Digitised Manuscripts and Books

> appointed him his financial agent in I80i. One step led to another , and Mayer Rothschild rose to an eminent position in the financial world . He was as trust- worthy as he was able , and at the time of the French invasion of Germany , the Elector placed all his valuables and securit- ies in his keeping . Mayer died, as has been said , in I8I2 , before the termination of the war, and when peace had been con- cluded, his sons , who were carrying on the affairs of the firm, were called on by the Elector for the return of his fortune. To his delight they restored it , not merely in its entirety , but with accumulated interest . Mayer Anselm Rothschild had a numerous family , of whom five sons and five daughters survived him. Of the five sons, his namesake Mayer Anselm was the head of the Frankfort firm, but the other brothers were sent off in their youth to the four corners of the civilised world to make their fortunes. Solomon , my paternal Grandfather , went to Austria, and was already known in the early days of this century as the 'Vienna Rothschild’, although he was also the founder of our Paris house, and spent much of his time in the French capital . naniel became the head of our London house, Charles of the Neapolitan branch , while James became the leading partner in our Paris) firm. Nathaniel went to Manchester in 1797. His father had had business relations with the house of Peel, who made consign- ments of cloth and woollen goods to him at Frankfort, through the agency of a London firm, which of course charged a commiss- ion on these transactions. Nathaniel was directed to arrange as i A i tr eta AI in Oe tt tat teen tina tt 1 j