Rosencrantz Family: Last Generation
Adult life of William Dayton I (1852-1915)
After managing the family’s cotton mill, which he modernized by converting from water to steam power and expanded in the 1880s, William sold the mill in 1891, marking a shift in his career. Known for his inventive spirit, William secured a patent in 1897 for a textile machine part and briefly ventured into the ice business and photography.
A true pioneer in his community, he was instrumental in founding the Ho-Ho-Kus Golf Club in the early 1890s, helping to popularize the sport in Bergen County.
William married Mary Caroline Warner in 1878. Together, they had William Dayton II (who went by Dayton) and Mary Elizabeth. Mary Caroline became ill shortly after Mary Elizabeth was born. Bessie Grove Tyler, cousin to William's stepmother Lillie, came from Richmond to help out. At age 16, she didn't expect to be minding two young children. Four years after Mary Caroline died, Bessie and William were married.
Despite personal losses and career changes, William remained a respected figure at The Hermitage, balancing family life with his evolving professional and social pursuits.
A true pioneer in his community, he was instrumental in founding the Ho-Ho-Kus Golf Club in the early 1890s, helping to popularize the sport in Bergen County.
William married Mary Caroline Warner in 1878. Together, they had William Dayton II (who went by Dayton) and Mary Elizabeth. Mary Caroline became ill shortly after Mary Elizabeth was born. Bessie Grove Tyler, cousin to William's stepmother Lillie, came from Richmond to help out. At age 16, she didn't expect to be minding two young children. Four years after Mary Caroline died, Bessie and William were married.
Despite personal losses and career changes, William remained a respected figure at The Hermitage, balancing family life with his evolving professional and social pursuits.
William "Dayton" Rosencrantz II (1881-1958)
After the early death of his mother, he was raised by his stepmother Bessie and guided by his Aunt Bess, growing up in an active household filled with family, pets, and outdoor adventures.
Encouraged by his father, Dayton attempted a career in the textile industry. He trained in England at the Platt Works in Oldham and attended a textile engineering school for a time in Germany. During part of World War I, he lived in France and married a French woman named Mathilda. After moving back to the U.S. without her, he was married to an American woman named Jean. They had a daughter in 1933, whom they named Mary Elizabeth.
Dayton lost touch with the family around the time when his father died. He only reached out to his sister, Mary Elizabeth in 1949 to ask for money after having a stroke.
Encouraged by his father, Dayton attempted a career in the textile industry. He trained in England at the Platt Works in Oldham and attended a textile engineering school for a time in Germany. During part of World War I, he lived in France and married a French woman named Mathilda. After moving back to the U.S. without her, he was married to an American woman named Jean. They had a daughter in 1933, whom they named Mary Elizabeth.
Dayton lost touch with the family around the time when his father died. He only reached out to his sister, Mary Elizabeth in 1949 to ask for money after having a stroke.
Mary Elizabeth Rosencrantz (1885-1970)
Mary Elizabeth was an infant when her mother died, but she grew up alongside her other brother Dayton in a bustling home.
She was an accomplished golfer, encouraged by her father from a young age, frequently playing at the Ridgewood Golf Club and winning several competitions. Mary Elizabeth also enjoyed singing lessons and was active in the local social scene, attending dances, parties, sporting events, and various community gatherings in Ho-Ho-Kus and neighboring towns. With a well-rounded upbringing, Mary Elizabeth combined athletic pursuits with a rich social life, embodying the spirited and cultured lifestyle of the Hermitage’s later generations.
Mary Elizabeth and her Aunt Bess ran a Tea Room at the Hermitage from 1917 to 1931 in May to October in an effort to make enough money to support themselves and the house. Bessie, who moved to Virginia after the death of her husband William, would travel up for the season to help out.
After Aunt Bess died, Mary Elizabeth lived at the Hermitage for several decades with her friend Katie Zahner.
She was an accomplished golfer, encouraged by her father from a young age, frequently playing at the Ridgewood Golf Club and winning several competitions. Mary Elizabeth also enjoyed singing lessons and was active in the local social scene, attending dances, parties, sporting events, and various community gatherings in Ho-Ho-Kus and neighboring towns. With a well-rounded upbringing, Mary Elizabeth combined athletic pursuits with a rich social life, embodying the spirited and cultured lifestyle of the Hermitage’s later generations.
Mary Elizabeth and her Aunt Bess ran a Tea Room at the Hermitage from 1917 to 1931 in May to October in an effort to make enough money to support themselves and the house. Bessie, who moved to Virginia after the death of her husband William, would travel up for the season to help out.
After Aunt Bess died, Mary Elizabeth lived at the Hermitage for several decades with her friend Katie Zahner.
