Max Rayne, Baron Rayne (8 February 1918 – 10 October 2003) was a British

property developer Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw Real Estate, land and the sale of developed land or parce ...

and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

who supported medical, religious, education and arts charities in England.

Early life

Rayne came from a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family. His father, Phillip, was a garment manufacturer living in the East End of London. It was a modest but cultured home – his grandfather had been a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

scholar and teacher and his father had a lively interest in music, opera and conversation. Max was educated at the nearby religious, but non-denominational,

Central Foundation Boys' School Central Foundation Boys' School is a voluntary aided school, voluntary-aided comprehensive secondary school in the London Borough of Islington. It was founded at a meeting in 1865 and opened the following year in Bath Street, before moving to it ...

, Bow. Max studied psychology and accountancy and took a night school course in law at

University College, London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

(which later gave him an honorary doctorate). After service with the RAF in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Rayne rejoined the family clothing firm. Using sub-leases on its premises as his source of finance, he directed his attention to land and property development in bomb-damaged

central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...

Family

In 1941, Rayne married Margaret Marco and they had three children: * Madeleine Barbara (b. 1943) * Susan Ann (b. 1945) * Robert Anthony (b. 1949) Rayne and his wife divorced in 1960 and on 2 June 1965, he married Lady Jane Vane-Tempest-Stewart (a daughter of the 8th Marquess of Londonderry and sister of Lady Annabel Goldsmith) and they had four children: * Natasha Deborah (b. 1966) * Nicholas Alexander (b. 1969) * Tamara Annabel (b. 1970) * Alexander Philip (b. 1973)

Rayne Foundation

As Rayne had judged, the opportunities offered in the post-war period of booming reconstruction led to substantial business success and when, in 1962, he set up the Rayne Foundation and endowed it with a substantial shareholding in his companies, he created a well funded and influential charitable institution. Although acting through the foundation, Rayne took a close personal interest in the causes it supported. He was soon on the governing bodies of most of the London

teaching hospital A teaching hospital or university hospital is a hospital or medical center that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities a ...

s, where his business skills were highly valued, and prominent Jewish charities. In 1964 Darwin College,

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

, was founded with support from the Rayne Foundation and a personal donation from Rayne himself, and this is acknowledged by the college in two ways: Firstly, on the college's coat of arms, which impales Rayne's coat of arms alongside that of the Darwin family. Secondly, the central building to the college is named the Rayne Building. He also supported music, ballet, painting and the theatre. He was chairman of the board of the National Theatre from 1971 until 1988 and so oversaw its move from the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

to the present building in 1976. Rayne was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in 1969 and made a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

as Baron Rayne, of Prince's Meadow in

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

, on 2 August 1976. He was also created a Chevalier of the

Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

in 1973, later promoted to Officier. In 2007, using money from the Rayne Foundation, the Hand in Hand School, a bilingual school located in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

was founded to teach

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

and

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

alongside each other.

Arms

References

Sources

* * * * *

External links

The Rayne Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rayne, Max 1918 births 2003 deaths People educated at Central Foundation Boys' School Alumni of University College London British real estate and property developers English Jews English philanthropists Knights Bachelor Labour Party (UK) life peers Officers of the Legion of Honour Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Darwin College, Cambridge 20th-century British philanthropists Life peers created by Elizabeth II