Family Tree
Note: Phoebe and her parents Catherine Rothschild and Andrew Vale are imaginary. However, Catherine’s family is real. The historical Rothschild family members are shown below in black, while the characters that Nancy Werlin invented for the purposes of Extraordinary are shown in blue.
Phoebe Gutle Rothschild (b. 1992)
Catherine (b. 1950) m. 1990 Andrew Vale (b. 1965). [Senior Lecturer in Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. One daughter, Phoebe.]
Walter (1915-1959) m. Sarah 1956. One daughter, Catherine. [Walter, who shared the scientific interests of his older, more famous brother Victor, did not share Victor's playboy tendencies. He was shy and reclusive and his marriage to a fellow biologist at age 41 was a big surprise to the entire family. His death with his wife in a car accident when Catherine was only nine was an enormous tragedy and Catherine was thereafter raised by her dashing Uncle Victor and aunt Teresa.]
Charles (1877-1923) m. 1907 Rozsika (1870-1940). Three daughters, one son – two sons if you count the imaginary Walter, as this is where Nancy Werlin's invented branch of the family begins. [Although noted for never missing a day of work as a banker, Charles's passion was for entomology and natural history; he discovered and named the flea that was the vector for plague. Tragically, Charles committed suicide at the age of 46.]
Nathan "Natty" (1840-1915) m. 1867 Emma (1834-1935). Two sons, one daughter. [Natty was the first Jewish member of the House of Lords in Parliament, having inherited a baronetcy from his uncle. As head of the Rothschild bank, he funded the Suez Canal and the Rhodes scholarships at Oxford University.]
Lionel (1808-1879) m. 1836 Charlotte (1819-1884). Three sons, two daughters. [Not only did Lionel run the London branch of the family banking business after his father's death, but he became the first Jewish member of Parliament, overcoming significant prejudice in the process. His wife, Charlotte (also a Rothschild by birth, from the Naples, Italy family branch), was a great beauty and one of the most noted hostesses of the day; invitations to her parties were greatly coveted.
Nathan (1777-1836) m. 1836 Hannah Cohen (1783-1850). Four sons, three daughters. [Mayer's third son, Nathan, established his branch of the family business in London, England with considerable success, and was the most vital financial force behind the scenes in England's eventual defeat of Napoleon.]
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812) m. 1770 Gutle Schnapper (1753-1849). Five sons and five daughters. [Founder of the Rothschild family, Mayer was born in poverty in the Jewish ghetto of Frankfurt. He spent his entire life in the ghetto, but from there built an international trading and banking business, with the help of his five sons. He was as well known for his modesty and humility as for his intelligence. His wife, Gutle, seems to have been an extraordinary character herself. At age 95, she fell ill and, when the doctor said that he was unable to make her younger, famously retorted, "I am not asking to be made younger. All I want is to be made older." ]