Robert Livingston Cutting III (1868-1910)
Robert Livingston Cutting III, of New York City
He was born in New York City to an old family distinguished in New York and Virginia. His father's ancestors included Robert Livingston, 3rd Lord of the Manor of Livingston, as well as the now reviled slave-trader James DeWolf. His mother, a Southerner, was descended from William Byrd II of Westover and Charles Carter of Cleve etc. His parents were undisputed members of Mrs Astor's "Four Hundred" and his first cousin, William Burden, was married to Florence Vanderbilt Twombly.
He graduated from Columbia College (1889) where he was a member of the Dramatic Association. In 1888, he appeared in the Association's burlesque "William Penn," put on at the Berkeley Lyceum. Playing the part of the melancholy organ-grinder, he was "a great hit". He continued to act on the amateur stage in private theatricals up until 1892 when he met Minnie Seligman at the Actor's Fund Fair. They were married in secret just weeks later and on sharing the news with his parents, his allowance was cut down to $2,500. The Cuttings then determined to become a double-act but he stopped in favor of becoming an attorney. When his father died in 1894, his mother tried to cut him off without a dime but after a legal wrangle he was given $300,000 and a life annuity of $4,000. Minnie then retired from acting but money did not buy them happiness and they divorced in 1895.
In 1897, he married a young widow, Mrs Harriet L. Hosley, and they lived at 241 West 100th Street. On April 20th, 1910, his mother sued him for embezzling $200,000 from her estate. In 1904, he had induced her to allow him to manage her affairs but she soon discovered that he'd transferred ownership of several stocks and bonds into his own name and refused her request to have an accountant go through her finances. By the time the news hit the headlines he had fled to Europe and two weeks later, he was dead. There was no announcement in The New York Times and just a line was published in The New York Dramatic Mirror: "CUTTING - Robert Livingston, in London, May 7th, aged 41."
He graduated from Columbia College (1889) where he was a member of the Dramatic Association. In 1888, he appeared in the Association's burlesque "William Penn," put on at the Berkeley Lyceum. Playing the part of the melancholy organ-grinder, he was "a great hit". He continued to act on the amateur stage in private theatricals up until 1892 when he met Minnie Seligman at the Actor's Fund Fair. They were married in secret just weeks later and on sharing the news with his parents, his allowance was cut down to $2,500. The Cuttings then determined to become a double-act but he stopped in favor of becoming an attorney. When his father died in 1894, his mother tried to cut him off without a dime but after a legal wrangle he was given $300,000 and a life annuity of $4,000. Minnie then retired from acting but money did not buy them happiness and they divorced in 1895.
In 1897, he married a young widow, Mrs Harriet L. Hosley, and they lived at 241 West 100th Street. On April 20th, 1910, his mother sued him for embezzling $200,000 from her estate. In 1904, he had induced her to allow him to manage her affairs but she soon discovered that he'd transferred ownership of several stocks and bonds into his own name and refused her request to have an accountant go through her finances. By the time the news hit the headlines he had fled to Europe and two weeks later, he was dead. There was no announcement in The New York Times and just a line was published in The New York Dramatic Mirror: "CUTTING - Robert Livingston, in London, May 7th, aged 41."
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Contributed by Mark Meredith on 22/02/2021 and last updated on 14/05/2024.