Paul Siegvolk (real name Albert Mathews) (September 8, 1820 – September 9, 1903) was an American author, lawyer and editor. He was also the step-father of

Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt (; November 11, 1845 – April 24, 1934) was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and reigned as the matriarch of the Vanderbilt family for over 60 years. Early life and relatives Alice Claypoole Gwynne was born on Novem ...

Life

Mathews was born in New York City on September 8, 1820. He was the son of Oliver Mathews (1794–1881) and Mary (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Field) Mathews (1796–1866). His father's family in the United States originated with Annanias Mathews, his great-grandfather, who came from England in the 17th century. His mother's side was descended from Robert Field, a

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

who also came from England and settled in

Flushing Flushing may refer to: Places * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in the United Kingdom * Flushing, Queens, New York City ** Flushing Bay, a bay off the north shore of Queens ** Flushing Chinatown (法拉盛華埠), a community in Queens ** Flushing ...

, which was then considered

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

, in 1645. He graduated from

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

in 1842, where he was co-editor and contributor to the

Yale Literary Magazine The ''Yale Literary Magazine'', founded in 1836, is the oldest student literary magazine in the United States and publishes poetry, fiction, and visual art by Yale undergraduates twice per academic year. Notable alumni featured in the magazine whi ...

. He studied law at

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1832 and 1843.

Career

Mathews was admitted to the New York Bar in 1845 and practiced law in New York City for forty five years. He was a contributor to ''

The Knickerbocker ''The Knickerbocker'', or ''New-York Monthly Magazine'', was a literary magazine of New York City, founded by Charles Fenno Hoffman in 1833, and published until 1865. Its long-term editor and publisher was Lewis Gaylord Clark, whose "Editor's Ta ...

'' from 1852-8. He also wrote for the

New York Mirror The ''New-York Mirror'' was a weekly newspaper published in New York City from 1823 to 1842, succeeded by ''The New Mirror'' in 1843 and 1844. Its producers then launched a daily newspaper named ''The Evening Mirror'', which published from 1844 ...

Home Journal ''Town & Country'', formerly the ''Home Journal'' and ''The National Press'', is a monthly American lifestyle magazine. It is the oldest continually published general interest magazine in the United States. History Early history The magazine w ...

and Evening Post. His ''Walter Ashwood: A Love Story'' was published in New York in 1859 (duodecimo).

Personal life

In 1848, he first married Louisa Mott Strong (1826–1858). Following her death, he married Rachel Moore Flagg (1822–1884), the daughter of

Henry Collins Flagg Henry Collins Flagg Jr. (January 5, 1792 – March 8, 1863) was an American lawyer, newspaper editor, and politician. He was the grandfather of Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt. Early life Flagg was born in the parish of St. Thomas, near Charleston, S ...

, the long time

mayor of New Haven, Connecticut This is a list of the Mayors of New Haven, Connecticut. Before 1826, the city's mayors did not have a fixed term of office; once elected, they held office indefinitely, at the pleasure of the Connecticut General Assembly. Beginning in 1826 the ma ...

, and Martha Whiting Flagg, in 1861. Rachel, the widow of Abraham Evan Gwynne, was the mother of

Alice Claypoole Gwynne Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt (; November 11, 1845 – April 24, 1934) was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and reigned as the matriarch of the Vanderbilt family for over 60 years. Early life and relatives Alice Claypoole Gwynne was born on Novem ...

, who married

Cornelius Vanderbilt II Cornelius "Corneil" Vanderbilt II (November 27, 1843 – September 12, 1899) was an American socialite and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family. Noted forebears He was the favorite grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbil ...

in 1867. Mathews lived at The Chelsea located at 222 West 23rd Street in New York City and his office was located at 31 Pine Street, also in New York. Mathews died on September 9, 1903 at

Lake Mohonk Lake Mohonk is a lake in Ulster County, New York, United States. It is located approximately northwest of Poughkeepsie. Activities on the lake are operated by Mohonk Mountain House. Description The small lake, long and deep, is located above ...

in New York. He was a member of the

Bar Association A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence. The word bar is derived from the old English/European custom of using a physical railing to separ ...

, University Club, Century Club,

Yale Club Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

and Authors Clubs as well as the National Sculptors' Society, National Arts Society, and American Arts Society. On February 27, 1882, he was elected a member of the

Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York The Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York is a charitable organization in New York City of men who are descended from early inhabitants of the State of New York. Charles R. Mackenzie is the current president. The organization preserves ...

Published works

* ''Lines to A.M.''

, March 1852, pp. 263–264 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, January 1852, pp. 42–45 * ''Schediasms'' including ''The Rights of Children'' The Knickerbocker, Issue 39, June 1852, pp. 487–490 * ''Schediasms: The Blithedale Romance'' The Knickerbocker, November 1852, pp. 381–384 * ''Sebediasms'' The Knickerbocker, March 1853, pp. 197–202 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, May 1854, pp. 503–504 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, March 1856, pp. 275–278 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, June 1856, pp. 609–611 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, July 1856, pp. 68–70 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, August 1856, pp. 172–174 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, October 1856, pp. 345–350 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, November 1856, pp. 495–497 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, January 1857, pp. 13–17 * ''Schediasms'' The Knickerbocker, May 1857, pp. 435–437 * ''Walter Ashwood: A Love Story'' (1860)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siegvolk, Paul 1820 births 1903 deaths Knickerbocker Group American lawyers American editors American male writers