Welcome toThe Rothschild Archive'swebsite

Sources for business history: plans of New Court

Sources for art history: Catalogue of the pictures of Alfred de Rothschild 1901

Sources for yachting history: Plans for Nathaniel von Rothschild's yacht Veglia 1905

Sources for natural history: Walter 2nd Lord Rothschild and his zebra carriage: c.1910

Sources for global financial history: Map of lines of the Brazil Railway Company: c.1920

Sources for business history: index cards to bank files

Sources for social history: Rothschild Hospital Paris: 1920s

Sources for business history: detail of a Rothschild bond coupon

Sources for architectural history: Halton House: 1890s

Sources for the history of travel: Lionel de Rothschild's tours of Spain: 1909

Sources for local history: Tring Park: c.1900

Sources for Royal history: shooting party with Edward Prince of Wales: 1893

Sources for political history: Lionel de Rothschild: first Jewish MP: 1858

Sources for sporting history: St Amant winner of the Derby: 1904

Sources for local history: gardeners at Aston Clinton: 1899

Sources for Rothschild family history: Lionel de Rothschild's yacht Rhodora: 1927

Sources for London history: entrance to New Court: 1965

Sources for design history: plans for Lionel de Rothschild's Rolls-Royce: 1930

Sources for business history: Rothschild gold bars produced by the Royal Mint Refinery: 1930s

Sources for business history: letters of August Belmont Rothschild Agent in New York: 1860s

Exhibition - Rothschilds & the First World War

8: The Home Front

New Court

Even for those far from the front, the experience of war was terrifying. Londoners lived in fear of German air raids. At the insistence of Alfred de Rothschild (1842-1918), the Dividend Office gallery at New Court was packed with sandbags to protect the Bullion Room below, and an air raid shelter was built in the corner of the Drawn Bond Department. The Royal Mint Refinery, owned and run by the Rothschilds since 1852, was converted to munitions production, and a special system designed to relay air raid warnings to New Court.

The Rothschilds, along with many others, subscribed to charities and organisations sending parcels of food and luxuries to troops at the front. This Harrods receipt shows Alfred de Rothschild sending cases of Christmas turkeys and champagne to the Red Cross Hospital, British Expeditionary Forces, France in 1917. 

Halton House at War

On the outbreak of hostilities, Alfred de Rothschild offered the parklands of his glorious estate at Halton, Bucks to the Army. The excellent communication links at Halton made it an ideal place for billeting large numbers of men, and within a few months, the 21st Yorkshire Division were billeted at Halton, the first of many units to pass through its gates. Natty, 1st Lord Rothschild offered his park at Tring for a training camp, and at Aston Clinton, the unoccupied house was volunteered as a headquarters.

In 1917, Alfred learned that the allies were short of pit props for the trenches, and offered the trees at Halton, an offer which was swiftly accepted and many trees were carried away.

'I am not an expert,' he wrote to the Prime Minister on 28 February 1917, 'as regards what sort of timber would be suitable for pit props, but I cannot help thinking that, as there are so many pine trees in my woods at Halton, some of them at least would be suitable for the purpose. May I ask you very kindly to send down your expert who would very easily be able to report fully on the subject, and I should indeed be proud if my offer should lead to any practical result.'

The exhibition ends here.

Receipt for provisions sent to serving troops 1917

Receipt for provisions sent to serving troops 1917

Halton Park Army Camp

Halton Park Army Camp