Guinness heir Tara Browne died at 21 before his £1 million inheritance, and his mother won custody of his sons

Tara Browne was the son of Oonagh Guinness and Dominick Browne, 4th Baron Oranmore and Browne. He was due to receive £1 million at 25 and in the meantime had an allowance of £720 a month. In August 1963, at 18, he married Noreen "Nicky" MacSherry, a farmer's daughter nearly three years older. His mother was furious. They had two sons, Dorian, born in 1963, and Julian, born in 1965. By mid-1966 the couple had separated, and they fought publicly over custody of the boys. Oonagh also sought custody and spent heavily on the case. In December 1966 Browne's Lotus Elan hit a parked vehicle in Redcliffe Gardens, and he died in hospital, aged 21. His girlfriend, the model Suki Potier, survived and told the inquest he had steered to protect her. The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death. He never reached 25. His estate was valued at £56,069. A judge ruled that the boys would live with their grandmother, Oonagh. John Lennon said news of Browne's death inspired lines in "A Day in the Life"; Paul McCartney disputed it.