0:00:03 > 0:00:07Gillian Carter lived a quiet life in rural Wales.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10And her case is proving a difficult one for the heir hunters.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13The maternal family is looking quite tricky.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15It's a long shot, I think.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Just check.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And a second case begins with a tragic accident.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22It was quite a shock.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25I don't actually dwell on it because what had happened to him,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27it was pretty serious stuff.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31It was something that none of us had really thought would happen.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33It's all in a day's work for the heir hunters.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49In the London offices of heir hunting firm Finders,
0:00:49 > 0:00:51case manager Amy Moyes and the team
0:00:51 > 0:00:54are starting work on a new case just in.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00I am working on today's BB ad.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04It's one of the ads from today's list.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07It's the estate of the late Gillian Margaret Carter.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11We are just looking for information about relatives and family.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Gillian died unexpectedly of a heart attack aged 72
0:01:15 > 0:01:17on the 7th of December 2014
0:01:17 > 0:01:21in the small Welsh village of Llanddewi-Brefi.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24She called Wales home for 15 years
0:01:24 > 0:01:27after moving from her hometown in Warwickshire.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Here, the residents of the village are proud
0:01:29 > 0:01:31of their rural way of life.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36It's a very different pace of life to city life.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38It is slower.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40It's friendlier.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Living in a village, people need connections with other people
0:01:44 > 0:01:47because otherwise life can be isolated.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51I think we have still got quite a good community spirit.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Although Gillian had friends in the village,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56nobody knew of her family.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59It is the heir hunters' role to find any living relatives.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I have been taking a look at close family.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06She was probably married, but may well be divorced,
0:02:06 > 0:02:11and we can see that she appears to have bought property on her own
0:02:11 > 0:02:14rather than with a partner or husband.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Gillian owned her property in Wales when she died.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19This will make up part of the estate
0:02:19 > 0:02:22that Amy is hoping to pass on to her family.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Gillian Carter was in fact married and later divorced.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30She had no children.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32With limited information,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35it's difficult to paint a clear picture of the past.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40So my next steps were then to look for any close kin.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44So I did a quick birth search and found a birth record for Gillian.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47It looks as though she is probably an only child
0:02:47 > 0:02:51so I have moved on to maternal and paternal family trees.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55One thing that has struck Amy as unusual
0:02:55 > 0:02:58is that both of Gillian's parents appear to have died on the same day.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Amy's ordered more certificates to help complete the picture
0:03:03 > 0:03:05of the maternal side of the family tree.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Everything in our work, in our line of investigation,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11depends on these certificates that we find
0:03:11 > 0:03:12when we are researching a case.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15We can only go so far with the information
0:03:15 > 0:03:18that is available to us in the office.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21The certificates are the key bits which just keep everything
0:03:21 > 0:03:24tied together and means we can prove people's entitlement
0:03:24 > 0:03:26as and when we need to.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Just to check it is from the right family.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32They hold the information that we need,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35whether it be to support someone's entitlement
0:03:35 > 0:03:37or to disprove someone's claim
0:03:37 > 0:03:38and it's always something
0:03:38 > 0:03:41that, um...is good for us to have as soon as possible
0:03:41 > 0:03:43when we are researching a case.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Initially, the maternal family is looking quite tricky,
0:03:47 > 0:03:52so I'm going to leave that side for now and focus on the paternal side.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57The surname on this side is looking quite interesting.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59It's a surname of Boycott.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02So that would appear to be Gillian's maiden name.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06And from an initial look at the census returns
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and the general birth indexes,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11there may well be four or five potential stems
0:04:11 > 0:04:15for me to get on and have a look at, with a strong possibility then
0:04:15 > 0:04:18of having quite a few heirs to get in touch with.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Searching for people called "Boycott" in the area,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Amy has found someone she hopes could be a first cousin -
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Gillian's aunt Kathleen's son, David.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31If she can speak to him, he could hold the key
0:04:31 > 0:04:34to vital information to complete the paternal family tree.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Hello. This is a message for Mr David P Ratcliffe.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41My name is Amy Moyes.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44I am currently working on a Boycott family tree
0:04:44 > 0:04:46that I believe you might be connected to.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49While she waits for David Ratcliffe to get back to her,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Amy has traced another cousin who is unfortunately ex-directory
0:04:53 > 0:04:55and another who has died.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58It would be ideal if I could speak to someone
0:04:58 > 0:05:01who is of the same generation as the deceased
0:05:01 > 0:05:05and fill in the family tree pretty quickly by speaking to them.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Amy has a team of travelling researchers on standby
0:05:09 > 0:05:10all over Britain,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12waiting to meet potential heirs face-to-face
0:05:12 > 0:05:14to gather more evidence.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15A lot of times,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19people don't know who the deceased is or know very little,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22why they actually knew the deceased
0:05:22 > 0:05:24and knew the whole family background.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26But until she knows where to send them,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29she has to wait for someone to call back.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31It could be the one you found.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35If I can find her with a family, then you know she is wrong.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38She has now enlisted the help of fellow heir hunter Ryan Gregory.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42They want to reach potential heirs as quickly as possible
0:05:42 > 0:05:46before a competing heir hunting firm has the chance to sign them up.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Ryan has been looking into another stem,
0:05:49 > 0:05:55another paternal aunt - a lady named Dina,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58who actually appears to still be alive.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02She would be 100 or 101 years of age.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05So what we're trying to do is Ryan is trying to see
0:06:05 > 0:06:08if she's got any children we can speak to first
0:06:08 > 0:06:10rather than make direct contact with her and upset her
0:06:10 > 0:06:12or cause her any distress.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15We are actually looking into the Boycott family tree today.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Do you recognise that as your mother's maiden name?
0:06:18 > 0:06:24And it looks like Ryan has finally got through to a potential heir.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Right, OK.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28It is actually in relation to a cousin of yours
0:06:28 > 0:06:30who has sadly passed away.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Her name was Gillian Margaret Carter.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Were you aware of her at all? Or how she fits into the family?
0:06:37 > 0:06:39No. Right, OK.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Her parents were Richard and Margaret
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and we believe she was an only child.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Is that correct?
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Right, OK. She was married to Leslie Carter, wasn't she?
0:06:49 > 0:06:50And they were divorced, OK.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53The person on the end of the phone seems to be confirming
0:06:53 > 0:06:55their research so far.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58It looks like they have found the right Boycott family.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I tell you what we would like to do
0:07:00 > 0:07:03is ask one of our local representatives
0:07:03 > 0:07:06to maybe come and see yourself and Dina
0:07:06 > 0:07:07so we can take her through the paperwork.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11We can actually probably get someone over to you this afternoon
0:07:11 > 0:07:13if you are around.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17- It's a long shot but I think.... - I did check.- Just check.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Ryan's call has brought some interesting news.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24As it stands, we've had a chat with a few potential heirs
0:07:24 > 0:07:26or their children.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30It's sounding as though the paternal family at least
0:07:30 > 0:07:35were certainly aware that the deceased had passed away
0:07:35 > 0:07:39and that they were taking steps to deal with her estate themselves.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44So it may turn out that services of companies like ours
0:07:44 > 0:07:46might not be necessary here
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and there could have been just a slight delay in them
0:07:48 > 0:07:50dealing with the estate,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54which is why it has ended up with the government legal department.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57So what we're going to do is keep going with the research
0:07:57 > 0:08:00until we have spoken to everybody involved,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03get a full picture of what the actual situation is
0:08:03 > 0:08:04and take it from there.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Amy's company can only help any heirs they find
0:08:07 > 0:08:10if Gillian Carter left no will.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12And now, this is in question.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16One week later,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19there's been a development in Gillian Carter's case.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Since I last took a look at the Carter case,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25we've made a bit of progress with finding out about
0:08:25 > 0:08:31the potential will from speaking to some more of the paternal heirs.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35It sounds as though there certainly was a will
0:08:35 > 0:08:40and that the Carter estate was almost certainly left to a charity,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42but for one reason or another,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44the will has been proven to be invalid,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and that's why it's ended up on the Bona Vacantia list.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50So what all of that means
0:08:50 > 0:08:52is that we're now back at dealing with an intestacy
0:08:52 > 0:08:56and we're looking at the maternal and paternal trees as we were.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Since we left off,
0:08:57 > 0:09:01I've managed to speak to most of the paternal heirs now,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and if I hadn't spoken to them, they've all had some paperwork.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09The majority of those paternal heirs have signed up with us,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13so, really, the paternal side is quite safe now,
0:09:13 > 0:09:15just one or two outstanding issues.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17And we need to then take a look
0:09:17 > 0:09:21at the maternal family tree, the Franklins.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22We don't have as many signatures
0:09:22 > 0:09:24on that side of the family tree as of yet.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28With the green light to continue
0:09:28 > 0:09:30the search for heirs to Gillian Carter's estate,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Amy's sent out travelling researcher Parmjit
0:09:33 > 0:09:37to meet a potential heir face-to-face.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40He's heading to Gloucestershire to visit Nora Boycott,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Gillian's aunt, who goes by her middle name, Joan.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47She's the sister of the deceased's father,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50who's nearly 100 years old, I think.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53I believe she's 99 years old.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56And we're going to see her, together with her son
0:09:56 > 0:09:57in relation to this matter.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59What I'm doing today is,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02I want to research the full family tree with her.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05I've got the details as far as we've got,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07so it's a question of really going through with them
0:10:07 > 0:10:10to make sure we've got all the details of all the relatives
0:10:10 > 0:10:14and go through with them... Through the family tree.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17We've got to make sure that we have actually traced everybody
0:10:17 > 0:10:20who could be a potential beneficiary to the estate.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24The travelling researchers are on the heir-hunting front line.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It's their findings that could unlock the clues to complete
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Gillian's paternal family tree and find her heirs.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34But there's still a lot of work to do on her mother's side.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38The maternal family is looking quite tricky.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39- What, the death...?- Yeah.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41If you could order his death notice...
0:10:41 > 0:10:44But with Amy and her team on the case,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47they're well on the way to getting the answers they need
0:10:47 > 0:10:50to ensure Gillian Carter's estate goes to her next of kin.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53That's just a guess, because he was from West Ham.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Up and down the country,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02heir hunters are hard at work solving cases of people who have
0:11:02 > 0:11:06passed away with no immediate family and leaving no will.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Hello?
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Another such case is that of 68-year-old Robert Joseph Bradley,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17who spent most of his life living in the seaside town of Margate in Kent.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24A pillar of the community, bachelor Robert, known as Bob,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27ran a local pet shop, served as a beach warden
0:11:27 > 0:11:29and was later curator of Margate Museum.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34But he was best known for his hobby, judo.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38We never quite understood Bob.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40He was a friendly guy,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43but he stayed and lived with his mother as long as I knew him.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46He was very focused on judo when he came out,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49but all the time he was down in the Margate,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52he was focused on the beach and his pet shop.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54He was a great, great fellow.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58You had to take him for what he was and by his own admission,
0:11:58 > 0:12:03he was only interested in what he wanted to achieve.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08He wouldn't consider being married or settling down
0:12:08 > 0:12:11or compromising his outlook on life.
0:12:12 > 0:12:18With judo, he decided that he wanted to go as far as he could with it.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20He was very good at throwing people
0:12:20 > 0:12:24who were not only his own weight, but above it.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26He was European Champion,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28he was National Champion for year after year.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33Bob was very close to qualifying for part of the Olympic team
0:12:33 > 0:12:36and had there been enough finance
0:12:36 > 0:12:40to send both the openweight and a heavyweight,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I think Bob would have been in the team there
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and he would have contested for medals in the Olympics.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52But after a hugely successful sporting career,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Bob Bradley met an untimely death.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59In a shocking accident in his home on the 6th of May 2014,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01he fell through rotten floorboards.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05I heard about Bob's death.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08A mutual friend phoned me up and told me.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11But it was on the news as well.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14It was quite a shock. I don't actually dwell on it,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17because what had happened to him was pretty serious stuff.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Bob's friends shared their pain at his loss,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23but Bob had no relatives that they knew of.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Whenever we talked about family things, as you do when
0:13:25 > 0:13:29you're going away, he just simply said, "Oh, I never see anyone."
0:13:29 > 0:13:31And that was it.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37As Bob died with no known family, his case was referred
0:13:37 > 0:13:41to London probate genealogists Fraser and Fraser.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45- She can do a marriage search, same as we can.- We might be lucky.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49It's their job to find any living family who could inherit his estate,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51including his house in Margate,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53which was left in a state of disrepair.
0:13:55 > 0:13:56Undertaking a house search,
0:13:56 > 0:14:00we're looking for any financial details about the deceased,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02any valuables that the estate may have
0:14:02 > 0:14:04and also to see if there's a will.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07On the Bradley estate, unfortunately, the property was...
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Well, it was simply too dangerous to conduct a full search.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12So we can only really do a basic search on that one.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17So with the confirmation that Bob Bradley had left no will,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20the hunt was on to piece together his family tree
0:14:20 > 0:14:22and track down heirs to his estate.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27The name of Bradley's not an uncommon name to research.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29But we were hoping that there would be more of a unique name
0:14:29 > 0:14:33in the family to make our research a little easier.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35See if he, er...he married again.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42We can kind of go straight in and look for Robert Bradley,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46born 1945, with the middle initial "J", for Joseph.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Straight away, we can kind of see how many people with that surname
0:14:53 > 0:14:56and that combination of names there are.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00There are only two Robert Bradleys born in 1945.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02One of them was in the March quarter
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and we can kind of disprove that immediately,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07because our deceased was born in November.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10So we've got one in the December quarter,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14which then gives us the mother's maiden name as Swift.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15So we can then follow that up,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18follow it onto finding the parents' marriage
0:15:18 > 0:15:21and perhaps double-checking whether or not he had any siblings.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26Bob Bradley's family tree was beginning to come alive.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31We found Joseph R Bradley marrying a Rose Swift
0:15:31 > 0:15:34in December quarter 1932 in Willesden.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38We thought the "R" would be for Robert, the deceased's name,
0:15:38 > 0:15:39which later turned out to be true,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42so from that point of when that marriage occurred,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45we would then look for siblings of the deceased.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Bob did have an older brother, Michael, who sadly died in infancy.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52He had also lost both of his parents many years ago.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56So with no living immediate family,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59the team had to widen the net on their search.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02This would point them towards aunts, uncles and cousins.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Yeah, 19 on the '11 census.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Ben's starting point was Bob's grandparents on his mother's side.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Lily James and Richard Charles Swift.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16They married in 1902 in Camberwell.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Next, to find further details of Bob's family, the search turned
0:16:22 > 0:16:27to the 1911 census, which revealed his grandfather's profession.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30We located the family and the father,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Richard Charles Swift's occupation, is listed as fruiterer.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Life in London in 1911 was tough
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and the Swift family at that time was listed as a large one.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Records show that Lily James and Richard Charles Swift
0:16:44 > 0:16:48had six children, born between 1901 and 1914.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54With Bob's expansive family tree beginning to take shape,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57the team could begin their search for living descendants.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00There are three siblings of the deceased mother
0:17:00 > 0:17:03that left descendants, and we had to start tracing where they were.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Lily Swift, the aunt of the deceased,
0:17:07 > 0:17:13she married a Charles Periton in 1922 in Willesden.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16They shortly after had their first child
0:17:16 > 0:17:18and then they emigrated to Canada.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21One of the biggest problems that we have on all estates really
0:17:21 > 0:17:24is when we establish that there are heirs overseas.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27A lot of the records overseas, they're closed to us.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30For instance, a lot of countries don't have the birth,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32marriage and death records that we do,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35so what we have to do is look at obituaries
0:17:35 > 0:17:36and use alternative sources.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- In the '20s, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43With part of the family scattered as far away as Canada,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46the team still hadn't found any heirs in the UK.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Bob's uncle, Charles Swift, was the key.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53He had married a Rosina Elizabeth May
0:17:53 > 0:17:56in 1929 in Paddington, London,
0:17:56 > 0:18:01and records reveal that Charles, like his father, was a greengrocer.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Rosina and Charles Swift had one son,
0:18:04 > 0:18:09John Richard Charles Swift, born in 1935 -
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Bob Bradley's first cousin.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Alive and well and living in Oxfordshire,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16the team had found their first heir.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I never knew Bob Bradley
0:18:18 > 0:18:21because he lived in Margate,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24he never really kept in touch with the family
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and they never kept in touch with him.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29So he was just a mystery,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32he was just a complete and utter mystery to me.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Although John didn't have a relationship with Bob
0:18:35 > 0:18:36when he was alive,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40family ties have left him feeling inextricably linked to him
0:18:40 > 0:18:44and news of his death came as a dreadful shock.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Surprise, because he was a lot younger than me.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49I wish now that I'd known him,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51because he seemed like quite an interesting guy,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53one way or another.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55I might have seen him when he was a babe in arms,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57but that's all I can remember.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Bob and John may have been first cousins,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04but their life paths couldn't be more different.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06While Bob was running a pet shop,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10John Swift had begun his working life in the family business.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13I was working in a greengrocer's shop when I was ten.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15And I worked with my father...
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Then and as far as I can make out,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21my father, my grandfather
0:19:21 > 0:19:25and most of the Swifts were all in business one way or another.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Basically, they were in the fruit and veg business,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31but...if a little deal came up for something else,
0:19:31 > 0:19:33it wouldn't be sniffed away.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Of his uncles and aunts, it was John's father's brother,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Uncle Jack, who was the most successful.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Jack was a sort who'd have a crack at anything.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49He was a gambler.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52When I say a gambler, not necessarily with money,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55but he would take chances with things,
0:19:55 > 0:19:56you know what I mean?
0:19:56 > 0:19:58And do anything to get a few bob.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02I know he had a friend who was a bookmaker's son or something
0:20:02 > 0:20:06and Jack said he went to help them at the racecourse one day.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09And when he saw the money they could make making a book,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12he decided that's what he wanted to do.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17That's what Jack did and he did it well.
0:20:17 > 0:20:23Jack was always very well-dressed - expensive cars, nice houses.
0:20:23 > 0:20:30He was just so many miles away from where I lived in Kensal Green
0:20:30 > 0:20:33in this little flat over this greengrocer's shop.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I suppose we were all a bit in awe of him really.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39While a picture was beginning to form of Bob Bradley's family
0:20:39 > 0:20:42on his mother's side, there was still potential heirs
0:20:42 > 0:20:45to be found on his father's side of the family.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Every year in Britain, thousands of people
0:20:54 > 0:20:58receive an unexpected visit from the heir hunters.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00When the heir hunters contacted me,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04it was a bit of a shock to find out that, you know,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07my family was somewhat larger than I thought it was.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Today, we've got details of two estates
0:21:09 > 0:21:12from the Treasury solicitors' Bona Vacantia list
0:21:12 > 0:21:13that are yet to be claimed.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19The first case is Rachel Ena Ades, known as Monique.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23She was born in 1911 in Preston in Lancashire.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27When she died in 2002 in Carshalton in Surrey,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29she was 91 years of age.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Monique had a brother,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35who it's thought passed away before her
0:21:35 > 0:21:37and her birth certificate names her parents
0:21:37 > 0:21:40as Abraham Ades and Ethel Maude Galloway.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43There are many indicators
0:21:43 > 0:21:45that the name "Ades" may be of Jewish origin,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49coming from the Jewish communities of Spain and Portugal.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Next is Patricia Bachelor.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54She was born in 1944
0:21:54 > 0:21:56and died in Wandsworth, south London,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00in 1986, when she was just 41.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04She married Anthony Joseph Bachelor in 1964
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and her maiden name had been Britzman.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12If you think you may be related to either of these people,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14you would need to make a claim on their estate
0:22:14 > 0:22:17via the government legal department.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Are you their next of kin?
0:22:21 > 0:22:24If so, you could have a windfall coming your way.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35In London, the heir hunters are on the search for beneficiaries
0:22:35 > 0:22:37to the estate of the late Gillian Carter,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40who moved from Birmingham to rural Wales,
0:22:40 > 0:22:44where she sadly passed away in December 2014.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48- Probate with an address search. - Did we have any luck getting those?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Relatives on Gillian's mother's side are proving hard to find.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56But the team has managed to track down some potential paternal heirs.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Travelling researcher Parmjit is in Gloucestershire,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03going to visit Gillian's 99-year-old aunt Joan
0:23:03 > 0:23:07who lives with her son, one of Gillian's first cousins.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08I was very surprised,
0:23:08 > 0:23:12because I'd spoken to Gillian on the phone
0:23:12 > 0:23:15on the Saturday evening of 6th of December
0:23:15 > 0:23:20and then on the Sunday, another cousin of mine rang up
0:23:20 > 0:23:23to say that Gillian Carter had died
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and I sort of said, "That's...I'm really shocked,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28"because I've just spoken to her last night",
0:23:28 > 0:23:31and he said, "You're probably" - she lived on her own -
0:23:31 > 0:23:34"the last person to have spoken to her."
0:23:34 > 0:23:37And I had to sort of sit down for a few minutes, because,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40I said, well, I'd only just spoken to her the night before,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42so it was a surprise.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- Good morning.- Good morning, John.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- This is my mother.- Hello.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- Joan Butler. Nora Joan Butler. - Hello, Joan.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55I've come just to discuss the family tree,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57to make sure we've got all the details that we need
0:23:57 > 0:23:59for the relatives. OK?
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- I've got too many!- Too many. - Too many.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05So, we'll start... That's Gillian.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- Who's passed away.- Yes.
0:24:08 > 0:24:14- Then we've got another sister called Marion Beryl Boycott.- Yes.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16As far as... We are happy.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Otherwise, that side of the family tree is fine.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20As far as I can see, yes, it is.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Parmjit's visit to Joan and John has proved successful,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and has provided more clues to Gillian's life.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29It's also solved the mystery
0:24:29 > 0:24:32of the joint date of her parents' death.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Gillian's parents were going in early December...
0:24:35 > 0:24:39They were going off to buy Christmas presents and a van driver
0:24:39 > 0:24:42came on the wrong side of the road and just hit them head-on.
0:24:42 > 0:24:49He was badly injured, but they were both killed pretty well outright.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54So that was a real blow for Gillian and her husband.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59Sharing such sad news, John's not only been able to paint
0:24:59 > 0:25:03a fuller picture of Gillian's past, but the visit has also proved
0:25:03 > 0:25:06crucial in helping to complete her paternal family tree.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11We've still got a few left that we need to go and see,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14which some of my colleagues will no doubt pick up.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17So it's been fruitful, it's been worthwhile.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20At least we've confirmed the fact we've got details
0:25:20 > 0:25:23for all of the beneficiaries on this side now.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30In the Birmingham area, Keith, another travelling researcher,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32is on his way to visit one of Gillian Carter's cousins
0:25:32 > 0:25:34on her mother's side.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37The heir hunters have had no luck tracking him down on the phone,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40so Keith's hoping to catch him at his home.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44This is not looking particularly hopeful.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47There doesn't appear to be any vehicles on the drive
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and it looks a little bit locked up and secure.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51But we'll make some enquires.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55On closer inspection, it appears no-one is home.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03We're getting no response and I made some enquiries at the neighbours'.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06It doesn't look as though there's anyone living there at the moment.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- You can see him sitting, he should be in his chair.- In the back?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- You say he's...?- No, in the flat. He should be sitting...- Yeah.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15- You say he's deaf, is he?- Yeah. - Does he live on his own?- Yeah.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17As a result of a visit to the neighbours,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20they can confirm that our gentleman does live at this address.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Unfortunately, he's in his late eighties and he's deaf
0:26:24 > 0:26:28and he probably is in, but will not hear us.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31He has relatives that call on a Saturday who live in Shrewsbury,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33so what I'm going to do is,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35with the permission of the neighbour,
0:26:35 > 0:26:36leave them the visiting letter
0:26:36 > 0:26:38so that when they see the relatives at the weekend,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41they'll get the relatives to contact the office.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44So things are beginning to take shape,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46but there's still work to do.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Slowly, Gillian Carter's family tree is beginning to grow.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57The 1911 census reveals that Gillian's grandfather,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Edward Henry Franklin, was in the army
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and had been posted abroad with Gillian's grandmother, Mary.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06They'd had nine children.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Some, like Gillian's mother, Margaret, were born in England,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14some in Scotland, and some in Gibraltar.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18This is why their birth records were harder to trace.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Whenever a vital event takes place overseas,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23be it a birth, a marriage or a death,
0:27:23 > 0:27:28it makes our life as a researcher, um, a lot harder.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31The access to information varies from country to country,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34so there may be certain countries, like Australia,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36where their privacy laws are so strict,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39we maybe can't ever get the certificates that we need,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42but there may be other countries whereby
0:27:42 > 0:27:43we can access the information.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46It is just going to take a lot longer than it would do
0:27:46 > 0:27:47if it was in this country.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Gillian Carter's grandfather, Edward Franklin,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53enlisted with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57one of the elite regiments of the British Army, in 1884.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04The British Army, in the 19th century,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07was a refuge for those
0:28:07 > 0:28:10who had fallen on hard times,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12were between jobs,
0:28:12 > 0:28:18who were seeking some escape from family or domestic circumstances,
0:28:18 > 0:28:23and, at the same time, offered the opportunity to travel abroad,
0:28:23 > 0:28:28see exotic scenes and take part in fighting for the Empire.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34But it wasn't all about foreign travel.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38There was hard graft and real danger involved.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42When Edward enlisted into the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46Edward, in coming to join the regiment,
0:28:46 > 0:28:52would have experienced real, shocking acclimatisation.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56The heat was legendary in that part of the world.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01The...rations were very meagre.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07And the disciplinary record meant they had to be on alert
0:29:07 > 0:29:09for long periods of time.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12This was during the Anglo-Egyptian War
0:29:12 > 0:29:15between Egyptian and Sudanese forces.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20The British Army moved into the Sudan
0:29:20 > 0:29:23following threats to Khartoum.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Only the capital remained in Egyptian hands,
0:29:26 > 0:29:31with about 15,000 European and Egyptian citizens.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Britain's ex-Governor General of the Sudan, General Gordon,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37had been sent to Khartoum during the war
0:29:37 > 0:29:41by Britain's Prime Minister, William Gladstone,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43to report on the situation.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Gordon extended his orders and decided to stay,
0:29:47 > 0:29:52he wasn't prepared to leave until all the other citizens were out,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55and so effectively blackmailed Gladstone
0:29:55 > 0:29:58into sending a relief force into the Sudan
0:29:58 > 0:30:02to try to relieve the beleaguered city of Khartoum.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06Gillian's grandfather, Edward Franklin,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10would most likely have been amongst the troops deployed to relieve him.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15In fact, that relief force arrived two days too late.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18The city had been... The siege had been successful,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21and the whole town had been laid waste.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25General Gordon had also been killed.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Gordon had a great pull with the British public,
0:30:27 > 0:30:29and of course when he dies in Khartoum,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32it becomes an absolute disaster for Gladstone.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37His sobriquet was "Grand Old Man", GOM,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40and then becomes MOG, "Murderer of Gordon".
0:30:40 > 0:30:43After this tragic event, Edward Franklin would most possibly
0:30:43 > 0:30:46have remained with his regiment in the troubled region.
0:30:46 > 0:30:51The Camerons complete a tour of duty on the frontier until 1887.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56They return to Britain for several years,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00and then are sent to Gibraltar and Malta.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04And it is from Malta that they are called back to Egypt
0:31:04 > 0:31:09at the end of 1897, when they take part in the reconquest of the Sudan
0:31:09 > 0:31:11and the avenging of General Gordon.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16By this time, Edward Franklin had married Mary Morrison,
0:31:16 > 0:31:18and they had started a family together.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Gillian Carter's mother, Margaret,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22was the youngest of their nine children
0:31:22 > 0:31:26and was born in 1912 in Birmingham, after her father had retired.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Having solved the problems of Gillian's mother's family tree,
0:31:32 > 0:31:37and found all the birth records, in London, after a lot of hard work,
0:31:37 > 0:31:42Amy's search for beneficiaries of Gillian's estate is almost complete.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47So to tie up one of the other last remaining loose ends,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51travelling researcher Keith is on the road again.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53He's on his way to the home of another of Gillian's relatives
0:31:53 > 0:31:57on her mother's side, her cousin, David Ratcliffe,
0:31:57 > 0:31:59who Amy left a message for earlier.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03We are now off to another suburb of Birmingham,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06we're going to see another stem of the family tree,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and hopefully get some response at this address,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12and just hope he is going to be at home.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Unfortunately for Finders, it turns out that Gillian's cousin,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19David, has signed up with one of their competitors.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21But Keith's still hoping he can confirm
0:32:21 > 0:32:24that Gillian's paternal family tree is correct.
0:32:24 > 0:32:25And with regards to the deceased, Gillian,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28did you know much about her at all?
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Could you shed any light on...
0:32:30 > 0:32:33In her childhood, which is going back a few years,
0:32:33 > 0:32:34we saw quite a bit of them.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36So her father was Richard James.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38- That's correct. - Are you happy with that?
0:32:38 > 0:32:41- Yes.- You've confirmed those details on there.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42And they're in order.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47They may not have been in regular contact,
0:32:47 > 0:32:51but David was the first relative to hear the news that Gillian had died.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54I was shocked, really, it came out of the blue.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57It was a North Wales police van who asked me who I was
0:32:57 > 0:32:58and was I connected.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01They said, "We've got some sad news for you."
0:33:01 > 0:33:03And then they told me.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06And, um, it was a bit upsetting, to be honest.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10We saw Mr Ratcliffe at the last address,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13so we got some more information with regard to the deceased there,
0:33:13 > 0:33:18and hopefully that can enlighten the story for the office.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22Back at the office, there have been further developments.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24After much in-depth research on the case,
0:33:24 > 0:33:28news has arrived which changes everything.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Since we put the claim in with the Government Legal Department,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35we've heard back from them, and unfortunately,
0:33:35 > 0:33:40they have written to say that a subsequent will has come forward.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42This one does appear to be valid.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45A situation like this is obviously very disappointing for us,
0:33:45 > 0:33:50we've spent a lot of time and effort and also, um...money,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53in doing the research, contacting heirs that are
0:33:53 > 0:33:56probably not now entitled, but we work on all sorts
0:33:56 > 0:33:58of different types of cases,
0:33:58 > 0:34:00and this does happen from time to time.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03For the cousins, however,
0:34:03 > 0:34:05it's not the money that was important,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08but their fond memories of Gillian.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09I got on quite well with her,
0:34:09 > 0:34:13she was quite a pleasant person, you know?
0:34:17 > 0:34:21In London, heir hunting firm Fraser and Fraser are looking after
0:34:21 > 0:34:24the case of Robert Joseph Bradley, known as Bob,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26who died in a tragic accident in his home
0:34:26 > 0:34:30after a full and varied life as a judo champion
0:34:30 > 0:34:32and an expert on his hometown of Margate.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35With Bob leaving no will,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39case manager Ben Cornish is on the hunt for heirs to his estate.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- OK, I'll give her a call in a sec. - So, she might...
0:34:43 > 0:34:46- Do you want me to do that now? - Yeah, er, home stuff.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49After researching the children
0:34:49 > 0:34:51of his mother's five brothers and sisters,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54he's managed to track down a living relative of Bob's
0:34:54 > 0:34:57in England, his first cousin John Swift.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00John lifted the lid on his Uncle Jack,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02who turned out to be something of a celebrity
0:35:02 > 0:35:05when he opened one of the country's first betting shops
0:35:05 > 0:35:10in London's Mayfair when they became legal in 1961.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Swift would've identified somewhere like Piccadilly
0:35:13 > 0:35:15as being a central area
0:35:15 > 0:35:17amongst a lot of working class,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19because the working class worked in these areas,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21they didn't live in these areas,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25and he would've identified that as a good central area
0:35:25 > 0:35:27to have a shop to attract business.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Jack Swift's empire flourished
0:35:29 > 0:35:32until he had about 20 bookies around London.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36But as his star was rising and the money rolled in,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39he never forgot his family.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Jack was very good to me.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45He gave me a lot of work when I was a cab driver doing different things,
0:35:45 > 0:35:48running him about, you know, all over the place.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50When my dad died,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53I had three kids and I was struggling a bit,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55you know, mortgage and all that,
0:35:55 > 0:35:57and he was talking to me and he said, "Are you managing?"
0:35:57 > 0:35:58And he gave me 50 quid.
0:35:58 > 0:36:04And that 50 quid, in those days, got me out of trouble.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05I never, ever forgot it.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Jack had one son himself, Brian Charles Swift.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15We found a marriage to a Loretta Breasley.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18They have a total of three children.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Loretta Breasley was the daughter
0:36:20 > 0:36:24of legendary Australian jockey Scobie Breasley.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27The union of bookie's son and the daughter of racing royalty
0:36:27 > 0:36:30raised more than a few eyebrows.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34Jack Swift, his son's profession as a jockey
0:36:34 > 0:36:37and the marriages that his family made,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41which actually elevated him into a racing set,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43which was much more middle-class than working-class.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47With his business booming, Jack's friend William Hill,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51who had not been so bold as to take his bookmaking business
0:36:51 > 0:36:55out on to the high street, made an offer to buy Jack's shops.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58It was an offer that Jack couldn't refuse.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01Swift was the pioneer and took the risk.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03He felt that the bookmaking industry,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06licensed bookmaking was going to be successful,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and it took a long time for William Hill
0:37:09 > 0:37:12to make the decision that he was going to go the same way.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17By 1966, his 20 shops and his business
0:37:17 > 0:37:22was sold to William Hill in its entirety for £850,000,
0:37:22 > 0:37:26which, in today's money, equates to close to 15 million.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30But it wasn't all good news for Jack Swift and his family.
0:37:30 > 0:37:36In 1985, his only son Brian died suddenly of a heart attack
0:37:36 > 0:37:37aged just 48,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40leaving three children, all potential heirs,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44who at first couldn't be traced.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47One of them had quite a unique name and once we followed that up,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50we found all three children living in Australia.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53When we located the three Australian heirs,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56it took the number of heirs on the maternal side to 12.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00With all living heirs on Bob Bradley's mother's side
0:38:00 > 0:38:02of the family now accounted for,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05it was time to turn to the paternal family tree.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07This is a bigger challenge
0:38:07 > 0:38:11simply because there were more aunts and uncles to descend on this side.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15Bob's grandfather Charles Bradley had married Bob's grandmother,
0:38:15 > 0:38:19Mary Ann Hopkins, in 1888.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22They had nine children over a 24-year period,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25including Joseph Robert Bradley.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27The eldest was Charles Bradley, born in 1889 in Fulham.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30He died in 1970 in Greystones, Ireland.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33He was married twice, he had seven children in total.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Large families are a problem for research.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Really, from a very basic level, we've got to locate all the heirs.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41We can't just locate some and forget the rest of them,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44we've got to locate everyone, so a big family means more work.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47It was quite unusual in the fact there were 43 years between
0:38:47 > 0:38:50when this first was born when his last was born.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53So when we had completed our research into Charles Bradley,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55the paternal uncle of the deceased,
0:38:55 > 0:38:57um...it had almost doubled the amount of heirs
0:38:57 > 0:39:00that we already had from the maternal side of the family.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05But as Bob's paternal family tree continue to reveal itself,
0:39:05 > 0:39:09a further ten first cousins came to light.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11We were just finding heirs left right and centre.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14And these heirs were spread all over the globe.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Let's just have a look on another system,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18just to make sure.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Bob Bradley's heirs on his father's side of the family
0:39:20 > 0:39:24were discovered in the UK, Ireland and Canada.
0:39:24 > 0:39:25Finalise all this...
0:39:25 > 0:39:27We've got quite a few things coming back today anyway,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30so it should tidy up all this side, anyway.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32With Ben's team hard at work,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35an heir closer to home had been found.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Bob Bradley's uncle Harry had six children.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42His son, Peter Bradley, Bob's first cousin,
0:39:42 > 0:39:46was alive and well and living in Kent.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50He was taken by surprise when he got the call from the heir hunters.
0:39:50 > 0:39:51It was quite a shock.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Really, it was, it was... Stunned, really, I think.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58My memories of Bob are as very small cameos.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02We used to take holidays, we had a couple of holidays in Westgate.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04On one occasion, we stayed with Aunt Rose
0:40:04 > 0:40:06and we played in the garden.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09And then I saw him on another occasion on the seafront
0:40:09 > 0:40:12and we played in the sand together.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15And that was really the last time.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19Um, that was it, really, basically.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23And then they just disappear, you know, you go from your memory
0:40:23 > 0:40:25and you get on with your own life.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29With so many years having passed since they last met,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Peter was surprised to hear he was entitled to a part
0:40:32 > 0:40:34of his late cousin's estate.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37When I heard of the circumstances of his death,
0:40:37 > 0:40:39it was tinged with a bit, quite a lot of sadness,
0:40:39 > 0:40:43because, you know, all right, you're going to inherit some money,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47but it would've been much nicer to think that I'd come across him
0:40:47 > 0:40:52in passing and met up with him and spoke to him...
0:40:53 > 0:40:55..that type of thing.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56With the final piece of the puzzle
0:40:56 > 0:40:59that makes up Bob Bradley's family tree in place,
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Ben and his team's job is done.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04So the case of Robert Joseph Bradley was really interesting.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07There were many heirs all around the world which we had to trace.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09We found 35 people entitled to benefit
0:41:09 > 0:41:13and the estate at the end was worth £125,000.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14- PETER:- So, this is where it is...
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Today, Peter and his son Matthew
0:41:17 > 0:41:19have travelled to Bob's hometown of Margate,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21to his beloved judo club,
0:41:21 > 0:41:25to meet his friends and find out more about their long-lost cousin.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Terry Nolan and Barry James
0:41:29 > 0:41:31are waiting for Peter and Matt in the club.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34They're proud to show off Bob's sporting achievements
0:41:34 > 0:41:37and share their memories of their friend.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40- Certificates, trophies. - Oh, I bet you've got a few of those.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- Yeah...- Where is he see there? There he is.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45That was at the Ramsgate club...
0:41:45 > 0:41:48The ethos of our sport, and he took on board so strongly,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51was that you could compete with anyone of any standard
0:41:51 > 0:41:53and if you behaved yourself properly,
0:41:53 > 0:41:55you looked after them.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57- You see he's wearing a black belt there, don't you?- Yeah.
0:41:57 > 0:41:58Well, he got higher than that.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01- He got to 7th dan eventually. - Seven Dan...
0:42:01 > 0:42:04When you're refereeing, you don't expect the referee
0:42:04 > 0:42:06to be cracking jokes, but he was always...
0:42:06 > 0:42:09He got into trouble with the authorities
0:42:09 > 0:42:12quite a number of times, cos he wouldn't stop cracking jokes.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15- MATT:- It was lovely to see how loved he was...
0:42:15 > 0:42:18- Yeah.- ..and how well-liked and how many friends he had...
0:42:18 > 0:42:21That was one of the most important things,
0:42:21 > 0:42:22discovering his humour.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Apparently it comes from our neck of the woods, so it's marvellous,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28actually, to find all those things out,
0:42:28 > 0:42:32what Bob was like, his stature, what he achieved.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36It's opened...a lot of doors and closed a lot more.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Not only have the heir hunters succeeded in their quest
0:42:42 > 0:42:44to trace Bob's heirs,
0:42:44 > 0:42:46they've also given Bob's living relatives
0:42:46 > 0:42:49the gift of a little piece of missing family history.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54It brings our family back together again,
0:42:54 > 0:42:58even though we were separated through just...life, really.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01You suddenly realise that family is important
0:43:01 > 0:43:05and everybody should look to their family.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08It's always nice to remember them and know what they did,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11because there's a lot of missing links out there.