Rothschild banking family of England
The Rothschild banking family of England is the English branch of the Rothschild family. It was founded in 1798 by Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777–1836), who first settled in Manchester before moving to London, England, which was then part of the Kingdom of Great Britain. He was sent there from his home in Frankfurt by his father, Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812). Wanting his sons to succeed on their own and to expand the family business across Europe, Mayer Amschel Rothschild had his eldest son remain in Frankfurt, while his four other sons were sent to different European cities to establish a financial institution to invest in business and provide banking services. Nathan Mayer Rothschild, the third son, first established a textile jobbing business in Manchester and from there went on to establish N M Rothschild & Sons bank in London.
From the family's home base in Frankfurt, the Rothschild family not only established itself in London but also in Paris, Vienna and Naples in the Two Sicilies. Through their collaborative efforts, the Rothschilds rose to prominence in a variety of banking endeavours, including loans, government bonds and trading in bullion. Their financing afforded investment opportunities, and during the 19th century, they became major stakeholders in large-scale mining and rail transport ventures that were fundamental to the rapidly expanding industrial economies of Europe.
Changes in governments, wars and other such events affected the family's fortunes, both for their benefit and to their detriment at various times. Despite such changes, the English branch of the Rothschild family is arguably the most prominent of all the Rothschild branches, partly due to its elevation to the British peerage and its continued high-profile philanthropic activities.
Other activities[edit]
Beyond banking and finance, members of the Rothschild family in the UK became academics, scientists and horticulturalists with worldwide reputations.
Nathaniel de Rothschild (1812–1870) was born in London, the fourth child of the founder of the English branch of the family. In 1842, he married his cousin Charlotte de Rothschild (1825–1899) of Paris, France. She was the daughter of James Mayer de Rothschild, and in 1850, they moved to Paris, where he was to work for his father-in-law's bank. However, in 1853, Nathaniel acquired Château Brane Mouton, a vineyard at Pauillac in the Gironde département of France.
Elevation to British peerage[edit]
In 1822, the five Rothschild brothers at the head of the family's banks in various parts of Europe were each granted the hereditary title of Freiherr (baron) in the Austrian nobility by Emperor Francis I of Austria (formerly Francis II, the last Holy Roman Emperor).[1] As a result, some members of the Rothschild family used the nobiliary particle de or von before their surname to acknowledge the grant of nobility.
In 1847, Anthony Nathan de Rothschild (1810–1876) was made a baronet in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom.[2] Upon his death, the title went to his nephew Nathan Mayer Rothschild, who was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords when he was created Baron Rothschild in 1885, with which title the baronetcy remains merged.
In 1858, Lionel de Rothschild (1808–1879) became the first practising Jew to take a seat in the British Parliament.
Philanthropy[edit]
The English Rothschilds and members of the other branches in Europe were all major contributors to causes in aid of the Jewish people. However, many of their philanthropic efforts extended far beyond Jewish ethnic or religious communities. They built hospitals and shelters for the needy, supported cultural institutions and were patrons of individual artists. Their donation of works of art to various galleries has been the largest of any family in history. At present, a research project is underway by the Rothschild Archive in London to document the family's philanthropic involvements.[3]
Among the Rothschild properties in the UK are: