Rafael Díez de la Cortina y Olaeta, 1st Count of Olaeta (1859 – 24 July 1939) was a Spanish-American linguist. Globally, he is recognized as the first person to introduce sound recording into the teaching of foreign languages; he used it when operating his New-York-based company, Cortina Academy of Languages, launched in the 1890s. In Spain he is also known as a Carlist political activist and soldier; he volunteered to legitimist troops during the Third Carlist War and advanced the Carlist cause as the claimant's representative in America.
Family and youth
The Díez de la CortinaThe name appeared in contemporary press in a variety of spelling versions: "Díez de la Cortina", "Díez de la Cortina", "Díez de Cortina", "Díez de Cortina", "Diaz de la Cortina", "Díaz de la Cortina", "Diaz de Cortina", "Díaz de Cortina" or "D. de la Cortina" family originated from Cantabria and were related to Liébana; the first representative is noted in the 16th century.Ramón Luis Retamero Díez de la Cortina, Raíz de los Díez de la Cortina procedentes de Marchena, s.l. 2013, p. 5 As part of hidalguia, none of the family members grew into a public figure until in the mid-18th century one of its branches moved to the Andalusian Marchena;Retamero 2013, p. 5 they settled as arrendatarios in estates of Duque de Osuna.
Rafael's great-grandfather, José Antonio Díez de la Cortina Gutiérrez,full name José Antonio Díez de la Cortina Gutiérrez de Caviedes was born in the Cantabrian PotesRetamero 2013, p. 26 and upon his arrival in Marchena he built a house, which was later to become a family hub.in the 1990s the building was declared part of local historical patrimony and covered with appropriate regional protection scheme, see Marchena. Plan espacial de protección del conjunto histórico, Ficha No. 16: Casa palacio de José Díez de la Cortina, available here. However, the building kept dilapidating; currently there are only few walls standing, compare google.maps service, available here Rafael's grandfather, Juan Díez de la Cortina Layna Pernia (born 1782), as the oldest surviving son, became the family heir. In the 1830s, he was already one of the top local taxpayers.José Fernando Alcaide Aguilar, Marchena durante la regencia de María Cristina. Aspectos políticos, sociales y económicos, [in:] Actas de las IV Jornadas sobre Historia de Marchena, Marchena 1999, pp. 31, 38 In the 1840s, he formed part of the emerging "agrarian bourgeosie",Alcaíde 1999, p. 54 a group of local hidalgo families which grew into major proprietors as duque de Osuna was selling out his estates.Adrian Shubert, José Luis Gil Aristu, Historia social de España (1800-1990), Madrid (1991); , p. 110, Rafael Mata Olmo, Pequeña y gran propiedad en la depresión del Guadalquivir, Madrid (1987); , pp. 110-112. Although not comparable to grand Andalusian landholders,few of them owned an estate larger than 1,000 ha while Duque de Osuna, a typical case of grand Andalusian landowner, possessed some 8,000 ha, Mata 1987, p. 108 they soon assumed a leading role in the local agricultural regime.Marchena was a rather exceptional county; in most of Andalusian counties it was the grand properties which prevailed: "la gran propiedad de Marchena en 1860 constituye, frente al caso cordobés analizado, un buen exponente de latifundio más evolucionado y próximo al capitalismo agrario pleno", Mata 1987, p. 105, general discussion, pp. 105–125
The eldest son of Juan and the father of Rafael, José Díez de la Cortina Cerrato (died 1874), owned some 400 ha and rented further 700 ha; he was the 6th largest arrendatario in Marchena.Mata 1987, p. 117 At unspecified time he married Elena Olaeta Bouyon, a native of San Fernando, Cádiz;Libros del registro civil de Sevilla (/1836/1841-1882). Libros de partes parroquiales (1842-1880), [in:] Archivo Municipal de Sevilla none of the sources consulted provides detailed information on her parentage; she was descendant to two very distinguished Cádiz families of navy commanders and public servants; both the Olaetascompare e.g. El Comercio 11.03.50, available here and the BouyonsGuillermo C. R. G. Perez, Honorato Bouyon Serze, [in:] Contando Historias Antiguas blog, 23 December 1914, available here made their names in Spain and in the New World. José and Elena had three children, all of them sons, born between 1855 and 1859; Rafael was the youngest one.[Ramón Luis Retamero Díez de la Cortina?], Informe Genéalogico Completo de Juan Díez de la Cortina, s.l. 2013, p. 15
When in the United States he married twice: in 1897, to New York-born woman of Irish descent, Marguerite Canto Ingalis (1864-1933)National Archives and Records Administration [furtherly referred as NARA] 2002, roll T626, available online hereNARA rolls M1490 and M1372, available online here, NARA roll T715, available online here. Her father was reportedly named Timothy Canto and her mother was identified, variously, as Margaret CarrNew York Municipal Archives, FHL microfilm 2,070,584, available online here and as "Margt T. Flynn".New York City Municipal Archives, FHL microfilm 1,487,674, available online here Marguerite Díez de la Cortina was long engaged in local charity initiatives and set up Thimble Charity in Middletown, New York until her death in 1933. That year, Rafael married the Hartford, Connecticut-bornNARA T715 roll, available online here. Marion L. M. Fletcher (b. 1872).Marion L. M. Fletcher was either a widow or a divorcee, the daughter of Fred P. Mahl and Marion Hamilton, as per New York City Municipal Archives, FHL microfilm 1,684,806, available online here; see also NARA T715 roll, available online at here. None of the sources consulted indicate he had any children and there were none mentioned as involved in property-related issues.see e.g. discussion on mortgage obligations resulting from death of his first wife, Middletown Times Herald, 27 July 1933. He lived at various locations in New York, including at 431 Riverside Drive, in Manhattan, but the dates of residency are unclear.Saunders 2004 before moving to Middletown, New York.
In the early 1910s, his wife Marguerite was reported involved in local charity initiatives.Annual Report to the State Board of Charities and Nineteenth Annual Report to the State Commission in Lunacy, New York 1911, p. 27 In the mid-1930s, he was explicitly reported as living in Middletown, New York.Middletown Times Herald, 24 July 1939, available here. On 24 July 1939, he died, reportedly from injuries sustained in an accident, at the Horton Hospital, Middletown, New York.Middletown Times Herald, 24 July 1939, available here. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. In 2017, the cemetery's website made a reference to him. The same site referred to him as a pioneer of self-improvement.
His older brother, José, in the early 20th century became a Carlist political leader in Andalusia and member of the national party executive. A distant relative was José Gómez Acebo y Cortina, a conservative politician who held various ministerial jobs during final years of the Restoration. The Carlist title of Conde de Olaeta, conferred upon Rafael in 1876, was claimed by Mariano Ternero Caro in 2002,Revista Hidalguía 296 (2003), p. 7 but has not been recognized by the Madrid court so far. Some other relatives gained limited local recognition.the Torres Díez de la Cortina relatives gained some acknowledgement in the late 19th century as local bull-breaders in Western Andalusia. Their ganaderia was sold in the late 19th century, see García Jiménez, Hermanos entry, [in:] ganaderias.toroslidia service, available here
Volunteer in Third Carlist War
There is no information on political preferences of the Díez de la Cortina until the mid-19th century;during the First Carlist War Marchena was briefly taken by the Carlists but there is no note of any Díez de la Cortina involved; later on the alcalde claimed in report to higher authorities that there were no Carlist supporters in the area, Alcaide 1999, pp. 46-47 in the 1860s various members of the family, including José Díez de la Cortina Cerrato, his wife and sons, started to appear as signatories of various open letters printed in Neo-Catholic and Traditionalist papers; they pledged loyalty to the Catholic Church and lambasted "corrupción de las ideas y de costumbres", especially in education.El Pensamiento Español 13.07.64, available here Later his son recollected that it was the 1868 revolution and its aftermath which triggered Díez de la Cortina Cerrato's access to Carlism;José Díez de la Cortina, El fracaso de un plan, [in:] Tradición 16 (1933), p. 387 in 1870 he already declared his "completa adhesión al señor Duque de Madrid".La Regeneración, 25 May 1870, available here When the Carlist insurgency rocked Vasco-Navarrese provinces in 1872 he pondered upon joining the rebels, the idea which soon became his obsession.Díez de la Cortina 1933, p. 387 In June 1873 the 17-year-old Rafael's brother José was dispatched North to agree the logistics and learn the war craft.Díez de la Cortina 1933, pp. 387-388
Upon his return to Marchena in October 1873 Cortina Cerrato formed a family-based group, consisting of the father, Rafael and his two brothers, his cousin, few family associates including a chaplain and a lawyer, some servants and a handful of volunteers.B. de Artagan [Reinaldo Brea], Principe heroíco y su soldados leales, Barcelona 1912, p. 118 The 20-men unit, of which Rafael was the youngest member, headed North.Díez de la Cortina 1933, p. 388, Ferrer 1955, p. 175 In two weeks they covered some 350 kilometers across the provinces of Córdoba, Jaén, Ciudad Real and Cáceres, finally joining the 300-men columnalmost all of them cavalry, Ferrer 1955, p. 168 of general Vicente Sabariegos.Díez de la Cortina 1933, p. 389
Surrounded by family members, starting November Cortina commenced combat during failed skirmishes at Retamosa; upon death of Sabariegos, command was assumed by general Villar y Perez. During late 1873 and early 1874 the group fought guerilla war across New Castile, Extremadura and La Mancha, engaged at Villar del Pedroso, Navahermosa, Montiel, Santa Cruz de los Cañamos, Talavera la Vieja (November), Torre del Campo (December), Puertollano,where they broke up a local prison and set the prisoners free, Melchor Ferrer, Historia del tradicionalismo español, vol. 26, Sevilla 1955, p. 234 Los Yébenes, Talarrubias (January), Alcoba, Garbayela, Artiñano, Agudo, (February), Moral de Calatrava and Luciana (March).Díez de la Cortina 1933, pp. 389-390; slightly different sequence in Ferrer 1955 (26), pp. 234-242, 273 The campaign ended in April 1874 at Piedrabuena,detailed account in Ferrer 1955 (26), pp. 241-245. A very picturesque and dramatic account of Piedrabuena episode in Diario de Valencia 05.05.12, available here when during close engagement his father and the oldest brother Juan were killed in action.Díez de la Cortina 1933, pp. 390-391