Ingram was born in
London, England, the second of three sons to
Sir William Ingram, 1st Baronet, and Mary Eliza Collingwood Stirling (d.1925). His maternal grandfather
Edward Stirling was born in Jamaica to a Scottish planter and an unnamed woman of colour. He concealed his racial identity and later settled in South Australia, where he was elected to parliament; his sons (Ingram's uncles)
Lancelot and
Edward Charles Stirling were also members of parliament. Ingram was Chairman of Illustrated London News and Sketch Ltd., Director of Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News Ltd, and President of Illustrated Newspapers Ltd. These had been founded by his grandfather,
Herbert Ingram. He was commissioned a
second lieutenant in the
Royal East Kent Yeomanry on 14 May 1898, and promoted to
lieutenant on 14 March 1900. The
Yeomanry regiments were reserve forces. During the
First World War he had a distinguished service record. He joined as a lieutenant in the East Kent Yeomanry, then transferred to the
Royal Garrison Artillery in France and rose to the rank of captain. He was awarded the
Military Cross for bravery in 1917 and was
mentioned in dispatches three times. He was also Hon. Vice-president,
Society for Nautical Research, Hon. Keeper of Drawings,
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge and Hon. Adviser on pictures and drawings,
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
Oxford University awarded him an honorary
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) in 1960. ==Notable employees==