It’s a slightly misleading title, as it wasn’t really a Royal Wedding, but did you know that a relative of Queen Elizabeth II got married in the Parish Church of All Saints?
1893 was the year in which Patrick Bowes-Lyon married Alice Wilshire. Captain Arthur Lister-Kay had been Alice’s Guardian, and she had lived in the Stretton Manor House opposite the church.
Royal relations
The clue is in the surname. Patrick Bowes-Lyon was uncle of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Queen Elizabeth, later still Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. This, then, makes the couple who married in Stretton the great aunt and uncle of the present Queen.
Did you know?
Patrick Bowes-Lyon was also Wimbledon doubles champion in 1887, before he and his partner Herbert Wilberforce lost in the final the following year to the Renshaw brothers.
Comments
With regard to the ‘Royal Wedding at Stretton-on-Dunsmore’, in 1893, this is a quite remarkable story, in that in this day and age, the gulf between the aristocracy and the common man, is huge. But in 1893, it would have been immense, and for a coal miners daughter to marry into the upper classes, would have been totally unacceptable. Charles Bowes-Lyon met Alice at the Carlton Club in London, where he was a member, and she a Chamber Maid. How long they had known each is other is not known, but knowing the difficulties the problem presented, Charles set about devising a plan whereby he could Marry Alice, and for it to remain a secret. They did marry and their secret remained until the Millenium History Book for Stretton-on-D, was being researched in 1999, and the story was revealed by the Grand-daughter of a lady, who had been in service at the Manor House. A check of Burke’s Peerage at the time revealed nothing, but a check now will show the full story.
Should you need a fuller account, I will be only too pleased to provide.
Roger Clemons,
Treasurer – Stretton-on-Dunsmore History Society.
Hi Roger,
A fuller account would certainly be more than welcome!
Circa 2001, whilst researching my family tree, l discovered the maternal grandmother of my ex-wife had died aged 20 in 1929 & is buried, marked only by a vase, in the graveyard. I later discovered the marriage of Patrick Bowes-Lyon & Alice Wiltshire was held there. On a later visit with my late father to South Wales to visit relatives at Dowlais Top l de-toured to visit the former family home of Alice & after taking photographs, knocked the door to tell the lady of the house about Alice. She kindly took photographs of this very humble abode & posted them to me. I then gave copies to my ex-wife & sent copies with a letter of explanation to Glamis Castle & Her Majesty the Queen, of whom the Queen-Mother Alice became the Aunt of. l received replies from both.
Dear Graham,
Thanks for the information – interesting stuff!
The girl who died at such a young age in 1929 was Violet Drusilla How. Glamis Castle is of course the ancestral home of the Bowes-Lyon family. Alice’s surname may have been Wilshire, not Wiltshire as afore stated.
This ‘Fairytale Wedding’ is however tinged with tragedy. On Tuesday 27 November 1917 their youngest son Lte Gavin Patrick of the Grenadier Guards was amongst the 7,064 kia in the Battle of Cambrai which had began on 20th, all of whom have no known graves. He probably lies in or around Bourlon Wood to the south of the Chenin De Cambrai Road. Over the 5 days after the 29th much of the ground gained was lost in the ‘Big German Push’ (see CWGC website). R.l.P.
This November, of course, sees the 100th Anniversary. It is commemorated by The Cambrai Memorial, Louverval. A second tragedy was to befall the Bowes-Lyons. On 10th July 1923 their eldest son Angus Patrick died aged 23 when he shot himself in his car in London following a broken betrothal. They were 2nd cousins to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll. In conclusion, Violet Drusilla How was the Great Great Grandmother to my own Grandchildren, Alfie & Isabel.
Correction: Gavin Patrick was of course their eldest son & vice-versa.
It is widely thought that William Shakespeare’s Tragedy Macbeth was inspired by Glamis Castle, as were its settings.
Were it not for the brief window of fertility of Violet, my ex mother-in-law (who was raised by adoptive parents within the family), her two Daughters, their three Grand-Daughters & one Grandson would not exist, indeed, the very existence of each and every one of us is per-chance.
Lte Gavin Patrick Bowes-Lyon was aged just 20 when Kia in 1917.
As the centenary of the death Lte Gavin Patrick Bowes-Lyon approached I wrote to The Duke of Cambridge in his capacity as an ex-serviceman as I sensed he & Prince Harry may not have been made aware & suggested he Google the Stretton website & read the postings where he would discover information about an ancestor on his fathers side & that it could be verified on the CWGC website. I received an acknowledgement from Kensington Palace in appreciation. It would be fitting that this be included in this story & if you email me I will send a copy by return.
Graham Payne
09/12/2017
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