Actress Jean Marsh, the co-creator and star of the acclaimed British television series "Upstairs Downstairs," left an estate valued at just over £700,000 to her family, friends, and various charities. Marsh passed away at the age of 90.
Among her bequests, Marsh directed £100,000 to the charity Emergency UK, which supports civilian victims of war and poverty. An equal sum of £100,000 was designated for Wigmore Hall, a renowned London music venue that operates as a registered charity.
Probate records indicate that £250,000 was left to her sister, Yvonne. Friends Sophie Scott, Sarah Berger, and Lisa Lindsay-Hogg each received £50,000. Additionally, her godson, Louis Berge, was granted £25,000. Marsh also left £3,000 to her executors with the instruction to distribute it according to her most recent wishes.
Marsh, who died in April of last year, was residing in Chelsea when she signed her will in 2014. Her cause of death was reported as complications from dementia.
Jean Marsh was born in July 1934 and began her career as a stage actress before gaining prominence on television and film in the 1950s and 1960s. She is perhaps best known for her role as parlourmaid Rose Buck in "Upstairs Downstairs," a period drama set in Edwardian England. The series, which she co-created with Eileen Atkins, aired in Britain from 1971 to 1975 and in the United States from 1974 to 1977, drawing millions of viewers. Marsh's portrayal of Rose earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, one of seven Emmys the show received.
Marsh's extensive acting credits also included appearances in "Doctor Who," "Cleopatra," and Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange." She reprised her role as Rose in the 2010 revival of "Upstairs Downstairs." She was recognized for her contributions to drama when she was awarded an OBE in the 2012 Birthday Honours.
Michael Lindsay-Hogg, a filmmaker and Marsh's former partner, served as one of the two executors of her will, alongside Heather Gordon. Marsh was previously married to actor Jon Pertwee from 1955 to 1960.