It greatly saddens me to have to report the death on Christmas Day of Hugh Massingberd after a long battle with cancer; he was just days short of his 61st birthday.

“Hugh Massingberd was a true gentleman of letters” (Dr Nicholas Birns) who was variously a prolific author and editor of books on the English and country houses, editor of Burke’s Peerage and Burke’s Landed Gentry, book reviewer and writer. However he will probably be best remembered as the father of the modern obituary, being for some years Editor of the Daily Telegraph‘s Obituaries pages; “his creed was that an obituary should give pleasure to relatives and friends as well as to the general reader” (International Herald Tribune). He will also be remembered for being guyed in Private Eye as “Massivesnob” – something which greatly amused him.

More importantly for me Hugh was President, and latterly an Hon Vice-President, of the Anthony Powell Society, and had a quiet but significant influence on the early days of the Society. He was a great friend of the Powell family and of the Society. In December 2005 (when already unwell) he produced an entertainment “Love and Art” for Anthony Powell’s centenary celebrations. He was also a major influence on the Wallace Collection’s Powell centenary exhibition, being instrumental in suggesting (and helping locate) potential objects for inclusion; he seemed to know of, and know the whereabouts of, every possible Powell-related artifact that ever existed!

I had the privilege of knowing Hugh and sharing, all too briefly, his unending friendship and camaraderie. He will be very greatly missed by many.

Obituaries: Daily Telegraph, International Herald Tribune, Independent.