0:00:02 > 0:00:05Every Thursday morning across the UK,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08heir hunting companies scan the Treasury's list of recent estates
0:00:08 > 0:00:11that belong to people who died without leaving a will.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16In London, one company has found an estate
0:00:16 > 0:00:18that could be worth up to a quarter of a million pounds!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23They're racing to find long lost relatives who have no idea
0:00:23 > 0:00:25they could be in line for a windfall.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Could they be knocking at your door?
0:00:44 > 0:00:46On today's programme...
0:00:46 > 0:00:51the heir hunters get the inside scoop on a £250,000 case.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54But it's not all plain sailing!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57In future, when you say you've got a list, show me the list.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00And the heirs to one woman's estate are stunned to inherit
0:01:00 > 0:01:03from someone they've never even met!
0:01:04 > 0:01:08I never, ever dreamed that somebody we had never heard of
0:01:08 > 0:01:11would leave something to us.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Plus how you could be entitled to unclaimed estates
0:01:15 > 0:01:17where beneficiaries need to be found.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Could you be in line for a cash payout?
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Every year in the UK, an estimated 300,000 people
0:01:31 > 0:01:33die without leaving a will.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36If no relatives are found,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40any money that's left behind goes to the Government.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43And last year, they raked in a whopping £12 million
0:01:43 > 0:01:46from unclaimed estates.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52There are over 30 specialist firms competing to stop this happening.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55They're called Heir Hunters and their business
0:01:55 > 0:01:57is to track down missing relatives
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and help them claim their rightful inheritance.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I make sure the Government doesn't seize assets
0:02:03 > 0:02:05which do not belong to them.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It's early on a Thursday morning and overnight,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16the Treasury has advertised a new list of unclaimed estates.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21In London, Heir Hunting company Fraser and Fraser
0:02:21 > 0:02:24are scouring the lists for cases to investigate.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28But not all estates come to them through the Treasury.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31They use a variety of sources to try and get exclusive access
0:02:31 > 0:02:34to estates before they become public knowledge.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39OK, thanks ever so, bye.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41What we have is what we call reporters.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45We've quite a few people out in the field, field agents really.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50They inform us when they come across what could be an estate.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Whether that's an empty house, a notice in the local paper,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56whether it's something that's gone through the coroner's office
0:02:56 > 0:02:58or just word of mouth.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Getting the inside scoop on a case before the other companies find out,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08means zero competition for the heir hunters and partner, Neil Fraser,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11has just been given an exciting tip off from one of his field agents.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15OK, bye.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17One of them has just given me some information.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22That information sort of indicates that we possibly have an estate
0:03:22 > 0:03:25which is possibly going to the Treasury Solicitor.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Value wise, we're looking at quite a large amount,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30possibly up to £250,000.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34As this estate is potentially more valuable
0:03:34 > 0:03:36than what has appeared on the Treasury's list,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Neil makes this case a priority.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43His first move is to get all the team ready for action.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46You're in Reading. OK, can you stop in Reading for a minute?
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Put the handbrake on. It's £250,000. It's a proper job.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56The field agent has given Neil all the information he can
0:03:56 > 0:03:58about the deceased.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59He was called Howard Whittles,
0:03:59 > 0:04:05he died in April 2010 and they know he owned a property.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07We think he was born in Sheffield,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10so we're going to start looking around Sheffield for his birth
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and from there, the parents' marriage and possible siblings.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Howard Whittles died aged 71.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22He was a bachelor
0:04:22 > 0:04:27and had lived in Minehead in Somerset for over 15 years.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29A keen sportsman and walker,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32his death came as a great loss to his close friends.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Keith Williams was Howard's walking partner
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and he remembers an outgoing, determined man.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Howard loved his walking, his hill walking.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45He never took a map anywhere he went.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48He just knew that way and that was the way to go.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Howard was diagnosed with throat cancer in the late 1980s
0:04:52 > 0:04:56and eventually had to have his voice box removed.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58His health took another blow later on in life
0:04:58 > 0:05:03when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07It was a frustrating blow for a man who enjoyed an active lifestyle.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I miss him quite a bit.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14I miss going out to see him on a Sunday morning
0:05:14 > 0:05:16and even when he was not very well,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18it was nice to go out and have a chat with him.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Very sad when he did go.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23But even at the height of his illness,
0:05:23 > 0:05:29he remained a determined, single minded and energetic character.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32I do miss Howard. I miss not just the presence, but Howard.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37He was enthralled by cricket
0:05:37 > 0:05:41because he used to spend most of his time watching cricket matches.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Howard was more than just an armchair cricket fan.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Before he moved to Somerset, he had lived and worked in London
0:05:49 > 0:05:52where he was an active member of his local cricket club.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Almost two decades later, his former team mates still remember him
0:05:56 > 0:05:59as a man who lived and breathed the sport.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00I would say, without doubt,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02he was one of the best off spin bowlers
0:06:02 > 0:06:04we either played with
0:06:04 > 0:06:06or played against.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10He certainly had a gift and well respected in the team
0:06:10 > 0:06:13and if I was skippering today, I'd love to have him on my side.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Howard had plenty of friends
0:06:16 > 0:06:19but the heir hunters' main concern is whether he had family.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28The case is handed over to senior manager, David Pacifico
0:06:28 > 0:06:30and as one of Fraser's oldest employees,
0:06:30 > 0:06:35the £250,000 hunt is in experienced hands.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Do you want to pop Bob on to me then? I'm dealing with this case now.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43David gets researcher, Alan, to do the immediate legwork.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Thanks, Alan.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Using the birth record, he quickly works out who Howard's parents were.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Heir hunters use essential information like this
0:06:56 > 0:06:57to make family trees.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00These are like roadmaps through someone's ancestry
0:07:00 > 0:07:02and should show the way to heirs.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Grandparents, by the way are...
0:07:06 > 0:07:10He marries as Harry Whittles, March 21st in Sheffield.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13The family Alan has discovered
0:07:13 > 0:07:16all seem to have their roots in Sheffield.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Howard was born there in 1938
0:07:18 > 0:07:22to parents Harry and Fanny who both died in the 1970s.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Alan has also found the parents' marriage records and from this,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32he uses Fanny's maiden name to trace any potential births
0:07:32 > 0:07:34for brothers or sisters of the deceased.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36He's in luck.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- Thank you very much, Alan. - It's early days
0:07:39 > 0:07:43but he's already found a woman who could be Howard's sister.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46The exclusive nature of this case means the heir hunters aren't
0:07:46 > 0:07:47competing against other firms
0:07:47 > 0:07:50and this allows them to work in a more relaxed way.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55So instead of rushing to speak to potential heirs on the phone,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59they're going to send one of their travelling researchers to the North,
0:07:59 > 0:08:00to try and meet relatives in person.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Right, let me speak to Bob Barrett first of all.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Hello.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14- We want to try and get this family signed up as soon as possible.- Sure.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Neil knows nothing beats a face-to-face meeting
0:08:18 > 0:08:20when it comes to getting heirs to sign on the dotted line.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25This means the beneficiaries will allow the firm to handle their case
0:08:25 > 0:08:29and in return, they'll pay them a pre-agreed percentage of the estate.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33The one-to-one touch, the personal relationship we can build
0:08:33 > 0:08:37when you can look someone in the eye and tell them what it's all about,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39is far better than someone over the phone.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41That's why we send people travelling.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Ex policeman, Bob Barrett,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50is one of Fraser and Fraser's squadron of travellers
0:08:50 > 0:08:52who are willing to go wherever a case takes them.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Based all over the UK and abroad,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58their job is to follow the clues and sniff out potential heirs
0:08:58 > 0:09:01and inform them of their deceased relative's estate.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04Sorry to send you up north again.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07This one has become important, you know.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Yes, sure, I'll head up there and get some details from you later.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Thanks, Bob. Bye.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Bob will be heading to Chesterfield
0:09:15 > 0:09:19where the team think Howard's sister and other siblings live.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Although it'll be an expensive 400 mile round trip,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24the team are hoping it's a gamble that will pay off.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32David hasn't spoken to any potential heirs yet,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36but with Bob en route, it's time to get on the phone.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40I'm going to try and contact someone who will be a sister of the deceased.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42But it's not a good start.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44It must be a nice day. Everyone seems to be out.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I can't get through to the sister.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51David's not too worried because with no competition on the case,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53he can afford to wait and call back later.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58In the meantime, Alan's tracking down Howard's other siblings.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02I believe, but I'm not 100% certain that the brother was in the Army,
0:10:02 > 0:10:07so it's quite probable, being in the Army, he was fairly mobile.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Howard's potential heirs are coming thick and fast,
0:10:12 > 0:10:16but David still hasn't managed to speak to any of them.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19'Hello. Your call cannot be taken at the moment.'
0:10:19 > 0:10:24We've got a nephew that I've got no phone number for
0:10:24 > 0:10:27living in WC2, London,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29who we think his father may be dead now.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Nice working case, but without the hassle of other companies.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Well done. Excellent.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40In the research room, Alan has managed to confirm a potential sibling.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45It's the brother he found earlier, and it looks like he's still alive.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51I know he was alive a few years ago because he was mentioned on his sister's will.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53I believe I have an address for him.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Across the office, David has finally had some success.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00He's to spoken to one of Howard's sisters who lives in Sheffield,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04and he's made an appointment for Bob to go and see her.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06If only all heir hunts were this easy.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Hello, Bob. I was going to phone you actually.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- I just made contact with the sister of the deceased...- Oh, right.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14..who's very happy to meet with us.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17I said about 3.45 this afternoon in Sheffield.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19The team are making very good progress.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23They've found that Howard had seven brothers and sisters
0:11:23 > 0:11:27and this has led them to four possible heirs to his estate.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Three of Howard's siblings died without children,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33but one brother and two sisters are still alive,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and there's a niece from his late sister.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40I think that's the extent of the family on this,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44so we're talking about, I think, four people.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46It's over to Bob Barrett now to make contact, you know,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49personal contact, which we wanted to do as soon as possible.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Bob's still cruising his way up North.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54He has three heirs to visit, and he hopes to sign them all.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Bob, it's David.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Just to say I've just received a call back from the other sister.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05She's happy to see you later on.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08That's all four heirs accounted for and meetings set up -
0:12:08 > 0:12:11a cracking result for the team.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14So, basically, we're in touch with all the family,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- so it's all tied up now.- Well, that's good then.- It is amazing.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20But then suddenly everything changes.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26One of the researchers has come across records
0:12:26 > 0:12:29suggesting Howard may have had more brothers and sisters
0:12:29 > 0:12:32than the team first thought.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35What I'm going to do is to phone the sister back just to clarify
0:12:35 > 0:12:39something about whether or not she knows of any other siblings.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Although there's no competition on the case at the moment,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46this is still a worry. If the team miss any heirs now,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49their rivals could sign them up at a later date
0:12:49 > 0:12:52and that would mean losing out on valuable commission.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57David calls Howard's sister to see if the new information is true.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Does the name Iris and Stuart Whittles mean anything to you?
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Did Stuart actually survive to adulthood then? Oh, he's got children?
0:13:08 > 0:13:12So, in other words, there's two more beneficiaries here?
0:13:12 > 0:13:16- Are you in touch with them at all? - It seems the paperwork is correct.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20David wants these loose ends tied up as quickly as possible.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23We've got two more beneficiaries on this.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Two children may still be in the Sheffield area.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Can you see if you can locate them?
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Armed with this new information, the team springs into action.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36To have relatives unaccounted for
0:13:36 > 0:13:38is the heir hunters' worst nightmare,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and Alan can't understand why no-one told them before.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48No mentions have been made of Stewart by the family, so...
0:13:48 > 0:13:49I don't know why.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Coming up, as David tries to tie up the loose ends
0:13:53 > 0:13:56of the Whittles' family tree, he gets the shock of his life -
0:13:56 > 0:14:00it looks like they're not the only company chasing Howard's heirs.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04When did you...? When did they speak to you? Competition on it now.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13To be sure of making a healthy profit,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17the biggest Heir Hunting firms try to only chase the highest-value cases.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19But smaller companies with fewer staff
0:14:19 > 0:14:22can still turn a profit by taking on estates
0:14:22 > 0:14:24worth just a few thousand pounds...
0:14:24 > 0:14:27as long as they can be solved quickly.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Leonora Phelps died in January 2009 aged 81,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41leaving no will and with no known relatives.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45She passed away in Runcorn, a small industrial town and port
0:14:45 > 0:14:48sited on the southern bank on the river Mersey.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51A retired receptionist,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55she spent most of her career working for a large chemical manufacturer.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00Her old work-mate, Pam, remembers a vibrant lady with a big heart.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05She was just warm and witty. A very, very nice person to work for.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08By all accounts, Leonora stood out from the crowd
0:15:08 > 0:15:09for a good number of reasons.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14She looked like a model. She was beautiful. She really was.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- PHONE RINGS - Good afternoon. Celtic Research.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24In 2010, Saul Marks of heir-hunting company Celtic Research
0:15:24 > 0:15:27took on Leonora's case.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30The company has case managers around the UK
0:15:30 > 0:15:34to quickly find heirs, wherever they may be.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Working alongside father-and-son team, Peter and Hector Birchwood,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Saul has immersed himself in the world of forensic genealogy.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45You should have it in about ten days, all being well.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Based in the North West,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Saul was in a prime location to take on the case.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55Leonora Phelps was a case which was released on a Thursday, as are
0:15:55 > 0:15:58all the Treasury Solicitor cases, and it caught my eye particularly
0:15:58 > 0:16:02because she died in a place quite local to our Northwest office.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03She died in Runcorn.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07As with any estate released on the Treasury's list,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09there's always the chance
0:16:09 > 0:16:11of competing companies chasing the same heirs.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Saul hit the ground running.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18I looked into it using the birth, marriage and death indexes,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and we knew from the listing that she was a spinster, so she had no
0:16:22 > 0:16:25children, so the first place we had to look,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27was for brothers and sisters.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Leonora had never married
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and died without children.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36It was time for Saul to go back up the family tree.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Her mother's maiden name was Wood, and I could then look for other
0:16:39 > 0:16:42children called Phelps with the mother's maiden name Wood.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43There was one - a sister, Barbara.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47So I looked for her death and I found it.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52We knew then that we would be having to look for children
0:16:52 > 0:16:53and we didn't find any.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57So, based on that, we came to the conclusion that there were going
0:16:57 > 0:16:59to be no nieces or nephews of the deceased and we'd have
0:16:59 > 0:17:02to start looking for cousins.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Saul now turned his attention to tracking down any other
0:17:04 > 0:17:06relatives Leonora may have.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11We knew that, by and large, we'd be looking for cousins
0:17:11 > 0:17:13or maybe even descendants of cousins,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17because chances are, quite a few of her cousins would have passed away.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Saul started on the maternal line of her family.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23He used Lavinia's maiden name of Woods
0:17:23 > 0:17:26to find her birth certificate from 1888.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Then he matched the details on that, with other births, to try
0:17:30 > 0:17:31and find her siblings.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I found she was actually one of eight children, so we knew we were
0:17:36 > 0:17:39going to be dealing with quite a big family on the maternal side.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Leonora's mother had three sisters and four brothers.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47One brother had died without leaving any children, and so had a sister.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Saul was discovering the family had strong links
0:17:54 > 0:17:57to the Birkenhead area and were still living there today.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00But oddly, Leonora who spent most of her professional life
0:18:00 > 0:18:03working just up the river in Runcorn,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06seemed to have lost all contact with her wider family.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Friend, Pam, remembers Leonora as a nice,
0:18:13 > 0:18:18but private lady, who never spoke about her life outside of work.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21It was her job as a receptionist for the chemicals giant ICI,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23not her family, that seems to have been
0:18:23 > 0:18:26the main focus in her life.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Leonora thoroughly enjoyed her job
0:18:29 > 0:18:31and it showed in her smile
0:18:31 > 0:18:33and in the way she greeted people.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38She really enjoyed what she did and did it to the best of her ability.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Leonora was proud to be working as a receptionist for the largest
0:18:42 > 0:18:43employer in the area.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Dr Terry Gourvish, from the London School Of Economics,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51understands just how significant ICI was
0:18:51 > 0:18:54to the local population.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57It was a very large employer. I think there were about 6,500
0:18:57 > 0:19:00working at Runcorn as late as 1970,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02so, a lot of people.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05The company was formed in 1926
0:19:05 > 0:19:09and became one of the biggest names in the chemical industry.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Its heyday was from the 1960s through to the '80s, and was
0:19:13 > 0:19:18the first British company to achieve £1 billion in annual profits.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Because it was large and successful and indeed, a global company,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25it attracted people.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27People wanted to work for it.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Leonora was one such person.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33As a receptionist, she was front of house
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and revelled in the responsibility the job brought.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40For many local girls, it would have been a dream job.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43You felt really fortunate to work for ICI,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47and they made you feel special, very special.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Like Leonora, heir hunter Saul is passionate about his job,
0:19:51 > 0:19:56and decades later, was working hard to try and trace her relatives.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59The first line I looked at was the oldest aunt
0:19:59 > 0:20:01on the maternal side,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04who was Emily Adelaide Wood, and I established
0:20:04 > 0:20:07that she had married a gentleman called Ralph Rowland
0:20:07 > 0:20:08and they had two sons.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Saul discovered one of the sons - William - had also died,
0:20:13 > 0:20:17leaving no children, so he turned his attention to the other,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21who, like his father, was also called Ralph.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24He lived in the area of Tranmere in Birkenhead,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27and was recorded in the Census as a shopkeeper and milkman.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Saul looked for a marriage record for him
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and went on to discover he'd had two sons -
0:20:33 > 0:20:37one named Roger, and one named Philip, and Philip
0:20:37 > 0:20:39lived also fairly close to our Northwest office,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42so I went over to see him.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Saul had found his first heir, and for Philip's wife, Barbara,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49it's a moment she'll not forget in a hurry,
0:20:49 > 0:20:51because she'd just stepped out of the shower.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53I thought he was a salesman,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55and I thought I was going to close the door.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58But he was so nice,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01informative and put me at ease straight away,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03bearing in mind I was in a dressing gown with a towel
0:21:03 > 0:21:05and a wet face.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Barbara called Philip, who rushed back to meet Saul.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13All then all I had to do, was wait for Philip to come home,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15to get his signature.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18The name Leonora Phelps meant nothing to Philip
0:21:18 > 0:21:22and it intrigued him as a keen family historian.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25My wife, daughter and I have looked into
0:21:25 > 0:21:28her side of the family on occasions,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and this was an opportunity being presented to us
0:21:31 > 0:21:34to try and find out a little bit more about my own.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Philip is Leonora's first cousin, once removed,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41but he never met her, or even knew she existed.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45It seems at some point, her parents moved to London for work,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and although they later returned to the Birkenhead area,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52they failed to rekindle a close family connection.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58That lady is an unknown quantity to me.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02Coming up...
0:22:02 > 0:22:05..it turns out that while Leonora
0:22:05 > 0:22:08was enjoying her career, her cousins were struggling to make ends meet.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Things became extremely difficult.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Could you be in line for an unexpected windfall?
0:22:18 > 0:22:23In the UK, the Treasury has a list of over 2000 estates,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26that over the years, have baffled the heir hunters
0:22:26 > 0:22:28and still remain unclaimed.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31This is money that could have your name on it.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36These estates can stay on the list for up to 30 years,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38and each one could be worth anything
0:22:38 > 0:22:40from £5000 to many millions.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Today, we're focusing on three names from the list.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Could they be relatives of yours?
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Gwendoline Annesley died in May 2005, aged 91.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57She lived in Streatham, south west London.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Her surname is extremely rare,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01and according to the last census,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05just 250 people in the UK share it.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Despite this, all efforts to trace her heirs have failed.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Or did you know Stanley Sampson?
0:23:13 > 0:23:17He died in August, 2006 in Dorset.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20His surname is very common to the South West,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and if no heirs are found for his estate,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24the money will go to the Government.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Or how about Cissie Madeline Endicott?
0:23:31 > 0:23:34She died aged 84 in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40Born in 1919, the records show she never married.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44If the names Gwendoline Annesley,
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Stanley Sampson or Cissie Madeline Endicott mean anything to you,
0:23:48 > 0:23:50then there could be a windfall on its way.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Heir hunter Saul Marks of Celtic Research
0:24:00 > 0:24:04took on the case of Leonora Phelps in 2010.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08She had died the previous year, aged 81, leaving no will.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It seems she was a glamorous and very well-loved lady.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17She was immaculate. Her hair, her make-up, her clothes.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20And just a general warmth.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Saul quickly tracked down his first heir, Philip Roland.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Philip and his wife Barbara were gobsmacked by the news.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30In thinking about it, I was so surprised.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34I never, ever thought this would happen to me.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36This happens to other people.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Saul traced Philip through his grandfather Ralph,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44who was listed in the census as a shopkeeper and a milk dealer.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46My grandfather ran his own business.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50It was a dairy business in Birkenhead, which he'd built up.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54It was in the times when the corner shop was very much the focal point
0:24:54 > 0:24:57for everybody in the district.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00It was a very different era.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Before supermarkets, the corner shop was an important institution,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06at the heart of a community.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Everything they needed for each day,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11they could buy at their local shops.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Food was fresh.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Didn't have refrigerators.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18So especially dairy goods of all sorts,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20they would need to shop daily.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25The sight of the family's business is now bricked up
0:25:25 > 0:25:27and has been converted into housing.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30In Philip's grandfather's day, he not only ran the shop,
0:25:30 > 0:25:35but he also bottled and distributed milk to the Tranmere community.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39It was a hard life, and eventually it took its toll.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43My grandfather died when my father was ten.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45He'd been very lucky.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48He'd gone to the local grammar school,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51and unfortunately he had to leave,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53and he took the business over
0:25:53 > 0:25:55when he was about 14, maybe 15 at the most.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00He worked from then through to when he was 68.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03And to the best of my knowledge, he never had a day off.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Leonora and her cousin Ralph's careers could not have been any more different.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11She worked for the large corporate company,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15whilst Ralph was a fiercely independent self-made man.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20The Roland family were very well-known in this local area.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22They were rooted in the local community.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26But hard work and a family's reputation meant nothing
0:26:26 > 0:26:29in the face of changing times.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33The corner shop was about to be dealt a death blow by the big businesses.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Then perhaps the first supermarket opened in the area,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and little local places started to close down.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47The corner shops of this country certainly suffered greatly,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50sadly, because they always had something to offer
0:26:50 > 0:26:54even if it was only for somebody to come in and have a chat.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Leonora's cousin Ralph, Philip's father,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59eventually sold up the corner shop.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02And by that time, he'd also sold his milk round
0:27:02 > 0:27:04to a large corporate dairy.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Whilst just down the river Leonora was at the forefront of a new era
0:27:08 > 0:27:12of the modern workplace, her cousins certainly were not.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Big business had changed Ralph's way of life forever.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Although he had found Philip relatively quickly,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Saul still had plenty of heirs to find.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29Philip gave me the contact details for a first cousin of his father's.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32And they gave me some more information, which led me
0:27:32 > 0:27:35to his brother and led me to various other cousins.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Saul made light work of the maternal line and quickly found
0:27:41 > 0:27:45and visited another ten heirs to Leonora's estate.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47But his job was far from over.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51He still had heirs to find on the paternal side.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54So using the birth, death and census records, he set to work.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57On the paternal side of this family, the father of the deceased
0:27:57 > 0:27:59was one of three children.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02So it was a much smaller family to have to deal with.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06And there were three cousins of the deceased on that side,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09each of whom will inherit a share in the estate.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14One of those cousins was the daughter of Leonora's paternal uncle Norman.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Gillian is a first cousin, and still remembers the first time
0:28:18 > 0:28:20her husband answered the phone to Saul.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25He said, "The phone has just been ringing, and it's Celtic Research.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29"And they really want to know about Leonora.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31"She died last year,
0:28:31 > 0:28:35"and you are one of the few people that might have memories."
0:28:35 > 0:28:37I was absolutely amazed.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41It had been a long time since Gillian had heard that name.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48I lost track of her movements so long ago. It's like another lifetime.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52I'm really sad about it now, to think that she was alive until last year.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Um... I could have been in touch.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58The last memories Gillian has of Leonora go back to her childhood.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03I last saw Leonora when she and I were both bridesmaids
0:29:03 > 0:29:05for her sister Barbara.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08I was ten, so that's quite a few years ago.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13I had very little to do with Leonora during our growing up years,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17because she was probably ten years or more older than I was.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22Also, our fathers had started from Gloucestershire
0:29:22 > 0:29:25and all migrated in different directions.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Like others, Gillian remembers Leonora as a beautiful, vivacious
0:29:31 > 0:29:37and bubbly character. But sadly, she was never really known by her true family,
0:29:37 > 0:29:39the family that now will inherit her estate.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44So far, we've found between 15 and 20 heirs.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47And there are a few branches we're still working on, so there may be more.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49For heir Gillian,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52the whole experience has brought the importance of family
0:29:52 > 0:29:53into sharp focus.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56It's sad really, when people have relations...
0:29:57 > 0:30:01..perfectly fit and able, and travel is so easy these days,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03whereas it used to be difficult.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06We ought to try more to keep in touch.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19Howard Whittles also died with no known family in 2010,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21aged 71.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23And he didn't leave a will.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Friends remember him as an intelligent, active man.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Howard really was a very nice person.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36- Sadly missed.- Yes, I miss the walking and miss his company.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38He was very good company.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43He died leaving an estate worth a quarter of a million pounds
0:30:43 > 0:30:46and heir hunting company, Fraser and Fraser,
0:30:46 > 0:30:48have taken on his case.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52Try working to see if you can get old addresses.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Partner Neil Fraser got the case through a reporter
0:30:55 > 0:30:58who works for the firm, and not from the Treasury.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01This means the estate isn't public knowledge
0:31:01 > 0:31:03and in the world of heir hunting,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06that's a very good thing.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08At the moment it's a case which we probably aren't going
0:31:08 > 0:31:11to have a huge amount of competition on.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14We don't think any other research firm knows about it.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16With the help of his team,
0:31:16 > 0:31:20case manager David Pacifico found that Howard had eight siblings,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24and he's learnt that some of the Whittles family had become estranged.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29She told me that she had last contact with Howard
0:31:29 > 0:31:31at the funeral of their father,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34which was in 1971.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37So, we're talking nearly 40 years ago.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40As more information comes through,
0:31:40 > 0:31:44the team are able to start piecing Howard's life together.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49He joined the army in 1958, aged 20,
0:31:49 > 0:31:51and served in the Coldstream Guards
0:31:51 > 0:31:54for nearly ten years.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56It was a job that would have satisfied any young man's
0:31:56 > 0:31:57taste for adventure.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03They were posted to Kenya.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06It was "Keenya" in those days,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and from there, they had the commitment in Bahrain,
0:32:09 > 0:32:14and Zanzibar where there was trouble, to restore law and order,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16so really, one would join to see the world.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20They saw plenty of it and I know from that tour,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23everybody in that battalion very much enjoyed their time
0:32:23 > 0:32:25out in that part of the world.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Howard would later leave the army with glowing references
0:32:28 > 0:32:31from his former employers.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36His final report, which would have been from the First Battalion,
0:32:36 > 0:32:41shows how very conscientious Mr Whittles was
0:32:41 > 0:32:44and it reads that, "He has worked as a senior clerk in the Orderly Room
0:32:44 > 0:32:47"with a great deal of responsibility.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52"He has proved himself an extremely efficient, intelligent and able man.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55"He is hard-working and very reliable.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58"He is strongly recommended to any civilian employer."
0:32:58 > 0:33:03And I would just say, that perhaps not every man, on leaving,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06would necessarily have been given that reference.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10Could Howard's life in the Army, which took him all around the world,
0:33:10 > 0:33:14help explain why he had become estranged from his family?
0:33:17 > 0:33:20In the office, David and Alan have little time
0:33:20 > 0:33:22to contemplate such questions.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Although there's no competition on the case,
0:33:25 > 0:33:28the team are currently playing catch-up.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31You didn't show me this list before. I'd like to have seen that list
0:33:31 > 0:33:34so I could have questioned him about the names, but anyway,
0:33:34 > 0:33:38can I leave that with you? I'd better go up to... Thanks.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42A last-minute discovery by the team has revealed
0:33:42 > 0:33:46that Howard may have had two more siblings than they first thought.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49They're now racing to see if these siblings are still alive,
0:33:49 > 0:33:53or if they had children who would be entitled to a share of the estate.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59There were two other siblings of the deceased,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02an Iris, who died as a child,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05and a Stewart, who actually got married and had two children.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Alan has been trawling through the records,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11looking for details of these additional siblings,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13and any of their descendants
0:34:13 > 0:34:18who could be entitled to a share of Howard's £250,000 estate.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21He's found that Howard's sister Iris died as an infant
0:34:21 > 0:34:26and his brother Stewart died in his '50s, leaving two children.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28David has a number for one of these children,
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Howard's nephew, and he's going to try and set up a meeting.
0:34:32 > 0:34:33Hello, Mr Whittles?
0:34:33 > 0:34:36I'm sorry to trouble you. I'm speaking from Central London.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39I represent a company of probate researchers called Fras...
0:34:39 > 0:34:40Sorry?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Um, when did they speak to you?
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Oh, dear.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51It seems the team no longer have exclusive access to the case
0:34:51 > 0:34:54and the pressure's on. The time they lost
0:34:54 > 0:34:57by missing two of Howard's siblings could now come back and haunt them.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59I'm going to speak to Bob Barratt.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01We'll have to do it without a fee, I've no option.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04'Bob, hi.'
0:35:04 > 0:35:05We've got competition on this case.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10This is a disaster for the team. They could now lose the case.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12It's strange they contacted him first.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Competition on it now.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21A case they thought was free of competition is now wide open.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24In future, when you say you've got a list, show me the list.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30Although the competition have spoken to heirs, it doesn't look like
0:35:30 > 0:35:32they've sent anyone out to meet them,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35so Bob gets straight on the phone to Howard's nephew.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39My colleague, I think you've been speaking to,
0:35:39 > 0:35:43- David Pacifico's asked me to give you a call.- 'Right.'
0:35:43 > 0:35:48And I think he was envisaging that we might meet later on this evening.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51- 'That's OK, if it's OK with you.' - Yeah, sure.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53It's good news for the team.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56The nephew has agreed to meet with Bob,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59and in the world of heir-hunting, that's half the battle won.
0:35:59 > 0:36:00A face-to-face meeting
0:36:00 > 0:36:05will greatly increase their chances of getting a signed agreement.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09But partner Neil is still wonder what happened to their exclusivity.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14There is always the possibility that they have told a rival firm
0:36:14 > 0:36:16and they have got their fingers in two pies.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21Right now, though, this is the least of the team's worries.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25David is realising just how serious the situation has become.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30The competition has already started calling the siblings he's found.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Right, they left you a contract of...?
0:36:33 > 0:36:35How much percentage, may I ask?
0:36:35 > 0:36:39For the heirs, competition means that the companies
0:36:39 > 0:36:41may compete for their business,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44offering commission deals at a lower rate than normal.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45But for the time being,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49David and his team are one step ahead of their rivals.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Bob's arrived for his appointment with Howard's sister,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54and he's meeting her brother at the same time.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Afterwards, Bob has good and bad news for David.
0:37:00 > 0:37:06She'd already been contacted. I've left our paperwork with her.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09When was she contacted?
0:37:09 > 0:37:15It seems other companies have also been in contact with Howard's sister.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17She's reluctant to sign an agreement
0:37:17 > 0:37:19until speaking to the rest of her family.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22David now knows the competition are hot on his heels
0:37:22 > 0:37:26and are directly competing to be the first to sign up the heirs
0:37:26 > 0:37:29to Howard's £250,000 estate.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32- I've spoken to the one in Bridlington, by the way.- All right.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37- I did 10.30 to 11.00 tomorrow morning for you.- Oh, excellent. That's fine.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41Everything now hangs on Bob meeting the rest of the family members.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46It's all go.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Bob hotfoots it to his next visit...
0:37:52 > 0:37:54another sister of the deceased.
0:37:54 > 0:37:55And unlike his colleagues,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58he seems to be enjoying the cut and thrust of this chase.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02A bit of competition never does any harm.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Bob's first appointment wasn't as successful as he'd hoped
0:38:07 > 0:38:10and he didn't come away with a signed agreement.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Now though, he has another chance with the sister in Sheffield
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and after that, he'll be trying to meet Howard's nieces and nephew.
0:38:18 > 0:38:24But unfortunately, his visit to the second sister doesn't go as planned.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28The competition in this case has put doubt into the relatives' minds.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31She also wants to speak to the rest of the family
0:38:31 > 0:38:36about which company to go for before signing on the dotted line.
0:38:36 > 0:38:43Now I'm going back to Sheffield to see a nephew of the deceased,
0:38:43 > 0:38:48Howard Whittles', and his sister Fiona or Samantha, I'm not sure,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51I think she uses both names.
0:38:51 > 0:38:52Then that'll be it for the day
0:38:52 > 0:38:55and I've got to then find a hotel to spend the night.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Bob finally arrives in Sheffield.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05- Hello, Mrs Haythorne?- Yes. - Bob Barrett from Fraser and Fraser.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- Hello.- Thanks very much.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11..And gets straight down to business.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16The only one I really know is Derek and he had a son called Stephen.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18- And he's still alive anyway so..? - Yeah.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24And was living in Sheffield the last time you knew?
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Yeah, the last time, yeah.
0:39:28 > 0:39:29And Howard?
0:39:30 > 0:39:34Once at his dad's funeral.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Well, my grandad's funeral.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40- He wasn't married as far as you were aware?- No.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43It seems a face-to-face meeting has paid off.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48Even though their aunts and uncles are thinking about whether to sign to Frasers,
0:39:48 > 0:39:52Howard and Fiona are happy to do the paperwork with Bob.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56It's the result he's been waiting for all day.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58- Thank you. - Thank you for becoming our clients.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00THEY LAUGH
0:40:00 > 0:40:04- Nice to meet you.- Thank you, and you.- Bye-bye.- Thank you.- Cheerio.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08It's a fantastic result at the end of a long, tiring day.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12For Howard's niece and nephew, it's strange to know they are
0:40:12 > 0:40:15heirs to the estate of a man they knew so little about.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19I don't think I've even seen a photograph of him unfortunately.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22But it just seems a bit... You know...
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Strange to be in this situation when you've never met somebody.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28It doesn't feel right somehow but...
0:40:29 > 0:40:31That's the way it goes.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41The next day, Bob is back on the road,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43on his way to meet the final heir.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47He still only has half the signatures he set out to get.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Now I'm off to Bridlington to see an heir.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54Fingers crossed that she signs an agreement with us.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58Fortunately, the meeting is a success.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Although she'd also been contacted by a rival company,
0:41:01 > 0:41:03she's happy to sign an agreement with Bob
0:41:03 > 0:41:07and he can't wait to break the news to David.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11She's very impressed with our company,
0:41:11 > 0:41:16thinks everybody's treated her very nicely,
0:41:16 > 0:41:18and signed an agreement with us.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26In the office, David also has some good news of his own.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29It seems the personal touch has paid off.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33By the way, I've made contact with one of the people you saw last night.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- Oh, right.- They want to go with us, all two of them.
0:41:36 > 0:41:37Excellent, I thought they would.
0:41:37 > 0:41:43This is what Bob's been waiting for. His hard work hasn't been in vain.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46In just two days, the team have managed to find six heirs
0:41:46 > 0:41:49to Howard Whittles' £250,000 estate.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53And five of them have signed agreements.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Partner Neil is happy with the result.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57It's obviously starting to pay off now.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59He's getting to see all the beneficiaries.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01David's starting to wind up the research,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03everything's coming together, I think, quite well.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07Howard may have drifted apart from his family,
0:42:07 > 0:42:09but they will now all benefit
0:42:09 > 0:42:12from the substantial amount of money he left behind.
0:42:12 > 0:42:18His £250,000 estate will be divided between his brother, sisters,
0:42:18 > 0:42:20nieces and nephew.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24To his close friends, Howard will be remembered as a man
0:42:24 > 0:42:28whose passions in life were a good walk and a game of cricket.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Very popular with everybody in the club.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33A fantastic guy to have in the side.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36And as I say, looking back now, some 20-30 years on,
0:42:36 > 0:42:38I guess he was a real asset to the club.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48If you would like advice about building your family tree
0:42:48 > 0:42:50or making a will, go to:
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd