Drawing upon a wide range of private papers, this family biography recreates the social and domestic setting of an ambitious family which had been part of the highest levels of political leadership in Britain for almost 150 years, throwing important light upon public and private centres of power and influence from the late 18th to the early 20th century.

F. M. G. Willson was Vice-Chancellor of Murdoch University. Prior to that he was Principle of the University of London, UK.