Anne Wignall, known as Lady Ebury ( née Acland-Troyte; 12 June 1912 – 23 June 1982), was an English socialite and author as Alice Acland and Anne Marreco.

Family life

Anne Wignall was born Anne Acland-Troyte in the

London Borough of Kensington The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an Inner London borough with royal status. It is the smallest borough in London and the second smallest district in England; it is one of the most densely populated administrative regions in the ...

, the daughter of Herbert Walter Acland-Troyte and Marjorie Florence Pym. She had one younger brother, John Acland-Troyte. She married: *On 1 July 1933,

Baron Ebury Baron Ebury, of Ebury Manor in the County of Middlesex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that dates from 1857. In 1999, it became a subsidiary title of the earldom of Wilton after the 6th Baron Ebury inherited the earldom fro ...

(1914-1957). They had two sons, Francis Egerton Grosvenor, 8th Earl of Wilton (born 1934) and the Hon. Robert Victor Grosvenor (1936–1993). They were divorced in 1941. During their marriage they lived at Redheath (now York House School), Croxley Green, Watford, Kingston Bagpuize House, North Berkshire (now in Oxfordshire) and Day's House (now Philberd's Manor), East Hanney, Berkshire. *On 23 December 1941, Henry Peregrine Rennie Hoare (1901–1981). They were divorced in 1947. *On 13 November 1947, Lt.-Col. Frederick Wignall (1906–1956). They had one daughter, Caroline Louisa Wignall (born 1948). She was widowed in 1956. *On 25 September 1961,

Anthony Marreco Anthony (Tony) Freire Marreco (9 August 1915 – 4 June 2006) was a British barrister. He was Junior Counsel at the Nuremberg trials, and later a founding director of Amnesty International. He was also known for his romantic liaisons, marryin ...

(1915–2006), a

junior counsel The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel (post-nominal letters: SC) is given to a senior lawyer in some countries that were formerly part of the British Empire. "Senior Counsel" is used in current or former Commonwealth countries or jurisdictio ...

at the

Nuremberg Trials The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II. Between 1939 and 1945, Nazi Germany invaded m ...

, and later a founding director of Amnesty International. She changed her name back to Wignall by deed poll in 1969 and died in 1982 in Tiverton, Devon. She is buried in the churchyard at

All Saints Church, Huntsham All Saints' Church, Huntsham is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England. It is in the small village of Huntsham, about to the north-east of Tiverton. It is part of the Hukeley Mission group of parishes, which also includes St ...

close to her father's ancestral seat,

Huntsham Court Huntsham Court is a Grade II* listed country house in Huntsham, Devon, England. Built in 1868–70, it was designed in the Tudor Gothic style by Benjamin Ferrey for Charles Troyte. It was then the home of his son and local MP, Sir Gilbert Acl ...

Bibliography

Anne Wignall wrote 11 books under two different names: As Alice Acland *'' Caroline Norton'' ( Constable, 1948) , a biography of the English social reformer and author *''Templeford Park'' (Constable, 1954) , a tale of country life in contemporary 1950s Britain *''A Stormy Spring'' (Constable, 1955) , a novel set in Sussex, Bruges and Paris, about the life of a fictional young lady, Emily Satersham *''A Second Choice'' (Constable, 1956) , a novel about a young girl in love with a philandering middle-aged married man *''A Person of Discretion'' (

Collins Collins may refer to: People Surname Given name * Collins O. Bright (1917–?), Sierra Leonean diplomat * Collins Chabane (1960–2015), South African Minister of Public Service and Administration * Collins Cheboi (born 1987), Kenyan middle- ...

, 1958) , story of three sisters from Brussels becoming entangled in the black market and the resistance during the closing stages of the Second World War *''The Corsican Ladies'' ( Peter Davies Ltd, 1974) , historical novel based on the extensive autobiographical writings of

Laure Junot Laure may refer to: * ''Laure'' (film), a 1976 Italian erotic film in the Emmanuelle universe * '' Doxocopa laure'', commonly known as the Laure, a butterfly People * Laura (given name) (French variant) * Laure (art model) (fl. 1859–1867), Fr ...

*''The Secret Wife'' (Peter Davies Ltd, 1975) , a historical novel based on the life of Françoise d'Aubigné *''The Ruling Passion'' (Peter Davies Ltd, 1976) , historical novel based on the life of

Diane de Poitiers Diane de Poitiers (9 January 1500 – 25 April 1566) was a French noblewoman and prominent courtier. She wielded much power and influence as King Henry II's royal mistress and adviser until his death. Her position increased her wealth and famil ...

, a mistress of

Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch ...

As Anne Marreco *''The Charmer and the Charmed'' (

Weidenfeld & Nicolson Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (established 1949), often shortened to W&N or Weidenfeld, is a British publisher of fiction and reference books. It has been a division of the French-owned Orion Publishing Group since 1991. History George Weidenfeld a ...

, 1963) , a comedy of manners, in which the wife of a publisher falls in love with one of her husband's authors *''The Boat Boy'' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1964) , a novel in which the anti-hero brings chaos to rural Ireland *''The Rebel Countess – The Life and Times of

Constance Markievicz Constance Georgine Markievicz ( pl, Markiewicz ; ' Gore-Booth; 4 February 1868 – 15 July 1927), also known as Countess Markievicz and Madame Markievicz, was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, socialist, and the firs ...

'' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1967) , a biography of the Irish revolutionary and politician

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wignall, Anne 1912 births 1982 deaths 20th-century English novelists 20th-century British women writers 20th-century biographers English historical novelists Women historical novelists English biographers British socialites British baronesses Burials in Devon Women biographers 20th-century pseudonymous writers Pseudonymous women writers