became caught in a thunderstorm in the canyon and sought shelter under a jutting rock. A bolt of lightning struck the rock, shattering it completely and instantly killing Blachley. Louis and the guide were also struck by lightning and were badly burned. The family physician, Dr Lelb, travelled to Arizona to treat Louis and to bring Blachley’s body back to Darien.
The effect on Kingsley and the whole family after such a bizarre and shocking incident can only be conjectured. Kingsley must have been deeply traumatized by his brother’s sudden death. The loss of Blachley, in many ways his closest friend, with whom he had spent countless happy days roaming the countryside, must have been an excruciating blow. As for his father, a former minister and the son of a Baptist preacher, Timothy H must have been acutely aware of the irony that the son who had dragged his name through the courts, and in every manner disobeyed him, had suddenly and inexplicably been smitten down by a bolt of lightning.
As a young teenager, Kingsley began to attend Browning School for boys in New York.81 A rare photo of Kingsley at this age shows him smiling beside a guide, waving his cap in the air and holding up several fish he has just caught. The photo was taken at the boathouse at Saranac Lake, in the heart of the Adirondacks wilderness area, north-east of New York State. The awesome power of nature had captivated Kingsley since childhood. The sea in particular held a fascination for him. Here he could escape from mediocrity by immersing himself in its unfathomable depths. Within the ever-changing sea he discovered a refuge, away from dry land with its complex customs, beliefs and tribulations. The wilderness held its own perils and mysteries but these only added to Kingsley’s feelings of exhilaration when exploring remote mountains and forests, or swimming and fishing in nearby lakes.
It may have been a blessing for Kingsley to gain some distance from the continuing legal disputes that were waged within the family. On 29 July 1896, the contest over the will of Kingsley’s grandfather, J.B. Hoyt, was finally settled.82 Timothy H withdrew his petition for the removal of Schuyler Merritt and Thomas Ritch as executors. Accountants then examined the assets of J.B. Hoyt so that the bequests of the will could finally be administered.
7. Kingsley and fish at Boat House, Saranac Club, and guide, photograph, c. 1895.
Harvard University Archives, HUG 1706.125 (14).
On 9 December 1896,Timothy H was yet again on the stand as plain-tiffin the conspiracy case, giving evidence that his son, Louis, had become enraged when he heard of his engagement to Miss Earle. He testified that Louis had shouted: ‘That woman, Miss Earle, will never be permitted to enter this house. I will send you both to hell if you marry her.’83
When his father remonstrated with Louis for his rashness of temper, Louis replied: ‘This is not a rashness of temper, but a feeling of hate, undying hate. Three times every day we will pray to God to curse you, and will teach Kingsley to do so. We will consent to your marriage to Louise Plumbley [his mother’s school friend]. Now if you want war. You can have it.’84
On 13 March 1897, Judge Prentice of Fairfield Superior Court handed down a verdict on Mr Porter’s conspiracy case.85 The judge concluded that no conspiracy had been perpetrated against Mr Porter and that all actions had been taken in good faith. Mr Ritch was completely exonerated from having had any part in what transpired. Mr Merritt, although responsible for Mr Porter’s restraint, was deemed to have performed his duty to protect his sister’s estate that had been left in his charge. Constable Schock and Sheriff Bolster, the officers who had kept Mr Porter in confinement in his own home, were also exonerated.
Timothy H was outraged by the verdict and appealed the case to the Supreme Court. On 5 January 1898 the Supreme Court gave its verdict, confirming the decision made by Judge Prentice.86 Timothy H. Porter had lost the case, the goodwill of his family and his once respected position within the community.
The quality of marital relations between the aged and paralytic Timothy H and his pretty young bride can only be imagined. In an era when women had little chance of finding a comfortable living unless they married into wealth, Mabel clearly saw a glorious opportunity in marrying Mr Porter to secure her financial future. Mrs T.H. Porter, as Mabel was now known, continued teaching at Sunday school where she instructed young girls in sewing and crafts. In the winter of 1898 she helped her students to prepare Christmas boxes for the less fortunate, that were then sent to New York.87
Timothy H was most eager to escort his pretty wife to many of the leading social events in Connecticut, including attendance at Governor George E. Lounsbury’s inaugural ball in Hartford, on the evening of 4 January 1899. A spectator at the event described the lavish ball:’Major Cheney presented the guests to Governor Lounsbury and led the grand march with Mrs Lounsbury. Governor Lounsbury followed with Mrs Cheney, and the dancing continued almost without interruption for many hours. Supper was served by Besse and the music from Beenian and Hatch’s Orchestra and Colt’s Band was exceptionally good.’88
The beautiful Mrs Mabel Porter was truly the belle of the ball. The Bridgeport Herald waxed lyrical on the portrait that was later painted of Mabel, attired in the same ballgown that she had worn at the governor’s ball: ‘It is a full-length figure of Mrs Timothy H. Porter of Stamford attired in the exquisite costume in which she appeared at Gov. Lounsbury’s inaugural ball. The predominating feature in this painting is its strength and it is said to be an excellent likeness of the charming woman.’89
Mabel’s portrait was exhibited in Connecticut for several months in the spring of 1900.90 This must have been a bitter pill for Kingsley and Louis to swallow, as they must have been reminded of their once happy home life, when their father had commissioned a portrait of their mother from the distinguished artist Henry Augustus Loop.91
In less than a decade, Kingsley had suffered two family bereavements: the loss of his beloved mother, and the sudden, inexplicable death of his 18-year-old brother in a freak thunderstorm. He had witnessed the desecration of his family’s once respected name through legal battles and public scandal. The role of his young governess had been irrevocably altered into that of stepmother, while his elderly, paralytic father was parodied as a petulant, extravagant lover. Far from being favoured by fortune and on the cusp of a new century, Kingsley Porter had to dig deep indeed to surmount the disasters of his early traumatic life.
Chapter three
Coming of Age: Freedom and Vocation
In 1900, at the age of 17, Kingsley followed in the footsteps of his father and brothers and enrolled in Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. In many ways it must have been a relief to spend time away from his feuding family and to become engrossed in his studies. Louis spent most of his time in New York, where he pursued a legal career. His offices were located at 45 Broadway.1
Timothy H had been living with Mabel in Blachley Lodge since their marriage. It was here that Timothy H died just before 8 p.m. on the evening of 1 January 1901.2 He was 74 years old. A private funeral was held the following Friday and the infamous patriarch was finally laid to rest in Woodland Cemetery, beside his second wife, Louisa.
Within days of the burial, the estate of Timothy H. Porter was again at centre stage in the Stamford courts. The will was filed in the probate courts on 13 January.3 Timothy H’s will was described as ‘one of the most tangled estates that ever came before a Connecticut Probate Court’.4 His estate was estimated to be worth between one and three million dollars.5 When the will was read, it emerged that Timothy H had left the bulk of his estate to his young widow, Mabel. An amount of $10,000 was left to Louis, a similar amount to his cousin, Joseph A. Porter, and the remainder was willed to his youngest son, Kingsley.6 However, the estate also included a number of lucrative bonds and railroad securities belonging to his late wife, Louisa. These valuable commodities had been transferred to the Union Trust Company of New Haven when Timothy H was forced to sign them over to Merritt and Ritch, in order to secure his freedom from house arrest in 1894.7
Louis