The Madness of William H. King (JUNE 8): The Forgotten Owner of Kingscote

Discover the tragic story of William Henry (“Henry”) King, the original member of the prominent King family to own Kingscote. In mid-19th-century Newport, Henry’s flamboyant displays of wealth and unconventional behavior alarmed his socially prominent brothers, who hastily convened a lunacy panel and committed him to the elite McLean Insane Asylum. Confined for nearly thirty years, Henry was stripped of his freedom while his family members assumed control of his vast fortune until a mysterious woman emerged to challenge his confinement, his true identity, and the handling of his estate. The ensuing legal battle over King’s freedom, fortune, and identity captivated Gilded Age Newport and involved some of the most prominent social reformers and activists. 

Kay Adams was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas and attended the University of Mississippi and the University of Arkansas before relocating to Connecticut where she studied creative writing under author and essayist Scott Bradfield at the University of Connecticut. Kay spent 34 years working as an executive in the banking industry, retiring from her role as a senior vice president at the Bank of Arkansas in 2016. A lifelong voracious reader and creative writer, she is also a pastry chef, community volunteer, and mentor to her former associates. gildedageauthors.com

Nancy Markey was raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas and studied at the University of Arkansas and the University of Mississippi, graduating from Ole Miss with a degree in History. Nancy spent the next few years as a flight attendant before obtaining her law degree in Massachusetts. She is a labor attorney and historian who enjoys researching and sharing fascinating stories of the lesser-known residents of Gilded Age Newport. Her essays, “Abney vs. Twombly, A Gilded Age Tale of David vs. Goliath,” and “Redemption Among Rubble” were winning entries in local writing contests and published in Newport Life Magazine.  gildedageauthors.com