Editing Nancy Mitford (section)

===Parentage===
Nancy Mitford's father, [[David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale|David Bertram Ogilvy Freeman-Mitford]], was Bertie Mitford's second son, born on 13 March 1878. After several years as a tea planter in [[Sri Lanka|Ceylon]] he fought in the [[Second Anglo-Boer War|Boer War]] of 1899–1902 and was severely wounded.<ref>Hastings, pp. 4–5.</ref> In 1903 he became engaged to Sydney Bowles, the elder daughter of [[Thomas Gibson Bowles]], known as "Tap", a journalist, editor and magazine proprietor whose publications included ''[[Vanity Fair (British magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' and ''[[The Lady (magazine)|The Lady]]''.<ref>{{ODNBweb |first=Alfred |last=Cochrane |first2=H. C. G. (revised) |last2=Matthew |title=Bowles, Thomas Gibson (1842–1922) |origyear=2004 |year=2008 |edition=online |id=32005}}</ref> The couple were married on 16 February 1904, after which they rented a house in Graham Street in West London.<ref>Hastings, p. 5.</ref> Bowles provided his son-in-law with a job, as business manager of ''The Lady'' magazine. David had little interest in reading and knew nothing of business; thus, according to Nancy Mitford's biographer [[Selina Hastings (writer)|Selina Hastings]], "a less congenial post&nbsp;... could hardly have been imagined".<ref>Hastings, p. 6.</ref> He remained in this position for 10 years.<ref>Lovell, pp. 16–17.</ref> The couple's first child, a daughter, was born on 28 November 1904; they had intended to call her Ruby, but after she was born they changed their minds and named her Nancy.<ref>Hastings, pp. 7–8.</ref>