Members of the Rothschild family have owned, lived at and managed Waddesdon since the purchase of the estate in 1874. We hold very few records relating to the management of Waddesdon Manor as a house. There are no housekeepers’ or butlers’ records, very few household accounts or staffing records.
Much more complete is the period relating to the administration of Waddesdon Manor since it was given to the National Trust in 1957 and opened to the public in 1959. These include records relating to visitors, events, the interpretation of the collection, the restoration of the building, and the development of a catering and retail operation.
We hold records relating to the management and development of the Waddesdon Estate including title deeds and land acquisition records, accounts, memos and correspondence, records relating to farming, woodland management, environmental management, property and tenancy management, staffing records, gardens accounts, and building project files. Most of these date from about 1905 to the 1990s.
Our staffing records are very incomplete before the 1920s so we are often unable to answer family history enquiries in any detail.
