Mary Cholmondeley (heiress)

Mary, Lady Cholmondeley (née Holford; baptized 20 January 1562 – 15 August 1625) was a British litigant in a 40-year-long dispute over her father's estate.

[1] The case was not settled but intercession led to Mary agreeing to share the estate with those who disputed her title.

[2] In 1615, nearly a century after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Mary Cholmondeley bought Vale Royal Abbey and its surrounding land.

She built a house on the site,[5] rebuilt the old hall, and in 1625 added a lath and plaster wing.

[3] James I held court at Vale Royal for three days and dubbed Mary Cholmondeley the "bolde lady of Cheshire"[3] because she rebuffed his offer to advance the political careers of her sons.