Introduction
Mary Goelet, Duchess of Roxburghe (October 6, 1878 – April 26, 1937) was an American-British socialite and heiress.
Early life
Mary Goelet was born in 1878. Her father was Ogden Goelet (d. 1897), a prominent heir and landlord in New York City and great-grandson of Peter Goelet, heir to one of the largest fortunes of the time. Her mother was Mary Wilson. She was a niece of Richard Thornton Wilson, Jr. and Grace Graham Wilson.
Personal life
In 1903, she married Henry Innes-Ker, 8th Duke of Roxburghe (1876–1932). The 8th Duke and Duchess of Roxburgh settled at Floors Castle, where Mary decorated the fortress with her own collection of art including a priceless series of 17th century Gobelins Manufactory tapestries. At the time of her marriage to the Duke of Roxburghe, she was the wealthiest American heiress, with a dowry of twenty million dollars, exceeded only by Consuelo Vanderbilt in the wealth brought to the transatlantic marriages of the pre-1914 era (see Gilded Age).
After ten years of childlessness, Mary gave birth to a son and heir:
- George Innes-Ker, 9th Duke of Roxburghe, who succeeded his father in 1932.
In 1929, she inherited $3,000,000 from her mother's estate after the death of her mother.
The Duchess of Roxburghe died in 1937.