224:(1777–1852). Litigation on behalf of the American descendants commenced around 1850 and every descendant of anybody named "Jennings" was solicited. The accumulation of funds for litigation was initiated in England, but his Virginia descendants contributed large sums and even unrelated individuals named "Jennings" sent money in the hope of sharing the inheritance.
382:
You are
Desired to Meet the Rest of the Governors and Guardians of the Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Young Children: On Wednesday, the 12th Day of May, 1756, at the Said Hospital in Lamb's-Conduit-Fields, ... to Hold the Annual General Meeting of this Corporation,
290:
which exhibited some similarities to the
Jennens case although differed in its fundamental, being that the fortune of Jarndyce, held in Chancery, was exhausted by its multiple claimants whereas William Jennens fortune was distributed to his beneficiaries and remained untouched by its many optimistic
183:
Died, 19 June, in his 97th year, Wm. Jennens, of Acton Place, near Long
Melford, in the county of Suffolk, and of Grosvenor Square, Esq. He was baptized in September 1701, and was the son of Robert Jennens, Esq., Aide-de-Camp to great Duke of Marlborough (by Anne, his wife, and daughter of Carew
126:
William conducted his business in London, including lending to gamblers in the casinos. Thus he acquired his name and reputation as a miser whilst accruing his fortune. Nevertheless, he was a cultured man, serving as governor to an orphanage, serving as a benefactor of the
Emmanuel Society, which
197:
Initially the Court of
Chancery declared that the heir to his fortune was George Augustus William Curzon, a descendant of his aunt Hester Jennens. Curzon's mother, Sophia Charlotte Howe, administered the estate on his behalf but when he died young she passed it to her second son,
261:, among many other places. It has been suggested that more than £100,000 was spent on research and retaining legal counsel. By the time these clubs were formed, the statute of limitations for claiming the fortune had already passed, unless fraud could be proven.
537:
A will was found in his coat-pocket, sealed, but not signed; which was owing, as his favourite servant says, to his master leaving his spectacles at home when he went to his solicitor for the purpose of duly executing it, and which he afterwards forgot to
174:
A will was found in his coat-pocket, sealed, but not signed; which was owing, as his favourite servant says, to his master leaving his spectacles at home when he went to his solicitor for the purpose of duly executing it, and which he afterwards forgot to
232:
Starting in 1849, the
Jennens fortune became so notorious that clubs were formed of people descended from Jennens and Jennings, who would hire agents to do genealogical research and file lawsuits in Britain. Such clubs are known to have existed in
71:
for well over a century despite the fact that all Jennen's real and personal estate had been distributed to his closest living relatives in a relatively short time after his death. The
Jennens case is often cited as having provided inspiration for
184:
Guidott, Esq., lineally descended from Sir
Anthony Guidott, Knight, a noble Florentine, employed on sundry embassies by King Edward VI), grandson of Humphrey Jennens of Edington Hall, in the county of Warwick, Esq., Lord of the Manor of
157:
He was described as
Britain's richest man at the time of his death. His estate was said to be worth over £2 million (though it was probably closer to £1.1 million), producing an annual income of about £40,000.
610:
Jennings wills and administrations at
Litchfield, England, abstracts in the two registries from 1550 to 1857, all tending to show who are heirs to the late William Jennings, of Acton place, Suffolk.
123:
style until he died in 1725. William abandoned all rebuilding and lived in unfurnished rooms in the basement with his servants and dogs, eschewing visitors and social contact.
220:. If he was the William Jennings who married Mary Jane Pulliam, then many Americans were coheirs, including their famous great-grandson, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State
545:
483:
Polden, Patrick (December 2003). "Stranger Than Fiction? The Jennens Inheritance in Fact and Fiction Part Two: The Business of Fortune Hunting".
216:
William's uncle William Jennens, (15 November 1676), the youngest son of Humphrey Jennens and Mary Milford, was a British Army officer in the
644:
At Acton Place, near Long Melford, aged 99, Wm. Jennens, esq. supposed to be the richest commoner in England. King William was his godfather.
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William was born in 1701 to Ann(e) (née Guidott 1675, daughter of Carew Guidott(i)) and Robert Jennens (Jennings), who were married in
105:
22:
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in that county in 1680 and an eminent ironmaster of Birmingham. King William III was godfather to late Mr. Jennens.
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of 20 July 1798 published a tabulated list of his worth as capital of £432,509 and annual interest of £119,415.
546:"Stranger than Fiction? The Jennens Inheritance in Fact and Fiction Part One: The Jennens Fortune in the Courts"
358:"Stranger than Fiction? The Jennens Inheritance in Fact and Fiction. Part 1: The Jennens Fortune in the Courts"
652:"Stranger than Fiction? The Jennens Inheritance in Fact and Fiction Part Two: The Business of Fortune Hunting"
651:
199:
166:
154:
William died on 19 June 1798 and his body was interred in the family vault beside his father and mother.
202:(1796–1870), who was later alleged to have been the illegitimate son of a single woman named Ann Oake.
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The last claim failed in 1915. Unofficial claims in the media persisted for some decades thereafter.
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between March 1852 and September 1853, where a key plot device was the ongoing legal case
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The courts allocated William the Miser's personal property between his next of kin, Mary,
8:
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with a fortune estimated at £2 million, which became the subject of legal wrangles (
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59:. He was described as the "richest commoner in England" when he died unmarried and
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Richard Phillips; John Aikin; John Abraham Heraud; Benson Earle Hill (1798),
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213:(1747–1816), a grandson of Hester Jennens, and a descendant of Thomas Lygon.
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101:
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Great Jennens case: being an epitome of the history of the Jennens family
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supported the blind, and subscribing to books, including Jeremiah Seed's
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343:"The Guidott / Guidotti family, Acton Place, Summary of William Jennens"
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Catholic family, in 1708 and continuously remodelled it in the
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Pedigree of Jennens, Howe, Hanmer, Lygon and other families
209:, a granddaughter of Humphrey Jennens's daughter Ann, and
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316:"1798-1799 Bury and Norwich Post FDLHS newspaper archive"
415:. No. 4235. London. 20 July 1798. col D, p. 2.
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392:
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Robert Jennens bought Acton Place from the Daniels, a
527:, vol. 68 part 2, London, 1798, pp. 627–628
431:, vol. 68 part 2, London, 1798, pp. 627–628
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524:The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle
428:The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle
167:The Gentleman's Magazine, and Historical Chronicle
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603:, Sheffield, England: Pawson & Brailsford
379:Foundling Hospital (London, England) (1756).
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331:
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47:, was a reclusive financier who lived at
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649:
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368:(3): 218–219 – via Sage Journals.
106:John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
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634:, vol. 5, R Phillips, p. 472
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631:Monthly Magazine and British Register
23:William Jennens (Royal Navy officer)
710:18th-century English businesspeople
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149:
13:
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14:
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662:(4). Vathek Publishing: 338–367.
556:(3). Vathek Publishing: 211–247.
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211:William Lygon, 1st Earl Beauchamp
599:Willis, M; Harrison, M (1879),
515:
476:
442:
349:
1:
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35:) (1701–1798), also known as
16:English financier (1701–1798)
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7:
668:10.1350/clwr.32.4.338.19427
497:10.1350/clwr.32.4.338.19427
200:Richard William Penn Curzon
131:(1743) and James Ogilvie's
10:
736:
562:10.1177/147377950303200301
235:Great Barr, Birmingham, UK
108:. William's godfather was
20:
650:Polden, Patrick (2003b).
544:Polden, Patrick (2003a).
411:"Mr. JENNEN'S PROPERTY".
715:High sheriffs of Suffolk
466:"William Henry Jennings"
356:Polden, Patrick (2003).
656:Common Law World Review
550:Common Law World Review
485:Common Law World Review
449:Jennings Family History
362:Common Law World Review
243:Walpole, New Hampshire
190:
177:
170:reported in 1798 that:
21:For navy captain, see
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172:
239:Nashville, Tennessee
218:American Indian Wars
100:in 1700. Robert was
287:Jarndyce v Jarndyce
179:His obituary read:
146:in 1754 (or 1756).
82:' serialised novel
75:Jarndyce v Jarndyce
271:by Charles Dickens
51:in the village of
45:The Miser of Acton
138:He was appointed
98:Westminster Abbey
69:Court of Chancery
65:Jennens v Jennens
37:William the Miser
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320:foxearth.org.uk
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276:Charles Dickens
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193:Court decisions
186:Nether Whitacre
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80:Charles Dickens
29:William Jennens
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491:(4): 338–367.
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228:Jennings clubs
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53:Acton, Suffolk
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679:. Retrieved
659:
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573:. Retrieved
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529:, retrieved
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516:Bibliography
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399:Polden 2003a
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705:1798 deaths
700:1701 births
291:litigants.
281:Bleak House
269:Bleak House
247:Connecticut
85:Bleak House
49:Acton Place
694:Categories
681:8 December
638:9 December
620:9 December
575:8 December
531:9 December
435:9 December
295:References
278:published
251:New Jersey
222:Henry Clay
129:Discourses
31:(possibly
676:143880775
570:152007792
505:143880775
413:The Times
160:The Times
121:Palladian
92:Biography
67:) in the
61:intestate
255:Virginia
135:(1786).
117:recusant
33:Jennings
259:Ireland
144:Suffolk
133:Sermons
57:England
720:Misers
674:
568:
503:
257:; and
43:, and
672:S2CID
614:(PDF)
566:S2CID
501:S2CID
683:2012
640:2012
622:2012
577:2012
533:2012
437:2012
664:doi
558:doi
538:do.
493:doi
383:...
175:do.
142:of
104:to
78:in
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455:^
391:^
366:32
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25:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.