Mitford was a contemporary of H. Rider Haggard. He wrote 42 novels and one non-fiction book.
The following information I received from Brian Stringer, a Briton also very interested in Mitford and his books.
- 1855 born 13th June, Bath, England (confirmed)
- 1861 Census, living in Kent England (with 2 sisters and 1 brother - parents abroad) (confirmed)
- 1870 entered Hurstpierpoint College, England (confirmed)
- 1871 Census, Hurstpierpoint College (confirmed)
- 1874 Left College (confirmed). Sailed to Cape Colony (unconfirmed, but in all biographical references)
- 1881 Census, living in Cheltenham, England (confirmed)
- 1881 Sailed to South Africa (unconfirmed but deduced from book "Through the Zulu Country")
- 1882 Travelling the battlefields of Zulu war
- 1886 Marriage to Zima Helen Gentle (9th March), formerly Ebden, in Brighton, England (confirmed). Zima married Alexander Gentle in 1874 (confirmed) but was divorced prior to marrying BM. She was born in South Africa.
- 1886 Proprietor of East London Advertiser, South Africa. (confirmed)
- 1887 Had daughter, Yseulte Helen, 3rd June, born London, England (confirmed)
- 1888 Sold East London Advertiser (confirmed)
- 1891 Census, living London with wife and daughter (confirmed)
- 1891 Had son, Roland Bertram, July - September (confirmed), London, England
- 1901 Census. No Record of him or family. Where is he?
- 1911 Census. Not published until 2011
- 1914 BM died, 4th October, Cowfold, England (confirmed) of liver disease
- 1915 His wife died, 11th March, in South Africa (5 months after BM)(unconfirmed but on internet)
Click any of Mitford's portraits above to view images of different editions of his books, most of which are in my personal collection.