{"id":103380,"date":"2025-07-10T12:25:37","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T16:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/?p=103380"},"modified":"2025-07-16T13:35:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T17:35:02","slug":"mayflower-descendants-whos-who-part-48-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/mayflower-descendants-whos-who-part-48-part-3.html","title":{"rendered":"Mayflower Descendants: Who\u2019s Who, Part 48 (part 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry continues her series on Mayflower descendants, again featuring the Hopkins family line, and offering diary entries from family friend Isabella Cass. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Today I continue my series on \u201cMayflower Descendants: Who\u2019s Who,\u201d again featuring a group of California pioneer families.<\/p>\n

To recap: In Part 2<\/a> I recalled \u201cDiary of Young Girl Recalls Gilded Age<\/a>,\u201d describing life in the Menlo Park, California, estate \u201cSherwood Hall\u201d owned by Mrs. Mary Frances (Sherwood) Hopkins, widow of California railroad magnet Mark Hopkins.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Thurlow Lodge, later renamed Sherwood Hall, Menlo Park, California. Credit: Stanford University, Department of Special Collections and University Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both Mark and Mary were direct descendants of Mayflower<\/em> passengers William Bradford, Thomas Rogers, John Alden, and Priscilla Mullins.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Mary Frances (Sherwood) Hopkins. Credit: UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library Collections.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Isabella Cass, author of the diary, was a guest of the Hopkins family in 1884-1885 along with Mrs. Hopkins\u2019s niece, Miss Mary \u201cMay\u201d Kellogg Crittenden (1862-1941), daughter of Hiram and Lydia (Sherwood) Crittenden, a direct descendant of Mayflower<\/em> passengers William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins, Thomas Rogers, John Alden, and Priscilla Mullins. Her full lineage is referenced in Part 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Mrs. Timothy Hopkins, born Mary \u201cMay\u201d Kellogg Crittenden. Credit: UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library Collections.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May married Timothy Hopkins, the adopted son of Mary Hopkins, on 28 November 1882.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Timothy Hopkins. Credit: UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library Collections.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fine Dining, Gilded Age Style<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Mark Hopkins died, he left a fortune and Mary was dubbed \u201cAmerica\u2019s richest widow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSherwood Hall\u201d was among the many palatial homes she would acquire. Isabella Cass\u2019s diary also mentions her visits to Mary\u2019s Nob Hill, San Francisco, California, mansion.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Mary Hopkins\u2019s Nob Hill, San Francisco, mansion. Credit: David Kolifrath.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The extravagant lifestyle Cass observed in her hostess\u2019 and monied friends\u2019 mansions never bored her.<\/p>\n

One couple mentioned often in Cass\u2019s diary entries was Mr. and Mrs. Jared L. Rathbone.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Rathbone was born Maria Alejandra Atherton in Valpara\u00edso, Chile, to American shipping and merchant magnet Faxon Dean Atherton and his wife Dominga Guadalupe Go\u00f1i Prieto.<\/p>\n

Cass writes:<\/p>\n

May and I went (drove horse carriage) down to the Palace Hotel and stayed a long time with Mrs. Rathbone in her pretty room. She showed us some of her paintings. She wore a crushed strawberry-colored wrapper, and a white-crepe handkerchief draped about her head.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here is an image of Mrs. Rathbone.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Mrs. Jared L. Rathbone. Credit: UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library Collections.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maria married Jared Lawrence Rathbone (1844-1907), born to the first elected mayor of Albany, New York, Jared Lewis Rathbone, and his wife Pauline Noyes (Pinney) Rathbone, who later married Senator Ira Harris, a close friend of Abraham Lincoln\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Jared L. Rathbone was a Union Civil War major. When he was 17 years old, President Lincoln appointed him to West Point. Below is a photo of Jared when he was at West Point.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: cadet Jared Lawrence Rathbone, West Point. Credit: Mathew Brady; Seward R. Osborne collection.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I found Jared\u2019s obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle<\/em>. He died on 2 May 1907.<\/p>\n

\"An
San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California), 3 May 1907, page 7<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to the obit: Major Jared L. Rathbone was founder of the Burlingame Country Club; owner at one time of the Palo Alto ranch which became the campus of Stanford University; Consul general to Paris during Cleveland\u2019s administration from 1881 to 1891; Aide-de-camp to Lieutenant General Schofield from 1866 to 1873; West Point graduate; and native of Albany New York.<\/p>\n

This obituary notes:<\/p>\n

Major Rathbone has for years been a notable figure in the more exclusive club circles, in the Army set, and among the wealthy fanciers of fine horses.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

His elder brother Major Henry Rathbone<\/a> was seated in the box at Ford\u2019s Theatre with President Abraham Lincoln when Lincoln was assassinated.<\/p>\n

In another entry from her diary, dated Friday, 9 January 1885, Isabella Cass describes attending a dinner party given at the home of Gov. Stanford.<\/p>\n

\"Photos:
Photos: the exterior of the home of Gov. Stanford, and the dining area. Credit: San Francisco Public Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gov. Stanford, born Amasa Leland Stanford (1824-1893) to Josiah and Elizabeth Hannah (Phillips) Stanford, married Jane Elizabeth Lathrop (1828-1905), daughter of Dyer and Jane Ann (Shields) Lathrop.<\/p>\n

Jane Elizabeth was godmother to Timothy and May Hopkins\u2019s daughter Lydia Kellogg Hopkins, born in 1887. When Lydia was christened, Jane Elizabeth presented her godchild with a necklace with the letters of her name \u201cLydia\u201d set in diamonds. In these circles you are never too young for bling!<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Mrs. Jane Elizabeth Stanford Credit: UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library Collections.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The special guests at the Stanford\u2019s 9 January 1885 dinner party were: three of Mrs. Stanford\u2019s nieces, Jane Monteath Wilson Lathrop, Aimee Gardner Lathrop, and Christine Monteath Dunn Lathrop; and their mother Harriet Monteath Wilson Lathrop, wife of Daniel Shields Lathrop.<\/p>\n

In her diary, Cass records:<\/p>\n

As I was introduced to the [three] Misses L[athrop], the eldest came forward and spoke with me. She had graduated from Albany under Minnie [Mae McLean Kammerer<\/a>] and was very fond of her. Lt. Cotton was there and escorted me out to dinner.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Another attendee at that dinner party was Mr. Herbert Charles Nash, first English tutor for Leland Stanford Jr., and later Mr. Stanford\u2019s secretary and the first librarian of Stanford University.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:
Photo: Herbert C. Nash. Credit: UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library Collections.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cass writes about the fabulous fashions and jewels worn by the ladies:<\/p>\n

May wore a black velvet skirt, with panels of red satin, on which were raised velvet feathers and an uncut red velvet jacket trimmed with gold coin pendants, and large hoop earrings, such as we see in the pictures of oriental women, and broad plain gold bracelets, and coin necklace. She looked magnificent. Mrs. Hopkins wore dark blue silk, with fringe and trimmings of iridescent beads and filagree and the biggest sapphires in her ears, and bracelets. I wore my pink dress. Mrs. Major Rathbone wore white and a cross of black and gold with pearls and miniatures, which was the gift of Marie Antonette to a friend.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Another line in this diary especially caught my attention. It will be covered in my next story:<\/p>\n

Friday Dec. 26, 1884<\/p>\n

I went with May [and Mrs. Rathbone] to the occultist and then different stores.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> \u201cMayflower in Plymouth Harbor,\u201d by William Halsall, 1882. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/p>\n

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