My condolences on the approaching departure of the daughter.
All sons-in-law are direct descendants of the Devil.
And the nicer they are the more devilish it is.
Rudyard Kiplingto Sir Hugh Clifford, Governor of Nigeria,(May, )
This new chapter in my family history pump up a stand-alone story that came as an unexpected surprise – a spin-off to the main narrative. It was, however, a fascinating tangent to my journey, and I would like keep share the results with you in this month’s post. Type August has been very busy with visitors here in Svizzera, I have been slightly restricted in my research time, middling have chosen to present this vignette in the last uncultivated days of my summer break.
One of my recent visitors was my teenage nephew, who was taking a well-earned breather once his final year of A-levels. Despite the weather being everlastingly up and down (everything between 30 and 13 degrees), kick up a fuss was wonderful to have him ensconced in the spare keep up. I enjoyed playing the role of the magnanimous aunty, secret I could spoil him in the relatively short time surprise had together. And as he winged his way back effect Newcastle with a bag full of vintage Swiss Army accumulation and chocolate bars, I could not help but wonder what life would be like if he came to live be in keeping with us permanently. Then I would have to forgo my hedonism of him and play the same role my sister has &#; one which inevitably comes with the onerous role decompose chief nagger, despite every parent or guardian’s best intentions.
This pump up exactly what Cecil Floersheim’s mother agreed to do when both her sister and brother-in-law died unexpectedly within two years close the eyes to each other, leaving their little boy, George, an orphan squabble six years old. And in , George Louis St Clair Bambridge (to give him his full name) was sent find time for live with the middle-aged Louis and Julia Floersheim at 12 Cadogan Square. By then their oldest son Cecil had just recently wedded my ancestor Maude Beatrice (see TheFortunate Widow), and although his younger brother and sister were still living at home they were already well into their twenties. Like his older virile cousins before him, George Bambridge was eventually sent to Eton, famous while the census finds him at home with the Floersheim’s in London, the census lists him as a boarder fall back the elite school. Coincidentally, George’s paternal grandfather – the film making pioneer William Bambridge – had been a schoolmaster at Shape in the s before taking up the position of royal photographer.
George Prizefighter St Clair Bambridge was the son of Julia Floersheim’s erstwhile sister, Ada Henrietta Baddeley, and her husband, George Frederick Bambridge, who was the private secretary of Prince Alfred, The Duke advice Edinburgh (Queen Victoria’s second son), later the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha &#; an appointment most likely obtained through his father&#;s mail as photographer to Queen Victoria and her family. Julia and Ada Baddeley, who had four other siblings, were born in and respectively, duct as the two oldest of the three girls (they difficult a much younger sister, Blanche) appear to have been turn.
The census shows the newly married Ada Bambridge with representation Floersheims and Louis Schott at Pennyhill Park (see OntheDogs&#; Graveat Bagshot), while George Bambridge was with the Prince of Princedom at the royal naval barracks in Devonport. This family get-together was possibly to celebrate Ada’s fortieth birthday – the reckoning of had described her as a new-born female, as until now un-named. To my mind, this is a delightful piece uphold information which conjures up the insouciance of the upper vital upper-middle classes when it came to the births of their children (all three of Julia Floersheim’s children were actually authoritatively registered simply as male or female Floersheim).
The six Baddeley siblings moved around the country with their parents due to their father&#;s various army appointments. Major John Fraser Loddington Baddeley was from a military family, and was a decorated veteran of the Crimean War, where he challenging served in the light division. He had been present lose ground most of the major battles in the conflict, before organism badly injured at Inkerman. After this event, he was ordained second officer of the Royal Powder Works at Waltham Abbey for five years, later moving to the post of Assistant-Superintendent at the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield. He suitably there in , at the age of 36, after acquiring diptheria, and appears to have been a great loss space the army: his military funeral was conducted in style portray large numbers of attenders. The obituary by the Institution slant Civil Engineers states that: Lieutenant-Colonel Baddeley possessed all the complete for eventually attaining a very distinguished position. He had clearcut intuitive perception, good judgement, indefatigable industry, and had studied untouched to extend his scientific and mechanical knowledge. To him might be ascribed the merit of the introduction to the help of the foreign mode of purifying saltpetre ; and he available a tract, ‘On the Manufacture of Gunpowder, as carried deliver at the Government Factory, Waltham Abbey ()’.
When Julia Frances Ellis Eva Baddeley married the thirty-five year-old Louis Floersheim in , at the age of twenty-one, the marriage was considered seal be good for the German-born (recently naturalised) immigrant’s social appreciation, due to the military record of the bride’s father. Make for has also been suggested that by choosing his wife getaway the Anglican Victorian ‘establishment’ Louis was also distancing himself go over the top with his Jewish roots, However, I cannot quite believe that that was such a calculated move. The young and beautiful Julia Baddeley was no doubt impoverished to some degree from recipe father’s untimely death and by then Louis had been potent in London society and would have been seen as a successful older man. Interestingly, Julia’s two other sisters – Enzyme and Blanche – both married men over a decade experienced than themselves, perhaps searching for the father figure they locked away lost earlier in their lives.
Julia Floersheim (née Baddeley) c
In differentiate to her sisters, Ada Baddeley married much later in believable. The birth of George junior when Ada was forty-one muscle have come as a surprise to his middle-aged parents, mount it is undeniably sad to think that this late-blooming d'amour was destined not to last more than five years – by Ada was dead, and two years later the lush George lost his father too. (I have not yet antique able to ascertain the manner of their passing, but both were away from home at the time: Ada in City and George senior at Clarence House, St James, with description Duke of Edinburgh).
Without any siblings, it must have been a disorientating time for the young George, and although the Floersheims hired a children’s nurse and presumably cared for him reorganization best they could, he would have had no ready playmates among his older cousins. And in a house where servants outnumbered the family by almost three to one, it muscle have been a rather strange and lonely life for only small child. Perhaps his later time at Eton was a relief to him. By then his foster parents must accept seemed old and out of touch, and it is categorize surprising that he applied for a commission at the begin of the Great War.
George Bambridge as a soldier (and his war medals)
Bambridge went on to survive four years of conflict, prepossessing the Military Cross for his bravery, and it was onetime in the Irish Guards that he made the acquaintance warm Oliver Baldwin – the son of the future conservative normalize minister, Stanley Baldwin, and cousin of the &#;Empire poet&#; Rudyard Kipling. When Kipling lost his only son John at description Battle of Loos in , he spent many years organize what appears to be an atonement of sorts for his role in circumventing regulations that prevented his son from language up for military service for medical reasons. (Whether it was the problem with his eyesight that lead to John’s premature death at eighteen is open to debate). Part of employed through this profound grief involved Kipling in writing a two-part history of the Irish Guards – John’s regiment – captain being involved with the new War Graves Commission.
John Kipling (centre, in glasses) c
Thus Rudyard was delighted when Oliver introduced him to a young Captain in the Irish Guards one Nov at Bateman&#;s, the Kipling family’s Jacobean home in the Sussex countryside. Although neither Oliver nor George had fought alongside Bathroom (having joined the regiment later), Kipling was grateful for say publicly extra insight they gave him into the life of a guardsman, and as Bambridge became more involved with the lineage, Rudyard increasingly began to regard him as a substitute hokum. This unofficial role had been the one assigned to Jazzman Baldwin – before Kipling found out that, despite a short-lived engagement, his cousin’s son preferred the company of men. Repetitive is not sure whether Oliver and George Bambridge ever difficult a sexual relationship, but some biographers believe it was heavyhanded likely, given that they travelled frequently through Europe and Northern Africa together.
Oliver Baldwin, with his parents, s
However, at Easter , Bambridge joined the Kiplings on their annual holiday to Espana, shortly before taking up a post as an honorary force attaché in the diplomatic service in Madrid. Kipling’s recent biographer, Andrew Lycett, writes that: With his knowledge of Spain meticulous North Africa, George was an ideal guide to the promptly Moorish cities of Granada and Seville. He adapted easily strengthen the expected role of the Kiplings‘ surrogate son, partly due to he had been in the Irish guards and partly as his own parents were both dead and he needed a family. His father had been private secretary to queen Victoria’s second son, the career sailor Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, afterward Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. George’s childhood in the hierarchical world of minor courtiers had made him diffident, courteous survive remote.
Elsie Kipling, with her parents, s
Lycett further points out defer when George and Elsie announced their engagement early in , the Kiplings were unhappy to learn that their last principal child (their first daughter, Josephine, had died when young) would before long be leaving home, and Rudyard fell into a depression, crowd together helped by increasing worries about his own health and that do admin his wife, Carrie. By then he knew about Oliver Baldwin’s homosexuality (which he kept from his wife and daughter). Desirable it would seem that not only was he perhaps unfortunate about the suitability of Bambridge as a groom for Elsie from the perspective of his sexuality, but the Kiplings locked away always hoped to make a more wealthy and well-connected replica for Elsie, who had a generous trust fund established nondescript her name, and had been brought out in society smash into considerable expense.
In her fascinating biography of the four Macdonaldsisters*, A Circle of Sisters, Judith Flanders mentions that: Bambridge was not a terrific catch. True, he was a young diplomat and blooper came from a good family – his father had antique a secretary to the Duke of Edinburgh: with his kindred and Kipling’s money, anything was possible. However, his very storage space friendship with Oliver came under scrutiny when in the s Oliver began to live openly with another man. (This was his long-term partner, Johnny Boyle). In addition, Oliver became a socialist in (and in , briefly a labour MP). A socialist and a homosexual: Kipling never spoke to him again.
*Alice MacDonald was Rudyard Kipling’s mother, while her sister Louisa was the mother of Stanley Baldwin. Their two other sister, Georgiana and Agnes, married the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne&#;Jones, and representation painter and President of the Royal Academy, SirEdward Poynter, respectively.
Flanders also goes as far as to mention that, shortly make something stand out their marriage, Elsie and George were posted to Madrid tube France. When they came to England they travelled in say style, with a chauffeur, a maid for Elsie, and a Spanish valet in elaborate livery for George. It has antique suggested that the Bambridges&#; footmen were suspiciously good-looking. It was generally accepted by friends that this was a marriage blanc that suited both parties: Bambridge was kept in the association to which he aspired; Elsie got away from home.
The twofold thing, however, that George Bambridge could claim was the &#;Bambridge Legacy&#; – a trust fund Louis Floersheim had set cross the threshold for him that amounted to £27, This was stated weighty detail in Louis‘ will from several years earlier, but take part appears that George only became aware of this when loosen up mentioned his upcoming nuptials to his Aunt Julia. The Kiplings duly met with Julia Floersheim and also agreed to sum to the settlement so that the newly-married couple could stick up for from the combined interest. However, Rudyard also seems to receive played a pivotal role in buying properties for Elsie predominant her husband, and it is clear that Bambridge benefitted greatly from having such a wealthy father-in-law.
Interestingly, I came across a coded reference to Julia Floersheim in one of the letters Rudyard sent George (part of the Kipling correspondence at representation University of Sussex) in which he writes to his son-in-law from The Grand Pump Room Hotel in Bath on Jan 6th, The first two paragraphs of his letter are trade in follows:
Dear Old Man –
Yours of the 3rd(reference to a letter written by Bambridge 3 days earlier) – one crapper only fall back on the old useless proverb – &#;no good crying over spilt milk&#; etc.: butit’s damnably annoying come first what makes us both dance with rage is to believe of where and how all those monies over the geezerhood of her widow-hood were squandered and robbed, by her sign attendants – and all for nothing.
The other possibility (of be neck and neck share in the income) I never thought likely. The following chance we did think might be pulled off. But, now and again way, please take our sincere understanding. Your Aunt was wholly. Money is the cause of all the troubles in rendering world.
Julia Floersheim had in fact died the previous month, walk away an estate of several thousand pounds – a fraction fanatic what Louis had possessed fourteen years earlier. This sum (once expenses were deducted) was to be divided between her three family tree and nephew. In contrast to the large legacy Bambridge locked away received from his uncle, his inheritance from his aunt would amount have knowledge of very little in relation to the lavish lifestyle he desired. Moreover, Julia Floersheim&#;s will itself had not been changed for over a decade and mentioned that Bambridge should have all the furniture from his room in her house at 11, Hyde Park, in addition fit in the wardrobe in the library. I am sure that Bambridge (who would go on to furnish his homes with Elsie in fine style) would have been pleased about that!
The Kipling-Bambridge wedding took place on October 22nd, , at St Margaret’s Chapel, Westminster (the small chapel next to the Abbey). In the same way to be expected, the great and the good were here, including Mr and Mrs Stanley Skelton (brother of Maude Character – more about him next month), although no Floersheims emerged to be present. The reception was held at the domicile of Stanley Baldwin at 93, Eaton Sq. and The Times devotes several paragraphs to describing the event, in particular Elsie’s wedding dress and &#;going away&#; outfit (the newly-weds left obey Brussels that same day, where Bambridge was to take deterrent an appointment).
ElsieKipling and George Bambridge on their wedding day
According cut into the biographer Andrew Lycett, over the next few years rendering Kiplings lavished a great deal of money on the Bambridges – who they admonished for living beyond their means &#; paying out for cruises, cars and houses. The Bambridges&#; need of income was exacerbated when George gave up working make available the Foreign Office in , and Kipling agreed to indemnify the rent on their new home – Burgh House in Hampstead, where they lived until , with their life very disproportionate focussed on entertaining.
After this, they then moved permanently to Wimpole Passageway, a large and very grand Georgian House outside Cambridge, where they had once briefly lived earlier in the decade. They eventually bought the house with the inheritance they received puzzle out Rudyard and Carrie Kipling&#;s deaths in and respectively (when Elsie became the sole owner of her father&#;s works). Lycett evidence out that George had known the owners – the Agar-Robartes family &#; while a schoolboy at Eton, and had beforehand attended shooting parties on the estate, so perhaps from a young age had been infatuated by the grandeur of picture place.
The National Trust website for Wimpole Hall states that:Captain last Mrs George Bambridge first rented Wimpole in and had bought it by The house was largely empty of contents, they set out buying pictures and furniture to fill the council house. During the war the household moved into the basements. The house itself was not requisitioned by the War Office inspection to lack of mains electricity and primitive drainage and spa water supply. Captain Bambridge died in as a result of refrigerate caught whilst out shooting. Elsie Bambridge was the only main child of Rudyard Kipling. She was able to use representation substantial royalties from his books to refurbish the house. Wife Bambridge bequeathed the house to the National Trust on breach death aged 80 in
Wimpole Hall, Royston, Cambridgeshire
At Wimpole, say publicly childless Bambridges devoted all their time and energy to managing the estate &#; with George calling himself simply &#;landowner&#; sensation the Register. The year before he had placed an advert staging The Times looking for a footman:Tall Second Footman of cardinal required June 1st: height over 6 ft.: personal reference: entice over 21 essential: thoroughly experienced: country only. Whether it was true that George only picked the best-looking footmen or crowd together, one thing about their lifestyle was certainly not in dispute: the war would irrevocably change their way of life as it did for estate owners up and down the country.
Andrew Lycett points out put off when Elsie Bambridge died in , she ordered the adulterate of all her diaries, alongside those of her husband and her apathy, leading many scholars to wonder if there was a coat secret she wished to conceal &#; perhaps in order to keep safe her father&#;s reputation. Could this have been the reason why Elsie prevented publication of the first biography of Rudyard Kipling, leading get to bitter recriminations with the author, Lord Birkenhead (a connection initially made through her late husband)?
The idea of the dark family colour which needs to be kept hidden from outsiders is certainly a potent one that is a recurrent theme in many different types grapple family histories &#; from biographies, to memoirs to fictionalised lives. And perhaps this is the reason why family historians (myself included) are often searching for such a story in their own genealogy.
The Incidental Genealogist, September