Roderick Terry Explained

Roderick Terry (April 1, 1849 - December 28, 1933) was an American Presbyterian clergyman and philanthropist.

Early life

Terry was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 1, 1849. He was the son of Elizabeth Roe (Peet) Terry (1826–1899) and merchant and banker John T. Terry, an associate of Edwin D. Morgan.^[1] Among his siblings were Frederick Peet Terry (who married Ellen Mills Battell),^[2] and John Taylor Terry Jr.^[3] (who married Bertha Halsted, sister of William Stewart Halsted).^{[4] [5]}

His maternal grandparents were Frederick Tomlinson Peet and Elizabeth Roe (Lockwood) Peet.^[6] His paternal grandparents were Harriet (Taylor) Terry and Roderick Terry, a member of the Connecticut General Assembly who was president of The Exchange Bank in Hartford.^[7] Terry traced his lineage to Gov. William Bradford of Mayflower and Plymouth Colony fame as well as Continental Army Col. Nathaniel Terry.

He graduated from Yale University in 1870 and from Union Theological Seminary in New York City five years later in 1875. In 1881, Princeton University conferred on him an LL.D. degree.

Career

Shortly after graduating from Seminary, he was ordained in the Presbyterian ministry and his first church was in Peekskill in Westchester County, New York. His father had been among the founders of the Irvington Presbyterian Church in June 1853. Shortly after 1881, he became minister of the South Reformed Presbyterian Church in New York, later disbanded, which he held for twenty-four years until his retirement in 1905.

From 1890 to 1900, he served as Chaplain of the 12th Regiment Infantry New York Volunteers in the New York State National Guard. With that outfit, he took part in the Spanish-American War as a chaplain.^[8] In 1910, his name was mentioned as a possible candidate for mayor of Newport.^[9]

In 1911 Terry was elected as a hereditary member of the Connecticut Society of the Cincinnati.

In Newport, he was president of the Newport Historical Society and as president of the Board of Directors for the Redwood Library and Athenaeum from 1916 to 1933.

Books and manuscript collection

Similar to his father-in-law, who owned the famous Marquand Collection, Terry "was an assiduous collector of books and manuscripts and a major part of his collection was sold after his death (making $270,000 at three sales in 1934 and 1935), but his son did keep several thousand items." Upon his son's death in 1951, many of the items retained by him were left to the Redwood Library, including a number of letters.

Personal life

On September 22, 1875, Terry married Linda Marquand (1852–1931), a daughter of Elizabeth Love (Allen) Marquand and Henry Gurdon Marquand.^[10] Together, they lived at 169 Madison Avenue in New York City and were the parents of:^[11]

• Roderick Terry (1876–1951),^[12] a lawyer who also served as president of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum from 1940 to 1948.^[13]
• Eunice Terry (d. 1919),^[14] who married Eugene Hale Jr., a banker with Pendergast, Hale & Co. who was a son of U.S. Senator Eugene Hale and brother of U.S. Senator Frederick Hale and diplomat Chandler Hale,^[15] in 1906.^[16]

They inherited his father-in-law's home in Newport, Rhode Island, known as Linden Gate, on the corner of Rhode Island Avenue and Old Beach Road.^[17] The house was designed by noted architect Richard Morris Hunt and was built between 1872 and 1873. They were noted for their entertaining in Newport.^{[18] [19] [20]} Linden Gate, which was inherited by their son Roderick,^[21] destroyed by fire in 1973.^[22]

His wife died at Linden Gate on May 28, 1931 after a long illness.^[10] Terry died in Newport on December 28, 1933.^[23] He was buried at Island Cemetery in Newport.^{[24] [25]}

External links

• Roderick Terry, Jr. autograph collection (RLC.Ms.024) at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum
• 1907 Portrait of Roderick Terry by Albert Sterner, at the National Portrait Gallery
• The library of the late Rev. Dr. Roderick Terry of Newport, Rhode Island, to be dispersed at unrestricted public sale by order of his son Roderick Terry, jr

Notes and References

1. Book: Who's Who in America . 1923 . A.N. Marquis . 3027 . 20 July 2022 . en.
2. News: TIMES . Special to THE NEW YORK . MRS. C. STOECKEL, PATRON OF MUSIC; Founder With Late Husband of the Annual Festival Held in Norfolk, Conn., Dies at 88 BUILT A HALL ON ESTATE Gave a Music Library to Yale, Aided Students--Donated Land for State Park . 20 July 2022 . . 6 May 1939.
3. News: JOHN T. TERRY, 81; RETIRED FINANCIER; Former Director and Trustee of Banks and Railroad Is Dead at His Home . 20 July 2022 . . 1 June 1942.
4. News: MRS. JOHN T. TERRY.; Leader in Philanthropies Here Dies in Garden City Hotel. . 20 July 2022 . . 25 September 1930.
5. News: JOHN TAYLOR TERRY . 20 July 2022 . . 12 July 1974.
6. Book: Descendants of Robert Lockwood: Colonial and Revolutionary History of the Lockwood Family in America, from A.D. 1630 . 1889 . Printed privately by the family . 483 . 20 July 2022 . en.
7. Book: Dwight . Benjamin Woodbridge . The History of the Descendants of John Dwight, of Dedham, Mass . 1874 . J. F. Trow & son, printers and bookbinders . 978-0-7884-4891-1 . 297–298 . 20 July 2022 . en.
8. Web site: 12th Regiment Infantry New York Volunteers Spanish-American War . museum.dmna.ny.gov . New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center . 21 July 2022.
9. News: Times . Special to The New York . REFORM MAYOR FOR NEWPORT; The Civic League and the Municipal Association Wish to Nominate Dr. Roderick Terry. . 21 July 2022 . . 24 October 1910.
10. News: Times . Special to The New York . MRS. RODERICK TERRY DIES IN NEWPORT HOME; Wife of Retired New York Pastor and Daughter of the Late Henry Marquand. . 20 July 2022 . . 29 May 1931.
11. Book: Reports of cases heard and determined in the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York . 1921 . 284 . 21 July 2022 . en.
12. News: RODERICK TERRY JR. . 21 July 2022 . . 8 June 1951.
13. Web site: Roderick Terry, Jr. autograph collection . www.riamco.org . Rhode Island Archival and Manuscript Collections Online . 21 July 2022.
14. News: Died -- HALE . 21 July 2022 . . 29 December 1919 . On Sunday, Dec. 28, at Saranac Lake, N. Y., Eunice Terry Hale, wife of Eugene Hale Jr..
15. News: EUGENE HALE JR. DIES IN HOSPITAL; Retired Broker Was a Brother of U.S. Senator Frederick Hale of Maine. HARVARD LAW GRADUATE He Was a Member of the New York Stock Exchange More Than 20 Years. . 21 July 2022 . . 17 February 1933.
16. News: HALE -- TERRY. . 21 July 2022 . . 16 November 1906.
17. News: Times . Special to The New York . FINDS NECKLACE IN ROAD.; Coachman Recovers Mrs. Terry's Lost Diamonds Near Her Newport Villa. . 21 July 2022 . . 19 September 1910.
18. News: Times . Special to The New York . LADY S. WAVERTREE GUEST OF HONOR; Luncheon Given for Newport Visitor by Mr. and Mrs. Perry Belmont. RODERICK TERRYS HOSTS Entertainment at Linden Gate in Celebration of Their Wedding Anniversary. . 21 July 2022 . . 23 September 1928.
19. News: Times . Special to The New York . NEWPORT SEASON WELL UNDER WAY; Many Homes In the Resort's Summer Colony Have Been Opened. FRAZIER JELKES ENTERTAIN Due and Duchesse de Broglie Among Their Guests--Dr. and Mrs. Roderick Terry Hosts. . 21 July 2022 . . 9 June 1929.
20. News: Times . Special to The New York . COUNT A.P. VILLA HOST AT NEWPORT; Others Entertaining Over WeekEnd Are A.S. Roches, J.C.Waterburys and K.P. Budds. RENEWS GOLF COMPETITION The Rev. Dr. Roderick Terry to GivePrizes for Season Scores for Men and Women Players at Links. . 21 July 2022 . . 1 July 1929.
21. News: TIMES . Special to THE NEW YORK . SEVERAL PARTIES GIVEN IN NEWPORT; Roderick Terry, Mr. and Mrs. Hermann Oelrichs and Mrs. Lorillard Spencer Hosts . 21 July 2022 . . 3 August 1937.
22. Web site: History Bytes: John Singer Sargent in Newport . newporthistory.org . . 21 July 2022 . 8 June 2011.
23. News: Times . Special to The New York . Rev. Dr. Roderick Terry Operated On . 20 July 2022 . . 8 February 1921.
24. News: TIMES . Special to THE NEW YORK . THE REV. DR. TERRY DEAD IN NEWPORT; Philanthropist and Long Civic Leader, 84, Was Chaplain in Spanish-American War. PASTOR HERE 24 YEARS Newport Historical Society and Redwood Library Head--Noted as Collector of Books. . 21 July 2022 . . 29 December 1933.
25. News: TIMES . Special to THE NEW YORK . Terry Will Aids Institution. . 20 July 2022 . . 4 January 1934.