about the loss of wildlife habitats, and in 1912 set up the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves, the forerunner of The Wildlife Trusts partnership. In 1915 he produced "The Rothschild List", a schedule of the best 284 wildlife sites in the country, some of which were purchased as nature reserves. Public service As well as a Lieutenant of the City of London, Rothschild became a JP for the county of Northamptonshire in 1902. He served as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire for 1905. Personal life In 1907, Rothschild married Rózsika Edle von Wertheimstein (1870–1940), a descendant of an old Austrian-Jewish family that was ennobled long before the Rothschilds. She was born in 1870 at Nagyvárad, Hungary (now the Romanian city of Oradea), the daughter of a retired army officer, Baron Alfred Edler von Wertheimstein. Alfred's sister Charlotte was married to . Rózsika was one of seven children and had been a champion lawn tennis player in Hungary. After their marriage on 6 February 1907, they lived at Tring and in London. Rothschild, who worked in the family's banking business, was a dedicated naturalist in his spare time: the young couple had met on a butterfly-collecting trip in the Carpathian Mountains. In the evening, they might go together to a concert or a dinner party, but he really preferred to sort out his butterflies. Together, they had four children: Miriam Louisa Rothschild (1908–2005), a zoologist Elizabeth Charlotte Rothschild (1909–1988), known as "Liberty" Nathaniel Mayer Victor Rothschild (1910–1990), known as "Victor", 3rd Baron Rothschild. Kathleen Annie Pannonica Rothschild (1913–1988), known as "Nica", a bebop jazz enthusiast and patroness of Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker Suffering from encephalitis, in 1923 Rothschild committed suicide. His suicide, when he was 46 years old, was a severe shock to his wife and four children. Rózsika died on 30 June 1940. Ancestry See also History of the Jews in England Rothschild banking family of England References Notes Sources Rothschild, Miriam (1983) Dear Lord Rothschild Reminiscences by Rozsika's daughter, Dame Miriam Rothschild, published in the Jewish Quarterly 1877 births 1923 deaths People educated at Harrow School English bankers English entomologists Charles Rothschild English Jews Younger sons of barons High Sheriffs of Northamptonshire Suicides in England Burials at Willesden Jewish Cemetery 1923 suicides