Clan William: Charles Monson Jr. & the Wild Ride, Part 1

Charles Monson Jr. was a member of Clan William of the Capt Thomas Munson family; the clans 
are made up of the great grandchildren of Thomas. I'll be highlighting various stories of interest from the branches of that clan over the coming stories.

For clarity, here is the descendancy of the subject of this story: Capt Thomas Munson > Samuel James Munson > William Munson > William Munson II > William Munson > William Munson Jr > Charles Monson > Charles Monson Jr m (1) Sara Cowen (2) Rae Adae Battersby

The subject of our story was the son of prominent and very wealthy dry goods store owner, Charles Monson. The senior Monson operated The Charles Monson Co., one of the largest dry goods store operators in the New England area. His children grew up in the lap of luxury. Young Charles Monson, Jr. attended Yale University and belonged to Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. In 1904 was made the Secretary of The Charles Monson Company. 

One day in 1909, Charles Jr. got a call from his best friend, Townsend Miller, who at the time resided in the Hotel Patterson in New York City. Miller recounted that not too long previously, he met the most amazing woman by name of Sara Campbellina Cowen, of Baltimore. Sara's father was the late John Kissig Cowen, former president of the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad. The Cowen family was extremely wealthy and Sara was left with a very large trust fund. 

All is Fair in Love and War
Monson's friend Miller told Monson he had won fair lady's heart and he wanted Monson to meet his love. Monson did meet Sara and over the next two months met Sara over and over, without Miller. One day, Miller called him and said, "Look here, Charley, I'm desperately in love with Sara and want to marry her, but my mother says I am too young. What would you advise?"

Monson told Miller he agreed with Miller's m other and believed Sara would not suit Miller as a marital prospect. 

Days later, on 28 Apr 1910, Monson and Sara eloped into the "Little Church Around the Corner" and were married. Miller was not present. 

The couple were both popular in the circles of the young people of society who liked the nightlife. It was probably during this time Sara experimented with drugs. The couple moved to Tacoma, Washington and lived there when Charles Monson Sr died about a year later in New Haven on 30 Apr 1910. The couple returned to the New York City/New Haven area for the funeral, but returned to Seattle afterwards. The marriage had devolved to such a state, she told friends in Dec 1910 she planned to divorce. She began commuting back and forth from New York to Seattle because during the divorce process, she could not leave the area for more than 10 days at a time.  She accused her husband of chronic drunkeness and abandonment. Charles admitted to the judge the allegations were true via letter, and the divorce was granted. 

In 1912, Charles Monson Jr would marry divorcee Rae Battersby Adae on 01 Oct 1912. Rae's father A.
H. Battersby was Secretary of the Brighton Beach Racing Association and horseman who lived at 12 Shore Road in Brookly district 31, Bay Ridge. She had  previously been married to Charles Flamen Adae, ten years her senior. Rae went to Reno to secure her divorce on 22 Sep 1912.

The two lived a fairly quiet life, with Charles dying in 1956 and Rae in 1974. Sara, Monson's first wife, did not live a quiet life following her divorce from Monson.

Sara Cowen's life went on a heady downward spiral unmatched by most heiress standards. See Part 2 tomorrow.