The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-04-05
PHANTOM FORTUNES.


renowned for ITS exquisite traCcry work
and carving. is a monument of the plous
munihcouco ol the De Ncrcs. stood at the
close Of the last century sumptuous
and stately mansion called Acton Place,
RACED to the ground moro than forty
wears ago. 1. was not az that time an old
house hy any means, SAYS the New York
Tines. from which We clip, having only
been erected about lI2A 10y Robert lou.
mems. who had purchased the estate,
This gentleman was "a member ot one ut
the first families who grew wealthy ln the
Rrmugham TRADE. Has father Hum
phr,v, acquired an enormous fortune u
that town hv button making ami other
metal work, and took up IN, HhNde at
Epiuglou Hall IN the nclghhorhood tic
left several SONS. who appear g. have had
s9uls above buttons, and svJ mp as gem
tlomCn. although We believe that the
descendants of hls brother make buttons
at birmingham Ia tins hour. Charles
lenueus- Humphrey eldest SON Who
attained manhool-m married into the oll
Norman family Of Burlott-the same oi
which the RAroness Buricu. Coutts rs So
worthy scion-ani seated himself al
Gopsall IN Leicvstorshire
Robert. brother ol Charles, seems to
have resldoi IN London, aul g. have
been much in the army, he was Jiit-af-
camp to William Ill. and subsequently
much occupied IN neal estate tu,usSlc-
uaus. Although lt dacs not appear that
he was U'latod a. Sarah, Duchess al
Marlborough. whose maiden name was
tht, same as his. there was a close luu-
macy between them, sud Mr Ruber,
demons WAS largely mtrustej with the
management ~ tho vast and scattered
properties. and the Investment of the
enormous hOunis which John Churchill
and hiS graspiug wite were daily accu-
malauus. Nlth both Ieuuens and his
wiic-yhe descendant OF Au eminent
Florenunc family settled in England
the duchess was in constant correspond
eucc. and most of hrr letters contain AN
allusi0a to their only child. William.
This William 1euurns WAS goiSuu
some scandal mongtgs even hutrd that
he WAS sau-of King William Ill, page
u George l., and lived thirty-el- -ht years
INTO the reign Of George III. He mhvr-
iJed from his father, whom he survived
seveutv-three years, q large fortune, and
pr0hably derived more from his uncle,
since IL is difficult otherwise 20 account,
for ms fortune being at his death 50 CO.
lossal inasmuch rs Robert Jenneus' let
ters "a the duchess DO not indicate that
he was more than alllusnt, and William,
though living far below his income. was
not d miser, but lived at Acton Place In
handsome style. noted for his luxurious
table, and had q house IN Grusvcnur
square. the best place ut residence IN
London. But az his death IL was found
thar he had, besides large real estate,
accumulated upward of two millions
sterling, a sum almost unknown mp -
that date. When he died, IN lI9S, the
dividends on most of his stocks and the
interest ON his mortgages had not been
claimed for years. In his iron chest
were bank notes ui l7SS, % the amount
Of SO, 600. and several th0usahd new
guineas. He had never employed
regular steward
A viii was found in his pocket, but
unsigned. HIS servant explained that
Mr.. JeunenS went 10 execute II at his
lawvers. but finding that be WAS without
his spectacles deferred doing So On
what little points DO our fortunes some
times turn. Tins omission cost several
people hundreds OF thousands sterling
In the absence of a VIII the realty passed
to tbs heir-at-law This was the de-
scendant Of his fathers oldest brother,
Charles. Of Gopsall, whose daughter and
heiress married William Hammer. BY
him she had daughter, Hester, wife OF
Penn He married Lady Sophia, heiress
of Earl Howe, and that earliom bocom-
ing extinct, was revived IN the person
of her son. Thus the present Earl Howe
owns at this day the neal estate of Vii
liam Jennens. Now, for his personally.
In default OF a viii duly executed, admins
tratiou with the VIII annexed was ON the
sixth of July, l79S, granted 10 William
Lvgon. Esq, and Right Hon. Mary
Nlscluntess Andover, the cousins german
once removed, and nearest of kin ui the
said deceased. They were the grand
children of his aunts, and q step nearer
to him than the luheritors Of the real es-
tate. but not so near IN direct male de-
scent. The connection Of his father
and mother with the Marlb1roughs was
brought 20 light bv this deyolut'ou of
the personally, IuAsmuch as there was
found monE the papers at Mairtsfield
the seat OF Loui Beauchamp, head ol
the Lyon family series OF letters be-
tween the Jeunenses and tine Marl-
borOugls. which Lord Beauchamp pub
lished last year: probably al the instance
ot his accomplished father-iu-iAw. the
late Earl Stanhope. the historian. But
Il Is notable that neither the Curzon nog
the Beauchamp pedigree in the " Peer
age refers 30 the source OF SO much Of
their property.
Here, then, is the history Of the man
who is supposed to be awaiting heirs.
From some inexphcable circumstance
the idea got abroad that it remained uu-
appropriated, and 1t must be presumed
that certain cunning persons connected
with the law have found it profitable 10
encourage this fond dclusion. a quar-
ter of q century ago the GcHHcmaa's
Magazine printed a statement to the
effect that:
THE long litigated case of the Jennings
estate has been settled by the court Of
chancery. The PROPERTY lies principally
IN the county Of Suffolk, and at one period
was estimated at E7, 900, 900. but only one
half of that amount has been divided bv
the late decision. Two claimants reside
in Chelmsford. One. a iourneyman
painter, has received Ej00. 600.
But next month follows an explanation
10 the effect that:
"Our correspondent, it appears, de
rived his information indirectly from the
painter himself, who, much advanced in
years, having been called to town 20 at-
tach his signature b some document con-
nected with the proceedings in his be-
half. fancied that he had by his autograph
secured the property T.
The editor proceeds to state That he
had received communication from the
Jermens Family Association, from which
he is led to believe that al the chancery
doubts as TO tho rightful owners are not
yet dispelled, and that all the claimants
may still indulge the idea that they have
yeta chance Of the prize. That claimants,
here at all events, continue to do so, is
evident from q recent paragraph in the
New Haven Palladium. of Feb. 81,
where we read that:
"The American heirs of the Jennings
estate in England held a meeting at
Bridgeport, Conn, on the thirty-first Of
January, two hundred being present.
Competent agents viii be employed 10
thoroughly prepare the case. The estate
is valued at S3O,000,0nO Of which $50,
000,0O is in personally. The English
courts have rejected the claim Of the
English branch OF the family.