Salomon James de Rothschild

Salomon James de Rothschild (1835-1864) was the fourth child of James Mayer de Rothschild, head of the Paris branch of the prominent Rothschild family of bankers.

Misspent Youth

As a young man, according to the Goncourt brothers, Rothschild squandered "a million on the stock exchange in attempted secrecy from his father" and was exiled to Frankfurt, where he spent two years keeping books. After this, his father wrote to him, "Mr. Salomon's affair is not terminated." Rothschild was dispatched to America, where he was supposed to help advance the family's banking interests.

Letters from America

From 1859 to 1861 Rothschild travelled extensively in the United States, Canada and Cuba. He was an eyewitness to the events leading up to the American Civil War. He regarded Abraham Lincoln as an extremist and his political sympathies lay with the Confederate cause.

In letters to his family he described in vivid terms the social customs and notable events of the day, including the visit of the future King Edward VII, the high wire act of Charles Blondin, the arrival of the first official Japanese embassy to the United States, and the maiden voyage of the SS Great Eastern.

As a representative of the world's most prominent banking family, Rothschild travelled with a 10-person retinue and mingled with high society wherever he went, always taking note of beautiful and well-dressed women along the way. The lawyer George Templeton Strong, met Salomon and described him thus: "the Baron, through illustrious and a millionnaire, was immoderately given to lewd talk and nude photographs."

In 1862 he married Adela von Rothschild, the daughter of his cousin Karl.

Salomon's English cousin Constance described him as "brilliantly gifted but less addicted to steady work and habits of business than his brothers...genial, brilliant, somewhat dare-devil."

Baron Salomon de Rothschild died in Paris on May 14, 1864, at the age of 29, only two years after his marriage and less than a year after the birth of his daughter, Helene. He was buried at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in the family vault. Of his death, the Goncourt brothers wrote "Cabarrus, the Rothschild's doctor, told Saint-Victor that the young Rothschild who died the other day really died of the excitement of gambling on the stock exchange."

References

"A Casual View of America: The Home Letters of Salomon de Rothschild 1859-1861." Translated and edited by Sigmund Diamond. London: The Cresset Press, 1962.