Biographies

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La Rochefoucauld: François, duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac (1613–1680). French author of maxims and memoirs.

Laker, James Charles (1922–1986). Cricketer. Off-spin bowler who took 46 wickets in the 1956 Ashes series at an average of 9. 60. In the fourth Test, at Old Trafford in July, he took 9–37 and 10–53: the only instance of more than 17 wickets in a first-class match and the only instance of all ten wickets in a Test innings.

Lamb, Charles (1775–1834). Essayist, known for his Essays of Elia, and (co-written with his sister Mary) Tales from Shakespeare.

Lambart, Julian Harold Legge (1893–1982). Eton master, 1919–59. Vice-provost, 1959–67.

Lambton, Antony Claud Frederick (1922–2006). Conservative politician. Held junior ministerial office in the Heath government of 1970–74, but resigned in 1973 following a scandal over his liaisons with prostitutes.

Lancaster, Sir Osbert (1908–1986). Artist, cartoonist, stage designer and humorist. Known for his 'pocket cartoon' in The Daily Express from 1939 to 1986. Designed costumes and scenery for Sadler's Wells, Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, the Old Vic, D'Oyly Carte and others.

Landor, Walter Savage (1775–1864). Poet and essayist. Works include the epic poem Gebir (1798), the tragedy Count Julian (1812), and Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen (1824–29).

Lane, Sir Allen, né Allen Lane Williams (1902–1970). Publisher. Founder of Penguin Books, not the first, but the most famous and lastingly successful attempt to make high quality paperback fiction and non-fiction available to a mass market.

Lane, Margaret Winifred (1907–1994). Maiden and professional name of Margaret Winifred Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon. Novelist and biographer. Her biographical works include The Brontë Story: A Reconsideration of Mrs Gaskell's Life of Charlotte Bronte (1953); Samuel Johnson and his World (1975) and a biography of Beatrix Potter (1985).

Lang, Andrew (1844–1912). Scottish writer of prolific output and wide range. Now best remembered as the collector of folk and fairy tales.

Lang, (William) Cosmo Gordon (1864–1945). Anglican priest. Archbishop of Canterbury, 1928–1942. A key figure in the abdication of Edward VIII, much disliked by the king's sympathisers.

Langland William (c. 1332-c. 1386) Generally held to be the author of the 14th-century English dream-vision Piers Plowman.

Langtry, Lillie, née Emilie Charlotte Le Breton (1853–1929). Actress and mistress of Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales.

Lankester, Sir (Edwin) Ray (1847–1929). Zoologist. Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, University College, London, 1874–90; Professor of Comparative Anatomy, Oxford, 1891–98; Director of the Natural History Departments of the British Museum, 1898–1907.

Lapsley, Gaillard Thomas (1871–1949). American scholar. Fellow and Tutor of Trinity, Cambridge and a University Reader in History. Literary executor of Edith Wharton.

Larbaud, Valery (1881–1957). French writer and translator. The annual Prix Littéraire Valery Larbaud was inaugurated in 1957 in his honour.

Larwood, Harold (1904–1995). Cricketer. Notts (1924–38), and England (1926–33). Fast bowler of great pace and accuracy known for his key role as the leading bowler in the 'bodyline' Ashes series of 1932/33.

Lascelles, Sir Alan Frederick ('Tommy') (1887–1981). Private Secretary and Keeper of the Royal Archives to George VI, 1943–52 and Elizabeth II, 1952–53). Married 1920, Joan Thesiger (1895–1971), daughter of 1st Viscount Chelmsford. His diaries, edited by Duff Hart-Davis, have been published posthumously.

Laski, Harold Joseph (1893–1950). Politician, economist, author and lecturer at the London School of Economics. As Chairman of the National Executive of the Labour Party in 1945–46 he was the subject of Attlee's famous rebuke, 'a period of silence on your part would be welcome'.

Laud, William (1573–1645). Anglican priest. Archbishop of Canterbury 1633–45. His support for Charles I and his persecution of opposing views led to his beheading by the roundheads during the English Civil War.

Laurentia, Sister – see McLachlan, Laurentia.

Laver, James (1899–1975). Author and expert on costume. Keeper of Engraving, Illustration and Design, and Paintings, Victoria and Albert Museum, London (1938–59). As well as his many authoritative works on costume and design, he wrote the novel Nymph Errant (1932) which C B Cochrane and Cole Porter turned into a musical in 1933.

Lawrence, David Herbert Richards (1885–1930). Novelist, poet, critic and essayist.

Lawrence, Frieda Emma Maria Johanna, née von Richthofen (1879–1956). Wife of D H Lawrence.

Lawrence, Sir (Frederick) Geoffrey (1902–1967). Lawyer. High Court Judge, 1965–67.

Lawrence, Sir Thomas (1769–1830). Leading English portrait painter of his time. President of the Royal Academy, 1820–30.

Lawry, William Morris (1937–). Cricketer. Batsman for Victoria (1955–72) and Australia (1961–71)

Le Gallienne, Richard Thomas (1866–1947). Poet and essayist of the fin-de-siècle movement.

Le Neve, Ethel Clara (1883–1967). Mistress of Dr Crippen. Fled England with him, disguised as a young man.

Leadbeater, Charles Webster (1854–1934). Anglican priest, later a member of the cult the Liberal Catholic Church, in which he was appointed a bishop. Theosophical author, professed clairvoyant and attested pederast.

Leavis, Frank Raymond (1895–1978). Literary critic and lecturer, chief editor of the journal Scrutiny. Taught at Downing College, Cambridge 1930–1962. Married one of his students, Queenie Roth, in 1929. GWL noted in his commonplace book the Times Literary Supplement's comment on Leavis's 'peremptory and slightly acrid eagerness of assertion'. 

Lecky, (William) Edward Hartpole (1838–1903). Irish historian.

Leconfield, Hugh Archibald Wyndham, 4th Baron (1877–1963). Historian. Publications include The Atlantic and Slavery, 1935; The Atlantic and Emancipation, 1937; Britain and the World, 1944. He married the Hon Maud Mary Lyttelton, GWL's sister, in 1908.

Lee, Vernon: pen name of Violet Paget (1856–1935). Writer of supernatural stories, essays and poetry.

Lees-Milne, James (1908–1997). Diarist and expert on British country houses.

Lehmann, Beatrix (1903–1979). Actress, director and author. Sister of John and Rosamond Lehmann.

Lehmann, (Rudolph) John (Frederick) (1907–1987). Author and publisher. Publications include, Shelley in Italy, 1947; Virginia Woolf and Her World, 1975; Edward Lear and His World, 1977; Rupert Brooke, his life and his legend, 1980; English Poets of the First World War, 1981; The Chatto Book of Modern Poetry, 1956 (with C Day Lewis).

Lehmann, Rosamond Nina (1901–1990). Novelist. Sister of John Lehmann. Her daughter, Sarah Phillips, was born in 1934 and died aged 24 of polio in 1958.

Leishman, James Blair (1902–1963). Lecturer in English Literature at Oxford from 1946 until his death.

Lenham, Leslie John (1936–). Cricketer, Sussex, 1956–1970.

Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich, né Ulyanov. Dictator of Russia, 1922–24.

Leopold, Nathan Freudenthal, Jr (1904–1971) and Richard A Loeb (1905–1936), were two well–off American undergraduates who murdered a 14-year–old boy in 1924 in an attempt to commit the perfect crime.

Leslie, David (1601–1682). 1st Baron Newark. Scottish soldier. Royalist general in the Civil War. Defeated by Cromwell at Dunbar, 1650.

Leslie, Sir (John Randolph) Shane, third baronet (1885–1971). Writer. Works include: Life of Cardinal Manning; Life of Sir Mark Sykes, 1922; The Epic of Jutland, 1930; The Script of Jonathan Swift and other Essays, 1935; The Life of Mrs Fitzherbert, 1939 Shane Leslie's Ghost Book, 1955.

Leverson, Ada Esther née Beddington (1862–1933). Novelist. From 1892 she wrote numerous stories and sketches for Punch and other magazines.

Levin, (Henry) Bernard (1928–2004). Journalist, author and broadcaster. Wrote for The Spectator 1956–1962, The Daily Mail 1962 to 1970 and The Times from 1971 to 1997.

Lewis, Sir George Henry (1833–1911). Lawyer. Acted for Edward Prince of Wales and Oscar Wilde.

Lewis, Katherine Elizabeth (d. 1961 aged 83). Youngest daughter of Sir George Lewis.

Lewis, Sir Wilfrid Hubert Poyer (1881–1950). Lawyer. High court judge from 1935.

Lewis, Wilmarth Sheldon ('Lefty') (1886–1979). American scholar and collector, associated with the Yale edition of the correspondence of Horace Walpole.

Liddell Hart, Sir Basil Henry (1895–1970). Military historian.

Lincoln, Abraham (1809–1865). American politician. President of the USA, 1861–65.

Lindwall, Raymond Russell (1921–1996). Australian cricketer. Fast bowler for New South Wales, Queensland and Australia (1946–60).

Linklater, Eric Robert Russell (1899–1974). Scottish novelist, historical writer, and poet.

Linklater, Magnus Duncan (1942–). Journalist. Editor of The Scotsman, 1988–94. Later, Scotland editor of The Times.

Lisl – see Herzogenberg, Elisabeth von.

Livingstone, Sir Richard Winn (1880–1960). Academic. President Corpus Christi College, Oxford, 1933–50. Publications include The Pageant of Greece, 1923; The Mission of Greece, 1928; Greek Ideals and Modern Life, 1935; Portrait of Socrates, 1938; The Future in Education, 1941; Thucydides, 1943; Education and the Spirit of the Age, 1952; The Rainbow Bridge, 1959.

Lloyd George, David (1863–1945). 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor. Liberal politician. Prime Minister 1916–22. Previously a pioneering Chancellor of the Exchequer, introducing the first attempt at the welfare state, with old-age pensions in 1908 and health and unemployment insurance in 1911. One of the Liberal ministers implicated in the Marconi scandal.

Loader, Peter (1929–2011). Cricketer; fast bowler for Surrey (1951–64) and England (1954–59). Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1958. Subsequently an umpire, retiring in 2007.

Locker-Lampson, Oliver Stillingworth (1880–1954). Soldier and right-wing Conservative politician. In 1931 he founded the short-lived Sentinels of Empire 'to peacefully fight Bolshevism and clear out the Reds!'.

Lockhart, Bruce – see Bruce Lockhart.

Lockhart, John Gibson (1794–1854). Novelist, critic, essayist.

Lockwood, William Henry (1868–1932) Cricketer. Fast bowler for Nottinghamshire, Surrey and England (1893–1902).

Loeb – see Leopold, Nathan.

Logan, Sir Douglas William (1910–1987). Principal of the University of London, 1948–75. Married (2nd) 1947, Christine Peggy Walker.

Löhr, Marie Kaye Wouldes (1890–1975). Australian-born actress. A West End star from 1908. Played Mrs Higgins in the 1938 film of Pygmalion. Last West End performance, 1966.

Longinus (Λογγίνος) (c. 213–273). Sometimes referred to as Pseudo-Longinus because his real name is unknown. Conjecturally a Greek teacher of rhetoric or a literary critic who may have lived in the first century AD. Known only for his treatise on the sublime. Sometimes confused with Cassius Longinus Greek rhetorician and philosopher.

Longman George Henry Longman (1852–1938). Member of the Longman publishing family, in charge of the financial side of the business.

Longman, Mark Frederic Kerr (1916–1972). Member of the Longman publishing family. Director from 1947, later chairman.

Longman, Robert Guy, son of George Longman, joined the family publishing firm in 1906. Died in 1971, aged 88.

Lovat, Lady, neé Laura Lister (1892–1965). Friend of many writers including Maurice Baring, Ronald Knox and Compton Mackenzie.

Lowndes, Frederic Sawrey Archibald (1868–1940). On the staff of The Times 1893–1938. Editor of obituaries, 1918–38.

Lubbock, Percy (1879–1965). Critic and biographer. His Earlham (1922), a memoir of his childhood in Norfolk, is frequently mentioned in the Letters. Lubbock edited selections from A C Benson's diary. Other works include: The Craft of Fiction, 1921; Roman Pictures, 1923; The Region Cloud, 1925; Shades of Eton, 1929; Portrait of Edith Wharton, 1947.

Lubbock, Samuel Gurney ('Jimbo') (1873–1958). Eton master, teaching classics, 1897–1934. Married to the actress Irene Scharrer.

Lucas, C B: Editor of edition of Horace Walpole's letters published in 1904.

Lucas, Edward Verrall (1868–1938). Biographer, editor, writer and poet. His subjects included cricket, London, travel, and Charles Lamb. From 1924 he was also chairman of the London publishers, Methuen. His Cricket All His Life (1950) was edited by RH-D.

Lucretius: Titus Lucretius Carus (c. 99 BC–c. 55 BC) Roman poet and philosopher. His only known work is the epic philosophical poem De Rerum Natura, On the Nature of Things.

Ludendorff, Erich von (1865–1937). German WWI general, responsible for the unsuccessful Spring offensive of 1918 which effectively ended Germany's chances of avoiding defeat.

Lumumba, Patrice Émery (1925–1961). First Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after independence from Belgium in June 1960. Shortly thereafter, deposed in a coup, imprisoned and murdered

Luther, Martin (1483–1546). German monk, theologian, protestant reformer and Bible translator.

Lutyens, Sir Edwin Landseer (1869–1944). Architect.

Lutyens, (Elizabeth Penelope) Mary (1908–1999). Author.

Lutyens, Lady Emily, née Bulwer-Lytton (1874–1964). Wife of Edwin Lutyens, mother of Robert and Mary.

Lutyens, Mary Edith (1908–1999) Author. Biographer of Jiddu Krishnamurti, John Ruskin, Effie Gray and her father, Edwin Lutyens.

Lutyens, Robert (1901–1971). Architect and designer.

Luxmoore, Henry Elford (1841–1926). Eton master, 1864–1908. In 1895 he presented the college chapel with a tapestry, 'The Adoration of the Magi', designed by Burne-Jones and made by William Morris. Nevertheless, M R James described him as 'the beloved patriarch' of Eton. His collected letters were published by the Cambridge University Press in 1930.

Lydgate, John, of Bury (c. 1370–c. 1451) Monk and poet, prolific writer of poems, allegories, fables and romances. His most famous works were The Troy Book, The Siege of Thebes and The Fall of Princes.

Lynd, Robert (1879–1949). Essayist.

Lyttelton, Albert Victor (1844–1928). Anglican priest. Ordained, 1869. Served in South Africa at Bloemfontein and Kimberley and in England at St Michael's Southwark and St John's Hawarden. Uncle of GWL.

Lyttelton, Alfred (1857–1913). Politician and noted amateur sportsman, The first man to represent England at both football and cricket.

Lyttelton, Anthony Alfred (1920–1980). 2nd Viscount Chandos. Stockbroker. Partner in Panmure Gordon and Company between 1950 and 1975.

Lyttelton, Charles ('Caryl') Frederick (1887–1931). Anglican priest. GWL's brother.

Lyttelton, Charles John (1909–1977). 10th Viscount Cobham from 1949. Cricketer and administrator. Captain of Worcestershire CCC, 1936–39. Vice-captain, MCC New Zealand Tour, 1935–1936. Governor-general of New Zealand, 1957–1962. Lord Steward of HM Household, 1967–1972. President, MCC, 1954, Treasurer, 1963–1964. Nephew of GWL.

Lyttelton, Edward (1855–1942). Anglican priest. Head Master of Eton, 1905–16. Publications include: Cricket, 1890; Are we to go on with Latin Verses? 1897; Training for the Young in the Laws of Sex, 1900; Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1905; Schoolboys and Schoolwork, 1909; Character and Religion, 1912; The Christian and Birth Control, 1929; Whither? A Study of Shams and Safeguards, 1931. Uncle of GWL.

Lyttelton, George William Spencer (1847–1913). Younger brother of GWL's father. Private Secretary to the Prime Minister 1873–1874, 1882–1885 and 1892–1894. Cricketer (Cambridge) and musician (Executive Committee of the Royal College of Music).

Lyttelton, Helena Frances. Second daughter of GWL. Married 1940, Peter Stafford Hayden Lawrence (1913–2005), Eton master, 1936–77.

Lyttelton, Humphrey Richard Adeane (1921–2008). Jazz trumpeter and bandleader, Punch columnist and chairman of the BBC radio programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. Son of GWL.

Lyttelton, John Anthony (1921–1944). Son of Charles Frederick and Sibell Lyttelton. Killed at Anzio in World War II.

Lyttelton, Sir Neville Gerald (1845–1931). Soldier. Chief of General Staff and First Military Member of Army Council, 1904–1908; General Officer Commanding-in-chief the Forces in Ireland, 1908–1912. Governor, Chelsea Hospital, 1912–31. Married, 1883, Katharine, daughter of James Stuart Wortley. Uncle of GWL.

Lyttelton, Oliver, first Viscount Chandos (1893–1972). Businessman and Conservative politician. President of the Board of Trade, 1940–41; Minister of State in the Middle East, 1941–42; Minister of Production, 1942–45, Secretary of State for the Colonies, 1951–54. Chairman of the National Theatre Board, 1962–1971; the Lyttelton Theatre is named in his honour. Son of GWL's uncle, Alfred Lyttelton.

Lyttelton, Pamela Marie née Adeane (1889–1975). Daughter of Charles Robert Whorwood Adeane and Madeline Pamela Constance Blanche, née Wyndham. She married GWL in 1919.

Lyttelton, Richard Glynne (1893–1977). GWL's youngest brother.

Lyttelton, Robert Henry (1854–1939). Solicitor and cricket enthusiast. A leading advocate of reform of the leg-before-wicket rule. (He went so far as to urge that a batsman should be given out if the ball hit any part of his person except his hand that is between wicket and wicket.) His dramatic account in the Badminton volume of the University match at Lord's in 1870 (Cobden's match) was honoured by inclusion in The Oxford Book of English Prose. Solicitor, of Stow, Preston and Lyttelton, Lincoln's Inn Fields. Publication: The Crisis in Cricket and the Leg-before Rule, 1928. Uncle of GWL.

Lyttelton, Commander Stephen Clive (1887–1959). Cousin of GWL. After naval service, managing director of the Army and Navy Stores, London, 1947–52; chairman 1952–59.

Lyttelton, Sybil (1873–1934). Sister of GWL's father.

Lyttelton, Thomas (1744–1799) second Baron Lyttelton, known as the wicked Lord Lyttelton. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 'he played some part in the political life of his time, but his loose and prodigal habits were notorious.'

Lyttelton, Sir William Henry (1724–1808). 1st Lord Lyttelton. Governor of Jamaica 1762–1766.

Lytton, Edward Robert (1831–1891). 1st Earl of Lytton. Author. Also wrote under the pen name Owen Meredith.