... May married into wealth on February 8, 1853, when he wed Josephine Law, the 19-year-old daughter of George Law, a steamboat proprietor and Know-Nothing Party presidential candidate. They married at the Old South Dutch Reformed Church on Fifth Avenue at 21st Street, where the bride wore a white satin dress with lace embroidery that reportedly cost $1,500. The lavish reception at Law’s mansion was attended by 400 guests who dined on the finest wines and delicacies. Their marriage is recorded in Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989 and was announced in the London Free Press on February 26, 1853, which noted that the bride’s father was a well-known steam ship owner. ...
