0:00:02 > 0:00:06Heir hunters track down the families of people who've died without leaving a will.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09They hand over thousands of pounds to long-lost relatives
0:00:09 > 0:00:12who have no idea they were in line for a windfall.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Could they be knocking at your door?
0:00:28 > 0:00:34On today's show, the heir hunters struggle with misinformation.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37So, it's not... Where the hell did he die?
0:00:37 > 0:00:40It's not just the team who are enjoying the hunt.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43It's like being part of a detective story.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48And an old case comes back to haunt head honcho Neil Fraser.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52It makes me quite angry that I've started something and I can't finish it.
0:00:52 > 0:00:58Plus, a list of unclaimed estates worth nearly £0.5 million.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Could you be related to anyone on it and have thousands of pounds heading your way?
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Every year, over 300,000 people die without leaving a will.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18If no family is found, their money goes to the Government.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21That's when the heir-hunting companies step in.
0:01:21 > 0:01:27They race against each other to be the first to track down long-lost relatives entitled to inherit.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Fraser & Fraser is one of the oldest firms of heir hunters in Britain.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Nicky is the half-sister.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40In its 30-year history, it's grabbed from the Government over £100 million,
0:01:40 > 0:01:44giving it back to over 50,000 heirs.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50It's 7.00am on Thursday, and staff are already
0:01:50 > 0:01:54starting to arrive at Fraser & Fraser's central London office.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59Thursday is the most crucial day for heir hunters,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03as its when the Government releases its weekly list of those who've died with no will.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09At the helm today is senior case manager David Pacifico.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11John H. Chambers?
0:02:11 > 0:02:17David has already chosen the estate they're going to pursue and is keen to get started on the research.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22The case is called Chambers, John Henry Chambers.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28It's 59,000, he died in March '07. We can't confirm the date of birth.
0:02:28 > 0:02:33Fraser's might not have the birth date of John,
0:02:33 > 0:02:38otherwise known as John Henry Chambers, but they do know he died in central London.
0:02:38 > 0:02:44Using this information, they check the electoral roll and swiftly find his last address.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52John Henry Chambers lived in one of these flats, right in the heart of London.
0:02:52 > 0:02:59He worked as a fruit and veg trader and was buried in a pauper's grave in Finchley, north London.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05He left nearly £60,000, but as he died with no will
0:03:05 > 0:03:10and no known relatives, the heir hunters need to track down any long-lost family.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Getting hold of the address is relatively simple,
0:03:20 > 0:03:26as there is only one John Henry Chambers who lived in central London in 2007.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32However, trawling through their vast database of national birth records,
0:03:32 > 0:03:38the heir hunters have found dozens of John H. Chambers who were born in or around London.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41To find any heirs, they need to work out which one is their man.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46John is an exceptionally common name.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49John Henry's not a very rare combination of names.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Chambers is not a common name, but it's definitely not unique.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57So we're having trouble at the moment identifying the birth.
0:03:57 > 0:04:03Once we know his birth and we can look into the family and identify what family he's got,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06it's a question of knowing which is the right birth.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11The simplest way of moving forward is to get John Henry Chambers' death certificate.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16This will give the team his date of birth, and will help them start
0:04:16 > 0:04:20to piece together his family tree, working out, generation by generation,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22who he is related to.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29Death certificates are held in register offices close to where someone died.
0:04:29 > 0:04:35David Pacifico knows that John Chambers' last known address was in the London borough of Westminster,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38but right on the border with neighbouring Camden.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Not knowing where he died, he decides to take a punt on the death certificate
0:04:44 > 0:04:47being held in the register office in Westminster.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52It's important to get someone there fast. Fortunately for David,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54there are a number of people he can call.
0:04:57 > 0:05:03Frasers employee a team of travelling heir hunters, who spend Thursdays poised for action...
0:05:03 > 0:05:05ready to go wherever the hunt takes them.
0:05:07 > 0:05:13These travellers cover every corner of the country and aim to get to any heirs in record time,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and sign them up before the competition.
0:05:20 > 0:05:26The nearest travelling heir hunter to Westminster is London-based Ewart Lindsay.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35Hello, morning, Ewart. We've just got the one case out, called Chambers, John H.
0:05:35 > 0:05:41We need to pick up the death certificate. It looks like it's going to be a Westminster death. WC1.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45So, do you want to aim towards there, see if you can get the death?
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Speak to you later. Bye.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55The team want the death certificate because this document will give them John Henry Chambers' date of birth,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59a crucial piece of information for building his family tree.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Getting the birth is the most important thing.
0:06:03 > 0:06:11Having the birth, it's like a flower blooming, you know?
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Um... It sprouts buds.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20We can find out where the parents were born,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and if they had any brothers or sisters.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25It rolls on from there.
0:06:29 > 0:06:35But with Ewart wading through rush-hour traffic, and no date of birth for John Henry Chambers,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Frasers are going to have to wait some time for any blooming flowers.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44Boss Neil Fraser knows it's not going to be easy.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50People generally move around London, so although we're looking for a birth in the south-east,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53we're not necessarily looking for a central London birth.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58We've got everyone else picking up random things, seeing if we get that little bit of information,
0:06:58 > 0:07:03that one little hint, which may possibly give us an age, and may give us the right birth.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06At the moment, it's going to be a very slow start to the day.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11With only his address to go on, David Pacifico has found the phone number
0:07:11 > 0:07:14of one of John Chambers' neighbours.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18If he knew him, and could tell them how old he was,
0:07:18 > 0:07:23or better still, his date of birth, it could break open the entire case.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28- We want an age. Doesn't have to be date of birth, but approximately how old he was.- Yeah, I know(!)
0:07:28 > 0:07:32With the frustration of having no birth date beginning to show,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36the team are pinning their hopes on one of John Chambers' neighbours.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42They may turn around and say, "Yes, he was born on the 1st March, 1920.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46"He shares the same birthday as my dog, my pet cat."
0:07:46 > 0:07:48So they may know that.
0:07:48 > 0:07:56They more than likely will say, "He's about 80", which doesn't leave us in a much better position
0:07:56 > 0:08:00than we are at the moment because we already think he's about 80 years old.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Case manager Marcus Herbert makes the call.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Would you know how old he was?
0:08:08 > 0:08:09About 80, you think?
0:08:11 > 0:08:14OK. Thanks a lot, bye-bye.
0:08:14 > 0:08:20I've just spoken to Mr Lopez, who was about the floor above, I think.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26He's known this guy to see about for that length of time.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28But he really doesn't know.
0:08:28 > 0:08:34As I said, 75, 80, which doesn't really help us very much, to be honest, with a name like that.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Ewart's not far from the register office.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42But in central London, that doesn't mean he will be there any time soon.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45We're in the heart of Leicester Square.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46Jam packed with traffic.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50With Ewart and the investigation at a standstill,
0:08:50 > 0:08:56David Pacifico decides to get his researchers to look through their records
0:08:56 > 0:09:00for any John Henry Chambers born between 1910 and 1960.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02There are a lot of names.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07With so many people to wade through, not everyone has faith in David's strategy.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23I know. But at the moment, would you agree...?
0:09:23 > 0:09:26We're working three at the moment.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29I agree with you.
0:09:31 > 0:09:38One thing everyone does agree on is how hard it is when you can't even get off the starting block.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41It's early yet, and already I'm exasperated.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Neil feels sure it's not just Frasers who are at a standstill.
0:09:45 > 0:09:52If we're struggling, and we have more access to records, more records than anyone else in the world,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54it means everyone else will be struggling as well.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59Two hours into their search and it seems Ewart still hasn't reached his destination -
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Westminster Register Office.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Sick of waiting, Neil decides to take matters into his own hands.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09I've got one of my colleagues heading down there, Ewart,
0:10:09 > 0:10:14and I'm seeing if he's there. If he's not there, I'm going to get you to look up a death for us,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17which he will be in in five minutes to pick up.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21A few desks away, David's also fed up of waiting.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Ewart, where are you?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26The register office?
0:10:26 > 0:10:30He is there? I can leave him to do it in person, then.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35Give me a call as soon as you've got it. If they can look it up, like, yesterday. Cheers, bye.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40- He's there?- Yes, he's walked into the register office now, so he's there.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48Within the next five or ten minutes, we should have that and then we can stop wasting a bit of time
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and we can get rolling on this and hopefully start finding the correct family.
0:10:52 > 0:10:58Finally, Ewart's ringing with some news - but it's not at all what they've been waiting for.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59Hello?
0:10:59 > 0:11:00Yes, Ewart.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04So that's not the right death?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09That's the only one in 2007?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12If it's not there, he's obviously not died at Westminster.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16So it's not... So, where the hell did he die?
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Coming up, Neil employs a risky strategy.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25None of us are going to put our houses on it, and put money on it,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30but it's the best we've got, so we will work at it.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Heir hunters make it their job to track down missing relatives
0:11:39 > 0:11:43but you, too, might hold the key to cracking some of the cases.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Heldor Hermann died in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in July 2004.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55He was 77 years old and left an estate worth £118,000.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Did you know Heldor Hermann?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Do you know a relative who could claim the cash?
0:12:02 > 0:12:07Stanley Wilkinson died, aged 83, in Fulham, London, in December 2006,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11leaving £90,000, which is currently with the Treasury.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Are you related to Stanley?
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Do you know someone who is?
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Oskar Klaviers died in Birmingham in February 2007, aged 82.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Oskar left £114,000 unclaimed.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Are you part of Oskar's family?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Are you entitled to his estate?
0:12:34 > 0:12:40If you have any information which could help solve any of these cases, take a look at our website...
0:12:59 > 0:13:05In central London, the heir-hunting team have been investigating the case of John Henry Chambers.
0:13:05 > 0:13:11It's £59,000. He died in March '07. We cannot confirm the date of birth.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16They were keen to get his death certificate and took a punt that it might be held
0:13:16 > 0:13:19at Westminster Register Office, near to where he lived.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21But the gamble hasn't paid off.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29Basically, there is no death in 2007, in Westminster,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32for plain John, or John Henry, or anything like that?
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Now the team is back to square one.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40It's a massive blow for the heir hunters.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45The assumption that John Henry Chambers died in the borough where he lived was wrong.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47It should be registered somewhere.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51The question is, where?
0:13:51 > 0:13:55We all thought it would be Westminster, Marylebone...
0:13:57 > 0:13:59..but it may be Camden.
0:13:59 > 0:14:05Aware they have lost precious time, David Pacifico quickly calls the register office
0:14:05 > 0:14:11of neighbouring Camden, just a stone's throw from where John Chambers lived.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Yes, I'm trying to obtain a copy of a death certificate,
0:14:15 > 0:14:20which we don't know if it's registered at Camden or not.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25I'm asking a question about whether or not you've got it registered in your office. I'm not asking...
0:14:25 > 0:14:31It would be you? I'll get my colleague to come down to the office.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Thank you very much. Bye.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Bob, can you go down Camden, please?
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Camden Register Office?
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Bob Smith is one of Fraser's travelling researchers.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46He's been doing the job for 23 years, but this is his first mission today.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48See you later, everyone. Bye-bye.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Camden Register Office? OK? Lovely.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56David Pacifico is feeling the pressure of wasted time.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Somebody's on their way now to Camden.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02- <- Stressful morning?
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Yes, it's just frustrating. Frustrating, but...
0:15:08 > 0:15:14Bob knows that this kind of mix-up is common in London, where each borough has its own register office.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21This can happen quite a bit. We establish where someone lives in London,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25but they may well have died someone else, perhaps in a hospital,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28therefore the death certificate would be held at a different office.
0:15:30 > 0:15:36While Bob hopes his taxi will pick up some speed, Ewart makes his way to John Chambers' flat.
0:15:36 > 0:15:41His task is to find a neighbour who might be able to give the team some useful in formation.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46But in the capital city, it might not be that easy.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49People are not how they used to be, not as friendly.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Nobody knows their neighbours these days.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55And that's not the only problem with heir hunting in London.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59With the meter ticking, it doesn't look like Bob's going anywhere fast.
0:15:59 > 0:16:05Looks like there's a lot of traffic on the roads today. Road closures, etc. It may take us a little while.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10Will Ewart have any more luck with John Chambers' former neighbours?
0:16:10 > 0:16:16As you can see, there's quite a few numbers for 1 to 61.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19And nobody's answering.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25It's now 10 o'clock and Bob has finally arrived at Camden Register Office.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Thanks a lot. We'll be back in a minute. Cheers.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Within minutes, he's got what the team have been waiting for all morning.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38John Chambers' death certificate states that he died at a hospital in Camden.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43That's why his death was registered here and not in Westminster.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44But there's no time for regrets.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Will the certificate give them the breakthrough they need?
0:16:47 > 0:16:51OK, he dies on 29th March 2007...
0:16:52 > 0:16:59Born on 28th August 1926, but it doesn't give a place of birth.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02So, they finally got John Chambers' date of birth.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07Back at base, they spring into action to find their man.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12But the good vibrations soon peter out.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Unbelievably, out of the hundreds of John H Chambers in their records,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19there isn't one who was born on that date.
0:17:19 > 0:17:25It's a huge disappointment for the team, but then Neil comes up with a left-field idea.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27I think it's going to be this one.
0:17:27 > 0:17:33Knowing that some people go by their middle names, he decides to switch the first two names around.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40And we have a Henry JF, born in Holborn, in the right quarter.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Flipping the names is the second massive gamble of the day.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49But just because they've found a Henry J with the right birth date doesn't mean he's the right person.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54It's 50-50, I think, at best. Although we've got everyone working on it,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58we've got everyone working on it cos we've got nothing better to work.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02They quickly start researching Henry John Chambers,
0:18:02 > 0:18:07and it doesn't take long for them to come up with the names of his parents.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12Neil's still uncertain about whether it's the right family.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17None of us are going to put our houses on it, and put money on it,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21but it's the best we've got, so we'll work at it, really.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Coming up...
0:18:24 > 0:18:28the hunt for the Chambers family takes the team unexpectedly far afield.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32- I'd like you to go to Southampton. - Southampton?
0:18:32 > 0:18:33Yeah, sorry about that.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45People change their names for different reasons and, when they do,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47it makes the heir hunters' job even harder.
0:18:49 > 0:18:56Nine years ago, Fraser & Fraser were faced with another case when names and records did not match up.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It was the case of a Neta Axen, sometimes known as Nettie,
0:18:59 > 0:19:05who died aged 95 in East London, leaving an estate worth £25,000.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11Initially put us in a real problem area. The death certificate said she was born in 1904.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13It says she was born in London.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17It says she's a married lady, married to a Mr Axen.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19It doesn't give his Christian names at all.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22We couldn't, however, find the marriage,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25cos we didn't know who to cross-check that back against.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30We didn't have any Christian names for the husband, to work it through that way,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34and we couldn't find her birth certificate because we didn't have her maiden name
0:19:34 > 0:19:38to look for a birth certificate, so huge problems from the start.
0:19:39 > 0:19:45As Neta had spent the last few years of her life in a Jewish care home in Hackney,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Neil assumed she'd been part of the strong East End Jewish community.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51He made some inquiries and got his first break.
0:19:51 > 0:19:57We were able to identify the name of the husband,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01and that was Isodore Axen.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06And from having Isodore, we were able to search back and find her marriage.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10This was to the surname of Shadatsky.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12This was a major breakthrough for the team.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16But it only gave them the first piece of their jigsaw.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20We then thought we had her maiden name, it sounded very Russian,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24or at least eastern European.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28It tied up with the age, but it didn't lead us to any birth certificates.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32The Benefits Agency believes that she was born in London.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36The hospital and her doctors' registers all said she was born in London.
0:20:38 > 0:20:44But, despite all that, Frasers couldn't find any record of a Neta Shadatsky born in London.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46The team hit a standstill.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49But then Neil had an idea.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52He knew from the marriage certificate that Isodore and Neta
0:20:52 > 0:20:55had married at the Great Synagogue on Commercial Road.
0:20:55 > 0:21:01And from this, he managed to track down a copy of the couple's Jewish marriage certificate.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04The Jewish register,
0:21:04 > 0:21:09the Jewish certificate, gives slightly more information than the English certificate.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13That told us that Nettie was born in Russia.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18So all the information we had confirmed, all up to date through every inquiry,
0:21:18 > 0:21:22that she was born in London proved false.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26The fact that Nettie had moved to England from Russia,
0:21:26 > 0:21:31probably when she was just a child, change the direction of Neil's hunt.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35And looking at the history of the region can explain the reason
0:21:35 > 0:21:38behind the immigration of hundreds of families like Nettie's.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41At the turn of the century in Russia,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43the Jewish population was under
0:21:43 > 0:21:45increasing pressure from anti-Semitism,
0:21:45 > 0:21:52which then led to violent outbursts called pogroms,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55when they were attacked and the areas where they lived were burned.
0:21:55 > 0:22:02Nettie was one of about 150,000 Jews who came to London from Russia to escape the pogroms.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10The reason people came was because they thought, in England, they weren't directly persecuted.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14There were not laws targeting Jews in particular, telling them
0:22:14 > 0:22:19what they couldn't do and where they couldn't live.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Ironically, even though the Jews left Russia to escape persecution, they still faced it across Europe.
0:22:26 > 0:22:32In fact, in the 1930s, when Nettie would have been in her mid-twenties, and living in London,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36politician Oswald Mosley set up the British Union of Fascists,
0:22:36 > 0:22:41nicknamed the Blackshirts, and they organised provocative marches through Nettie's area.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47We're often told that Hitler is mad.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Well, I've got another view, myself.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Bill Fischmann lived in the East End near Nettie.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58He remembers Mosley's marches.
0:22:58 > 0:23:04Then, of course, you've got this megaphone, telling us, "All of you, get to Cable Street!
0:23:04 > 0:23:07"The fascists are marching to the south, near the river."
0:23:07 > 0:23:14And we went through a side turning, and the police were marching and we came into a barricade.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17But what I shall never forget about that
0:23:17 > 0:23:21was to see bearded Jews next to Irish dockers,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25building barricades, and there, they were stopped.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28And that was the famous battle of Cable Street.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Neil's discovery that Nettie's name and birth information
0:23:33 > 0:23:37varied on different records was not an uncommon occurrence.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44People living year will have changed their names to fit in, or because it's easier,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48because people cannot say or spell a complicated Russian name.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51You might not have anglicised it on arrival,
0:23:51 > 0:23:56but if you found it easier, possibly, to get ahead with a more anglicised name.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59On Nettie's Jewish marriage certificate,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Neil found evidence that Nettie had a brother called Phillip.
0:24:02 > 0:24:09Knowing more about her history, he now tried to track Phillip down, using different name combinations.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12We found his birth. We then couldn't find his death very easily
0:24:12 > 0:24:16until we had played a round again with the surname of Shadatsky
0:24:16 > 0:24:20and found that he had actually died under the surname of Shade.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23It was a huge problem. We got so many variations on it.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28This was a lucky break, but once again, it led to a stalemate.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Unfortunately, he was never married, he was a bachelor
0:24:31 > 0:24:37and, although we've made break after break after break,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39and we've jumped several steps along the way,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44and we've made very good progress in our research, we've hit another brick wall.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48With no children born to Nettie's brother, Phillip,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51the team have no more leads to chase.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56But Neil still believes that some living relatives do exist.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Yes, I think there are beneficiaries. Where are they?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03My feeling is, probably, they'll be in Russia.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05I don't know that, though.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10So it looks as if Neta Axen's estate might be staying with the Government.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Much to Neil Fraser's disappointment.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15I basically have to draw a line, I have to say,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17"Neil, this is one which got away."
0:25:19 > 0:25:21It doesn't make me happy, it makes me quite angry
0:25:21 > 0:25:24that I've started something and I can't finish it.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27If you can shed any light on the life of Nettie,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30or can prove that you are related to her,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33then you could be entitled to her £25,000 estate.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38Take a look at our website at bbc.co.uk/heirhunters
0:25:38 > 0:25:41for details on what to do next.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56Today the team at Fraser & Fraser have been trying to find heirs
0:25:56 > 0:25:59to the £60,000 estate of a John Henry Chambers.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04This morning the team struggled to find a birth record for John Henry Chambers
0:26:04 > 0:26:08that matched the birth date on his death certificate.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Then Neil had a radical idea.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14He swapped John Henry's names around and bingo!
0:26:14 > 0:26:17He found a record of a Henry J Chambers with the right birthday.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19But is this just a coincidence?
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Or is Henry J the same person as the John Henry who died?
0:26:29 > 0:26:33It's 11 o'clock and the office team are fact-finding for Henry J Chambers.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38They discover that he had a father who died in 1973,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41whose death certificate is held in Hendon Register Office.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45With nothing else to go on, Neil decides they need this certificate.
0:26:45 > 0:26:51It may contain some crucial information to prove that Henry J is the same person as John Henry.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58The third travelling heir hunter of the day is called up for action.
0:26:58 > 0:26:59Hello, Bob Barratt.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01'Hello, Bob, it's Marcus.'
0:27:01 > 0:27:02Hello, Marcus.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04- 'Hello mate, can you go to Hendon?' - Hendon?
0:27:04 > 0:27:05- 'Yeah.'- Right.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09- Yeah, no problem, cheers. - 'All right, mate, bye.'
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Ex-policeman, Bob Barratt, has been poised for action all morning.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Right, 14 miles away but I think that's as the crow flies.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19With Bob on his way to Hendon,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22the office now have the opportunity to advance the case.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Neil studies the names he's added to the family tree
0:27:26 > 0:27:28and notices something unusual about them.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Most people either have no middle name or one middle name.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35It's less likely to have two middle names.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Is this a clue which will help the team crack the case?
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Neil decides to act on his instinct.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47Now what I've done is search under the surname of Chambers
0:27:47 > 0:27:51in the registration district of London City, which is where the father's born.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56I'm looking for other children who have three initials -
0:27:56 > 0:27:58two middle names.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03We've found in the past that when you have one person with lots of names
0:28:03 > 0:28:05then you also can have some of their siblings.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10Neil's new search strategy has given the team four possible
0:28:10 > 0:28:13aunts and uncles to Henry John Frederick Chambers.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17All with two middle names.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21These are potential siblings or uncles of the deceased.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26Erm, we're going for them mainly because they've got three names.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Four hours into the case and the team might be getting somewhere.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34Neil looks up his three initialled names in the electoral roll
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and finds the address of Frank George Edwin Chambers in Southampton.
0:28:38 > 0:28:44Unfortunately he's died, but Neil quickly realises he's just stumbled across another clue.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51I think I've got family living next door to that, Lillian.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53There's a person called Chambers living next door.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Could he be another member of the same family?
0:28:57 > 0:29:00He only moved into the street in 2003,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03which is two years before his father died
0:29:03 > 0:29:06and his father used to live next door to him.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08This could be the team's first heir,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11but he very nearly slipped through the net.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Because I was doing different searches at the time,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18I sort of slipped that there was someone with the same surname living next door!
0:29:18 > 0:29:22I'd sort of scrolled past cos he'd only moved into the house in 2003
0:29:22 > 0:29:26and he's possibly going to be at work - I'd skipped past his neighbour
0:29:26 > 0:29:29who's an older lady who would know more about the families.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Obviously ignoring the fact that he possibly could have been a relative
0:29:33 > 0:29:36which he is...
0:29:36 > 0:29:40He may be a relative, but he isn't in.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Hello Mr Chambers, my name's Neil Fraser,
0:29:43 > 0:29:48I'm a specialist genealogist and a probate researcher, phoning from central London...
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Neil leaves a message.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54..And if you ask to speak to Neil Fraser or David Pacifico,
0:29:54 > 0:29:58we'll be able to tell you what it's all about. Thank you very much.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02We're not convinced we have the right birth.
0:30:02 > 0:30:08If we have we've been lucky and we can put that down to experience,
0:30:08 > 0:30:10if we haven't, it's one of those things.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15Coming up, Marcus thinks they're on the home straight.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19- Can we just do this?- Yep. - Cos I think it's right.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29Every year, there are over 3,000 unclaimed estates added to the Government's list
0:30:29 > 0:30:32and you might be able to help the heir hunters solve one of them.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38Jacqueline Owen died in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk,
0:30:38 > 0:30:39in June 2004, aged 51.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43She left nearly £17,000.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47Did you know Jacqueline? Are you one of her relatives?
0:30:50 > 0:30:54Mark Green died in February 2007 in the Wirral, Merseyside.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59Mark was 80 and left an estate worth £23,000.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Are you entitled to Mark's money?
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Should you get his cash?
0:31:04 > 0:31:09William Kerridge died in Canterbury, Kent in March 2005, aged 96.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13He left a personal fortune of £60,000.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Are you part of William's family?
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Do you know someone who is?
0:31:19 > 0:31:22If you have any information regarding any of these unclaimed estates,
0:31:22 > 0:31:24then take a look at our website -
0:31:38 > 0:31:42On the Henry Chambers case, Frasers' travelling heir hunter, Bob Barratt,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45has finally arrived at Hendon register office to pick up
0:31:45 > 0:31:48what could be Henry's father's death certificate.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Could this be the confirmation they need
0:31:50 > 0:31:52that they are working the right case?
0:31:54 > 0:31:59Hi, Marcus, right, I've got a certificate for Henry Arthur Charles Chambers.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Bob gives Marcus the vital information from the certificate.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Died 22 October 1973,
0:32:06 > 0:32:10born 22 January 1904.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15And his address was 35 Sandringham Flats...
0:32:18 > 0:32:23- 'Yep?'- And the informant, John Henry Chambers, son.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28- Of the same address.- 'Lovely!'
0:32:30 > 0:32:32It's great news for the team.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36The certificate contains even more information than they hoped for.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40The fact the person on the death certificate had the very same address as the deceased
0:32:40 > 0:32:44makes it even more certain that they're on to the right family.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Right, we've got the death of the father from Hendon.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- It was Henry Arthur Charles Chambers.- Yep?
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- Died, 22 October, 1973.- Yep.
0:32:54 > 0:33:00- Of 35 Sandringham Flats, Charing Cross Road.- Right.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03- It's right.- We've got the right birth of the deceased. It's good.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Right, are you gonna tell them downstairs or shall I go down now?
0:33:07 > 0:33:08I'll go.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13It's fantastic news. But Neil knows it's too early to celebrate.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17What we don't know still is if we've identified
0:33:17 > 0:33:21the correct siblings of the father of the deceased.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24I'm a lot happier now we have the right family.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Now they have Henry Chambers' father's date of birth,
0:33:28 > 0:33:33they can trace his parents - William Chambers and Florence Robinson.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35From them, they work out his siblings,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38this time without relying on guesswork.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Although the three name clue was right,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43it only uncovered four brothers and sisters.
0:33:43 > 0:33:48In fact, there was another sibling - Doris Chambers.
0:33:48 > 0:33:53But because she didn't follow the pattern of having two middle names, they hadn't found her.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55And just as they're piecing the family tree together,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58the cousin that Neil called earlier finally rings backs.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03Hello, Mr Chambers? Hello, it's Neil Fraser. Thank you for calling back.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08I think I may have got a message from your neighbour as well as I left a message on your answerphone!
0:34:08 > 0:34:14Having a family member on the phone is a golden opportunity for Neil to double-check their research.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20We have Bertie, Dolly, Reggie and...
0:34:22 > 0:34:23..Artie.
0:34:23 > 0:34:29Roger confirms all of his aunts and uncles and the fact that they were known by their second names.
0:34:29 > 0:34:34It seems turning the names around was an inspired guess on Neil's part.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37But Roger's wondering who in his family has died.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39OK, who do you think's possible?
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Right, OK. Yes, you are correct.
0:34:43 > 0:34:49If we're dealing with the same John, yes, we're more than likely...
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Unusually, Neil's revealed who's died.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55Now he needs some more information from Roger.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58There's Bertie who was married to Alice O'Connell,
0:34:58 > 0:35:03I think they had just one daughter, Patricia.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Um, I'm yet to track down Patricia,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08I know she was born in '49.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Not entirely sure where she is at the moment.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Oh, cos I know her father, Bertie, died in Elstree...
0:35:17 > 0:35:19It's a great result for Frasers.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22The call has led them to a second heir -
0:35:22 > 0:35:25another cousin of Henry John Chambers, called Patricia.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Roger's proved invaluable to the research
0:35:30 > 0:35:33but the important thing for Frasers is to sign him up
0:35:33 > 0:35:37so they can help him submit his claim for his share of the estate.
0:35:37 > 0:35:43OK, OK, well, it'll be my colleague, Bob Barratt, if we put down 5pm.
0:35:43 > 0:35:48No problem and nice talking to you, sir. Hopefully Bob will be able to see you about 5pm today.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52At last, Frasers are in a position to send their travellers out to see heirs
0:35:52 > 0:35:55and, crucially, get their commission.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Bob Barratt's ready for the command.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Hi Bob, listen, we've got an appointment for you,
0:36:00 > 0:36:03- I'd like you to go to Southampton! - Southampton?
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Yeah, I'm sorry about that!
0:36:06 > 0:36:10We've got a cousin that Neil spoke to and has arranged about 5pm
0:36:10 > 0:36:14or however long it takes you to get there - he's in there now.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18- Speak to you later, Dave. - Thanks, Bob, bye.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21While Bob refuels for his 80-mile journey to Southampton,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Neil's feeling rather pleased with himself.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28We took three or four very big,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32wild stabs in the dark,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34and relied on a bit of experience, a bit of luck,
0:36:34 > 0:36:39and that's come through so it's possible that we're quite a bit ahead of other people.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43It's possible that they're waiting for certificates and stuff to come back,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46whereas we've now got onto it so it's fine.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Travelling heir hunter, Ewart, is also on the case.
0:36:50 > 0:36:55He's being asked to head over to North London to see Henry John Chambers' other cousin, Patricia.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00So after nine hours of gambling and guesswork,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02the case is finally coming together.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05And it seems now they're definitely on a winning streak.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08They've discovered that the missing sibling, Doris,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10that they added to the tree earlier,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13had two children, Andrew and Jennifer.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17That's two more of Henry's cousins and two more heirs.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20David Pacifico calls Jennifer.
0:37:20 > 0:37:26What's happened her is that a person related to your late mother has recently died
0:37:26 > 0:37:30and this is the reason why we're trying to track down the Chambers family.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34One of my colleagues is meeting with Roger probably as we speak,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37who, as you know, lives down Southampton way.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41Because I thought, you know, if you were going out a little later,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44one of my colleagues who's there now could meet with you in half an hour.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47But if that's not convenient, obviously...
0:37:47 > 0:37:53Well, 11th is next Tuesday if you do want to pop in to see us or...
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Thank you very much indeed. Thank you, bye-bye.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00Doesn't want to be seen just now,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03but she's coming up next Tuesday and wants to come in and see us.
0:38:06 > 0:38:07I know!
0:38:08 > 0:38:10They'll have to wait to see Jennifer,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13but Bob Barratt's about to meet the first heir,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Henry John's cousin, Roger.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17To make all their work worthwhile,
0:38:17 > 0:38:19it's crucial he comes away with a signature.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24And Ewart's just arrived at Patricia's house.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26- Hello.- Hello.- Hi.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28I wasn't sure which door to actually...!
0:38:28 > 0:38:31- You've come through the back door but that's all right!- Oh!
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Frasers have called ahead, so she's aware that her cousin,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Henry John Chambers, has died.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38The first thing that Ewart has to do
0:38:38 > 0:38:41is confirm that Patricia is from the right family.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Right so... Aunts and uncles.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Erm, obviously coming down through your father's side,
0:38:48 > 0:38:50that's the blood line we're doing.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52- Can I just go and get the Bible? - Yeah.
0:38:52 > 0:38:57- The names we called them by weren't the names that they were christened. - Right.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02Lots of families keep books that contain all the crucial information about their history.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07It gets passed through generations, and Patricia is the current holder of the Chambers' family Bible.
0:39:07 > 0:39:12She knows that Henry John's father also went by his middle name.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Yes, he was, actually.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17He wasn't Arthur. His actual name was Henry.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19- Henry Arthur?- Henry Arthur.
0:39:21 > 0:39:22- Was he married?- Yes.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Married to...?
0:39:24 > 0:39:28He was married to Nellie. Nellie...Nellie...Nellie...
0:39:28 > 0:39:33- And her maiden name was Cook. - Had one son?
0:39:33 > 0:39:36- Yes.- What was his name?
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Johnnie. - What do you know about Johnnie?
0:39:39 > 0:39:44Johnnie Chambers was born on the 28th of August in 1926.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49- He was actually nearer my mum's age...- Yes.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51..so when...
0:39:51 > 0:39:56when my mum died, he came to visit us and just arrived down the bottom of the garden.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00- I hadn't seen him since I was a little girl.- In 2001?
0:40:00 > 0:40:04- Yes, that's when I last saw him. - That's when you last saw him.- Hmm.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Confident they've tracked down the right heir,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Ewart now needs Patricia to sign up with Frasers,
0:40:10 > 0:40:15so they can put forward her claim to her cousin's £60,000 estate.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17Nice to meet you. Bye-bye.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20In Southampton, there's no joy for Bob Barratt.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25After all this hard work, he hasn't come away with a signature.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27I've left an agreement with him,
0:40:27 > 0:40:30I've completed a family questionnaire,
0:40:30 > 0:40:36and hopefully Mr Chambers will ask us to make the claim on his behalf.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Has Ewart had more luck with Patricia?
0:40:38 > 0:40:42- Thank you very much. - You're very welcome. Cheerio.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- Take care.- OK, thanks a lot. Bye-bye. - Bye-bye.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46Seemed very happy.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50She signed, so it's one-up for me. Fantastic.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Job well done for me, I should say.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54I'm off home now.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58It's pouring with rain and I just can't wait to get home.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02But for Patricia, it's not about the money.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04An unusual thing to happen.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06You read about things like this happening
0:41:06 > 0:41:10and, I think, the whole process of tracking people down
0:41:10 > 0:41:13is incredibly exciting.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16I found that - how people actually traced me -
0:41:16 > 0:41:21was something that, um, was like being part of a detective story.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Pleased with how the day's panned out,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31there's just one task left for David Pacifico -
0:41:31 > 0:41:34to print out the completed family tree.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37PRINTER DRAWER RATTLES
0:41:37 > 0:41:38But nothing's simple.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50At least someone can see the funny side.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02But things didn't get any easier for David.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07Within a week, Roger Chambers decided not to use Frasers to help him submit his claim.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12Patricia, who'd already signed, changed her mind,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14but there was one piece of good news.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Their cousin Jennifer came into the office.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Any other questions at all you want to ask me?
0:42:20 > 0:42:25When she saw the evidence of the team's hard work, she agreed to sign.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29I'm quite happy and, as I say, I'm very impressed with the brochure.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32- OK, David. Nice to meet you. - Thank you very much.- Thanks a lot.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37It was particularly nice because we didn't have anything, really, to go on at the beginning,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40and his birth wasn't under the name which we thought it was,
0:42:40 > 0:42:46so it took a short while to get going. Once we did, we found the family.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50It's very nice that we can actually now confirm
0:42:50 > 0:42:55that the family are entitled, and will benefit, to his estate.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:16 > 0:43:20E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk