Conspiracy of Secrets

Bobbie Neate

• Publisher: John Blake
• Year: 2012
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781857827316
• Subtopic: Historical Biographies
• Index: History

This is an engaging biographical detective story delving into a dark and mysterious family secret…who was Louis T Stanley? Now a hundred years later the story of one of the greatest cover-ups in British political history is revealed by Louis T Stanley's step-daughter. Louis T Stanley was the illegitimate son of the serving Prime Minister of Great Britain, H.H. Asquith, and his mother was a young aristocrat's daughter, Venetia Stanley. The Stanley and Asquith families had always been close. Venetia's father, the 4th Lord Sheffield, Lyulph Stanley, and H.H. Asquith had studied together. Asquith then married Helen with whom he had five children, but following Helen's premature death he married the eccentric and prickly Margot who provided him with two more children. Later Lyulph Stanley and HH Asquith became involved in Liberal politics and their children became the best of friends. Asquith's eldest daughter Violet became inseparable friends with Venetia Stanley and accompanied her to Downing Street and visits to the House of Commons etc. H.H Asquith and Venetia began to build up a close relationship. The closeness of the couple was rarely questioned at the time; the sixty-five year old Prime Minister had seven children and the aristocratic girl, by now in her early twenties, hid under the cover of her friendship with Violet. Based on extensive research and the piecing together of childhood memories and historical events Bobbie Neate recounts the secret life of her Grandfather and the extreme measures that were taken to keep it a secret for so long. With connections to many high profile aristocratic families of the era, including the Mitfords, this book will appeal to those fascinated by the hierarchy of the period as well as those enthralled by the romance of forbidden love. With evidence to support her claims this book will cause immense debate in academic circles.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• PROLOGUE
• CHAPTER 1 : THE MYSTERY OF STEPFATHER’S CHILDHOOD
• CHAPTER 2 : THOSE WOMEN
• CHAPTER 3 : EARLY DAYS
• CHAPTER 4 : WHY ACT LIKE THIS?
• CHAPTER 5 : WHAT TRICK WOULD HE PLAY NEXT?
• CHAPTER 6 : FAMILY LIKENESSES
• CHAPTER 7 : THE SUPREME ARTIST
• CHAPTER 8 : FAMILY PUZZLES
• CHAPTER 9 : THE WATER LILY
• CHAPTER 10 : WHO WAS WHO?
• CHAPTER 11 : WHO, WHEN AND WHY?
• CHAPTER 12 : VITAL CONNECTIONS
• CHAPTER 13 : WHAT ELSE COULD I SCOUR FOR INFORMATION?
• CHAPTER 14 : WHAT? SURELY NOT!
• CHAPTER 15 : MIXED FEELINGS AND MIXED RESEARCH
• CHAPTER 16 : HOW FAR COULD A COTTON-COP WINDER RISE UP THE SOCIAL LADDER?
• CHAPTER 17 : EDWIN, LILY OR WHO?
• CHAPTER 18 : DIGGING DEEPER
• CHAPTER 19 : HOW HAD HE ACHIEVED THE IMPOSSIBLE?
• CHAPTER 20 : THE 1911 CENSUS
• EPILOGUE
• PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED ME
• Copyright