Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-26
THE JENNINGS ESTATE.

Among the many estates in England
which people Of the United States are In
terested in, is the Jennings property,
which has been in litigation for long
time, and from which Dickens derived his
famous "Jarndyce rs Jarndycs The
history of this case and the present con-
ditiOn of the property is thus given by a
writer in the London Times
This enormous property, variously esti-
mated at from two to seven millions ster-
ling, and including estates in eleven coun-
ties in England and money in all the old
banks in London, is still in vigorous dis
pute. 1t was left by an extraordinary
miser named William Jennings, described
in the annual register of 1898 as the
richest commoner in England" He was
born in 1701 and died at his seat, Acton
Hall, near Long MeIford, Suffolk, instanced
as one of the most splendid private edifces
in Great Britain, and Boosting ball room
(which was never once used) constructed
at a cost of 100000 Notwithstanding his
incalculable wealth, so mean were the
habits of this old man that he lived in the
underground story of his great house, per
uniting, for the space of nearly thirty
years, the approach of no woman. He
died unmarried ana c1iffeiess, ana feft no
will. The Baroness Howe, daughter Of
the celebrated Admiral Lord Howe, took
possession of the old mans property,
through claim of intermarriage between
a member Of the Jennings family with that
of the Curzons. Administration was, how
ever, not granted for eighteen years-a
significant fact. William Jennings was
the godson OF King William III, and
served as page to that monarch. In com
nection also with his family at this period
were Sarah Jennings, afterwards Duchess
of Marlborough; Frances Jennings,
her sister, Marchioness of Tyrconnell,
wife of Richard Talbot, the Lord
Deputy of ireland for King James
II; and little as it is supposed-Miss
Hills, afterwards the famous rival and
successor of the Duchess in the affections
and favor ofQueen Anne-Mrs. Masham;
in reality the creator of the fortunes of
Harley, Earl of Oxford Mrs. Masham
was cousin of the Duchess of Marl-
borough, and was introduced into Court
by her Frances, the Marchioness Of
Tyrconnel, was, in the days of her dis
tress, the celebrated white miliner
appearing in the domestic history of
George l., and commemorated in a
modern comedy Soame Jenyns, the
philosopher and Constantine Jennings
(there are eleven different ways of SPELL
ing the name) the possessor of three
fortunes, who Notwithstanding, died in
poverty in 1913, in the Rules of the
Kings Bench prison, and who is known
as Dog Jennings on account of his
purchase of "Alcibiades Dog" were
also of this family. The supposed figure
of Alcibiades' Dog cost two thousand
guineas However, the public interest
in regard to a property and story which
read more like romance than plain matter
Of fact, rests in the circumstance that the
property is still in litigation, new claims
ants appearing every day. The Earl
Howe, Earl Beauchamp, aud other mem
bers of aristocratic rank claiming affinity
Though remote) with the original family,
and in possession, although the claim has
always been protested against, of this ex-
tensive property. Altogether, this at
traction of the great property lying open
to the heireship of some persons undis-
covered yet, if it at all discoverable,
draws claimants not only from the United
States, but, to my familiar knowledge
from Cape of Good Hope, India and Aus
tralia. | omit Ireland and Canada, which
countries have sent to England claimants
in profusion, with the proper proper
ton of lawyers and pedigree fanciers