Jane Norton Grew (September 30, 1868 – August 14, 1925), known upon her marriage as Mrs. J. P. Morgan Jr., was an American socialite, art collector, and dilettante horticulturalist. Born in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

to an affluent family, she married J. P. Morgan Jr., son of American financier

J. P. Morgan John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. As the head of the banking firm that ...

, in 1890 and became prominent in both London and New York

society A society () is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. ...

, playing host to royalty including The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. Grew curated and managed the

Morgan library The Morgan Library & Museum (originally known as the Pierpont Morgan Library and colloquially known the Morgan) is a museum and research library in New York City, New York, U.S. Completed in 1906 as the private library of the banker J. P. Morg ...

and art collection, and became involved in horticulture on her

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

estate in Glen Cove.

Early life and family

Jane Norton Grew was born in

on September 30, 1868. She was the daughter of Henry Sturgis Grew, a prominent Boston banker and mill owner, and Jane Norton Wigglesworth. She grew up at her family home on

Beacon Street Beacon Street is a major east–west street in Boston, Massachusetts, and its western suburbs of Brookline, Massachusetts, Brookline and Newton, Massachusetts, Newton. It passes through many of Boston's central and western neighborhoods, includ ...

Adult life

On December 11 1890, Grew married

John Pierpont Morgan Jr. John Pierpont Morgan Jr. (September 7, 1867 – March 13, 1943) was an American banker and finance executive. He inherited the family fortune and took over the business interests including J.P. Morgan & Co. after his father J. P. Morgan died in ...

, the son and heir of the financier and banker

. The ceremony took place at

Arlington Street Church The Arlington Street Church is a Unitarian Universalist church (building), church across from the Boston Public Garden, Public Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Because of its geographic prominence and the notable ministers who have served the co ...

in Boston. The couple raised four children: *

Junius Spencer Morgan III Junius Spencer Morgan III (March 15, 1892 – October 19, 1960) was an American banker and a director of the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company. Early life Junius Spencer Morgan III was born on March 15, 1892, to Jane Norton Grew and Jack Morgan ( ...

(1892–1960), who married Louise Converse (1895–1974), daughter of

Frederick Shepherd Converse Frederick Shepherd Converse (January 5, 1871 – June 8, 1940), was an American composer of classical music, whose works include four operas and five symphonies. Life and career Converse was born in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of Edmund Winche ...

, in 1915. * Jane Norton Morgan Nichols (1893–1981), who married George Nichols (1878–1950). * Frances Tracy Pennoyer (1897–1989), who married Paul Geddes Pennoyer (1890–1970), a lawyer, in 1917. *

Henry Sturgis Morgan Henry Sturgis Morgan Sr. (October 24, 1900 – February 8, 1982) was an English born American banker, known for being the co-founder of Morgan Stanley and the president and chairman of the Morgan Library & Museum. Early life and education ...

(1900–1982), a founding partner of

Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in 42 countries and more than 80,000 employees, the firm's clients in ...

who married Catherine Lovering Adams (1902–1988), daughter of

Charles Francis Adams III Charles Francis Adams III (August 2, 1866 – June 10, 1954) was an American lawyer and politician, who served as the 44th United States Secretary of the Navy under President Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933. He was the captain of the '' Resolut ...

, descendants of the 2nd U.S. President,

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

. In 1898, the family moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, where Grew was presented to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. During their time in the United Kingdom, she sat for the portraitist

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era, Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil ...

between 1904 and 1905, having a portrait completed in 1906 after sitting for him thirteen times. She wrote in her scrapbook about the experience, saying "

argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

thinks it is the best work he has done this year. He arranged a mirror so that I could watch him paint. It was thrilling to see him work." The family later returned to New York in 1905, residing at Glen Cove on

, where Grew took interest in

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

on the Morgan's estate. They also owned a brownstone in New York City located at 229

Madison Avenue Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square (at 23rd Street) to meet the southbound Harlem River Drive at 142nd Stree ...

, where they commissioned a major renovation. Grew managed and curated the family's collection of books, manuscripts, and works of art. After the death of her father-in-law in 1913, Morgan continued to employ

Belle da Costa Greene Belle da Costa Greene (November 26, 1879 – May 10, 1950) was an American librarian who managed and developed the personal library of J. P. Morgan. After Morgan died in 1913, Greene continued as librarian for his son, Jack Morgan, and in 1 ...

as the Morgan's librarian, expanding the collection with items in which she and her husband were personally interested. In 1912, she and her in-laws co-hosted

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (Arthur William Patrick Albert; 1 May 185016 January 1942) was the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He served as Gove ...

, Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn, and

Princess Patricia of Connaught Lady Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth Ramsay (born Princess Patricia of Connaught; 17 March 1886 – 12 January 1974) was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Upon her marriage to Alexander Ramsay, she relinquished her title of a British princ ...

and showed them the Morgan library and galleries.

Death

Grew died of

encephalitis lethargica Encephalitis lethargica (EL) is an atypical form of encephalitis. Also known as "von Economo Encephalitis", "sleeping sickness" or "sleepy sickness" (distinct from tsetse fly–transmitted sleeping sickness), it was first described in 1917 by ne ...

in 1925. At the time, doctors attributed her encephalitis to having contracted

influenza Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These sympto ...

during the 1918 pandemic.

References

Works cited

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grew, Janet Norton 1868 births 1925 deaths American art collectors American horticulturists American socialites Burials at Cedar Hill Cemetery (Hartford, Connecticut) Morgan family Women horticulturists and gardeners American women art collectors Deaths from encephalitis