Care worker inherits stately home after DNA test proves he's aristocrat's son
A skint care worker inherited one of Britain's finest country estates after a DNA test proved he was the illegitimate son of its aristocratic owner.
Jordan Adlard Rogers moved into the lavish 1,536-acre Penrose Estate after the death of 62-year-old Charles Rogers. After years of trying to prove he was related to his absent father, DNA tests conducted after Charles was found dead in his car proved the connection. While he was still alive his father turned down several requests for DNA tests. Because Charles' mother and brother also passed away, Jordan was left as heir to the grand estate when Charles died.
He moved into the National Trust property where he is immersing himself in an opulent lifestyle and his newfound family's history. Jordan first became suspicious that Charles was his dad when he was eight. An initial offer to do a DNA by the absent dad was overlooked by Jordan, who "had other priorities at the time".
Jordan is now "getting his feet under the table" (Cornwall Live / SWNS)When he became interested in his lineage during his 20s Jordan's several letters found no reply. A final letter with a DNA test enclosed was answer by power of attorney Philip Care, who told Jordan that has dad was dead. Jordan said he had to deal with some obstructive family members but he was finally able to get the test completed and Charles confirmed as his father.
He added: "People say I’m lucky but I would trade anything to be able to go back and for Charles to know I was his son. Maybe then he might have taken a different path. I don’t need to work anymore so I 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.”
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An inquest following his death heard how Charles had struggled with drug abuse for many years and died of an overdose in his car outside his Grade-II listed farmhouse on the historic estate. The inquest, held in Truro, heard how there were no suspicious circumstances and that Charles had overdosed on a prescription drug.
Jordan's mum Julie had a brief fling with the now deceased owner of the Penrose Estate (Cornwall Live / SWNS)He was reportedly malnourished, neglected personal hygiene and rarely changed his clothes in the months leading up to his death. Instead of living in his lavish home, Charles was sleeping in his car. The coroner was told the life tenant of the estate receives an income from a trust, and Charles was given a “substantial” cash allowance ranging from £300 to £1,000 a week.
Jordan, who bears a striking resemblance to his father, said he decided to speak out to give a fuller picture of his father's life before he died. He said: “I haven’t been here long and don’t know all the ins and outs but I have been able to piece some of the puzzle together. Charles never actually lived in the estate. He lived in one of the estate’s farmhouses as his mum lived here so he never got the chance to inherit it.
"They died two weeks apart. It’d got to the point when he gave up on himself and was living in his car instead of his house as it was such a mess. The Rogers family gave the National Trust 46 cottages and a couple of farms and now the Rogers Family Trust produces income for the life tenant.”
The stately home passed hands after Jordan proved his legitimacy (Cornwall Live / SWNS)Jordan, who has recently had a son with his partner Katie, said he has learned of a number of factors that he believes resulted in his father’s descent into drug addiction. “There was always a pressure of him trying to match expectation,” he added. “His brother was a RAF pilot and his dad a lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy so he had big shoes to fill.
"He was under huge pressure taking it on, but he was different and a free spirit. Charles served in the Army in Northern Ireland and I think this affected him greatly along with the death of his brother Nigel from cancer who he was very close to.” The estate makes money from investments in stocks and shares and renting a number of parcels of land to local farmers.
Jordan’s plans also extend to holding a charity garden party in the grounds of his new home. The Rogers family have lived on the site between Helston and Porthleven in Cornwall for generations, gifting it to the National Trust in 1974 in exchange for a 1,000-year lease to continue living there.
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