Tuthill King (1804 - 1886)

Born 1804 in Genesee, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 26 Mar 1886 at about age 82 in Thomasville, Georgia, United States

Biography

Tuthill was born in 1804. He was the son of Joseph King and Elizabeth Tuthill. He passed away in 1886.

Entry in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register:

"Tuthill King, a prominent citizen of Chicago, died on 16th March, He was a descendant of William1 and Dorothy Kinge, who settled in Salem, Mass., in 1635. Samuel, the second son, removed to Southold, Suffolk Co., N.Y., and from him, in the line of Samuel,3 Jr., John,4 John,5 Jr., and Joseph,6 Mr, Tuthill7 King descended. His father, Joseph King of Southold, married Elizabeth Tuthill, and removed to Genesee County, N.Y.

"Tuthill King was born there in 1804. At the age of 20 he went to Buenos Ayres, where he remained for ten years, and was successful as a merchant. In 1834 he returned and settled in Chicago, where he remained to the time of his death. He invested largely in real estate in that city, and amassed a fortune of more than a million dollars. He was closely identified with the interests of Chicago, and among his many charities was the endowment of a Chair of Biblical and Ecclesiastical History in the Presbyterian Seminary, by a gift of twenty thousand dollars. He left three daughters, all of whom are married, and a widow."

Tuthill had three daughters with his first wife, Susannah Gates of Massachusetts: Elizabeth Havens King, Amanda Frances King, and Mary Tuthill King. All married and had children. Susannah died in September 1885.

In January 1886, less than three months before he died, Tuthill married Sarah Rogers. An obituary in the Wisconsin State Journal reads: "...Mr. King, then 81 years of age, created a sensation by marrying Mrs. Sarah C. Bell, aged 45." Tuthill's daughters went to court over his estate.

Before he made his fortune in real estate, Tuthill owned a store selling clothing and dry goods in Chicago. In the late 1830s and early 1840s, Tuthill's brother Nathaniel worked as a clerk in the store. Charles Chovin, son of Tuthill's sister Abigail, also worked as a clerk for Tuthill in 1843, according to a Chicago directory. The 1850 census shows Charles living with Tuthill and family.

Sources

• "Tuthill King" in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Volume 40, 1886, page 347. https://archive.org/details/newenglandhistor4018unse/page/347/mode/1up.
• "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVPX-5MHC : Thu Mar 07 14:32:11 UTC 2024), Entry for Tuthill King, 1834. Ship Montevideo from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
• Nathaniel King and Tuthill King in Fergus' Directory of the City of Chicago, 1839. Chicago: Fergus Printing Company, 1876, page 21. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1427478766:2469.
• Reminiscences Of Early Chicago And Vicinity by Edwin O Gale, Chicago: Fleming H Revell Company, 1902.Pages 168-169. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.157159/page/n192/mode/1up and https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.157159/page/n193/mode/1up. Tuthill King and wife, Nathaniel King.
• "King, Tuthill". U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records, Chicago Land Office, Document Nr 2522. Issue Date: 10/1/1839, 160 Acres. https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=IL0750__.423&docClass=STA&sid=uztbspvj.ibv#patentDetailsTabIndex=0.
• Tuthill King in the 1840 United States Federal Census, Chicago Ward 2, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 57; Page: 216. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBJ-XQ7.
• Nathaniel King and Tuthill King in Directory of the City of Chicago for 1843. Chicago: Fergus Printing Company, 1896, page 69. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1441946320:2469.
• Charles Chovin in Directory of the City of Chicago for 1843. Chicago: Fergus Printing Company, 1896, page 44. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1441946943:2469.
• Tuthil King in the 1850 United States Federal Census, Chicago Ward 3, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 102; Page: 213b. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M85K-7CV.
• Tuttle King in the 1860 United States Federal Census, Chicago Ward 1, Cook, Illinois; Roll: M653_164; Page: 88. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXH7-YQW.
• Tuthill King in the 1870 United States Federal Census, Chicago Ward 2, Cook, Illinois; Roll: M593_198; Page: 88B. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M642-VYZ.
• Tathill King in the 1880 United States Federal Census, Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 185; Page: 474c; Enumeration District: 017. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXNN-MYD.
• "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1968", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7XH-8ZD : Sun Mar 10 21:19:41 UTC 2024), Entry for Tuthill King and Sarah C. Mrs. Bell, 1886.
• "Tuthill King the Pioneer Chicagoan Weds the Lady of His Choice". The Daily Inter Ocean, Chicago, IL, Vol XIV, Issue 288, Wednesday, 6 Jan 1886, Page 5.
• "Tuthill King...died yesterday". Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, WI, Vol XLVII, Issue 31, Friday, 19 Mar 1886, Page 4.
• "Mrs Tuthill King becomes a widow on her wedding tour". The New York Herald, New York, NY, Issue 18104, Wednesday, 17 Mar 1886, Page 6.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243169686/tuthill-king: accessed May 1, 2024), memorial page for Tuthill King (1804–26 Mar 1886), Find a Grave Memorial ID 243169686, citing Graceland Cemetery, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA; Maintained by Prairie Mary (contributor 47510724).
• "Tuthill Kings Estate". The New York Herald, New York, NY, Issue 177, Saturday, 26 Jun 1886, Page 2.
• Tuthill King. Record of Wills, 1879-1928; Author: Illinois. Probate Court (Cook County); Record of Wills, Book 5-6, 1885-1886; Book 7, 1886-1887. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/806748:9048.
• Tuthill King in the Illinois, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1772-1999. Administrator's Bonds and Letters, 1877-1931; Author: Illinois. Probate Court (Cook County); Probate Place: Cook, Illinois. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/110542:9048.