On September 25, a new period drama hits Netflix : House of Guinness , which chronicles the privileged lives of four heirs to the Irish beer fortune in the 1800s after the death of their formidable father. Created by Steven Knight, the same man behind the award-winning Peaky Blinders, the well-reviewed series feels like a moody cross between Succession and Downtown Abbey.

It’s also a story that has some roots in reality. The main characters—Arthur, Benjamin, Edward, and Anne—were real-life scions of the famous beer empire. So, as you stream House of Guinness this weekend, here’s a primer to the inspirations behind the juicy, scandalous, and startlingly wealthy characters on your screen. Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness

Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness was the grandson of Arthur Guinness, w

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