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The Rushbrooke Collection

A collection of documents, photographs, volumes and artefacts transferred to the Archive from Rushbrooke Hall, Suffolk. 

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 »

The Rushbrooke Collection I, 1816-1990

000/848/1-49, 49 boxes

A collection of archives and artefacts transferred to the Archive from Rushbrooke Hall, Suffolk. The collection has largely been created or acquired by Nathaniel Mayer, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915) and his family. The papers in this accession relate primarily to:

  • Lionel Nathan de Rothschild, son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777-1836)
  • Nathaniel Mayer, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915), son of Lionel
  • Emma, Lady Rothschild (née von Rothschild) (1844-1935), wife of Nathaniel Mayer
  • Lionel (Walter), 2nd Lord Rothschild (1868-1937), elder son of Nathaniel and Emma
  • Nathaniel (Charles) Rothschild (1877-1923), younger son of Nathaniel and Emma
  • Nathaniel Mayer (Victor), 3rd Lord Rothschild, son of Charles

The collection includes a collection of twelve testimonials presented to Nathaniel, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915) on the occasion of his 70th birthday on 8 November 1910. These votes of thanks and expressions of good wishes were received from the committees, trustees and boards of organisations that enjoyed his patronage and support, including many Jewish organisations, as well as from tenants and employees on his estates.

A number of photograph albums are to be found in the collection, including family albums of photographs and cartes de visite, a collection of photographs of ‘Rothschild’ houses in Frankfurt by C.F Mylius, a portfolio containing large format photographs of 11, rue Berryer, the Paris home of Adèle, Baroness Salomon de Rothschild (née von Rothschild) (1843-1922), a portfolio of views of Ashton Wold, Northamptonshire, the county home of Nathaniel (Charles) Rothschild (1877-1923), an Egyptian travel album of Nathaniel (Charles) Rothschild (1877-1923) and a large slip-cased photograph album of Emma, Lady Rothschild (née von Rothschild) (1844-1935) containing portrait photographs and signatures of notable figures of the day, including politicians and churchmen.

Material relating to ‘Rothschild’ collections includes copies of the ‘Luthmer Catalogues’ of the collection of goldwork of Mayer Carl von Rothschild (1820-1886), 1882, 1883 and 1885, a copy of the privately printed volume describing the collections of Mentmore Towers (Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1818-1874)), compiled by his daughter Hannah, Countess Rosebery (1851-1890) in her father’s memory, a set of the two-volume ‘Davis’ catalogue of the collections of works of art, furniture and objects of Alfred de Rothschild (1918-1842) at 1, Seamore Place and Halton, an inventory of the collections of Mayer Carl von Rothschild (1820-1866), 1885, and papers relating to the division of his collections after his death, inventories relating to the collections of Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (1808-1879) received by his son Nathaniel Mayer, 1st Lord Rothschild, when Baron Lionel’s estate was divided between his three sons, copies of the Sotheby’s sale catalogues for the sales by Nathaniel Mayer (Victor), 3rd Lord Rothschild (1910-1990) of the contents of 148 Piccadilly, and inherited silver, much of it from the collection of Emma, Lady Rothschild (née von Rothschild) (1844-1935).

The collection also includes a number of inventories and schedules relating to the contents (furniture, silver, plate, china, porcelain, pictures, works of art, objets d’art, books and other effects) at properties of Nathaniel, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915). These include Tring Park, Hertfordshire and 148 Piccadilly, W.1. Other schedules concern property of Nathaniel (Charles) Rothschild (1877-1923) at Arundel House, Kensington and Tring Park, Hertfordshire and property of Nathaniel (Victor), 3rd Lord Rothschild (1910-1990) at Tring Park, Hertfordshire and Rushbrooke Hall, Suffolk.

Other sundry papers include a copy of the building contract for Mentmore Towers, a volume of press cuttings concerning the 1906 General Election Bucks (Aylesbury) seat, at which Lionel (Walter) Rothschild was elected, a press cuttings scrapbook compiled by Nathaniel (Victor) 3rd Lord Rothschild (1910-1990), a folio volume concerning the history of the Abbaye Les Vaux de Cernay (Charlotte, Baroness Nathaniel de Rothschild (née de Rothschild (1825-1899)), a commemorative wedding album for the wedding in 1881 of Leopold de Rothschild (1845-1917) and Marie Perugia (1862-1937) (note other examples may be found in the Ascott Collection), Visitors' Books for Tring Park, a collection of sundry papers of historical note kept by Emma, Lady Rothschild (née von Rothschild) (1844-1935); these include correspondence and papers relating to the purchase of Gunnersbury Park by Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777-1836), and papers relating to the purchase of works of art by Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (1808-1879), a medical volume published by Henri de Rothschild (1872-1947), sundry private correspondence with notable persons of Lionel Nathan de Rothschild (1808-1879) and Charlotte, Baroness Lionel de Rothschild (née de Rothschild) (1819-1884), sundry private correspondence with notable persons of Nathaniel Mayer (Victor), 3rd Lord Rothschild (1910-1990), a volume of music composed by Hannah Mathilde (Mathilde), Baroness Willhelm Carl von Rothschild (née von Rothschild) (1832-1924), a copy of Christian Wilhelm Berghoeffer’s history of the Frankfurt business, 1923, and sundry papers relating to the management of the Tring Park estate.

List available

The Rushbrooke Collection II, 1816-1990

000/2278, 54 boxes, 55 items

The Rushbrooke Collection II: a further collection of archives and artefacts transferred from Rushbrooke Hall, Suffolk. The majority of items in this collection were created or acquired by Nathaniel Mayer (Victor), 3rd  Lord Rothschild (1910-1990), and his family. The papers in this accession relate primarily to:

  • Emma, Lady Rothschild (née von Rothschild) (1844-1935), wife of Nathaniel Mayer, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915)
  • Nathaniel (Charles) Rothschild (1877-1923), younger son of Nathaniel and Emma
  • Nathaniel Mayer (Victor), 3rd Lord Rothschild (1910-1990), son of Charles

The majority of items in this collection are publications collected by Victor, 3rd Lord  Rothschild, photographs collected by Victor Rothschild, press cuttings collected by Victor Rothschild, sundry research notes and papers of Victor Rothschild, together with sundry estate papers, including property valuations and papers relating to the estate of his father, Charles Rothschild (1877-1923).

A large collection of correspondence, the ‘Autograph’ letter collection of by Emma, Lady Rothschild (née von Rothschild) (1844-1935), wife of Nathaniel Mayer, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915) and grandmother of Victor Rothschild will be found in this collection. These letters were originally kept in tin trunks. Many transcripts are also included with the original letters (these transcripts may have been made at the request of Victor Rothschild).

Other sundry papers include watercolours and photographs presumed collected by Emma, Lady Rothschild (née von Rothschild) (1844-1935), wife of Nathaniel Mayer, 1st Lord Rothschild (1840-1915) and grandmother of Victor Rothschild; estate papers and inventories of Emma, Lady Rothschild; papers relating the estate of Charles Rothschild (1877-1923), together with other sundry Rothschild family wills and birth certificates.

A large number of framed items are included in the collection. These are largely drawings, cartoons, awards and certificates in the collection of Victor 3rd Lord Rothschild, together with some Rothschild family photographs. Some original archival documents have been framed; notably a bill of exchange dated 1815, and a document commemorating the refurbishment of 148 Piccadilly, 1861-1866.

Some items are closed.

List available