We only hold records relating to those members of the Rothschild family who have owned or managed Waddesdon. Both Baron Ferdinand (1839-1898) and Miss Alice (1847-1922) are thought to have left instructions that their personal papers be destroyed and there is little material relating to them.
For Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild we hold some brief accounts, a collection of his writings, a small amount of correspondence and some records relating to the collections at Waddesdon, including the inventories taken on his death.
For Miss Alice de Rothschild the most significant holdings are the letters written to her Head Gardener, George Frederick Johnson, then a small amount of other correspondence, her sketchbooks and music books, a limited selection of receipts relating to objects bought in the early twentieth century and the inventories of her collections at the time of her death.
For James (1878-1957) and Dorothy (1895-1988) de Rothschild more has survived. The core of the collection is a series of over 20,000 letters received by them during the course of their marriage and of Dorothy’s widowhood. These include letters from correspondents such as Winston and Clementine Churchill, Chaim Weizmann, the Princess Royal, and numerous organisations and charities. There are also records relating to James’ career as a Member of Parliament, his interest in horse-racing, Zionism and Dorothy’s philanthropic work both at home and in Israel. There are also a series of menu books and a few other records relating to the running of their households in London and at Waddesdon.
