautiful young Miss Mary Pierrepont on October 13, 1863, daughter of Henry Evelyn and Anna Jay Pierrepont, of Brooklyn, NY. Mary died on December 31,1879 during childbirth, at the Stuyvesant mansion, at 15th and 2nd Ave, New York City. The boy child did not survive.
On June 16, 1902, Rutherfurd Stuyvesant married Mathilde de Wassanaer the widow of a Dutch count and daughter of Joseph Loewenguth of Herrenwald, Alsatia.
The following article appeared in the New York Times on June 16, 1902: "RUTHERFURD STUYVESANT MARRIED IN LONDON
London, June 16th- Rutherfurd Stuyvesant of New York, a brother of Mrs. Henry White, wife of the Secretary of the United States Embassy in London, was married to-day to the Comtesse de Warranaer. The ceremony took place at St. George's Chapel on Albemarle Street. United States Ambassador Choate and Mrs. Choate, Henry White and Mrs. White, John R Carter(Second Secretary of the United States Embassy) and Mrs Carter, William C. Eustis(ex-third Secretary of the Embassy)and Mrs. Eustis were present, besides several of the bride's relatives. Mr. and Mrs. Rutherfurd Stuyvesant will return to the United States after a trip to the continent. The bride is the widow of a Dutch Count. Mr. Stuyvesant's name originally was Rutherfurd, but under condition of the will of a relative, Peter G Stuyvesant, who died childless, required that he take the name of Stuyvesant in order to inherit. He therefore reversed his name. His younger brother, Winthrop Rutherfurd married Miss Alice Morton last easter. Mr. Stuyvesant is a nephew of Mrs. Octavius O White of Madison Avenue, his mother and Mrs. White both having been Chanlers, and he is therefore a cousin of Mrs. Berkeley Mostyn and Mrs. Ledyard Stevens. Mr. and Mrs Stuyvesant will make their headquarters on this side of the water, at the Rutherfurd's Tranquility Farms in New Jersey. Mr. Stuyvesant's first wife Miss Mary Pierrepoint, of the old Pierrepoint family of Brooklyn, died many years ago."
Tranquility Farms, the family estate in Sussex and Warren Counties in New Jersey was famous for its beauty and wildlife preserve. It was abundant in elk, deer and extensive in English pheasant preserves. Rutherfurd Stuyvesant introduced the English pheasant and many different wildlife to the area. Many guests frequented the estate including many of the best known in society of that day. The most anticipated fall event was the pheasant shoot held at Tranquility Farms. Rutherfurd Stuyvesant occupied and enlarged the family's stately home. His brother Winthrop Rutherfurd commissioned an 18,000 foot manor to be built on the estate, known as Allamuchy Farms near Allamuchy Pond in 1903. Rutherfurd Stuyvesant was a great collector of Italian paintings and collections of armor. He spent his life as a country gentleman and as a connoisseur. He was the director of the Metropolitan Museum. His activities were those of fine nature and his personality won many warm friends. His schooner-yacht was named "Palmer". He and his wife would spent many of his later years in Europe.
Matilde and Rutherfurd Stuyvesant had two sons. Lewis Rutherfurd Stuyvesant "Stuyve" was born on August 4, 1903. Lewis married Rosalie Pilot in 1925. The couple had one child Peter before they divorced. Lewis died on 9/7/1944 in New York City.
Alan Rutherfurd Stuyvesant was born on July 31, 1905 and died 2/9/1954 aboard a ship just short of arriving at their destination to France. Alan never married and was a devoted Uncle to Peter. Both Lewis Rutherfurd Stuyvesant and Alan Rutherfurd Stuyvesant were both active US Military during World War II.
Rutherfurd Stuyvesant died in Paris, France on July 4, 1909 at the age of 69 from heart failure. His body was shipped back to the United States and he was laid to rest in the Stuyvesant family plot, Tranquility, New Jersey near the family estate.
According to the New York Times on October 10, 1909:
"The Will of Rutherfurd Stuyvesant was filed for probate in the New Jersey Progative Court. His estate valued at several millions of dollars. Among the bequests to public institutions is one of $20,000 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, $10,000 to St Mark's Episcopal Church of NY, the income of which is to be used exclusively for the preservation, repair, and improvement of the building known as St Mark's Memorial Chapel, Tenth Street and Avenue A. The country estate known as Tranquility Farms in Allamuchy Township, NJ is left to his wife for use during her lifetime, after which it will become the property of his eldest son, Lewis Rutherfurd Stuyvesant. His widow also inherits the residence at 246 East Fifteenth Street, NY. The residue of the estate is left to the widow and the children. Other directed transfers to various fellowships and patron ships and to his other family members and friends."
After his death, the family commissioned Daniel Chester French the renowned sculptor to create the Angel of Peace which overlooks the family's resting place. Daniel Chester French is best known for his sculpture of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC
He was laid to rest in the Stuyvesant plot of Tranquility Cemetery, Tranquility, NJ.