Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-02-25
A MISERLY MONTE CRISTO.
The Enormous Wealth Of William
Jennings and the Great Intcrcst
Many Have Therein


Jennings and the Great Intcrc~t
Many Have Therein.
In his recent journey to England upon mat
tiers concerning the Jennings estate Mr.. James
Usher, who makes a speciality of that sort of
thing. dug up some facts which cannot but be
interesting to the few hundred thousand people
who think they are heirs Of long defanct
William Jennings. Few have any definite ideas
ABOUT that remotely departed person beyond the
general ones that he was very rich. and left his
wealth in such form as to be perennial JOY for
lawyers and of deathless hope for a MYRIAD of
Claimants. According to Mr.. Ushers story
William Jennings, of Acton place. Suffolk. and of
Grosyenor square. London. was son of Robert
Jennings. aide-de-camp to the great Duke of Marl-
borough. and grandson of Humphrey Jennings
VINO was not only an eminent ironmaster i'm
birmingham but owner of ELLINGTON Hall, county
OF warwick, and Lord of the Manor OF Neither
"hltacre, in that county. i'm $780, which is far
enough back to look up the Jennings line. The
William Jennings whose estate Is the present
bone Of contention died in 1873 at the sufficiently
ripe age OF "a years King William Ill. was his
godfather. and he was at one time page TO
George l., so that social responsibility at least
may be Claimed for his family associations. Hos
pitallty and generous openhandedness are re-
ported as having been characteristics of the Biz
mngham branch of his family. but William had
no such unthrifty vices He seemed to live
mainly for the purpose of accommodating wealth.
remained bachelor all his life that he might
the better devote his whole attention 10 money
getting. and died at last without making a will
After his death a will was found in his coat
pocket, sealed. but not signed. he having forgot
ten to take his spectacies with him when he
paid his last visit to his solicitor. and
consequently deferred its signature. In
his iron chest, the key of which was
found hidden in a mortgage deed. were d;scov-
cred f19.OOO in bank notes Of the year l7SS and
several thousand new guineas. In various
drawers in his town and country houses about
42o,0Vo In gold and notes were collected. The
Messrs. Chflds, his bankers, kept for him
always sort of "petty cash a" deposit of
1000, just to meet sudden emergencies but
which he had not drawn upon during many
years preceding his death. and they also had i'm
keeping for him huge chest full of silyer-plate
and jewels But all these were as nothing by
comparison with his enormous investments i'm
almost every speculative enterprise and Sc
curlty OF the day, and his vast possessions in
real estate. Among some OF the items specified
in the long roll of his acquisitions are 800 600 in
vested in safe and good mort cages 500 600 i'm 3
per cent. consOls, E1O0.G00 in South Sea stock,
$4,000 in bank stock. e5o.o0o in re
interest on stocks. funds &c: flO7 600
cash in private bankers hands &c In all
he was worth at least e. eco GOO when he died IS
years ago, and it is averred that by accumulated
interest and profit upon his shrewd Investments
four times that much. OF course if he had ever
stopped to reflect about it he would probably
have seen that little careiessness or even mild
pr9digality would hardly have been likely to
bring him to the poor-house, yet all his life he
was close even to penuroUsneSs. himself taking
all the trouble of going over all his household
bills rather than go to the expense of employing
steward. making a row if he discovered few
shillings of extra expenditure. and insisting upon
it that all his expenses in both town and country
should be kept within $4,000 per annum-the
sum he received from the Eychequer Tontne.
1t is affirmed that this large estate. being well
and clearly defined and located, can be made to
yield something to the multitude Of American
claimants, and that going for it is not sort of
fishing excursion as the pursuit of the mythical
millions of the Hyde estate proved to be. But
unluckily for the hopeful gentlemen who look
after it. there are English claimants in pos
session of at least very considerable portion
of it. and so large sum as IS. 900. 600 will
hardly be given up without a vast amount of
litigation,