Page "Jessica Mitford" Paragraph 1

Mitford, the sixth of seven children, was the daughter of David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale and his wife Sydney ( daughter of politician and publisher Thomas Bowles ), and grew up in a series of her father's country houses.

She had little formal education, since her mother did not believe in sending girls to school, but was nevertheless widely read.

Though her sisters Unity and Diana were well-known British supporters of Hitler and her father was described as being " one of nature's fascists ," Jessica ( always known as " Decca ") renounced her privileged background at an early age and became an adherent of communism.

She was known as the " red sheep " of the family.