Career
The couple"s secret marriage and the existence of an heir was revealed only after the death of the 5th viscount in 1899. lieutenant came as a huge shock to the locals and went on to become a national scandal. Although the couple had three boys, Vernon Henry was the only one who was legitimate and thus inherited the title.
None of the children were to have any formal education and were looked after by a procession of nurses and nannies.
The young viscount enlisted in 1917, soon after his coming of age party. He joined the 6th Dorsetshire Regiment and saw service in a variety of conflicts - including Reux and Passchendaele - before being invalided out a week before the Armistice.
The case again made national headlines in 1922 when Vernon Henry petitioned the House of Lords to be recognized as the 6th Viscount Bolingbroke. During the House of Lords hearing witnesses were cross-examined and many of the family"s details were revealed.
After a long intervening period, Vernon Henry Street John was officially recognized as the 6th Viscount Bolingbroke in 1926.
During the Second World War, Lydiard Park was requisitioned for a variety of military uses. After the death of his mother, Vernon moved away from the ancestral home which was in the process of being sold to Swindon Corporation. He took up residence in Ringwood, Hampshire, during which time he was befriended by the art historian Rupert Gunnis. which many speculated was due to shell shock from his army service.
The 6th viscount died on 1 May 1974 at Crow Hill, just outside Ringwood in Hampshire.
