Leonard Jerome
Encyclopedia
Leonard Walter Jerome was a Brooklyn, New York, financier and grandfather of Winston Churchill
.
Huguenot
immigrant who arrived in the New York Colony in 1717. Jerome was born on a farm in the Central New York
town of Pompey
, near Syracuse
. He studied law, graduated from Union College
, and set up a practice in Rochester, New York
. He later moved to New York City
, where he became a stock speculator and promoter.
". He held interests in several railroad companies and was often a partner in the deals of Cornelius Vanderbilt
. He was a patron of the arts, and founded the Academy of Music
, one of New York City's earliest opera house
s.
During the New York Draft Riots
, Jerome defended the New York Times office building with a Gatling Gun
. Although he had significant holdings in the Times, he was not the majority shareholder as is sometimes erroneously claimed.
The Jerome Mansion
, on the corner of Madison Avenue and 26th Street, had a six-hundred-seat theatre, a breakfast room which seated seventy people, a ballroom of white and gold with champagne- and cologne-spouting fountains, and a view of Madison Square Park. It was later sold and housed a series of private clubs. The mansion was torn down in 1967.
with his friend, William K. Vanderbilt
. They shared a special passion for thoroughbred horse racing
and helped found the American Jockey Club
.
In 1866, Jerome bought the estate and mansion of James Bathgate near Old Fordham Village in what was then rural Westchester County, but is now The Bronx
. Jerome and financier August Belmont, Sr. built Jerome Park Racetrack
on the Bathgate land; the first Belmont Stakes
was held there in 1867. Jerome and his brother Lawrence had a wide boulevard made from Macombs Dam
to the track, which city authorities attempted to name "Murphy Avenue" after a local politician. This incensed Jerome's wife so much that she had bronze plaques saying "Jerome Avenue" made up and bolted into place along the road, forcing the city to accept the name. The racetrack was acquired and demolished by the city in 1894, to make way for Jerome Park Reservoir
. The Bathgate mansion served as a summer home for the Jerome family. In the early 1900s, the mansion was razed and replaced by the Kingsbridge Armory.
Jerome became a resident of Brooklyn. He, Vanderbilt, and other investors founded the Coney Island Jockey Club which in 1884 built the Sheepshead Bay Race Track
.
on 5 April 1849, and they had four daughters together. One daughter, Camille, died at age eight. The other three – Jennie, Clara, and Leonie – became known, in some quarters, as "the Good, the Witty and the Beautiful". Leonard Jerome's wealth afforded his daughters the opportunity to spend much time in Europe
where they associated with the aristocratic elite of the day. All three married British husbands:
Jerome was also rumored to be the father of the American opera
singer Minnie Hauk
. He also had an affair in the 1860s with Mrs. Pierre Lorillard Ronalds
, then separated from her husband. Mrs. Ronalds later lived in London, where she remained a friend of Jerome's daughter Jennie.
Leonard Jerome died at the age of 73 in Brighton, England. He is buried in the Green-Wood Cemetery
in Brooklyn.
in the Bronx, Jerome Avenue in Brooklyn, Jerome Park Reservoir
, and the Jerome Stakes are all named for Leonard Jerome.
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
.
Early life
Leonard Jerome was the son of Aurora Murray and Isaac Jerome. Isaac was a distant descendant of Timothy Jerome, a FrenchFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
immigrant who arrived in the New York Colony in 1717. Jerome was born on a farm in the Central New York
Central New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
town of Pompey
Pompey, New York
Pompey is a town in the southeast part of Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,159 at the 2000 census. The town was named after the Roman general and political leader Pompey by a late 18th-century clerk interested in the Classics in the new federal republic.- History :The...
, near Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. He studied law, graduated from Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
, and set up a practice in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. He later moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he became a stock speculator and promoter.
Career
Jerome was a flamboyant and successful stock speculator. He made and lost several fortunes, and was known as "The King of Wall StreetWall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
". He held interests in several railroad companies and was often a partner in the deals of Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...
. He was a patron of the arts, and founded the Academy of Music
Academy of Music (Manhattan)
The Academy of Music was a New York City opera house, located at East 14th Street and Irving Place in Manhattan. The 4,000-seat hall opened on October 2, 1854. The New York Times review declared it to be an acoustical "triumph", but "In every other aspect .....
, one of New York City's earliest opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
s.
During the New York Draft Riots
New York Draft Riots
The New York City draft riots were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself...
, Jerome defended the New York Times office building with a Gatling Gun
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
. Although he had significant holdings in the Times, he was not the majority shareholder as is sometimes erroneously claimed.
The Jerome Mansion
Jerome Mansion
The Jerome Mansion was the home of financier Leonard Jerome, one of the richest and most influential men in New York City in the middle- to late-19th century, and a frequent business partner of Cornelius Vanderbilt. The mansion was located on the corner of East 26th Street and Madison Avenue,...
, on the corner of Madison Avenue and 26th Street, had a six-hundred-seat theatre, a breakfast room which seated seventy people, a ballroom of white and gold with champagne- and cologne-spouting fountains, and a view of Madison Square Park. It was later sold and housed a series of private clubs. The mansion was torn down in 1967.
Sporting activities
Jerome was an avid sportsman. He enjoyed yachtingYachting
Yachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other water vessels for sporting purposes.-Competitive sailing:...
with his friend, William K. Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.-Biography:...
. They shared a special passion for thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
and helped found the American Jockey Club
The Jockey Club
The Jockey Club, formed on February 9, 1894, is the keeper of The American Stud Book. It came into existence after James R. Keene spearheaded a drive in support of racehorse trainers who had complained about the Board of Control that governed racing in New York State.-History:On its formation, The...
.
In 1866, Jerome bought the estate and mansion of James Bathgate near Old Fordham Village in what was then rural Westchester County, but is now The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. Jerome and financier August Belmont, Sr. built Jerome Park Racetrack
Jerome Park Racetrack
Jerome Park Racetrack was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility.-History:It opened in 1866 in the northwest part of Fordham, Westchester County , New York....
on the Bathgate land; the first Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
was held there in 1867. Jerome and his brother Lawrence had a wide boulevard made from Macombs Dam
Macombs Dam
Macombs Dam was a dam and bridge across the Harlem River between Manhattan and the Bronx in New York City, which existed from c.1814 to c.1858.-History:...
to the track, which city authorities attempted to name "Murphy Avenue" after a local politician. This incensed Jerome's wife so much that she had bronze plaques saying "Jerome Avenue" made up and bolted into place along the road, forcing the city to accept the name. The racetrack was acquired and demolished by the city in 1894, to make way for Jerome Park Reservoir
Jerome Park Reservoir
The Jerome Park Reservoir is located in Jerome Park, a neighborhood in the North Bronx, New York City. It was built in 1906 to serve the Croton Aqueduct as part of the New York City water supply system....
. The Bathgate mansion served as a summer home for the Jerome family. In the early 1900s, the mansion was razed and replaced by the Kingsbridge Armory.
Jerome became a resident of Brooklyn. He, Vanderbilt, and other investors founded the Coney Island Jockey Club which in 1884 built the Sheepshead Bay Race Track
Sheepshead Bay Race Track
Sheepshead Bay Race Track was an American Thoroughbred horse racing facility built on the site of the Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay, New York...
.
Marriage and family
Jerome married Clara Hall (1825–1895) in Palmyra, New YorkPalmyra, New York
Palmyra, New York may refer to:*Palmyra , New York*Palmyra , New York...
on 5 April 1849, and they had four daughters together. One daughter, Camille, died at age eight. The other three – Jennie, Clara, and Leonie – became known, in some quarters, as "the Good, the Witty and the Beautiful". Leonard Jerome's wealth afforded his daughters the opportunity to spend much time in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
where they associated with the aristocratic elite of the day. All three married British husbands:
- Jennie Jerome married Lord Randolph ChurchillLord Randolph ChurchillLord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
(1849–1895), younger son of the Duke of MarlboroughJohn Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of MarlboroughJohn Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, KG, PC , styled Earl of Sunderland from 1822 to 1840 and Marquess of Blandford from 1840 to 1857, was a British statesman and nobleman...
, and was mother to Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and another son. - Clarita Jerome, known as Clara, married Moreton FrewenMoreton FrewenMoreton Frewen was an Anglo-Irish writer on monetary reform who served briefly as a Member of Parliament .-Life:...
(1853–1924), fifth son of Thomas Frewen MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, a charming spendthrift who ran up huge debts trying to operate a ranch in WyomingWyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, and through gambling, sports, and women. They had two sons, Hugh and Oswald, and one daughter Clare. - Leonie Jerome married Sir John Leslie (1857–1944), an IrishIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
BaronetBaronetA baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, whose family estates covered 70000 acres (283.3 km²). They had four sons. For many years, she maintained a liaison with Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and StrathearnPrince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and StrathearnPrince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
.
Jerome was also rumored to be the father of the American opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer Minnie Hauk
Minnie Hauk
thumb|Minnie Hauk in a [[cabinet card]] photograph, ca. 1880Amalia Mignon Hauck , was an American operatic soprano....
. He also had an affair in the 1860s with Mrs. Pierre Lorillard Ronalds
Fanny Ronalds
Mary Frances "Fanny" Ronalds , was an American socialite and amateur singer who is best known for her long affair with the composer Arthur Sullivan in London in the last decades of the nineteenth century....
, then separated from her husband. Mrs. Ronalds later lived in London, where she remained a friend of Jerome's daughter Jennie.
Leonard Jerome died at the age of 73 in Brighton, England. He is buried in the Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County , New York. It was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2006 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.-History:...
in Brooklyn.
Honors
Jerome AvenueJerome Avenue
Jerome Avenue is one of the longest thoroughfares in the New York City borough of the Bronx, New York, United States. The road is 5.6 miles long and stretches from Highbridge general area to Woodlawn. Both of these termini are with the Major Deegan Expressway which runs parallel to the west. Most...
in the Bronx, Jerome Avenue in Brooklyn, Jerome Park Reservoir
Jerome Park Reservoir
The Jerome Park Reservoir is located in Jerome Park, a neighborhood in the North Bronx, New York City. It was built in 1906 to serve the Croton Aqueduct as part of the New York City water supply system....
, and the Jerome Stakes are all named for Leonard Jerome.