Struggling care worker takes over $60 million English estate following DNA test

A struggling care worker in England saw his fortune reverse after a DNA test recently revealed that he was the son of a British aristocrat who owned a $60 million country estate, Cornwall Live reports.

Jordan Adlard Rogers, 31, told the publication that he had a feeling that Charles Rogers, a lord-of-manor who had a history of drug abuse, was his father since he was eight years old.

"He offered to do a DNA test when I was younger but it didn’t happen," Jordan said. "Then, when I was 18, I knocked on his door and asked if I could have the test, and he told me to do it through the solicitors. I was 18, so [I] had other priorities at the time."

Jordan said he reached out to his father again several years later but never heard back. Three years ago, the former support worker finally got in touch with power of attorney Philip Care, who said that Charles had rescinded his offer and no longer wanted to do a DNA test. Jordan, however, persisted in his effort.

"I wrote one final letter with a DNA test kit enclosed and that was when Philip rang and told me Charles was dead," he said.

Charles died of a drug overdose in his car in August 2018, according to Cornwall Live. He was 62.

The aristocrat inherited the 1536-acre National Trust Penrose Estate from his father, Lieutenant Commander John Peverell Rogers, who gave a large portion of the property to the National Trust, a conservation organization, in 1971 in exchange for a 1,000-year lease to continue living there. The Rogers family has held claim to the land since 1771.

Care, who has managed the estate for over 20 years, told the publication that Charles made little effort to take care of himself in the months leading to his death. Oftentimes, Charles would sleep in his car instead of his farmhouse, Care said.

"Charles had become incapable of doing anything that was at all stressful," the land agent explained. "He wouldn’t pay his bills and, although we were there to help him manage his affairs, he just ignored anything."

In spite of what Cornwall Live described as "obstructive family members," Jordan was able to get a DNA test, which confirmed him as Charles' son. Jordan said a number of factors contributed to his father's downfall.

"There was always a pressure of him trying to match expectation," he said. "His brother was a [Royal Air Force] pilot and his dad a lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy so he had big shoes to fill."

Though Jordan never developed a close relationship with Charles, the 31-year-old said he would have loved to go back in time to steer his father in the right direction. Jordan now hopes to pay it forward with his new inheritance, which consists of profit made from the estate's investments in stocks and shares, along with payments from local farmers who have rented the land.

"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," he said. "I'm not going to forget where I've come from."