Benjamin Guggenheim (1865 - 1912)

Born 26 Oct 1865 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Ancestors

Husband of Florette (Seligman) Guggenheim — married 24 Oct 1894 in Southampton, New York

Descendants

Died 15 Apr 1912 at age 46 in At sea on Titanic

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Biography

Benjamin Guggenheim was aboard the RMS Titanic.

Benjamin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the fifth son out of seven sons. His parents were Meyer Guggenheim a wealthy mining magnate and Barbara Meyers.

Benjamin married Florette Seligman in 1894. She was the daughter of James Seligman and Rosa Content.

Benjamin and Florette had three daughters Benita Rosalind Guggenheim , Marguerite "Peggy" Guggenheim, and Barbara Hazel Guggenheim.

Benjamin inherited a great deal of money upon the passing of his father after which he grew distant from his wife and kids. Keeping an apartment in Paris away from his home in New York.

Benjamin boarded the Titanic with his mistress Léontine Pauline Aubart, a 24 year old French Singer, his valet Victor Giglio, and Madame Aubert's maid Emma Sägesser. Benjamins ticket on the Titanic was 17593 and cost £79.

Benjamin and Guglio shared a room B82 while Aubert and Sägesser occupied cabin B35.

Benjamin slept through the impact being woken up by Aubert who felt the collision.

Rose Amelie Icard wrote in a letter, "The billionaire Benjamin Guggenheim after having helped the rescue of women and children got dressed, a rose at his buttonhole, to die."

He was last seen sipping brandy and smoking cigars with his valet Victor while sitting in a chair on the stairs in the Grand ballroom. His body was never recovered nor was the body of Guglio and Pernot.

One of Guggenheim's final acts was to write the following message: "If anything should happen to me, tell my wife I've done my best in doing my duty"

Sources

"United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MZRL-YLG : accessed 03 Jul 2014), Benjamin Guggenheim in household of Meyer Guggenheim, Pennsylvania, United States; citing p. 22, family 111, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 000552933.

"New York, Marriages, 1686-1980," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F63X-BS1 : accessed 03 Jul 2014), Meyer Guggenheim in entry for Benjamin Guggenheim and Florette J. Seligman, 24 Oct 1894; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 1493125.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Guggenheim

http://titanicon.blogspot.com/2012/04/focus-on-benjamin-guggenheim.html

http://www.reddit.com - accessed 3/27/2014 - The letter was posted for the public to see by Mike Delgado, username md28usmc, on 3/22/2014 asking only that it be translated from French to English.

Jump up to: a b "Guggenheim, Dying, Sent Wife Message". New York Times. April 20, 1912. Retrieved April 17, 2012. "Efforts to find the body of Benjamin Guggenheim, who was the fifth of the seven Guggenheim brothers, as well as the bodies of other victims, will be made by the six surviving brothers."

https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-victim/benjamin-guggenheim.html

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9588454