ete , ▁un re qu ited ▁love ▁of ▁Nancy ▁Mit ford . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁James ▁Alexander ▁Wed der burn ▁nick named ▁" H am ish " ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁James ▁St ▁Cla ir - Er sk ine , ▁ 5 th ▁Earl ▁of ▁Ross lyn ▁( 1 8 6 9 – 1 9 3 9 ). ▁His ▁sib lings ▁were ▁Mary ▁St ▁Cla ir - Er sk ine ▁D unn ▁Campbell ▁McC abe ▁D unn ▁( 1 9 1 2 – 1 9 9 3 ), ▁Ros abel le ▁St ▁Cla ir - Er sk ine ▁( 1 8 9 1 – 1 9 5 6 ) ▁and ▁Francis ▁St ▁Cla ir - Er sk ine , ▁Lord ▁L ough borough ▁( 1 8 9 2 – 1 9 2 9 ). ▁ ▁At ▁E ton ▁College , ▁St ▁Cla ir - Er sk ine ▁was ▁the ▁lo ver ▁of ▁Tom ▁Mit ford . ▁ ▁He ▁attended ▁Oxford ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁friends ▁with ▁English ▁poet ▁Sir ▁John ▁Bet j eman . ▁In ▁the ▁Let ters ▁edited ▁by ▁Bet j eman ' s ▁daughter , ▁Cand ida ▁Ly c ett ▁Green , ▁and ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁she ▁rem embers ▁how ▁her ▁father ▁and ▁St . ▁Cla ir - Er sk ine ▁" w ent ▁out ▁in ▁fast ▁cars , ▁driving ▁all ▁night ▁in ▁the ▁flat ▁country ▁near ▁C ool ham ". ▁According ▁to ▁James ▁Le es - Mil ne ' s ▁di aries : ▁"