New Court [1]: 1809-1860, The City, London, England

'Intended for magnificent business', New Court has been the home of the London house of Rothschild for over 200 years. There have been four buildings called New Court on the site.

The first New Court

The 'lane called Swityhinnes' was first recognised in about 1270. The first mention of a house called ‘New Court’ appears in John Strype’s Survey of London in 1720. In 1734 the lane was described as “a very handsome large place, with an open passage into it for a coach or cart. Here are very good buildings and at the upper end is a very good large house inclosed [sic] from the rest by a handsome pale”. From 1779-1787, New Court was the address of Acton & Winter, the legal firm that later became Freshfields.

In 1809, Nathan Mayer Rothschild acquired the lease of No.2, New Court for £750, as a home for his family and as the centre of his London business interests. The property had an attached warehouse so Nathan could continue his business as a merchant; and was short stroll away from the bank of England and the Royal Exchange where Nathan would soon make his mark. The family moved into New Court in March 1809. The building was in good order, having “a cantilevered cornice. A covered colonnade on the south side with steps up to the front door, a brick parapet, cock-loft, garrets and flats.”

In 1815, bolstered by his business success, Nathan signed a new 21-year lease for New Court for £175 per annum. The Rothschild family moved out of New Court to a new villa in Stamford Hill in 1816. New Court remained the heart of the business, and it was at New Court in 1824 that The Alliance Assurance Company (later to become Royal & Sun Alliance) was founded at a meeting of Nathan and his associates.

On his father's death in 1836, his son Lionel (1808-1879) succeeded him. On the 8th August 1836, Nathan's funeral cortege of 75 carriages left New Court.  In 1841, at the request of the City Surveyor, an engraved stone was added to the frontage of the building, bearing the name “New Court”. In December, 1846, the British Relief Association, established to raise funds for famine relief in Ireland, was organised in Lionel de Rothschild’s room at New Court. By 1850, 30-50 people worked for N M Rothschild & Sons and salaries at New Court ranged from £50 to £500 per annum.

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