Vincent, Hugh De Lacy

Submitted by Mike Miller

Vincent, Hugh De Lacy. It is not often that the biographer has the opportunity of combining both duty and pleasure in his work but such is the case when writing of Hugh DeLacy Vincent, whose life was so conspicuous in all the qualities that go to make not only a man but one of nature's noblemen. For many years he was a member of the New Orleans and New York Cotton exchanges, and for a long time was a figure of international importance in the cotton world, a director in banks and mercantile institutions, and later in life retired capitalist. He was born at Charleston, S. C., Jan. 26, 1852, son of Hugh Edward and Rosalie (Howard) Vincent, both of whom were natives of that city. Hugh Edward Vincent, the father, was a merchant of means at Charleston, and was descended from one of the oldest South Carolina colonial families. Hugh DeLacy Vincent, the son, attended the public schools at Charleston, and when his academic education had been completed the young man began his business career as a clerk in the Charleston offices of the Savannah & Charleston R. R . In 1874 he entered the service of the cotton firm of Watson & Hill. Frank B. Hayne was at that time an employee of the same firm. In 1883, he and Mr. Hayne formed a partnership and engaged in the cotton business at Vicksburg. From the beginning of this enterprise they were exceptionally successful, and in 1885 the firm of Vincent & Hayne opened offices at New Orleans, in addition to those at Vicksburg, Mr. Hayne going to New Orleans to handle the firm's business at that city.

Socially, Mr. Vincent was prominent in New Orleans, Vicksburg, and various other centers. He was a member of the Boston, the Pickwick, the Louisiana, the Audubon Golf, and the Country clubs. He held membership in several carnival organizations, and belonged to the Episcopal church. He was a member of the board of directors of the Hibernia Bank & Trust Co., the Hibernia National bank, the D. H. Holmes Co., and several other notable corporations, and was largely interested in the American Cities Co., and various other enterprises of like character and standing. His investments were not confined to New Orleans, but extended throughout the South. Since 1905 he and his family divided their time between New Orleans and their summer home at Flat Rock, N. C. The splendid family residence in Audubon place was erected in 1899. Mr. Vincent's death occurred suddenly, almost without warning and before his family physician could reach his bedside, at 12:30 p. m., Saturday, March 15, 1913, at the family home, No. 10 Audubon place, New Orleans. He had been in ill health several years, but on the day preceding his death went to the Cotton exchange in his automobile. He did not leave his car at the exchange, but many of his friends went outside of the building to greet him. Friday night he called at the home of his former partner, Frank B. Hayne, and Saturday morning appeared only slightly ill. Up to within an hour of his death he talked with his son, Hugh E. Vincent, and forty-five minutes later began to sink rapidly. Physicians were hastily summoned, but the end had come before their arrival. Arterial trouble of the heart was the immediate cause of death. Mr. Vincent was married at Vicksburg, Miss., to Miss Nannie McCutchen, a daughter of William and Lucy (Green) McCutchen of Vicksburg. One child, Hugh E. Vincent, was born to their union. This son was born at Vick

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 392-394. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.

---

Name Correction

Submitted by Evelyn Vincent Keyes

I have a number of New Orleans and Delta relatives and you were able to confirm and add to information I have about my father Theodore Vincent’s (Greenville MS) double first cousin, Hugh DeLacy Vincent. There is just one mistake in his bio that I hope you will correct. His father (originally from Charleston) was not Hugh Edward Vincent but Hugh Evelyn Vincent.

Evelyn is a very old surname from Wotton, Deptford, and other sites in Surrey, which was absorbed into the Vincent family through my and all the Vincent family in America’s many times great grandmother, Martha Boscawen Evelyn (a descendant of the 17th century diarist John Evelyn and of British Admiral Hugh Boscawen). She married Nicholas Vincent, a ship’s captain from another old Surrey family, and emigrated to Charleston S. C. shortly before 1800.

Hugh DeLacy Vincent apparently spent many years after he made his money trying to wrest back the Evelyn baronetcy, which had passed to a distant branch of the family when Sir Frederick died without heirs and Martha’s two brothers were declared insane. He failed in that but succeeded in much else. I’m sure you know the house at number 10 Audubon Place is still there and well maintained.

I hope your author of Hugh DeLacy’s bio will change out that one piece of misinformation. The bio is otherwise excellent and so informative. I love being able to share it with my children and grandchildren.

Thank you for passing this on if you will. There are no Edwards in the Vincent family but lots of Evelyns, including me, the first female to have the name.