0:00:02 > 0:00:03Today...
0:00:03 > 0:00:05We need someone. It's urgent.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Heir hunters race the competition to find beneficiaries
0:00:08 > 0:00:10to an unclaimed estate.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14It's quite a considerable sum of money, so time is of the essence.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Family members hope to be reunited...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19It would be lovely to see her again.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21That would be one of my last wishes.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Glass... I think that says bottle-maker.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27..while others are shocked to find new family.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30My first thought was, "Wow! Is this real?"
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Look for him, because we can't find the family in the 1911 census.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49- Yeah, I've done that.- Maybe just stick to marriages, 1911 up.
0:00:49 > 0:00:50It's 10:45AM
0:00:50 > 0:00:54and London heir-hunting firm Finders are working on
0:00:54 > 0:00:56a brand-new case from the government's Bona Vacantia list.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58This is a case that's just come into us.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01It's the estate of Shirley Diane Street.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03There's just three ads on the list today,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06so I would anticipate this one's going to be quite competitive.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Thank you, bye.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Shirley passed away, aged 83, on the 23rd of September, 2015,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20without leaving a will.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Born in the north-east of England, she worked in London,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27before retiring to the beautiful seaside town of Folkestone in Kent.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32A lot of people move to Folkestone, especially people from London are known to move to Folkestone.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Weather's always very good here and there's lots of places
0:01:34 > 0:01:37for the elderly to walk along. Some really beautiful places.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43In Shirley's 23 years of being here, she would have seen a very warm
0:01:43 > 0:01:46and friendly town. We all get on very well.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49It's a lovely, friendly, happy place to be.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54In the office, the heir hunters have some initial clues,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58which mean they need to check carefully, to see if Shirley had any close family.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Shirley was married to a gentleman called
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Patrick Dennis Collins-Street. He passed away in 1994, so they'll find that,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08when she married Patrick, whether they had any children together.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Shirley's case also has an extra level of urgency.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16We've roughly valued the estate at £200,000.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19It's quite a considerable sum of money, time is of the essence.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22- Pulling this up?- Yeah.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25With Bona Vacantia cases, we have to work very quickly.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Not only to find out whether there's any competition that maybe
0:02:28 > 0:02:30would have reached the beneficiaries before we do,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34we also find it helps generally to make initial contact with
0:02:34 > 0:02:39the beneficiaries before anybody else who may be working on the case.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Ryan needs help, to work the case fast,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44so pulls in case manager, Amy Cox.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48- Could you have a look at her birth family, please?- Mm-hm.
0:02:48 > 0:02:49They know from the government list
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Shirley's maiden name was Charnock, but records have thrown up
0:02:53 > 0:02:57some interesting previous history for Shirley and her late husband.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I think he married previously and I think she married previously,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03because she didn't marry under Charnock, so whilst I just
0:03:03 > 0:03:06run over whether there's any children, could you...
0:03:06 > 0:03:08If Shirley married twice,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12it opens up more possibilities for closely-related heirs.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14I just need to figure who they were married to,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18whether Shirley had any children from her first husband.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Any children found from this marriage would also be entitled.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24And Ryan quickly has his answer.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27She previously married a chap called Anthony Brian,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I can't find any children to that marriage, so it appears there's not
0:03:30 > 0:03:34any children of the deceased who would be entitled to inherit from her estate.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Having found no children who could inherit from either of Shirley's marriages,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42the team check to see if she had any brothers or sisters.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44(How's it going, Coxy?)
0:03:44 > 0:03:46- I've got the parents...- OK.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51- ..and I know that she's an only child.- OK.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Amy has discovered that Shirley's parents were Clarice Wintersgill
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and Herbert Charnock, who married in May 1929.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00And with no siblings of Shirley to inherit,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03the team need to now go back a generation
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and look at her grandparents on her mother's and father's side,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08to find her aunts and uncles or their children,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10who would be her heirs.
0:04:10 > 0:04:16Means we've got Charnock on the paternal side and Wintersgill on the maternal side,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20so I'll be nice and let Coxy choose whichever side she wants and then we'll see
0:04:20 > 0:04:24how big each side of the family is and then we'll devise stems.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28- Um, I'll take that.- OK.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- All right.- Thanks.- Good luck.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34With Amy researching Shirley's mother's family,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37she quickly discovers Shirley's grandparents were
0:04:37 > 0:04:39John Wintersgill and Hannah Smith.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42And when she finds them on the census with their children, it looks
0:04:42 > 0:04:45like they might have a mountain to climb, in terms of research.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- The maternal side's quite big. - Is it? How's it looking?
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Eight... Well, seven stems.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54With a large family looming and seven maternal aunts and uncles
0:04:54 > 0:04:57of Shirley to find, Ryan steps in to help.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58OK.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- 14...- OK, so what're we going to do, how should we split this?
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- Shall I take Suzanne and you take Camilla?- OK.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It's always good for us in the office to have a few people
0:05:12 > 0:05:15onboard when we're researching a case, when a family tree does
0:05:15 > 0:05:18get a bit out of hand, and we can divide it amongst people in the
0:05:18 > 0:05:22office and also if you're stuck on a bit of research, there's someone
0:05:22 > 0:05:25else that can just cast fresh eyes over the research that you've undertaken.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29You can find this one, then, because I couldn't find her.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Everyone gets roped into researching one of the seven maternal
0:05:33 > 0:05:36aunts or uncles on Shirley's mother's side of the family.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Josh, I'm going to leave this with you.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41This is the main tree, this is the other stem.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Yeah, I'm thinking, leave that page up and open a new one.- Yeah.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Just started doing the first stem of the Wintersgill family, which is
0:05:49 > 0:05:54a John Wintersgill. He died in 1964. He had two children.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58John's two children were Sidney and Kathleen.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01And when they check the military records,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05the team discovered something interesting about Sydney.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10In 1941, as Britain was about to feel the full force
0:06:10 > 0:06:14of Germany on her own territory, Sidney was an RAF pilot.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19This was a very much still in the early stages of World War II.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21We'd been through the Battle of Britain,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24but the country was now coming under prolonged aerial assault
0:06:24 > 0:06:26from the Luftwaffe. It was the Blitz.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36As RAF crew in a bomber squadron, Sidney's role was vital.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43The Bomber Command Offensive was really the only way that we
0:06:43 > 0:06:45could strike back at the heart of Germany.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49So there would have been a real sense that Britain
0:06:49 > 0:06:53was fighting back, we weren't just sitting and soaking up the punishment.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Sidney was the co-pilot in a Wellington bomber.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Sidney's job would be very demanding.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Many nights, he would be getting into his aeroplane with his crew
0:07:03 > 0:07:08and flying off to raid German ports and German shipping.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11He would have been physically very tired, there would have
0:07:11 > 0:07:15been the constant threat of German anti-aircraft guns and the
0:07:15 > 0:07:21German night fighters, so you're constantly worrying about being shot at.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25And also, when you get back to base, every time you return,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29probably some of your squadron mates haven't come back.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Of course, over a long period of time, it is going to
0:07:33 > 0:07:36take a psychological toll.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39After facing danger so many times, one summer evening,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Sidney's luck ran out.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46On the 12th August, 1941, his squadron set out from his RAF base
0:07:46 > 0:07:48in Suffolk to bomb German ports.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53It's very difficult to know exactly what happened that evening,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56but fundamentally, the aircraft didn't come back.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59The strong likelihood is that it was shot down by flak,
0:07:59 > 0:08:04by anti-aircraft guns, or maybe shot down by a German night fighter.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Sidney's entire crew perished that night,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11but their bravery has not been forgotten.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Sidney could be proud of the contribution he made.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21He gave his life as one of 56,000 Bomber Command aircrew
0:08:21 > 0:08:24who also died in that conflict.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29And for much of the war, Bomber Command was the only way that
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Britain could take the fight to the enemy.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Back in the office, Amy is checking if Sidney had any children
0:08:43 > 0:08:45before he was killed in action.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49This is Sidney's death record. That he was the son of the Reverend
0:08:49 > 0:08:52John Wintersgill and Ethel A Wintersgill of Lancashire,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55so we're going to take from that that he never married,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58because if he had a wife, then it would have her listed there.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01With Sidney's trail appearing to run to a dead end,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Suzanne's been working up the line of another uncle, Leonard.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10So, we found that he passed away, married,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and that he had two children and I've just found addresses
0:09:14 > 0:09:17for them and possible telephone numbers,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20so I need to give them a call.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25- Have you found any heirs yet? - Suzanne has.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Suzanne makes a call to the first potential heirs,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30children of Leonard Wintersgill.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Yeah, he had brothers and sisters, didn't he?
0:09:33 > 0:09:36OK. When would be the best time to speak to her?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40All right, thanks a lot. Bye-bye.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- Sounded like it went well?- Yeah.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- Have you not heard from anyone else?- No.- Where's she based?
0:09:45 > 0:09:49- She is in Ormskirk. - OK, so it's Lancashire.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54Have you already put a warning out to reps in Lancashire?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I managed to speak to one of the beneficiary's husbands
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and he confirms that it was the correct family.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05So, I've organised for one of our representatives to go round
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and see them about 4pm today.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09With some heirs found,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Ryan can breathe a sigh of relief as they appear to be ahead of the game.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Hello, is that John?
0:10:15 > 0:10:16Hiya.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20But out on the road, they've got nobody in the area to make a visit.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24And they know the competition is not far behind them, in terms of research.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Now, it's really urgent for us to try
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and get some people out to see the beneficiaries. I know we're struggling so far.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42When heir hunters look into family trees, they can uncover distressing cases
0:10:42 > 0:10:46of loss and separation, tempered with heart-warming stories
0:10:46 > 0:10:50of generations united by a skilled, but forgotten, trade.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55The case of George Douglas Clarkson proved to be one such case.
0:10:57 > 0:11:03He was born on the 21st of July, 1926, in Castleford, West Yorkshire,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05but lived for many years in London,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07before retiring to Honiton in Devon.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11George Clarkson would have enjoyed living in the area.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15It's a beautiful place to be. Devon itself has the rolling hills
0:11:15 > 0:11:17and it's a lovely, green area.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20His next-door neighbour would have been on hand, as well,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23as the local people, the farmers and the community there,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25would have been there to help with anything that he needed.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30George passed away on the 24th of November, 2004, without a will.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33But it was almost a decade until
0:11:33 > 0:11:37his estate was advertised by the government as being unclaimed.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Hi... That's OK. Are you free to talk or...?
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Case manager Richard Fryer, from heir-hunting firm Hoopers,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47picked up his case.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49It's not unusual for a fair amount of time
0:11:49 > 0:11:52to lapse between a person passing away
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and their estate being advertised by the Treasury Solicitor.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57It should arrive today, hopefully.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00But in George's case, there is an unusual circumstance
0:12:00 > 0:12:04which led to his estate being advertised so long after his death.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08The team discovered he'd shared his property with a female companion.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11There was no romantic involvement,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14they just, we think, enjoyed each other's company.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19This carried on until George's death in 2004, after which
0:12:19 > 0:12:23we understand that the lady was allowed to
0:12:23 > 0:12:26live in the property, as long as she maintained its upkeep.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31And it was only upon her death some years later that the matter then
0:12:31 > 0:12:36had to be referred to the Treasury Solicito, as the property was empty.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38George had fully owned the property,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42so there would be a substantial sum for potential heirs to inherit.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Richard got stuck into working out George's
0:12:45 > 0:12:48circumstances in the later years of his life.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Although we've had indications early on that he was a bachelor,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54nevertheless, we had to check the marriage records thoroughly
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and we found no trace that the deceased had ever married.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- Yeah.- Of course, OK.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The team couldn't find any children of George's, either.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05So with no immediate family to inherit, the team would now need
0:13:05 > 0:13:08to find George's parents from his birth certificate,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10in order to work out if he had any siblings.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15George's parents were Thomas Clarkson and Alice Gilfoyle
0:13:15 > 0:13:19who married on Christmas Eve, 1921, in Pontefract.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27The team called in Jonathan Wright to help, one of their most
0:13:27 > 0:13:31experienced researchers, who's been an heir hunter most of his life.
0:13:31 > 0:13:37I was 18 years old and I decided I'd work for a year,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41have a, kind of, a gap year and I decided I rather liked the job
0:13:41 > 0:13:44and I'm still here 25 years later.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Jonathan quickly got to grips with George's case.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Fairly early on, we identified in the birth records
0:13:52 > 0:13:55a brother of George Clarkson,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Johnny Clarkson, but he didn't actually survive infancy.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03So, of course, it meant that chances are,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06we would be looking further afield, to more distant,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08extended family members.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Today, Jonathan is visiting a registry office, to pick up
0:14:13 > 0:14:15records of George's grandparents
0:14:15 > 0:14:17which will help them to find any aunts or uncles
0:14:17 > 0:14:19who would be in line to inherit.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27We found out that the maternal grandparents were
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Thomas Arthur Gilfoyle, who married an Ellen in Ireland.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33According to the census records,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38the Gilfoyle family came over to England in the early 1900s.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Quite typically, Irish families at that particular period of time
0:14:42 > 0:14:46do tend to be more likely to be on the large side.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52We quite like the challenge of investigating a large family,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56but it can be frustrating, if we find that is difficult.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57But, equally,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59it can be very rewarding.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It turns out our original assumptions were correct.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06The family was sizeable, to say the least.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11Thomas and Ellen Gilfoyle had a total of 11 children.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14We knew at this stage that there would be a lot of work ahead of us,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16so everyone every last one, however many,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19would need to be found and accounted for.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Of Thomas and Ellen's 11 children,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27ten of whom were George's aunts and uncles,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31eight of them went on to have 36 children between them,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34many of whom would be heirs or whose children would be heirs.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38The heir hunters were absolutely swamped with people to trace.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40We couldn't believe just how big
0:15:40 > 0:15:42this part of the family tree had become.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45We did have to establish, furthermore, that various
0:15:45 > 0:15:47parts of the family had moved abroad.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48And not only that,
0:15:48 > 0:15:53but because George Clarkson had died quite a long time ago, in 2004,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55it transpired that a number of heirs in the matter
0:15:55 > 0:15:57had since that date passed away themselves.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Case manager Abigail Rising
0:15:59 > 0:16:03was drafted in to help research the case.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07This is one of the biggest family trees that I've ever had to work on.
0:16:07 > 0:16:14This culminated in many, many hours of research for us.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- Is there anyone else outstanding? - I don't think so.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20As the team tackled the huge job of contacting heirs,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23they looked at one of George's cousins, Catherine Taylor.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Catherine Taylor herself had been married.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28She married a Denis Evans in 1936
0:16:28 > 0:16:31and, in turn, had three children of her own.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Catherine passed away in 1987,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38meaning her three daughters were now beneficiaries.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41As the team tried to locate the three potential heirs,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44their research revealed that one of them, Kathleen Evans,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46had a glamorous job in the 1960s,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49as a private chauffeur of luxury cars.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56It would have been very unusual to be a female chauffeur in the 1960s.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Almost all the chauffeurs that I'd ever heard about were men.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02And the car Kathleen drove wasn't just for anyone.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05The kind of people who bought a car like this would have been
0:17:05 > 0:17:08probably very well off and they probably would have wanted to
0:17:08 > 0:17:11show their status to everyone who was keen to see it.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13So it would have been businessmen, primarily,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15politicians, possibly, but also
0:17:15 > 0:17:17people in the media industry and entertainment.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20And this was the sort of car you might have bought yourself
0:17:20 > 0:17:22as a reward for doing well, no matter what you did.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25And being one of only very few women doing her job,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29she could have been hand-picked by whoever she was driving.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33I mean, a female chauffeur in a car like this would have been,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36possibly, very much in demand with 1960s celebrities
0:17:36 > 0:17:38in the music or film industry.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40I can imagine a chauffeur like Kathleen being
0:17:40 > 0:17:43taken into the confidence of the person she's driving around.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45I mean, the car is quite intimate.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47If it's been a hard day filming, maybe,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50or a hard day recording, this car is a bit of an oasis.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53I mean, you look at the really comfortable, warm leather interior,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55the nice environment
0:17:55 > 0:17:57and then somebody like Kathleen to drive you home.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00I think this car would have been just the kind of thing that
0:18:00 > 0:18:03somebody who did work hard in the media would have enjoyed using.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Kathleen and her sisters would be George's cousins, once removed
0:18:07 > 0:18:09and, therefore, heirs to his estate.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12But the heir hunters couldn't find any trace of Kathleen,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15and when they located her estranged sister, Marion,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19they discovered a second astonishing fact about this unusual woman.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Kathleen was about 30
0:18:22 > 0:18:24when I last saw her
0:18:24 > 0:18:28and she telephoned me to say, where did my parents live?
0:18:28 > 0:18:32I always remember because she said, "Where do your parents live now?"
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Not 'our parents', which seemed a funny thing at the time.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Because they moved and I told her
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and I think she stayed overnight that night
0:18:41 > 0:18:44and the next morning, I saw her at my parents' house,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47and that was the last time I ever saw her.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50About 47 years since I last saw her.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53With Kathleen missing for almost half a century,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57when the heir hunters contacted Marion, her hopes were raised.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59When Hoopers came on the scene, I thought,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01"Oh, they're bound to find her now."
0:19:01 > 0:19:03So, I was very thrilled about that.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I was more thrilled about that than the inheritance.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09But the heir hunters struggled to shed any light
0:19:09 > 0:19:11on Kathleen's whereabouts.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13When you hear from a family member that someone hasn't been
0:19:13 > 0:19:16seen for that long, then your heart does start to sink
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and you wonder how difficult it will be to find them.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23And even the National Crime Agency's Missing Persons Bureau
0:19:23 > 0:19:25struggle to find people who have disappeared
0:19:25 > 0:19:28almost half a century ago.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31In more modern cases, you'll have DNA fingerprint evidence
0:19:31 > 0:19:34that can be retrieved from a home,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36which will help you find somebody
0:19:36 > 0:19:39or help you identify somebody,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42but in the older cases, it's actually very, very difficult
0:19:42 > 0:19:45and people's memories fade about what the person was like
0:19:45 > 0:19:47and how to describe them.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50And without that true detail of the person,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53it's very difficult, then, to find someone later.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Kathleen's disappearance has deeply affected her family.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09My mother was very ill with cancer and I remember her saying she would
0:20:09 > 0:20:12have loved to have seen her before she died.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17And then, my father died about 12 months afterwards.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20And he would have loved to have seen her, too,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24but it was just impossible to find her.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27I would love to find her.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I would love to see her. I would love to contact her.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Marion and the heir hunters are hoping someone with
0:20:36 > 0:20:40information about Kathleen will someday come forward.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Until then, her inheritance will remain in trust.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Right, and as far as we know, she's the only one.
0:20:49 > 0:20:50- Yes.- Right, OK.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Other than Kathleen and her sisters,
0:20:52 > 0:20:58the team had found an incredible 74 heirs to George's £230,000 estate
0:20:58 > 0:21:00on his mother's side alone.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Oh, hello, Malcolm. It's Mike.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06But there were still potentially
0:21:06 > 0:21:10more to uncover on his father's side of the family.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14After the sheer volume of research on the maternal side,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17we were hoping that perhaps the Clarkson side
0:21:17 > 0:21:19might be slightly smaller.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23But a rare twist of fate would mean
0:21:23 > 0:21:26the heir hunters' hopes were misplaced.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Oh, that's... No, there's no urgency, at all.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Our collective hearts probably sank slightly
0:21:32 > 0:21:34at the thought of there being not just one,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37but two very large families.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Every year in Britain, thousands of people
0:21:45 > 0:21:48get a surprise knock on the door from the heir hunters.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52Good morning.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55But there are still thousands of unsolved cases,
0:21:55 > 0:21:56where heirs need to be found.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Could you be one of them?
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Today, we've got details of two estates on government
0:22:02 > 0:22:07legal department's Bona Vacantia list that are yet to be claimed.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12The first is Edith Alice Bolton who died on 13th April, 1990,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, at the age of 87.
0:22:16 > 0:22:22Edith was born on 25th November, 1902, in Stoke-on-Trent,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25and her mother's name was also Edith Bolton.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29But do you know a Bolton family from the Staffordshire area?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35The next case is that of Dorothy-Violet Bruce-Ambrose,
0:22:35 > 0:22:41who died on 8th November, 1988, in Lewisham, London, aged 71.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Dorothy could have been born in Scotland in 1917
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and she married a Robert Bruce-Ambrose,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48who died in 1963.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Her maiden name appears to be Dorothy Sherborne-Dutton.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Do you know anything that could help solve the cases
0:22:55 > 0:22:59of Dorothy-Violet Bruce-Ambrose or Edith Alice Bolton?
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Perhaps you could be next of kin?
0:23:01 > 0:23:05If so, you could have thousands of pounds coming your way.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Camilla, do you mind just ringing Bristol Registry Office
0:23:14 > 0:23:18- and seeing what the process is for getting certs locally?- OK.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Back in London, at heir hunting firm Finders,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Ryan and the team are on the trail of the relatives of Shirley Street.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Amy and Suzanne are tracking down heirs on Shirley's mother's
0:23:29 > 0:23:31side of the family.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32Ryan, there wasn't an answer.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Do you regret taking the maternal side now?
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Meanwhile, Ryan is researching Shirley's father's
0:23:39 > 0:23:40side of the family.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Her father was Herbert Arthur Charnock,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48born in 1900, who Ryan thinks he's found on the 1911 census,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51living with his parents and siblings.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56We are left with six children on the paternal side living in 1911,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58and one of those is the deceased's father, obviously.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Then, we're looking at five stems on the paternal side.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02So, it is not too bad.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05We just need to find out exactly what happened to each of them.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11The 1911 census is one of the key census records we look at.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15It has some extra information that the previous ones don't
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and also, it gives us how many children the couple have had
0:24:18 > 0:24:20and how many have subsequently passed away.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23So, it's a snapshot of the family, but, for us, we can go and fill
0:24:23 > 0:24:28in some of the gaps on the family tree just by taking a look at it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Camilla, I might need you to just send a line for me.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34But with five potential aunts and uncles of Shirley's to find,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Ryan recruits researcher Camilla to help.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41- So, could you see if you could find this family on 1901?- Yes.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45So, probably look for John and Jane, the paternal grandparents.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Surname Charnock. Let's get cracking with trying to find some heirs.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Despite being tantalisingly close to finding heirs,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Ryan is faced with a problem.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Do yours have middle names?
0:24:58 > 0:24:59Yeah.
0:25:02 > 0:25:09There's quite a few John Charnocks born in around the same time.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10They're all from Lancashire.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- She doesn't have a middle name, does she?- No.- No.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Camilla's looking into the line of Jane Charnock.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Jane is not such a common first name as John, that I'm looking into.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24But we're working around it.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Quite often for us, it's better if you have at least one middle name,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31so we know who you are!
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Distinctive middle names are really useful for us
0:25:34 > 0:25:36when we are conducting an heir hunt
0:25:36 > 0:25:39and doing the family tree, simply because it helps us
0:25:39 > 0:25:44set the records apart from any other variations that may be correct.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Actually, Camilla, I'm just having a think about this whole situation.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And something is troubling Ryan about the middle names.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53I just need to go back to what we know,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56because the dad was Herbert Arthur H Charnock.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I need to just figure out we've got the right census.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It would be unusual for no-one else to have middle names
0:26:01 > 0:26:04and then for him to have two middle names.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- If you can go back to stage one...- OK.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09..just make sure you've definitely got the right census.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10Ryan suspects they might have been
0:26:10 > 0:26:12looking at the wrong family entirely.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- I'll have a look as well and see if we can see anything else.- OK.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Shirley's father's full name was Herbert Arthur Charnock
0:26:19 > 0:26:21But the Herbert Ryan has been looking at
0:26:21 > 0:26:23has no middle names, at all.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26- Different census?- Yes.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28And then, Camilla has a breakthrough.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31- Herbert A H?- Yeah.- Oh, cool.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34So, he's just got one sister, Marion, at that point.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38That changes it completely, yeah. OK. Right.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Camilla has discovered another Herbert Charnock
0:26:41 > 0:26:42on a different census.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Have we got them in 1911?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47This Herbert Charnock matches Shirley's father perfectly
0:26:47 > 0:26:51as he has the correct two middle names.
0:26:51 > 0:26:57We just found a different census entry for the deceased's father.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58It's a much smaller family.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03The deceased's father was one of three, instead of one of six.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04We now know we're on the right track
0:27:04 > 0:27:06and it should be a lot easier for us.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07From the census,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10they can see Shirley's grandparents were actually William Charnock
0:27:10 > 0:27:13and Elizabeth Jones.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16As well as Shirley's own father, Herbert Charnock,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20they had two other children, Marion and Rhoda.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23With precious time lost on the wrong family,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Camilla and Ryan will have split the research.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- Camilla, who do you want to look into?- I like Rhoda.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Ryan makes short work of finding Marion Charnock.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36She married Horace Hall. They had a child called Horace.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41He was born in 1925 and I think he is still living.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44I found out, actually, his address is sheltered accommodation
0:27:44 > 0:27:47for senior citizens, so I can give them a call.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Hello, good afternoon. I wondered whether you could help me, actually.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55I'm calling from a firm of heir hunters
0:27:55 > 0:27:58and we trace missing beneficiaries to estates.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Now, we're working on a Hall family tree and I believe
0:28:02 > 0:28:07you may have a resident at your home by the name of Horace Hall.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Yeah, he was born in 1925, married to Constance.
0:28:11 > 0:28:12Oh, right, OK.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I'm sorry to hear that. When did he pass away?
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Yeah, you've been very helpful. Thank you very much.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20Cheers. Thanks a lot. Bye-bye.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23The gentleman I spoke to confirmed
0:28:23 > 0:28:25that, actually, Horace has passed away.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30He couldn't confirm exactly when, but he did confirm that Horace
0:28:30 > 0:28:34has a son, so we need to now trace that son.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38And Ryan quickly tracks down Horace's son, John Hall,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41who would be Shirley's first cousin, once removed.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44We had a gentleman on our family tree who
0:28:44 > 0:28:48I believe was your father, Horace Arthur Hall.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Oh, are you? Oh, right. OK.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Are you at that address today?
0:28:53 > 0:28:55OK, fantastic.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57All right, well, I'll let you go and then we'll give you
0:28:57 > 0:28:59some paperwork later on today
0:28:59 > 0:29:02and, obviously, everything will be explained in there in more detail.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04OK, fantastic. Thanks.
0:29:04 > 0:29:05Cheers, Mr Hall. Bye-bye.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09That's good.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12We've spoken to the only beneficiary on the line
0:29:12 > 0:29:15of Marion Charnock.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17He's confirmed the stem that he's on.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22A nice conversation. He wasn't too fazed by our phone call.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24We just need to arrange a rep to go and see him.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28He's actually up in Lancashire today, where the family are from.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32With at least one heir found, Ryan checks in with the rest of the team.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33No other heirs?
0:29:33 > 0:29:35And finds out they are having difficulty getting
0:29:35 > 0:29:37an available travelling researcher.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Everyone else is going to voicemail.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Not good enough, quite frankly. Not good enough.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46If we can't find anyone else, we'll...
0:29:46 > 0:29:47You've got three heirs.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49Potentially, four. I'm finding her.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Just going to try and get an idea of how many heirs there is.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54- THEY LAUGH - Everyone's just dying.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56It's quite a small family.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58There's not too many heirs, actually.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01In terms of competition, we haven't really come across any yet.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04So, again, it's, kind of, all going quite well.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07But Ryan's confidence is misplaced.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Hello, is that John. Hiya.
0:30:11 > 0:30:12Oh, really?
0:30:16 > 0:30:18There's usually a couple of companies
0:30:18 > 0:30:20that look into these things.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22Essentially, it will be down to you...
0:30:22 > 0:30:27It appears another company has called John minutes before Ryan has.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28Thanks, bye-bye.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33It would be the first whiff of competition we've had in this case.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35So, now it's really urgent for us
0:30:35 > 0:30:37to try and get some people out to see the beneficiaries.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41We need someone. It's urgent.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45I don't mind sending someone if they're just a couple of hours away.
0:30:45 > 0:30:46Yeah, I get that, as well.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51We send out a representative to visit the person.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53If someone's on holiday, we can know straightaway.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56If they've recently moved, again, we can know straightaway.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57OK, cool.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Ryan finally gets visits booked in and he can breathe a sigh of relief.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03We had a slight panic, because we couldn't get
0:31:03 > 0:31:06anybody in Lancashire, but we're just sending someone
0:31:06 > 0:31:08from a bit further afield
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and everybody that's due a visit, will get a visit.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13And we've made first contact with everyone
0:31:13 > 0:31:15we've spoken to and we've completed
0:31:15 > 0:31:18the majority of work into the family tree.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21So, it's all been a really good team effort today.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26All in all, the team identified ten heirs
0:31:26 > 0:31:28on Shirley's mother's side of the family.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35But John Hall, Shirley's cousin once removed, is the sole heir
0:31:35 > 0:31:37to Shirley's estate on her father's side,
0:31:37 > 0:31:39and he was shocked to find out
0:31:39 > 0:31:42his small family was larger than he thought.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45The day that the heir hunters got in touch with me,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48it was an absolute, complete surprise.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52Shirley Street is a bit of a mystery to me.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Everything that I've learnt about Shirley Street
0:31:55 > 0:31:57has come from the heir hunters.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59And, indeed, I wasn't even aware
0:31:59 > 0:32:02that my grandmother Marion had a brother,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06who Shirley is descended from.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08And John is still dazed by the revelations.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10The whole experience in the last
0:32:10 > 0:32:13three weeks has been quite bizarre.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17To think I could be inheriting some money
0:32:17 > 0:32:21from someone I didn't even know existed.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24And while they didn't sign all the heirs to the estate,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Brian is happy to have helped John Hall receive his inheritance.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Given that he's the sole paternal heir,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32and he's due a fifth of the estate,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35it's not too bad, and we'll now move forward with that information,
0:32:35 > 0:32:39to ensure that everybody who's entitled will receive their share.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Thank you so much for letting me know. Bye.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48In terms of research on family history,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50I've not done any, whatsoever,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53so I haven't actually quite got my head round it yet.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55So, the more that emerges,
0:32:55 > 0:32:59I think, the more fascinating the whole thing will get.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12In London, the team at Hoopers heir hunting firm are investigating
0:33:12 > 0:33:18the case of George Douglas Clarkson, who passed away in Exeter in 2004.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Although they have found an incredible 74 heirs so far,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32the team had only uncovered half the family.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34We couldn't believe just how big
0:33:34 > 0:33:36this part of the family tree had become.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39We did have to establish, furthermore, that various parts
0:33:39 > 0:33:42of the family had moved abroad.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47After the sheer volume of research, on the maternal side, we were
0:33:47 > 0:33:52hoping that, perhaps, the Clarkson side might be slightly smaller.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54The heir hunters started looking at George's
0:33:54 > 0:33:56grandparents on his father's side,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59to look for George's aunts and uncles,
0:33:59 > 0:34:01with fingers crossed for a small family.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Moving over to the deceased's paternal family,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07we identified the birth entry
0:34:07 > 0:34:11for his father, Thomas Clarkson, in 1893.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Thomas Clarkson was the son
0:34:13 > 0:34:17of Edward Israel Clarkson and Ada Smith.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20But the heir hunters' hopes were drastically misplaced.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24In total, including the deceased's father, they had nine children.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29And we must make sure that someone, at least, has confirmed
0:34:29 > 0:34:32the extent of the family tree, to back up all that.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Again, our collective hearts probably sank
0:34:35 > 0:34:38slightly at the thought of there being not just one,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42but two, very large families that would need to be accounted for.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47This is one of these rare cases where all nine children, in fact,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50did live well into adulthood.
0:34:50 > 0:34:56So, it looked very likely that Thomas Clarkson's eight siblings
0:34:56 > 0:34:59potentially could all have married and had descendants.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Bear with me. I'll just go and get the file.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06The normal pattern with, let's take a Victorian family,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09is that they would have a large family and the tendency
0:35:09 > 0:35:13was for only a certain proportion of them to survive.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16But, occasionally, we get cases
0:35:16 > 0:35:19where they all survive, against the odds,
0:35:19 > 0:35:23and that, obviously, means a lot more work for us.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30And when they found the census record for George's grandfather
0:35:30 > 0:35:35and uncles, the team came across a fascinating family occupation.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39The 1911 census showed us that the deceased's paternal uncle
0:35:39 > 0:35:41John Clarkson, as well as his father, Thomas,
0:35:41 > 0:35:45all worked in the local glassworks in Castleford.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49We have noticed that, in past times, certain trades
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and skills were passed down from generation to generation.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56It's an interesting way of linking the generations with that
0:35:56 > 0:36:01same kind of occupation and also linking the area to that trade,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04if it's particular to that area.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Further discoveries on the census also revealed that
0:36:08 > 0:36:13one of George's glass-making uncles had gone on to have a family.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18No, I think, again...
0:36:18 > 0:36:20A couple of people I spoke to, they knew of him.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23The deceased's paternal uncle, Richard Clarkson,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26was married to a Mary Shepherd.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29They had a son, Richard Roland Clarkson,
0:36:29 > 0:36:31who was married to an Olive Liversedge,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34and they, in turn, had four children of their own,
0:36:34 > 0:36:37who would be cousins, once removed, of the deceased.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42One of them, Richard John Clarkson, passed away in 2001,
0:36:42 > 0:36:47but he had three children, who would be heirs to George's estate.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Oh, nice!
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Susan McAuley is George's first cousin, twice removed,
0:36:52 > 0:36:56who was shocked when she got the call from the heir hunters.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59My first thought was, "Wow! Is this real?"
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Other family members had had similar phone calls.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06The accents of the people who were down in London
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and the phone call matched with everything, so I had no doubts
0:37:09 > 0:37:12it was genuine and it was just really quite exciting.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18Obviously, the first thing you tend to think of is, which you do, is,
0:37:18 > 0:37:21"Ooh, how much money am I going to get?"
0:37:21 > 0:37:23After that, your thought are that this relative was living
0:37:23 > 0:37:26so far away, that I didn't know existed.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30George Douglas was an unusual name and it got me
0:37:30 > 0:37:35really interested in tracing the ancestry of the family.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38The census 1911, where Edward Israel Clarkson was
0:37:38 > 0:37:41eight on one of those, he's now 49.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44And after some investigating,
0:37:44 > 0:37:48Susan and her family have discovered a link to George's past.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Her father also worked in the glassworks of Castleford
0:37:51 > 0:37:55and appears to have been the fourth generation of Clarksons to do so.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01Glass founder. So we know that comes way back into our history.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05His children. Glass... I think that says bottle maker.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09The resemblance of the family just goes... I mean, he could be him.
0:38:09 > 0:38:10- Dad could be him.- Yeah.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Castleford in West Yorkshire was one of the pioneering
0:38:16 > 0:38:19areas of glass bottle production in the late 19th-century,
0:38:19 > 0:38:24which George's father, uncle and grandfather were all involved in.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28His grandfather, Edward Israel Clarkson,
0:38:28 > 0:38:32is likely to have begun when it was a skilled, handcrafted industry
0:38:32 > 0:38:35with individuals undertaking the risky business of blowing
0:38:35 > 0:38:39molten glass into bottle shapes, at temperatures of over
0:38:39 > 0:38:411,700 degrees centigrade.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Today, Susan, her sister and mother
0:38:50 > 0:38:53are visiting a glassworks run by Kate Jones...
0:38:53 > 0:38:55How are you doing? Welcome!
0:38:55 > 0:38:57..which still follows the traditional method
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Susan's great, great grandfather,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Edward Clarkson, would have recognised.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Well, we've been here 20 years
0:39:03 > 0:39:05and we've been blowing glass all that time.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07And we blow glass as it was made pretty much before
0:39:07 > 0:39:09the Industrial Revolution.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12How long does it take you to produce something like this?
0:39:12 > 0:39:13Something like this?
0:39:13 > 0:39:16About... Just over an hour.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Maybe more, maybe less, depending on how well things go.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21Because glass-blowing, like any other process,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24once you've started, you can't stop and have a cup of tea.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26You've got to see it right the way through.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30And now, they can actually see a glass bowl made
0:39:30 > 0:39:32in the traditional method.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35You can feel the heat in here, can't you?
0:39:35 > 0:39:36You can feel how warm it is in here.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38The glass-makers have got to make sure
0:39:38 > 0:39:40they've got enough water on board.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42They're wearing quite light, minimal clothing,
0:39:42 > 0:39:44to keep their bodies cool.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47You get a tolerance, you know. You do get a tolerance.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Basically, if you go to a dinner party,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51the glass-makers could hand all the dishes round.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53You go to a restaurant, they say the plate's hot,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55and we're like, "Give it here!"
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Yeah, Stephen's blowing a bowl.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00This is the first stages of making a bowl.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02- He's starting again. - He's starting again.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04The colour's on the blowing iron
0:40:04 > 0:40:06and he's just gathered the glass from the furnace.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09He's blocking it and shaping it with paper, to cool the outside,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11so when he blows, there's some resistance
0:40:11 > 0:40:14and it's cooler at the bottom of the bubble.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16So when he blows, the bubble will be thicker at the bottom
0:40:16 > 0:40:18and thinner at the sides,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21which is where you want it for the structure of your bowl later on.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23And, of course, there's one way to get it right,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25and there's 1,000 ways to get it wrong.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Twiddling it round, all the time, isn't he?
0:40:32 > 0:40:33Got to turn it all the time.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35If you stop turning, gravity will do its thing.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- Make the sides go. - It will just run to earth.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Reconnecting with her family's past
0:40:40 > 0:40:43could open a new chapter in Susan's life.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47What a rewarding day, coming to see glass being made as it was made
0:40:47 > 0:40:49hundreds and hundreds of years ago.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51To actually see it going into a furnace,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54coming out of the furnace, molten on the end of a rod,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57seeing it cooled and seeing them actually blowing the glass,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59it's been absolutely amazing.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02I would love to have my own furnace and blow some glass.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03You never know!
0:41:05 > 0:41:07Susan's also thankful for the inheritance
0:41:07 > 0:41:09she's receiving from George.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10I would have loved to have known
0:41:10 > 0:41:13more about George Douglas Clarkson and his life.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16We've actually found a photograph on the internet
0:41:16 > 0:41:17of the house that he lived in
0:41:17 > 0:41:20and I would love to visit that house,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23to actually try to get a feeling for the person that he was.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Back in the office, the paternal side of George Clarkson's tree
0:41:28 > 0:41:29was being wrapped up.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Upon finishing the paternal side of the family,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36we found the total beneficiaries numbered to 16.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40This meant the whole case had over 90 beneficiaries in total.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44It's very difficult to account for every single individual
0:41:44 > 0:41:48on any case, let alone where there are 90 people.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51So, when you have a large number of beneficiaries
0:41:51 > 0:41:54and you are able to account for each one of them,
0:41:54 > 0:41:56it's very satisfying.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01All right, thanks, Mr Hadley. Bye-bye. Bye.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06There's still the outstanding case of Kathleen Evans,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09George's cousin, once removed, on his mother's side,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11who is still missing.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14But the team haven't given up hope of finding her.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19To do our work, first and foremost, you need to be a detective.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23You need to have tenacity, you need to have the belief that there
0:42:23 > 0:42:25is always an answer out there
0:42:25 > 0:42:27and, really, to never give up.
0:42:27 > 0:42:32And no-one hopes more than Kathleen's sister, Marion.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37I could never understand why or how somebody could not want
0:42:37 > 0:42:39to contact their sister.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41It would be very strange to see her.
0:42:41 > 0:42:47Whether she'd even feel like my sister after all these years.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I don't think I'll ever see her again.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53She may not even be alive now.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Even that, I would rather know, yet the mystery remains.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00For now, the search for Kathleen continues.