Anna Gould

Anna Gould in Wikipedia

Anna Gould (June 5, 1875 – November 30, 1961) was an American heiress and socialite, the daughter of financier Jay Gould.[1] Contents

First marriage

She married Paul Ernest Boniface (1867–1932), the Comte de Castellane, on March 14, 1895 in Manhattan, New York. He was sometimes referred to as Paul Ernest Boniface de Castellane, and was nicknamed "Boni".

They divorced in 1906, after Boniface had spent about $10 million of her family's money. Boniface then sought an annulment from the Vatican in 1924.[2][3] After several Appeals the validity of the marriage was upheld.

Children of first marriage

With Boniface, Anna had the following five children:

1. Marie Louise Boniface de Castellane (1896-?)
2. Antoine Boniface, Marquis de Castellane (1896-1946), married Yvonne Patenôtre (daughter of Jules Patenôtre and wife Eleanor Elverson, sister of James Elverson, Jr. (?–1929) and daughter of publisher James Elverson (1838 – 1911) by wife Sallie Duvall, the three of them owners of The Philadelphia Inquirer). He had daughter Elisabeth de Castellane (Paris, July 9, 1928 – Paris, November 13, 1991), wife (married in Paris, December 7, 1948) of Jean Bertrand Jacques Adrien Nompar Comte de Caumont La Force (Paris, February 4, 1920 – Fontaine Française, June 8, 1986).[4]
3. Georges Paul Ernest Boniface de Castellane (1897 or 1899–1944), married Florinda Fernández y Anchorena (1901-?). He had daughter Diane Rose Anne Marie de Castellane (born in Paris, February 19, 1927), first wife (married in Paris (civ) April 14, 1948 (rel) April 20, 1948 and divorced March 13, 1974) of Philippe François Armand Marie Duc de Mouchy Prince-Duc de Poix (born in Paris, April 17, 1922).
4. Georges Gustave Boniface de Castellane (circa 1898-1946)
5. Jason (Jay) Boniface de Castellane (1902-?)

Divorce

Time magazine wrote on April 13, 1925:

Probably not since Henry VIII tried in vain to get an annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon has a matrimonial case been so long in the courts of the Roman Catholic Church as that on which nine Cardinals have just handed down a final decision. The male in this case is the son of one of France's most historic houses − Le Comte Boni de Castellane. The female is the daughter of a United States stockbroker, the late Jay Gould − the present Anna, Marquise de Talleyrand Périgord, Duchesse de Sagan. On March 14, 1895, Anna became La Comtesse de Castellane by a marriage solemnized in Manhattan by the late Archbishop Corrigan. After three children were born, La Comtesse obtained a civil divorce from Le Comte on grounds of infidelity. In 1908, she married Le Marquis de Talleyrand Périgord, Duc de Sagan. Thereupon, Le Comte asked the Vatican to annul the marriage, apparently that he might be free to marry again, within the Church.

   Trial I. The Roman Rota upheld the marriage in 1911. Le Comte appealed.

   Trial II. Anna refused to be represented at this trial. The marriage was declared void. Anna appealed.

   Trial III. The marriage was declared valid. Le Comte appealed from the Rota to Pope Benedict XV.

   Trial IV. The case was laid before a Commission of the Apostolic Signatura − the supreme tribunal of the Church. Six cardinals composed the commission. They held the marriage valid. Le Comte appealed to Pope Pius XI.

   Trial V. The Commission declared the marriage invalid. Anna appealed to the Pope who, to settle it once and forever, assigned three extra cardinals to the commission.

   Trial VI was before Cardinals De Lai (Italian), Pompilj (Italian), Van Rossum (Dutch), Sbaretti (Italian), Silj (Italian), Bisleti (Italian), Sincere (Italian), Lega (Italian), Mori (Italian). The marriage was held valid. Formal proclamation will soon be issued.[5]

==Second marriage==

Anna Gould (1875-1961)

After the civil divorce in 1906 she married Boni's cousin in 1908: Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duc de Sagan (1859–1937) Prince de Sagan and son of the dandy Boson de Talleyrand-Périgord. He is also known as Le Marquis de Talleyrand Périgord, Duc de Sagan.[1][6]
Children of second marriage

With Talleyrand, Anna had the following two children:

   Howard de Talleyrand, duc de Sagan (1909-1929), he took his own life when told he could not marry.[7][8]

   Helene Violette de Talleyrand (1915-2003), she married James Robert de Pourtales on March 29, 1937 in Val Saint-Germain, she then divorced in 1969, and married Gaston Palewski (1901–1984), he was the Minister of Scientific Research and Atomic and Space Questions from 1962 to 1966. They married on March 20, 1969 in Paris.

===Death===

She returned to the US four months before her death. She died on December 8, 1961.[1][2] She is entombed in Passy Cemetery in Paris.
Timeline

• 1875 Birth of Anna Gould
• 1895 Marriage to Paul Ernest Boniface (1867–1932) Comte de Castellane, on March 14
• 1908 Marriage to Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord
• 1929 Suicide of Howard de Talleyrand, her son
• 1932 Death of Paul Ernest Boniface, her husband
• 1932 Awarded the Cross of the French Legion of Honor
• 1937 Death of Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord, her husband
• 1939 Return to the US and lives in Lyndhurst at her father's estate
• 1961 Death of Anna Gould
  

See also

   Jenny Jerome, an American who married the Lord Randolph Churchill