0:00:30 > 0:00:36On today's programme, the Frasers' team tackle two very different cases.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39A monster of a family spread across the globe...
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Six, seven, eight, nine kids there, plus five off his first marriage.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47- He's a busy boy. - There's 14 children. It's not bad for a butcher, is it?
0:00:47 > 0:00:49..with the consequences of that scattered clan.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53She cried her eyes out for two days.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Also, a story that showed that being unique...
0:00:56 > 0:01:00What's it say...? Struebig?
0:01:00 > 0:01:01Struebig. Struebig.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04..doesn't mean you're easy to find.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09Some years ago, we did make some efforts to find out where he was, but we got nowhere.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13And I rather think that we thought that he'd died.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Plus a list of estates worth over £300,000.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Could you be in line for some cash?
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Every year in Britain, over 300,000 people
0:01:29 > 0:01:31die without leaving a will.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35When no family is found, their money goes to the government.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37That's when the heir hunting companies step in.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Using birth, death and marriage records,
0:01:42 > 0:01:48they race against each other to be first to track down any long-lost relatives entitled to inherit.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Fraser and Fraser is one of the oldest firms of Heir Hunters in the country.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59In its 30-year history, the company has tracked down over 50,000 heirs,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03entitled to a whopping sum of over £100 million.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10It's 7am in Fraser and Fraser's central London office.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16It's Valentine's Day but romance will have to wait, as Thursday
0:02:16 > 0:02:19is the day the Government publishes the list of unclaimed estates.
0:02:19 > 0:02:26Partner Neil Fraser has got his eye on the estate of Reginald Hicks as he thinks it may be worth a lot.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30The reason I've picked this case is because I think they own the property.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I say they because I think the deceased was married at one time
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and his wife only recently died just before him.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42Reginald Hicks worked as a machine engine fitter at the Plymouth Shipyard.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44He and his wife, Dorothy Holman,
0:02:44 > 0:02:50who has also passed away, lived in this property and had no children.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53What we know is that a house next door
0:02:53 > 0:02:56sold in 2007 for about £190,000.
0:02:56 > 0:03:02So we think the value of the estate is going to be in the region of £200,000.
0:03:02 > 0:03:08That's a huge sum and the competition will be fierce, so they need to move fast.
0:03:08 > 0:03:14With over 28 years at Frasers', senior case manager Tony Pledger is at the helm.
0:03:14 > 0:03:21- Reginald John Blake.- From the government's bona vacantia list, the Heir Hunters know that Reginald
0:03:21 > 0:03:27died in December 2007, but just 20 minutes into the investigation, they've hit a brick wall.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29This next one...
0:03:29 > 0:03:34as far as I can see, he's not born...
0:03:34 > 0:03:36or he's Scottish.
0:03:36 > 0:03:42It seems that the researchers can't find a record of Reginald's birth anywhere in England.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44If they can't find the details of his birth,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48then they won't be able to track his parents and so build a family tree.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54Like all good prospectors, the Heir Hunters spend their days mapping out their claim.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58They build family trees generation by generation, so that they can see
0:03:58 > 0:04:02who is related to the deceased, and who is in line to inherit.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06All our enquiries are sort of indicating that he may be Irish and
0:04:06 > 0:04:12we only have access to the English and Welsh records in this office.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15We have some Scottish records but they're a bit piecemeal really, so
0:04:15 > 0:04:21we're really reliant on one of our researchers in Ireland trying to pick up the birth certificate.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28To give them a head start in the race to gather intelligence, Frasers employ a crack team of mobile agents
0:04:28 > 0:04:33who spend their Thursdays at the wheel ready to follow every clue in pursuit of the heirs.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Thanks a lot, mate.
0:04:37 > 0:04:43Tony contacts his Irish agent to see if they can trace a Hicks birth over there.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Hopefully, Reginald John Blake Hicks, you can find something.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51And at the same time, Tony sends travelling heir hunter Ewart Lyndsey to Plymouth
0:04:51 > 0:04:56to collect the death certificate, as this will list Reginald Hicks' date and place of birth.
0:04:56 > 0:05:02But as Plymouth is a five-hour drive from London, it could be a long wait.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Fingers in three pies, all at the same time.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Hopefully, we'll be able to pull out a plum.
0:05:08 > 0:05:14Tony may not have any details on Reginald's family, but he does have a lead.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19The researchers have already done a family tree for Reginald's late wife, Dorothy Holman
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and through this, they have found relatives still living in Plymouth.
0:05:22 > 0:05:29- By checking the electoral roll, Tony has tracked down Dorothy's sister in law.- Oh, I see. Right.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31That would be lovely then, yeah.
0:05:31 > 0:05:38Because she is not a blood relative, she is not an heir, but she may be able to provide vital clues.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39Right. Bear with me.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So you knew Reggie's dad then.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Oh, you didn't know... knew of him. Right.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48So this lead isn't really going anywhere.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Tony still has no clue where Reginald was born or who his parents were.
0:05:52 > 0:05:59- They desperately need that death certificate but Ewart's still got miles of tarmac ahead of him.- Hello.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- Hello, Tone?- Yes, Ewart. What's up?
0:06:01 > 0:06:07Yeah. Just to let you know that I'm stuck in traffic on the M25, Tony.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09There's a surprise. Thank you for sharing that with me.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- Fine.- That was Ewart.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Ringing me up to tell me he's stuck in traffic. So what?
0:06:15 > 0:06:19But not every call gets on Tony's wick.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23That conversation with Reginald's distant relative really paid off.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26He got a number for a niece of Reginald's wife, Dorothy.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Hello. Is that Mrs Winter?
0:06:30 > 0:06:34I'm ringing you about your uncle, Reginald Hicks.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39She is not an heir, either, but Tony is hoping she'll be able to give him the crucial information he needs.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Where was Reginald born?
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Well, you see, the problem that we're having though is
0:06:45 > 0:06:48initially identifying Reginald Hicks' birth.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Oh, I see.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55It looks like this conversation could be the break they need.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59But thanks ever so much for your help. Thank you. Bye.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02She thinks that he might be born in Scotland.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05And she's fairly confident that he's an only child.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09What a fantastic result.
0:07:09 > 0:07:15The phone call has saved precious hours. They found out that Reginald was born in Dunfermline in Scotland.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Luckily, Frasers have these records and the researchers head straight for them.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24They found him. And along with Reginald's birth, they are able
0:07:24 > 0:07:27to find his parents' names, as well.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31And from there, their marriage in Tunbridge Wells.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36As the information comes flying in, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place.
0:07:36 > 0:07:43So Reginald Hicks' father is John Hicks and he married Dorothy Mabel Carey.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Because Reginald was an only child and he had no offspring,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51the Heir Hunters meet to investigate the aunts and uncles.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56If any of them had children, they'll be Reginald's cousins and heirs to his estate.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Tony will have to do two family trees.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04One looking at John Hicks' side of the family and one looking at Dorothy Carey's siblings.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06So, now my colleague's just told me that we have
0:08:06 > 0:08:13a birth for John Blake Hicks in St Columb which is in Cornwall, in 1892.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14Why a bloke born in Cornwall gets married
0:08:14 > 0:08:19in Tunbridge Wells and had a child born in Dunfermline is beyond me.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26Dock workers often move from port to port and that could explain the Hicks' scattered existence.
0:08:26 > 0:08:32As there's so much to research, another case manager, Frances Brett,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34is helping out with the Carey family tree.
0:08:34 > 0:08:41I'm looking at the censuses for the Carey family and so far I've looked
0:08:41 > 0:08:44at the 1901 and the 1891 censuses.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47It's a clever way of finding out
0:08:47 > 0:08:52everyone in the family in one fell swoop.
0:08:52 > 0:08:58The census is a national population survey which is conducted by the government every ten years.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02They are only released for public use 100 years after they were taken
0:09:02 > 0:09:07and the latest census Frasers has is from 1901.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10The beauty of this document is that it lists every individual
0:09:10 > 0:09:15within a household so the team will be able to see who was living in the Carey family home in that year.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...
0:09:18 > 0:09:22OK, looks like the mother might have eight brothers and sisters.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Right. That'll keep you busy, won't it?
0:09:25 > 0:09:28The census has been invaluable.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33So far, they've uncovered eight siblings for Dorothy Carey, Reginald's mum.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36All children of David and Henrietta Carey.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40And it looks like the Careys are not the only large family.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45On the Hicks' side of it, there's probably half a dozen uncles and aunts,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49as well. But the problem is, one family is in Kent and the other family's down in Cornwall...
0:09:49 > 0:09:53so, we've got Ewart going down to Cornwall and we might then get somebody to go
0:09:53 > 0:09:57down to Tunbridge Wells, but Tunbridge Wells is the sort of place that's easy to move from.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59You know, it's only a train ride and you're into London
0:09:59 > 0:10:03and then from London you meet some bird that comes from Darlington, so you end up in Darlington.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Looks like Tony is staggering under the weight of all these
0:10:06 > 0:10:11stems on the family tree and he's not the only one in need of a break.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Oh, dear.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Only another 100 miles to go, Ewart.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Coming up, they couldn't find his birth place.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Now they can't find his death certificate.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Why can't they find it?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I am personally puzzled.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Reginald Hicks is proving elusive.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34I'm not having a good day today, actually.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38And an unusual name keeps Marcus on his toes.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Never even heard of it before.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45It's not Welsh. I would say it's Dutch. Something like that.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46But what do I know?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Nothing actually, not this time of the morning.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56The Heir Hunters use all their skills and cunning to find heirs
0:10:56 > 0:11:00to millions of pounds' worth of unclaimed cash.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03But sometimes the trail goes cold.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Perhaps you could be due a fortune and not even know it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:12Robin Slaney died on March 22nd 2004, in Weston Super Mare.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18He was 64 years old and he left a huge sum of £125,000.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Are you related to him? If you are, his money could go to you.
0:11:22 > 0:11:30Ruth Queenie Stanton passed away in Camden, North London, when she was 93 years old, leaving £24,000.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Have you heard of Ruth or are you one of her family?
0:11:34 > 0:11:37If you are related, you could be in line to get her cash.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Edward William Simpkins died at Westcliff on Sea, in Essex.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46He was 84 years old and left a bank account with £20,000.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50If you are a family member and can prove it, you could claim this money.
0:11:50 > 0:11:56If you think you may know any of these people or know someone who may be entitled to their money,
0:11:56 > 0:12:02please look at our website for details of what to do next.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21The Heir Hunters have been following the case of Reginald Hicks,
0:12:21 > 0:12:27who died in Plymouth, leaving this house, valued at around £200,000.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32Given the size of both sides of the family, Frasers have made quick work of building the trees.
0:12:32 > 0:12:38It looks like the paternal side, the Hicks family, has half a dozen uncles and aunts.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41And the maternal side, the Careys, have at least eight.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Partner Neil Fraser thinks that they're facing a challenge.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48So, there's a potential once this has all come down and
0:12:48 > 0:12:53we're coming down two generations of maybe 50 to 60 beneficiaries.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56We may quickly cut them all down as we find some dying in the war
0:12:56 > 0:13:01and stuff, but there's potential for there to be a huge, huge family.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03They really need a break here.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Tony is hoping the informant on Reginald Hicks' death certificate
0:13:07 > 0:13:10will be able to tell them more about his family.
0:13:10 > 0:13:16And after a five-hour drive, Ewart's finally arrived at the Register Office in Plymouth.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18What a disaster.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25Unfortunately, not able to pick up any certificates at Plymouth Register Office.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29They're not producing certificates within five days...
0:13:29 > 0:13:33but not only that, they can't find the death of the deceased.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35It's a major blow...
0:13:35 > 0:13:37and also, a bit of a mystery,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41as the bona vacantia confirms that Reginald Hicks died in Plymouth.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It seems the file's missing.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45You know, it's been registered.
0:13:45 > 0:13:51Why can't they find it? You know, I am personally puzzled.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53But there's no point dwelling on it.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55With rival firms breathing down their necks,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59they'll have to concentrate on other areas of investigation.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02I'm not having a good day today, actually.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Trying to make the most of a bad situation, Tony sends Ewart on the one-hour
0:14:07 > 0:14:13drive to St Austell to collect certificates for aunts and uncles on the Hicks side of the family.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18He hopes they'll contain vital clues to push the case on.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Back in the office, Tony is looking at one of the stems of the Carey family tree.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27He's trying to trace Arthur C Carey, Reginald's uncle.
0:14:27 > 0:14:36One of the uncles of the deceased, Arthur Charles Carey, might have married in Christchurch, in 1918.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40He'd been born in Tunbridge Wells in 1897.
0:14:40 > 0:14:45We can't find him over here but we have found an Arthur C Carey with the
0:14:45 > 0:14:51right wife and a child on the 1930 census from New Jersey in America.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53The early 1900s saw a huge swathe
0:14:53 > 0:14:55of emigration to the New World,
0:14:55 > 0:15:01and the Heir Hunters will often do a search across the pond if they have lost the trail in the UK.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05It could be that one stem has gone to America.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10This inspired piece of research has netted another Carey, as well.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13We've now managed to track two of them over to America.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Now, what we've been able to find is their immigration records into
0:15:17 > 0:15:20America, so these are the shipping records into America.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25Shipping lines kept records of their employees and passengers.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28They even list obscure information such as eye colour and height.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32The Heir Hunters can use these to trace people's movements.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37Not only have they found Arthur, but they found his brother Frederick's cross into the US.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41This is very very important for us because instead of looking through all our records
0:15:41 > 0:15:44in here, in England and Wales, we now have to look in America.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49By cross referencing American Social Security files and American census,
0:15:49 > 0:15:54on one of the genealogical websites, Neil's found a current address
0:15:54 > 0:15:58for the descendants of Arthur Carey... Reginald's uncle.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00I've got a phone number for him.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03What's the time in New Jersey?
0:16:03 > 0:16:08- 8.30 in the morning.- At 1.30, Tony's lunch will have to wait.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09'Hello.'
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Hello. Sorry to trouble you. Is that Mrs Carey?
0:16:13 > 0:16:14Hello. You don't know me at all.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I'm ringing from London, in England. Hopefully, you can help.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22It's an enquiry about the late Peter Carey.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Oh, you don't know him at all.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27You sounded a lot younger than I thought you were going to be.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32It looks like Tony has got straight through to a potential heir.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Arthur Carey's granddaughter, Barbara.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39As your dad's dead, his entitlement, if it does turn out to be correct,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43wouldn't go to your mum because she's not a blood relative of your father.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46But it would pass down to yourself as a child.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50So, can I ask you, do you have any other brothers or sisters?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53It's just what the Heir Hunters were hoping for.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Barbara ties up the stem for Tony.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00She confirms her surviving brother Peter and the children
0:17:00 > 0:17:03of her late brother Paul will also be beneficiaries.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06It's too early to say how much they will inherit
0:17:06 > 0:17:09because the Heir Hunters are still unpicking the family tree.
0:17:09 > 0:17:15It's just on two o'clock, and even the difficult to please Tony is chuffed.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19So it looks fairly positive on the face of it.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21But there's no time to waste.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26With so many possible heirs, a rival company could easily
0:17:26 > 0:17:28have found most of them already.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31So Tony needs to keep up the pace.
0:17:31 > 0:17:37He puts in a call to Massachusetts to contact Reginald's uncle Frederick's family.
0:17:37 > 0:17:43- 'Hello.'- Oh, hello. Sorry to trouble you. Mrs Carey?
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Would you be a relative?
0:17:49 > 0:17:53"Just" his mother-in-law? That's more than enough. Hello.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Tony hits the jackpot.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59He's got through to the mother in law of Warren Carey.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03He is the grandson of Frederick, who was Reginald's uncle.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05She confirms that Warren has two brothers...
0:18:05 > 0:18:10Ronald and David, who are still living and therefore, heirs.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14That makes seven living heirs on the Carey side. There may be more.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Thank you very much, indeed.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Bye.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21That's Warren's mother-in-law.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Okey dokey.
0:18:24 > 0:18:30It's late afternoon and the investigation into the Reginald Hicks' case is still in full flow.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34They may have cracked a few heirs on the Carey side of the family but the
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Hicks side is still wide open to the competition.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40They need one last push to find a Hicks heir.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43The research team are running the microfiches ragged,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47searching through birth records when suddenly, just before 4.30pm...
0:18:47 > 0:18:49there's a breakthrough.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Just through persistence and more and more research,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57they've been able to find some beneficiaries actually in England.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02Reginald had six uncles and aunts on the Hicks side of the family.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Tony has tracked down Ivy, the granddaughter of Arthur Hicks.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Jolly good. Well, that's all right.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12- Hopefully, we'll make your week when we see you.- It's great news.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Ivy is based in Cornwall, just over the border with Plymouth.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Tony arranges for travelling heir hunter Ewart to call on her
0:19:19 > 0:19:25in the morning, but for some reason, Ewart's not that happy at having to overnight in Plymouth.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27It's Valentine's Day, thanks, Tone.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Oh, yes, so it is. Well, I'm sorry about that, Ewart.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33If you want, I'll ring up and apologise for you.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39It's been a busy day for the team at Frasers and they've found
0:19:39 > 0:19:42at least nine heirs before competing Heir Hunters.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47But Neil thinks they've barely scratched the surface of the sprawling Carey-Hicks families.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Maternal side is still
0:19:50 > 0:19:52early stages.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55We've solved two stems in America
0:19:55 > 0:19:58but they're not complete yet.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01The race to track down all the heirs will continue in the morning, but
0:20:01 > 0:20:05right now, Ewart's feeling a little resentful about the call of duty.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09This is what I've resorted to on Valentine's Day.
0:20:09 > 0:20:16Spending the night by myself on Valentine's Day in a hotel in Plymouth.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25Every day, people pass away having lost touch with family.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Often they leave a legacy, but with no relatives on hand,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31the money sits in the bank until someone can claim the cash.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Could you be due an inheritance?
0:20:34 > 0:20:38John Goring passed away in Welwyn Garden City
0:20:38 > 0:20:40in Hertfordshire in 2006.
0:20:40 > 0:20:46He was just 55 when he died, leaving the huge sum of £85,000.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47Are you related to John?
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Do you someone who is?
0:20:49 > 0:20:56Robert Hayes Moore died in Derby on 19th October 2005, at the age of 73,
0:20:56 > 0:21:00leaving a small fortune of £25,000.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Are you a member of Robert's family?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Could you be in line to inherit his cash?
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Albinas Dulinskas passed away in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13He was 81 when he died, leaving a tidy sum of £25,000.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18Are you a relative? If so, you could be entitled to his money.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22If you do know any of these people, please look at our website.
0:21:30 > 0:21:37When the chase is on, the Frasers team are never sure where the hunt will take them. While some families
0:21:37 > 0:21:42prove to be far flung and prolific, needing days of research, others
0:21:42 > 0:21:45have a tree drawn up and heirs signed before the morning is out.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50One thing every case has in common, though, is the amount of energy the Heir Hunters throw at it.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53- Morning, John.- Hello.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56This was certainly what happened when the team took on
0:21:56 > 0:22:00the investigation of the estate of Norman Struebig three months ago.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03What's it say? Struebig?
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Struebig. Struebig.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Norman Struebig was 79 when he died in 2006.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15He had lived in this sheltered accommodation in Haywards Heath.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Quirky or strange names are always popular with the Heir Hunters
0:22:17 > 0:22:23because the more unique a name, the easier it is to trace.
0:22:23 > 0:22:29It makes the research much easier for us, much quicker, but it also invites in a lot of competition
0:22:29 > 0:22:33and we may find on this estate that we have a lot of competition working against us.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37So they need to get researchers on to this as soon as possible.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Do you want to take that case?
0:22:39 > 0:22:44Partner Charles Fraser gives the job to case manager Marcus Herbert.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Struebig - never even heard of it before.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48It's not Welsh.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52I would say it's Dutch. Something like that, but what do I know?
0:22:52 > 0:22:57Nothing actually, not at this time of the morning. But there you go.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02Partner Neil Fraser can think of several good reasons for looking into the Struebig estate.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04There's a probate for the mother.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09Now, the mother didn't die too long ago, but when she died,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11she left an estate of £165,000,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15but as we think Norman is an only child,
0:23:15 > 0:23:20we're fairly confident that this £165,000 would pass down to him.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25So the Heir Hunters know that Norman had some money at some point,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27but the question is... did he keep hold of it?
0:23:27 > 0:23:30The team start targeting the name
0:23:30 > 0:23:35Struebig in the basic birth and marriage records they have on file.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38In the peace and quiet of a Sussex village, another Fraser employee.
0:23:38 > 0:23:44Travelling heir hunter Bob Smith is ready to get in on the action.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- Hello, Bob.- Hello, Charles.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- How are you?- I'm OK. Yeah.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- Fighting fit and raring to go.- Good.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Actually, you're close to Haywards Heath.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Yeah. I'm very close.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- So is Paul Barratt.- No, no, no, no.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02- So you're closer?- Paul Barratt lives in Surrey, up in Leatherhead.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05He's twice the distance.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07OK. I'll send you to Haywards Heath.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Yes. Yes.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14We're going to somewhere in Sussex.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Bob Smith's job is to collect Norman Struebig's death certificate.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Frasers are hoping that the informant and addresses listed on
0:24:23 > 0:24:27the document will reveal vital clues in the hunt for Norman's family.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35He is one of a group of satellite agents working for Frasers throughout the UK.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38They spend each Thursday hunting down clues.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42With Bob Smith collecting the death certificate, Charles rings Bob Barratt
0:24:42 > 0:24:45- to get him to collect the birth certificate.- Hi, Bob.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47- It's Charles again.- Hello, Charles.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51- I'm going to send you to get the birth on Struebig.- Right.
0:24:51 > 0:24:58And I think it's more likely to be actually in the Harrowgate Register Office,
0:24:58 > 0:25:00- which is Wood Green.- OK.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Back in the office, Marcus is already feeling the pressure.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Oh, God, I want to go home.
0:25:07 > 0:25:13He knows that competing firms will be hot on his heels and when it comes to creating the family tree
0:25:13 > 0:25:15he can't find the wood for all the Struebigs.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Struebig is more common than you think.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20There's loads of them in the London area.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24We don't know what families they're attached to at the moment.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Our lot are born in Holborn/Islington.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- There's a load of others born in Holborn/Islington.- It's 8.15am.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Marcus decides to sit down with colleague John to create
0:25:34 > 0:25:41a huge family tree of the Struebigs they found and then eliminate them one by one.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Sorry. Let's just get it down so we know what we're doing.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45There's an Edna.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Stick Edna down somewhere.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52In a bid to cut down the number of Struebigs, Marcus sends a researcher
0:25:52 > 0:25:54to Islington Register Office.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03This is where the majority of the births and marriages in the Struebig name are registered.
0:26:03 > 0:26:09The Register's databases are more detailed and he's hoping it will speed the process of elimination.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14If I can do that and knock some of them off and attach to other families. Yeah?
0:26:14 > 0:26:20Whilst John and Marcus get down to eliminating Struebigs, the team have already traced
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Norman's birth and can now confirm that his parents were
0:26:23 > 0:26:28Albert and Elsie Young and that they were married in Islington in 1924.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31On the maternal side, they have found that although Elsie
0:26:31 > 0:26:35had a brother and a sister, they died with no children.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Having eliminated the Youngs, it's all up to the Struebigs.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41It's bang on nine o'clock.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Travelling heir hunter Bob Smith
0:26:48 > 0:26:53arrives at the Haywards Heath Register Office to order up Norman's death certificate.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58The Fraser team is hoping the person who registered the death is a relative, but they'll have
0:26:58 > 0:27:02to wait for the bureaucratic wheels to turn before they find that out.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06In London, Marcus is still eliminating Struebigs.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Hello, mate. Right. Well, Rose and Lilian is wrong.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Yeah. And also,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16William George, born in Holborn in 1900.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And he has something to smile about.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25On the maternal side, the Struebig side of the family,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I've identified an aunt and identified a marriage for her.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Hopefully there'll be children off of it and hopefully it'll be up to date within half an hour.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34I'm positive of it.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37So Marcus may have found an heir.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40It seems that Norman had an aunt Florence who married Thomas Stanes.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45They had a daughter. Doris Florence Stanes, born in 1923.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48If she's still alive, she'll be Norman's cousin and heir.
0:27:48 > 0:27:54So, we're on it. We've got somebody we're looking for who could quite conceivably still be alive.
0:27:54 > 0:28:00So the office team are relieved to have found a possible heir and in Haringey, travelling heir hunter
0:28:00 > 0:28:02- Bob Barratt has some news.- Hello.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06- Hello, Marcus. - Hello, mate. All right.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Yep. Right. I'm really impressed with Haringey.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13- It's a busy place and yet they manage to produce certificates in about ten minutes.- Oh, right.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- I wish they were all like that. - Yeah.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20It seems, however, their worst fears have been realised.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24I don't know whether you're aware, there might be competition.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29- Apparently this is the second request for the certificate this morning.- Ah, right.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31I'll speak to you later.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Cheers. Bye.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Well, the competition might have to run to catch the Fraser boys.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43Stanes spelt without an "I" is another unusual name.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Researcher Derek Curwin has managed to track down
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Norman's cousin Doris Stanes by doing a search on the internet.
0:28:50 > 0:28:51Ireland.
0:28:51 > 0:28:57My good friend here has found that the cousin of the deceased is now in Portrush in Northern Ireland.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01It seems Marcus has found his first heir.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04So, she's quite elderly but she sounds like an educated person.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07She was a lecturer at a university in Ulster, or something.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10So I'm going to give her a call now.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Hello. Is that Doris Stanes?
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Oh, hello there. I'm so sorry to trouble you.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17My name is Marcus Herbert.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22It concerns the family name of Struebig.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Struebig, that's it.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28In just one phone call, Marcus has found out a wealth of information
0:29:28 > 0:29:31from Norman's cousin Doris Stanes.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40What looked like a huge family of possibly 30 or 40 beneficiaries
0:29:40 > 0:29:44just on this one side of the family, Marcus has now managed
0:29:44 > 0:29:47to eliminate off quite a few and it's down to just two beneficiaries.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49It's quite good news for us, really.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52It seems that Albert, Norman's uncle,
0:29:52 > 0:29:57had five brothers and sisters, but only three of them had offspring.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Albert had Norman. His sister Florence had Doris,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04and another sister, Doris, had a daughter called Jennifer.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Bye-bye.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Yes.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12How about that?
0:30:12 > 0:30:16With all of the aunts and uncles confirmed deceased, it appears that
0:30:16 > 0:30:20Doris and Jennifer are now the sole heirs to Norman's estate.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22That's what we want,
0:30:22 > 0:30:24so I'm chuffed.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27So I can sit back and relax for ten minutes now.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30But Marcus doesn't have time to crow too loudly.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35The competition is still on the case so they need to get to the final heir fast.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40In Haywards Heath, Bob Smith has collected the death certificate.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Thank you very much, indeed. Thank you. Bye-bye.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46He phones it into Marcus.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48- How are you, mate?- I'm OK. And you?
0:30:48 > 0:30:50- Yeah. I'm all right. It's up to date. - Oh, is it? Where?
0:30:50 > 0:30:54We've got a cousin in Reading, who's married to a doctor.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59And we've got a first cousin who's about 84
0:30:59 > 0:31:02and she's living in Portrush.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05I'll give you the details anyway.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07He had Down's Syndrome.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Oh. Right.
0:31:12 > 0:31:19So, obviously, maybe his parents died, he ended up in a home.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24If Norman was living in a care home for a long time, most of his fortune will have been eaten up by the fees.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28This will affect the value of this case.
0:31:28 > 0:31:34But because the case has made quick progress, the team decide to let the investigation run its course.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Researcher Derek has got the contact for Jennifer...
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- Norman's cousin and the final heir. - Thank you.
0:31:41 > 0:31:48Marcus is on the phone to her now, but will he have got there before any rival Heir Hunters?
0:31:48 > 0:31:54The reason I'm ringing is I've just been speaking to your cousin Doris Stanes in Ireland.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57We're trying to find members of the Struebig family.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01I have a colleague of mine who is out on the road at the moment and I wonder
0:32:01 > 0:32:07whether it would be at all possible to make an appointment with yourself to come and see you regarding this?
0:32:07 > 0:32:09It's Marcus' lucky day.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11They agree to see Bob Barratt.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20It's only 10.15am and not only has the case been solved,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23but Marcus has spoken to both heirs.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25He has every reason to be pleased with the result.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27We've got the area here anyway.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Take it from there.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34I'm going to see Mrs Peabody.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38It's just after lunch and Bob Barratt's arrived
0:32:38 > 0:32:41at the home of Jennifer Peabody, Norman Struebig's cousin and heir.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46- Mr Peabody.- Mr Barratt. Hi.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Nice to meet you. Thanks very much.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50- I'm a few minutes early. - That's fine.- Excellent.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53- OK. Hello.- Hello, Mrs Peabody. Thanks very much.- Come in.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55- Please come in.- Thank you.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00In the end, Bob Barratt did get there before the competition.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05For Jennifer Peabody, it seems the inheritance was a surprise,
0:33:05 > 0:33:10but Norman wasn't unknown to her.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15I probably haven't seen Norman since I was about 15.
0:33:15 > 0:33:21He was quite a tall young man and slim with quite a narrow head.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25He wasn't at all like a...
0:33:25 > 0:33:28his physique wasn't at all like a typical Down's person.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34Yes, I can visualise him quite well.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38Despite all the Heir Hunters' hard work, Jennifer decided
0:33:38 > 0:33:42she would put in her own claim for her cousin Norman Struebig's estate.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Marcus is philosophical.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46Brilliant case.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50The research went extremely well.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54Unfortunately, the family really decided to go it alone, I think.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00But at least the Peabodys know what happened to cousin Norman.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05Some years ago, we did make some efforts to find out where he was but we got nowhere...
0:34:05 > 0:34:08and I rather think that we thought that he had died.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Yes. That's it.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13I think we're both quite astonished.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Yes. It's sad.
0:34:15 > 0:34:21- Feel sad.- That no relatives or apparent next of kin and you know,
0:34:21 > 0:34:25sort of dying on your own in a hospital or nursing home.
0:34:25 > 0:34:26No visitors...presumably.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31So it's a bit sad, really. Yeah.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43The Heir Hunters have been following the case of Reginald Hicks who lived in this house in Plymouth.
0:34:43 > 0:34:49He died leaving an estate which the Heir Hunters have valued at around £200,000.
0:34:49 > 0:34:55They've already contacted nine heirs, mainly in America, but it's just the tip of the iceberg.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00They are investigating both the mother and the father's sides of the family and this is no small task.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Seven, eight, nine kids there.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05- Plus five off his first marriage. - He's a busy boy.
0:35:05 > 0:35:0814 children. That's not bad for a butcher, is it?
0:35:10 > 0:35:15It's 9am on day two of the hunt and senior researcher Gareth Langford
0:35:15 > 0:35:21has just received the death certificate for one of Reginald's uncles, also named Reginald.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25This was Reginald Carey, which is correct.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28It appears to be a witness, R A Carey, son, which we didn't know about.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32So Reginald Carey had a son called R A Carey,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35who is Reginald Hicks' cousin.
0:35:35 > 0:35:40If R A Carey had any children, they could be potential heirs.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42The Fraser team have already found seven heirs
0:35:42 > 0:35:44on the Carey side of the family -
0:35:44 > 0:35:48all distant cousins of Reginald Hicks living in the US.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50If R A Carey did have offspring,
0:35:50 > 0:35:54they could be the first UK-based heirs on the Carey side.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57But Gareth needs to find them first.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59And while he's on a roll...
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Neil.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03..others are eating them.
0:36:03 > 0:36:08Having a little mothers' meeting in the corner there.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12This is serious business we're talking here, Gareth!
0:36:12 > 0:36:15In Plymouth, morning tea couldn't be further from the mind of travelling heir hunter Ewart.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19I'm gutted. Absolutely gutted.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23He's supposed to be on his way to sign Ivy Wayers,
0:36:23 > 0:36:28Reginald Hicks' cousin and an heir, but he's going nowhere fast.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Malfunction in the system.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33What does that mean?
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Instead, he's off to get a hire car.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Let's hope any rivals don't pip him to the post.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42At least I got a new car.
0:36:44 > 0:36:4710.40. The appointment was set for ten o'clock.
0:36:47 > 0:36:5340 minutes late at this precise moment.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58And I've probably got about another 20 minutes' drive so I'll probably be about an hour late.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02I've notified the client anyway.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Back in the office, Gareth's hard work has paid off.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Reginald's cousin R A Carey
0:37:08 > 0:37:13was called Robert, and Gareth has found he did have children.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17He's even found the contact for the youngest son, Christopher Carey.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20As the son of a cousin,
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Christopher is a cousin once removed and that makes him an heir.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26But will he be home and has the competition got there before him?
0:37:26 > 0:37:28Hello, Mr Carey?
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Hello, Mr Carey.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32Sorry to trouble you. Hopefully you can help.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34I'm ringing from central London.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36I'm representing a company of probate researchers.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38We trace missing heirs and beneficiaries.
0:37:38 > 0:37:44I'm hoping that you'd be Christopher R Carey, son of the late Robert Anthony Carey.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48- Oh, good. Well, how is that?- In Cornwall,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Ewart has arrived at Ivy's house.
0:37:51 > 0:37:58Her grandfather was Arthur Hicks, Reginald's uncle, making Ivy his cousin once removed.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00Hello. Mrs Wayers? Hello.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03My name's Ewart Lynsey from Fraser and Fraser.
0:38:03 > 0:38:08The estate is worth £200,000 and there are nine heirs already found.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12Her share could be in the region of 20,000.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15It looks like Ewart's long two days have been worth it.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18- Thank you very much. Thank you.- Thank you.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Ivy agrees to sign to Frasers,
0:38:20 > 0:38:24but there's a sad note to the legacy.
0:38:24 > 0:38:30My brother said that a gentleman was coming about our lost grandfather.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33And I...
0:38:33 > 0:38:37couldn't understand, not really, because we've never heard anything
0:38:37 > 0:38:40about him, except for he went off to America.
0:38:40 > 0:38:48It seems that Arthur Hicks abandoned Ivy's grandmother and her children for a new life in the US.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53My mother was always crying that she could not find her daddy.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56And that always hurt us...very much.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58And I said to the gentleman...
0:38:58 > 0:39:04if my mother was living, if there is anything, I would give it all to her.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06There's my mum.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Very pretty woman.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13She had such a heartache at not finding her dad.
0:39:15 > 0:39:21For Ivy, the news of the inheritance is obviously bittersweet.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Back in the office, the team are confident they found
0:39:23 > 0:39:27all the heirs on Reginald's father's side of the family.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29I don't think there's going to be anybody else on the paternal side
0:39:29 > 0:39:31of the family, for Ewart to be dealing with.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34I think the rest of it is going to be up here in Ashford in Kent.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38While Ewart's been with Ivy, 275 miles away,
0:39:38 > 0:39:45in Ashford, Kent, another travelling heir hunter, Dave Hadley,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48is on his way to see an heir from the Carey side of the family.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Hello. Mr Christopher Carey?
0:39:52 > 0:39:54David Hadley from Fraser and Fraser.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55There's my card for you.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57How do you do?
0:39:57 > 0:39:59I'm very well, thank you. And you?
0:39:59 > 0:40:03- Fine. Fine.- Christopher Carey's grandfather was Reginald Carey,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07Reginald Hicks' uncle, making him a cousin once removed.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Can he fill in any more blanks on the Carey family tree?
0:40:11 > 0:40:16- I know absolutely nothing about my father.- Really?
0:40:16 > 0:40:19Absolutely nothing. I never knew him.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20How old were you then when he left?
0:40:20 > 0:40:22Four or five.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24I just didn't know him.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Oh, he was an electrician.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29- Right.- That's it.
0:40:29 > 0:40:30Do you know when he died?
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Yeah. I didn't actually,
0:40:33 > 0:40:37until your man on the phone reminded me.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42- Oh, right.- '71. My mum was in America visiting my sister and I was
0:40:42 > 0:40:45opening the letters to make sure there was nothing there
0:40:45 > 0:40:49cos she was over there for three months or four months or something,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51and it came through that he had died.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54I told her
0:40:54 > 0:40:56when she got home...
0:41:03 > 0:41:07He'd been out of our lives for, I don't know,
0:41:07 > 0:41:1530 years, 20-something years, and she cried her eyes out for two days.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18I've never seen anything like it.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Yeah. Yeah. It's not unusual.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23- It's not unusual.- Cor, dear.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25That's what love does to you, you see.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28I think it must have been.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30It seems that Christopher's story
0:41:30 > 0:41:33tragically mirrors that of the other heir, Ivy.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36One may be a Carey and the other a Hicks,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40but both of them are first cousins once removed of Reginald Hicks.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45And both of them came from a family abandoned by an itinerant father.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52Dave Hadley leaves Christopher the paperwork to think it all over.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55He's a very nice man.
0:41:55 > 0:42:02He is the gentleman that we were looking for and I've got all the information from him that I require.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05He wants to consider his position as to whether
0:42:05 > 0:42:08he wants to become a client of ours,
0:42:08 > 0:42:13which is fine with us, and I hope that he'll contact us very shortly.
0:42:13 > 0:42:19It's been a satisfying result for Frasers but it's not over yet.
0:42:19 > 0:42:26I think we've probably found 50% to 75% of the beneficiaries at the moment, after two days of research.
0:42:26 > 0:42:32We hope to have it tied up but it's going to take us maybe another week or two.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36Although the case could be in the region of £200,000, there are so many heirs
0:42:36 > 0:42:39that each share of the estate is likely to be small.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Christopher Carey is not complaining, though.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45He can think of a few uses for the cash.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48At least one ice-cream.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Possibly a pair of socks.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Or I'll go really wild and buy a new hat.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59But further than that, my ambitions are a bit limited, I'm afraid.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:12 > 0:43:16E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk