Evelyn St. Croix Fleming

Evelyn Rose was the daughter of George Alfred Sainte Croix Rose (31 January 1854 – 14 February 1926), a captain in the service of the Royal Buckinghamshire Militia (King's Own) and Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Berkshire, son of the 1st Baronet Rose, of Rayners, by his marriage on 8 April 1880 to Beatrice Quain (1857 – 4 January 1911), the daughter of Sir Richard Quain, 1st Baronet, graduated with a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). On 15 February 1906 she married Valentine Fleming (1882–1917),[1] and by that marriage was the mother of four sons: Peter Fleming, Ian Fleming – the novelist who wrote the James Bond books, Richard Fleming and Michael Fleming. Evelyn was thus the grandmother of actress Lucy Fleming. She was known for her flamboyant beauty.

After her husband's death in action in the Great War in May 1917, Evelyn Fleming inherited his large estate in trust, making her very wealthy. However, the conditions of the money in trust transferred it to others should she ever remarry. She became the mistress of painter Augustus John, with whom she had a daughter, the cellist Amaryllis Fleming.

During the 1940s and 1950s, she resided at The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay. She died only two weeks before the death of her son Ian on 12 August 1964.[2]

Notes

Bibliography

• Lycett, Andrew. 'Fleming, Ian Lancaster (1908–1964)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2008.