Mary Nesbitt

Mary Nesbitt (born 1742/3 – died 1825) was an English upper class socialite and courtesan who mixed in the elevated circles of government and royalty in late 18th century Great Britain. Her home, Norwood House, in Upper Norwood, then Surrey, now South London, became a meeting place for the rich and powerful. Life She was born Mary Davis, in poverty and of unknown parentage. Her enemies later alleged that she had been born 'in a wheelbarrow' in Covent Garden. She was also early on known as Polly Davis. Her society career began as an artist's model for Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1764. Through this connection she began her career as a courtesan. Simon Luttrell, nicknamed the King of Hell and later first Earl of Carhampton, was possibly her original seducer. Her association with Luttrell may be the origin of her later nickname of Hellfire Davies. Through Luttrell she was introduced to Alexander Nesbitt (bap 1730 – d 1772), the youngest of three sons of Thomas Nesbitt, a merchant banker in the City of London.