The tragic story of madness, forced marriages and a forgotten heiress.

‘Brilliant’ Financial Times

‘Hollis expertly weaves together the human tragedy and high politics behind the explosion of one of the world’s greatest cities’ Dan Snow

The reclaimed history of a woman whose tragic life tells a story of madness, forced marriages and how the super-rich came to own London

June 1701, and a young widow wakes in a Paris hotel to find a man in her bed. Within hours they are married. Yet three weeks later, the bride flees to London and swears that she had never agreed to the wedding. So begins one of the most intriguing stories of madness, tragic passion and the curse of inheritance.

Inheritance charts the forgotten life of Mary Davies and the fate of the land that she inherited as a baby – land that would become the squares, wide streets and elegant homes of Mayfair, Belgravia, Kensington and Pimlico. From child brides and mad heiresses to religious controversy and shady dealing, the drama culminated in a court case that determined not just the state of Mary’s legacy but the future of London itself.

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‘A fascinating insight into a tragic backwater of London’s history, yet from which one of its most magnificent estates emerged…’

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‘Hollis expertly weaves together the human tragedy and high politics behind the explosion of one of the world’s greatest cities. His scholarship and storytelling make the seventeenth century seem so familiar.’

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'[A] well-crafted history... Hollis unspools the story’s multiple threads with verve, and lucidly explains complex legal and historical matters. Anglophiles and urban history buffs will be delighted.'

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‘An intriguing story of scandal, betrayal, law courts and corruption. It’s a fascinating read.’