Her father, an Irish peddler who emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Massachusetts, died in San Francisco in 1864.
[4] As his wife, Wood gained entry into New York high society; in 1860, she met Abraham Lincoln and danced with the Prince of Wales and future King of the United Kingdom Edward VII.
[1] Her brother-in-law was Fernando Wood, twice mayor of New York City and three-time member of the House of Representatives.
[7] In the midst of the Great Depression, Wood's relatives and their lawyers battled to gain control of her wealth.
[1] Hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and other valuables were found in her suite and in trunks stored in the hotel basement.
Her estate was finally split between 10 authenticated relatives in England, Ireland, and the U.S.[8] The truth about her past emerged six months after her death, as told by lawyer Edward T. Corcoran and later confirmed by New York Public Administrator counsel Joseph A.