248:, chaired the family business, A. and A. Crompton & Co. Ltd, deriving a fortune mainly from a Lancashire cotton mill. Lees-Milne's parents were a "curiously contrasting couple" – his father "shy but steady" and "conventional in outlook" with a "predilection for gambling and philandering", "obsessively punctual and constantly making plans". His mother was "uninhibited with a streak of mental instability... which ran in the Bailey family and which always feared might lurk in himself." She was "unconventional", "whimsical and impulsive", and where "she had a sense of humour, he had none." An exaggerated portrait of his parents as "a pair of ludicrous eccentrics" appears in
291:. Succeeding generations became successful as "master cotton spinners and manufacturers". Its members were "a rough lot" (Lees-Milne suggested their motto should have been "Sport and Booze"). Though the discovery of coal on their land increased their wealth, it "did not civilise them" – Lees-Milne's great-grandfather, Joseph Lees (1819-1890), was "one of three barely literate brothers... known, after their respective
260:
33:
402:
notes that Lees-Milne spoke "so candidly about himself, his life, and his love of art and architecture that his authorial relationship with the reader becomes a privileged one, not to be readily or casually communicated, not to be flaunted or brandished." His other works included several biographies,
543:
After
Alvilde Lees-Milne's death, however, the 11th Duke of Beaufort and his wife (with whom he was on better terms) offered to let him to live at Essex House rent-free. Lees-Milne was touched, but valued his independence, had the income to pay rent and did not accept the offer, nor that of his
378:. He was instrumental in the first large-scale transfer of country houses from private ownership to the Trust. He resigned his full-time position in 1950, but continued his National Trust ties as a part-time architectural consultant and committee member.
216:
He was the second of three children and the elder son of a prosperous cotton manufacturer and farmer, George
Crompton Lees-Milne (1880–1949), and his wife, Helen Christina (1884–1962), a daughter of Henry Bailey,
209:, Lees-Milne "conveys the impression that he hailed from an old county family and that Wickhamford was their native seat. This was not quite the case.... His father... had bought Wickhamford, and moved from
446:
were renting. He wrote later how he and Diana (her husband was in London) had listened to the King's broadcast abdication speech with tears running down their faces. He had been a lover of her brother
386:
From 1947 Lees-Milne published several architectural works aimed mainly at general readers. His witty, waspish and extensive diaries appeared in twelve volumes and were well received.
1097:
371:
178:
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339:, Lancashire, which alongside Wickhamford Manor was owned by George Crompton Lees-Milne. (He eventually sold both, but the former stayed in the family).
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They had ties of marriage to two families he claimed to be "slightly grander": the
Cromptons of Crompton Hall and the Milnes of Park House.
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335:(which would have come to his grandson James) on the grounds that he might have to make public speeches. The estate acquired included
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962:"Milne, (George) James Henry Lees (1908–1997), architectural historian and conservationist. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"
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374:, remaining so until 1950, apart from military service in 1939–1941. During his tenure he contributed regularly to the membership
1266:
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1008:
307:". Joseph was "Fishing Rod". James Arthur Lees, the son of "Ramrod", owner of Alkrington Hall, Middleton, was the author of
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1032:
Burke's Landed Gentry, 18th edition, vol. 1, ed. Peter
Townend, 1965, "Lees-Milne formerly of Wickhamford Manor" pedigree.
412:
319:
The name Milne was added by royal licence in 1890 by Lees-Milne's grandfather James (the first of the family to attend
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890:, 18th edition, vol. 3, ed. Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, 1972, "Lees formerly of Thurland Castle" pedigree.
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in 1945. Lees-Milne was friendly with many prominent intellectual and social figures of his day, including
398:, was disarmingly open about his failings – indeed, would not have known how to go about hiding them.
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914:, 18th edition, vol. 1, ed. Peter Townend, 1965, "Lees-Milne formerly of Wickhamford Manor" pedigree.
355:
113:
263:
The Three Rods: Nimrod, Ramrod and
Fishingrod (Joseph, James and John Lees) George Cruikshank 1884
857:, 18th ed., vol. 1, ed. Peter Townend, 1965, "Lees-Milne formerly of Wickhamford Manor" pedigree.
553:
533:
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324:
226:
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1009:"LEES-MILNE Family – Pictorial record of the Lees-Milne Family and Staff at Wickhamford Manor"
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The Lees-Milne family belonged to a junior branch of the Lees family that later came to own
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abdicated. His purpose was to examine the 17th-century house that she and her husband Sir
8:
1085:
The
Worcestershire grumbler: the writings of James Lees-Milne, diarist and man of letters
690:
The
Bachelor Duke: A Life of William Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, 1790–1858
557:
490:
343:
323:) to comply with terms for inheriting the estate of a maternal relative. A pillar of the
99:
560:
Trust, founded in 1977 to maintain the building and its collection for public benefit.
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on 28 December 1997. The ashes of both were scattered in the grounds of Essex House.
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1238:. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
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466:(a former lover, of whom he wrote a two-volume biography), Clementine Hudson (a
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of
Devonshire, to live as a permanent guest at Chatsworth. As a Trustee of the
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1098:"Cabinet Office list of honours declined by since deceased persons, 1951–1999"
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252:. Lees-Milne's sister, Audrey, born in 1905, married Matthew Arthur, 3rd
60:
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Alvilde Lees-Milne died in 1994. James Lees-Milne died in a hospital at
358:, from which he graduated with a third-class degree in history in 1931.
1230:
1215:, A & C Black, 1920–2015; online ed., Oxford University Press, 2014
866:
Historical
Sketches of Oldham, Edwin Butterworth, J. Hirst, 1856, p. 39
210:
173:(6 August 1908 – 28 December 1997) was an English writer and expert on
1156:
James Lees-Milne – The Life, Michael Bloch, John Murray, 2009, p. 343.
370:. In 1936 he became secretary of the Country Houses Committee of the
332:
486:
185:, novelist and biographer. His extensive diaries remain in print.
672:
The
Enigmatic Edwardian: The Life of Reginald, 2nd Viscount Esher
501:
467:
83:
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568:
A series of three plays inspired by Lees-Milne's diaries –
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Earls of Creation: Five Great Patrons of Eighteenth-Century Art
536:. While living at Badminton he began a feud with his landlord,
485:
Bridges, a prominent gardening and landscape expert. Both were
331:'s candidacy, this James Lees-Milne was said to have refused a
276:
696:
People and Places: Country House Donors and the National Trust
455:
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together and was devastated when Tom was killed in action in
581:
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estate, Gloucestershire, although he worked most days in
419:
259:
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to Worcestershire, only two years before Jim's birth."
624:
St Peter's: The Story of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome
540:, whose foxhunting and autocratic manner appalled him.
524:, from 1974 he and Alvilde lived at Essex House on the
366:
From 1931 to 1935, Lees-Milne was private secretary to
831:
Capitalism, Culture and Decline in Britain: 1750–1990
489:. Alvilde is said to have had lesbian affairs with
960:
678:Some Cotswold Country Houses: A Personal Selection
426:list, having felt that a knighthood was his due.
201:as George James Henry Lees-Milne. His biographer
1243:
1044:, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1932, p. 299.
1147:Michael Bloch: "James Lees-Milne – The Life".
1122:
1057:(London: Chatto & Windus, 1975), p. 6 n1.
971:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
878:, Michael Bloch, John Murray, 2009, pp. 1–2.
833:, W. D. Rubinstein, Routledge, 1993, p. 127.
434:Lees-Milne was visiting Diana, Lady Mosley (
244:George Lees-Milne, once a lieutenant in the
928:
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924:
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16:English architectural historian (1908–1997)
666:The Last Stuarts: British Royalty in Exile
630:English Country Houses: Baroque, 1685–1715
31:
958:
932:
902:, Michael Bloch, John Murray, 2009, p. 2.
845:, Michael Bloch, John Murray, 2009, p. 8.
808:, Michael Bloch, John Murray, 2009, p. 1.
917:
587:
258:
256:. His brother Richard was born in 1910.
229:. Lees-Milne's maternal grandfather was
193:Lees-Milne was born on 6 August 1908 at
968:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
161: 1951; died 1994)
1317:People educated at Lockers Park School
1244:
556:, he became a Founding Trustee of its
279:, which they later purchased from the
933:Fergusson, James (29 December 1997).
563:
275:on an estate called Clarksfield near
237:, second baronet, was later created
1167:"Afternoon Drama, James Lees-Milne"
512:After 13 years at Alderley Grange,
13:
1292:Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford
14:
1363:
1282:20th-century English LGBTQ people
1272:20th-century English male writers
1219:
662:(1982), illustrated by David Ford
638:(1970), an autobiographical novel
415:, and an autobiographical novel.
1352:English architectural historians
1347:English male non-fiction writers
775:Beneath a Waning Moon: 1985-1987
757:Through Wood and Dale: 1975-1978
429:
390:commented that Lees-Milne, like
310:Three in Norway (by two of them)
1312:People educated at Eton College
1262:20th-century English historians
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1042:Oxford University Calendar 1932
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1001:
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787:The Milk of Paradise: 1993-1997
751:Ancient as the Hills: 1973-1974
409:The Bachelor Duke of Devonshire
171:(George) James Henry Lees-Milne
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1267:20th-century English novelists
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763:Deep Romantic Chasm: 1979-1981
739:Midway on the Waves: 1948-1949
704:(1994), fiction, a ghost story
570:Sometimes into the Arms of God
418:In 1993 Lees-Milne declined a
231:Sir Joseph Bailey, 1st Baronet
1:
1277:20th-century English diarists
793:
580: – was broadcast by the
507:
188:
181:from 1936 to 1973. He was an
47:George James Henry Lees-Milne
1231:Dictionary of Art historians
1073:The New York Review of Books
995:UK public library membership
935:"Obituary: James Lees-Milne"
781:Ceaseless Turmoil: 1988-1992
745:A Mingled Measure: 1953-1972
727:Prophesying Peace: 1944-1945
654:Harold Nicolson: A Biography
479:Alvilde, Viscountess Chaplin
477:In 1951, Lees-Milne married
146:Alvilde, Viscountess Chaplin
7:
1287:Writers from Worcestershire
1138:Retrieved 18 November 2007.
900:James Lees-Milne – The Life
876:James Lees-Milne – The Life
843:James Lees-Milne – The Life
806:James Lees-Milne – The Life
721:Ancestral Voices: 1942-1943
381:
10:
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1205:), an authorised biography
1195:James Lees-Milne: The Life
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821:, John Murray, 2009, p. 1.
714:
271:, Lancashire, having been
959:Fergusson, James (2004).
538:the 10th Duke of Beaufort
361:
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1302:English bisexual writers
438:) in December 1936 when
356:Magdalen College, Oxford
114:Magdalen College, Oxford
1332:English LGBTQ novelists
1236:James Lees-Milne Papers
819:The Life, Michael Bloch
733:Caves of Ice: 1946-1947
554:Bath Preservation Trust
534:Lansdown Crescent, Bath
530:William Thomas Beckford
520:, and a brief spell in
227:Coates, Gloucestershire
183:architectural historian
126:Architectural historian
37:Lees-Milne in the 1920s
1337:English male novelists
977:10.1093/ref:odnb/68798
606:The Age of Inigo Jones
327:in Oldham, supporting
264:
1342:National Trust people
1322:Bisexual male writers
1197:, John Murray, 2009,
1133:by James Lees-Milne,
912:Burke's Landed Gentry
888:Burke's Landed Gentry
855:Burke's Landed Gentry
769:Holy Dread: 1982-1984
600:The Tudor Renaissance
588:Selected bibliography
262:
177:, who worked for the
1297:English bisexual men
656:(1980–1981), 2 vols.
342:Lees-Milne attended
1307:English biographers
574:The Unending Battle
491:Vita Sackville-West
368:the 1st Baron Lloyd
344:Lockers Park School
100:Lockers Park School
1327:Bisexual novelists
1131:Diaries, 1971–1983
1110:on 2 February 2012
1053:James Lees-Milne,
817:James Lees-Milne,
564:In popular culture
450:when they were at
424:New Year's Honours
325:Conservative Party
265:
1209:LEES-MILNE, James
1203:978-0-7195-6034-7
993:(Subscription or
986:978-0-19-861412-8
684:Venetian Evenings
578:What England Owes
514:Wotton-under-Edge
495:Winnaretta Singer
470:aristocrat), and
462:, Diana Mitford,
329:Winston Churchill
246:Cheshire Yeomanry
223:Deputy Lieutenant
205:observed that in
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732:
726:
720:
707:
701:
695:
689:
683:
677:
671:
665:
659:
653:
647:
641:
636:Another Self
635:
629:
623:
617:
611:
605:
599:
593:
577:
573:
569:
567:
542:
511:
499:
497:and others.
482:
476:
452:Eton College
433:
417:
392:Samuel Pepys
385:
365:
341:
318:
315:
308:
281:Booth family
266:
250:Another Life
249:
243:
215:
207:Another Self
206:
192:
170:
169:
104:Eton College
78:(1997-12-28)
18:
1257:1997 deaths
1252:1908 births
1213:Who Was Who
448:Tom Mitford
305:Fishing Rod
120:Occupations
61:Wickhamford
1246:Categories
1129:Review of
1114:24 January
997:required.)
794:References
702:Ruthenshaw
508:Residences
413:Lord Esher
376:newsletter
293:obsessions
211:Lancashire
189:Early life
132:biographer
53:1908-08-06
1018:8 January
526:Badminton
333:baronetcy
96:Education
90:, England
67:, England
487:bisexual
382:Writings
129:novelist
1185:Sources
1173:10 July
944:10 July
715:Diaries
550:Duchess
502:Tetbury
468:Banbury
422:in the
289:James I
163:
155:
151:
84:Tetbury
1201:
991:
983:
789:(2005)
783:(2004)
777:(2003)
771:(2001)
765:(2000)
759:(1998)
753:(1997)
747:(1994)
741:(1985)
735:(1983)
729:(1977)
723:(1975)
710:(1996)
698:(1993)
692:(1991)
686:(1988)
680:(1987)
674:(1986)
668:(1984)
650:(1978)
644:(1976)
632:(1970)
626:(1967)
620:(1962)
614:(1956)
608:(1953)
602:(1951)
596:(1947)
411:, and
362:Career
354:, and
301:Ramrod
297:Nimrod
277:Oldham
140:Spouse
1169:. BBC
1108:(PDF)
1101:(PDF)
456:Burma
295:, as
157:(
153:
1199:ISBN
1175:2013
1116:2012
1020:2023
981:ISBN
946:2013
576:and
548:and
546:Duke
522:Bath
394:and
352:Eton
321:Eton
303:and
221:and
73:Died
43:Born
973:doi
582:BBC
483:née
420:CBE
346:in
283:of
225:of
1248::
1211:,
1193:,
1011:.
979:.
965:.
937:.
919:^
572:,
516:,
493:,
481:,
474:.
407:,
350:,
313:.
299:,
241:.
219:JP
197:,
159:m.
86:,
63:,
1177:.
1118:.
1022:.
989:.
975::
948:.
55:)
51:(
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