THE Lyne Stephens fortune, one of the largest fortunes of the 19th Century, was a major cause celebre in Cornwall for almost 100 years. But its strange and dramatic story has never been told until now.

The fortune was made by a Cornish family whose members frequently travelled on the Post Office Packet Service from Falmouth to Lisbon.

William and John James Stephens, who made their money in Portugal, were grandsons of Lewis Stephens, vicar of Menheniot. Charles Lyne, who inherited their wealth, was the son of John Lyne, rector of St Ive and master of Liskeard Grammar School.

Because the fortune was placed in the Court of Chancery, many poor families in Cornwall were defrauded by con men who offered to claim the fortune on payment of a fee.

Families with the name of Stephens invented ancestors who had gone to Portugal and built glass factories; and even today, there are puzzled family historians whose pedigrees contain the names of the Stephens brothers and their parents, dropped fraudulently but hopefully into unconnected family trees.

Now the story of the fortune has been told in a new book and it is a real rags-to-riches tale which is very absoring. It tells of a servant girl in Landulph giving birth to an illegitimate son in May 1731. Little did she realise that he would become one of the richest industrialists in Europe.

Her son, William Stephens, was a man of genius. He lived through the earthquake which destroyed Lisbon and became friends with the Marquis of Pombal, dictator of Portugal.

Opening a glass factory in the village of Marinha Grande, William was granted a monopoly of glass supply and exemption from all taxes. Intelligent and charismatic, he charmed dictators, queens and princes into extending his privileges, allowing him to build up enormous wealth.

In 1803, his fortune passed to his brother, John James, who steered the glass factory through the upheavals of the Peninsular War.

The richest man in Lisbon (and one of the most eccentric), he held daily banquets in his mansion house but attended the dinners with only one shoelace to his shoes, his guests perched on chairs without seats, his footmen serving mustard from broken wine glasses.

On his death, the massive fortune made in Portugese glass transformed his cousin from Liskeard, Charles Lyne, into the richest commoner in England.

Later it passed into the hands of his son's widow, a French ballerina who scandalised society by her sexual adventures, while the infamous Court of Chancery creamed off the wealth into the pockets of lawyers.

This fascinating story by Jenifer Roberts, an historical author and photographer, spans two centuries. It follows the dramatic events in European history: a tale of earthquake, wars and revolution all told through the lives of a strange and compelling mix of characters.

The book contains 384 pages, with 40 illustrations, full references, index, and comprehensive family tree.