Frances Annesley, Lady Donaldson of Kingsbridge ( Lonsdale; 13 January 1907 – 27 March 1994), was a British writer and biographer.

Biography

Her father was the playwright Frederick Lonsdale and her mother was Leslie Brooke (née Hoggan). She made an unsuccessful marriage to Ronald McKenzie Cardwell in 1927. In 1935, she married her second husband, John George Stuart Donaldson, known as Jack, who became Baron Donaldson of Kingsbridge in 1967. They had three children,Michael De-la-Noy (2004). Donaldson 'née'' Lonsdale Frances Annesley, Lady Donaldson of Kingsbridge. ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

'' (Oxford University Press) a daughter and two sons. During the Second World War when her husband was away she successfully took up farming,Frances Donaldson. ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' (64914), p. 23 (29 March 1994) producing record crop and milk yields. She was invited to broadcast in wartime and wrote several books about her experiences. Her body of work included topics such as farming and biographies on writers

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...

and

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse ( ; 15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975) was an English writer and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Je ...

, and King

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

. She died of cancer on 27 March 1994 in London.

Works

* ''Approach to Farming'' (1941) * ''Four Years Harvest'' (1945) * ''Milk Without Tears'' (1955) * ''Farming in Britain Today'' (1969) with J. G. S. Donaldson and Derek Barber * ''Freddy Lonsdale'' (1957) — Lady Donaldson's biography of her father, "praised for its balance of candor and affection"The New York Times, 30 March 1994, ''Frances Donaldson, Biographer, 87, Dies''
ccessed 2008-05-26 * ''Child of the Twenties'' (1962) * ''The Marconi Scandal'' (1962) * ''Evelyn Waugh: Portrait of a Country Neighbour'' (1967) — An appreciation, rather than a comprehensive biography * ''Actor Managers'' (1970) * ''Edward VIII'' (

Weidenfeld & Nicolson Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (established 1949), often shortened to W&N or Weidenfeld, is a British publisher of fiction and reference books. It has been a division of the French-owned Orion Publishing Group since 1991. History George Weidenfeld ...

, 1974) — Won the Wolfson History Prize in 1974, and was the basis for the seven-part television series '' Edward & Mrs. Simpson'' (1978), starring her nephew actor Edward Fox as Edward * ''P. G. Wodehouse'' (1982) * ''Yours Plum'' (1990) Letters of P. G. Wodehouse * ''The British Council: the First Fifty Years'' (1984) * ''The Royal Opera House in the 20th Century'' (1988) * ''A Twentieth-Century Life'' (1992) *''Frances Donaldson: A Woman's War'' (2017) — An edition of her letters, written in 1939–1945 to her husband Jack. These precede all her published works, and although not originally written for publication, show her literary talent and interesting comment on events.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Donaldson, Frances 1907 births 1994 deaths Donaldson of Kingsbridge British biographers British women biographers 20th-century English women writers Spouses of life peers Wolfson History Prize winners