English businessman and politician
Baron Mayer Amschel de Rothschild
(29 June 1818 ? 6 February 1874) was an English businessman and politician of the English branch of the
Rothschild family
. He was the fourth and youngest son of Hannah (Barent-Cohen) and
Nathan Mayer Rothschild
(1777?1836). He was named Mayer Amschel Rothschild, for
his grandfather
, the patriarch of the Rothschild family.
Life
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Known to his family as "Muffy", he was born in New Court,
London
. After studying at the
University of Leipzig
and
Heidelberg University
he became the first member of his family to receive an education at an English university, spending time at both
Magdalene
and
Trinity College
,
Cambridge
.
[1]
Although apprenticed in the family's various banking houses in Europe, he never became a major part of the banking empire. He became
High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
in 1847, and was elected Liberal MP for
Hythe
in 1859. In 1847 he served on the committee of the
British Relief Association
.
Mayer's mother, Hannah (
nee
Barent-Cohen) began the Rothschild acquisitions in
Buckinghamshire
. Thinking her sons unhealthy, she began to purchase parcels of land around
Aylesbury
in prime hunting country, where they could take outdoor exercise. By the middle of the 19th century, two of her four sons had large estates and mansions in the
Vale of Aylesbury
:
Anthony Nathan de Rothschild
at
Aston Clinton
; and Mayer at
Mentmore
. Mayer built
Mentmore Towers
, the most sumptuous of the English Rothschild houses at the time. Twenty years later, two of his nephews were to follow:
Ferdinand James von Rothschild
at
Waddesdon
and
Alfred de Rothschild
at
Halton
. Mayer’s brother,
Lionel de Rothschild
bought another nearby estate at
Tring
, which he gave as a belated wedding present to his son,
Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild
.
In 1873, Baron Mayer bought 90 acres (36 hectares) of land at
Ascott
, two miles from
Mentmore
. This was given to his nephew
Leopold de Rothschild
who enlarged the existing
Ascott House
to the
Neo-Tudor
structure seen today.
Mayer Rothschild was a keen
horseback rider
and
hunter
, in spite of his weight of 101 kilograms (223 lb) (just over 15 stones), and was a fan of
thoroughbred horse racing
. He established a stud farm at
Crafton, Buckinghamshire
, and was a member of the
Jockey Club
. In 1871, his horses won four of the five "classic" races:
Favonius
won
The Derby
and "Hannah" won
The Oaks
, the
1,000 Guineas
and the
St. Leger Stakes
.
Family
[
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]
Mayer de Rothschild and his wife Juliana (
nee
Cohen
) had one child, a daughter,
Hannah
, later Countess of Rosebery. She was his sole heiress, and through her, Mentmore Towers passed to the
Earl of Rosebery
, who served as Prime Minister from 1894 to 1895.
Mayer Amschel de Rothschild died in 1874 and was buried in the
Willesden Jewish Cemetery
in Beaconsfield Road,
Willesden
,
London
.
See also
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References
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External links
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