This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Senra (talk | contribs) at 21:27, 8 December 2012 (Inspired by a question posed to the panel of QI series J episode 12 first broadcast by BBC One on 7-Dec-2012). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 21:27, 8 December 2012 by Senra (talk | contribs) (Inspired by a question posed to the panel of QI series J episode 12 first broadcast by BBC One on 7-Dec-2012)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)William Jennens (1701–1798), also known as the 'Acton miser' and 'William the Rich', was Britain's richest man at the time of his death. His estate was said to be worth over £2,000,000 though it was probably closer to £1,100,000 producing an annual income of about £40,000 although The Times of 20 July 1798 published a tabulated list of the late Mr Jennens worth as a capital of £432,509 and an annual interest of £119,415. Jennens died without leaving a will (intestate) and the subsequent legal proceedings took 130 years without reaching a conclusion; the legal costs exhausting the Jennens inheritance in the process.
Charles Dickens based the fictional Jarndyce and Jarndyce court case in his Bleak House novel on the Jennens inheritance legal proceedings; Bleak House was published in twenty instalments between 1852 and 1853.
See also
- Article inspired by a 'quite interesting' question posed to the panel of QI series J (for Justice) episode 12 by presenter Stephen Fry, first broadcast by BBC One on 7 December 2012
- Jarndyce and Jarndyce
- Bleak House
Notes
- ^ Polden 2003a, p. 212.
- "Mr. JENNEN'S PROPERTY", The Times, no. 4235, p. 2 col. D, 20 July 1798
{{citation}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - Polden 2003a, p. 247.
- Polden 2003a, p. 211.
References
- Polden, Patrick (2003a). "Stranger than Fiction? The Jennens Inheritance in Fact and Fiction Part One: The Jennens Fortune in the Courts". Common Law World Review. 32 (3). Vathek Publishing: 211–247. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- Polden, Patrick (2003b). "Stranger than Fiction? The Jennens Inheritance in Fact and Fiction Part Two: The Business of Fortune Hunting". Common Law World Review. 32 (4). Vathek Publishing: 338–367. doi:10.1350/clwr.32.4.338.19427. Retrieved 8 December 2012.