These people are distant relatives, but it is good to know where you fit into the wonderful world of genealogy and the story of humankind. The primary source is the web site Famous Kin. This site documents the relationship between one individual and famous or infamous relatives in detail. Considering the sheer number of people documented on this site, there are bound to be some discrepencies. Additionally I have occasionally relied on Wikepedia and other sites to fill in biographical details and photos where available.
Hetty labeled the witch of Wall Street
“It has turned out…that my life is written for me down in Wall Street by people who, I assume, do not care to know one iota of the real Hetty Green. I am in earnest; therefore they picture [me] as heartless. I go my own way, take no partners, risk nobody else’s fortune, therefore I am Madame Ishmael, set against every man”
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Henrietta Howland Robinson 1834-1916 – better known as Hetty – is misrepresented in American history as ‘the witch of Wall Street’. Recognized as the richest woman in America in the 1890s, she is famous for being a miser. Does her face look like the face of a witch?
Hetty is not a direct descendant of Thomas Hooker. Rather, her lineage stems from the sister of Thomas, Anne, who was married to George Alcock/Alcott. Anne and George came to Massachuests some years before Thomas. Hetty was their 8th great grand daughter. She, in turn, was distantly related to several of the Kings of England and to William the Conqueror as well as Anne Bolyn and Tennessee Williams. both Richard Nixon and Marilyn Monroe were 6th cousins. Lizzie Borden was a 7th cousin. And so it goes.
Hetty was a very rich woman who made her money on Wall Street and lived a frugal life during the Gilded Age. She earned her money as a financier and offered credit to the less fortunate on good terms. Not only was she a successful financier in a male dominated society, she turned her back on the requirements for ladies of wealth and position and she demonstrated an appreciation for a more democratic distribution of wealth. Apparently she wore one dress until it was worn out and did not partake in any of the displays of austentation. For all of those reasons, her legacy is unnecessareily negative. Misogny? In his notes, the author of Famous Kin writes:
He chose not to recognize that it was her acumen as an investor and financier that sourced her wealth. He chose not to commend her for lending to ordinary people at decent rates. That she chose not to join in on the conspicuous consuption of the Guilded Age can be recognized a great virtue. Frugal she may well have been, but she was a lot more than that.
Angela Davis with antecedents from the Mayflower
Angela was not surprised to find out that she had English/Irish/Scottish genes — nearly all Black Americans do –, but she was shocked to find out that she was, in fact, the decendant of one man out of the102 passengers who travelled from England to New England on the Mayflower in 1620, William Brewster. She was also a descendant of the puritan minister Thomas Hooker who arrived in New England in 1633. The ideological implications of this discovery must have hit a number of people hard in the solar plexus. Angela herself took some time to parse this information.
“That’s a little too much to deal with right now,“
An article well worth reading appeared in The Nation addressing the story of Angel Davis’ lineage entitled ‘Angela Davis’s Family History Is Remarkable—and Unexceptional for Black Americans‘
Angela’s family tree
It turns out that both of Angela’s grandfathers on the maternal sides were white. The two stories seem to be very different and while Angela’s story is remarkable, neither story is unique.
John Austin Darden 1879-1942
John Austin Darden 1879-1942
Angela’s maternal grandmother has not been identified. The maternal grandfather was John Austin Darden. The child of that untion was Salye Margarite Bell, raised in foster care. The nature of their relationship is not known.
Darden was an attorney and a member of the Alabama state legislation. He was married and had several children. He has been described as a prominent and very wealthy member of his community.
Murphy Renchor Jones 1854-??
Murphy can trace his ancestry back to Thomas Hooker and to William Brewster. William Brewster was one of the 102 passengers on the Mayflower in 1620. Thomas came to New England some years later, in 1633. The 2 men come together as ancestors with the marriage of Sara Coit and Robinson Mumford. Mumford was a 6th generation descendant from William Brewster and Sarah Coit was a 4th generation Hooker descendant. Their 5th great grandchild was Angela Yvonne Davis.
Murphy Renchor Jones may have had a relatively long term relationship with Angela’s paternal grandmother, Molly Spencer (1869-1955). They may have had as many as 4 children together.