French mining business

The Rothschild Archive holds, or is reponsible for, surviving historic business records of the firm of M M de Rothschild Frères and Banque Rothschild, 1812-c.1982.

The Rothschilds move into mining investments grew out of their early involvement in the bullion and silver trade, the mainstay which had launched their fortunes in the early nineteenth century.

As the second half of the century developed, the family’s interest in taking up a role in the mining and processing, first of precious stones and metals and then of base metals developed.  The French Rothschilds were active in mining in Europe and throughout the French Empire, while the London bank, N M Rothschild & Sons had mining interests in the British Empire.

Archive sources

The Rothschild Archive in London holds little on French Rothschild mining interests. A collection of papers concerning the mining business of the French Rothschilds will be found in the records of de Rothschild Frères, (Fonds 132 AQ) and other related papers located in the Archives Nationales du Monde du Travail in Roubaix, France. See the links on this page for further information about these sources.