William Backhouse Astor, Jr.
| William Backhouse Astor Jr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
July 12, 1829 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 25, 1892 (aged 62) Paris, France |
| Cause of death | aneurysm |
| Resting place | Trinity Church Cemetery, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Columbia College |
| Net worth |
 US $72 million (equivalent to approximately $1,919,200,000 in 2017 dollars) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Caroline Webster Schermerhorn (m. 1853—1892; his death) |
| Children | Emily, Helen, Charlotte, Caroline, and John |
| Parent(s) | William Backhouse Astor Sr. and Margaret Rebecca Armstrong |
| Relatives | See Astor family |
William Backhouse Astor Jr. (July 12, 1829 – April 25, 1892) was a businessman, racehorse breeder/owner, and yachtsman. He was also a prominent member of the Astor family. While his elder brother financier/philanthropist John Jacob Astor III (1822–1890) was head of the English line of Astors, William Jr. was the patriarch of the male line of American Astors.
William Backhouse Astor Jr. was born on July 12, 1829, in New York City, New York. He was the middle son of real estate businessman William Backhouse Astor Sr. (1792–1875) and Margaret Rebecca Armstrong (1800–1872). William Sr. was a son of fur-trader John Jacob Astor (1763–1848) and Sarah Cox Todd (1761–1834) while Margaret's parents were Senator John Armstrong Jr. (1758–1843) and Alida Livingston (1761–1822) of the Livingston family. In addition to John Jacob III, William Jr.'s siblings were Emily (1819–1841), Laura (1824–1902), Mary (1826–1881), Henry (1830–1918), and Sarah (1832–1832). William Sr.'s elder brother was occasional poet John Jacob Astor Jr. (1791–1869).
A well-liked man, Astor graduated from Columbia College in 1849. On September 23, 1853 at Trinity Church he married the socially ambitious Caroline Webster "Lina" Schermerhorn (1830–1908), who reigned over New York and Newport society as simply "the Mrs. Astor." Her parents were Abraham Schermerhorn and Helen White. William Jr. and Lina had 5 children:
William Jr. had little interest in society parties, and Lina would try to keep him at his club late to prevent him coming home and sending the orchestra out and his children to bed.
He supported the abolition of slavery before the American Civil War, and during the war, he personally bore the cost to equip an entire Union Army regiment.
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