James Boulter Stokes (1804-1881)

He was born in New York City to English immigrants. He became a partner in Phelps, Dodge & Co. until 1878 when he co-founded the banking house of Phelps, Stokes & Co., with his eldest son, Anson, and Anson's father-in-law, Isaac Newton Phelps. They had close financial links to London. Stokes owned 38,000-acres of pine forest in Michigan and was President of the Ansonia Clock Company, the Ansonia Brass & Copper Company, and the Ansonia Land & Water Company. He declined an invitation to serve as Mayor of New York and was a religious man who supported many charities as well as teaching bible classes in Bellevue Hospital and public schools. His brother, Josiah, was private secretary to Anson Green Phelps and was betrothed to Phelps' daughter, Caroline. Five years after Josiah was killed in a warehouse accident, James married Caroline and they were survived by 8-children. They lived at 37 Madison Avenue; built Clifton Cottage in 1841 on his father-in-law's estate, the Coster-Phelps Mansion; and, later bought another country home between the villages of Old Derby and Ansonia.