Lionel de Rothschild (born 1882)
Lionel Nathan de Rothschild | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 25, 1882 London, England |
| Died | January 28, 1942 (aged 60) London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, politician, horticulturist |
| Years active | 1903–1942 |
| Known for | Establishing Exbury Gardens; Member of Parliament for Aylesbury; founding the League of British Jews |
Major Lionel Nathan de Rothschild, OBE (25 January 1882 – 28 January 1942), was a distinguished British banker and Conservative politician, renowned for establishing Exbury Gardens near the New Forest in Hampshire. As a key figure within the influential Rothschild banking family of England, he secured a seat in the House of Commons in 1910. In 1917, he played a pivotal role in founding the anti-Zionist League of British Jews.
Early life and family
The eldest child of Leopold de Rothschild and Marie Perugia, Lionel Nathan de Rothschild was born in London. His education included time at Harrow School followed by studies at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he obtained a BA in 1903 and an MA in 1908. He represented Aylesbury as a Member of Parliament from 1910 until 1923.
In 1912, he wed Marie Louise Eugénie Beer. Their offspring were:
- Rosemary Leonora Ruth (1913–2013), who was initially married to Major Hon Denis Gomer Berry
- Edmund Leopold (1916–2009)
- Naomi Luisa Nina (1920–2007)
- Leopold David (1927–2012)
World War I
At the outbreak of World War I, while Lionel’s younger siblings enlisted in the British Army, he remained at N M Rothschild & Sons to oversee the family banking enterprise as its heir. By August 1914, he had advanced from captain to major within the Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry.
In December 1915, he took on the role of vice-chairman for the Central Jewish Recruiting Committee, headquartered at the Rothschilds' New Court, often referred to as "Rothschild’s Recruiting Office." In 1917, he helped establish and led the anti-Zionist League of British Jews. That year also saw him honoured with an OBE in the Military Division. His military career concluded with his retirement in 1921.
Both of his brothers sustained injuries during their service; notably, his brother Evelyn succumbed to wounds received at the 1917 Battle of Mughar Ridge.
Engagement in plants
Following the passing of his father Leopold in 1917, Lionel and his brother Anthony assumed joint management of N M Rothschild & Sons bank. Nonetheless, Lionel had long nurtured a passion for horticulture, having planted his inaugural garden at just five years old. In 1919, he purchased the Mitford estate located at Exbury, Hampshire, dedicating considerable resources to transform it into one of England's foremost gardens, boasting over one million plants. Throughout the 1920s, he erected Exbury House in a neo-Georgian architectural style and installed a private railway system for transporting materials used to create what became the nation's largest rock garden.
He also financially supported botanical expeditions to remote areas such as the Himalayas to collect seeds for cultivation purposes. His efforts led to the development of 1,204 new hybrids of rhododendron and azalea, which achieved global acclaim and commercial success.
Despite his banking responsibilities, Lionel described himself as "a banker by hobby — a gardener by profession."
Lionel Nathan de Rothschild passed away in London in 1942 at the age of sixty and was interred at Willesden Jewish Cemetery. His son, Edmund, took over the stewardship of Exbury Gardens and subsequently founded a charitable trust to manage the property. In recognition of his impact on horticulture, the American Rhododendron Society awarded Lionel a Pioneer Achievement Award posthumously in 2001.