Eyebrows are likely to be raised at the title of Castle Howard’s new exhibition ‘Sex and Suffrage’, which chronicles the private and public life of Rosalind Howard, the 9th Countess of Carlisle, and great grandmother to current incumbent the Hon Simon Howard.  

The exhibition explores the slow decline of her marriage from its romantic and intimate early days, to her involvement in women’s suffrage and the Temperance movement – for which she became known as a ‘radical’.

“She was not a wallflower,” explains Dr Chris Ridgway. “She came from an intensely political family - her mother was a founder of Girton College, Cambridge - and she was, even by modern standards, a very strong woman.”

Rosalind Howard, a mother of 11 children, was a hugely contradictory figure, capable of great generosity and fun, but equally she could be intolerant, vindictive and autocratic; who in her own words metamorphosed into a bit of a ‘battleaxe’.  This is in stark contrast to her as a newly-married 19 year-old, whose besotted husband showered her with nude sketches and love letters, some of which are on display. 

“What I found fascinating about the pictures is that they contradict the stereotypical image of Victorian marriages being buttoned-up” says Dr Ridgway. 

He goes on to say, “There was however, a gradual falling out of love with her husband, George Howard, who replaced his passion for her with one for the arts. He moved in pre-Raphaelite circles - William Morris was one of his great friends - and would often disappear abroad to paint leaving his wife to manage the estates. The truth was that she ended up taking on the man’s role - on top of being almost constantly pregnant for 14 years.”

Rosalind worked hard for women’s rights, including education and the vote; but she had no time for the suffragettes who she described as “shrieking, scolding women filled with hate”. She was also concerned at a practical and local level, witnessing families torn apart by drunkenness. This led her to champion the Temperance movement: she signed the pledge herself, closed down pubs on the estates, didn’t even serve wine to guests, and of course famously destroyed hundreds of bottles of wine at Castle Howard. “We were determined to get to the bottom of this story, the most famous anecdote about Castle Howard”, said Dr Ridgway, “and not surprisingly there is more to it than meets the eye”.

Rosalind died in 1921, aged 75, surviving five of her six sons. She remained a compulsive workaholic until the end, rising at around 4am each morning, fuelled by coffee and determination.

‘Sex and Suffrage’ The Life and Times of Rosalind Howard, Radical Countess is now on display at Castle Howard until Sunday 31 October 2010.  Entry to the exhibition is included in the House & Gardens admission price.