John Taylor Terry

John Taylor Terry (September 9, 1822 – May 3, 1913) was an American merchant and banker. Early life Terry was born on September 9, 1822, in Hartford, Connecticut. He was a son of Harriet ( Taylor) Terry (1794–1841) and Roderick Terry (1788–1849), a member of the City Council and Connecticut state legislature who was president of The Exchange Bank in Hartford. After his mother's death in 1841, his father married Lucy Coit ( Ripley) Birge, daughter of Dwight Ripley and widow of Backus W. Birge. His maternal grandparents were the Rev. John Taylor and Elizabeth ( Terry) Taylor. His paternal grandparents were Eliphalet Terry and Mary ( Hall) Terry. Terry traced his lineage to Gov. William Bradford of Mayflower and Plymouth Colony fame as well as Continental Army Col. Nathaniel Terry, several Connecticut governors, and Civil War Maj.-Gen. Alfred H. Terry. His uncle, Eliphalet Terry, was president of The Hartford Fire Insurance Company. Career In 1841, Terry moved to New York to clerk for Edwin Denison Morgan (future New York governor, U.S. Senator and Major General) at his import house, E.D. Morgan & Company (which had been organized by Morgan in 1843 with his cousin George D. Morgan and Frederick Avery). After Avery left the firm in 1844, Terry became the third partner. After Morgan's death in 1883, Terry assumed control of the firm.