Alfred de Rothschild
Encyclopedia
Alfred Charles de Rothschild (20 July 1842 - 31 January 1918) was the second son of Lionel de Rothschild
and Baroness Charlotte von Rothschild
of the prominent Rothschild family.
As a young man, Alfred attended King's College London
, and subsequently Trinity College, Cambridge
, England
, where he would study Mathematics for two terms. It was at Trinity College that Alfred formed a lasting friendship with the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII
. Alfred left Cambridge University
without a degree.
At the age of 21 Alfred took up employment at the N M Rothschild Bank
at New Court in London. It was there that he learnt the business of banking from his father and made valuable contacts in European banking circles.
In 1869, at the age of 26, Alfred became a director of the Bank of England
, a post he held for 20 years, until 1889. In 1892 he was one of those who represented the British Government at the International Monetary Conference
in Brussels
.
His career at the Bank of England was described in The Rothschilds: A Family of Fortune, by Virginia Cowles (London: Futura Publications 1975) page 159:
He was the first Jew to be a Director of the Bank of England, and, after his departure, no other Jew was on the directorate for more than fifty years.
Upon the death of his father in 1879, Alfred inherited a 1400 acres (5.7 km²) estate centered on Halton
in Buckinghamshire
. As Alfred lacked a country retreat and the Halton estate did not provide one, Alfred set about building a house in the style of a French chateau. Work started around 1880 and Halton House
was finished in July 1883. Alfred remained in residence at Seamore Place in London and only ever used Halton House for social purposes.
Although Alfred never married, it is commonly acknowledged that he fathered an illegitimate
daughter, Almina Wombwell, 5th Countess of Carnarvon
, by Marie Wombwell. After his death, she inherited generously. In later life Alfred did not enjoy good health and he died after a short illness on 31 January 1918. He was interred in the Willesden Jewish Cemetery
in the North London suburb of Willesden.
He was awarded the Legion of Honor by the government of France
.
A patron of the arts, he also donated money to the National Art Gallery for acquisitions.
Lionel de Rothschild
Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild was a British banker and politician.-Biography:The son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild and Hanna Barent Cohen, he was a member of the prominent Rothschild family....
and Baroness Charlotte von Rothschild
Charlotte von Rothschild
Charlotte von Rothschild was a German-born British socialite. She was a member of the Rothschild banking family of Naples, but was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany....
of the prominent Rothschild family.
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, and subsequently Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he would study Mathematics for two terms. It was at Trinity College that Alfred formed a lasting friendship with the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
. Alfred left Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
without a degree.
At the age of 21 Alfred took up employment at the N M Rothschild Bank
N M Rothschild & Sons
N M Rothschild & Sons is a private investment banking company, belonging to the Rothschild family...
at New Court in London. It was there that he learnt the business of banking from his father and made valuable contacts in European banking circles.
In 1869, at the age of 26, Alfred became a director of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
, a post he held for 20 years, until 1889. In 1892 he was one of those who represented the British Government at the International Monetary Conference
International Monetary Conferences
The international monetary conferences were a series of assemblies held in the second half of the 19th century. They were held with a view to reaching agreement on matters relating to international banking...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
His career at the Bank of England was described in The Rothschilds: A Family of Fortune, by Virginia Cowles (London: Futura Publications 1975) page 159:
Alfred was not only a partner at New Court but a Director of the Bank of England, an appointment he had been given in 1868 because the Governor felt it would not be a bad thing to keep in close touch with the Rothschilds. The relationship came to an abrupt end of 1889, however, over a slightly unorthodox situation. Alfred had paid a very high price for a French eighteenth-century painting after being assured by the dealer that he, too, had been forced to pay an excessive sum for it and was making only a marginal profit. A day or two later Alfred discovered that the dealer had an account with the Bank of England. He could not resist taking a peep to see what, in fact, the man had given for the painting. He was outraged when he discovered that he had been charged a price 'out of all proportion to decency!' He spread the story about London and, not surprisingly, got the sack from Threadneedle Street.
He was the first Jew to be a Director of the Bank of England, and, after his departure, no other Jew was on the directorate for more than fifty years.
Upon the death of his father in 1879, Alfred inherited a 1400 acres (5.7 km²) estate centered on Halton
Halton, Buckinghamshire
Halton is a small village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England about 2 miles from Wendover and 5 miles from Aylesbury. It lies just outside the Metropolitan Green Belt so it has not been protected from postwar housing development...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. As Alfred lacked a country retreat and the Halton estate did not provide one, Alfred set about building a house in the style of a French chateau. Work started around 1880 and Halton House
Halton House
thumb|right|300px|Halton House, BuckinghamshireHalton House is a country house situated in the Chiltern Hills above the village of Halton in Buckinghamshire, England. It was built for Alfred de Rothschild between 1880 and 1883...
was finished in July 1883. Alfred remained in residence at Seamore Place in London and only ever used Halton House for social purposes.
Although Alfred never married, it is commonly acknowledged that he fathered an illegitimate
Legitimacy (law)
At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...
daughter, Almina Wombwell, 5th Countess of Carnarvon
Earl of Carnarvon
Earl of Carnarvon is a title that has been created three times in British history. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1628 in favour of Robert Dormer, 2nd Baron Dormer. For more information on this creation, which became extinct in 1709, see the Baron Dormer.The title was created...
, by Marie Wombwell. After his death, she inherited generously. In later life Alfred did not enjoy good health and he died after a short illness on 31 January 1918. He was interred in the Willesden Jewish Cemetery
Willesden Jewish Cemetery
Willesden Jewish Cemetery is a cemetery for Jews in Beaconsfield Road, Willesden, London Borough of Brent. It opened in 1873 on a site. More properly, it is the Willesden United Synagogue Cemetery.-Notable burials:...
in the North London suburb of Willesden.
He was awarded the Legion of Honor by the government of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
A patron of the arts, he also donated money to the National Art Gallery for acquisitions.
See also
- History of the Jews in EnglandHistory of the Jews in EnglandThe history of the Jews in England goes back to the reign of William I. The first written record of Jewish settlement in England dates from 1070, although Jews may have lived there since Roman times...
- Halton HouseHalton Housethumb|right|300px|Halton House, BuckinghamshireHalton House is a country house situated in the Chiltern Hills above the village of Halton in Buckinghamshire, England. It was built for Alfred de Rothschild between 1880 and 1883...
- Rothschild banking family of EnglandRothschild banking family of EnglandThe Rothschild banking family of England was founded in 1798 by Nathan Mayer von Rothschild who first settled in Manchester but then moved to London. Nathan was sent there from his home in Frankfurt by his father, Mayer Amschel Rothschild...