Marie Antoinette Finck

The seventh and youngest of the Finck children was Marie Antoinette Finck (1878-1933). She, too, lived at the Eldridge St apartment building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with parents Frederick & Marie Antoinette Finck. They later moved to 138 East 19 St, NYC. According to the 1900 census it was just mother and daughter living at the 19th St house with a butler, a female servant and a boarder named George Johnson.

As told by the NY Times, on November 4, 1903, Miss Marie Antoinette Finck and Frederick Harriman Wright (1863-1933) - my great grandparents - were married at a 4 o'clock service at the prestigious All Souls Church located at Fourth Avenue and East 20 Street. The bride was given away by her brother, George Finck. Her Maid of Honor was her cousin, Antoinette Elliott. Frederick's best man was Smith Ely (his sister Madeleine's brother-in-law) along with John Finck, Adam Finck & Moses Ely as ushers. Reception followed at 138 E. 19 St at bride's home.

Marie Antoinette was known to her family as only, Antoinette and she and her new husband lived at the 19th St house for some time. Frederick was a sculptor and an artist. The name attached to his works of art was F. Harriman Wright. I have found some that have been sold in auction in the past few years. Most of his work involved wildlife and have sold for less than $500. He had a studio on Madison Avenue where he displayed and sold his work. I plan to discuss his family branch after the Finck family.

Self Portrait of F. Harriman Wright

 

Recently, I made an exploratory visit to Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. I was able to obtain some very interesting records that filled in some questions that have arisen. Antoinette and Frederick had two sons that the family was aware of. The elder was my grandfather, George Godfrey Wright (1906-1955). On his birth certificate there is a caption that George was the second child of Antoinette. Cemetery records show that Frederick Anthony Wright, who died as an infant in September 1904, is buried at the Finck family plot. I believe this would be the child referred to in George's birth certificate.

John Guttridge Wright (1910-1973) was born to the couple and was known to everyone as Jack.

Marie Antoinette with sons, George and Jack

The 1920 census bring us to some more curious information, though. The family had moved to 302 West 79 St in Manhattan. Listed on this census report is seven year-old sister Marie, born in 1913. None of my relatives are aware of this sibling. I have been unable to locate any records of her birth or death, either. The family also employed two servants, Jane Fewell and Ella Gray.

The 1930 census has the parents living with their sons, George, 23, and Jack, 20, at 344 West 72 Street with a wonderful view of Riverside Park. George was listed as following in his father's footsteps as commercial artist. No mention of a daughter, Marie. But there was one maid listed.

I will continue with the families of George and Jack in the next post.

The Finck Family Plot at Woodlawn Cemetery

Here is the information I was able to cull from the cemetery records. Here is a list of the people buried at the site with ages in parentheses:

Frederick Finck (69) - 3/2/1899

Marie Antoinette Finck (81) - 2/12/1915

George Finck (57) 10/13/1917 (later removed to Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla in 1918)

Adam Finck (55) - 6/30/1922

Emily A. Finck Elliott (58) - 4/3/1924

Richard W. Elliott (78) - 12/20/1938

Florence Mott Finck (53) - 3/20/1930

John Finck (82) 4/27/1951

Frederick H. Wright (70) 10/21/1933

Antoinette Wright (45) 8/4/1933 (obviously an error - age does not match other census records. This would make her born in 1888 instead of 1874 & only 15 when they married)

Fred Anthony Finck (infant) 9/2/1004 

 

John G. Wright (63) - 5/29/1973

Veronica M. Wright - (85) 1/13/2007

Deborah Wright (4) 7/14/1957