General French at Tranby Croft (1902)

A Boer war hero visits a magnificent country house, scene of a royal scandal.

Although he couldn't quite match the celebrity heights of Boer War heroes such as Lord Kitchener and Robert Baden-Powell, General French won headlines in February 1900 as the liberator of Kimberley in the Far North Cape. Seen here smoking in a relaxed fashion in the dark suit and no hat, French casually poses for the camera with his hosts.

Tranby Croft, located in Allaby, East Riding, was the home of Hull ship-owner Arthur Wilson. The house rose to fame in 1890 when the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) became embroiled in a gambling scandal involving an illegal game of Baccarat.