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The story made headlines across the world when Rowland George Winn, son of Lord St Oswald and heir to Nostell Priory, Wakefield, secretly married a chorus girl called Evie Carew.

Rowland was in France fighting with the Coldstream Guards. He was declared dead in October 1914, but this was a mistake by the War Office and it turns out he was only injured (albeit very badly).

He spent the Christmas of 1914-1915 at Nostell recuperating and helping his father hold typically paternalistic events at the house. He also helped his father and mother raise money for Belgian refugees, many of whom had been evacuated to the area - they all arrived at Wakefield station and were sent to host families.

In October 1915, he secretly married a chorus girl Evie Carew (whose real name is Nellie Greene) and the family only found out by reading about it in a rather large article in the Daily Mirror in December 1915.

He was forced to resign his commission with the Coldstream Guards. This was because a rule had been instigated by Edward VII by which actresses couldn鈥檛 be presented at court. With Rowland being an officer and the Coldstream Guards being a royal regiment, he was unable to present his wife at court and his position became untenable. In the March of 1916 he swapped over to the Royal Flying Corps and in the September of 1916 he was made a Captain. He was demobbed in 1919.

The marriage stood the test of time; they had two sons and Rowland鈥檚 family finally accepted Evie.

Location: Nostell Priory, Wakefield, Leeds WF4 1QE
Image shows Rowland George Winn in 1913 (left) and the Daily Mail article in which his marriage to Evie Carew made the headlines in December 1915. Images courtesy of the National Trust.
Presented by actress: Tonicha Lawrence

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