Nathan James Edouard (James Edouard) de Rothschild (1844-1881)

Nathan James Edouard de Rothschild, (known as James Edouard), was the elder son of Nathaniel (1812-1870), son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777-1836) of the English branch of the family. His mother Charlotte (1825-1899) was the daughter of James Mayer de Rothschild (1792-1868). His parents had met when Nathaniel was apprenticed to his uncle James in the family business in Paris.

James Edouard developed an early interest in books and manuscripts, many items in his collection coming from his father as a reward for diligence in school. He studied he Law, pleading his first case in 1866, and published a number of legal works, some in connection with the Legal Society of Medicine in France, which he had founded.

He entered the French House in 1870, becoming a director of the Nord and Est railway companies. His son judged him to be 'clear-sighted, methodical and discerning'. A noted bibliophile, his impressive collection included many rare manuscripts and books. His particular love was French literature of the mediaeval age, and he worked on a project to publish unedited manuscripts from the Bibliotheque Nationale. James founded the Society of Ancient French Texts and the Society of Jewish Studies. After his death in 1881, his library collections were comprehensively catalogued in five volumes between 1884 and 1920. 

James Edouard married his cousin Laura Thérèse (1847-1931), daughter of Mayer Carl (1820-1886) and Louise (1820-1894) of the Frankfurt branch of the Rothschild family. The couple lived in Paris on the avenue Friedland. They had two children, Henri (1872-1947), who inherited his father's love of the arts,  and interest in medicine, and Jeanne (1874-1929), who married Baron Abram Leonino.

After his death on 25 October 1881, three days before his 37th birthday, Laura Thérèse took over the administration of the hospital he had founded at Berck-sur-Mer.