Author: Edward Ledwich Mitford
Author: Edward Ledwich Mitford (1811–1912)
Alternate Name(s): Edward Ledwich Osbaldeston Mitford (legal name)
Biography: A rather amazing character. Edward Ledwich Osbaldeston Mitford was born on 31 October 1811 in London, the third son of landowner and civil servant Robert Mitford. He came from an ancient line of Mitfords, the family famous in politics and the arts. At age eighteen, he went to Morocco where he was appointed consular agent. He later wrote a novel The Arab's Pledge (1867) based on his experiences there. He left Morocco and returned to England where he married Janet Bailey in 1844. The couple would have nine children. Appointed to a post in Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), he made a celebrated land march from England to Ceylon in 1844—a trip so arduous his companion abandoned him in Persia. Mitford published his account of the trip in 1884. He served for many years in the Ceylon Civil Service. Returning to England, he settled at his Northumberland residence Mitford Castle to manage his extensive land holdings. Mitford married again in 1896 to Ella Elizabeth Mason. He died on 14 May 1912 at his residence in his 101st year.
Author Tags:
References: British Census (1901); Burke; Yorkshire Evening Post (14 May 1912)
Fiction Titles:
- The Arab's Pledge: A Tale of Marocco in 1830. 1 vol. London: Hatchards, 1867.