Lionel de Rothschild

Lionel Nathan de Rothschild
Lionel Nathan de Rothschild
Born	Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age; London, England
Died	3 June 1879 (aged 70); London, England
Occupation(s)	Financier, legislator, benefactor
Years active	1836–1879
Known for	First practising Jewish Member of Parliament in the UK; British Relief Association founder

Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (22 November 1808 – 3 June 1879) was a distinguished British Jewish financier, legislator, and benefactor from the notable Rothschild banking family of England. He holds the distinction of being the first practising Jewish individual to serve as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

He was instrumental in establishing the British Relief Association, which became the foremost private organization providing aid during the Great Irish Famine and Highland Potato Famine, successfully raising in excess of £500,000.

Life and career

Born in London as the eldest child of Nathan Mayer Rothschild and Hannah Barent-Cohen, Lionel entered a family that had firmly rooted its English branch there. His education included studies at the University of Göttingen, followed by practical training within the family’s enterprises located in London, Paris, and Frankfurt. In 1836, he formally joined the family partnership during a meeting held in Frankfurt.

Inheriting from his father the Austrian noble title Freiherr (baron), Lionel was uniquely authorized to utilize this rank within Britain through a royal licence granted by Queen Victoria on 16 June 1838. This permission extended to his male descendants for domestic use.

Although Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone recommended that Lionel receive a British peerage, Queen Victoria declined due to concerns over potential public opposition to a Jewish peer and skepticism regarding wealth sourced from financial activities. Nevertheless, she later ennobled Lionel’s son, Nathan Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild, in 1885, marking him as the first Jewish member of the House of Lords.

Banking and philanthropy

Rothschild significantly contributed to government fundraising efforts, particularly during the Crimean War, while also championing charitable initiatives aimed at alleviating suffering caused by the Great Irish Famine. Notably, in 1861, he declined to underwrite a loan to Russia as a protest against its crackdown on Polish uprisings. Among his major financial accomplishments was facilitating the government's acquisition of £4 million worth of shares in the Suez Canal from the Egyptian authorities.

Irish and Highland famine relief

On 1 January 1847, Rothschild joined forces with leading figures such as Stephen Spring Rice and John Abel Smith to establish the British Relief Association. This organization amassed £500,000, becoming the largest private contributor during both the Irish and Highland Potato Famine. A Dublin newspaper in 1850 noted that Rothschild’s family had donated more than several prominent aristocratic families combined.

Parliament

In 1847, Lionel de Rothschild secured election as one of four representatives for the City of London. However, because Jews were prohibited from taking their seats due to a mandatory Christian oath, Prime Minister Lord John Russell introduced legislation in 1858 known as the Jewish Disabilities Bill to remove this impediment. The bill was repeatedly blocked by the House of Lords, leading Rothschild to resign and subsequently win a by-election to reaffirm his mandate.

When he attempted to take his seat in 1850, Rothschild refused to swear on a Christian Bible and instead requested to use the Hebrew Bible. Though permitted, his omission of the phrase "upon the true faith of a Christian" resulted in temporary exclusion. Subsequent attempts to eliminate these restrictions were consistently defeated by the Lords throughout the early 1850s.

The impasse was resolved with the passage of the Jews Relief Act 1858, which empowered each parliamentary house to determine its own oath form. On 26 July 1858, Rothschild finally took his seat as the first Jewish MP, replacing the traditional oath with "so help me, Jehovah". He secured re-election in 1859 and again in 1865 but was defeated in 1868; he returned without opposition in a by-election in 1869 before facing another loss in 1874.

Personal life and family

A devoted enthusiast of thoroughbred horse racing, Rothschild entered competitions under the pseudonym "Mr Acton"; notably, his colt Sir Bevys secured victory in the 1879 Epsom Derby.

In 1836, Lionel de Rothschild wed his first cousin, Baroness Charlotte von Rothschild (1819–1884), who was the daughter of Baron Carl Mayer von Rothschild from the Rothschild banking family of Naples. Together, they had five offspring:

Leonora (1837–1911)
Evelina (1839–1866)
Nathan Mayer (1840–1915)
Alfred Charles (1842–1918)
Leopold (1845–1917)

Illness and death

For more than two decades, Lionel de Rothschild endured episodes of gout. On 3 June 1879, he experienced a seizure and passed away the following morning at his London home located at 148 Piccadilly, aged 70. His final resting place is at Willesden Jewish Cemetery in North London, where his grave is marked by a granite monument encircled by a stone enclosure crafted by architect George Devey.

Sources

External links

Commons category: Lionnel de Rothschild
Contributions in Parliament: Baron Lionel de Rothschild
National Portrait Gallery: Lionel Nathan de Rothschild