Robert Brand, Baron Brand
Milner's Kindergarten banker, partner of Lazard Brothers (1878-1963)
Also known as: Brand, Robert Brand, Robert Henry Brand, Lord Brand, R. H. Brand
Robert Henry Brand, 1st Baron Brand (1878-1963), was a member of Milner's Kindergarten who became one of the principal merchant bankers of the City of London. As longtime managing director of Lazard Brothers (London), brother-in-law of Lady Astor, and the financial node of the The Round Table, he served — in Quigley's framing — as 'leader' of the The Milner Group from Lothian's death in 1940 until his own death in 1963.
Kindergarten and South African Union
Brand was educated at Marlborough and New College, Oxford (1897-1901), and elected a Fellow of All Souls in 1901. Like Curtis, Kerr, and Dougal Malcolm, he went to South Africa as a member of Milner's Kindergarten after 1902. With Patrick Duncan he 'laid the groundwork for the new constitution' that became the Union of South Africa (T&H 151). When the Kindergarten dispersed in 1909-1910, Brand returned to London and joined Lazard Brothers as a partner — the merchant bank that became, in Quigley's account, the Group's principal City of London financial vehicle.
Banker of the Group
Lazard Brothers under Brand is, in Quigley's analysis, one of the key institutional bases of the The Milner Group. He lists 'certain powerful British banks (of which the chief was Lazard Brothers and Company)' as one of the Group's continuing financial pools (AAE 7). Brand 'was the last survivor of the "Kindergarten"; since his death, the greatly reduced activities of the organization have been exercised largely through the Editorial Committee of The Round Table magazine under Adam Marris' (T&H 964). Marris — Brand's successor as managing director of Lazards — preserves the institutional continuity between Brand's death and the Round Table journal's continued operation.
Wartime missions
Brand served twice on senior wartime British financial missions to the United States. In 1915, 'Lloyd George sent Hichens and Brand to organize the munitions industry of Canada. They set up the Imperial Munitions Board of Canada' (AAE 47). In 1941-1944 he led the British Food Mission to Washington. Through these missions, and through his Lazards partnership, he was on first-name terms with virtually every senior American banker of his generation — the trans-Atlantic personal capital that, Quigley argues, made the Anglo-American financial relationship of the mid-twentieth century function.
Leader of the Group, 1940-1963
Quigley dates the fourth leadership transition of the Group to Lothian's 1940 death: 'From 1925 to 1940, Kerr was leader, and since his death in 1940 this role has probably been played by Robert Henry Brand (now Lord Brand)' (AAE 4). The 1922-onward 'All Souls period' centered, Quigley says, 'about Lord Lothian, Lord Brand, and Lionel Curtis' (AAE 6). Brand was brother-in-law to Lady Astor — his sister Phyllis was Nancy Astor's sister — connecting him directly into the Cliveden circle: 'Lord Brand (brother-in-law of Lady Astor and managing director of Lazard Brothers, the international bankers)' (T&H 594). He was raised to the peerage in 1946 and died in 1963, after which 'the greatly reduced activities of the organization have been exercised largely through the Editorial Committee of The Round Table magazine' (T&H 964).
Cited in
- anglo-american-establishment · p. 4 Quigley
From 1925 to 1940, Kerr was leader, and since his death in 1940 this role has probably been played by Robert Henry Brand (now Lord Brand).
- anglo-american-establishment · p. 6 Quigley
The fourth period, from about 1922 to the present, could be called the All Souls period and centers about Lord Lothian, Lord Brand, and Lionel Curtis.
- anglo-american-establishment · p. 47 Quigley
In 1915, Lloyd George sent Hichens and Brand to organize the munitions industry of Canada. They set up the Imperial Munitions Board of Canada, on which Joseph Flavelle (Sir Joseph after 1917) was made chairman.
- tragedy-and-hope · p. 151 Quigley
Robert H. (Lord) Brand and (Sir) Patrick Duncan laid the groundwork for the new constitution. At the Durban constitutional convention (where Duncan and B. K. Long were legal advisers) the Transvaal delegation was controlled by Smuts and the Kindergarten.
- tragedy-and-hope · p. 594 Quigley
It included Lord Milner, Leopold Amery, and Edward Grigg (Lord Altrincham), as well as Lord Lothian, Smuts, Lord Astor, Lord Brand (brother-in-law of Lady Astor and managing director of Lazard Brothers, the international bankers), Lionel Curtis, Geoffrey Dawson (editor of The Times), and their associates.
- tragedy-and-hope · p. 964 Quigley
Brand was the last survivor of the 'Kindergarten'; since his death, the greatly reduced activities of the organization have been exercised largely through the Editorial Committee of The Round Table magazine under Adam Marris.