Unauthorised identities: the impostor, the fake and the secret history in nineteenth century Britain

The son of a carpenter declares himself the heir to a wealthy estate near Bristol. An elderly woman claims to be the unacknowledged grand-daughter of the Duke of Cumberland and to know a secret that will rock the foundations of the British monarchy. Another woman takes over Dilston Castle with a servant in a suit of armour and proclaims herself its rightful owner. Secret marriages produce inheritance claims that are pursued across generations.