James Armand de Rothschild
Encyclopedia
James Armand Edmond de Rothschild, DCM
, DL
, (1 December 1878–1957) was a French-born British
politician and philanthropist, from the wealthy Rothschild
international banking dynasty.
"Jimmy" de Rothschild was the son of Edmond James de Rothschild
of the French branch of family. He was educated at Lycée Louis-le-Grand
in Paris and at Trinity College, Cambridge
. He served in World War I
, firstly as a private in the French Army, and ended the war in the British Army, serving in Palestine
as a Major in the 39th (Jewish) Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers (the "Jewish Legion
"). He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal
.
He was a keen follower of the turf
and a racehorse owner. His 33-1 runner "Bomba" won the Ascot Gold Cup
in 1909.
He married Dorothy Mathilde Pinto
at the age of 35 in 1913. She was 17 years old.
He became a naturalised Briton in 1919, and in 1922 he inherited from Alice de Rothschild the Waddesdon Manor
estate of his great-uncle Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, the Liberal Member of Parliament
(MP) for Aylesbury
from 1885 to 1898.
Member of Parliament
for the Isle of Ely
constituency from 1929 to 1945.
His defeat by Harry Legge-Bourke
in the 1945 general election
was one of only a few gains by the Conservative Party
that year, with his Liberal colleagues Archibald Sinclair and William Beveridge
similarly losing to Tory opponents.
During World War II
he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply in the Coalition Government 1940-1945
. He was also Deputy Lieutenant
for the County of London
and a Justice of the Peace
in Buckinghamshire
.
causes, and donated six million Israeli Pounds towards the construction of the Knesset
building in Jerusalem.
When he died in 1957, he bequeathed Waddesdon Manor to the National Trust
. His widow Dorothy de Rothschild
(née Pinto) inherited the surrounding estate, and maintained a strong interest in the house and collections until her death in 1988.
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, (1 December 1878–1957) was a French-born British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician and philanthropist, from the wealthy Rothschild
Rothschild family
The Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
international banking dynasty.
"Jimmy" de Rothschild was the son of Edmond James de Rothschild
Edmond James de Rothschild
Baron Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild was a French member of the Rothschild banking family. A strong supporter of Zionism, his generous donations lent significant support to the movement during its early years, which helped lead to the establishment of the State of Israel.- Early years :A...
of the French branch of family. He was educated at Lycée Louis-le-Grand
Lycée Louis-le-Grand
The Lycée Louis-le-Grand is a public secondary school located in Paris, widely regarded as one of the most rigorous in France. Formerly known as the Collège de Clermont, it was named in king Louis XIV of France's honor after he visited the school and offered his patronage.It offers both a...
in Paris and at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, firstly as a private in the French Army, and ended the war in the British Army, serving in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
as a Major in the 39th (Jewish) Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers (the "Jewish Legion
Jewish Legion
The Jewish Legion was the name for five battalions of Jewish volunteers established as the British Army's 38th through 42nd Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers...
"). He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
.
He was a keen follower of the turf
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
and a racehorse owner. His 33-1 runner "Bomba" won the Ascot Gold Cup
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
in 1909.
He married Dorothy Mathilde Pinto
Dorothy de Rothschild
Dorothy de Rothschild was an English philanthropist and activist for Jewish affairs who married into the Rothschild international financial dynasty....
at the age of 35 in 1913. She was 17 years old.
He became a naturalised Briton in 1919, and in 1922 he inherited from Alice de Rothschild the Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon Manor is a country house in the village of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, England. The house was built in the Neo-Renaissance style of a French château between 1874 and 1889 for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild . Since this was the preferred style of the Rothschilds it became also known as...
estate of his great-uncle Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, the Liberal Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
from 1885 to 1898.
Politics
Described by the Journal of Liberal History as "one of the Liberal Party's most colourful MPs", Rothschild served as LiberalLiberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Isle of Ely
Isle of Ely (UK Parliament constituency)
Isle of Ely was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, centred on the Isle of Ely in Cambridgeshire...
constituency from 1929 to 1945.
His defeat by Harry Legge-Bourke
Harry Legge-Bourke
Major Sir Edward Alexander Henry Legge-Bourke KBE was a British politician.He served alongside Jock Colville as a Page of Honour from 1926. Educated at Eton College and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Legge-Bourke was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards in 1934. He served there throughout...
in the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
was one of only a few gains by the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
that year, with his Liberal colleagues Archibald Sinclair and William Beveridge
William Beveridge
William Henry Beveridge, 1st Baron Beveridge KCB was a British economist and social reformer. He is best known for his 1942 report Social Insurance and Allied Services which served as the basis for the post-World War II welfare state put in place by the Labour government elected in 1945.Lord...
similarly losing to Tory opponents.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply in the Coalition Government 1940-1945
Coalition Government 1940-1945
Members of the War Cabinet are in bold face.-Source:* D. Butler and G. Butler, Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000....
. He was also Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for the County of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
and a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
.
Philanthropy
Rothschild continued to support his father's ZionistZionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
causes, and donated six million Israeli Pounds towards the construction of the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
building in Jerusalem.
When he died in 1957, he bequeathed Waddesdon Manor to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. His widow Dorothy de Rothschild
Dorothy de Rothschild
Dorothy de Rothschild was an English philanthropist and activist for Jewish affairs who married into the Rothschild international financial dynasty....
(née Pinto) inherited the surrounding estate, and maintained a strong interest in the house and collections until her death in 1988.
Sources
- Mrs James de Rothschild - Rothschilds at Waddesdon Manor (Collins, 1979) ISBN 978-0-00-216671-3
External links
- Short biography for Baron de Rothschild Knesset website
- Ely Liberal Democrats