Mitford family
Encyclopedia
The Mitford family is a minor aristocratic English family that traces its origins in Northumberland
back to the time of the Norman conquest. In the Middle Ages they had been Border Reivers
based in Redesdale
. The main family line had seats at Mitford Castle
, Mitford Old Manor House
and from 1828 the then-newly-built Mitford Hall
. Several heads of the family served as High Sheriff of Northumberland
.
A junior line, with seats at Newton Park, Northumberland and Exbury House, Hampshire
descends via the historian William Mitford
to his great-great-great-granddaughters, the "Mitford sisters". The Mitford family was twice elevated to the British peerage, in 1802 and 1902, under the title Baron Redesdale
.
In the 20th century, the "Mitford sisters"—six daughters of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale—became celebrated, and at times scandalous, figures caricatured, according to The Times
journalist Ben Macintyre
, as "Diana the Fascist, Jessica the Communist, Unity the Hitler-lover; Nancy the Novelist; Deborah the Duchess and Pamela the unobtrusive poultry connoisseur".
(28 November 1904 - 30 June 1973)
Pamela Mitford (25 November 1907 – 12 April 1994)
Thomas Mitford (2 January 1909 – 30 March 1945)
Diana Mitford
(17 June 1910 – 11 August 2003)
Unity Mitford
(8 August 1914 – 28 May 1948)
Jessica Mitford
(11 September 1917 – 22 July 1996)
Deborah Mitford
(born 31 March 1920)
and fascism
. The six daughters of the family were known collectively as the Mitford sisters. Nancy
and Jessica
became well-known writers and Deborah managed one of the most successful stately homes in England. Jessica and Deborah married nephews-by-marriage of prime ministers Winston Churchill
and Harold Macmillan
, respectively. Deborah and Diana
married wealthy aristocrats. Unity
and Diana were well known during the 1930s for being close to Adolf Hitler
. In the early 1980s, Deborah also became politically active when she and her husband
, the Duke of Devonshire
, became leading lights in the newly formed political party, the Social Democratic Party
.
The sisters were the children of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, known to his children as "Farve" and various other nicknames. Their mother was Sydney Freeman-Mitford, Baroness Redesdale, known as "Muv", the daughter of Thomas Bowles
, whom David married in 1904. The family homes changed from Batsford House to Asthall Manor
beside the River Windrush
in Oxfordshire
, and then Swinbrook Cottage nearby, with a house at Rutland Gate in London
.
The Mitford sisters and their brother grew up in an aristocratic country house with emotionally distant parents, as well as a large household with numerous servants; this family situation was not unusual for its time. A disregard for formal education was present at least where the girls of the family were concerned; they were expected to marry young and well. The parents were described as "nature's fascists"; at least two of their daughters followed in their footsteps; one turned her back on her inherited privileges and ran away to become a communist, a result of the excitement of European politics in the 1930s. Jessica's memoir Hons and Rebels
describes their upbringing, and Nancy obviously drew upon her family members for characters in her novels. The children had a private language called "Boudledidge" , and each had a different nickname for the others.
On the outbreak of the Second World War, their political views came into sharper relief. "Farve" remained a conservative but "Muv" usually supported her fascist daughters, and they separated in the late 1940s. Nancy, a moderate socialist, worked in London during the Blitz
. Pamela remained seemingly non-political, although reportedly actually a rabid antisemite. Tom, a fascist, refused to fight Germany
but volunteered to fight against Imperial Japan. He was killed in action
a short time after arriving in Asia. Diana (married to Oswald Mosley
), a fascist, was imprisoned in London for three years. Unity, distraught over the war declaration against Hitler, tried to commit suicide and suffered brain damage eventually leading to her early death. Jessica, a communist supporter, had moved to the US, but her husband Esmond Romilly
volunteered for the RCAF
and died when his bomber developed mechanical problems over the North Sea
. In numerous letters, Jessica has stated that Romilly served in the RCAF, and that her daughter received a pension from the Canadian government from the date of his death until she turned 18. The political rivalry between Jessica and Diana lasted until their deaths, with the other sisters in frequent contact.
The sisters are noted as prolific letter-writers. A substantial body of correspondence still exists, principally letters between the sisters. They were, it has been alleged, 'the most ardent burnishers of their own public image'.
and a musical, The Mitford Girls, by Caryl Brahms
and Ned Sherrin
.
Nancy Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate
, which was based on the family, was serialised by Thames Television
in 1980, and by the BBC
in 2001.
A fictional family based on the Mitford sisters features prominently in author Jo Walton
's novel Ha'penny
; Viola Lark, one of the point-of-view characters, is one of the sisters, another is married to Himmler
, and a third is a Communist
spy.
The fictional "Combe sisters" featured in the BBC 2 series Bellamy's People
bear a striking resemblance to the Mitford sisters. Bellamy meets two of the surviving Combe sisters, said to have been notorious in the 1930s and 40s for their extreme political views, now living together in a strained relationship in the dramatically different political realities of 2010. One an avid Fascist and the other a committed Communist, the sisters have hit upon the solution of dividing their stately home down the middle—each converting her side into an homage to her ideology. The sisters were denied a formal education as children, and led an isolated childhood, forming an odd relationship and inventing their own language known as "Languish".
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
back to the time of the Norman conquest. In the Middle Ages they had been Border Reivers
Border Reivers
Border Reivers were raiders along the Anglo–Scottish border from the late 13th century to the beginning of the 17th century. Their ranks consisted of both Scottish and English families, and they raided the entire border country without regard to their victims' nationality...
based in Redesdale
Redesdale
Redesdale is a valley iin the western part of the county of Northumberland, in northeast England. This area contains the valley of the River Rede, a tributary of the North Tyne River. Redesdale includes the settlements of Elsdon, Otterburn, Rochester, Byrness and Carter Bar.Historically this...
. The main family line had seats at Mitford Castle
Mitford Castle
Mitford Castle is an English castle dating from the end of the 11th century and located at Mitford, Northumberland. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade I listed building, enlisted on 20 October 1969. The castle is also officially on the Buildings at Risk Register...
, Mitford Old Manor House
Mitford Old Manor House
Mitford Old Manor House is an historic English manor house at Mitford, Northumberland and is a Grade II* listed building. The Manor of Mitford was held from ancient times by the Mitford family....
and from 1828 the then-newly-built Mitford Hall
Mitford Hall
Mitford Hall is a Georgian mansion house and Grade II* listed building standing in its own park overlooking the River Wansbeck at Mitford, Northumberland....
. Several heads of the family served as High Sheriff of Northumberland
High Sheriff of Northumberland
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of the English county of Northumberland.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post...
.
A junior line, with seats at Newton Park, Northumberland and Exbury House, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
descends via the historian William Mitford
William Mitford
William Mitford , English historian, was the elder of the two sons of John Mitford, a barrister and his wife Philadelphia Reveley.-Youth:...
to his great-great-great-granddaughters, the "Mitford sisters". The Mitford family was twice elevated to the British peerage, in 1802 and 1902, under the title Baron Redesdale
Baron Redesdale
Baron Redesdale, of Redesdale in the County of Northumberland, is a title that has been created twice, both times in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was firstly created in 1802 for the lawyer and politician Sir John Freeman-Mitford. He was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1801 and 1802...
.
In the 20th century, the "Mitford sisters"—six daughters of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale—became celebrated, and at times scandalous, figures caricatured, according to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
journalist Ben Macintyre
Ben Macintyre
Ben Macintyre is a British author, historian, and columnist writing for The Times newspaper. His columns range from current affairs to historical controversies.- Author :...
, as "Diana the Fascist, Jessica the Communist, Unity the Hitler-lover; Nancy the Novelist; Deborah the Duchess and Pamela the unobtrusive poultry connoisseur".
The Mitford siblings
Nancy MitfordNancy Mitford
Nancy Freeman-Mitford, CBE , styled The Hon. Nancy Mitford before her marriage and The Hon. Mrs Peter Rodd thereafter, was an English novelist and biographer, one of the Bright Young People on the London social scene in the inter-war years...
(28 November 1904 - 30 June 1973)
Pamela Mitford (25 November 1907 – 12 April 1994)
Thomas Mitford (2 January 1909 – 30 March 1945)
Diana Mitford
Diana Mitford
Diana Mitford, Lady Mosley , was one of Britain's noted Mitford sisters. She was married first to Bryan Walter Guinness, heir to the barony of Moyne, and secondly to Sir Oswald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, leader of the British Union of Fascists; her second marriage, in 1936, took place at the...
(17 June 1910 – 11 August 2003)
Unity Mitford
Unity Mitford
Unity Valkyrie Mitford was a member of the aristocratic Mitford family, tracing its origins in Northumberland back to the 11th century Norman settlement of England. Unity Mitford's sister Diana was married to Oswald Mosley, leader of British Union of Fascists...
(8 August 1914 – 28 May 1948)
Jessica Mitford
Jessica Mitford
Jessica Lucy Freeman-Mitford was an English author, journalist and political campaigner, who was one of the Mitford sisters...
(11 September 1917 – 22 July 1996)
Deborah Mitford
Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
Deborah Vivien Cavendish, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire DCVO , née The Hon. Deborah Freeman-Mitford is the youngest and last surviving of the six noted Mitford sisters whose political affiliations and marriages were a prominent feature of English culture in the 1930s and 1940s...
(born 31 March 1920)
Mitford sisters
In the 20th century the family achieved contemporary notoriety for their controversial and stylish lives as young people, and later for their very public political divisions between communismCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. The six daughters of the family were known collectively as the Mitford sisters. Nancy
Nancy Mitford
Nancy Freeman-Mitford, CBE , styled The Hon. Nancy Mitford before her marriage and The Hon. Mrs Peter Rodd thereafter, was an English novelist and biographer, one of the Bright Young People on the London social scene in the inter-war years...
and Jessica
Jessica Mitford
Jessica Lucy Freeman-Mitford was an English author, journalist and political campaigner, who was one of the Mitford sisters...
became well-known writers and Deborah managed one of the most successful stately homes in England. Jessica and Deborah married nephews-by-marriage of prime ministers Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
, respectively. Deborah and Diana
Diana Mitford
Diana Mitford, Lady Mosley , was one of Britain's noted Mitford sisters. She was married first to Bryan Walter Guinness, heir to the barony of Moyne, and secondly to Sir Oswald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, leader of the British Union of Fascists; her second marriage, in 1936, took place at the...
married wealthy aristocrats. Unity
Unity Mitford
Unity Valkyrie Mitford was a member of the aristocratic Mitford family, tracing its origins in Northumberland back to the 11th century Norman settlement of England. Unity Mitford's sister Diana was married to Oswald Mosley, leader of British Union of Fascists...
and Diana were well known during the 1930s for being close to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. In the early 1980s, Deborah also became politically active when she and her husband
Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire
Andrew Robert Buxton Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire KG, MC, PC , styled Lord Andrew Cavendish until 1944 and Marquess of Hartington from 1944 to 1950, was a British Conservative politician...
, the Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire is a title in the peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England since the 16th century, and have been rivalled in political influence perhaps only...
, became leading lights in the newly formed political party, the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
.
The sisters were the children of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, known to his children as "Farve" and various other nicknames. Their mother was Sydney Freeman-Mitford, Baroness Redesdale, known as "Muv", the daughter of Thomas Bowles
Thomas Gibson Bowles
Thomas Gibson Bowles , generally known as Tommy Bowles, was the founder of the magazines The Lady and the English Vanity Fair, a sailor and the maternal grandfather of the Mitford sisters.-Parents:...
, whom David married in 1904. The family homes changed from Batsford House to Asthall Manor
Asthall Manor
Asthall Manor is a gabled Jacobean Cotswold manor house in Asthall, Oxfordshire. It was built in about 1620 and altered and enlarged in about 1916The house was the childhood home of the Mitford sisters.-History:...
beside the River Windrush
River Windrush
The River Windrush is a river in the English Cotswolds, forming part of the River Thames catchment.The Windrush starts in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire northeast of Taddington, which is north of Guiting Power, Temple Guiting, Ford and Cutsdean...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, and then Swinbrook Cottage nearby, with a house at Rutland Gate in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The Mitford sisters and their brother grew up in an aristocratic country house with emotionally distant parents, as well as a large household with numerous servants; this family situation was not unusual for its time. A disregard for formal education was present at least where the girls of the family were concerned; they were expected to marry young and well. The parents were described as "nature's fascists"; at least two of their daughters followed in their footsteps; one turned her back on her inherited privileges and ran away to become a communist, a result of the excitement of European politics in the 1930s. Jessica's memoir Hons and Rebels
Hons and Rebels
Hons and Rebels is an autobiography by political activist Jessica Mitford which describes her aristocratic childhood and the conflicts between her and her sisters Unity and Diana, who were ardent supporters of Nazism...
describes their upbringing, and Nancy obviously drew upon her family members for characters in her novels. The children had a private language called "Boudledidge" , and each had a different nickname for the others.
On the outbreak of the Second World War, their political views came into sharper relief. "Farve" remained a conservative but "Muv" usually supported her fascist daughters, and they separated in the late 1940s. Nancy, a moderate socialist, worked in London during the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
. Pamela remained seemingly non-political, although reportedly actually a rabid antisemite. Tom, a fascist, refused to fight Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
but volunteered to fight against Imperial Japan. He was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
a short time after arriving in Asia. Diana (married to Oswald Mosley
Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...
), a fascist, was imprisoned in London for three years. Unity, distraught over the war declaration against Hitler, tried to commit suicide and suffered brain damage eventually leading to her early death. Jessica, a communist supporter, had moved to the US, but her husband Esmond Romilly
Esmond Romilly
Esmond Marcus David Romilly was a British socialist and anti-fascist, now remembered mainly for his marriage to Jessica Mitford, one of the Mitford sisters...
volunteered for the RCAF
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
and died when his bomber developed mechanical problems over the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. In numerous letters, Jessica has stated that Romilly served in the RCAF, and that her daughter received a pension from the Canadian government from the date of his death until she turned 18. The political rivalry between Jessica and Diana lasted until their deaths, with the other sisters in frequent contact.
The sisters are noted as prolific letter-writers. A substantial body of correspondence still exists, principally letters between the sisters. They were, it has been alleged, 'the most ardent burnishers of their own public image'.
Thumbnail biographies
- The Hon. Nancy MitfordNancy MitfordNancy Freeman-Mitford, CBE , styled The Hon. Nancy Mitford before her marriage and The Hon. Mrs Peter Rodd thereafter, was an English novelist and biographer, one of the Bright Young People on the London social scene in the inter-war years...
(November 28, 1904 – June 30, 1973). Married Peter RoddPeter RoddLieutenant-Colonel Peter Murray Rennell Rodd was a younger son of Rennell Rodd, 1st Baron Rennell.He was educated at Wellington College and Balliol College, Oxford. On 4 December 1933 he was married to the Hon. Nancy Mitford, one of the noted Mitford sisters...
and had a longstanding relationship with French politician and statesman Gaston PalewskiGaston PalewskiGaston Palewski , French politician, was a close associate of Charles de Gaulle during and after World War II. He is also remembered as the lover of the English novelist Nancy Mitford, and appears in a fictionalised form in two of her novels.-Biography:Palewski was born in Paris, the son of an...
. Lived in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
much of her adult life. Writer of many novels, including her most popular (and somewhat autobiographical), The Pursuit of LoveThe Pursuit of LoveThe Pursuit of Love is a novel by Nancy Mitford, first published in 1945. It is the first in a trilogy about an upper-class family in the period between the wars...
and Love in a Cold ClimateLove in a Cold ClimateLove in a Cold Climate is a novel by Nancy Mitford, first published in 1949. The title is a direct quotation from George Orwell's novel Keep The Aspidistra Flying .-Plot summary:...
. Also a noted biographer of historical figures, including the Sun King. - The Hon. Pamela Mitford (November 25, 1907 – April 12, 1994). Married and divorced the millionaire scientist Derek JacksonDerek Jackson (physicist)Professor Derek Ainslie Jackson, FRS, DFC, AFC, OBE was a spectroscopist.Derek Jackson was one of the outstanding atomic physicists of his generation, but there was very little in his life that could be called conventional....
. John BetjemanJohn BetjemanSir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
, who for a time was in love with her, referred to her as the "Rural Mitford". After her divorce from Jackson, she spent the remainder of her life as the companion of Giuditta Tommasi (died 1993), an Italian horsewoman. - The Hon. Thomas Mitford (January 2, 1909 – March 30, 1945). Educated at EtonEton CollegeEton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. Lover of James Lees-MilneJames Lees-MilneJames Lees-Milne was an English writer and expert on country houses. He was an architectural historian, novelist, and a biographer. He is also remembered as a diarist.-Biography:...
at Eton. Regular lover of Tilly LoschTilly LoschOttilie Ethel Leopoldine "Tilly" Losch, Countess of Carnarvon was an Austrian-born dancer, choreographer, actress and painter who lived and worked for most of her life in the United States and United Kingdom....
during her marriage to Edward JamesEdward JamesEdward William Frank James was a British poet known for his patronage of the surrealist art movement.-Early life and marriage:...
. Died as a soldier in BurmaMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. According to his sister Jessica's letters, he unofficially supported British Fascism and was stationed in Burma after refusing to fight in Europe. - The Hon. Diana MitfordDiana MitfordDiana Mitford, Lady Mosley , was one of Britain's noted Mitford sisters. She was married first to Bryan Walter Guinness, heir to the barony of Moyne, and secondly to Sir Oswald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, leader of the British Union of Fascists; her second marriage, in 1936, took place at the...
(June 17, 1910 – August 11, 2003). Married aristocrat and writer Bryan Walter GuinnessBryan Guinness, 2nd Baron MoyneBryan Walter Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne , was an heir to part of the Guinness family brewing fortune, lawyer, poet and novelist...
in the society wedding of the year (1929). Left him in the society scandal of the year (1933) for British FascistFascismFascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
leader Sir Oswald MosleyOswald MosleySir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet, of Ancoats, was an English politician, known principally as the founder of the British Union of Fascists...
. Was interned in Holloway PrisonHolloway (HM Prison)HM Prison Holloway is a closed category prison for adult women and Young Offenders, located in the Holloway area of the London Borough of Islington, in north and Inner London, England...
during the Second World WarWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Never renounced her belief in Fascism. - The Hon. Unity Valkyrie MitfordUnity MitfordUnity Valkyrie Mitford was a member of the aristocratic Mitford family, tracing its origins in Northumberland back to the 11th century Norman settlement of England. Unity Mitford's sister Diana was married to Oswald Mosley, leader of British Union of Fascists...
(August 8, 1914 – May 28, 1948). Famous for her adulation of and friendship with Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. Shot herself in the head days after Britain declared war on Germany, but failed to kill herself and eventually died of pneumococcal meningitisPneumococcal infection- Pathogenesis :S. pneumoniae is normally found in the nasopharynx of 5-10% of healthy adults, and 20-40% of healthy children. It can be found in higher amounts in certain environments, especially those where people are spending a great deal of time in close proximity to each other...
at West Highland Cottage Hospital, ObanObanOban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
after being transferred there from Inch KennethInch KennethInch Kenneth is a small grassy island in the parish of Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon, Argyllshire. The island is situated at the entrance of Loch Na Keal, off the west coast of the Isle of Mull, Scotland, to the south-southeast of Ulva...
. - The Hon. Jessica MitfordJessica MitfordJessica Lucy Freeman-Mitford was an English author, journalist and political campaigner, who was one of the Mitford sisters...
, commonly known as Decca (September 11, 1917 – July 22, 1996). Eloped with Esmond RomillyEsmond RomillyEsmond Marcus David Romilly was a British socialist and anti-fascist, now remembered mainly for his marriage to Jessica Mitford, one of the Mitford sisters...
to the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. Spent most of her adult life in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Two years after Esmond was killed during military service she married Robert TreuhaftRobert TreuhaftRobert Edward Treuhaft was an American lawyer and the second husband of Jessica Mitford.The son of Hungarian immigrants, he worked for labor union and radical left causes much of his life...
, whom she met as part of her work as a civil rightsCivil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist. Member of the American Communist Party (until 1958). Wrote several volumes of memoirs and several muckrakers, including the bestselling The American Way of DeathThe American Way of DeathThe American Way of Death was an exposé of abuses in the funeral home industry in the United States, written by Jessica Mitford and published in 1963...
(1963) about the funeralFuneralA funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
industry. She went on to become the maternal grandmother of James Forman Jr and Chaka Forman, the two sons of the African-American civil rightsCivil rights movementThe civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
leader James FormanJames FormanJames Forman was an American Civil Rights leader active in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Black Panther Party, and the International Black Workers Congress...
by her daughter Constancia Romilly. - The Hon. Deborah MitfordDeborah Cavendish, Duchess of DevonshireDeborah Vivien Cavendish, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire DCVO , née The Hon. Deborah Freeman-Mitford is the youngest and last surviving of the six noted Mitford sisters whose political affiliations and marriages were a prominent feature of English culture in the 1930s and 1940s...
(born March 31, 1920). She married Andrew CavendishAndrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of DevonshireAndrew Robert Buxton Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire KG, MC, PC , styled Lord Andrew Cavendish until 1944 and Marquess of Hartington from 1944 to 1950, was a British Conservative politician...
, Duke of DevonshireDuke of DevonshireDuke of Devonshire is a title in the peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the richest and most influential aristocratic families in England since the 16th century, and have been rivalled in political influence perhaps only...
and with him turned his ancestral home, Chatsworth HouseChatsworth HouseChatsworth House is a stately home in North Derbyshire, England, northeast of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield . It is the seat of the Duke of Devonshire, and has been home to his family, the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549.Standing on the east bank of the...
, into one of Britain's most successful stately homes. She has written a dozen books.
The Mitfords in Popular Culture
The daughters were the subject of a song, "The Mitford Sisters", by Luke HainesLuke Haines
Luke Haines is an English musician, songwriter and author, who has recorded music under various names and with various bands, including The Auteurs, Baader Meinhof and Black Box Recorder.-'New Wave':...
and a musical, The Mitford Girls, by Caryl Brahms
Caryl Brahms
Caryl Brahms, born Doris Caroline Abrahams was an English critic, novelist, and journalist specialising in the theatre and ballet. She also wrote film, radio and television scripts....
and Ned Sherrin
Ned Sherrin
Edward George "Ned" Sherrin CBE was an English broadcaster, author and stage director. He qualified as a barrister and then worked in independent television before joining the BBC...
.
Nancy Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate
Love in a Cold Climate
Love in a Cold Climate is a novel by Nancy Mitford, first published in 1949. The title is a direct quotation from George Orwell's novel Keep The Aspidistra Flying .-Plot summary:...
, which was based on the family, was serialised by Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
in 1980, and by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 2001.
A fictional family based on the Mitford sisters features prominently in author Jo Walton
Jo Walton
Jo Walton is a Welsh-Canadian fantasy and science fiction writer and poet. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2002 and the World Fantasy award for her novel Tooth and Claw in 2004. Her novel Ha'penny was a co-winner of the 2008 Prometheus Award...
's novel Ha'penny
Ha'penny (novel)
Ha'penny is a science fiction novel written by Jo Walton and published by Tor Books in October, 2007.-Plot summary:The book is mystery thriller set inside an alternate history in which the United Kingdom made peace with Adolf Hitler in 1941....
; Viola Lark, one of the point-of-view characters, is one of the sisters, another is married to Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
, and a third is a Communist
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
spy.
The fictional "Combe sisters" featured in the BBC 2 series Bellamy's People
Bellamy's People
Bellamy's People, also known as Bellamy's People of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is a British comedy show first broadcast on BBC 2 as an eight episode series. The show is a spin off from the BBC Radio 4 show Down the Line...
bear a striking resemblance to the Mitford sisters. Bellamy meets two of the surviving Combe sisters, said to have been notorious in the 1930s and 40s for their extreme political views, now living together in a strained relationship in the dramatically different political realities of 2010. One an avid Fascist and the other a committed Communist, the sisters have hit upon the solution of dividing their stately home down the middle—each converting her side into an homage to her ideology. The sisters were denied a formal education as children, and led an isolated childhood, forming an odd relationship and inventing their own language known as "Languish".
External links
See also
- The Mitfords: Letters Between Six SistersThe Mitfords: Letters Between Six SistersThe Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters is a 2007 book of selected letters between the legendary Mitford sisters. The book was edited by Diana Mitford's daughter-in-law, Charlotte Mosley. An estimated five percent of letters between the six sisters were included in the 834 page publication...
- List of descendants of James II of England
- History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland (1835) Vol II pp 282–286 (ISBN 9781847271686)
- Audio interview with Christopher Hitchens of Jessica Mitford (1988)