Editing Alexander Cartwright (section)

== Early life and work ==
Cartwright was born in 1820 to Alexander Cartwright Sr. (1784–1855), a merchant sea captain, and Esther Rebecca Burlock Cartwright (1792–1871). Alexander Jr. had six siblings. He first worked at the age of 16 in 1836 as a clerk for a [[Wall Street]] broker, later doing clerical work at the [[Union Bank of New York]]. After hours, he played [[bat-and-ball games]] in the streets of [[Manhattan]] with volunteer [[firefighter]]s. Cartwright himself was a volunteer, first with Oceana Hose Company No. 36, and then Knickerbocker Engine Company No. 12.<ref name="nucciarone">{{cite web|url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/09ed3dd4|title=Alexander Cartwright|first=Monica|last=Nucciarone|publisher=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=January 8, 2014}}</ref>
Cartwright's ancestor [[Thomas Cartwright (politician)|Thomas Cartwright]], of Aynho Park, Northamptonshire was an English landowner and Tory politician, who sat in the English and [[British House of Commons]] between 1695 and 1748. As the longest serving member he was dubbed [[Father of the House (United Kingdom)|Father of the House]].{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}

A fire destroyed the Union Bank in 1845, forcing Cartwright to find other work. He became a bookseller with his brother, Alfred.<ref name="nucciarone" />