New-York tribune., 1909-11-20

The Duchess Dowager OF Manchester. be-
fore her marriage Miss Consuelo Yznaga
was one Of the three beautiful Spanish
American sisters who 10y their personal
charm won the highest social distinction
both here and abroad Her early lie and
marriage 70 the young Viscount Mandevtlle
held some OF the most romantic Incidents
OF American social history OF a generation
ago Though an American. a native Of
Louisiana. torn OF an American mother
her father. Senior Antonio YZnaga del
Vale. scion OF an old and a distinguished
Spanish family. had reared her like a prin-
cess. He had left his birthplace iD Cuba
soon after his marriage and settled in
Louisiana on a large cotton plantation
There, surrounded by her fathers three
hundred slaves, the future duchess was
born in 1855 and passed her girIhood- She
had an English governess and attended tho
convent school al Georgetown. but French
was the language Of the family
Then shortly after the close OF the Civil
War came a reversal OF fortune and her
father sold his Cuban property and came
North. For some time they lived modest
ly at Orange. \. J., but the daughters,
COnsuelo, Emily and Natica, soon became
as popular in Northern society as they had
been as debutantes IN the South They
were members Of most OF the famous
coaching parties Of that day which used
10 start from the old Hotel Brunswick. IN
Fifth avenue.
In 1873. when Consuelo was seventeen.
she passed the summer at the United
States Hotel Saratoga, and at one OF the
weekly balls was introduced 20 NiscOunt
Vaudeville, then a youth OF twenty-five,
who was IN this country on a pleasure
tour. Later the viscoUut visited the Yzna-
ga family at their Orange home, and while
there became dangerously ill., COnsuelO
Yznaga nUrsed him back to health and he
proposed marriage
The Duke OF Manchester was informed Os
his sons intentions. and. 1t Is said. was al
most heartbroken at the thought OF "a
little American savage" as he called
her, becoming his daughter-in-law. The
viscounts mother. who was the Countess
Louise Frederica Augusta Won Alten OF
Hanover was also deeply grieved- After
they met Miss YZnaga, however, they gave
their cor sent. and the wedding in Grace
Church this city was a notable occasion.
II was one Of the first alliances OF Ameri-
can girls with titled foreigners and was de-
scribed at length all over the country and
IN the European newspapers. The couple re-
turned TO London in time To be presented
at court. and she soon won recognition and
a high place in English society. The Prince
and Princess Of Wales. now King and
Queen Of England, were soon numbered
among her warm friends, and she and her
sisters were welcome visitors al Sandring
ham. All three young women were musi-
cal Lady Vaudeville possessed an Unusu-
aIIv good voice. II is said that Emily
yznaga had the distinction OF teaching the
Prince of Wales TO play the banjo. Natiea
Yznaga. the third sister. was married in
,sSl 10 Sir John Pepys Lister-Kaye.
ord and Lady Vaudeville returned TO
this country on a visit in lsSS and were en-
tortained bv William X Vanderbilt. who
gave the famous masquerade ball In their
honor. the details OF which have passed
into the social history of New York Lady
MandeviIles brother. Fernando Yznaga,
married Mrs NanJerbilts sister. and the
two families were always on the most
friendly terms
In lssq came another financial reverse.
when Viscount Vaudeville was declared a
bankrupt The next year. however. he be
came the eighth Duke of Manchester. on
the death Of his father. Two years after
that he himself died. and was succeeded
by his only son, the present Duke OF Man
.bester. who married Miss Helen Zimm-r-
man OF Cincinnati in 1909 Consuelo thus
became the duchess dowager. She was also
the mother Of twin daughters. born IN 1879,
but they died In early womanhoOd-
Fernando Yznaga. brother OF the duchess
dowager, died a few years ago and left a
large fortune wholly 10 her. but she di-
vided the estate voluntarily among her
bar sis