Hubbry Logo
Daphne FieldingDaphne FieldingMain
Open search
Daphne Fielding
Community hub
Daphne Fielding
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Daphne Fielding
Daphne Fielding
Daphne Fielding
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Daphne Winifred Louise Fielding (née Vivian, formerly Thynne; 11 July 1904 – 5 December 1997) was a British author.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Daphne Vivian was born on 11 July 1904 in Westminster, London, the elder child of George Vivian, 4th Baron Vivian, and Barbara Cicely (née Fanning). Her younger brother was Anthony Vivian, 5th Baron Vivian. Her parents separated when she was four years old and her father raised the children at Glynn, Cornwall, where the family were known as the 'mad Vivians'. He remarried in 1911 to Nancy Lycett Green (a daughter of Sir Edward Green, 2nd Baronet), with whom he had two more children.[1]

Her paternal grandparents were Hussey Vivian, 3rd Baron Vivian and the former Louisa Alicia Duff (sister of George William Duff-Assheton-Smith of Vaynol, and only daughter of Robert George Duff, of Wellington Lodge, Isle of Wight).[2] Her maternal grandparents were William Atmar Fanning and the former Winifred (née de Bathe) McCalmont (the widow of Harry McCalmont, who was a younger daughter of Sir Henry de Bathe, 4th Baronet).[2]

According to her obituary in The Times, when young, Daphne "once played ring-a-ring-a-roses" with Edward VII.[3]

Career

[edit]

She was sent to Paris aged 16, and developed a love of opera. Her brother Anthony (later the 5th Baron Vivian) hired her out at Eton to photograph "for a shilling an hour".[3]

She moved into the world of the "Bright Young Things" in the 1920s and produced a series of popular books about high society.[4] She became friends with, among others, Tallulah Bankhead, Harold Acton and Evelyn Waugh (who dedicated his 1957 novel The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold to her).[3]

Her best known book was The Duchess of Jermyn Street (1964), which was loosely adapted by the BBC into The Duchess of Duke Street (but without formally crediting Fielding).[3]

Of Fielding's memoirs, Mercury Presides, Waugh wrote: "Daphne has written her memoirs. Contrary to what one would have expected they are marred by discretion and good taste. The childhood part is admirable. The adult part is rather as though Lord Montgomery were to write his life and omit to mention that he ever served in the army."[5]

Personal life

[edit]

On 27 October 1927 she married Henry Thynne, Viscount Weymouth, who became the 6th Marquess of Bath in 1946. Neither his nor her parents approved of the marriage,[6] and they were divorced in 1953. From 1946, she was known as the Marchioness of Bath. The couple had five children:[1][6]

After her divorce, her first husband, Viscount Weymouth, married Virginia Penelope (née Parsons) Tennant (following her divorce from David Tennant).[7] Daphne remarried to Major Alexander Wallace Fielding, son of Alexander Lumsden Wallace, of Kirkcaldy, on 11 July 1953. Due to financial problems, the couple moved to Tangier and Portugal before moving to Languedoc in France. The couple divorced in 1978.[8] She later lived with American millionaire Ben Kittridge in Arizona, before returning to Gloucestershire after his death.[3]

Fielding died on 5 December 1997.

Works

[edit]
  • Longleat from 1566 to the present time. Longleat Estate (1949)
  • Before the Sunset Fades. Longleat Estate (1951)
  • Mercury Presides. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode (1954)
  • The Adonis Garden (1961)
  • The Duchess of Jermyn Street: Rosa Lewis. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode (1964) ISBN 0-413-25190-X
  • Emerald and Nancy: Lady Cunard and Her Daughter. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode (1968) ISBN 0-413-25950-1
  • The Nearest Way Home. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode (1970)
  • The Rainbow Picnic: A Portrait of Iris Tree. London: Eyre Methuen (1974) ISBN 0-413-28520-0
  • The Face on the Sphinx: A Portrait of Gladys Marie Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough. London: Hamish Hamilton (1978) ISBN 0-241-89314-3

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Daphne Fielding

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Daphne Fielding (née Vivian; 11 July 1904 – 5 December 1997) was a British society author, , and member of the interwar "" generation, best known for her memoirs, biographies of notable figures, and her role in opening House to the public. Born in as the daughter of George Vivian, 4th Baron Vivian, and Barbara Cicely Fanning, Fielding grew up in aristocratic circles that shaped her early social life. In 1926, she married Henry Thynne, Viscount Weymouth (later the 6th Marquess of Bath), with whom she had five children, including Alexander Thynne, the 7th Marquess; the couple managed the estate in , pioneering its transformation into a by opening it to visitors in 1949 amid postwar financial pressures. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1953, after which she wed author and adventurer in the same year; they divorced in 1978, and he died in 1991. Fielding's literary career, encouraged by her friend , flourished from the 1950s onward, producing a mix of autobiographical works, novels, and biographies that captured the glamour and eccentricities of . Her debut book, the memoir Mercury Presides (1954), drew on her youthful experiences among the , a group of fashionable aristocrats and artists known for their extravagant parties and scandals. Notable biographies include The Duchess of Jermyn Street (1964), a bestselling account of chef Rosa Lewis and her Cavendish Hotel, and The Rainbow Picnic (1974), a witty portrait of actress and poet , dedicated to another social icon, Diana Cooper. She also penned The Face on the Sphinx (1978), a biography of Gladys Deacon, Duchess of Marlborough, and novels such as the semi-autobiographical The Adonis Garden (1961). In her later years, Fielding lived a nomadic life with , residing in , , , and in , before settling briefly in in 1981 and finally at the Old Laundry near . She died there of cancer in 1997, survived by two sons. Her writings remain valued for their insider's view of 20th-century British aristocracy, blending humor, , and sharp observation.

Early life

Birth and family background

Daphne Winifred Louise Vivian was born on 11 July 1904 in Westminster, , as the eldest daughter of the British aristocracy. Her father, George Crespigny Brabazon Vivian, 4th Baron Vivian (1878–1940), was an army officer who served in the and inherited the in 1893, becoming a member of the . The Vivian barony, titled Baron Vivian of Glynn and in the County of , dated to 1841 when it was created for her great-grandfather, Lieutenant-General Richard Hussey Vivian, a celebrated military commander at the and a key figure in Cornwall's industrial history through family involvement in copper mining and . The family's Cornish roots traced back centuries, with estates like Glynn House near Cardinham serving as a traditional seat, underscoring their longstanding ties to and regional influence. Her mother, Barbara Cicely Fanning (c. 1883–after 1907), came from a less aristocratic but affluent background; she was the daughter of William Atmar Fanning (c. 1847–1896), an Anglo-Australian businessman born in , , who later resided in . The couple married in 1903 but separated acrimoniously in 1907, with the divorce granted on grounds of Barbara's adultery; at the time, Daphne was approximately three years old, though accounts from her memoir describe the emotional rupture occurring around her fourth year. Following the separation, custody of Daphne and her younger siblings was granted to her father, who raised them primarily at the family estate in Glynn, , amid the Vivians' reputation for eccentric aristocratic living. This paternal upbringing immersed her in the privileges and idiosyncrasies of noble society from an early age.

Childhood and early influences

Following her parents' separation when she was four years old, Daphne Fielding was raised by her father at the family estate of Glynn in , an isolated rural aristocratic setting that shaped her formative years. The Vivian family was notorious for its eccentricity, earning the local moniker of the "mad Vivians," and Fielding later recalled this period in her memoirs as a blend of hilarity and insecurity amid the clan's unconventional antics. Her aristocratic family background provided the foundation for this upbringing, steeped in privilege yet marked by emotional turbulence after her mother's departure. Fielding's father, George Vivian, 4th Baron Vivian, a career soldier who served as a major in the reserve of lancers and was decorated for his actions in the Boer War and , imposed a disciplined, traditional military-influenced life on his children, treating them with a detached authority akin to training hunting dogs. This contrasted sharply with the artistic inclinations of her mother, Barbara Fanning, a former Gaiety Girl known for her performances in London's musical theater scene, whose bohemian spirit lingered as an absent but evocative influence despite her early exit from the family. She was educated at Queen’s College, London, and St James’s, Malvern. The rural seclusion of Glynn, combined with these parental dynamics, fostered Fielding's rebellious streak and early fascination with the unconventional. Early exposure to high society came through the Vivian family's aristocratic connections, including an infamous childhood incident at a children's party where the young Fielding boldly pestered King Edward VII to join a game of ring-a-roses. At age 16, she was sent to for , an experience that ignited her passion for and immersed her in French culture, broadening her horizons beyond Cornwall's confines and nurturing her lifelong interest in the arts and social whirl. These formative encounters laid the groundwork for her emergence as a vibrant , blending rural eccentricity with cosmopolitan flair.

Personal life

First marriage and children

Daphne Vivian married Henry Frederick Thynne, then Viscount Weymouth and heir to the Marquessate of Bath, on 27 October 1927 at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. The union united two prominent aristocratic families, with Thynne belonging to the longstanding Thynne lineage associated with in . The couple initially resided at Sturford Mead, a property on the estate, where they began building their family amid the interwar social circles of . The marriage produced five children, reflecting Daphne's central role as a mother during . Their eldest child, Lady Caroline Jane Thynne, was born on 28 August 1928; she later became Duchess of Beaufort. A son, Thomas Timothy Thynne, followed on 13 October 1929 but tragically died at 11 months old on 14 September 1930. Alexander George Thynn, who would succeed as the 7th , arrived on 6 May 1932. Lord Christopher John Thynne was born on 9 April 1934, and the youngest, Lord Valentine Charles Thynne, on 3 November 1937. Family life at House, particularly after the children grew older, involved traditional aristocratic pursuits such as estate management and social engagements, though marked by the personal loss of Thomas. Upon the death of Henry's father, Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath, on 9 June 1946, Henry inherited the marquessate, elevating Daphne to Marchioness of Bath. As marchioness, she oversaw aspects of family life at the sprawling estate, navigating the challenges of post-World War II recovery while raising her surviving children—Caroline, , , and Valentine—through their formative years there. The period emphasized her maternal influence in an of shifting aristocratic norms, with the family adapting to economic pressures on grand estates. The marriage ended in divorce in May 1953, influenced by evolving social attitudes in the years that facilitated greater personal freedoms among the upper classes. The dissolution allowed Daphne to pursue independent endeavors, while the children remained connected to the Bath family legacy at .

Second marriage and later relationships

Following her divorce from Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath, in 1953, Daphne Fielding married Alexander Wallace "Xan" , a British writer, translator, and veteran known for his wartime exploits in . The union, marked by an age difference of 14 years in Fieldings's favor, provided her with intellectual companionship and a shared adventurous spirit, as the couple embraced a nomadic lifestyle together. Their , described as happy and enduring for 25 years, involved extensive travels and relocations across and , including periods living in , , , and eventually settling for several years in , , where they maintained a home surrounded by pets and frequented by a circle of literary and artistic friends. This phase of her life emphasized personal freedom and mutual exploration, contrasting with the more constrained aristocratic duties of her first . The relationship ended in 1978, leading to the dissolution of their union; he remarried shortly thereafter. Following the divorce, she lived for a time in Arizona with an American named Ben Kittridge until his death in 1981. Throughout her second marriage and beyond, Fielding maintained close ties with her five children from her first union—Lady Caroline Thynne (who married David Somerset, 11th , and predeceased her in 1993), Alexander Thynne (later 7th Marquess of Bath), Lord Christopher Thynne, Thomas Timothy Thynne (who died in infancy in 1930), and Lord Valentine Thynne (who died by suicide in 1979)—despite the geographical distances created by her travels. In later years, she lived near her daughter Caroline and regularly lunched with her son-in-law, the , while her surviving sons, the 7th Marquess and Lord Christopher (who married Antonia Palmer in ), remained on amicable terms with her and, after 1978, with their stepmother. These family connections provided ongoing emotional support, including during notable events like Lord Christopher's wedding, which drew royal attendance amid its unconventional flair. Fielding's personal life during this period was enriched by enduring friendships from her earlier social circles, such as with , whom she had known since the 1920s era and who offered informal guidance during her writing endeavors through letters and visits. Other companions, including and , contributed to her vibrant social world through casual gatherings and shared anecdotes, fostering a sense of intellectual and emotional continuity.

Writing career

Beginnings as an author

Daphne Fielding emerged as a in the late , drawing on her experiences as a member of the "" social circle during the 1920s . Her entry into authorship was motivated by a desire to document the she had known, including personal anecdotes from that flamboyant era, while also supplementing her income amid post-war financial pressures at , her marital home as Marchioness of Bath. Her first book, Longleat from 1566 to the Present Time (1949), was a historical guide to the estate and the Thynne family, researched and written in just three weeks following the property's opening to the public. This work was influenced by her social connections, including friendships with figures like actress and writer Harold Acton from her set days, which provided vivid material for her observations of elite life. The book established Fielding's niche as a society chronicler, praised for its lively and charming style that captured the essence of aristocratic history and daily life. This initial success positioned her within 20th-century British popular non-fiction, blending personal insight with historical narrative.

Major works and themes

Daphne Fielding's most prominent contribution to biographical literature is her 1964 book The Duchess of Jermyn Street, a vivid account of Rosa Lewis, the renowned Edwardian cook and proprietor of the Cavendish Hotel in . The biography traces Lewis's rise from a humble background as a royal kitchen servant to becoming a celebrated hostess for , renowned for her culinary innovations and eccentric personality that earned her the nickname "the Duchess." Fielding details Lewis's management of the hotel, her interactions with aristocrats and celebrities, and her lasting influence on British , including signature dishes like her famous . The book's popularity led to its adaptation by the into the acclaimed 1976-1977 television series , which dramatized Lewis's life and reached a wide audience, though Fielding received no formal credit for the production. Another key work, Emerald and Nancy: Lady Cunard and Her Daughter (1968), examines the lives of the Anglo-American socialite Maud Alice "Emerald" Burke (Lady Cunard) and her daughter , highlighting their navigation of elite circles in the early . Fielding, drawing on personal connections to the family, chronicles Emerald's strategic marriages and her role as a prominent hostess who championed and music in salons, while Nancy pursued a bohemian path in , supporting musicians and anti-fascist causes during the . The narrative underscores the mother-daughter dynamic amid societal expectations, portraying their unconventional choices in love, career, and politics. Fielding's biographies recurrently explore themes of Edwardian and interwar glamour, the fragility of aristocratic privilege amid , and the resilience of women asserting in male-dominated spheres. These motifs often carry semi-autobiographical undertones, reflecting her own experiences in and the "" era, where excess and reinvention defined personal narratives. Her accessible, witty prose captures the allure and decline of pre-war elite life, blending anecdote with historical insight to humanize figures navigating class boundaries and personal upheavals. Critically, Fielding's works were lauded for their engaging style and insider perspective, achieving notable commercial success in the through , with The Duchess of Jermyn Street standing out as her bestseller due to its entertaining portrayal of culinary and . Reviewers appreciated her light touch in demystifying high society's quirks without , contributing to her reputation as a chronicler of 20th-century British aristocracy.

Later years

Residences and lifestyle

Following her marriage to in 1953, Daphne Fielding relocated with him to , , in 1956, seeking a more affordable lifestyle amid financial constraints and considerations. There, the couple immersed themselves in the vibrant bohemian expat community of the 1950s and 1960s, characterized by artistic and literary circles that attracted international figures. This period marked the beginning of their nomadic existence across the Mediterranean, reflecting the adventurous spirit fostered by her second marriage. The Fieldings' wanderings continued with stays in and a longer settlement in , , , where they embraced a peripatetic routine of temporary homes and social connections. After their divorce in 1978, Fielding moved to with her longtime friend, American millionaire Ben Kittridge, enjoying the region's warm climate until his death in 1981. She then returned to , settling in the Old Laundry, a converted outbuilding near in , which provided a cozy, rural base close to family. Throughout these later years, Fielding maintained an active social lifestyle, hosting gatherings for friends and sustaining ties from her earlier era, often entertaining visitors at her various residences. As she aged, she balanced occasional travels and family visits—such as staying with her daughter and son-in-law in —with practical adaptations to mobility challenges, including using a self-propelled vehicle to attend local events like the .

Death and legacy

Daphne Fielding died on 5 December 1997 at her home, the Old Laundry near in , , at the age of 93, from cancer. She was survived by her two sons, the and Lord Christopher Thynne. Her funeral was a private affair, reflecting her preference for discretion in personal matters, and she was buried in St. Winnow Churchyard, . Fielding's enduring legacy stems from her role in documenting the intricacies of 20th-century British , particularly the exuberant world of the "" in the 1920s and 1930s. Through her memoirs and biographies, she preserved vivid portraits of aristocratic and circles, offering insider perspectives that captured the glamour, scandals, and cultural shifts of the . Her writings, including Mercury Presides (1954) and The Duchess of (1964), bridged personal autobiography with biographical narrative, providing a unique lens on figures like the Cunard family and hostess Rosa Lewis that influenced subsequent historians of the era. In literary circles, Fielding earned praise for her accessible style and social insights, with contemporaries like mentoring her early efforts and reviewing her works favorably, though he noted their occasional restraint. Her extensive network of friends and acquaintances served as a vital resource for later biographers, such as Hugo Vickers, who credited her connections in chronicling similar high-society subjects. While many of her books have fallen out of print, modern reassessments highlight her contributions to oral histories of the , valuing them as primary sources for understanding the social dynamics that inspired works like Waugh's Vile Bodies.

Literary works

Biographies and non-fiction

Daphne Fielding's non-fiction output showcased her biographical prowess, leveraging her immersion in aristocratic and socialite circles to produce insightful accounts of notable figures and estates. Her works often blended personal access with historical narrative, offering vivid portraits of early 20th-century British elite life. Her first major non-fiction publication, Longleat from 1566 to the Present Time (1949), chronicled the history of the Thynne family estate, where she resided as Marchioness of Bath; researched and written in just three weeks, it provided a lively overview from the Elizabethan origins to the mid-20th century, reflecting her intimate familiarity with the property and its legacy. This was followed by Before the Sunset Fades (1951), a short illustrated recollection of the elegance of life at Longleat above and below stairs before the impacts of war and economic hardship. In 1954, Fielding released Mercury Presides, a semi-autobiographical memoir capturing the exuberant "Bright Young Things" era of the 1920s, including her own childhood escapades and wartime roles at Longleat, such as telephone operator and hospital aide; praised as a "remarkable memorial" to a fantastical period, it drew on her firsthand experiences without embellishment. Fielding's biographical expertise shone in The Duchess of Jermyn Street (1964), a biography of Rosa Lewis, the colorful proprietor of London's Cavendish Hotel, who rose from kitchen maid to caterer for royalty and society figures over five decades until her death in 1952; aided initially by George Kinnaird's research assistance, the book offered a "hugely entertaining" depiction of English social life in the early , informed by Fielding's own visits to the . Her 1968 dual biography, Emerald and Nancy: Lady Cunard and Her Daughter, examined the contrasting lives of Maud "Emerald" Cunard—an American socialite who hosted luminaries like George Moore and the Prince of Wales—and her activist daughter Nancy, known for her poetry, press, and advocacy for causes including the Spanish Loyalists and ; critiqued by friend , the work highlighted Fielding's access to Cunard family circles through her high-society networks, presenting a chatty yet revealing contrast between maternal sparkle and filial rebellion. Later biographies included The Rainbow Picnic (1974), a portrait of actress and poet , and The Face on the Sphinx (1978), which profiled Gladys Deacon, the enigmatic Duchess of Marlborough known for her beauty and unconventional life.

Fiction and memoirs

Daphne Fielding's contributions to fiction were limited but notable for their autobiographical bent, drawing on her personal experiences to craft intimate narratives. Her sole novel, The Adonis Garden (1961), is a largely autobiographical work that explores themes of youth, aristocratic life, and personal transformation, incorporating elements from her early years and relationships. Published by Eyre & Spottiswoode, the book reflects Fielding's matured perspective on her past, blending real events with fictional embellishments to evoke the glamour and constraints of in the . Evelyn Waugh, in his review for The Spectator, praised its vivid material but noted that it exhausted enough content for multiple volumes, underscoring Fielding's skill in weaving personal history into a cohesive story. Fielding's memoirs, by contrast, form a more substantial part of her creative output in this genre, offering candid yet discreet reflections on her unconventional life. Mercury Presides (1954), her first , chronicles her to Henry Thynne, Viscount Weymouth (later the 6th ), their efforts to manage the estate, travels across Europe and beyond, and the raising of their five children amid the upheavals of . The narrative incorporates diary excerpts for authenticity, focusing on family dynamics and the challenges of aristocratic duty, while hinting at the emotional strains leading to their divorce. Waugh critiqued its restraint, observing that it was "marred by discretion and good taste," as Fielding omitted much of her more scandalous "Bright Young Things" exploits from the . The sequel memoir, The Nearest Way Home (1970), continues this reflective style, detailing her second marriage to author and their expatriate adventures in , , and . Published by Eyre & Spottiswoode, it captures the shifting landscapes of her later life with humor and gusto, emphasizing themes of reinvention and cultural immersion in post-war . Fielding's memoiristic approach here fictionalizes personal anecdotes to highlight the joys and dislocations of expat existence, marking a in her writing toward more introspective, matured viewpoints later in her career.

References

  1. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-daphne-fielding-1289256.html
  2. https://evelynwaughsociety.org/2016/daphne-fielding-writer/
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/21/the-rainbow-picnic-daphne-fielding-iris-tree
  4. https://www.amazon.com/face-sphinx-portrait-Duchess-Marlborough/dp/0241893143
  5. https://www.geni.com/people/Daphne-Fielding/6000000005851642009
  6. https://www.cornwalldiaspora.org/getperson.php?personID=I45&tree=GI131184
  7. https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/member/vivian-sir-richard-1775-1842
  8. https://www.geni.com/people/William-Fanning/6000000007304129742
  9. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/barbara-cicely-fanning-24-2c9x7v
  10. https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/property/gallery/inside-glynn-house-2774975
  11. https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/obituary-daphne-fielding-1289256.html
  12. https://www.nytimes.com/1940/12/30/archives/lord-vivian-63-retired-officer-major-in-reserve-of-lancers-twice.html
  13. https://www.nytimes.com/1955/04/17/archives/life-was-like-that-mercury-presides-by-daphne-fielding-illustrated.html
  14. https://prabook.com/web/daphne.fielding/3745421
  15. https://www.thepeerage.com/p2407.htm
  16. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Frederick-Thynne-6th-Marquess-of-Bath
  17. https://www.geni.com/people/Thomas-Thynne/6000000008630269675
  18. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/02/10/lord-christopher-thynne-obituary/
  19. https://www.thepeerage.com/p2410.htm
  20. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209194679/christopher_john-thynne
  21. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-daphne-fielding-1289256.html
  22. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL6476268W/Longleat_from_1566_to_the_Present_Time
  23. https://www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/news-articles/artworks/wiltshires-famous-female-authors-daphne-fielding/
  24. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1955/04/02/briefly-noted
  25. https://www.beauxbooks.com/emerald-and-nancy-lady-cunard-and-her-daughter.html
  26. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26451006
  27. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206934064/daphne-winifred-louise-fielding
  28. https://neglectedbooks.com/?p=4313
  29. https://archive.org/details/beforesunsetfade0000daph
  30. https://www.nytimes.com/1964/07/26/archives/fun-and-games-at-rosas.html
  31. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/daphne-fielding/those-remarkable-cunards-emerald-and-nancy/
  32. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6668250-emerald-and-nancy
  33. https://patrickleighfermor.org/2010/09/04/obituary-daphne-fielding/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.