The Man Who Tricked An Heiress Into Marriage By Faking His Own Death, And Then Ruined Her Life And Stole Her Fortune
In the 18th century, Andrew Robinson Stoney pulled off one of the most devious and sophisticated cons when he convinced one of the wealthiest heiresses in Europe to marry him as he was supposedly dying
Despite being fabulously wealthy, Mary Eleanor Bowes was incredibly unlucky. Orphaned at a young age, the 18th century Englishwoman saw her first husband die when she was still a young woman. She rebounded to marry another man the following year, who tricked her into the nuptials by staging a fake duel pretending their union was his dying last wish. When he miraculously recovered, he spent years spending her money, abusing her and ruining her life in one of the most shocking incidents in recorded history.
Mary was born in 1749 London. Her father had amassed an enormous fortune through becoming the leader of a cartel of coal mine owners. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly when his daughter was only 11, but she was left with an inheritance of around 1 million pounds (the equivalent of around 239 million pounds in modern value), which arguably made her the richest heiress in Europe at the time.
