born in chesterfield, england, olave soames was the third child and youngest daughter of brewery owner and artist harold soames (13 aug 1855 – 25 dec 1918), of gray rigg, lilliput, dorset (descended from the landed gentry soames family of sheffield park) and his wife katherine mary, daughter of george hill.. she was educated by her parents and by a number of governesses at home. she lived in seventeen homes in the first 23 years of her life. olave became keen on outdoor sports including tennis, swimming, football, skating and canoeing, and also played the violin.