Lionel Sackville-West, 6th Baron Sackville
Encyclopedia
Lionel Bertrand Sackville-West, 6th Baron Sackville (May 30, 1913 – March 27, 2004) was a stockbroker and member of the British peerage
. In 1965, he became the sixth Baron Sackville
.
, "When will the War be over? I miss my daddy and having sugar on my porridge", and received the personal reply, "I hope the War will be over soon and that your daddy will come back. I too miss having sugar on my porridge."
and Magdalen College
, Oxford
, Sackville-West obtained a position with Jardine Matheson
in Shanghai
. This was cut short when the Japanese invaded China, however, and he returned to England in 1939 and joined the Army. He served in the Coldstream Guards
in North Africa and in 1942 was captured at Tobruk
, spending the next year in a prison camp at Chieti
, 200 km northeast of Rome. After the surrender of Italy in 1943 he was removed by the German Army to a prison camp near Brandenburg
, where he spent the remainder of the war.
wrote a letter bemoaning the failure to produce a male heir for the Knole estate
. Vita was greatly affected by the fact that, as a woman, she was barred from inheriting Knole from her father; the heartache caused by losing the estate to her cousins marked the rest of her life, and her relationship with the rest of her family.
By the late 1950s, when it became apparent that his cousin Eddy was likely to remain a bachelor and produce no heir to the estate his uncle Charles, 4th Baron Sackville invited him to take over the running of Knole (the house and some of its contents by now having become the responsibility of the National Trust) and the other family estates. Charles died in 1962 and Eddy assumed the title as the 5th Baron Sackville, but never lived at Knole.
In 1960 Lionel moved his family into Knole, and he and Jacobine rapidly became accomplished hosts, with the house positively buzzing with dinners, parties and dances throughout the decade. In 1965 his cousin Eddy died, and he finally fully inherited the estate and title of the 6th Baron Sackville.
Jacobine died of cancer
in 1971, marking the beginning of Sackville-West's self-confessed “black dog” of depression
from which he would suffer at intervals for the rest of his life.
. He had a great passion for forestry
, personally planting large tracts of new woodland as well as tending the ancient landscaping which had been first laid out by his ancestor, the 3rd Duke of Dorset
.
Following the disastrous storm across the south of England in October 1987
, when much of the park at Knole was devastated, Sackville-West faced the ruins of most of his hard work from the previous 25 years with good humour and embarked anew on a process of replanting and clearing. He replanted over 250,000 trees after this storm, nearly all with his own hands. He later admitted that the storm had in fact been a good thing in that it cleared some ancient trees which would have been otherwise protected and allowed for a much more wide-reaching restoration.
Sackville-West continued this work until the end of his life. In 1998 he came second to Lord Egremont of Petworth in a forestry competition, beating the Queen
into third place. At the time, he dryly commented that at least one of the finalists “was unlikely to have done the work with her own hands”.
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
. In 1965, he became the sixth Baron Sackville
Baron Sackville
Baron Sackville, of Knole in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1876 for the Honourable Mortimer Sackville-West, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his younger brothers the Hon. Lionel and the Hon. William Edward...
.
Early life
Born in London, Sackville-West was the eldest son of Bertrand Sackville-West and Eva Inigo-Jones. He spent his early years in Sussex. During the First World War, he famously wrote to King George VGeorge V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, "When will the War be over? I miss my daddy and having sugar on my porridge", and received the personal reply, "I hope the War will be over soon and that your daddy will come back. I too miss having sugar on my porridge."
Education and military service
In 1935, having completed his studies at WinchesterWinchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, Sackville-West obtained a position with Jardine Matheson
Jardine Matheson Holdings
Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited often referred to as Jardines, is a multinational corporation incorporated in Bermuda and based in Hong Kong. While listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Singapore Exchange, the vast majority of Jardines shares are traded in Singapore...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. This was cut short when the Japanese invaded China, however, and he returned to England in 1939 and joined the Army. He served in the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
in North Africa and in 1942 was captured at Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
, spending the next year in a prison camp at Chieti
Chieti
Chieti is a city and comune in Central Italy, 200 km northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region...
, 200 km northeast of Rome. After the surrender of Italy in 1943 he was removed by the German Army to a prison camp near Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, where he spent the remainder of the war.
Career
On his return home from the war, Sackville-West began a career with Lloyds, where he remained until his retirement in 1978.Family life and inheritance
Sackville-West's marriage to Jacobine Hichens (née Menzies-Wilson) in 1953 produced five daughters, and on the birth of each one, his cousin Vita Sackville-WestVita Sackville-West
The Hon Victoria Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson, CH , best known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author, poet and gardener. She won the Hawthornden Prize in 1927 and 1933...
wrote a letter bemoaning the failure to produce a male heir for the Knole estate
Knole House
Knole is an English country house in the town of Sevenoaks in west Kent, surrounded by a deer park. One of England's largest houses, it is reputed to be a calendar house, having 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards...
. Vita was greatly affected by the fact that, as a woman, she was barred from inheriting Knole from her father; the heartache caused by losing the estate to her cousins marked the rest of her life, and her relationship with the rest of her family.
By the late 1950s, when it became apparent that his cousin Eddy was likely to remain a bachelor and produce no heir to the estate his uncle Charles, 4th Baron Sackville invited him to take over the running of Knole (the house and some of its contents by now having become the responsibility of the National Trust) and the other family estates. Charles died in 1962 and Eddy assumed the title as the 5th Baron Sackville, but never lived at Knole.
In 1960 Lionel moved his family into Knole, and he and Jacobine rapidly became accomplished hosts, with the house positively buzzing with dinners, parties and dances throughout the decade. In 1965 his cousin Eddy died, and he finally fully inherited the estate and title of the 6th Baron Sackville.
Jacobine died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1971, marking the beginning of Sackville-West's self-confessed “black dog” of depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
from which he would suffer at intervals for the rest of his life.
Achievements
Sackville-West's greatest achievement is considered to have been the comprehensive restoration of the park and gardens of the family seat at Knole, SevenoaksSevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
. He had a great passion for forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, personally planting large tracts of new woodland as well as tending the ancient landscaping which had been first laid out by his ancestor, the 3rd Duke of Dorset
John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset
John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset was the only son of Lord John Philip Sackville, second son of Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset. He succeeded to the dukedom in 1769 on the death of his uncle, Charles Sackville, 2nd Duke of Dorset...
.
Following the disastrous storm across the south of England in October 1987
Great Storm of 1987
The Great Storm of 1987 occurred on the night of 15/16 October 1987, when an unusually strong weather system caused winds to hit much of southern England and northern France...
, when much of the park at Knole was devastated, Sackville-West faced the ruins of most of his hard work from the previous 25 years with good humour and embarked anew on a process of replanting and clearing. He replanted over 250,000 trees after this storm, nearly all with his own hands. He later admitted that the storm had in fact been a good thing in that it cleared some ancient trees which would have been otherwise protected and allowed for a much more wide-reaching restoration.
Sackville-West continued this work until the end of his life. In 1998 he came second to Lord Egremont of Petworth in a forestry competition, beating the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
into third place. At the time, he dryly commented that at least one of the finalists “was unlikely to have done the work with her own hands”.
Other marriages
In 1974 Sackville-West married Arlie, Lady de Guingard (née Woodhead), but this marriage was later dissolved. In 1983 he married Jean, Lady Imbert-Terry (née Garton).Death
Sackville-West died at the age of 90. Upon his death the title and estate was inherited by his nephew, Robert Bertrand Sackville-West.See also
- Baron SackvilleBaron SackvilleBaron Sackville, of Knole in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1876 for the Honourable Mortimer Sackville-West, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his younger brothers the Hon. Lionel and the Hon. William Edward...