Edith Louisa Sitwell was born on 7 September 1887, daughter of Sir George Sitwell, an expert on genealogy and landscaping. Her mother was the eighteen-year-old Lady Ida, daughter of the Earl of Londesborough and granddaughter of the Duke of Beaufort. Edith described Lady Ida as neglectful, sometimes cruel, and often drunk; she spoke of her father as being interested only in sons. Her brothers Osbert (1892-1969) and Sacheverell (1897-1988), who both became distinguished authors, had happier memories of childhood, but all three eventually became estranged from their parents.

Edith’s early years were divided mainly between Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire and Scarborough, where Sir George’s mother, Louisa Sitwell, made her home, as did

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First published 18 March 2004

Citation: Greene, Richard. "Dame Edith Sitwell". The Literary Encyclopedia. 18 March 2004.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4094, accessed 9 February 2010.]