Hugh Lygon
British aristocrat
About Hugh Lygon
Lived 1904 – 1936 (aged 31).
Hugh Patrick Lygon (2 November 190419 August 1936) was the second son of William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, and, though often believed to be the inspiration for Lord Sebastian Flyte in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited, Waugh told the Lygon family that this was not the case. Lygon was a close friend of Waugh while at Oxford; A. L. Rowse believed the two to be lovers. Along with their contemporaries Robert Byron, Murray Andrew McLean, and the Plunket Greene brothers, Richard and David, they were both members of the Hypocrites' Club, of which Lygon was also president. David Plunket Greene was a good friend of Hugh Lygon.
Education Railway Club at Oxford, conceived by John Sutro, dominated by Harold Acton. Left to right, back: Henry Yorke, Roy Harrod, Henry Weymouth, David Plunket Greene, Harry Stavordale, Brian Howard. Middle row: Michael Rosse, John Sutro, Hugh Lygon, Harold Acton, Bryan Guinness, Patrick Balfour, Mark Ogilvie-Grant, Johnny Drury-Lowe; front: porters. He was educated at Eton and Pembroke College, Oxford. While at Oxford, Lygon was part of the Oxford Railway Club.
After leaving Oxford he worked in a bank in Paris before working in the City.
Death Lygon died in Germany in 1936, during a road trip with his friend, the artist Henry Wynn (a son of Lady Newborough). Lygon was standing in the road asking for directions, and accidentally fell backwards, hitting his head. Lygon spent four days in a hospital in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, eventually dying from a skull fracture suffered during the fall. His body was returned to England.
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Important facts
People in Hugh Lygon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Hugh Lygon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Hugh Lygon?
British aristocrat (1904-1936)
When was Hugh Lygon born?
Hugh Lygon was born on 2 November 1904.
When did Hugh Lygon die?
Hugh Lygon died on 19 August 1936 in Bavaria, Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Hugh Lygon. https://biography.guide/hugh-lygon/
MLA: "Hugh Lygon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/hugh-lygon/.
Chicago: "Hugh Lygon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/hugh-lygon/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-26 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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