Princess Evelyne Colonna di Stigliano

Evelyn Julie Bryant-Mackay (1861-1919), the adopted daughter of entrepreneur John Mackay, who made a tremendous fortune discovering silver mines in Nevada. Evelyn was born in Downieville in California and later moved to Europe. In 1885 in Paris she married the Neapolitan Ferdinando Colonna di Stigliano (1858-1926), who came from an old Italian aristocratic family. The marriage produced three children: Andrea (1885-1943), Bianca (1887-1944) and Marcantonio (1889-1921). Like many aristocrats of the Belle Époque attracted by the mild climate and natural beauty of the Ligurian coast, Evelyn Colonna spent many years in Santa Margherita Ligure, where she ultimately died in 1919. She was president of the Italian Red Cross. During the First World War, she devoted herself with dedication and generous donations to the construction of a hospital in Santa Margherita Ligure.

In 1911 Princess Evelyne Colonna di Stigliano was primarily based in Italy and 1914 – 18 she was heavily involved in the humanitarian response to World War I. While her family had significant historical and social ties to the UK, her documented activities during this period were focused on her role as the President of the Italian Red Cross.

It is curious as to how and why in 1911 she came to donate £25 (roughly £2300 in today’s terms) to the purchase of the field. One explanation is that she may have been a guest of Teresa Caracciolo, Duchess of San Teodoro, who resided at a property she named Oakwood Grange (formerly Honeywood House).