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James Mayer de Rothschild | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait byJean-Hippolyte Flandrin | |
| Born | Jakob Mayer Rothschild (1792-05-15)15 May 1792 |
| Died | 15 November 1868(1868-11-15) (aged 76) |
| Known for | Rothschild banking family of France Château Lafite Rothschild |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Charlotte,Mayer Alphonse,Gustave Samuel,Salomon James,Edmond Benjamin |
| Parent(s) | Mayer Amschel Rothschild Guttle Schnapper |
| Awards |  Légion d'honneurBaron of the Austrian Empire |
BaronJames Mayer de Rothschild (bornJakob Mayer Rothschild; 15 May 1792 – 15 November 1868) was aFrench banker and the founder of theFrench branch of the prominentRothschild family.[1][2] He was born in the Holy Roman Empire.
He was born as Jakob Mayer Rothschild inFrankfurt am Main, then part of theHoly Roman Empire. He was the fifth son and youngest child ofMayer Amschel Rothschild (1744–1812) and his wife, Guttle Schnapper (1753–1849).[3]
In 1812, he moved toParis to co-ordinate the purchase of specie and bullion for his brotherNathan Mayer Rothschild (1777–1836), and in 1814 and 1815, he was the linchpin in Nathan's plan to provide funds forWellington's armies. In 1817, he expanded his family's banking empire to Paris, openingDe Rothschild Frères. By 1823, the Parisian branch was firmly established as banker to the French government.
As an adviser to ministers and kings, he became the most powerful banker in the country. Following the Napoleonic Wars, he played a major role in financing the construction of railroads and the mining business, contributing to France's emergence as an industrial power. Along the way, he added to his fortune with investments in areas such as the importation of tea and the wine industry. A strong-willed and shrewd businessman, de Rothschild amassed a fortune that made him one of the richest men in the world.
In 1822, de Rothschild, along with his four brothers, was awarded the hereditary title ofFreiherr (Baron) by EmperorFrancis I of Austria. That same year, he was appointed consul-general of theAustrian Empire. In 1823, he was awarded the FrenchLegion of Honour.
Following theJuly 1830 Revolution that brought KingLouis Philippe to power, de Rothschild put together a loan package to stabilize the finances of the new government, and in 1834 a second loan. In gratitude for his services to the French nation, Louis Philippe elevated him to the dignity of Grand Officer of theLegion of Honour. In 1838, De Rothschild created a lucrative gold refining business with Saint-André, Poisat et Cie co-owned with Grégoire Saint-André and Michel Poisat.[4]
King Louis Philippe was forced to abdicate after the outbreak of the French Revolution of 1848. Under EmperorNapoleon III, de Rothschild lost part of his political influence. However, despite some difficulties, the family business managed to survive and prosper under the new regime. From 1852, he also had to defend the attacks from the bankCrédit Mobilier. The conflict between the Rothschilds and the rival company also spread to other countries as well. Nonetheless, de Rothschild succeeded in maintaining the leading position of his banking house.
In addition to his banking business, de Rothschild purchasedChâteau Lafite in 1868, one of France's most outstandingvineyards. Located in theBordeaux region, it is a business that remains in the family to this day.
On 11 July 1824, inFrankfurt, Germany, de Rothschild married his nieceBetty von Rothschild (1805–1886), the daughter of his elder brother,Salomon Mayer von Rothschild (1774–1855). They had the following children:
De Rothschild and his sophisticated Viennese wife were at the center of Parisian culture. Thechef for their lavish receptions wasAntonin Carême.[5] They patronized major personalities in the arts, includingGioacchino Rossini,Frédéric Chopin,Honoré de Balzac,Eugène Delacroix, andHeinrich Heine. As an acknowledgment of the many years of patronage extended by Baron James and his wife Betty, in 1847 Chopin dedicated hisValse Op. 64, N° 2 in C sharp minor to their daughter Charlotte. In 1848Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres paintedBetty de Rothschild's portrait.
After the death of Nathan in 1836, James took over the management of the family firm. His sons, brothers and nephews were in awe of his dynamic authority. Contemporaries remembered his quick wit, expressed in a heavy German accent, though the sharp tongue which went with it was not always benign. James was devoted to his extended family, but it was not beyond him to turn against any member whom he felt to have acted improperly. His response to the marriage of his niece,Hannah Mayer to a Christian, displayed at once his demand for obedience and his faithfulness to the family's Jewish beliefs.
In 1817, de Rothschild purchasedChâteau Rothschild inBoulogne-Billancourt, where his children were born and reared. In 1838, he purchased fromCharles Maurice de Talleyrand a large residence in Paris, at 2rue Saint-Florentin on thePlace de la Concorde. It remained in the family until 1950, when it was sold to the United States government; today it serves as the consular section of theAmerican Embassy.
In 1854, de Rothschild commissioned the famous architectJoseph Paxton to build theChâteau de Ferrières inFerrières-en-Brie, some 35 kilometres (22 mi) east of Paris. Ferrières was inaugurated 16 December 1862 with a gala attended by Napoleon III. The property remained the home of his inheriting male descendants until 1975, whenGuy de Rothschild gave it to the University of Paris. It was considered to be the largest and most luxurious 19th-century château in France.
Beyond his business activities, de Rothschild was an avid collector of art, fuelled not only by a desire to show himself the equal in taste and possessions of any of the French aristocracy but by a genuine interest. The purchase ofGreuze's painting,La Laitière, in 1818 formed the basis of a magnificent art collection which he supplemented often in frenzied buying sprees from the grand sales of the Paris hotels.
In 1835, Baron James de Rothschild created racing stables at his Ferrières estate. Still in existence, now relocated to Normandy, the Rothschild stables are one of the oldest in France. Ferrières was the perfect location, close to bothParis andChantilly, which was the centre of the horse-racing world in France. Initially, the majority of horses belonging to Baron James raced under the colours of their trainer, Thomas Carter, in amber vest, lilac sleeves and grey cap. This was soon changed to the now famous blue vest and yellow cap, variations of which are still used by different members of the Rothschild family. The stables were successful in James's lifetime with victories in theGrand Prix Royal in 1844 won by Drummer, and thePrix du Jockey Club in 1846 won by Médon.
De Rothschild also used his enormous wealth forphilanthropic works and became a leader of the French Jewish community. His contributions to France, along with those of his offspring, can be found in many fields, including medicine and the arts. He was involved in many charities: anti-tuberculosis dispensaries, the first social housing in Paris, or aid provided toAssistance Publique.
Baron James de Rothschild died in 1868, just three months after purchasing the Chateau Lafite vineyard. As Nathaniel de Rothschild reported, on his funeral, 4,000 guests waited in his drawing rooms, while another 6,000 guests waited in the courtyard. The streets of Paris, from theRue Laffitte across toPère Lachaise Cemetery, were lined with unknown thousands of citizens, who paid tribute to the banker. De Rothschild had remained active in business throughout his life, expanding his railways, industries, factories, shipping, and mining interests so successfully that by the time of his death, the capital of the Paris house perhaps even exceeded some of his other prominent family members.
SonsAlphonse andGustave took the reins of a vast French business empire, whose industrial interests spread as far afield as Africa and the South Sea Islands.
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