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| Introduction
The Rothschilds shaped Tring and their legacy is immense. Because RMCA is based in the former Rothschild estate office the following document has been commissioned. The Counting House home of RMCA is on the site of the former Rothschild Estate Office. This document illustrates the changes from the 1870's to 1930's and today. Another document - The Rothschilds and Tring is a short account of the history and influence of the Rothschilds in and around Tring. | |
| The Counting House home of RMCA | |
 The Counting House, listed as a Grade II building in 1986, is on the site of a number of older buildings, one of which was the former Rothschild Estate Office. The original houses were remodelled and clad to make the building as it is today. The Rothschild Estate Office was used for the day to day running of the estate. The famous vault and strong room (since 1990, part of the RMCA suite of offices) were essential to store the large quantity of cash needed to pay the employees and local suppliers. It was also likely that the Rothschilds kept some of their more valuable items in the vault.
When Lord Rothschild came to Tring in 1872 it would have looked as it does in the above photograph. In Kelly's Trade Directory of 1882 the shops of Nos. 10,11 and 12 High Street seen here were Mrs Mary Prouse, saddler and harness maker, Mr Frederick Marsh, chemist and Mr James Jones, grocer.
Michael Jones©2002-2005 e: Michael@3-2-1-GO.com
Acknowledgements: Tim Amsden, Tring & District Local History Society Melanie Aspey, Rothschild Archive Mike Bass, Richard Davis 'The English Rothschilds', Niall Ferguson 'The World's Banker' Sponsored by RMCA
The Counting House, High Street, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 5TE
t: 01442 891919 f: 01442 891918 e: Info@rm-ca.co.uk w: www.RobertMasters.co.uk A wealth of Tax & Accountancy Solutions for Individuals and Business |
In this photograph, looking west, the three shops beyond the Mansion gates had been clad in the mock Tudor style approved by Lord Rothschild. The old Rose and Crown, originally a coaching inn, can just be seen beyond, level with the other buildings. It was demolished and replaced by the new Rose and Crown Hotel 1906. The bay-window shop on the left of the photograph, known as The Ivy House was the home of Mr E C Bird who had his printing, bookselling and stationery business there from October 1848 to Lady Day 1906. The business was taken over by Mr G T de Fraine of Aylesbury who, as well as being in the same line of business was the proprietor of the Bucks Herald. He transferred his business to the shop next to the Rose and Crown Hotel, now Bradford and Bingley. Lord Rothschild then demolished Mr Bird's old building and built a house for Estate staff, now No. 8, later called Oasis.
This view, looking east, shows the beginning of the cladding to make the eventual Counting House. The ivy- covered house was restyled in the 1880s to match the set of buildings on the west side of the gates. The large square building was not clad for another 10 to 15 years.
This view shows the completed Counting House, here in 1937, with the town decorated for the coronation of King George VI. Sadly, with the exception of a post and lantern frame, the beautiful Mansion driveway gates went for scrap early in the 1939-45 war. Being made of wrought iron, however, they were of no use in the war effort.
The Counting House was acquired by Tring Urban District Council, from the Rothschilds, in 1951. It was used by them as district council offices until the 1974 local government reorganisation merged TUDC, with its neighbours, to form Dacorum District (now Borough) Council. The wood panelled room where Council meetings took place is still largely intact. Since 1975, Dacorum Council has let the building to commercial tenants including RMCA (formerly Robert Masters) who occupied their ground floor suite of offices in 1990.