Page "Lionel de Rothschild" Paragraph 9

Finally, in 1858, the House of Lords agreed to a proposal to allow each house to decide its own oath.

On 26 July 1858 de Rothschild took the oath with covered head, substituting " so help me, a Hebrew language | Hebrew word for God " for the ordinary form of oath, and thereupon took his seat as the first Jewish member of Parliament.

He was re-elected in general elections in 1859 and 1865, but defeated in 1868 ; he was returned unopposed in a by-election in 1869 but defeated a second time in the general election in 1874.