Mary Billings French
| Mary Montagu Billings French | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Mary Montagu Billings March 6, 1869 , Vermont |
| Died | 1951 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Heiress |
| Board member of | Young Women's Christian Association |
| Children | Mary French Rockefeller |
| Parent(s) |
Frederick Billings Julia Parmly |
| Relatives |
Laurence Rockefeller Laura Rockefeller Chasin Lucy Rockefeller WaletzkyMarion Rockefeller Weber Franklin S. Billings |
Mary Montagu Billings French (March 6, 1869 - 1951) was an American heiress and society figure, as well as YWCA president and board member. She was the daughter of Frederick Billings and inherited the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park from him before she died. She passed it on to her daughter, Mary French Rockefeller.
Mary Montagu Billings was born to Frederick Billings (1823–1890) and his wife Julia Parmly on March 6, 1869 in Woodstock, Vermont. Her mother Julia was born as the daughter of Dr. Eleazer Parmly of New York on December 8, 1835. Mary was named after her mother's older sister.
Mary had six siblings, being: Parmly (1863-1888), Laura, Frederick, Elizabeth, Ehrick (1872-1889), and finally Richard. Mary was the fourth child, after her brother Frederick and before her sister Elizabeth. The Parmly Billings Memorial Library, now called the Western Heritage Center, is named for Mary's brother Parmly.
Mary grew up in a wealthy family during the Gilded Age. Her father Frederick was one of the wealthiest men in California and was considered one of its "foremost citizens". After marrying Julia, they settled in , Vermont, where the family was the wealthiest family of the town "by far". They owned the largest corn field in the state of Vermont, as well as a mansion on the family compound.
After the death of her father on September 30, 1890, Mary inherited his Vermont compound. It comprised 4,228 acres and six buildings, including the mansion, stables, a cottage, a farmhouse, and other buildings. When she died, it passed to her daughter Mary. At left is a view from the compound, the future Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.
On June 1, 1907, Mary married John French, son of the Hon. Warren Converse French and Sarah Ann Steele. The couple married at noon with Rev. Dr. William R. Richards officiating at the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York. The best man at the wedding was James R. Kingsley, with ushers being Dr. Frederick S. Lee, William Norman Campbell, Richard Billings and Dr. Thomas M. Taylor. After the two married, they lived in an apartment on Madison Avenue in New York.
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