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Baron Ferdinand James Anselm de Rothschild (1839-1898) was a British MP and philanthropist, a member of the international Rothschild financial dynasty.
Born in Germany, he was the son of Baron Anselm Salomon von Rothschild (1803-1874) from the Austrian branch of the banking family and Charlotte Rothschild. He was the great-grandson of Mayer Amschel Rothschild, founder of the dynasty.
Hw was educated at Cambridge University, where he was a friend of the Prince of Wales. He became a British subject and moved from Vienna to London.
In 1865, the Baron married his cousin, Evelina, the daughter of his mother's brother. On 4 December 1866 Evelina and their child died in premature labour. As a memorial to his wife, Ferdinand de Rothschild founded the Evelina Children's Hospital in Southwark.
Ferdinand de Rothschild was elected as Liberal MP for Aylesbury from 1885 until his death.
In 1874 he bought an estate near the village of Waddesdon in Buckinghamshire and between 1874 and 1889 built Waddesdon Manor, designed by Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur in an eclectic style based on 16th century French chateaux. Waddesdon Manor is now owned by the National Trust.
Baron Ferdinand's collection of Renaissance objets d'arts from the house was bequeathed to the British Museum as "The Waddesdon Bequest".
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