It’s not often you come across stories about your ancestors when they were young. But when they’re wealthy or titled, and people want to write (and read) about them, then it’s surprising what you can find.
The Victorian press, though, seems as full of scandal and tittle-tattle as any of today’s tabloids, and the mischievously named Truth has more embroidery in one of its articles than in Vicomtesse Mina’s entire wardrobe.
Fittingly, the young Mina Sheppard is the star of this first piece from Truth. I can just picture those bouncy brown curls…
‘Mr Shepperd had a French wife and a very pretty and very lively daughter. The baptismal name of the youthful Miss Shepperd was Mina. Her parents came to live with her in Paris when Louis
