Robert Henry McCurdy
| Robert Henry McCurdy | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 14, 1800 Lyme, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | April 5, 1880 April 5, 1880 (aged 79) |
| Resting place | Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Political party | Whig Party |
| Spouse(s) | Gertrude Mercer Lee |
| Children | Richard Aldrich McCurdy |
| Parent(s) |
Richard McCurdy Ursula Griswold |
| Relatives |
Matthew Griswold (maternal great-grandfather) Charles J. McCurdy (brother) |
Robert Henry McCurdy (April 14, 1800 – April 5, 1880) was an American businessman and political candidate. He amassed great wealth with partner Herman D. Aldrich as the co-founder of McCurdy and Aldrich, a commission firm which traded Southern cotton and other dry goods prior to the Panic of 1857. He lost his bid for Congress as a Whig in the late 1850s, and served as Commissary-General for the State of New York during the American Civil War.
Robert Henry McCurdy was born in 1800 in Lyme, Connecticut. He was of Scotch Irish descent on his paternal side; as early as 1503, King James VI leased the vast majority of the Isle of Bute to the MacKurerdy family (later McCurdy). His paternal grandfather, John McCurdy, emigrated to the United States from Ireland prior to the Declaration of Independence. His father, Richard McCurdy, served in the Connecticut House of Representatives. His mother, Ursula Griswold, was of English descent. His maternal great-grandfather, Matthew Griswold, served as the 17th Governor of Connecticut from 1784 to 1786.
His brother, Charles J. McCurdy, went on to serve as the United States Chargé to the Austrian Empire from 1850 to 1852.
McCurdy moved to New York City in 1814, and started working for Stephen Lockwood, a merchant. Shortly after, he was sent for work for Lockwood in Petersburg, Virginia, where he purchased cotton on commission. In 1820, McCurdy co-founded McCurdy and Aldrich, a dry goods commission firm, with Herman D. Aldrich. It later became known as McCurdy, Aldrich and Spencer. They retired with great wealth prior to the Panic of 1857.
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Wikipedia