Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery

Hannah de Rothschild, Countess of Rosebery, daughter of Baron Meyer de Rothschild was born in 1851. On the death of her father in 1874, she is reputed to have inherited £2000,000 in cash, plus the new family mansion Mentmore now known as Mentmore Towers plus its priceless collections of art and furniture.

In 1878 she married Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery. Hannah Rosebery died in 1890 at Dalmeny of Bright's Disease, having born four children, Harry, Lord Dalmeny; The Honourable Neil Primrose; Lady Sybil Primrose; and Lady Margaret Primrose. Neil became MP for Wisbech, but sadly was killed at Gezer during the 1st World War; Sybil later married a member of the Grants whisky family and became a grand eccentric, spending long periods up a tree communicating with her butler through a loudhailer. Margaret (or Peggy married an older man - a friend of her father's - The Marquis of Crewe. He later wrote a two volume biography of her father and his political life.

Hannah Rosebery was not a classically beautiful woman, thus causing society to say she had been married for her money. Archibald is credited with three ambitions: To marry Britain's richest woman; to win the Derby; and become Prime Minister. This is probably apocryphal, however, he succeeded in all three. However, letters he wrote at the time of the engagement suggest he was deeply in love with her.

Beautiful or not Hannah was a great philanthropist building many model cottages, and three schools in and around the Mentmore estate. Today these cottages (recognisable by the 'H de R' cypher on their gables) are highly sought after expensive properties in Wingrave, Cheddington and Mentmore.

After her death her husband was inconsolable and never remarried, today it is said he was implicated in the Oscar Wilde affair, this is probably untrue and certainly never been proved. He spent the last years of his life at Dalmeny, an insomniac, almost a recluse and reading his much loved precious books.