Leopold de Rothschild (22 November 1845 – 29 May 1917) was a British banker, thoroughbred race horse breeder, and a member of the prominent

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

Early life

Leopold de Rothschild was the third son and youngest of the five children of Lionel de Rothschild (1808–1879) and

Charlotte von Rothschild ''Freifrau'' Charlotte von Rothschild (13 June 1819 – 13 March 1884) was a Germany, German-born United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British socialite. She was a member of the Rothschild banking family of Naples. Family Rothschild w ...

(1819–1884). He was educated at King's College School then went on to

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, Cambridge.

Banking career

He entered

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 ...

in London, the family's banking business. On the death of his uncle

Baron Mayer de Rothschild Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

in 1874, he became head of the family's banking business in London and took over most of his uncle's public offices. He also 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.

Public service

Rothschild was a DL and JP for the county of Buckinghamshire. He was invested as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) by King Edward VII at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

on 11 August 1902. He was President of the British Order of Mercy, which was awarded his wife in 1911. He was also active in the Anglo- Jewish community, serving as vice-president of the

Anglo-Jewish Association The Anglo-Jewish Association (AJA) is a British organisation. It was formed in 1871 for the 'promotion of social, moral, and intellectual progress among the Jews; and the obtaining of protection for those who may suffer in consequence of being Jew ...

, chairman of the Jewish Emigration Society, and a treasurer of the London Jewish Board of Deputies.

Thoroughbred breeding

An avid sportsman, he established Southcourt Stud in Southcote, Bedfordshire. He assembled a stable of some of the best thoroughbreds in Europe, his horses winning a number of prestigious races including The Derby, St. Leger Stakes and the

2,000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year at ...

. In the Epsom Derby of 1879 and 1904, his own horses got the cup.

Personal life

In 1881, he married Marie Perugia (1862–1937). She was the daughter of the Trieste merchant Achille Perugia. Her sister Louise married Arthur Sassoon. A close friend, H.R.H.

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

, Prince of Wales attended the wedding at London's Central Synagogue. The marriage produced three sons: * Lionel Nathan (1882–1942) * Evelyn Achille (1886–1917) * Anthony Gustav (1887–1961) They resided at

Gunnersbury Park Gunnersbury Park is a park in the London Borough of Hounslow between Acton, Brentford, Chiswick and Ealing, West London, England. Purchased for the nation from the Rothschild family, it was opened to the public by Neville Chamberlain, then ...

, an estate that at one time had been the residence of Princess Amelia, daughter of George II. The mansion today houses the Gunnersbury Park Museum. An art collector, he owned a number of important paintings by artists such as

Jan Davidszoon de Heem Jan Davidsz. de Heem or in-full ''Jan Davidszoon de Heem'', also called ''Johannes de Heem'' or ''Johannes van Antwerpen'' or ''Jan Davidsz de Hem'' (c. 17 April 1606 in Utrecht – before 26 April 1684 in Antwerp), was a still life painter ...

. In 1912, William Tebbit attempted to assassinate him, firing five shots from a revolver at his vehicle and riddling it with bullets. Following his death on 29 May 1917, he was interred in the family plot in the

Willesden Jewish Cemetery The Willesden United Synagogue Cemetery, usually known as Willesden Jewish Cemetery, is a Jewish cemetery at Beaconsfield Road, Willesden, in the London Borough of Brent, England. It opened in 1873 on a site. It has been described as the "R ...

in the North London suburb of Willesden.

Ealing Football Club (RU)

Leopold de Rothschild was the first president of Ealing Football Club (RU) and held this office from 1896 to 1914.www.respiceprospice.co.uk
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References

* See the list of references at: Rothschild banking family of England {{DEFAULTSORT:Rothschild, Leopold de 1845 births 1917 deaths English art collectors English bankers English racehorse owners and breeders Owners of Epsom Derby winners People educated at King's College School, London Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge English Jews

Leopold Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...

Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Leopold de Rothschild Burials at Willesden Jewish Cemetery Members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews N M Rothschild & Sons people 19th-century English businesspeople