Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-05-03
A Miserly Millionaire
THE ENORMOUS WEALTH OF WILLIAM
JENNINGS AND THE GEEAT
INTEREST MANY HAVE
THEREIN.

estate, Mr.. James Usher, who makes
specially OF that sort Of thing, dug up
some facts which caBnot but be inter.
estlng 10 The few hundred thousand
people who think they are heirs of a
long-deiunct William Jtnnings. Few
have any defnite ideas about that re-
motely departed person beyond the
general ones that he was very rich,
and lett his wealth in such form as TO
DC perennial joy for lawyers and of
dealhless hope for a myriad of claim
ants. According to Mr. Usher's story,
William Jennings, OF Acton place.
Suffolk, aud of Governor square, Lon
don, was son of Robert Jennings, AID
de camp TO the great Duke of Marl-
borough. and grandson of Humphrey
Jennings, who was not only al eminent
ironmaster iu Birmingham, but owner
of Ellington Hall, county of Warwick,
and Lord Of the Manor of Neither
Whliacre, in that county, 1880. which
Is tar enough back 10 look up the
Jennings line. The William Jennings
whose estate is the present bone of
contention died in 1898 at the sufficient.
ly ripe age Of ninely-seYen years.
Kmg William III. was his gOdia her,
aud he vas at once lime page to George
l., so that social respectabilily at
least may be claimed for his family as.
sociations. Hospitality and generous
opcnhandeduess are reported as having
been characteristics of the Birmingham
branch OF his family, but William had
10 such unlhrif;y vices. He seemed to
live mainly for the purpose Of accumu-
laling wealth, remained a bachelor all
mis- life that he might the better devote
his whole attention TO money getting,
and died at last without making a will.
Alter bis death will was found IN his
coat pocket, sea.rd but uot signed, he
haylng fJrgotten 10 take his spectacles
with him when he paid bis last visit to
his solicitor, and consequently deferred
lis signature. In his iron chest, The
key OF which was found hidden in a
mortgage deed, were dlscJyered el9,.
600 in bAnk-notes of the year 1888 an j
several thousand new guineas. Iu
various drawers in his town and coun-
uy houses about e20,0 in gold and
notes were collected. The Messrs.
Childs, his bankers, kept for him al
ways a sort OF petty cash" deposit
OF ESQ, 900, just to meet sudden emer-
gencies, but which be bad not drawn
upon during many years preceding his
death, and they also had in keeping
for him huge chest full OF .silver.plate
and jewels. But all these were as
nothing BY comparison with his enor-
nous investments in almost every
speculative enterprise ani security Of
the day, and his vast possessions IN
real estate. Among some OF the items
specified in the long roll Of his acquisi-
tions are 100000 invested in safe and
good mortgages, e60, 900 10 3-per-ceul.
conso.s, eI00 900 in South Sea stock,
$50, 600 in bank stock ESQ, 00O in re.
duced annuihes, el50, 1000 in accumulat.
ed interest Oh stocks, funds, &C., 9l07,-
600 cash in pril ate bankers hands, SC.
In all be was worth at least GO, 900. 900
when he died eighty three years ago.
and it is agerred that by Accumulated d
lulerest and profit upon shrewd invest
ments Of capital the present value oil
the estate is fully tour times that much.
OF course. if he had eyer stopped to re-
feet about It, lie would probably have
seen that a little carelessness or even
mild proAigality would hardly have
been likely to bring him 10 the poor
house, yet all his lite he was close
even to pepuriousness, himself taking
all the trouble Of going over all h.l
household bills rather than 20 TO the
expense of employing q steward, max
inc o row if he discovered few shlll.
lngs OF extra expenditure, and insist.
ing upon it that all bis expenses in betl
town and county should be kept with
in 93 600 per annum--the sum he re-
celved from The Exchequer Tontine
1t is affirmed that this large estate,
being we'll aud clearly defined and To-
Gated, can be made 10 Yield something
to the multitude Of American claimants,
and that going iot it is not a sort ol
6shiug excursion, as the pursuit Of th'
mytblcsl millions Of the Hyde estate
proved 10 be. But unluckily for th'
hopeful gentlemen who look after it
there are English clalmaus in posses
sion OF at least very considerable por'
ton ofIt, and so large a sum as fS, 1000,
900 will hardly be given up without a
vast amount of litigation.