This article details the family of Cornelius Vanderbilt. For other uses, see Vanderbilt (disambiguation).

The Vanderbilt family is an American family of Dutch

Dutch people

The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...

 origin prominent during the Gilded Age

Gilded Age

In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...

. It started off with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...

, and expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy. Cornelius Vanderbilt's descendants went on to build great Fifth Avenue mansions, Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

 "summer cottages," the famous Biltmore House and various other exclusive homes

Vanderbilt houses

From the late 1870s to the 1920s, the Vanderbilt family employed America's best Beaux-Arts architects and decorators to build an unequalled string of New York townhouses and East Coast palaces in the United States. Many of the Vanderbilt houses are now National Historic Landmarks...

. The family's prominence lasted until the early 20th century, when the ten great Fifth Avenue mansions were torn down and other Vanderbilt homes were sold or turned into museums. The family suffered from a major downfall in prominence by the mid-20th century, known as the Fall of the House of Vanderbilt. Despite the family's downfall and major loss of fortune, the Vanderbilts remain the seventh wealthiest family in history.

Branches of the family are found on the United States East Coast as well as in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Contemporary descendants include fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt

Gloria Vanderbilt

Gloria Laura Vanderbilt is an American artist, author, actress, heiress, and socialite most noted as an early developer of designer blue jeans...

, her son, journalist Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper

Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...

, and musicians John P. Hammond

John P. Hammond

John Paul Hammond is an American blues singer and guitarist. The son of record producer John H. Hammond, he is sometimes referred to as "John Hammond, Jr.".-Background:...

 and Joey Page.

History

The prominence of the family began with Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...

 (1794–1877), the fourth of nine children born to a Staten Island family of modest means. His great-great-great-grandfather, Jan Aertszoon or Aertson (1620–1705), was a Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 farmer from the village of De Bilt

De Bilt

De Bilt is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht.-Population centres :The municipality of De Bilt consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Bilthoven, De Bilt, Groenekan, Hollandsche Rading, Maartensdijk, Westbroek...

, Utrecht

Utrecht (province)

Utrecht is the smallest province of the Netherlands in terms of area, and is located in the centre of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest...

, Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, who emigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland

New Netherland

New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...

 as an indentured servant

Indentured servant

Indentured servitude refers to the historical practice of contracting to work for a fixed period of time, typically three to seven years, in exchange for transportation, food, clothing, lodging and other necessities during the term of indenture. Usually the father made the arrangements and signed...

 in 1650. Jan's village name was added to the Dutch "Van der" (from the) to create "Van der Bilt" which evolved into Vanderbilt when the English took control of New Amsterdam

New Amsterdam

New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....

 (now New York). The family is related to the Dutch patrician family

Nederland's Patriciaat

Nederland's Patriciaat, informally known as Het Blauwe Boekje , is a book series published annually since 1910, containing the genealogies of important Dutch patrician non-noble families. It is issued by the Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie in The Hague. The Publication Commission of the CBG...

 Van der Bilt.

Cornelius Vanderbilt left school at age 11 and went on to build a shipping

Merchant Navy

The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...

 and railroad empire that, during the 19th century, made him one of the wealthiest men in the world.

The Vanderbilt family owned land in Corwith Township, Michigan

Corwith Township, Michigan

Corwith Township is a civil township of Otsego County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,719 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census...

, which was settled about 1875. When the Vanderbilt-owned Michigan Central Railroad

Michigan Central Railroad

The Michigan Central Railroad was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada...

 came through in 1880, the village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 of Vanderbilt, Michigan

Vanderbilt, Michigan

Vanderbilt is a village in Otsego County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 587 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...

, was established. Although Cornelius Vanderbilt always occupied a modest home, members of his family would use their wealth to build magnificent mansions

Vanderbilt houses

From the late 1870s to the 1920s, the Vanderbilt family employed America's best Beaux-Arts architects and decorators to build an unequalled string of New York townhouses and East Coast palaces in the United States. Many of the Vanderbilt houses are now National Historic Landmarks...

. Shortly before his death in 1877, Vanderbilt donated US$1 million for the establishment of Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...

 in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

.

Members of the family dominated what has come to be known as the "Gilded Age

Gilded Age

In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...

", a period when Vanderbilt men were the merchant princes of American life through their prominence in the business world and as patrons of the arts throughout the world.

Some of Cornelius Vanderbilt's grandchildren and great grandchildren gained fame as successful entrepreneurs while several achieved prominence in other fields such as Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt I was an extremely wealthy sportsman and a member of the famous Vanderbilt family of philanthropists. He died on the .-Life:...

 (1877–1915), who went down on the RMS Lusitania

RMS Lusitania

RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...

. His son Alfred Jr.

Alfred G. Vanderbilt II

Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II was a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, a son of the first Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt who died a hero in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. His mother, Margaret Emerson, was one of America's wealthiest women and most sought-after hostesses, operating at least...

 became a noted horse breeder and racing elder. Harold Stirling Vanderbilt

Harold Stirling Vanderbilt

Harold Stirling Vanderbilt was an American railroad executive, a champion yachtsman, a champion bridge player and a member of the Vanderbilt family.-Background:...

 (1884–1970) gained fame as a sportsman, winning the most coveted prize in yacht racing, the America's Cup

America's Cup

The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...

, on three occasions. His brother "Willie K" launched the Vanderbilt Cup

Vanderbilt Cup

The Vanderbilt Cup was the first major trophy in American auto racing.-History:An international event, it was founded by William Kissam Vanderbilt II in 1904 and first held at a course set out in Nassau County on Long Island, New York. The announcement that the race was to be held caused...

 for auto racing

Auto racing

Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...

. Cornelius Vanderbilt IV

Cornelius Vanderbilt IV

-Biography:He was born on April 30, 1898 in Staten Island to Cornelius Vanderbilt III and Grace Graham Wilson.He attended Harstrom's Tutoring School and St. Paul's as a young man, then served in the Ambulance Service during the First World War where he became a driver when a general asked the...

 (1898–1974) became an accomplished writer, newspaper publisher, and film producer. However, others made headlines as a result of drug and alcohol abuse and multiple marriages.
Cornelius Vanderbilt had been awarded a gold medal by the United States government during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 for donating his steamer S.S. Vanderbilt to the Union forces

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

. Inheritance of this medal became the symbol for the titular head of the Vanderbilt family.

In 1855, Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt donated 8.5 acre

Acre

The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...

s (34,000 m²) of property to the Moravian Church and cemetery at New Dorp on Staten Island, New York. Later, his son William Henry Vanderbilt

William Henry Vanderbilt

William Henry Vanderbilt I was an American businessman and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family.-Childhood:William Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1821...

 donated a further 4 acres (16,000 m²). A plot was kept for the Vanderbilt family in the Moravian Cemetery and several of them are buried there in the family mausoleum including the family founder. Their mausoleum

Mausoleum

A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...

 was redesigned in 1885 by architect

Architect

An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

 Richard Morris Hunt

Richard Morris Hunt

Richard Morris Hunt was an American architect of the nineteenth century and a preeminent figure in the history of American architecture...

.
The Noted economist John Kenneth Galbraith

John Kenneth Galbraith

John Kenneth "Ken" Galbraith , OC was a Canadian-American economist. He was a Keynesian and an institutionalist, a leading proponent of 20th-century American liberalism...

 said that several generations of Vanderbilts showed both the talent for acquiring money and the dispensing of it in unmatched volume, adding that they dispensed their wealth for self-gratification and very often did it foolhardily.

Confirmation as to the validity of Galbraith's views is that only forty-eight years after the death of Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of his direct descendants died penniless. Within seventy years of his passing, the last of the ten great Vanderbilt Fifth Avenue mansions in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 had been torn down. In 1973, the first Vanderbilt family reunion took place at Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...

.

The family's modern legacy includes Vanderbilt University as well as Vanderbilt Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, which runs alongside Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...

, the New York City rail hub built by the Vanderbilt family.

Fortune's Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt written by distant cousin Arthur T. Vanderbilt II, was published in 1989.

Family connection (listed by ancestry/generation)

• Cornelius Vanderbilt
  Cornelius Vanderbilt
  Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...
  
   (1794–1877)
  • Phebe Jane Vanderbilt (1814–1878)
  • Ethelinda Vanderbilt (1817–1889)
  • Eliza Vanderbilt (1819–1890), married George Archer Osgood. Buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York City.
  • William Henry Vanderbilt
    William Henry Vanderbilt
    William Henry Vanderbilt I was an American businessman and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family.-Childhood:William Vanderbilt was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1821...
    
     (1821–1885)
    • Cornelius Vanderbilt II
      Cornelius Vanderbilt II
      Cornelius Vanderbilt II was an American socialite, heir, businessman, and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family....
      
       (1843–1899)
      • William Henry Vanderbilt II (1870–1892)
      • Cornelius Vanderbilt III
        Cornelius Vanderbilt III
        Cornelius Vanderbilt III was a distinguished American military officer, inventor, engineer, and yachtsman, and a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family.-Biography:...
        
         (1873–1942)
        • Cornelius Vanderbilt IV
          Cornelius Vanderbilt IV
          -Biography:He was born on April 30, 1898 in Staten Island to Cornelius Vanderbilt III and Grace Graham Wilson.He attended Harstrom's Tutoring School and St. Paul's as a young man, then served in the Ambulance Service during the First World War where he became a driver when a general asked the...
          
           (1898–1974)
        • Grace Vanderbilt
          Grace Vanderbilt
          Grace Wilson Vanderbilt was an American socialite. She was the wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt III. She was one of the last Vanderbilts to live the luxurious life of the "head of society" that her predecessors such as Alice and Alva Vanderbilt enjoyed.-Biography:She was born Grace Graham Wilson on...
          
           (1870–1953)
      • Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
        Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
        Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was an American sculptor, art patron and collector, and founder in 1931 of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City...
        
         (1875–1942)
        • Flora Payne Whitney
          Flora Payne Whitney
          Flora Payne Whitney, also known as Flora Whitney Miller , was a wealthy socialite, art collector, and patron of the arts.-Biography:...
          
           (1897–1986)
        • Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney
          Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney
          Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney was an American businessman, film producer, writer, and government official, as well as the owner of a leading stable of thoroughbred racehorses....
          
           (1899–1992)
      • Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt
        Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt
        Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt I was an extremely wealthy sportsman and a member of the famous Vanderbilt family of philanthropists. He died on the .-Life:...
        
         (1877–1915)
        • Governor William Henry Vanderbilt III
          William Henry Vanderbilt III
          William Henry Vanderbilt III was an American Republican politician and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.-Biography:...
          
           (1901–1981)
        • Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II (1912–1999)
          • Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt III (born 1949)
            • Theresa Vanderbilt Thesopolis (born 1968)
            • James Vanderbilt
              James Vanderbilt
              James Platten Vanderbilt is an American screenwriter.A member of the Vanderbilt family of New York, he is the son of Alison Campbell and Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt III...
              
               (born 1975)
        • George Washington Vanderbilt III
          George Washington Vanderbilt III
          George Washington Vanderbilt III was a yachtsman and a scientific explorer who was a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.-Early life:...
          
           (1914–1961)
      • Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt
        Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt
        Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt was a millionaire equestrian and the father of Gloria Vanderbilt. He was the founder and president of many equestrian organizations.-Biography:...
        
         (1880–1925)
        • Gloria Vanderbilt
          Gloria Vanderbilt
          Gloria Laura Vanderbilt is an American artist, author, actress, heiress, and socialite most noted as an early developer of designer blue jeans...
          
           (born 1924) m. Pasquale ("Pat") DiCicco (1941; divorced 1945); m. Leopold Stokowski
          Leopold Stokowski
          Leopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
          
           (1945; divorced 1955); m. Sidney Lumet
          Sidney Lumet
          Sidney Lumet was an American director, producer and screenwriter with over 50 films to his credit. He was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Director for 12 Angry Men , Dog Day Afternoon , Network and The Verdict...
          
           (1956; divorced 1963); m. Wyatt Emory Cooper
          Wyatt Emory Cooper
          Wyatt Emory Cooper was an American author and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Cooper was born in Quitman, Mississippi, son of a poor family with deep Southern roots, and later moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, as a young child. Cooper moved to New York in his twenties to pursue acting...
          
           (1963; Wyatt Cooper died in 1978).
          • Leopold Stanislas Stokowski (born 1950)
            • Aurora Stokowski (born 1983)
            • Abra Stokowski (born 1985)
            • Myles Stokowski (born 1998)
          • Christopher Stokowski (born 1952)
          • Carter Vanderbilt Cooper (1965–1988)
          • Anderson Hays Cooper
            Anderson Cooper
            Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...
            
             (born 1967)
      • Countess Gladys Vanderbilt Széchenyi
        Gladys Vanderbilt Széchenyi
        Gladys Vanderbilt Széchenyi was an American heiress from the prominent United States Vanderbilt family, and the wife of a Hungarian count.-Family background:...
        
         (1886–1965)
    • William Kissam Vanderbilt
      William Kissam Vanderbilt
      William Kissam Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.-Biography:...
      
       (1849–1920)
      • Consuelo Vanderbilt
        Consuelo Vanderbilt
        Consuelo Balsan , was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family...
        
         (1877–1964)
        • John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough
          John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough
          John Albert William Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough , styled Marquess of Blandford until 1934, was a British peer....
          
           (1897–1972)
          • Lady Sarah Consuelo Spencer-Churchill (1921–2000)
          • Lady Caroline Spencer-Churchill (1923–1992)
          • John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough
            John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough
            John George Vanderbilt Henry Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, DL, JP , is the son of Lt.-Col. John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough and his wife, Hon. Alexandra Mary Hilda Cadogan. His principal seat is Blenheim Palace, in Woodstock, Oxfordshire...
            
             (born 1926)
            • John David Ivor Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland
              Earl of Sunderland
              Earl of Sunderland is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1627 in favour of Emanuel Scrope, 12th Baron Scrope of Bolton. The earldom became extinct on his death in 1630 while the barony became either extinct or dormant...
              
               (1952–1955)
            • Jamie Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford
              Jamie Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford
              Charles James Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford , commonly known as Jamie Blandford, is an English aristocrat and the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Marlborough ....
              
               (born 1955)
              • George Spencer-Churchill, Earl of Sunderland (born 1992)
              • Lady Araminta Clementine Megan Spencer-Churchill (born 2007)
              • Lord Caspar Sasha Ivor Spencer-Churchill (born 2008)
            • Lady Henrietta Mary Spencer-Churchill
              Lady Henrietta Gelber
              Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill is the eldest daughter of the 11th Duke of Marlborough, whose family seat is Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.http://www.thepeerage.com/p10642.htm. , The Daily Mail...
              
               (born 1958)
            • Lord Richard Spencer-Churchill (1973–1973)
            • Lord Edward Albert Charles Spencer-Churchill (born 1974)
            • Lady Alexandra Elizabeth Mary Spencer-Churchill (born 1977)
          • Lady Rosemary Mildred Spencer-Churchill (born 1929)
          • Lord Charles George William Colin Spencer-Churchill (born 1940)
            • Rupert John Harold Mark Spencer-Churchill (born 1971)
            • Dominic Albert Charles Spencer-Churchill (born 1979)
            • Alexander David Spencer-Churchill (born 1983)
        • Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill
          Lord Ivor Spencer-Churchill
          The Lord Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill was the younger son of the 9th Duke of Marlborough and his first wife, the former Consuelo Vanderbilt, an American railroad heiress....
          
           (1898–1956)
          • Robert William Charles Spencer-Churchill (born 1954)
            • John Robert Spencer-Churchill (born 1984)
            • Ivor Charles Spencer-Churchill (born 1986)
      • William Kissam ("Willie K") Vanderbilt II
        William Kissam Vanderbilt II
        William Kissam Vanderbilt II was a motor racing enthusiast and yachtsman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.-Biography:...
        
         (1878–1944)
        • Muriel Vanderbilt
          Muriel Vanderbilt
          Muriel Vanderbilt was an American socialite and a thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder who was a member of the wealthy Vanderbilt family.-Biography:...
          
           (1902–1982)
        • Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl (1903–2011)
      • Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
        Harold Stirling Vanderbilt
        Harold Stirling Vanderbilt was an American railroad executive, a champion yachtsman, a champion bridge player and a member of the Vanderbilt family.-Background:...
        
         (1884–1970)
    • Emily Thorn Vanderbilt
      Emily Thorn Vanderbilt
      Emily Thorn Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.The second daughter of William Henry Vanderbilt and Maria Louisa Kissam , Emily Thorn Vanderbilt was named after her aunt, Emily Almira Thorn, daughter of dynasty founder Cornelius Vanderbilt.The Sloanes were...
      
       (1850–1946) (Mrs. William Douglas Sloane)
      • Florence Adele Sloane (1866 - 1960) (Mrs. James A. Burden Jr.
        James Burden
        James Abercrombie Burden, Jr. was married to Adele Sloane Burden, the daughter of William Sloane of W. & J. Sloane and Emily Thorn Vanderbilt, who commissioned the James Burden Mansion for their daughter and her husband. Designated a historic site in the 1970s, it was designed by Warren and...
        
        )
        • William Douglas Burden (1898 - 1978)
        • Sheila Burden
      • Emily Vanderbilt Sloane (1873 - 1960) (Mrs. John Henry Hammond)
        • Alice Frances Hammond (Mrs. Arthur Duckworth) (Mrs. Benny Goodman
          Benny Goodman
          Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
          
          )
        • John H. Hammond
          John H. Hammond
          John Henry Hammond II was an American record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s...
          
           (1910–1987)
          • John P. Hammond
            John P. Hammond
            John Paul Hammond is an American blues singer and guitarist. The son of record producer John H. Hammond, he is sometimes referred to as "John Hammond, Jr.".-Background:...
            
             (born 1942)
      • Lila Vanderbilt Sloane (1877-1934) (Mrs. William Bradhurst Osgood Field)
        • William Osgood Field (1904-1994)
        • Frederick Vanderbilt Field
          Frederick Vanderbilt Field
          Frederick Vanderbilt Field was an American leftist political activist and a great-great-grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, disinherited by his wealthy relatives for his radical political views. Field became a specialist on Asia and was a prime staff member and supporter...
          
           (1905–2000)
        • Marjorie Field Wilde (1910-1997)
        • Mary Augusta Field Jackson (1911-2000)
      • William Douglas Sloane (1884 - 1886)
      • Malcolm Douglas Sloane (1885 - 1924)
    • Florence Adele Vanderbilt-Twombly (1854–1952) Married Hamilton McKown Twombly on Nov. 21, 1877 in New York City. They had four children. Hamilton Twombly, Sr., died in January 1910.
      • Alice Twombly (1879-1896) Died at the age of sixteen on the eve of her society debut.
      • Florence Adele Twombly (1881–1969) (Mrs. William A.M. Burden)
        • William A.M. Burden Jr., a president of the Museum of Modern Art
          Museum of Modern Art
          The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
          
          ; and ambassador to Belgium 1959–1961. Married Margaret Livingston Partridge.
          • William A.M. Burden, III (died 2/27/1962) Married Leslie Hamilton (died 1/14/1998)
            • Will Burden
            • Wendy Burden (born 12/18/1955), author of family memoir Dead End Gene Pool (2010); fourth great-granddaughter of Cornelius; two husbands: first, father of daughters; second, William "Tiger" Warren (died November 27, 1999
            • Edward Burden
          • Robert Burden
          • Hamilton Burden
          • Ordway Burden
        • Shirley Carter Burden – Authored The Vanderbilts in My Life: A Personal Memoir. Married Flobelle Fairbanks, niece of famed actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.
      • Ruth Twombly Born c. 1884; died in Sept. 1954. Never married.
      • Hamilton M. Twombly, Jr. (1887-1906) Drowned in a tragic accident at a summer camp where he was working as a camp counselor.
    • Frederick William Vanderbilt
      Frederick William Vanderbilt
      Frederick William Vanderbilt was a member of the Vanderbilt family. He was a director of the New York Central Railroad for 61 years, and also a director of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and of the Chicago and North Western Railroad.-Biography:A son of William Henry Vanderbilt, Frederick...
      
       (1856–1938)
    • Lila Osgood Vanderbilt Webb (1860–1936) (Mrs. William Seward Webb
      William Seward Webb
      William Seward Webb, M.D. was a businessman, and Inspector General of the Vermont militia with the rank of Colonel. He was a founder and former President of the Sons of the American Revolution.-Biography:...
      
      )
      • James Watson Webb
        James Watson Webb, Sr.
        -Biography:He was born in 1884 to Lila Osgood Vanderbilt Webb and William Seward Webb in Burlington, Vermont. He married Electra Havemeyer Webb and had as his son, James Watson Webb, Jr. He died in 1960.-References:...
        
         (1884–1960) m. Electra Havemeyer Webb
        Electra Havemeyer Webb
        Electra Havemeyer Webb was a collector of American antiques and founder of the Shelburne Museum.-Biography:Electra Havemeyer was born on August 16, 1888 to Henry O. Havemeyer and Louisine Elder, their youngest child...
        
        , a.k.a. Mrs. James Watson Webb — (1888–1960); marriage February, 1910; five children,:
        • Electra Webb Bostwick (1910-1982) m. to Dunbar W. Bostwick (c. 1908 – January 2006)
        • Samuel Webb (1912-1988)
        • Lila Vanderbilt Webb (Wilmerding)(1913-1961) m. to John Currie Wilmerding (1911–1965)
          • John Wilmerding
            John Wilmerding
            John Currie Wilmerding, , is an American art professor and curator whose writings on American art have made him one of the most defining and highly regarded figures within the field.- Biography :...
            
             (born 1938) American art historian
        • J. Watson Webb, Jr.
          J. Watson Webb, Jr.
          James Watson Webb, Jr. was an American film editor and heir to both the Havemeyer and Vanderbilt families.-Biography:...
          
           (1916–2000)
        • Harry Webb (1922-1975)
      • Frederica Vanderbilt Webb (Mrs. Ralph Pulitzer
        Ralph Pulitzer
        Influential publisher and socialite Ralph Pulitzer was the son of newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer and upon Pulitzer's death acquired control of the New York World, an influential American newspaper...
        
        )
    • George Washington Vanderbilt II
      George Washington Vanderbilt II
      George Washington Vanderbilt II was a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family, which had amassed a huge fortune through steamboats, railroads, and various business enterprises. He built and owned Biltmore, the largest home in the United States.-Biography:The eighth son and youngest...
      
       (1862–1914)
      • Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt
        Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt
        Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt was the only child of George Washington Vanderbilt II and his wife Edith Stuyvesant Dresser.-Marriage and family:...
        
         (1900–1976)
        • George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil
          George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil
          George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil is the owner and operator of Biltmore Farms. He is the first of two sons born to John Francis Amherst Cecil and Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt and is the grandson of George Washington Vanderbilt II, the founder of the Biltmore Estate. He was educated in Europe and...
          
           (born 1925)
        • William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil
          William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil
          William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil is the younger son of John Francis Amherst Cecil and Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt . He is an operator of the Biltmore Estate through his company, The Biltmore Company. Cecil is a graduate of Harvard University...
          
           (born 1928)
  • Emily Almira Vanderbilt (1823–1896)
    • William Knapp Thorn
      William Knapp Thorn
      William Knapp Thorn, Jr. was a champion polo player and the grandson of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt.-Biography:He was born in 1848 to Emily Almira Vanderbilt Thorn. He died in Pau, France on November 16, 1910.-References:...
      
       (1851-1911)
    • Carolin Thorn (married Mr. Gustav Edward Kissel in 1884)
      • William Thorn Kissel
        • William Thorn Kissel II
        • Emeliea Grace Kissel
          • Alexsis Jordan Hamilton
          • Emeliea Grace Hamilton
        • Michael Case Kissel
          • Siena Kissel
          • Lucy Kissel
          • Rosalie Kissel
      • Aline Thorn Pease (m. Kenneth James William Mackay, 3rd Earl of Inchcape)
        • Kenneth Peter Lyle Mackay, 4th Earl of Inchcape
          • Fergus James Kenneth Mackay, Viscount Glenapp
      • Nathalie Emmeralt Vanderbilt (1991)
    • Angelina Emmeralt Vanderbilt (1990)

Charles van de Bilt was a Dutch Member of Parliament from 1920 to 1938 for the R.K. Staatkundige Partij (Roman Catholic party).

His great-nephew R. F. (Bob) Ruers-van de Bilt was a Dutch senator from 1997 to 2001 for the Socialist Party (S.P.)

Family connection (chronological listing)

The following list includes etiquette guru Amy Vanderbilt

Amy Vanderbilt

Amy Vanderbilt was an American authority on etiquette. In 1952 she published the best selling book Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette. The book, later retitled Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette, has been updated and is still in circulation today. The most recent edition was edited by Nancy...

 although it is believed she descended from either an uncle or brother of Cornelius Vanderbilt and is therefore not an official descendant-member of this family. As well as Illegitimate grand child Deryck Gray-Vanderbilt of Alfred Vanderbilt . The list also includes Josiah Hornblower (1975) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1670163/bio, a distant cousin of the Vanderbilt and Whitney family

Whitney family

The Whitney family is an American family notable for their social prominence, wealth, business enterprises and philanthropy, founded by John Whitney who came from London, England to Watertown, Massachusetts in 1635.-Rise to prominence:...

 who was featured in the 2003 documentary Born Rich

Born Rich

Born Rich is a 2003 documentary about the experience of growing up as a child in one of the world's richest families. It was created by Jamie Johnson, an heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune....

.

By birth

• Frederick Vanderbilt Field
  Frederick Vanderbilt Field
  Frederick Vanderbilt Field was an American leftist political activist and a great-great-grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, disinherited by his wealthy relatives for his radical political views. Field became a specialist on Asia and was a prime staff member and supporter...
  
   (1905–2000)
• Amy Vanderbilt
  Amy Vanderbilt
  Amy Vanderbilt was an American authority on etiquette. In 1952 she published the best selling book Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette. The book, later retitled Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette, has been updated and is still in circulation today. The most recent edition was edited by Nancy...
  
   (1908–1974)
• Alfred G. Vanderbilt II
  Alfred G. Vanderbilt II
  Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II was a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, a son of the first Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt who died a hero in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. His mother, Margaret Emerson, was one of America's wealthiest women and most sought-after hostesses, operating at least...
  
   (1912–1999)
• George Washington Vanderbilt III
  George Washington Vanderbilt III
  George Washington Vanderbilt III was a yachtsman and a scientific explorer who was a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.-Early life:...
  
   (1914–1961)
• Gloria Vanderbilt
  Gloria Vanderbilt
  Gloria Laura Vanderbilt is an American artist, author, actress, heiress, and socialite most noted as an early developer of designer blue jeans...
  
   (1924–)
• George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil
  George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil
  George Henry Vanderbilt Cecil is the owner and operator of Biltmore Farms. He is the first of two sons born to John Francis Amherst Cecil and Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt and is the grandson of George Washington Vanderbilt II, the founder of the Biltmore Estate. He was educated in Europe and...
  
   (1925–)
• William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil
  William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil
  William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil is the younger son of John Francis Amherst Cecil and Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt . He is an operator of the Biltmore Estate through his company, The Biltmore Company. Cecil is a graduate of Harvard University...
  
   (1928–)
• Alfred Vanderbilt (1943–)
• Robert Thomas Vanderbilt (1948–)
• Michael D Vanderbilt (1950-)
• Thomas A Vanderbilt (1954-)
• Karen L Vanderbilt - Edwards (1956-)
• Victoria Emerson Vanderbilt (1959–)
• Thomas Percy Cornelius Vanderbilt (1971–)
• Zachary Theodore Driver Vanderbilt (1974–)
• Joshia Hornblower (1975–)
• Michael D Vanderbilt II (1976-)
• William J. Driver Vanderbilt (1976-)
• Nikolas Vanderbilt (1976–)
• Ethan Vanderbilt-Marquis (1977–)
• Caitlin Ginn Weiss (1983–)
• Sasha Virginia Weiss (1985–)
• Erik Vanderbilt Edwards (1987-)
• Sebastian Vanderbilt Eide (1987-)
• Markus Taylor Rivas-Vanderilt (1987-)
• Matthew Robert Calin Vanderbilt (1987-)
• Mackenzie Cecilia Vanderbilt (1987-)
• Lord Joseph Page III (1990-)
• Parker Denton (1990-)
• Deryck Gray- Vanderbilt (1990-)
• Ryan Adam Driver (1990-)
• Angelina Emmeralt Vanderbilt (-1990)
• Nathalie Emmeralt Vanderbilt (1991-)
• Curtis Vanderbilt (-1991)
• Courtney Vanderbilt (1992-)
• Matthew W. Edwards (1991-)
• Devon Pickering (1991-)
• Victor Vanderbilt (1991-)
• Jayson Alexander Driver (1992-)
• Maria Vanderbilt (1993-)
• Amanda Jane Driver (1993-)
• Lillian Vanderbilt (1994–)
• Betina Vanderbilt (1995-)
• Grant Carlton Vanderbilt (2007-)

Trivia

• Nathaniel "Nate" Archibald
  Nate Archibald (Gossip Girl)
  Nathaniel Fitzwilliam "Nate" Archibald is a character in the best selling Gossip Girl book series. He is portrayed by Chace Crawford in the television series of the same name...
  
  , a fictional character from The CW
  The CW Television Network
  The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
  
  's Gossip Girl
  Gossip Girl
  Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
  
  and the novels of the same name, is a member of the Vanderbilt family.

See also

• Vanderbilt University
  Vanderbilt University
  Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
  
  
• Vanderbilt (surname)
  Vanderbilt (surname)
  Vanderbilt is a surname, and may refer to:*The Vanderbilt family, a prominent family in the United States*Cornelius Vanderbilt *William Henry Vanderbilt **Cornelius Vanderbilt II ***William Henry Vanderbilt II...
  
  
• Rockefeller family
  Rockefeller family
  The Rockefeller family , the Cleveland family of John D. Rockefeller and his brother William Rockefeller , is an American industrial, banking, and political family of German origin that made one of the world's largest private fortunes in the oil business during the late 19th and early 20th...
  
  
• Rothschild family
  Rothschild family
  The Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
  
  
• Dupont family