Mitford family facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Mitford family is a famous English family with a long history. Their main family line lived in Mitford, Northumberland. Some members of the family held important positions, like High Sheriff of Northumberland. A different branch of the family, which included the historian William Mitford (1744–1827), was given special titles twice, in 1802 and 1902, becoming Baron Redesdale.

The family became especially well-known in the 1930s because of six sisters. These sisters were the great-great-great-granddaughters of William Mitford. They were the daughters of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and his wife Sydney Bowles. The sisters were famous and sometimes controversial figures. A journalist from The Times, Ben Macintyre, described them as: Diana the Fascist, Jessica the Communist, Unity the Hitler-lover; Nancy the Novelist; Deborah the Duchess and Pamela the quiet chicken expert.

The Mitford family in 1928

Coat of arms of Barons Redesdale

Family History
The Mitford Siblings
The Mitford Sisters' Lives
Ancestors
Gallery
See also

Family History

The Mitford family's roots in Northumberland go back to the time of the Norman Conquest. In the Middle Ages, they were Border Reivers, which means they were raiders who lived near the border with Scotland. Their main family home was first at Mitford Castle, then Mitford Old Manor House, before they built Mitford Hall in 1828. All these places are close to Mitford, Northumberland.

The Mitford Siblings

There were seven children in the Mitford family, six sisters and one brother. They all lived interesting and often very different lives:

Nancy Mitford (1904–1973) was a well-known writer. She married Peter Rodd, but they later divorced. She also had a long relationship with the French politician Gaston Palewski. Nancy lived in France for much of her life. She wrote many novels, including The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, which were partly based on her own life. She also wrote biographies about historical figures, like the Sun King.

Pamela "Pam" Mitford (1907–1994) was called "Woman" by her siblings. The poet John Betjeman called her the "Rural Mitford" because she loved country life. She married and later divorced the wealthy physicist Derek Jackson. In the 1960s, she lived with Giuditta Tommasi, an Italian horsewoman.

Thomas David "Tom" Mitford (1909–1945) was the only son. He went to Eton College, a famous school. According to his sister Jessica's letters, Tom supported British fascism. He was sent to fight in the Burma campaign during World War II because he refused to fight in Europe. He died in battle.

Diana Mitford (1910–2003) first married the aristocrat and writer Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne in 1929. In 1933, she left him for Sir Oswald Mosley, who was the leader of a British fascist movement. Diana and Sir Oswald had two sons, Alexander and Max Mosley. The couple were put in Holloway Prison from May 1940 until November 1943.

Unity Valkyrie Mitford (1914–1948) was known as "Bobo" or "Boud" to her family. She was famously devoted to and friends with Adolf Hitler. She tried to harm herself just hours after Britain declared war on Germany. Her attempt failed, but it caused brain damage that affected her for the rest of her life. In 1944, her family sent her to a small island in Scotland called Inch Kenneth, where she stayed until the war ended. She died from a serious illness in 1948.

Jessica Lucy "Decca" Mitford (1917–1996) had very different political views from most of her family; she was a communist. She ran away with Esmond Romilly to Spain to take part in the Spanish Civil War. They later moved to the United States. Esmond died in World War II. Jessica lived in the U.S. for most of her adult life. She married Robert Treuhaft and was a member of the American Communist Party until 1958. She wrote several books about her life and some investigative books, including the best-selling The American Way of Death (1963), which looked at the funeral industry. She was the grandmother of James Forman Jr. and Chaka Forman, whose father was the African-American civil rights leader James Forman.

Deborah Vivien "Debo" Mitford (1920–2014) married Andrew Cavendish, who later became the Duke of Devonshire. Together, they transformed his family home, Chatsworth House, into one of Britain's most successful stately homes, which are large, historic houses open to the public. She also wrote several books.

The Mitford Sisters' Lives

Jessica, Nancy, Diana, Unity, and Pamela Mitford in 1935. The youngest sister, Deborah, is not in this picture.

The Mitford sisters became widely known for their stylish and sometimes controversial lives when they were young. They were also famous for their very different political beliefs, ranging from communism to fascism. Nancy and Jessica became well-known writers. Nancy wrote The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, while Jessica wrote The American Way of Death (1963). Deborah managed Chatsworth, one of the most successful historic houses in England.

Jessica and Deborah married nephews of prime ministers Winston Churchill and Harold Macmillan, respectively. Deborah and Diana both married wealthy aristocrats. Unity and Diana were well known in the 1930s for being close to Adolf Hitler. Jessica rejected her family's advantages and ran away with her cousin, Esmond Romilly. He wanted to report on the Spanish Civil War for a newspaper. Jessica's book, Hons and Rebels, describes her childhood. Nancy also used her family members as characters in her novels. In 1981, Deborah became involved in politics when she and her husband, Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire, joined the new Social Democratic Party.

The sisters and their brother Thomas were the children of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and his wife Sydney. Their children called them "Farve" and "Muv." David and Sydney married in 1904. The family lived in several homes, including Batsford House, Asthall Manor in Oxfordshire, and Swinbrook Cottage nearby. They also had a house in London and a summer home in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The children grew up in a large, aristocratic country house with many servants. Their parents were not very close to them, which was common for upper-class families at the time. The parents did not think girls needed much formal schooling and expected them to marry young to wealthy husbands. The children had their own secret language called "Boudledidge," and each had different nicknames for the others.

When World War II began, their political views became very clear. "Farve" was a conservative who had supported trying to avoid war with Germany. But once Britain declared war, he became a loyal British patriot against Germany. "Muv" continued to support fascist ideas and often sided with her fascist children. The couple separated in 1943 because of these disagreements. Nancy, who had moderate socialist views, worked in London during the Blitz (the bombings). She also told the British authorities about her siblings' fascist activities. Pamela seemed to stay out of politics, but her sister Nancy said Pamela and Derek Jackson were very anti-Jewish during World War II.

Tom, who supported fascism, refused to fight Germany but volunteered to fight against Imperial Japan. He was killed in action in Burma in 1945. Diana, also a fascist, was married to Sir Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascists. She was put in prison in London from May 1940 until November 1943. Unity, who was extremely devoted to Hitler and Nazism, was very upset when Britain declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. She tried to harm herself, but she survived with brain damage that led to her early death in 1948. Jessica, a communist, had moved to the U.S. Her husband, Esmond Romilly, had fought for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. He volunteered for the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II and died in 1941 when his bomber crashed over the North Sea. Jessica wrote in many letters that her daughter Constancia received money from the Canadian government after Esmond's death until she turned 18. The strong political differences between Jessica and Diana caused them to be estranged from 1936 until their deaths, though they did speak to each other in 1973 when their oldest sister Nancy was dying. Despite Jessica and Diana's estrangement, the sisters stayed in frequent contact with each other in the decades after World War II. The sisters wrote many letters, and a large collection of their letters still exists.