Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Frederick Cunliffe-Owen dies in NYC

June 30, 1926

Frederick Cunliffe-Owen, CBE, died tonight at his home, 248 Central Park West, after a long illness, following a bout with pneumonia which prostrated him in the late Spring," according to the New York Times. He was 72 years old.

Cunliffe-Owen was "perhaps the best-known Englishman resident in the United States." He was an authority on international affairs, and his "intimate friendships included men of the highest station in many countries.

He was born in London, the elder son of the late Sir Philip Cunliffe-Owen, KCB, KCMG, the head of an older Cheshire county family. His mother was born a Baroness von Reitzenstein. Educated at Lancing School and the Universtiy of Lausanne, Cunliffe-Owen entered the British Diplomatic Service. He served in different parts of the world, and "in Egypt particularly."

In the 1880s, Mr. Cunliffe-Owen left the Diplomatic Service and "began to devote his attention to literary pursuits. He came to the United States, where he "soon became nown as the author of informative and authoritative articles on European affairs and personages."

He spent time as a member of the New York Tribune's editorial staff, and more recently, "his articles were a feature of the Sunday issues of the New York Times."

Earlier in his career, he wrote under several pseudonymns, including "Ex-Attache, "Veteran Diplomat" and "Marquise de Fontenoy."

He is survived by his wife, Marguerite Countess du Planty. Their son, Algernon, died in 1910 at the age of 22.

5 comments:

Amerval said...

Absolutely delighted to find this entry! This gentleman was married to my Great Aunt who was quite a remarkable writer for her time. Thank you so very much for posting it!

Unknown said...

I too am delighted to find this posting, as Mr. Cunliffe-Owen is my 3rd Great Grandfather. I only wish I could have met them personally. Such interesting lives they both had!

Grow Gaia said...

Greetings,
Thank you for this article and others on the Cunliffe-Owens family. I am currently working on project that includes a story from a local author about Marguerite Cunliffe-Owen and her son. In the article the name of her son is not revealed, but reading your article I see it to be Algernon. I understand Mrs. Cunliffe-Owen did not agree with the woman her son married (from my research), and he passed rather young according to your article. Would you be able to point me in the direction of any information regarding who Algernon Cunliffe-Owen's wife was, and the circumstances of his passing?
Perhaps we can correspond via email?
I thank you for your time and look forward to speaking with you further,
Anthony S Burdge
anthonyburdge@gmail.com

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

Anthony, I do not have any other information on the family. A quick Google search provides a reference to a Canadian article (just the reference -- paywall) Vancouver Daily World from Vancouver, on June 3, 1911 · Page 18
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/68420491/
IIARONKSS' PLEA. NFTW YORK, June 3 Habeas corpus has been resorted to by Katherlne Cun - llffe Owen, who eloped with Baron Algernon Cunliffe Owen, to get possession of her husband, whom she claims Is restrained against his will by his parents.

He was not a Baron, of course. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/155723677 The NYT obit for his mother states he was born in 1888. You might have do start researching other historical newspapers *(NYC). Ancestry might help, too

USAnglophile said...

An article in the NY Times dated August 3, 1911 (p. 8), refers to Algernon Cunliffe-Owen's recent (the previous February) marriage to Katherine Augusta Nells, daughter of A.C. Nellit. I attribute the different spellings to an OCR error in the version I am reading.