THE VANDERBILT LINEAGE

Edith Vanderbilt Cecil’s grandmother was Cornelia Vanderbilt (1900 - 1976). Her great grandfather was George Washington Vanderbilt (1862 - 1914) and her great grandmother was Edith Vanderbilt (1870 - 1958), after whom she was named. Her great-great grandfather was William Henry Vanderbilt (1821 - 1885). And her great-great-great grandfather was The Commodore, Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794 - 1877).

Cornelia Vanderbilt was the only daughter of George Washington Vanderbilt. On his death in 1914, Cornelia inherited Biltmore House, the largest and most distinguished private residence in the United States. In 1924, Cornelia married Sir John Francis Amherst Cecil, in what was written-up in the newspapers as the wedding of that age.

George Washington Vanderbilt was the youngest child of his father, William Henry Vanderbilt. William’s father was Cornelius Vanderbilt, also known as The Commodore due to his interest in shipping.  Cornelius was the one who built the family fortune beginning with money borrowed from his mother, who insisted upon and received repayment of that loan. Cornelius started his business empire by ferrying passengers across from Staten Island to Manhattan, first by sail, and then by steam, so as to avoid the vagaries of the wind.

William Henry Vanderbilt inherited the bulk of his father’s fortune. His house in New York City is now occupied by Bergdorf Goodman, which is the most exclusive retail store in the U.S.  William also lived one time at 640 Fifth Avenue, just up from the British Empire Building at Rockefeller Center, on the corner of 54th and 5th. Information on the Vanderbilt houses can be found at the New York Historical Society, as the Vanderbilts built so many houses on Fifth Avenue, gradually working their way uptown.

Of special interest is the fact that Edith Vanderbilt Cecil's great grandfather, George Washington Vanderbilt (1862-1914), had an enormous love for India. He made regular trips to India during his lifetime. This love has taken root in Edith.