Cornelius Jeremiah Vanderbilt

Cornelius Jeremiah Vanderbilt (December 29, 1830 – April 2, 1882) was an American member of the Vanderbilt family. After having a troubled relationship with his father, Cornelius Vanderbilt, he eventually committed suicide at the age of 51. Early life Cornelius "Corneel" Jeremiah Vanderbilt was born on Staten Island on December 29, 1830. He was the second son of thirteen children born to Cornelius Vanderbilt and Sophia Johnson Vanderbilt, who were first cousins. He had 11 siblings who survived to adulthood; Phebe, Ethelinda, Eliza, William ("Billy"), Emily, Sophia, Maria, Frances, Mary, Catherine, and George (who died in 1863 at age 24). Corneel had another brother named George, born in 1832, who died as a child. According to official records, Corneel matriculated at Columbia College with the class of 1850, but did not graduate with the class. When he was 18 years old, Corneel began suffering from epilepsy, which his father saw as weakness and even mental derangement, believing his son needed to be in a mental asylum. His father thought the epileptic fits were a punishment on himself for his having married his own cousin.