0:00:02 > 0:00:05Today, the person the heir hunters are investigating
0:00:05 > 0:00:06doesn't seem to exist.
0:00:06 > 0:00:11When we did our search, it turned out that there was actually
0:00:11 > 0:00:15no other Brookstones ever in any of the records.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20And a sailor risks prison, all for the sake of love.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24That was quite unusual, and certainly for a serving personnel,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27absolutely impossible and extremely dangerous.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29The heir hunters attempt to solve a family mystery
0:00:29 > 0:00:31stretching back 100 years.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34All right, then. Cheers.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38We're still unsure as to why the deceased is Collinson,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40yet, his mother marries a Kerkham.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43And one relative gets the surprise of a lifetime.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46We were very excited...
0:00:46 > 0:00:49We've not really had any sort of inheritance before,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53and...I was very excited for me and my family.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11When navigating the twists and turns of genealogy research, heir hunters
0:01:11 > 0:01:16often journey through significant passages of our country's past.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21It's quite important to have a grasp of the social history of the UK.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24You need to go with your hunches.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Those hunches are built on knowledge,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28and that's something that you pick up over time,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31but it may also be something you have acquired through an interest
0:01:31 > 0:01:33in British and international history.
0:01:38 > 0:01:44William Ernest Brookstone was born in Essex on 22 January, 1949.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48He moved to Plymouth in his 20s, where he was regarded with
0:01:48 > 0:01:52great affection and fondness by friends and colleagues.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54He was a kind soul. You couldn't help liking him.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Everybody at work liked him.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58He had a smile on his face for everybody.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00He was just that type of person.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03He worked locally as a machine operator
0:02:03 > 0:02:06and was known for having a great sense of humour.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08He'd make you laugh, always tell you a joke,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and if he saw that you were slightly upset
0:02:11 > 0:02:14or you're not in a good mood, he would actually make an effort
0:02:14 > 0:02:18to try and make it a bit better for you and try and cheer you up.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21He was fun-loving, he loved his friends.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24He had a lot of time for everybody. He was generous, kind.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26I've never known anybody to ever
0:02:26 > 0:02:28have a bad word to say about Bill.
0:02:29 > 0:02:36Sadly, on Christmas Eve 2012, William passed away aged 63.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Since Bill's passing, I've lost a really good friend.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45I'll miss his laughs, his smiles. His company.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I'll miss mostly about Bill his-his sense of humour
0:02:48 > 0:02:51and his warm personality.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54That's what I'll think I'll miss most about Billy.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00The case was passed to London heir hunting firm Finders
0:03:00 > 0:03:02through a private individual,
0:03:02 > 0:03:06but barely anything was known about the details of William's life.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Case manager Suzanne Rowley took up the challenge.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11When we were given the case, we knew that it was worth
0:03:11 > 0:03:13approximately £20,000,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16but it is worthwhile looking into
0:03:16 > 0:03:20and it is good to pass on the inheritance to the rightful heirs.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23With only a death certificate to go on,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27the team needed to find William's birth details.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31William Ernest Brookstone sounds like quite an easy name to research.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I've never heard the surname Brookstone before.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36But the team hit a problem almost immediately.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40It's always vital to have the birth certificate when working on a case.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44The birth certificate shows us the names of the parents.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45If we don't have the parents,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48we can't do any of the research into the family tree.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53When we did our search, it turned out that there was actually
0:03:53 > 0:03:57no other Brookstones ever in any of the records.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I was suspicious that, possibly, he could have changed his name.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Suzanne needed to hunt for more elusive records.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09We happened to have a copy of a job application form from 1977.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13It stated that his surname was Brookstone,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16so we know he was using that name at that time.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21It also mentioned that he used to be part of the Navy.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24And friends and neighbours were able to shed further light on these
0:04:24 > 0:04:26shreds of new information.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Hi, I was wondering if you could help me.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32We are a company in London... So, we are heir hunters.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35With further information gathered from neighbours,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38I was able to find out that William Brookstone was actually
0:04:38 > 0:04:42in a same-sex relationship with a Mr Stone.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Bill and Victor had had a relationship for many, many years...
0:04:46 > 0:04:51I think, certainly, from when Bill was very young.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54When he first came out of the services, I believe.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58And they absolutely adored each other.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01With this information, I went to look at the electoral rolls.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03I was able to pick up them living together,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06but they were both named Brookstone.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10So, I then thought that, possibly, William could have been born
0:05:10 > 0:05:15as a Brooks and Victor was then born as a Stone.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Suzanne began a fresh hunt for a William Ernest Brooks.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23I found a perfect record for a William Ernest Brooks
0:05:23 > 0:05:27born on 22 January, 1949, in Woodford.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30This matched perfectly with the death that we had
0:05:30 > 0:05:33and which stated his date of birth.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Further investigation confirmed that this was the same William that
0:05:36 > 0:05:41had spent some time in the Navy, as his job application had revealed.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44When Bill was in the services,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47he worked in the NAAFI, which is the canteen on board
0:05:47 > 0:05:52the ship, so he knew everybody and everybody would certainly know him.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I think he makes a big impression wherever he goes.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Billy did mention that he was former Navy.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59He was quite a private man,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02he didn't really share that side of his life.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07But William's sexuality would have posed a major problem in the 1970s
0:06:07 > 0:06:10and could be the reason why he had left the Armed Forces.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18I can understand entirely why William
0:06:18 > 0:06:21changed his name by deed poll to acknowledge
0:06:21 > 0:06:25and recognise his partner, but that was quite unusual
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and certainly, for a serving personnel,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31absolutely impossible and extremely dangerous.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Homosexuality was a serious offence under military law.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Gay sailors, like William, in the Royal Navy,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46would be living in constant fear of exposure
0:06:46 > 0:06:50and a knock on the door by the military police.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54It was a very tense, scary atmosphere.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58They loved their job, they were committed to the Royal Navy,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02yet, under naval law, they were criminals.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06They were liable to arrest, imprisonment
0:07:06 > 0:07:08and dishonourable discharge.
0:07:10 > 0:07:15During the 1970s, anywhere between 80 to 300 military personnel
0:07:15 > 0:07:19were discharged dishonourably because of homosexuality.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23After a sailor was dishonourably discharged from the Navy,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27they would often find it very difficult to get a new job.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30That dishonourable discharge would hang over their heads
0:07:30 > 0:07:35and many employers would be reluctant to employ them.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39It took European legislation to force the ban on gay people
0:07:39 > 0:07:41joining the Armed Forces to be lifted.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48It was not until the year 2000 that lesbian, gay
0:07:48 > 0:07:53and bisexual personnel were allowed to serve openly in the Armed Forces.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00And today, it's a very different story.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Nowadays, there has been a complete sea-change.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08The Royal Navy is in many ways a model employer.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13Not only can lesbian, gay, bisexual, and now transgender people
0:08:13 > 0:08:18serve openly, they are protected under the disciplinary code
0:08:18 > 0:08:21against prejudice and discrimination.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24So, it's a complete transformation from the terrible,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27ghastly days in which William suffered.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30But as Suzanne and her team discovered,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34this didn't stand in the way of William's relationship with Victor.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39So, at the time, there was no legal partnership
0:08:39 > 0:08:42between same-sex couples...
0:08:42 > 0:08:46You weren't able to have a civil partnership or a marriage...
0:08:46 > 0:08:48So, in this case, I think
0:08:48 > 0:08:51they simply joined their names to show that they were together.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Yeah, I would assume that Victor
0:08:53 > 0:08:55was probably the love of Bill's life, really.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59But frustratingly, without a legal marriage, neither Victor
0:08:59 > 0:09:03nor any descendants could be considered as potential heirs.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Before the civil partnership laws came into force, there was
0:09:07 > 0:09:11a real problem for people in a same-sex relationship
0:09:11 > 0:09:14in that there was no guaranteed right of inheritance
0:09:14 > 0:09:16from one partner to the other.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18So with Victor ruled out as a potential heir,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21the case took an unexpected twist.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Did William himself have children?
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Over the years, a daughter was mentioned.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30It would have been nice to be able to find her.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Or find out the facts and perhaps have had her there
0:09:34 > 0:09:35at the funeral at the end.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40This sort of put a spanner in the works as we then had to check
0:09:40 > 0:09:43to see whether William was previously married.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46If the names were correct and William did have children
0:09:46 > 0:09:48and they had children,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51this would mean that his children would then inherit.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54If they had passed away, then their children would inherit.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55Start with this, I think.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- If you could just figure out who he was.- OK.- Yeah.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Suzanne began a fresh hunt for marriage indexes to see
0:10:01 > 0:10:03if they could trace a child for William.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07My initial search was for a marriage for a William Brooks.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10But it seemed they'd hit another dead end.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14After ordering lots of certificates, none of them seemed to match,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17so my next step was to look at Victor.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Possibly, he could have married previously.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22All right, thanks a lot. Bye-bye.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29So I'm having a look to see whether Victor married
0:10:29 > 0:10:34and I found a marriage here in 1953 in Paddington.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Um...
0:10:36 > 0:10:40And it looks as though he had one daughter living...
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Born in Paddington.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44But it left the team no closer
0:10:44 > 0:10:48to finding blood relatives of William's who would be heirs.
0:10:48 > 0:10:55In any situation, Victor's children or grandchildren wouldn't be able
0:10:55 > 0:10:57to inherit from William's estates,
0:10:57 > 0:11:02as William and Victor were never legally married
0:11:02 > 0:11:03or in a civil partnership.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08However, with William's true name now part of the search,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Suzanne got the team to return to his birth certificate,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14which revealed his parents as Winifred May Goodwin
0:11:14 > 0:11:16and Ernest Walter Brooks.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19But their search for brothers and sisters was fruitless.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Once I discovered that he had no other siblings,
0:11:23 > 0:11:29he never married and had any children, I then was able to use
0:11:29 > 0:11:33the parents' names to look for them on the census to look for wider kin.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36From William's birth certificate, we were able to see
0:11:36 > 0:11:38that his father was a railway goods guard.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Census records showed his maternal grandparents as William Goodwin
0:11:42 > 0:11:43and Edith Chenery.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48William and Edith had three children in total -
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Albert, Winifred and Jack.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53From the marriage certificate between William and Edith,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57we were able to find out that William was a shunter at a railway.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04In fact, the family played a role in one of the biggest achievements
0:12:04 > 0:12:07in transport history in the capital.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14The first underground railway line opened in 1863.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18People were very sceptical about the whole concept of the underground.
0:12:18 > 0:12:19People thought it wouldn't be safe.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22They would have been steam-operated in the early days.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25If you can imagine steam trains in confined underground platforms,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28it was quite hellish for the first people that used it.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30William's grandfather, William Goodwin,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33was a shunter on the Great Eastern Main Line,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36which formed part of the early Central Line.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38It was one of the earliest true underground lines,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40cos it actually went underground.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43It was the first one that was, sort of, sold as being for people
0:12:43 > 0:12:44who wanted to enjoy central London.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46So, theatre-goers and shoppers
0:12:46 > 0:12:48and people who wanted to enjoy the nightlife.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52It was the first line to run right through the heart of central London.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And by the turn of the 20th century,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58the underground had spread entirely across London.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01The 1930s was a huge period of transition
0:13:01 > 0:13:02for the London Underground.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05For someone working on the underground at that time,
0:13:05 > 0:13:06it would've been an exciting time,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08probably a chance for new jobs and new roles,
0:13:08 > 0:13:13and it's where the brand of London Underground, if you like,
0:13:13 > 0:13:14really came into its own.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18And as the research
0:13:18 > 0:13:20into William's mother's side of the family continued,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24the team were finally getting closer to finding potential heirs.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30So, Albert marries an Elizabeth Bridger in 1947.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33However, they didn't have any children...
0:13:33 > 0:13:37So, I went to look at the next maternal uncle,
0:13:37 > 0:13:38which was Jack Goodwin.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Jack had three children.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Two of them, Elsie and Mary,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45both passed away without having any children.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Frederick was the only one still living
0:13:48 > 0:13:51and he was our first heir.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Born in 1946,
0:13:53 > 0:13:58Frederick was William's first cousin and lives in Romford.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00It was the first time I'd heard anything.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01I'd lost complete touch with him and so,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I couldn't wonder who'd left me any money. Then, when I found out
0:14:04 > 0:14:07who it was from, I thought, "Oh, well. Oh, poor Billy."
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Despite losing touch with his cousin,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Frederick has fond memories of him growing up.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14A quiet boy, bit shy.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Once he was down in the Navy, in Plymouth,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19I mean, the only time we saw him was on leave.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22He used to come and visit us on a Sunday, in his Navy uniform.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25He looked ever so smart in his walking out uniform,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27with his bell-bottoms and all that, and his hat.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30It would've been nice if he could have actually stayed in the Navy.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33He'd have probably come out after 20 or 25 years
0:14:33 > 0:14:35as chief petty officer or something.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37He'd have had a good career and a good pension.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40But the story wasn't over.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43As Suzanne had to ensure all of William's heirs were found,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47she crossed over to William's father's side of the family.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51The first thing we need to do is look for the father
0:14:51 > 0:14:52on the 1911 census,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56which will then enable us to look for his parents.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01Their names were James Walter Brooks and Mary Ann Brooks.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Further clues revealed that they had four children.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Although, one died as an infant.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09This left two paternal aunts.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Once all the research was complete there were six heirs in total,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17which meant that they all received a reasonable sum of money.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20For Suzanne and the team, it was an amazing hunt
0:15:20 > 0:15:22through the twists and turns of British history.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24William was quite an interesting character.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It's always rewarding to work these sorts of cases,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29where we find out more about the person.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33But, for friends and family, it's been a chance to look back
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and remember William.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I suppose, I could, you know, when things are all settled up,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41have a little drink to Billy.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46It was with great sadness that he passed on Christmas Eve, and every
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Christmas Eve there's still a drink raised to him, just to remember him.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Not that we'd ever forget him because he was that sort of guy.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56He stays in your memories.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12It's Thursday at 10:30 in the morning in London.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Heir hunting firm Fraser & Fraser are looking into the estate
0:16:15 > 0:16:18of a 71-year-old man from Cheshire.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19All right. Cheers, bye.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24So, I've got a new case just come in called David J Collinson
0:16:24 > 0:16:28who has died in December of last year up in Warrington.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32It looks like he possibly may have owned a property
0:16:32 > 0:16:33when he passed away.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35He used to live with his mother for a long time,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37who we BELIEVE to be his mother.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39We can start to look. We can...
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It depends what we're going to have on the certificates.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Can we get those certs?
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- Wellingborough?- Yeah.- I don't know.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51We might have to try cos that's what I'm thinking.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04David Collinson was born an only child on 24 March, 1943,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06in Runcorn.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08With little-known facts about his life,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12neighbours were able to paint a picture of the man they knew.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14You'd see David and instantly recognise him
0:17:14 > 0:17:17because of his big bushy beard, and that, you know.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19He was always a nice bloke.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Really clever man. Just an easy-going neighbour to get on with.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25You know, you knew you'd never have any problems with him.
0:17:25 > 0:17:31But, over the past few years, David had become a shy and private person.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34And he never used to go out, his health wasn't great.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37You never saw any of David's family.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41David passed away without making any known will.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Even though you didn't see a lot of him, now that he's not there,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48you notice that he's not there.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59With so few details to go on, the team have got a huge task ahead.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01All right, then. Cheers.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06All the team have to go on is that David used to live with
0:18:06 > 0:18:07a woman called Florence Collinson,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11but she disappeared off the electoral roll in 1984
0:18:11 > 0:18:13and they have no other information.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Researcher Sinead Collins gets to work.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20What we've done to start off with is to look for a death
0:18:20 > 0:18:22for a Florence Collinson.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26I have found one in Warrington.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30It's Florence Mabel Collinson and she's born on 14 August,
0:18:30 > 0:18:351898, which we would assume that she is the deceased's mother.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38We've looked up for the deceased's birth...
0:18:38 > 0:18:42For a David J Collinson born in 1943,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and his mother's maiden name is Butcher.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48But the team struggle to find a marriage certificate
0:18:48 > 0:18:51for David's parents, linking Butcher and Collinson.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54I've got the marriage certificate in front of me
0:18:54 > 0:18:57and what I've found is that Florence Mabel Butcher
0:18:57 > 0:18:59married a Leslie Kerkham.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02We already know from the deceased's birth certificate
0:19:02 > 0:19:04that it's Leslie Royal Collinson.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08On this marriage certificate, it's Leslie Royal Kerkham.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13The team now know Florence Butcher married Leslie Kerkham,
0:19:13 > 0:19:18but what WAS puzzling was why Leslie died a Collinson.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23So, I found a census of a Leslie Royal Kerkham.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28He's the correct age, he's 15 years old, in Wellingborough.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32He's living with a Robert Collinson and a Jane Collinson.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36And David's father's baptism record provides the team with more
0:19:36 > 0:19:37pieces of the puzzle.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40He was born with the name Kerkham
0:19:40 > 0:19:42to parents Arthur Kerkham and Lucy Eleanor.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46We've got a Leslie Royal Kerkham whose father is
0:19:46 > 0:19:51Arthur Charles Kerkham and mother is Lucy Eleanor Kerkham.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56Lucy Eleanor is listed as being deceased, which could be
0:19:56 > 0:20:02a contributing factor as to why Leslie is living with the Collinson.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08What the team discovered was that Leslie Kerkham was Leslie Collinson,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12having been informally adopted by the Collinson family.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19It's all starting to make sense that perhaps Leslie was born to
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Arthur and Lucy, but Lucy's died quite young
0:20:23 > 0:20:26and his father's been unable to care for him,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28so he's been unofficially adopted.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So he's been given to another family to be brought up,
0:20:31 > 0:20:36which is why he's ended up with the Collinson family
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and why he flits between the two names
0:20:39 > 0:20:41with his marriage and his death.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46Adoptions in the early 1900s can often prove tricky for heir hunters.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Legal adoption didn't really start until 1927,
0:20:49 > 0:20:54so anything prior to 1926, then we have a problem.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56That's when we get informal adoptions,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59we get people brought up with different families than what
0:20:59 > 0:21:00they were actually born to,
0:21:00 > 0:21:05and if we find that on a bit of research, then it's a dead end.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09With no blood relatives on David's father's side of the family,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12the team now have to concentrate all their attention
0:21:12 > 0:21:14solely on the mother's side.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19On the parents of the deceased's marriage certificate,
0:21:19 > 0:21:24it shows the grandfather of the deceased is James Butcher.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28The 1911 census proves that David's maternal grandparents
0:21:28 > 0:21:30were Susan and James Butcher.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34When we did a census check, we managed to find a James Butcher
0:21:34 > 0:21:40who is an agricultural labourer, and a Susan Butcher who is a lacemaker.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42They were both living in Bedfordshire.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46During the 1800s,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50lacemaking was very popular as a source of income, particularly
0:21:50 > 0:21:54in the Midland counties of Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.
0:21:54 > 0:22:00Ann Prigmore from Bedford made lace herself. It was a family business.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Bedfordshire was very well-known for its lacemaking.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Most of the families would have made lace.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10The work for a lacemaker was pretty tough.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13You couldn't have your coal fire on in the winter
0:22:13 > 0:22:15because the soot would discolour the lace,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17so you'd have to work in the cold.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20It was long, hard hours.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Your fingers would've been very sore. It was a tough, tough life.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26The pay was pretty appalling, really.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29My grandmother used to get paid six old pennies
0:22:29 > 0:22:32for a piece of lace that was a handkerchief edge.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35My mother would take it round to the corner shop
0:22:35 > 0:22:37and that would be to pay for her food.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Until the mid-19th century,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42almost the only schools in lacemaking districts
0:22:42 > 0:22:44were lace schools.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47The lace schools were pretty awful places.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49They were usually in a little room in a cottage.
0:22:49 > 0:22:55The lace teacher would be quite strict and would also smack
0:22:55 > 0:22:58the children, prick their fingers if they got the patterns wrong.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Um... They learnt a trade, but it was tough going.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Back in the office,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10the team have discovered that David's maternal grandparents,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13James and Susan, had five children in total -
0:23:13 > 0:23:19Leonard, Florence - David's mother - Lucy, Albert and Frederick.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24I found marriages for both my Frederick and Leonard.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28Um... Both get married in the Northampton area.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Um... Both look like they die with no issue.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Florence's sister Lucy actually died quite young.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39She died at the age of 23 years old in Wellingborough...
0:23:39 > 0:23:43and she died under Lucy Butcher, so we know she was a spinster
0:23:43 > 0:23:45and didn't have any children.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Finding any aunts, uncles or cousins as potential heirs
0:23:48 > 0:23:51is looking unlikely.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54There is only one uncle left.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56We began looking into an Albert Masters Butcher.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59He dies in 1991, in Kettering.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03And, before that, he marries an Agnes, in 1925,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06in Wellingborough, and they have two daughters.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11But the team have no luck with the first daughter, Margaret.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17We found a death entry for Margaret L Butcher.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20No marriage, spinster. Spinster death again.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25With her dying a spinster, all hopes of an heir rely on the other sister,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29David's cousin, and they could have a breakthrough.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31We can't find a death for her at all.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33We have found out that she has children.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35So, we're going to contact them, instead of her,
0:24:35 > 0:24:36just because of her age.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38PHONE RINGS
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Hello, sir, very sorry to trouble you.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42It's nothing to worry about in the slightest.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43We're a company who specialise
0:24:43 > 0:24:45in tracing missing heirs and beneficiaries.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47We've been trying to trace the relatives
0:24:47 > 0:24:48of a gentleman who passed away.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51So, I think his dad was a gentleman called Leslie Royal Collinson.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Now, are you aware of David
0:24:53 > 0:24:55ever having any brothers or sisters at all?
0:24:55 > 0:24:56Take care, bye-bye.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00He was more than happy with everything. Pretty much confirmed
0:25:00 > 0:25:03that she was the last link on this side of the family.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06So, it looks like she will probably be the only heir to this estate.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11If we are right that the deceased has an interest
0:25:11 > 0:25:12in the house he lived in -
0:25:12 > 0:25:15the property prices are around £90,000-£100,000 -
0:25:15 > 0:25:17so, as she's the only heir,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19she'd be the one that's to stand to inherit it all.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Yeah, if I give you that and I'll take that one,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- so you can take down her address... - Yeah.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30But as the heir hunters double-check their research,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32they stumble across another twist to the tale.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36We've found another beneficiary, the daughter of Frederick Butcher.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Frederick Butcher is the younger brother of Florence.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Originally, we thought that Frederick had no children
0:25:44 > 0:25:46and that he died with no issue.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48But, we've later found, from ordering
0:25:48 > 0:25:53his wife's death certificate, there is a daughter.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57So, it's up to Mike to finish off the case for good.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00We noticed that the beneficiary was born in 1928.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02So, I didn't want to contact her straight away.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05OK, cool, I will. Bye.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07So, we contacted one of her daughters
0:26:07 > 0:26:10who informed us that the beneficiary, her mother,
0:26:10 > 0:26:11had dementia.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14So, obviously, it was a lot easier to go
0:26:14 > 0:26:17through the daughter, who then informed us about the family.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20And it seems that Frederick's daughter had gone on
0:26:20 > 0:26:24to have two daughters and a son, Andrew Ross.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30We were very excited.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34We've not really had any sort of inheritance before and...
0:26:35 > 0:26:37I was very excited for me and my family.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I knew that David was a distant relative,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43but we just hadn't had any contact.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Although Andrew had only met David as a boy,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49the call from the heir hunters has sparked fond memories.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50He was quite a clever guy.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53He was quite into TV and radio and things like that.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56I'm quite disappointed, really, that no contact has been
0:26:56 > 0:27:00made between us, cos I think I'd probably have got on well with him.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06After a tricky start, the heir hunters had succeeded
0:27:06 > 0:27:11in finding not one, but two heirs to the estate of David Collinson.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16Informal adoptions happen more regularly than you'd think.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Often, it adds a bit more flavour to the job,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21makes things a little bit more interesting.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Otherwise, you'd just be doing the same repetitive stuff every day.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Instead, you get cases like this, which really challenge your mind.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30You know, you have to work out a really difficult puzzle.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33The successful result had been a combination of following
0:27:33 > 0:27:38gut instinct and then proving this with documentary evidence.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40For us, it's vital we follow the correct line.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42We have to take gambles.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46And we have to take gambles when we can't get the proofs.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50We follow a hunch, we work a family, in the hope that we can
0:27:50 > 0:27:51prove it later.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54But it's vital we can prove it.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55And, for the heirs,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58it's been a chance to take a trip down memory lane.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00We recently went on a holiday up to the Lake District
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and on the way back, we did actually call and see David's house.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06It was quite interesting to see where he'd been living and,
0:28:06 > 0:28:11if there's a nice cheque arrives, then we'll all drink a toast, yes.