Person:Robert King (66)

Personal History

Robert Hays King (1815-1895)

Robert Hays King (1815-1895) was born in Millford, County Donegal, Ireland. When a young man he immigrated to America. The first four years of his life in America were spent in Baltimore after which he moved to Pittsburgh. He opened a grocery store on Liberty Street in partnership with Mr. Wilkinson (ref store ad 1857-age 42). In 1866 (age 51) he was elected president of the Cash Insurance Company and continued in that position until his death (age 80). Mr. King held stock in almost every bank and insurance company in the city. He was a director in the Fort Pitt National Bank and was formerly a director of The Odd Fellows Bank. Mr. King lived in his house on Liberty Street and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church. Born in Millford, Ireland. Died 8/24/1895.

Mr. King had seven children with Anna Duff King (1815-1849), who was from Down, Northern Ireland and at his death, three children survived him. Surviving were his only two sons, William Duff King of Lloyd's Plate Glass Insurance Company and Alexander Milford King also in the insurance business. His surviving daughter, Miss Martha King (1843-1926), lived with him through his death and she married Joseph William Kepler (1842-1926), an age-mate and widower from Chicago, in 1899, four years following his death.

Based on his obituary, his will, and JW Kepler's family legend, RH King was extremely successful and left an intricate will for which he appointed his daughter, Martha, to be it's executrix. Based on the will, his two surviving sons, WD and AM King, apparently had financial problems and debts and Martha was assigned to place their one third portions in trust and to pay them interest while protecting the principle from their debtors. They each had two sons that were called out by name in the will who also received specific payments to be made by Martha. After Martha's death, as the last surviving child of RH King, her heirs were to receive her portion who were known to be nephews of her husband, JW Kepler. However, family legend says that surviving grandsons of RH King claimed her estate and succeeded.

Historical Context

Two notable dates in history add perspective to the interesting story of RH King's wealth and his will. JW Kepler's family legend presumed that RH King's wealth was somehow connected to the Mellon family, but research was not found to confirm that. However, Mellon Bank was founded in 1869, a financial boom-time in Pittsburgh, so as well-connected as RH King was in that period, achieving great wealth seems reasonable. On the flip side, however, Martha died in 1926, during the roaring 20's and just 3 years before the crash of 1929, so one can imagine Martha's then-wealth, but also the prospects for such wealth a short time later.

WikiTree.com Page [1]
Family Search ID LY29-LRC

Sources

1. Bio based on the Robert Hays King obituary published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8/26/1895, research done by Lucius B. Donkle III for whom Martha is the wife of his third-great-uncle, and on an audio interview with Joseph Kepler Murdock in 1976, at age 79, 9 years before his death.
2. Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, Robert H King, Probate Date 6 Sep 1895, Case Number151, Item Description Will Packets, Vol 049-050, 1895-1896 (available on Ancestry.com)

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Pennsylvania, United States. Pennsylvania, United States. Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2015)
   Will Packets Or Files, 1789-1917; Author: Allegheny County (Pennsylvania). Register of Wills; Probate Place: Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Pennsylvania, United States. Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1968 [database online] . (Lehi, Utah: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014)
   Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Harrisburg, PA; Pennsylvania (State). Death Certificates, 1906-1968; Certificate Number Range: 016571-020250.
3. ↑ Presbyterian Historical Society. U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970. (Ancestry.com [database on-line])
   Presbyterian Historical Society; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1907; Book Title: Session/Register_Baptisms, Births, Marriages_1845-1852; Accession Number: V MI46 P6823fs.
4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 United States. 1840 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M704)
   Year: 1840; Census Place: Plum, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: 441; Family History Library Film: 0020536.
5. ↑ Find A Grave
   Catherine H. King.

   _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/127294420/catherine-h.-king

6. ↑ Find A Grave
   Robert Hayes King 24 Aug 1895.

   _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122454648/robert-hayes-king

7. ↑ Find A Grave
   William Duff King.

   _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54460450/william-duff-king

8. ↑ Find A Grave
   Martha King Kepler.

   _LINK: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/120377817/martha-kepler