Hard-up care worker inherits £50m Cornish estate after DNA test proves he is son and heir
Written by News on 21/05/2019
A care worker has given up his job after a DNA test confirmed him to be the heir of a 1,500-acre estate worth £50m.
Jordan Adlard Rogers, 31, had long thought he may be the son of Charles Rogers, a recluse who lived in Cornwall’s Penrose Estate.
But offers from the senior Mr Rogers to take a DNA test when he was younger never took place, and Mr Adlard Rogers admits when he was older he was too busy to arrange one.
He told Cornwall Live he had made a request through his father’s attorney last year, which was refused, before then finding out his father had died.
Despite inheriting incredible wealth and being able to give up his job, Mr Adlard Rogers said he would trade it in if his father could have known he was his son.
The Cornish estate is 1,536 acres in size and worth about £50m.
The Rogers gave the estate to the National Trust in 1974 in exchange for a 1,000 year lease which allows the family to live there.
Mr Adlard Rogers said: “I don’t need to work anymore so want to set up a charity and help the Porthleven and Helston communities.
“I’ve been at the point of worrying about the next bill and have had a tough start in life, but now I’m here I want to help people. I’m not going to forget where I’ve come from.”
Mr Rogers struggled with drug addiction which his son says may have been sparked by a pressure to live up to the reputations of his father and brother who served in the Navy and the RAF, as well as his own time in the Army in Northern Ireland.
The inquest into his death heard he lived a reclusive life, and his son confirmed he believed he was sleeping in his car rather than his house in his final days.
The Penrose Estate is home to the largest natural freshwater lake in Cornwall and a site of special scientific interest.
The grounds host a weekly Parkrun, while an outdoor activity festival is planned for September.
(c) Sky News 2019: Hard-up care worker inherits £50m Cornish estate after DNA test proves he is son and heir
