Page "N M Rothschild & Sons" Paragraph 3

During the early part of the 19th century, the Rothschild London bank took a leading part in managing and financing the subsidies that the British government transferred to its allies during the Napoleonic Wars.

Through the creation of a network of agents, couriers and shippers, the bank was able to provide funds to the armies of the Duke of Wellington in Portugal and Spain.

In 1818 the Rothschild bank arranged a £ 5 million loan to the Prussian government and the issuing of bonds for government loans.

The providing of other innovative and complex financing for government projects formed a mainstay of the bank's business for the better part of the century.

N M Rothschild & Sons ' financial strength in the City of London became such that by 1825, the bank was able to supply enough coin to the Bank of England to enable it to avert a liquidity crisis.

Like most firms with global operations in the 19th century, Rothschild had links to slavery, even though the firm was instrumental in abolishing it by providing a £ 15m gilt issue necessary to pass the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.