Jessica Mitford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Jessica Treuhaft
Mitford by William Acton, 1937
Born	Jessica Lucy Freeman-Mitford (1917-09-11)11 September 1917 Asthall Manor, Oxfordshire, England
Died	23 July 1996(1996-07-23) (aged 78) Oakland, California, U.S.
Occupation	Investigative journalist
Known for	Mitford sister, writer, activist
Notable work	Hons and Rebels The American Way of Death
Spouse(s)	Esmond Romilly ​ ​ (m. 1937; mia 1941)​ Robert Treuhaft ​ ​ (m. 1943)​
Children	4
Parent(s)	David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale Sydney Bowles
Family	Mitford

Jessica Lucy "Decca" Treuhaft (born September 11, 1917 – died July 23, 1996) was an English writer and activist. She was also one of the famous Mitford sisters. Her books, like Hons and Rebels (1960) and The American Way of Death (1963), became very popular. They helped people think about important social issues.

Jessica first married her second cousin, Esmond Romilly, and they moved to the United States in 1939. Sadly, Esmond went missing during World War II in 1941. In 1943, Jessica married American civil rights lawyer Robert Treuhaft. They worked together on many projects, including the Civil Rights Congress, which fought for equal rights. Jessica became an American citizen in 1944. She and Robert joined the Communist Party USA, a group focused on equality for workers. Later, they chose not to answer questions from a government committee about their political beliefs.

Jessica Mitford's Early Life and Family

Jessica Mitford was born at Asthall Manor in Oxfordshire, England. She was the sixth of seven children. Her parents were David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and Sydney Bowles. She was part of the well-known Mitford sisters family. Her sisters were Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, and Deborah. She also had one brother, Tom, who passed away in 1945.

Jessica was taught at home by tutors, not allowed to go to school. She often disagreed with her parents and their strict rules. When she was twelve, she even started a special bank account to save money, just in case she wanted to run away! She also started caring deeply about fairness and saw how hard life was for many people during a tough economic time called the Great Depression.

Jessica's older sister, Unity, had very different ideas. Unity supported a political group called the Nazis, which Jessica strongly disagreed with. They even drew a chalk line down their shared bedroom! Jessica decorated her side with symbols of her beliefs, like the hammer and sickle, and pictures of Vladimir Lenin. Unity decorated her side with swastikas and pictures of Adolf Hitler.

Jessica thought her father had very old-fashioned and strict ideas. She decided to turn away from her wealthy background and became interested in communism. This political idea focused on equality and helping all people. She felt her parents and their social group didn't do enough to stand up against unfair political movements at the time. She believed they ignored serious problems like the persecution of certain groups of people. Because of her strong beliefs, she was sometimes called the "red sheep" of her family, meaning she was very different from the others.

Jessica Mitford's Family Life

Her First Marriage: Esmond Romilly

When Jessica was 19, she fell in love with her second cousin, Esmond Romilly. Esmond was recovering after fighting in the Spanish Civil War to defend Madrid. He was also a nephew of Winston Churchill. Jessica and Esmond ran away to Spain, where Esmond worked as a reporter. Despite her family's disapproval, they got married.

They moved to London and lived in a poorer area called the East End. Jessica gave birth to their daughter, Julia Decca Romilly, in December 1937. Sadly, their baby daughter, Julia, passed away from a serious illness the following May. Jessica rarely spoke of Julia later in life.

In 1939, Esmond and Jessica moved to the United States. They traveled around and worked different jobs. When World War II began, Esmond joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. Jessica was living in Washington D.C. and gave birth to another daughter, Constancia Romilly, in February 1941. Her husband, Esmond, went missing during World War II while on a flight mission in November 1941. It was a very sad time for Jessica.

Her Second Marriage: Robert Treuhaft

Jessica focused on war work after Esmond's disappearance. Through this, she met and married the American civil rights lawyer Robert Treuhaft in 1943. They settled in Oakland, California, and Jessica became an American citizen in 1944.

The couple had two sons: Nicholas, born in 1944, and Benjamin, born in 1947. Sadly, Nicholas passed away in 1955 after being hit by a bus. Jessica was a practical mother, and her children described her parenting style as "matter-of-fact." Over the years, she grew closer to her own mother through letters. However, she remained distant from her sister Diana for the rest of her life.

Jessica Mitford's Career and Activism

Her Beliefs and Political Work

Jessica and Robert became active members of the Communist Party USA in 1943. This party focused on ideas of equality and fairness for all people. In the early 1950s, Jessica worked as a leader for a local Civil Rights Congress group. Through this work and her husband's legal practice, she was involved in many campaigns for civil rights, working to ensure fair treatment for everyone.

During a time called the 'Red Scare', when people were worried about communism, Jessica and Robert were asked to appear before a government committee in 1953. This committee was called the House Un-American Activities Committee. They chose not to answer questions about their friends or the groups they were part of, believing it was important to protect privacy and freedom of association.

In 1956, Jessica wrote a pamphlet that humorously described the language used by people with different political views. She often found humor in the serious world of politics. She even teased her fellow party members, showing her playful side.

In 1958, Jessica and Robert decided to leave the Communist Party. They felt they could work towards their goals of fairness and equality better on their own. Jessica believed the party had become "rather useless."

In 1960, Jessica published her first book, Hons and Rebels. This book was a memoir, telling the story of her youth in the Mitford family home.

Becoming an Investigative Journalist

In May 1961, Jessica traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, to write an article about attitudes in the Southern United States. While there, she witnessed a difficult event where a group of civil rights activists, called Freedom Riders, were met with violence from a group called the Ku Klux Klan. Jessica and others had to stay safe inside a church until help arrived.

Her husband, Robert, became interested in the funeral industry through his work. He encouraged Jessica to write an article about it. The article, "Saint Peter Don't You Call Me," gained attention when Jessica discussed it on local television. Convinced of public interest, she wrote The American Way of Death, published in 1963. In this book, Jessica strongly criticized the funeral industry for unfair business practices. The book became a major best-seller and led to government hearings on the industry. Her book even inspired a movie called The Loved One.

After The American Way of Death, Jessica continued her investigative journalism. In 1970, she wrote an article exposing the questionable business practices of the Famous Writers School. She also wrote about a famous trial involving several men who were accused of breaking draft laws during a time of war. Later, she published a strong critique of the American prison system, called Kind and Usual Punishment: The Prison Business (1973).

In 1973, Jessica was a professor at San Jose State University. She taught a course about American society, including topics like the Watergate scandal. At one university, she faced a challenge when she was asked to take a special oath and be fingerprinted, which wasn't part of her agreement. She disagreed with this, leading to protests, and she had to go to court to keep her teaching position. In 1976, she taught a seminar on investigative journalism at Yale University.

Jessica Mitford's Books and Hobbies

Jessica's second memoir, A Fine Old Conflict (1977), humorously shared her experiences of joining and later leaving the Communist Party USA. She titled the book after what she thought were the lyrics to the Communist anthem, "The Internationale."

Besides writing and activism, Jessica also enjoyed music. She was a singer for "Decca and the Dectones," a fun orchestra that used cowbells and kazoos. She performed at many benefit events and even opened for singer Cyndi Lauper. She recorded two short albums, including her version of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and duets with her friend, poet Maya Angelou. Her last work was an updated version of her famous book, called The American Way of Death Revisited.

Jessica Mitford appearing on the British TV show After Dark in 1988

Later Life and Legacy

Jessica Mitford passed away in 1996 at the age of 78, after battling lung cancer. She died in Oakland, California, where she had lived for much of her life. Following her wishes, she had a very simple and inexpensive funeral. Her ashes were scattered at sea without a ceremony.

At the time of her death, a newspaper columnist named Herb Caen wrote that she was a rare and special person who inspired many. In a final playful act, Jessica asked her assistant to send a letter to a large funeral company, asking for money back for all the attention she had brought them. Her husband, Robert Treuhaft, passed away five years after her.

Her Children and Grandchildren

Two of Jessica's four children passed away before her.

Her daughter, Constancia Romilly, followed in her footsteps as an activist. She worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a group that fought for equal rights for African Americans. Later, she became an emergency room nurse. Constancia had two children with Committee director James Forman: James Forman Jr., who is now a professor at Yale University and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and Chaka Forman, an actor.

Her younger son, Ben Treuhaft, became a piano tuner in Coventry, UK.

Jessica Mitford's Lasting Impact

Many people admired Jessica Mitford. The journalist John Pilger said she had a strong sense of fairness and a great sense of humor. Author Christopher Hitchens also praised her work, especially Hons and Rebels.

J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, said in 2002 that Jessica Mitford was her most influential writer. Rowling explained that when she read Hons and Rebels at 14, Jessica became her hero. She admired Jessica's courage and how she stayed true to her beliefs throughout her life. Rowling even named her daughter Jessica after her.

In 2010, a biography about Jessica Mitford, called Irrepressible, The Life and Times of Jessica Mitford, was published. In 2013, the singer David Bowie named The American Way of Death as one of his favorite books.

Books Written by Jessica Mitford

• Hons and Rebels (also known as Daughters and Rebels), 1960
• The American Way of Death, 1963
• The Trial of Dr. Spock, the Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Jr., Michael Ferber, Mitchell Goodman, and Marcus Raskin, 1969
• Kind and Usual Punishment: The Prison Business, 1973
• A Fine Old Conflict, 1977
• The Making of a Muckraker, 1979
• Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking, 1979
• Grace Had an English Heart: The Story of Grace Darling, Heroine and Victorian Superstar, 1988
• The American Way of Birth, 1992
• The American Way of Death Revisited, 1998
• Decca: The Letters of Jessica Mitford, edited by Peter Y. Sussman, 2006

Jessica Mitford in Movies and Radio

• Parts of Decca: The Letters of Jessica Mitford were turned into a radio show for BBC Radio 4 in November 2006.
• Jessica Mitford is played by Sienna Guillory in the 2020 film Son of the South.
• She is also played by Zoe Brough in the upcoming 2025 British TV series Outrageous.

See also

• The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters
• Asthall Manor
• List of people from Oakland, California

Images for kids

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  The Mitford family in 1928. Front row, left to right: mother (Sydney Bowles), Unity, Jessica, Deborah, and father (David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale). Middle row: Diana and Pamela. Back row: Nancy and Tom.

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  Nancy, Unity, Jessica, and Diana Mitford on a magazine cover in 1932.

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  A view of Asthall Manor, the Mitford family home.