Estates

Records of Rothschild estates

The archive has comparatively few records relating to the estates and private houses of the Rothschild family. Large quantities of records relating to the running and administration of houses and estates are known to have been destroyed, as property and estates passed through the generations, or left Rothschild family ownership. Many of the Rothschilds requested that personal records be destroyed upon their death. 

For further information about the history of over 75 Rothschild estates and properties in England, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and The Netherlands, please Go to The Rothschild Family: Estates »

Estate records in the records of the London bank

Some papers concerning Rothschild estates were retained in the papers of the London bank at New Court. The Estates Department at the Bank managed records concerned with the settling of household bills, tenants' accounts and other routine affairs associated with the houses and estates of the Rothschild family. Descriptions of these records, (which bear a Roman numeral identification reference) will be found listed under the property to which they relate in the Estates Department of the London banking house.

Within the Accounts Current series of the London bank, there are many accounts concerned with estate management. Some series, the receipts for example, pertain to an individual member of the family rather than an estate, and it is sometimes difficult to be certain about the property for which purchases were made.

Estate records acquired by the Archive

This section of the Guide describes the collections of original records and artefacts created, acquired or held by estates of the Rothschild family, arranged by the name of the place to which they relate. Under these headings are also grouped secondary sources and material relating to a particular estate; this material is not necessarily generated by that estate but is listed here for convenience. The Archive also holds a large collection of papers relating to Rothschild estates in the Vale of Aylesbury, formerly held by Messrs Horwood and James, the family solicitors for Rothschilds living in the area. 

Records of French and Austrian estates

Records of the French and Austrian estates do not survive in great quantities. Papers concerning Rothschild estates in France will be found in The Lafite Papers and The Moscow Papers (58 series); papers concerning Rothschild estates in Austria will be found in The Moscow Papers (637 series). 

Access to some of these collections is restricted at the request of the donors and depositors. All papers later than 1945 are currently closed to researchers; for further information please contact The Rothschild Archive »