James de Rothschild

Baron Jacob, known as James, of Rothschild (1792 - 1868) is a Banquier French, founder of the branch of Paris of the Famille Rothschild.

It inspired the characters of the baron de Nucingen of Honore de Balzac and Gundermann in the Money of Emile Zola,

Biography

Wire of Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744 - 1812), founder of the dynasty, it marries in 1824 his niece Betty de Rothschild (1805-1886), girl of Solomon de Rothschild, brother of James and founder of the branch of Vienna. Will be born a girl: Charlotte (1825 - 1899), then four wire: Alphonse (1827 - 1905), Gustave (1829 - 1911), Solomon (1835 - 1864), Edmond (1845 - 1934).

Arrived at Paris in March 1811, James installs in 1815, after having speculated in the fall of the Empire, the financial institution “Misters de Rothschild Frères” in the hotel that Fouché gave up street of Antin (become street Laffitte). It helps the government of the Restauration, then that of the Monarchie of July, and manages the personal fortune of the king Louis-Philippe. It finances the lately independent Belgian State, Greek independence, the Italian unit, helps the treasuries of the Spain, the Austria and the the United States. Pioneer of the railroads, it obtains the concession of the Compagnie of the railroads of the North (1843) which will be most profitable of the railway companies.

He was charged in 1855 (World Fair of Paris) with the organization of the international association for the adoption of the universal metric system which will have like principal task the standardization of the weights, measurements and currencies.

Under the monarchy of July, he is the richest man of France with the king, with a capital of 40 million in 1847. After having been anobli by the Emperor of Austria as his brothers in 1817 (the title is not recognized in France contrary to the legend), it is named general consul from Austria to Paris by Metternich in 1821. In 1829, he becomes member of the Circle of the Union.

Residences

He lives initially a private mansion street Laffitte, rebuilt in 1836 in Gothic style and Renaissance by Bellenger and Duponchel, then, with died of Talleyrand, he acquires in July 1838 for 1,2 million, the Hôtel of Saint-Florentin cheese, 2, Rue Saint-Florentin cheese called by Henri Heine: “Versailles of Parisian plutocracy” . It rents there an apartment with the princess of Lieven.

The Castle of Tool bags (Seine-et-Marne)

In 1829, the Baron James acquires with Ferrières an old castle, already altered by Bernard Poyet for Fouché, Minister for the police force of Napoleon i, which it makes transform into 1830 by A. Maingot in a residence of neo-classic style.

Between 1853 and 1861, the Baron James, anxious to compete with the castle built in 1855 with Mentmore by his/her cousin Mayer de Rothschild, makes shave the castle and build by Joseph Paxton, of which it will be single construction in France, the castle of Tool bags, one of most remarkable of the XIXe century. Interior decoration was entirely carried out under the direction of Eugene Lami. The park, allotted to Paxton, is undoubtedly due partly to Louis-Sulpice Varé and Jean-Pierre Barrel-Deschamps.

Old castle remain today only the wash-house and the orangery, allotted to Joseph-Antoine Froelicher and gone back to approximately 1840.

The Castle of Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine)

Acquired in 1817 of the banker Jean-Charles Davillier, entirely rebuilt in 1855 by the architect Armand Berthelin in the style Louis XIV. Interior decoration and gardens with the Frenchwoman by Eugene Lami, landscaped garden by Joseph Paxton.

Castle Lafite

August 8th, 1868, the Baron James de Rothschild acquires the Château Lafite put on sale public within the framework of the succession of Ignace-Joseph Vanlerberghe.

Quotation

“I made fortune while selling always a little too early. ”

Internal bond

Family Rothschild

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