William Acton, Margot Bendir, Elizabeth Ponsonby, Harry Melville, Babe Plunket Greene at David Tennant's party 1928

William Hamilton Mitchell Acton (16 August 1906 – 31 August 1945) was an Anglo-Italian painter.

Biography

William Hamilton Mitchell Acton was born on 16 August 1906, the son of

Arthur Acton Arthur Mario Acton (1873–1953) was a British architect, art dealer and collector. Early life Arthur Acton was the illegitimate son of Eugene Arthur Roger Acton (1836–1895), counsellor to the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. ...

(1873–1953), an art collector and dealer, and Hortense Lenore Mitchell (1871–1962), the heiress of John J. Mitchell, President of the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank.

Harold Acton Sir Harold Mario Mitchell Acton (5 July 1904 – 27 February 1994) was a British writer, scholar, and aesthete who was a prominent member of the Bright Young Things. He wrote fiction, biography, history and autobiography. During his stay in Ch ...

was his older brother. He attended Chateau de Lancy, Geneva, and

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

; at Eton his contemporaries were

Robert Byron Robert Byron (26 February 1905 – 24 February 1941) was a British travel writer, best known for his travelogue ''The Road to Oxiana''. He was also a noted writer, art critic and historian. Biography He was the son of Eric Byron, a civil engi ...

, Brian Howard,

Alfred Duggan Alfred Duggan (born Alfredo León Duggan; 1903–1964) was an English historian and archaeologist, and a well-known historical novelist in the 1950s. His novels are known for meticulous historical research. Background Though brought up in Brita ...

and

Anthony Powell Anthony Dymoke Powell ( ; 21 December 1905 – 28 March 2000) was an English novelist best known for his 12-volume work ''A Dance to the Music of Time'', published between 1951 and 1975. It is on the list of longest novels in English. Powell' ...

, who remembers William fondly in his memoirs. In 1922 a reproduction of his painting ''Nature Morte'' appeared in the ''Eton Candle''. At Eton he was among the founders of the Eton Society of Arts in February 1922 with Brian Howard, Henry Yorke, his brother Harold, Robert Byron, Alan Clutton-Brock,

Hugh Lygon Hugh Patrick Lygon (2 November 190419 August 1936) was the second son of William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, and is often believed to be the inspiration for Lord Sebastian Flyte in Evelyn Waugh's ''Brideshead Revisited''. He was a friend of Waugh's ...

and Colin Anderson. In 1925 Acton moved to

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

, with many of his friends, but remained for only one year. Brian Howard wrote a satirical profile of William Acton in his ''Continuation of Oxford Portraits of 1925-6'' which appeared in the '' Cherwell''. Other profiles were:

David Herbert The Honourable David Alexander Reginald Herbert (3 October 1908 – 3 April 1995) was a British socialite and writer. Early life and education He was the second son of Reginald Herbert, 15th Earl of Pembroke. He spent his first few years in ...

Mark Ogilvie-Grant Charles Randolph Mark Ogilvie-Grant (15 March 1905 – 13 February 1969) was a British diplomat and a botanist and one of the earliest members of the Bright Young Things. Despite his earliest frivolous past, he became a hero during the 1940–19 ...

René Crevel René Crevel (; 10 August 1900 – 18 June 1935) was a French writer involved with the surrealist movement. Life Crevel was born in Paris to a family of Parisian bourgeoisie. He had a traumatic religious upbringing. At the age of fourteen, hi ...

Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath Henry Frederick Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath (26 January 1905 – 30 June 1992), styled Lord Henry Thynne until 1916 and Viscount Weymouth between 1916 and 1946, was a British aristocrat, landowner, and Conservative Party politician. Bac ...

and Charles Plumb. In the previous issue the profiles had been

John Sutro John Sutro (23 April 1903 – 18 June 1985) was a British film producer. He produced seven films between 1941 and 1951. He was a member of the jury at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival. Education At Oxford Sutro conceived the Railw ...

Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne Bryan Walter Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, (27 October 1905 – 6 July 1992) was an heir to part of the Guinness family brewing fortune, and a lawyer, poet and novelist. He was briefly married to Diana Mitford. Early life He was born to W ...

Edward Henry Charles James Fox-Strangways, 7th Earl of Ilchester Edward Henry Charles James "Harry" Fox-Strangways, 7th Earl of Ilchester (1 October 1905 – 21 August 1964) was a British peer and philanthropist. He also held the subsidiary titles of Baron Strangways and Baron Ilchester and Stavordale. ...

. At Oxford William Acton's friends were

, Brian Howard, Michael Parsons,

David Plunket Greene David Plunket Greene (19 November 1904 – 24 February 1941), together with his brother Richard and sister Olivia, was part of the Bright Young Things who inspired the novel ''Vile Bodies'' to Evelyn Waugh, a family friend. Biography David Plun ...

Roy Harrod Sir Henry Roy Forbes Harrod (13 February 1900 – 8 March 1978) was an English economist. He is best known for writing ''The Life of John Maynard Keynes'' (1951) and for the development of the Harrod–Domar model, which he and Evsey Domar devel ...

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...

and

. After college the Acton brothers were part of a circle including

Diana Mitford Diana, Lady Mosley (''née'' Freeman-Mitford; 17 June 191011 August 2003) was one of the Mitford sisters. In 1929 she married Bryan Walter Guinness, heir to the barony of Moyne, with whom she was part of the Bright Young Things social group o ...

and her first husband,

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...

, Henry Yorke and his wife,

Randolph Churchill Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer-Churchill (28 May 1911 – 6 June 1968) was an English journalist, writer, soldier, and politician. He served as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Preston from 1940 to 1945. The only son of British ...

and

Diana Churchill Diana Spencer-Churchill (11 July 1909 – 20 October 1963) was the eldest daughter of British statesman Sir Winston Churchill and Clementine Churchill, Baroness Spencer-Churchill. Personal life Diana Churchill was born at 33 Eccleston ...

. William Acton sketched the Mitford sisters. Not long after being demobilised from service in the Pioneer Corps during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, William Acton died on 31 August 1945 aged 39 after a short illness and is buried with his family at

Cimitero degli Allori The Cimitero Evangelico agli Allori ("The Evangelical Cemetery at Laurels") is located in Florence, Italy, between 'Due Strade' and Galluzzo. History The small cemetery was opened in 1877 when the non-Catholic communities of Florence could no long ...

. Several works by William Acton have been sold at auctions, including "Armiola" sold at

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

in 2016 for £16,250 (£ in sterling).

Gallery

File:Portrait of Bachoo Dinshaw.jpg, Bachoo Dinshaw, granddaughter of

Seth Edulji Dinshaw Seth Edulji (or Eduljee) Dinshaw (18 May 1842 - 8 May 1914) was a Karachi-based Parsis, Parsi philanthropist during the British India, British colonial era. Dinshaw had risen from poverty, and became the largest landowner in the city. Business i ...

File:Portrait of Markie Dinshaw.jpg, Markie Dinshaw, granddaughter of

File:Georgia Doble Sitwell by William Acton (1906-1945).jpg, Georgia Doble, wife of

Sacheverell Sitwell Sir Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell, 6th Baronet, (; 15 November 1897 – 1 October 1988) was an English writer, best known as an art critic, music critic (his books on Mozart, Liszt, and Domenico Scarlatti are still consulted), and writer on a ...

File:Armiola.jpg, Armiola File:William Acton, Portrait of Loelia, Duchess of Westminster.jpg,

Loelia Ponsonby Loelia Mary, Lady Lindsay, formerly Loelia, Duchess of Westminster, (''née'' The Honourable Loelia Ponsonby (6 February 1902 – 1 November 1993), was a British socialite, needlewoman and magazine editor. Family and first marriage Lindsay ...

File:Deborah Mitford.jpg,

Deborah Mitford Deborah Vivien Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, (born Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford and latterly Deborah, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire; 31 March 1920 – 24 September 2014) was an English aristocrat, writer, memoirist, and socialite. She ...

File:Diana Mitford by William Acton.jpg,

File:Jessica Mitford, by William Acton.jpg,

Jessica Mitford Jessica Lucy "Decca" Treuhaft (née Freeman-Mitford, later Romilly; 11 September 1917 – 23 July 1996) was an English author, one of the six aristocratic Mitford sisters noted for their sharply conflicting politics. Jessica married her second ...

File:Nancy Mitford.jpg,

Nancy Mitford Nancy Freeman-Mitford (28 November 1904 – 30 June 1973), known as Nancy Mitford, was an English novelist, biographer, and journalist. The eldest of the Mitford sisters, she was regarded as one of the "bright young things" on the London s ...

File:Pamela Mitford.jpg,

Pamela Mitford Pamela Freeman-Mitford (25 November 1907 – 12 April 1994) was one of the Mitford sisters. Biography Pamela Freeman-Mitford was born on 25 November 1907, the second daughter of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and Sydney Bowles (1880 ...

File:Unity Mitford by William Acton.jpg,

Unity Mitford Unity Valkyrie Freeman-Mitford (8 August 1914 – 28 May 1948) was a British socialite, known for her relationship with Adolf Hitler. Both in Great Britain and Germany, she was a prominent supporter of Nazism, fascism and antisemitism, and belo ...

File:Portrait of Gertrude Lawrence.jpg,

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born Gertr ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Acton, William 1906 births 1945 deaths English socialites 20th-century English painters British Army personnel of World War II Royal Pioneer Corps soldiers English male painters British expatriates in Italy 20th-century English male artists