David Bertram Ogilvy Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale (13 March 1878 – 17 March 1958), was a British peer, soldier, and landowner. He was the father of the
Mitford sisters
The Mitford family is an aristocratic British family who became particularly well known in the 1930s for the six Mitford sisters, the daughters of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale, and his wife, Sydney Bowles. They were celebrated and ...
, in whose various novels and memoirs he is depicted.
Ancestry and early life
The Mitfords are a family of the
landed gentry
The landed gentry, or the gentry (sometimes collectively known as the squirearchy), is a largely historical Irish and British social class of landowners who could live entirely from rental income, or at least had a country estate. It is t ...
, originally from
Northumberland
Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
, whose history dates back to the 14th century. Redesdale's great-great-grandfather was the historian
William Mitford
William Mitford (10 February 1744 – 10 February 1827) was an English historian, landowner, and politician. His best known work is ''The History of Greece'', published in ten volumes between 1784 and 1810.
Early years
William Mitford was bor ...
. Redesdale was the second son of
(Algernon) Bertram Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale, and his wife, Lady Clementine Gertrude Helen Ogilvy, daughter of
David Ogilvy, 10th Earl of Airlie
David Graham Drummond Ogilvy, 10th Earl of Airlie (4 May 1826 – 25 September 1881), styled Lord Ogilvy from birth until 1849, was a Scottish nobleman, soldier and rancher in Colorado.
Background and education
Born in London in 1826, he was t ...
. His father was a diplomat, politician and author, with large inherited estates in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
,
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
, and Northumberland. He was raised to the peerage in 1902, and so his son became known as the Hon. David Mitford, as the family commonly used the surname 'Mitford' by itself, and not the full 'Freeman-Mitford'.
Mitford's legendary eccentricity was evident from an early age. As a child, he was prone to sudden fits of rage. He was totally uninterested in reading and education and wished only to spend his time riding. He later liked to boast that he had read only one book in his life,
Jack London
John Griffith London (; January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors t ...
's novel ''
White Fang
''White Fang'' is a novel by American author Jack London (1876–1916) about a wild wolfdog's journey to domestication in Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush. First serialized in ''Outing'' magazin ...
'', on the grounds that he had enjoyed it so much he had vowed never to read another. He did, however, read most of his daughters' books.
His lack of academic aptitude meant that he was not sent to
Eton, with his older brother, but rather to
Radley
Radley is a village and civil parish about northeast of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfor ...
, with the intention that he should enter the army. However, he failed the entrance examination to the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst
The Royal Military College (RMC) was a United Kingdom, British military academy for training infantry and cavalry Officer (armed forces), officers of the British Army, British and British Indian Army, Indian Armies. It was founded in 1801 at Gre ...
, and was instead sent to
Ceylon
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
to work for a tea planter.
Work and war
In early 1900, he returned to England from Ceylon, and on 23 May 1900 he joined the
Northumberland Fusiliers
The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution and ...
as a
second lieutenant.
[Hart's Army list, 1902.] His battalion served in the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
in South Africa, where Mitford soon joined in the fighting, in which he served with distinction and was wounded three times, losing one lung. He was briefly taken prisoner by the Boers in June 1900 but escaped. In May 1901 he was appointed
aide-de-camp to
Lord Methuen, a senior commander during the war, and on 10 August 1901 he was promoted to
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
.
[ He was seconded to serve with the 40th (Oxfordshire) Company of the ]Imperial Yeomanry
The Imperial Yeomanry was a volunteer mounted force of the British Army that mainly saw action during the Second Boer War. Created on 2 January 1900, the force was initially recruited from the middle classes and traditional yeomanry sources, but s ...
, and returned to the United Kingdom in April 1902. After his return, he was back as a regular lieutenant in his regiment in July 1902, but resigned from the army three months later, in October 1902.
In February 1904, Mitford married Sydney Bowles (1880–1963), whom he had first met ten years previously, when he was 16 and she was 14. She was the daughter of Thomas Gibson Bowles
Thomas Gibson Bowles (15 January 1841 – 12 January 1922) was a British politician and publisher. He founded the magazines '' The Lady'' and '' Vanity Fair'', and became a Member of Parliament in 1892. He was also the maternal grandfather o ...
, a journalist and Conservative MP, who in 1863 had founded the magazine '' Vanity Fair'', and some years later the women's magazine '' The Lady''. For a time his father-in-law employed him as manager of ''The Lady'', but Mitford showed no interest in, or talent for, this work. The Mitfords travelled regularly to Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
, where Mitford owned a gold claim near Swastika, Ontario
Swastika is a small Canadian community founded around a mine site in Northern Ontario in 1908. Today it is within the municipal boundaries of Kirkland Lake, Ontario. It has frequently been noted on lists of place names considered unusual.
Swast ...
: no gold was ever found there, but he enjoyed the outdoor life. His daughter Unity Mitford
Unity Valkyrie Freeman-Mitford (8 August 1914 – 28 May 1948) was a British fascist and socialite and member of the Mitford family known for her relationship with Adolf Hitler. Born in the United Kingdom, she was a prominent supporter of Nazis ...
stated that she was conceived in Swastika and shared this fact with Hitler upon becoming one of his British confidants.
On the outbreak of the First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
in 1914, Mitford rejoined the Northumberland Fusiliers. He was commissioned as a lieutenant and served as a logistics officer in Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
, being mentioned in despatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
for his bravery at the Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was fought from 22 April – 25 May 1915, during the First World War, for control of the tactically-important high ground to the east and the south of the Flanders, Flemish town of Ypres, in western Belgium. The ...
(although there is no available record of this), where his elder brother Clement was killed. With only one lung and by now a captain he was invalided out of active service in 1916.
After his father's death in August 1916, being now Lord Redesdale, he was briefly appointed Provost Marshal
Provost marshal is a title given to a person in charge of a group of Military Police (MP). The title originated with an older term for MPs, '' provosts'', from the Old French (Modern French ). While a provost marshal is now usually a senior c ...
for Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
, with responsibility for ensuring the enlistment of new recruits. In 1918–19 he served as a ground officer with the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
.
As Lord Redesdale, he was often silent in the House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
, but joined the House of Lords Select Committee on Peerages in Abeyance
Abeyance (from the Old French ' meaning "gaping") describes a state of temporary dormancy or suspension. In law, it can refer to a situation where the ownership of property, titles, or office is not currently Vesting, vested in any specific perso ...
in 1925.
Although Redesdale was now a large landowner, he was not a wealthy man: the estates were poorly developed and rents were low. With seven children to feed and five servants to pay, he could not maintain the expense of his large home at Batsford
Batsford is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cotswold (district), Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. The village is about north-west of Moreton-in-Marsh. There is a falconry centre close to the village ...
in the Cotswolds
The Cotswolds ( ) is a region of central South West England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper River Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and the Vale of Evesham. The area is defined by the bedroc ...
. He bought and extended 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 1916. The house is Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England.
Early in the 20th centu ...
and then moved to nearby Swinbrook
Swinbrook is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Swinbrook and Widford, in the West Oxfordshire district, in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is on the River Windrush, about east of Burford. Widford, Oxfordshire, Widf ...
. Here he indulged his passion for building by building a new large house, named after the village, which appears as the family home in the books of his daughters Nancy and Jessica. The expense of these moves nearly ruined Redesdale, who was a poor manager of money. This, plus his increasing disappointment that all his later children were girls, led to the deterioration of his temperament which became legendary through his daughters' portrayals of his frequent and terrible rages.
Political views and family splits
As a Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
peer, Redesdale was a hereditary member of the House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
. He attended sessions conscientiously but had little interest in legislation except for being opposed to nearly all progressive changes. In the 1930s, however, his wife developed a strong sympathy for fascism
Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
, and he favoured Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...
's appeasement
Appeasement, in an International relations, international context, is a diplomacy, diplomatic negotiation policy of making political, material, or territorial concessions to an aggressive power (international relations), power with intention t ...
approach towards Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. His daughter Jessica, a communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
from her teenage years, described him as "one of nature's fascists", but he never joined any fascist party. As a result, he became permanently estranged from Jessica and partly estranged from his eldest daughter Nancy, who was a strong antifascist and moderate socialist – but not as left-wing as Jessica.
Notice of a demonstration organised by the ">British Brothers' League
The father of his wife Sydney, Thomas Gibson Bowles
Thomas Gibson Bowles (15 January 1841 – 12 January 1922) was a British politician and publisher. He founded the magazines '' The Lady'' and '' Vanity Fair'', and became a Member of Parliament in 1892. He was also the maternal grandfather o ...
had been one of the strongest parliamentary supporters of the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
while he was an MP, and her maternal uncle William Evans-Gordon was a retired British Indian Army
The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...
officer who was opposed to uncontrolled immigration into Britain, was allied to the British Brothers' League, and helped to enact the Aliens Act 1905
The Aliens Act 1905 (5 Edw. 7. c. 13) was an Act of Parliament (UK), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.Moving Here The act introduced immigration controls and registration fo ...
.
Redesdale was an instinctive xenophobe, and came back from the First World War with a dislike of the French and a deep hatred of the Germans. As "Uncle Matthew", who was modelled on Redesdale,[ put it in his daughter Nancy's 1945 novel '']The Pursuit of Love
''The Pursuit of Love'' is a novel by Nancy Mitford, first published in 1945. It is the first in a trilogy about an upper-class English family in the interwar period focusing on the romantic life of Linda Radlett, as narrated by her cousin, Fa ...
'': "Frogs
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough skin texture due to ...
are slightly better than Huns
The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was par ...
or Wop
''Wop'' is a pejorative term for Italians or people of Italian descent.
Etymology
The Merriam-Webster dictionary states wop's first known use was in the United States in 1908, and that it originates from the Southern Italian dialectal term '' g ...
s, but abroad is unutterably bloody and foreigners are fiends." He was widely quoted as saying, "Abroad is bloody."
He was initially scornful of the enthusiasm shown by his daughters Diana (wife of British Union of Fascists
The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was a British fascist political party formed in 1932 by Oswald Mosley. Mosley changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists in 1936 and, in 1937, to the British Union. In 1939, f ...
leader Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (16 November 1896 – 3 December 1980), was a British aristocrat and politician who rose to fame during the 1920s and 1930s when he, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, turned to fascism. ...
) and Unity for Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
and Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
. However, pro-German sympathies emerged from the mid 1930s.
In 1937 and 1938, Lord and Lady Redesdale attended the annual Nuremberg rallies
The Nuremberg rallies ( , meaning ) were a series of celebratory events coordinated by the Nazi Party and held in the German city of Nuremberg from 1923 to 1938. The first nationwide party convention took place in Munich in January 1923, but th ...
() of the German Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor, the German Workers ...
. In 1938, the Redesdales accompanied their daughters to Germany, where they met Hitler, with whom Unity and Diana were already acquainted. Both the Redesdales were immediately won over by Hitler's charm and by his admiration for the British Empire.
Redesdale spoke in the House of Lords in favour of the ''Anschluss
The (, or , ), also known as the (, ), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938.
The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "German Question, Greater Germany") arose after t ...
'' of Austria and of returning Germany's colonies, and he became an even stronger supporter of Chamberlain's policy of appeasement towards Germany. Lady Redesdale went further, writing articles in praise of Hitler and in support of National Socialism
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was frequ ...
.
The outbreak of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in 1939 precipitated a series of crises in the Mitford family. Redesdale was, above all, a patriot, and as soon as war was declared by Chamberlain he recanted his support for Hitler and once again became violently anti-German. Lady Redesdale stuck to her Nazi sympathies; as a result, the pair became estranged, separating in 1943. Unity, who was in love with Hitler, attempted suicide in Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
on 3 September 1939 (the day Britain declared war on Germany), and suffered severe brain damage. She was brought home an invalid, and Lady Redesdale cared for her until Unity's death in 1948. Diana and Oswald Mosley were interned
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...
in May 1940 as security risks, and spent over three years in prison until their release in November 1943. Jessica's husband, Esmond Romilly, was lost with this aircraft over the North Sea during a raid on Germany in 1941; this deepened her bitterness towards the "fascist branch" of the family. Jessica never spoke to her father again, although she was reconciled with her mother in the 1950s. Jessica did not speak to Diana again until 1973, although they remained permanently estranged because of their continuing strong political differences.
Children
Redesdale and his wife had one son and six daughters, who all used the surname Mitford rather than Freeman-Mitford:
* Hon. Nancy Mitford
Nancy Freeman-Mitford (28 November 1904 – 30 June 1973) was an English novelist, biographer, and journalist. The eldest of the Mitford family#Mitford sisters, Mitford sisters, she was regarded as one of the "bright young things" on the ...
(1904–1973), who married the Hon. Peter Rodd
Hon. Peter Murray Rennell Rodd (16 April 1904 – 17 July 1968)''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage: Vol. III'' (2003) pg 3319 was a British soldier, aid worker and film-maker. He was married to author Nancy Mitford from 1933–57.
Early ...
. They divorced in 1957.
* Hon. Pamela Mitford (1907–1994), who married Derek Jackson, a physicist and the son of Sir Charles Jackson
* Hon. Major Thomas David Mitford (1909–1945), who was killed in action in Burma
* Hon. Diana Mitford
Diana, Lady Mosley (''née'' Mitford; 17 June 1910 – 11 August 2003), known as Diana Guinness between 1929 and 1936, was a British fascist, aristocrat, writer, and editor. She was one of the Mitford sisters and the wife of Oswald Mosley, le ...
(1910–2003), who married Bryan Guinness in 1929. They divorced in 1933 and she then married Sir Oswald Mosley
Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (16 November 1896 – 3 December 1980), was a British aristocrat and politician who rose to fame during the 1920s and 1930s when he, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, turned to fascism. ...
in 1936.
* Hon. Unity Valkyrie Mitford (1914–1948), who befriended Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
before the war
* Hon. Jessica Lucy Mitford (1917–1996), who married Esmond Romilly, an anti-fascist
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...
, in 1937. After his death in 1941, she married Robert Treuhaft, an American lawyer
A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters.
The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
, in 1943.
* Hon. Deborah Vivien Mitford (1920–2014), who married Andrew Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, the younger son and eventual heir of the 10th Duke of Devonshire, in 1941
For Nancy's birth certificate
A birth certificate is a vital record that documents the Childbirth, birth of a person. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation ...
, her father stated his occupation as: " ''Honourable''."
Later life
In 1945, his son Tom was killed in action in Burma
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...
, a blow from which Lord Redesdale, already depressed by the break-up of his marriage, never recovered. According to Nancy Mitford's biographer: "Although she ancywas deeply grieved by his death, it did not mean for her, as it did for her parents, that all pleasure in life was over."
Redesdale retreated to Inch Kenneth
Inch Kenneth () is a small grassy island off the west coast of the Isle of Mull, in Scotland. It is at the entrance of Loch na Keal, to the south of Ulva. It is part of the Loch na Keal National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland.
It is within ...
, an island in the Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides ( ; ) is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which experience a mild oceanic climate. The Inner Hebrides compri ...
off the west coast of Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, which he had purchased in 1938. Later he moved to Redesdale Cottage, near Otterburn, Northumberland
Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, England, northwest of Newcastle upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near its confluence with the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about ...
, his family's ancestral property and lived there as a virtual recluse.
By 1950, when Nancy visited him, he was "frail and old". He died aged 80 in Northumberland
Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
in 1958, and was buried in the graveyard of St Mary's Church in Swinbrook
Swinbrook is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Swinbrook and Widford, in the West Oxfordshire district, in the county of Oxfordshire, England. It is on the River Windrush, about east of Burford. Widford, Oxfordshire, Widf ...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
, where four of his daughters (Nancy, Diana, Unity and Pamela) were also later buried.
His title passed to his brother Bertram, who became the 3rd Baron Redesdale.
In fiction as "Uncle Matthew"
Redesdale is the model for Uncle Matthew, Lord Alconleigh of Alconleigh, in Nancy's novels ''The Pursuit of Love
''The Pursuit of Love'' is a novel by Nancy Mitford, first published in 1945. It is the first in a trilogy about an upper-class English family in the interwar period focusing on the romantic life of Linda Radlett, as narrated by her cousin, Fa ...
'' (1945) and '' Love in a Cold Climate'' (1949). In a typical passage from the former: "As soon as breakfast was over, he would begin striding about the hall, bellowing at the dogs 'Come here, blast you! Get off that coat!' Kick. 'Stop that noise, blast you!' – shouting for his loader un damning and blasting anyone rash enough to cross his path." He would keep his bloodhound
The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar, rabbits, and since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is ...
s in practice by having them track his children. Uncle Matthew also kept a wartime entrenching tool
An entrenching tool (UK), intrenching tool (US), E-tool, or trenching tool is a digging tool used by military forces for a variety of military purposes. Survivalists, campers, hikers, and other outdoors groups have found it to be indispensable i ...
on a chimneypiece
The fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a smoke canopy, hood that projected over a fire grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fi ...
that still had an enemy's hair and brain parts on it. Nevertheless, both daughters' accounts make it clear that between rages, Redesdale was an indulgent father who loved riding and hunting with his children.
Uncle Matthew was played by Michael Aldridge in the 1980 Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992.
Thames Television broa ...
series '' Love in a Cold Climate''. He was played by Alan Bates
Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the Cinema of the United Kingdom#The 1960s, 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from ''Whistle Down the Wind (film), Whistle Down ...
in the BBC production of ''Love in a Cold Climate''.
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Redesdale, David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron
1878 births
1958 deaths
19th-century English people
20th-century English landowners
English Nazis
David
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament.
The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
British Army personnel of the Second Boer War
People educated at Radley College
People educated at Summer Fields School
British Army personnel of World War I
British anti–World War I activists
Royal Northumberland Fusiliers officers
David
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament.
The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
Military personnel from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
People from Chelsea, London
Younger sons of barons
Right Club members