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Worms, Maurice Benedict de

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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English financier and agriculturist; born in Frankfort-on-the-Main 1805; died in London 1867; grandson of Meyer Anselm de Rothschild, and son of Benedict de Worms, a distinguished member of the Jewish community of Frankfort. On a visit to the Far East in 1841, Maurice and his brother Gabriel de Worms purchased a large estate in Ceylon, which became known as the Rothschild Estate. Acre by acre was added to this estate, which was among the best-cultivated tracts of land in the island; and when the Worms brothers in 1865 disposed of their holdings, they had no less than 2,000 acres under cultivation, and more than 6,000 acres of forest land to be reclaimed. The brothers were among the pioneer settlers in Ceylon, and contributed largely to its prosperity. In his will Maurice de Worms bequeathed large sums of money to various Jewish charitable institutions.