Burial enclosures of Mayer, Juliana and Hannah Rothschild in Willesden Jewish Cemetery (United Synagogue Cemetery), Willesden Green, London

Summary

The tombs and burial enclosures of Baron Mayer Amschel de Rothschild (1818-1874) and Juliana de Rothschild (1831-1877), and of Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery (1851-1890), in Willesden Jewish Cemetery.

Description

Tombs and burial enclosures of Baron Mayer Amschel de Rothschild (1818-1874) and Juliana de Rothschild (1831-1877), and of Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery (1851-1890), in Willesden Jewish Cemetery. The tombs were formerly contained within a mausoleum constructed in 1890, or slightly later, which was destroyed in 1941.

MATERIALS: both the tombs and their enclosures are constructed of white marble; the eastern enclosure has a base of polished red granite, probably later, and the western enclosure has a grey marble base with grey marble also to the interior of the side panels.

PLAN: the two rectangular enclosures are placed side by side, with the earlier enclosure containing the tombs of Mayer and Juliana de Rothschild to the east, and that of Hannah Primrose to the west. Each enclosure measures approximately 5m by 4m and stands approximately 1m high. A pathway of decorative black and grey marble tiles separates the enclosures, which are entered from the north.

DESCRIPTION

EASTERN ENCLOSURE: the enclosure comprises a moulded plinth supporting carved pillars with a moulded coping. Between the pillars are plain grey-veined marble panels, apparently replacing carved originals. The remains of metal fittings at the entrance indicate that the enclosure once had a gate but this has been removed. The pillars have finely carved designs, both internally and externally, depicting a variety of plants including lilies and other flowers, oak leaves and acorns, strawberries and vines; there are vases to the corner pillars and drops to the intermediate ones. The tombs themselves form a pair of slightly raised ledgers surrounded by carved rippling ribbons which meet between the tombs at the south end in a large bow. The stepped central panels contain inscriptions in Hebrew and English; the Hebrew dates are also given. To the west: IN MEMORY OF / MAYER AMSCHELDE ROTHSCHILD / WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE / ON THE / VI OF FEBRUARY, 5634 1874 / AGED 56 / MAY HIS SOVL REST IN PEACE. To the east: IN MEMORY OF / JVLIANA DE ROTHSCHILD / WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE / ON THE / IX OF MARCH 5637 1877 / AGED 46 / MAY HER SOVL REST IN PEACE. A tablet placed between the tombs commemorates their daughter Hannah.

WESTERN ENCLOSURE: this is more elaborate and more complete than the eastern enclosure. Of similar pillar and panel construction, the original carved white marble side panels are here intact. The carving of both pillars and panels, in Renaissance Revival style, is deep and finely-executed. The pillars are decorated externally with flowers and fruit, some in vases, several clearly of significance for the Rosebery family, including poppies, thistles, pomegranate, crown imperial lilies, oak leaves and acorns, vines and primroses. The panels are cut straight through, so that the carved white marble is enhanced by the grey marble backing. Scrolled acanthus surrounds, in some panels, laurel-wreath roundels with Hannah and Archibald’s initials (HR and AR), and in others cartouches bearing Rosebery and Rothschild badges (three primroses, and an arm and hand clutching five arrows); in the panels flanking the entrance these are in heart-shaped cartouches, topped by coronets. The southern side of the enclosure has a central panel with linked cartouches, flanked by panels divided in two horizontally, each with a vase framed by acanthus below and rosebuds with foliage above. Internally, the pillars are fluted, with those to the south bearing intertwined initials with laurels. To the centre of each grey marble side panel is a white marble plaque with a roundel containing a Tudor rose or other flower. The tomb itself consists of curved ledger of white marble, on a flat base, surrounded by elaborate carving on ribbon and lilies, with a bow to the north. The stepped central panel bears the text ‘REST IN THE LORD’ with a laurel wreath below, and then the inscription, in English, but with the Hebrew date of death also given: ‘HERE LIES / HANNAH ROTHSCHILD / COUNTESS OF ROSEBERY / BORN JULY 27TH 1851 / DIED OF TYPHOID FEVER / AT DALMENY NEAR EDINBURGH /NOV 19TH 1890 – 5651 / THE CHILD OF MANY HOPES / THE WOMAN OF RICH FULFILMENT/ HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEP.'

History

The United Synagogue was established by Act of Parliament in 1870, granting formal recognition to a union of five London Ashkenazi synagogues (the Great, Hambro, and New synagogues, together with the newer Central and Bayswater synagogues), under the guidance of Chief Rabbi Nathan Adler. Three years later, the United Synagogue opened its own cemetery, having purchased twelve acres from All Souls College, Oxford in the then village of Willesden, to the north-west of London. At first, only 5 acres of the plot were used for the cemetery (now known as the Old Cemetery), which then comprised a rectangular walled area approached from Pound Lane to the north-east by a drive, with a lodge by the entrance. To the south of this a group of funerary buildings was constructed, with a central avenue leading southwards, from which a grid of subsidiary paths soon grew, delimiting rectangular grave plots. Described as ‘the most important and prestigious Orthodox Jewish Cemetery in Britain’ (Marks 2014, 153), the United Synagogue Cemetery (more generally known as Willesden Jewish Cemetery) was intended to serve London’s most established Anglo-Jewish communities, prominent within which were families including those who originally purchased the site – the Rothschilds, Montagus, Cohens, and Beddingtons – whose often lavish tombs reflect long associations with the cemetery. The designer of the cemetery, and of its funerary buildings, was Nathan Solomon Joseph (1834-1909), the most prominent of the first generation of Anglo-Jewish synagogue architects; he is buried in the cemetery.

The cemetery soon outgrew its original area and walls were demolished to allow for its expansion. In 1890 the area now known as Front Lawns was extended northwards to Beaconsfield Road, creating a more spacious approach to the funerary buildings, and in 1906, an additional ten and a half acres of land was purchased from All Souls to extend the burial ground southwards (the Southern Extension). The main entrance was moved to the junction of Beaconsfield Road and Glebe Road in 1909-10; the original lodge was demolished and a new lodge constructed by the entrance in a Queen Anne Revival style. Despite having been part of the original plot, the area known as Pound Lane Field, to the north-east of the site, was not incorporated into the burial ground until 1925-6, and not used for burials until 1943, in which year land on Front Lawns was also pressed into this service. Today, the cemetery can accommodate only a very limited number of new burials.

The tombs of Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery (1851-1890), and her parents Mayer Amschel de Rothschild (1818-1874) and Juliana de Rothschild (1831-1877) are located within the Old Cemetery, which contains the earliest, and many of the most elaborate memorials. The most prestigious sites were those adjoining the main avenue and the cross paths by the prayer hall; these Rothschild tombs (there are a number of other Rothschild enclosures within the cemetery) are located at the south end of the Old Cemetery, just to the west of the main avenue. Hannah’s widower, Lord Rosebery, commissioned a mausoleum to house the tombs; alternative domed designs are shown in surviving drawings, but a Gothic building was ultimately constructed. This was destroyed by bombing in 1941.

Hannah de Rothschild was the granddaughter of Baron Nathan Mayer Rothschild, founder of the English branch of the Rothschild banking empire. Hannah, aged just six months, laid the foundation stone of Mentmore Towers, the great house commissioned by her father Baron Mayer de Rothschild, from Sir Joseph Paxton and G H Stokes. An only child, on her father’s death she inherited her father’s fortune, as well as his houses and art collection, becoming the richest woman in Britain. In 1878 she married Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (1847-1929), despite considerable reservations in both Rosebery’s family and the Jewish community. Nonetheless, the wedding was an illustrious social event: the Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli gave the bride away, and the Prince of Wales attended, though no male member of the Rothschild family was present. Already engaged in politics, in 1881 Rosebery’s expanding career saw him take the post of Undersecretary at the Home Office, with special responsibility for Scotland, which he resigned after two years. In 1885 he joined William Ewart Gladstone’s Cabinet as Commissioner of the Board of Works and Lord Privy Seal, and a year later became Foreign Secretary. Following Hannah’s death – an event which led to a period of retirement – he spent a short period in the post of Prime Minister, from March 1894 to June 1895.

Always supportive of Rosebery’s political life, Hannah established a salon with Lansdowne House in London at its centre; the couple continued to use Mentmore, and Rosebery’s Dalmeny House in Scotland. The Roseberys travelled extensively, despite the birth of four children. Hannah was also involved in philanthropic work, being particularly interested in the welfare of young working-class Jewish women in the poorer areas of London, especially Whitechapel, where she founded the Club for Jewish Working Girls. She was also involved with Scottish charities, and was president of the Scottish Home Industries Association, a charity which encouraged women to work at home whilst caring for their families.

Reasons for Listing

Architectural interest:
* As monuments of a quality and lavishness very rarely found in a Jewish funerary context, that for Hannah Primrose, née de Rothschild, being ornamented with particularly fine and detailed carving.

Historic interest:
* They commemorate members the Rothschild family, pre-eminent within late-C19 Anglo-Jewry, and the remarkable marriage of Hannah de Rothschild to a leading English aristocrat and politician, later Prime Minister.

Group value:
* The memorial stands within Willesden Jewish Cemetery, which is registered at Grade II; a number of the tombs, and the war memorial, are listed at Grade II.

External Links

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