GUIDE TO SOURCES Sources at The Rothschild Archive relating to Lionel de Rothschild's campaign to become a member of parliament mainly lie within the deposits of family papers, in which letters and diaries record various aspects of the campaign. There are, additionally, small miscellaneous deposits of press cuttings, images, and testimonials, and a collection of pamphlets, letters, legal opinions and ephemera assembled at an unknown date. This guide represents an artificial grouping of material relating to the campaign and should not be viewed as a discrete collection. 000/13 Letters from Lionel. 1835-1878 (448 items)
Includes a series of letters to his wife, Charlotte, and their children containing general news of the family, business and other matters including political developments. 1845-1876 000/29 Letters from Anthony to Lionel and other male relatives. n.d. (8 letters)
The letters contain occasional mention of politics. 000/848 Letters received by Lionel. 1847-1878. (1 file)
These letters include a number sent to Lionel by politicians and others involved in the campaign for Jewish emancipation and the removal of their legal disabilities. Relevant correspondence includes:
Letter from Lancelot Shadwell. 21 January 1848
Letter from John Delane. 15 June [1857]
5 letters from Richard Bethell. [c.1857]-1859
3 letters from Lord Lyndhurt. c.1856
Letter from Robert Grosvenor. 19 August [1857]
Letter from Baron Stockmar. 29 March 1847
Letter from William Page Wood. 6 July 1857
Letter from Sir John Manners. [1850]
Letter from Benjamin Disraeli. 26 December 1847
2 letters from Lord John Russell. 1847, [1858?]
These papers form part of a larger collection. 000/848 Letters from Charlotte to Lionel. 1836-1857. (1 file)
This correspondence includes references to politicians and political developments.
These papers form part of a larger collection. 000/297 Selections from the journals of Lady de Rothschild by Lucy Cohen. 1932 (1 volume)
Extracts from Louise de Rothschild's diary cover the period 1837-1906, and make reference to her attendance at the Houses of Parliament for debates on the Jewish Disabilities Bill. This volume forms part of the collection of private papers of Constance Battersea.
The original diary forms part of the Battersea Papers held at the British Library. 000/1066 Diaries of Charlotte de Rothschild. 1846-1859 (16 volumes)
The entries in these diaries give an account of European political events, as well as recording personal impressions of her family, social circle and public figures. In German. 000/573/6 Sundry manuscripts and pamphlets, dealing with the question of religious disabilities in Great Britain in the cases of Jews, Quakers and Roman Catholics. 1753-1853. (1 file)
This collection was assembled at an unknown date. It is accompanied by a manuscript file list, produced at an unknown date, which includes some items which are now missing. The extant contents, with item numbers assigned by the file list in parenthesis, are as follows:- Manuscript document entitled 'Election for the City of London. Opinion on Baron de Rothschild's case'. Amory, Sewell & Moores. nd. 3pp.([ms]1)
Begins: 'We are of the opinion that there is not any existing Law which renders a Jew as such incapable of being elected and returned to Parliament as a member of the House of Commons'. Signed by FitzRoy Kelly, C.Austin, John E. Blunt, B.Peacock and Jacob Waley.
Also one copy of this document. Manuscript document entitled 'Draft statement on the right of Jews to sit in Parliament'. Chatfield, Wingate & Hart. nd. 15pp.([ms]2)
Begins: 'There seems to be nothing, except their own conscientious scruple to take the oath of abjuration, as required by 6 Geo 3. C53 s.1, which excludes Jews born within the Queen's ligeance from being Members of Parliament.'
Also draft of this document, with date of 3 November 1847. 35pp. Letter from Edward Whitehurst to Lionel de Rothschild enclosing manuscript opinion on Lionel's position as duly elected Member for the City. 25 May 1853. 5pp. ([ms]3)
Whitehurst suggests that the House of Commons could allow Lionel to sit by passing a resolution to that effect, and gives precedents from parliamentary history. Letter from Chatfield, Wingate and Hart to Lionel de Rothschild enclosing manuscript transcripts of correspondence and notes. 6 November 1847. 3pp.([ms]4)
Document concerns the position of Lionel as a member of parliament given that the firm of NM Rothschild & Sons has business dealings with the British government. Manuscript document entitled 'Minutes of an interview in Downing St. on Tuesday Augt. 29th with Lord J. Russell on the part of the City deputation in reference to the removal of Jewish disability. c1848 8pp. ([ms]5)
The petitioners wish Russell to introduce a bill to remove Jewish disabilities, in reply
to which Russell is evasive. Sundry letters and notes. 6 items. ([ms]6)
Draft speech or statement on the removal of Jewish disabilities. [Disraeli?] nd.
Letter from James [Gernou?] to Lionel de Rothschild. 10 January 1848.
Letter from Benjamin Disraeli to Lionel de Rothschild. 3 January 1848.
Letter from Benjamin Disraeli to Lionel de Rothschild. nd.
Letter from J. [Brogsten?] to Lionel de Rothshchild. 5 February 1848.
Letter from Benjamin Disraeli to Lionel de Rothschild. 7 December 1847. An answer to a pamphlet, entitled, Considerations on the bill to permit persons professing the Jewish religion to be naturalized; wherein the false reasoning, gross misrepresentation of facts, and perversion of scripture, are fully laid open and detected. 1753. 67pp. (1)
Pamphlet. An earnest and serious address to the freeholders and electors of Great Britain, on occasion of the clamor raised against the bill to permit persons to apply for naturalization, professing the Jewish religion. Wherein that act of the legislature is considered in a religious view, and defended upon Christian principles. 1753. 43pp. (2)
Pamphlet. An act for the relief of His Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects [13th April 1829]. 1847. 12pp. (3) Report from Select Committee on Quakers' Affirmation. 1833. 16pp. (4)
With annotations. Statement of the civil disabilities and privations affecting natural born subjects of His Majesty professing the Jewish religion, commonly called Jews. 1829. 4pp. (5) An act for removing doubts as to the declaration to be made and oaths to be taken by persons appointed to the office of sheriff of any city or town being a county of itself. 1835. 2pp. (6) (Draft of) a bill to be entitled An act to amend the law for the registration of persons entitled to vote in the election of members to serve in parliament. 1847. 11pp. (7) A few remarks on the social and political condition of British Catholics by the Earl of Arundel and Surrey. 1847. 30, ivpp. (8)
Pamphlet. Plain reasons why the Church should acquiesce in the admission of Jews into parliament by the Rev. Harold H. Sherlock. [1847]. 4pp. (9)
Leaflet, republished from the Liverpool Mail of 20 November 1847. Public petitions - seventh report. 16-17 December 1847. 1847. 8pp. (10)
The list of petitions include 94 petitions against the removal of Jewish disabilities and 19 petitions for the removal of Jewish disabilities. A word with the Earl of Winchelsea. By "one of the people". c.1847. 24pp. (12)
Pamphlet in defence of Jewish emancipation. Letter from Francis Higginson to Lionel de Rothschild, 22 January 1848, enclosing pamphlet entitled A free inquiry into the policy of admitting Jews into parliament and full participation in the advantages, honours, and privileges of British denizens, viewed as regards religion, justice and expediency by Francis Higginson. 1848. 16pp. (13) Progress of Jewish emancipation since 1829. 1848. 12pp. (14)
Pamphlet. 3 copies with ms corrections. A bill intituled An act for abrogating the oath of abjuration and the assurance. (Presented by the Lord Lyndhurst). 1855. 3pp. (16) The humble petition of the inhabitants of the borough of Marylebone. nd. 3pp. (18)
Unsigned text of a petition to allow Jews to sit in parliament. Division list of the House of Peers. 1848. 16pp. (20)
The list has ms annotations showing the vote on the second reading of the Jewish Disabilities Bill, 1 August 1833. Division list of the House of Peers. 1848. 16pp. (21)
The list has ms annotations showing the 'content' vote on the third reading of the Jews Declaration Bill, 11 June 1841. Division list of the House of Peers. 1848. 16pp. (22)
The list has ms annotations showing the 'not content' vote on the third reading of the Jewish Disabilities Bill, 11 June 1841. List of the members of the House of Commons. 1848 24pp. (23) Substance of a speech on the motion of Lord John Russell for a committee of the whole house, with a view to the removal of the remaining Jewish disabilities; delivered in the House of Commons, on Thursday, December 16, 1847. Together with a preface. By the Right Hon. W.E. Gladstone. 1848. 48pp. (24)
Gladstone was an MP for the University of Oxford, which had presented a petition against the removal of Jewish disabilities through another MP for the university, Sir Harry Inglis. Gladstone felt obliged to explain why he had voted, and spoken, in the House of Commons in favour of the bill. On the proscriptions and persecutions of the Jews with reflections on religious proscriptions by M.Bignon late member of the Chamber of Deputies for the Department de l'Eure. Translated from the French by a lady with an introductory preface and explanatory notes. 1848. 31pp. (25)
The original work was first published in 1821, and contains many examples from history. Progress of Jewish emancipation since 1829. 1848. 12pp. ([26])
Proof copy of pamphlet, with ms annotations.
000/924/4 Bound volume of press cuttings entitled Baron Rothschild and the House of Commons- debate etc. 1850. [1850]. (1 volume)
Contains: Press cutting from The Times, 26 July 1850, reporting verbatim the meeting held at the City Tavern on 25 July 1850 between Lionel de Rothschild, his election committee, and members of the City of London electorate. The meeting was to decide the course of action following the government's decision not to proceed with the Parliamentary Oaths Bill in that session of parliament. 3pp. Press cutting from the Morning Chronicle, 26 July 1850, reporting the meeting held at the City Tavern on 25 July 1850. 2pp. Press cutting of the debates in the House of Commons, 26 July 1850-5 August 1850 following from Lionel de Rothschild's entry into the chamber of the House of Commons. 32pp. Division list of the House of Commons, 1851; with the divisions on the Jewish Disabilities Bill, in the sessions 1847-8 & 1849, and relative motions in 1850 [1850] 24pp.
Richard Davis The English Rothschilds (London: Collins, 1983) Israel Finestein Jewish society in Victorian England (London: Vallentine Mitchell, 1993) Abraham Gilam The emancipation of the Jews in England,1830-1860 (New York: Garland Publishing, 1982) M.C.N. Salbstein The emancipation of the Jews in Britain: the question of the admission of the Jews to parliament, 1828-1860 (London: Associated University Press, 1982) Stanley Weintraub Charlotte & Lionel: a Rothschild love story (London: Simon & Schuster, 2003) Robert Woodall 'The Jewish Relief Act, 1858' in: History Today vol. 25, 1975, pp. 410-417 Contents Journey Who was who Timeline |
