Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery
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Marriage
On 20 March 1878 she married Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery. Hannah Rosebery died in 1890 at Dalmeny of Bright's disease, having borne four children, Harry Primrose, Lord Dalmeny (later 6th Earl of Rosebery); The Honourable Neil Primrose; Lady Sybil Primrose; and Lady Margaret Primrose. Neil became MP for Wisbech, but sadly was killed at Gezer during the 1st World War; Sybil later married Sir Charles Grant of the Grant's Whisky family and became a grand eccentric, spending long periods up a tree communicating with her butler through a loudhailer. Margaret (or Peggy) married an older man - a friend of her father's - Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe. He later wrote a two volume biography of her father and his political life.
Hannah Rosebery, though not unattractive, was not a classically beautiful woman, thus causing society to say she had been married for her money. Archibald Rosebery was credited with three ambitions: To marry Britain's richest woman; to win the Epsom Derby; and become Prime Minister. This is probably apocryphal, however, he succeeded in all three. However, letters he wrote at the time of the engagement suggest he was deeply in love with Hannah. There is certainly no doubt that she adored him.
Work and philanthropy
Beautiful, or not, Hannah was a great philanthropist building many model cottages, and three schools in and around the Mentmore estate. Today these cottages (recognisable by the 'H de R' cypher on their gables) are highly sought after expensive properties in Wingrave, Cheddington and Mentmore.
She added to her husband's library of precious books - once entering a book shop she remarked to her young daughters, "to your father this is a toy shop" After her death her husband was inconsolable and never remarried, today it is hinted he was implicated in the Oscar Wilde affair, this is probably untrue and certainly never been proved. He spent the last years of his life at Dalmeny, an insomniac, almost a recluse and reading his much loved precious books.
The priceless (continental) library of his books, which had always been kept at Dalmeny rather than Mentmore were sold in 1995 at The Aeolian Hall, London by Sotheby's. The same auctioneers who had sold, with much publicity, Hannah's Mentmore inheiritance in 1977.
Death
Hannah was buried in her own mausoleum at Willesden Jewish Cemetery in London in accordance with the rites of the Jewish faith. Her husband was interred in the family vault at Dalmeny, following his death in 1929.
Prominent English Rothschild family members
- Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777-1836)
- Moses Haim Montefiore (1784-1885) (Married daughter of Mayer Amschel Rothschild the original family patriarch)
- Baron Mayer de Rothschild (1818-1874)
- Lionel de Rothschild (1808-1879)
- Nathan Mayer Rothschild, 1st Baron Rothschild (1840-1915)
- Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery (1851-1890) (Daughter of Baron Mayer de Rothschild)
- Charles Rothschild (1877-1923)
- Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild (1868-1937)
- Victor Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild (1910-1990)
- Miriam Rothschild (1908-2005)
- Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild (b. 1936)