Jean Harold (Harald) Edward de Saint Cyr (April 9, 1875 – November 3, 1966) was the alias of John Henry Edward Thompson of Waco, Texas. He was a fortune-hunting playboy who married three older wealthy widows. His first wife Caroline Redfield was 34 years older than he was. After her husband Henry Redfield died in 1907, she began to rely on Bob Swem (aka Robert von Schwemm), a mutual acquaintance of her husband's. Swem made himself indispensable to the widow Redfield, and was believed to be a fortune hunter. The two of them were in turn befriended by Saint Cyr, reportedly a hotel clerk who convinced both Swem and Redfield that he was affiliated with the entertainment business. When Saint Cyr became Caroline's live-in companion and escort, Swen was nudged out of the picture. Saint Cyr and Caroline married in 1909, and upon her January 1915 death, he inherited the bulk of her $1,000,000 estate.
He married second wife Annie Armstrong Stewart Smith in April 1915. She was the widow of one of the world's wealthiest men, and 11 years older than Saint Cyr. They belonged to the international social set of wealthy people whose entire lifestyle consisted of attending parties. During this marriage, Saint Cyr affected fake non-American accents to suit whichever nationality he was pretending to be. The couple lived on her estate in San Mateo, California. Upon her 1925 death, Saint Cyr received one-third of the estate, and was also named as an executor of the will, and trustee over two of the estate's funds. The Eugene J. de Sabla, Jr., Teahouse and Tea Garden portion of the estate is currently on the National Register of Historic Places for San Mateo County, California.
His third wife Helen Strong Carter was only nine years older than he was. Heiress to the Eastman Kodak fortune, and the widow of Hawaii governor George R. Carter, she and Saint Cyr married in April 1939, and she filed for divorce in December 1939.
Background
He was born John (Jack) Henry Edward Thompson on April 9, 1875, in Waco, Texas. Little is known about his early life in Texas. He was living in New York by 1907. Having unsuccessfully tried his luck in a variety of jobs, including musical stage productions, he began promoting himself as a theatrical agent by the name of Jean Harold Edward de Saint Cyr. With various spellings, he used the name Saint Cyr throughout the rest of his life.
Caroline Redfield
Caroline Peck Redfield was born October 3, 1840, and was 34 years older than Saint Cyr. Trenton, New Jersey resident Bob Swem (aka Robert von Schwemm) met Phoenix National Bank president Henry A. Redfield and his wife Caroline through mutual acquaintance Alfred Moore Livingstone. After her husband's February 1907 death, Caroline began relying on Swem as a social escort. He moved into the Redfield house and made himself indispensable as her escort, secretary and accountant. He came to assume he would inherit her estate.
It is believed that Swem and Mrs. Redfield first met Saint Cyr when he worked as a hotel clerk at Alexandria Bay, New York. He presented himself as affiliated with the entertainment field, and was apparently overt that Saint Cyr was a stage name. Although his attire was that of someone down on his luck, he charmed her enough to get his foot in the door, and eventually became a permanent resident in her home. From that point forward, Saint Cyr lived the life of what was then called a "kept man", a gigolo financially supported by a wealthy woman in exchange for his relationship in her life. She bought him expensive clothing, a new car, and hired a French chauffeur and a Japanese valet for him. He began to treat the household staff as though they worked for him, and by 1908 replaced Swem in her affections. Lavishing her wealth upon both Saint Cyr and Swem severely drained her inheritance and necessitated the sale of the Redfield mansion on March 31, 1909.
They moved to Yonkers, where she and Saint Cyr secretly wed on June 9, 1909. The bride was 68 years old, and the groom was 34. Her last will was made June 18, 1912, amended by a codicil on October 2, 1913. Omitting Swem entirely, the bulk of her $1,000,000 estate was left to Saint Cyr. Her son Henry S. Redfield was bequeathed $150,000 and some valuable jewels. After her January 2, 1915, death of pneumonia, her will was contested by her son.