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William Hamilton Mitchell Acton

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William Hamilton Mitchell Acton

Birth
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA
Death
31 Aug 1945 (aged 39)
Burial
Florence, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Toscana, Italy Add to Map
Plot
6PPsFLOGI 43s
Memorial ID
View Source
ACTON, WILLIAM HAMILTON MITCHELL, W H M Private 13084221 Pioneer Corps 31/08/1945 Unknown Family Vault.
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William Hamilton Mitchell Acton (16 August 1906 - 31 August 1945) was an Anglo-Italian painter who died while in active service during World War II.

William Hamilton Mitchell Acton was born on 16 August 1906, the son of Arthur Acton (1873–1953), an art collector and dealer, and Hortense Lenore Mitchell (1871–1962), the heiress of John J. Mitchell, President of the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank. Harold Acton was his older brother.

He attended Chateau de Lancy, Geneva, and Eton College; at Eton his contemporaries were Robert Byron, Brian Howard, Alfred Duggan and Anthony Powell, who remembers William fondly in his memoirs.

In 1922 a reproduction of his painting, Nature Morte, appeared in the Eton Candle. At Eton he was among the founders of the Eton Society of Arts in February 1922 with Brian Howard, Henry Yorke, his brother Harold, Robert Byron, Alan Clutton-Brock, Hugh Lygon, Anthony Powell and Colin Anderson.

In 1925 Acton moved to Christ Church, Oxford, with many of his friends, but remained for only one year. Brian Howard wrote a satyrical profile of William Acton in his Continuation of Oxford Portraits of 1925-6 which appeared in the Cherwell. Other profiles were: David Herbert, Mark Ogilvie-Grant, René Crevel, Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath and Charles Plumb. In the previous issue the profiles had been Robert Byron, Harold Acton, John Sutro, Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, Edward Henry Charles James Fox-Strangways, 7th Earl of Ilchester. At Oxford William Acton's friends were Hugh Lygon, Robert Byron, Brian Howard, Michael Parsons, David Plunket Greene, Roy Harrod, Evelyn Waugh and John Sutro.

After college the Acton's brothers were part of a circle including Diana Mitford and her first husband, Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, John Betjeman, Roy Harrod, Henry Yorke and his wife, Robert Byron, Evelyn Waugh, Randolph Churchill and Diana Churchill. William Acton sketched the Mitford girls.

Not long after being demobilised from the Pioneer Corps during World War II, William Acton died on 31 August 1945 after a short illness and is buried with his family at Cimitero degli Allori.

Several works by William Acton have been sold at auctions, including "Armiola" sold at Christie's in 2016 for £16,250 (£16,250 in 2016 sterlins).

Contributor: Elisa Rolle (48982101)
ACTON, WILLIAM HAMILTON MITCHELL, W H M Private 13084221 Pioneer Corps 31/08/1945 Unknown Family Vault.
----------
William Hamilton Mitchell Acton (16 August 1906 - 31 August 1945) was an Anglo-Italian painter who died while in active service during World War II.

William Hamilton Mitchell Acton was born on 16 August 1906, the son of Arthur Acton (1873–1953), an art collector and dealer, and Hortense Lenore Mitchell (1871–1962), the heiress of John J. Mitchell, President of the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank. Harold Acton was his older brother.

He attended Chateau de Lancy, Geneva, and Eton College; at Eton his contemporaries were Robert Byron, Brian Howard, Alfred Duggan and Anthony Powell, who remembers William fondly in his memoirs.

In 1922 a reproduction of his painting, Nature Morte, appeared in the Eton Candle. At Eton he was among the founders of the Eton Society of Arts in February 1922 with Brian Howard, Henry Yorke, his brother Harold, Robert Byron, Alan Clutton-Brock, Hugh Lygon, Anthony Powell and Colin Anderson.

In 1925 Acton moved to Christ Church, Oxford, with many of his friends, but remained for only one year. Brian Howard wrote a satyrical profile of William Acton in his Continuation of Oxford Portraits of 1925-6 which appeared in the Cherwell. Other profiles were: David Herbert, Mark Ogilvie-Grant, René Crevel, Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath and Charles Plumb. In the previous issue the profiles had been Robert Byron, Harold Acton, John Sutro, Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, Edward Henry Charles James Fox-Strangways, 7th Earl of Ilchester. At Oxford William Acton's friends were Hugh Lygon, Robert Byron, Brian Howard, Michael Parsons, David Plunket Greene, Roy Harrod, Evelyn Waugh and John Sutro.

After college the Acton's brothers were part of a circle including Diana Mitford and her first husband, Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, John Betjeman, Roy Harrod, Henry Yorke and his wife, Robert Byron, Evelyn Waugh, Randolph Churchill and Diana Churchill. William Acton sketched the Mitford girls.

Not long after being demobilised from the Pioneer Corps during World War II, William Acton died on 31 August 1945 after a short illness and is buried with his family at Cimitero degli Allori.

Several works by William Acton have been sold at auctions, including "Armiola" sold at Christie's in 2016 for £16,250 (£16,250 in 2016 sterlins).

Contributor: Elisa Rolle (48982101)


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