William Jennens facts for kids

William Jennens (1701–1798) was a very wealthy man from England, sometimes called William the Miser or William the Rich. He lived at Acton Place in Acton, Suffolk. When he died, he was known as the "richest commoner" in England. He never married and didn't leave a will. His huge fortune, estimated at around £2 million (which was a massive amount back then!), became the subject of a very long legal battle. This case, called Jennens v Jennens, went on for over a hundred years in the Court of Chancery. In the end, all the money was used up by lawyers' fees! This famous case might have even inspired Charles Dickens' fictional story Jarndyce v Jarndyce in his novel Bleak House. It was reported that a will was found in his pocket, sealed but not signed, because he had forgotten his spectacles when he went to sign it.

Who Was William Jennens?

William Jennens was born in 1701. His parents were Ann(e) Guidott and Robert Jennens. They got married in Westminster Abbey in 1700. William's father, Robert, was an important helper to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, a famous military leader. Interestingly, King William III was William Jennens's godfather!

Life at Acton Place

In 1708, William's father, Robert Jennens, bought a large house called Acton Place. He spent many years making it bigger and more grand in a style called Palladian. However, when his father died in 1725, William stopped all the building work. He chose to live in just a few unfurnished rooms in the basement of the big house, mostly with his servants and dogs. He didn't like having visitors or spending time with other people.

William's Business and Interests

Even though he was known as a "miser," William was a very successful businessman. He managed his money and lent it to people, including gamblers in London's casinos. This is how he built his huge fortune and earned his nickname. Despite his reputation for being careful with money, William was also a cultured person. He helped run an orphanage and supported a group called the Emmanuel Society, which helped blind people. He also bought and read many books. In 1754 (or 1756), he was given the important job of High Sheriff of Suffolk.

The Mystery of William's Fortune

William Jennens passed away on June 19, 1798, when he was 96 years old. He was buried in his family's burial place next to his parents.

At the time of his death, he was considered Britain's richest man. His fortune was said to be worth over £2 million, which would be billions of pounds today! This wealth brought in about £40,000 every year. A newspaper called The Times even published a list showing his wealth.

The Missing Will and Legal Battle

The biggest problem was that William died without leaving a will. This meant he hadn't written down who should get his money and property. Because of this, a massive legal case began. This case went on for a very long time, over a century! Some say it lasted 117 years, from 1798 until 1915. During all this time, the lawyers kept working on the case, and eventually, all of William's huge inheritance was used up paying their fees. No one ever truly inherited the fortune.

A report from The Gentleman's Magazine in 1798 explained why there was no signed will: "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 do."

Who Tried to Claim the Money?

Many people tried to claim William's fortune.

• Early Claims: At first, a court decided that George Augustus William Curzon, a relative through William's aunt, should inherit. But he died young, and the estate passed to his half-brother, Richard William Penn Curzon.
• Other Relatives: The courts also divided some of William's personal belongings between other relatives, including Mary, Lady Andover, and William Lygon, 1st Earl Beauchamp.
• American Relatives: It was thought that William had an uncle who moved to America. If this was true, then many Americans, including the famous U.S. Senator Henry Clay, could also be related. Starting around 1850, many American descendants tried to claim a share of the money. People even formed "Jennings clubs" to raise money for legal fees and research.

Jennings Clubs and the End of the Case

Starting in 1849, the Jennens fortune became so famous that groups of people who believed they were related to William Jennens (or Jennings) formed "Jennings clubs." These clubs hired people to research family trees and file lawsuits in Britain. Such clubs existed in places like Great Barr, England, and several states in the United States, including Nashville, Tennessee, Walpole, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia. It's believed that over £100,000 was spent on research and lawyers. By the time these clubs formed, it was already too late to claim the fortune, unless they could prove someone had cheated.

The very last claim for the Jennens fortune failed in 1915. Even after that, unofficial claims and stories about the lost money continued in the news for many years.

Bleak House and the Jennens Case

The long and complicated legal case of William Jennens is thought to have inspired Charles Dickens' famous novel Bleak House. Dickens published this story between 1852 and 1853. A main part of the book's plot is a never-ending legal case called Jarndyce v Jarndyce, which has many similarities to the real-life Jennens case. Both stories show how legal battles can go on for so long that they use up all the money involved.