Anthony Gustav de Rothschild (26 June 1887 – 5 February 1961) was a British
banker and member of the
Rothschild family
The Rothschild family ( , ) is a wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish family originally from Frankfurt that rose to prominence with Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812), a court factor to the German Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel in the Free City of F ...
.
Biography
Born in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, he was the third and youngest of the three sons of
Leopold de Rothschild (1845–1917) and
Marie Perugia (1862–1937). A part of the prominent
Rothschild banking family of England, he was educated at
Harrow School
(The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God)
, established = (Royal Charter)
, closed =
, type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school
, religion = Church of E ...
and the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
where he secured a
Double First
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...
in
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
.
At the outbreak of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
Anthony de Rothschild and his brother
Evelyn
Evelyn may refer to:
Places
* Evelyn, London
*Evelyn Gardens, a garden square in London
* Evelyn, Ontario, Canada
* Evelyn, Michigan, United States
* Evelyn, Texas, United States
* Evelyn, Wirt County, West Virginia, United States
* Evelyn ...
joined the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
. While serving with the
Buckinghamshire Yeomanry
The Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry is an Operational Hygiene Squadron of the Royal Logistic Corps, originally formed as cavalry in 1794, and has also served in artillery and signals roles. The lineage is continued by 710 (Royal Buckinghamshire H ...
, Anthony was wounded during the
Battle of Gallipoli but brother Evelyn died of combat injuries suffered at the 1917
Battle of Mughar Ridge. On 5 December 1920, Captain Anthony de Rothschild unveiled the War Memorial in the churchyard of All Saints Church at
Wing, Buckinghamshire honoring his brother and his Wing comrades killed in World War I.
Leopold de Rothschild died in early 1917 and the following year when the War ended, Anthony became one of the managing partners of the family's
N M Rothschild & Sons
Rothschild & Co is a multinational Investment banking, investment bank and financial services company, and the flagship of the Rothschild banking group controlled by the French and British branches of the Rothschild family.
The banking business o ...
banking house in London. Anthony inherited
Ascott House
Ascott House, sometimes referred to as simply Ascott, is a Grade II* listed building in the hamlet of Ascott near Wing in Buckinghamshire, England. It is set in a 32-acre / 13 hectare estate.
Ascott House was originally a farm house, built in ...
in
Ascott, Buckinghamshire.
Anthony de Rothschild was a major force in not only British finance but internationally as well. With brother Lionel having more interest in developing his
Exbury Gardens than banking, under Anthony's direction, in 1953
N M Rothschild & Sons
Rothschild & Co is a multinational Investment banking, investment bank and financial services company, and the flagship of the Rothschild banking group controlled by the French and British branches of the Rothschild family.
The banking business o ...
led a syndicate that formed the
British Newfoundland Development Corporation
{{Infobox company
, name = BRINCO
, logo =
, logo_size =
, image =
, image_caption =
, trading_name = British Newfoundland Development Corporation
, native_name =
, native_name_lang = ...
to undertake mineral exploration in
Labrador
, nickname = "The Big Land"
, etymology =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Canada
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and to develop the
Churchill Falls hydro-electric station.
Anthony de Rothschild retired as head of the
N M Rothschild & Sons
Rothschild & Co is a multinational Investment banking, investment bank and financial services company, and the flagship of the Rothschild banking group controlled by the French and British branches of the Rothschild family.
The banking business o ...
banking house in 1961 and was succeeded by his son,
Evelyn de Rothschild
Sir Evelyn Robert Adrian de Rothschild (29 August 1931 – 7 November 2022) was a British financier and a member of the Rothschild family.
Early life
Evelyn de Rothschild was born on 29 August 1931. The son of Anthony Gustav de Rothschild ( ...
, who became chairman in 1976. He was active in preserving records of his family until his death. Among his legacies is the Anthony de Rothschild Prize in Surgery and the 1996 gift by his son of the Anthony de Rothschild Building, home of the Buckingham Business School and the Department of Economics and International Studies at the
University of Buckingham
, mottoeng = Flying on Our Own Wings
, established = 1973; as university college1983; as university
, type = Private
, endowment =
, administrative_staff = 97 academic, 103 support
, chance ...
. The Anthony de Rothschild Lecture Theatre, at
St Mary's Campus,
Imperial College School of Medicine in London is named in his honour.
Philanthropy
In December 1938 Rothschild was appointed chairman of the Emigration (Planning) Committee, a subcommittee of the
Council for German Jewry. The organization had been created in 1936 with the goal of helping
German Jews to leave Germany. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
he helped organize a safe place for
Edvard Beneš to live at The Abbey,
Aston Abbotts
Aston Abbotts or Aston Abbots is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It is about north of Aylesbury and south-west of Wing. The parish includes the hamlet of Burston and had a population of 426 at the 2021 Census.
Manor
"A ...
. In 1941 the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
bombed the
Royal Hospital Chelsea in
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area.
Chelsea histori ...
and Anthony de Rothschild brought a group of elderly pensioners to live at Ascott for the remainder of the War.
In 1949 Anthony de Rothschild donated Ascott House together with its art collections to the
National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
. The donation also included the surrounding of land plus an endowment for its upkeep.
Personal life
In 1926, he married French countess
Yvonne Lydia Louise Cahen d'Anvers (1899–1977) of the
Bischoffsheim family
The Bischoffsheim family is a family of German-Belgian Jewish descent known for their success in banking. It can be traced back to Raphaël Nathan Bischoffsheim, an army contractor native of Tauberbischofsheim, in the Electorate of Mainz. The fami ...
. They had the following children:
# Renée Louise Marie (1927–2015)
# Anne Sonja (1930–1971)
#
Evelyn Robert Adrian (1931–2022)
Anthony de Rothschild liked exotic luxury automobiles. He purchased a 1934
Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza () is a Spanish automotive–engineering company. It was founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and Damian Mateu as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft en ...
K6 and a J12 model for himself and his wife. Their vehicles can now be found in the hands of an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
collector and were displayed at the 2004
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. It is widely considered the pinnacle event of its kind and one of the most prestigious car events in ...
for the Hispano-Suiza anniversary.
Like his father, Anthony de Rothschild liked
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
and inherited the Southcourt Stud
breeding farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English ''stod'' meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding". Historically, documentation ...
at Ascott House. He continued to operate the racing stable and breeding operation. Among his racing success, he won the 1919
Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it ...
with
Galloper Light and the 1926
1,000 Guineas Stakes
The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 ...
with
Pillion
A pillion is a secondary pad, cushion, or seat behind the main seat or saddle on a horse, motorcycle, bicycle or moped. A passenger in this seat is said to "ride pillion". The word is derived from the Scottish Gaelic for "little rug", ''pillean' ...
. Rothschild also bred
Midstream whose wins include the
Criterion Stakes, and who was the
Leading sire in Australia The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia for each season since 1883–84. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.
List
* 2021/22 – I Am Invincible (1)
* 20 ...
in 1948, 1951, 1952.
Anthony de Rothschild inherited the works of
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
at Ascott House from his father and added to the collections with the acquisition of a vast array of books, English furniture, paintings, and more than 400 pieces of
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
ceramics. In 1937, in memory of his mother, who died that year, he donated the
Anthony van Dyck
Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy.
The seventh c ...
painting, ''Abbé Scaglia adoring the Virgin and Child'' to the
National Gallery
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director o ...
. Also in his large collection was the 1839
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbulen ...
painting ''Cicero at his Villa''.
References
* See the list of references at:
Rothschild banking family of England
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rothschild, Anthony Gustav de
People educated at Harrow School
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
English bankers
English art collectors
British car collectors
British racehorse owners and breeders
British Army personnel of World War I
Anthony Gustav de Rothschild
Anthony Gustav de Rothschild (26 June 1887 – 5 February 1961) was a British banker and member of the Rothschild family.
Biography
Born in London, England, he was the third and youngest of the three sons of Leopold de Rothschild (1845–1917) ...
English Jews
Jewish British philanthropists
1887 births
1961 deaths
Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry officers
English cricketers
Buckinghamshire cricketers
N M Rothschild & Sons people
20th-century English businesspeople