0:00:02 > 0:00:03Every Thursday morning across the UK,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06heir hunting companies scan the Treasury's list
0:00:06 > 0:00:07of recent unclaimed estates.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12In London, one company has found a case that could be worth
0:00:12 > 0:00:15a possible £400,000.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Their job is to find the long-lost relatives who have no idea
0:00:20 > 0:00:23they could be in line for a windfall.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Could they be knocking at your door?
0:00:41 > 0:00:45On today's programme, the team chases the heirs
0:00:45 > 0:00:49to a £400,000 estate after a will goes drastically wrong.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52He must be turning in his grave now
0:00:52 > 0:00:55to find that the money will be going to somebody he never met
0:00:55 > 0:00:57and never knew.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00And one man's secretive past leaves heir hunters and friends guessing
0:01:00 > 0:01:02as to whether there are any beneficiaries
0:01:02 > 0:01:05to his £38,000 inheritance.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10I get the feeling he'd either fallen out with his parents
0:01:10 > 0:01:11or his parents were dead.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And how you could be entitled to unclaimed estates
0:01:14 > 0:01:16where beneficiaries need to be found.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Could you be in line for a cash payout?
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Every year in the UK, an estimated 300,000 people die
0:01:32 > 0:01:34without leaving a will.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35If no relatives are found,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38then any money that's left behind will go to the government.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45And, last year, they made £12 million from unclaimed estates.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49But there are over 30 specialist firms competing
0:01:49 > 0:01:51to stop this happening.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55They're called heir hunters and they make it their business
0:01:55 > 0:01:56to track down missing relatives
0:01:56 > 0:02:00and help them claim their rightful inheritance.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04It's one of the very, very few jobs in the world where you can,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06basically, discover things for a living.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12It's a Thursday morning in London
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and, overnight, the Treasury has advertised a new list of names
0:02:15 > 0:02:17of unclaimed estates.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Heir hunting company Fraser & Fraser are searching the lists
0:02:21 > 0:02:23for cases to investigate.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Having picked names they think could have value,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30the estates the company will work are divided up
0:02:30 > 0:02:33amongst the case managers in the office.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Some look more difficult to work than others.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Looks like we've got a case called Gordon Arthur Smith,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43died in, erm, Dorset.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Smith is one of the most common surnames in the UK.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50For this reason, most heir hunting firms normally run a mile,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54as they don't have the manpower or resources to take on
0:02:54 > 0:02:57such a potentially time-consuming case.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00But partner Neil is willing to gamble.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Get in there and don't waste any time.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04It's not an easy name to work,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06it's not a good combination of initials to work
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and it's not really a great Christian name to work.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Erm, so it's going to be quite tricky to get on.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15We can't find his address, there's just too many of them around.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19But case manager David Milchard,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22known in the office as Grimble, has decades of experience
0:03:22 > 0:03:24in the world of probate research
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and has dealt with many a Smith case before.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32- The same name. - A bit challenging, really.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Challenging or not,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Neil suspects there could be a lot of money in this estate.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41If there are heirs out there, the team hope to find them.
0:03:45 > 0:03:51Gordon Arthur Smith died in May 2009 in the Wimborne area of Dorset.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53He passed away aged 81.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56His neighbour Pamela Jury remembers him fondly.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04Extremely friendly. He was just so nice, so welcoming.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Because Gordon died without leaving a valid will,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14his estate was advertised on the Treasury's list
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and this is where the heir hunters begin their work.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Grimble passes the case to researcher Isha Adams
0:04:20 > 0:04:24who has the unenviable task of getting the basic research under way.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Smith is a terrible name to work.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33And all we've been given is a place of death, which is in Dorset.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Um, so, basically, we're just going to try and find an address for him.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Before the team can move any further with the case, they need to work out
0:04:43 > 0:04:47exactly which Gordon Smith they need to be looking into.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Using the electoral roll, Isha finds an address in Dorset
0:04:51 > 0:04:53where Gordon could have lived.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57I'm going to have to ring a few people and see whether or not
0:04:57 > 0:05:01they still live there and whether or not it's our deceased or not.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Ringing the potential neighbours of the deceased can be
0:05:04 > 0:05:07an extremely helpful exercise for the heir hunters.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10It allows them to whittle down the numerous Gordon Smiths
0:05:10 > 0:05:12recorded as living in Dorset.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Good morning. Very sorry to trouble you, sir.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15My name's David Slee,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I'm with a company in London by the name of Fraser & Fraser.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21We're endeavouring to trace the next-of-kin of a gentleman
0:05:21 > 0:05:24who's died by the name of Gordon Arthur Smith.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27But after a brief exchange...
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Good, that's all I needed to know, sir. I've got the wrong family.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Thanks for your time, sir. Bye-bye.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Wrong family.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Despite this set back, at least the team can eliminate
0:05:42 > 0:05:44one of many Gordon Smiths from their list.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46And, across the office,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Isha has made a small but significant break through.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51We have the date of birth now
0:05:51 > 0:05:55and there are three possible births that...
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Two possible births, then.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00There were three births, one has a third Christian name.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03We've been able to eliminate him because he dies.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Got the other two.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07One's born in West Ham, that looks the best of the two.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10The other one's born in the Sheffield area.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Again, they use the electoral roll to try and find addresses
0:06:16 > 0:06:19and people who may have known the deceased.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21David manages to speak to a neighbour
0:06:21 > 0:06:23who lived next door to a Gordon Smith.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Did you know Mr Smith at all?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Did Mr and Mrs Smith own their property, then?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34They did, they owned the property, yeah.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38This is the news the heir hunters have been waiting for.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Not only has David found the right Gordon Smith,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49the neighbour also tells him that Gordon owned his house.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52This confirms what Neil suspected,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56that the estate could be worth as much as £400,000.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59Well, OK.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03From speaking to people who knew the deceased
0:07:03 > 0:07:06they start to build a picture of his life.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Gordon and his wife June retired to St Leonards in Ringwood, Dorset,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19after having lived and worked in Sheffield for most of their lives.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Childhood sweethearts, they'd gone to school together
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and later married in 1953.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28The pair were inseparable.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33They were a lovely couple and so helpful, very sociable.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36And, um, we got to know them, you know, reasonably well,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38as neighbours.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42June's niece Jacqueline Stobbs remembers
0:07:42 > 0:07:45just how happy the couple were during their retirement.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Gordon and June called Ringwood their little piece of paradise.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53It's about, over 30 years, they moved down here.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Cos they loved it down here.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59My auntie loved the beach and she loved the place.
0:08:00 > 0:08:06Sadly, June died in 2007, followed by Gordon in 2009.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08The heir hunters have discovered
0:08:08 > 0:08:13he passed away leaving a property worth an estimated £400,000.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19It's a massive amount of money and, in order to beat any competition
0:08:19 > 0:08:23that may be out there, the team need to get moving fast.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28We're going to need him up there as soon as poss, so...
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Don't worry about what he's doing.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33The team scrambles to get a travelling heir hunter on his way.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37If Gordon was born in Sheffield, it's a very strong possibility
0:08:37 > 0:08:41that, if he had any family, they will be in that neck of the woods.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Hello, Ewart.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Ewart Lindsay is one of the company's squadron
0:08:49 > 0:08:50of senior researchers
0:08:50 > 0:08:53who are willing to go wherever a case takes them.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57At the moment, he's cruising to Leigh-on-Sea on another job,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00but the news from the office changes everything.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03'This is serious, this is not a drill.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06'Please, turn around and go to Sheffield.'
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- To Sheffield? - 'Sheffield. Up north of Sheffield.'
0:09:08 > 0:09:11This is not the news Ewart was hoping for.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15God, Leigh-on-Sea, look where I am? Leigh-on-Sea!
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Why did they divert me from Leigh-on-Sea?
0:09:20 > 0:09:23No stroll on the beach and stick of rock this time for Ewart.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26He immediately turns around and heads north...
0:09:30 > 0:09:33..while the team in the office begin their hunt
0:09:33 > 0:09:35for any of Gordon's relatives in the Sheffield area.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Case manager David has got hold of a telephone number
0:09:39 > 0:09:41for the deceased's brother-in-law.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I just wondered if you could tell me anything
0:09:44 > 0:09:49about Gordon's family or any background that might help us.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54But the brother-in-law isn't keen to help with David's inquiries.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58It seems that the family are far from happy
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Gordon's estate was advertised, as he had actually written a will.
0:10:03 > 0:10:04Thank you very much, sir. Bye-bye.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Wouldn't tell us anything.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13Cos the will was executed incorrectly, cost them 300,000.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- Ooh. - It's in the hands of his solicitor,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19but he knows it's gone to the Treasury.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21"I don't see why I should help you."
0:10:22 > 0:10:24The team were not expecting this.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27David has been told that, after Gordon's death,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31the brother-in-law's family actually put a case forward to the Treasury,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33but the High Court Family Division deemed
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Gordon's will had been written incorrectly
0:10:36 > 0:10:38and, therefore, wasn't valid.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42This meant it would be treated as an intestate case,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46exactly the same as if Gordon left no will at all.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47Although he wasn't willing
0:10:47 > 0:10:50to help the heir hunters investigate their case,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Gordon's brother-in-law John is still in shock
0:10:53 > 0:10:56at the bad news the family got from the Treasury.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Gordon died and we found out the will wasn't done properly.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Jacqueline Stobbs is Gordon's niece through marriage.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07He must be turning in his grave now
0:11:07 > 0:11:10to find that the money will be going to somebody he never met
0:11:10 > 0:11:11and never knew.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14The inheritance would have changed our life a lot.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17My son could have gone to university without me worrying
0:11:17 > 0:11:19where I'm going to get the money from.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23And my uncle would have been so happy to know
0:11:23 > 0:11:26that his money would have gone towards my son's education.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31John was Gordon's brother-in-law and, through his sister June,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34had known Gordon since their school days.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35The pair were firm friends.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38When June died before Gordon,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40it prompted him to get his affairs in order
0:11:40 > 0:11:44and make sure his estate would go to those closest to him.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47My uncle realised we wouldn't inherit after my auntie died
0:11:47 > 0:11:49because we weren't blood relatives.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51And was very, very worried about the situation,
0:11:51 > 0:11:52so he wanted to make a will.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Which Gordon promptly did with a little help from his friends.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04I went and witnessed his signature and that was it,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06as far as I was concerned.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10But the family later discovered
0:12:10 > 0:12:13the accountancy company Gordon employed to oversee his will
0:12:13 > 0:12:16didn't complete the paperwork correctly
0:12:16 > 0:12:18and, later, went into liquidation.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22It was a sickening blow for the Hobbs family,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25on top of having to come to terms with the loss of a much loved sister
0:12:25 > 0:12:27and friend.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Oh, we miss Gordon and June.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32It was a shock when June died, it was a shock to the family.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35We never thought she was going to go first.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37It was, in part, due to June's unexpected death
0:12:37 > 0:12:40which led to the will being drawn up quickly
0:12:40 > 0:12:41and whilst Gordon was in poor health.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45It highlights the crucial importance
0:12:45 > 0:12:49of having a will prepared in good time and by a professional.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Back in the offices,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56although sympathetic, the team still have their job to do...
0:12:56 > 0:13:01And, justifiably, Mr Hobbs is not going to help us in our inquiry,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03so we'll have to do it alone.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08..tracking the blood heirs to Gordon's £400,000 estate.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12The Hobbs family may not think it's fair,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15but it's better the money goes to Gordon's relatives,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17rather than ending up in the government's coffers.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Researchers Isha and David now know Gordon
0:13:24 > 0:13:26and his wife June had no children.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30This means the team must start tracing his family back,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34in the hope of finding cousins or nieces and nephews of Gordon's.
0:13:36 > 0:13:42We've got a potential marriage for the parents on Smith,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44which makes the father Arthur C Smith.
0:13:44 > 0:13:50This is a great result, but the team knows, when it comes to Smith cases,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53this could be the opening of a Pandora's box.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Coming up, Gordon's heirs are coming thick and fast,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04but can travelling heir hunter Ewart keep up?
0:14:04 > 0:14:09- 'Any idea how long it'll be before you get to Sheffield?'- Ha.
0:14:13 > 0:14:14Every Thursday morning,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17when the Treasury's list of unclaimed estates is advertised,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20heir hunting companies scramble to try and be the first
0:14:20 > 0:14:23to find the beneficiaries to an estate.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25But when taking on a case,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27there are no guarantees that a family's history
0:14:27 > 0:14:29will be based solely in the UK.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31And during the research,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34the heir hunters can find themselves looking all over the world
0:14:34 > 0:14:37for the clues they need to find the rightful heirs.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46Michael Martello Gray died on the 17th January 2007.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50He was just 61 years old and passed away without leaving a will.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55As a bachelor, he'd lived his entire adult life
0:14:55 > 0:14:56in a flat in Kingston.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02This was the same flat he'd spent part of his childhood growing up in
0:15:02 > 0:15:05and, therefore, Michael was well known in the building.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08I moved in here,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11sort of, about 12-15 years ago
0:15:11 > 0:15:14and I think he made himself known to me,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17either by just popping over and introducing himself
0:15:17 > 0:15:21because he wasn't backward at coming forward with new neighbours.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23He would like to know very much
0:15:23 > 0:15:24about who was going to be in the building
0:15:24 > 0:15:26and what they were going to be doing.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Despite Michael's active interest in others,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33he was an extremely private individual.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36This is the only photo that survives of him,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38as a young child on the beach with his mum.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44But for all the conversations and jokes Helen shared with Michael
0:15:44 > 0:15:49over the years, she still thinks she never properly knew the real man.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53He was very friendly, but also he did keep an awful lot back.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54After his death,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Michael's estate was advertised on the Treasury's list.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Heir hunting company Fraser & Fraser picked up the job.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13I first got the case for Michael Gray on the Thursday morning
0:16:13 > 0:16:15and we started our research then.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20And we knew the value at the time was £38,000,
0:16:20 > 0:16:25so we knew it was worthwhile looking into chasing any family members.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28The first thing the heir hunters did was to try and find
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Michael's birth certificate,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33as this would contain details of who his parents were.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Normally, the Gray surname would be a nightmare for the team to work
0:16:38 > 0:16:40due to its common use.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42But not this time.
0:16:43 > 0:16:49The interesting part about his name was that Martello Gray was...
0:16:49 > 0:16:53the fact it was an unusual second name and, obviously,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55we believe to be an old family name.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59But it was Michael's age, not his distinctive name,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02that would really focus the way the heir hunters approached
0:17:02 > 0:17:04the beginning of this case.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Well, we knew he was quite young when he died,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10so we'd got to make sure there was no very close kin.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11For example, his parents...
0:17:13 > 0:17:15..conceivably, could still be alive.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Family was a subject that even those who knew Michael
0:17:18 > 0:17:20couldn't really help with.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Never had any family visit him that I'm aware of.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29I get the feeling he'd either fallen out with his parents
0:17:29 > 0:17:31or his parents were dead.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35David had to go with what they had.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Using the details recorded on Michael's birth certificate,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43he discovered his parents were a Jack Gray and Eileen Gardiner.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49So we looked for the death of the parents and traced
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and identified the death of his father in 1962.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54And the father was comparatively young.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58And... And couldn't find the death of the mother.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03Michael's father Jack Stuart Gray had died aged just 44 years old.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08David turned his attention on what mother Eileen did next.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13We subsequently identified a remarriage for her,
0:18:13 > 0:18:18which took place, I believe, some ten years after when her husband died.
0:18:19 > 0:18:26Um... And, subsequently, we were then able to identify her death
0:18:26 > 0:18:28in 2000.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33David had now discovered the deaths of both Michael's parents
0:18:33 > 0:18:36and his research suggested that Michael was their only child.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Michael's life was a bit of a mystery but, from the research,
0:18:41 > 0:18:46small glimpses of Michael's background began to emerge.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49The marriage certificate of the parents shows the father,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51an architect, civil engineer
0:18:51 > 0:18:54and residing at the Air Ministry in Shepperton,
0:18:54 > 0:18:59which seems to signify that he could have been posted abroad.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Michael's father Jack was a civil architect
0:19:04 > 0:19:07who worked for the Air Ministry in the 1950s.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12The Ministry was first created in 1918 to oversee the creation
0:19:12 > 0:19:14of the Royal Air Force.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18It was a job that took him and his family to Aden in the Yemen,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22situated in the southern portion of the Arabian Peninsula.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25During the 1950s,
0:19:25 > 0:19:31it was not at all uncommon for an Air Ministry employee,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36who was involved on air field or Air Ministry construction,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39to be posted and to take their entire family
0:19:39 > 0:19:42to the place to which they were posted.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Some places were a lot more favoured than others.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Aden was not one of the most favoured places to go.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53Aden is a seaport city in the Yemen.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56It's located on the eastern approach to the Red Sea.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59In the period the Gray family were posted there,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01it would have been a bustling town full of commerce.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05During the mid-1950s,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Aden was, typically, a very, very busy seaport,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12positioned, as it was, almost at the centre of the routes
0:20:12 > 0:20:14to the Middle and Far East.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It was often referred to, at that time,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20as being the second busiest port in the world, behind New York.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26George Reeve is an expat who was also stationed in Aden
0:20:26 > 0:20:29during the same period as the Gray family.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33He can still remember his corporal's reaction to his far-flung posting.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38He looked and me and said, "You poor devil," he said.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42I said, "What's the matter?" He said, "Don't you know about Aden?" I said, "No, Corporal."
0:20:42 > 0:20:45He said, "Sand, sun and a statue of Queen Victoria."
0:20:45 > 0:20:47And he was dead right, that's all there was.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54For the British working in Aden, it was a hot, inhospitable landscape.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58George still remembers his first experience of the Yemen climate.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04I arrived in the dark and the door opened
0:21:04 > 0:21:08and it was like Mum opening the door into the oven.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11And the heat, the heat you get when you take the roast out.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13It was unbelievable.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15It couldn't have been more different
0:21:15 > 0:21:18from the Britain the Gray family had left behind.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It rained about three weeks after I got there and I was rather shocked
0:21:24 > 0:21:31because the airmen all ran out in their underwear to get wet through.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33And dancing around and screaming and shouting.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36And I said to one of them, I said, "What the hell's going on?"
0:21:36 > 0:21:39He said, "You'll see." And I did see.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It didn't rain for another 21 months.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49As postings went, it was notoriously one of the worst.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Facilities were extremely basic for both single servicemen
0:21:53 > 0:21:55and families like the Grays.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58But this was just the tip of the iceberg in this harsh land.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05Aden has really, um, dogged me for the rest of my life.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11And what gets you there is the poverty, and I mean poverty.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Poverty like you have never, never experienced.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19There was always the possibility of running into a riot.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22If you wandered out of bounds, which you shouldn't have done,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25there's always the danger of being robbed.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29Not exactly the place you'd ideally want to take your family
0:22:29 > 0:22:31and it was the children of the servicemen
0:22:31 > 0:22:35and Air Ministry employees who suffered most.
0:22:35 > 0:22:36Children like Michael.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Our sergeant in the department next door to us,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I said to her one morning, "You've got a long face."
0:22:44 > 0:22:46She said, "Well, our daughter died last night.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49"We came over from the mess and the ayah was beside herself,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51"didn't know what to do.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54"And we took the baby to sick quarters and she died."
0:22:55 > 0:22:56It was in this world
0:22:56 > 0:22:59that the young Michael Gray would have found himself.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02But it is the very fact that the Gray family moved all over the world
0:23:02 > 0:23:05that could make the hunt for Michael's heirs
0:23:05 > 0:23:08to his £38,000 estate even harder.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11Coming up.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14To discover whether Michael had any brothers or sisters,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17David searches from Hong Kong to the Yemen.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20It is a problem that there may be children
0:23:20 > 0:23:22that we can't trace the birth to.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Could you be in line for an unexpected windfall?
0:23:32 > 0:23:36In the UK, the Treasury has a list of over 2,000 estates
0:23:36 > 0:23:39that, over the years, have baffled the heir hunters
0:23:39 > 0:23:41and still remain unclaimed.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44This is money that could have your name on it.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48These estates can stay on the list for up to 30 years
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and each one could be worth anything from several thousand pounds
0:23:51 > 0:23:53to many millions.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Today, we're focusing on three names from the list.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Could they be relatives of yours?
0:24:03 > 0:24:10Abdul Aziz Ismaili died in Holloway, London in 2004 aged 79.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13His surname Ishmaili is extremely rare in the UK,
0:24:13 > 0:24:18but, despite this, all efforts to trace his heirs have failed.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Or did you know Ethel Knowles?
0:24:21 > 0:24:24She died in 1999 in Kendal, Cumbria.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28If no heirs are found to her estate, the money will go to the government.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Or, finally, Margery Junita Olsen Bateman?
0:24:34 > 0:24:38She died in 2004 in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43Her surname is very common but her first three names are anything but.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Did you know Margery?
0:24:47 > 0:24:51If the names Abdul Aziz Ismaili, Ethel Knowles
0:24:51 > 0:24:55or Margery Junita Olsen Bateman mean anything to you,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57then you could have a windfall on its way.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Heir hunter David Pacifico took on the case
0:25:07 > 0:25:11of Michael Martello Gray in 2009.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Michael died aged just 61 without leaving a will
0:25:15 > 0:25:16and, seemingly, without any family.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18His friends in the apartment block
0:25:18 > 0:25:21where he'd spent most of his adult life
0:25:21 > 0:25:23remember him as a quirky character.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Very eccentric.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Um, quite difficult to get to know, he was very private.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36During the hunt for the heirs to his £38,000 estate,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40David discovered Michael's father was employed by the Air Ministry
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and worked abroad in countries ranging from Hong Kong to the Yemen.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48All of this with his wife and young son Michael in tow.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Michael's upbringing in far-flung lands hadn't gone unnoticed
0:25:52 > 0:25:54by his friends.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57I wouldn't be surprised if he'd been brought up all over the world,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01that wouldn't surprise me cos he certainly had a very good knowledge
0:26:01 > 0:26:02and a keen interest in things.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05But that would just be an assumption on my part,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07I have no idea what he got up to as a kid.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11His exotic childhood could potentially be a stumbling block
0:26:11 > 0:26:14for the heir hunters in tracing any brothers or sisters
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Michael may have had.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21The problems that could occur with families living abroad is to,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24if they had children born abroad.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Now, if the father was in the army,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31we may find births of children in the army records.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35From checking the public records and army records for any other births
0:26:35 > 0:26:40in the family, David was confident that Michael was an only child.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Because we knew there was no close kin,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46we looked at aunts and uncles of the deceased.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51And it's quite possible that maybe one or two might still be alive.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Because of the ages.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58But, subsequently, we didn't find any alive.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Michael's father Jack had three siblings,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04all of whom had passed away.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07David now turned his attention to their children.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11The branch of the family we subsequently traced
0:27:11 > 0:27:14was of the deceased father's brother
0:27:14 > 0:27:16in which he initially had three children.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19And, subsequently, we found two of them were still alive.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22So there were two surviving first cousins of the deceased.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27David had found his first heirs to Michael's £38,000 estate.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32His uncle had had three children, one of whom had died.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36This left a son alive and also a daughter called Anne.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Anne Gray was surprised to be receiving a call
0:27:40 > 0:27:42from the heir hunters.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Well, you don't really go round expecting anyone to contact you
0:27:47 > 0:27:49when you've been left some money.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I mean, it's a nice thought and I wish someone would leave me
0:27:52 > 0:27:53a lot of money.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56But you don't expect it to happen. So, yes, I was stunned.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Anne helped a great deal with confirming
0:27:59 > 0:28:02what David had already discovered in his research.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07But when it came to her late cousin, it was a different story.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I haven't seen Michael for 60 years.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I hardly remember him, actually.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Just a little, blonde, brown-eyed creature.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Anne may not have remembered Michael,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21but she certainly remembered his father Jack.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24She knew him as Uncle Stuart, his middle name.
0:28:25 > 0:28:31My uncle Stuart was tall, handsome, brown-eyed, very dashing.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35And then he drove this very smart, little car.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38I had a feeling it was a MG, but I'm beginning to wonder,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41it might have been a Riley open car.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42Very dashing.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47Dashing as he was, he was a fleeting visitor in her life,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50dashing halfway around the world for his career.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52I didn't see Uncle Stuart that often
0:28:52 > 0:28:56because, A, he lived in London and we lived in Yorkshire.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59And, B, he was in Aden or Hong Kong
0:28:59 > 0:29:01or wherever the Air Ministry sent him.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Anne's memories aren't just of her uncle Stuart,
0:29:05 > 0:29:09she also fondly remembers Michael's mother.
0:29:09 > 0:29:10She was very kind to me, actually,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13because she used to bring me bracelets
0:29:13 > 0:29:15and things that she'd tired of.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19Nothing, sort of, you know, diamonds and sapphires, just kids' bracelets.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20So she was quite kind to me.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24To David Pacifico's delight,
0:29:24 > 0:29:28Anne was able to shed more light on both Michael's aunts and uncles.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34David now had a complete tree for the Gray family.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Michael's grandparents had four children.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42This led to four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46This meant a total of four heirs on the paternal side of the family
0:29:46 > 0:29:48and, through Michael's mother Eileen,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50even more were added to the list.
0:29:50 > 0:29:56In total, there were, um, 12 heirs in total.
0:29:56 > 0:30:03Um, and four on the paternal side of the family.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06And eight that are scattered all over the world
0:30:06 > 0:30:09on the maternal side of the family.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Throughout the hunt, Michael's adult life has remained a mystery.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17And it seems his childhood of travelling all over the world
0:30:17 > 0:30:22was sharply contrasted by his later life, spent mostly in Kingston.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25His £38,000 estate will now be divided
0:30:25 > 0:30:27amongst the family he barely knew,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31most of whom are now globetrotters like he was in his youth.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Gordon Smith died in 2009 aged 81,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49leaving a £400,000 estate and a will.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52But, after his death, everything went wrong.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57And we found out the will wasn't done properly.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01His brother-in-law John Hobbs and his family cared for Gordon
0:31:01 > 0:31:03in his later years,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06after his devoted wife June passed away unexpectedly
0:31:06 > 0:31:07from a heart attack.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14We were devastated by the news because we just couldn't see,
0:31:14 > 0:31:19sort of, almost, what it would be like not to have June next door.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24And we didn't think that Gordon would be able to cope on his own.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26He could hardly walk.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28He couldn't see very well cos he had two cataracts.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31And he was very, very frail.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37And I went nearly every day, took his shopping, got his meal ready,
0:31:37 > 0:31:39cleaned the house, any odd jobs to do.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43The Hobbs family didn't only lose a close friend in Gordon -
0:31:43 > 0:31:46due to his will being completed incorrectly,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48they also lost every penny of the money
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Gordon had originally tried to leave to them.
0:31:52 > 0:31:58We know what Gordon wanted. And it's horrible, it really is horrible.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02The family may feel entitled to the inheritance but, by law,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06the money can't go to them because the will was deemed invalid.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08In such cases,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12the law states only Gordon's blood relatives can claim the estate.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Finding them is the job of the heir hunters,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21who, despite hearing John's story, can do little to help.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25Their only objective now is to find Gordon's rightful heirs
0:32:25 > 0:32:28and try and make sure his money doesn't end up
0:32:28 > 0:32:30going into the government's coffers.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33It's got to be. It's got to be something related to this.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35The team has made amazing progress,
0:32:35 > 0:32:40whittling down all the Gordon Smiths till they found their man.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48Gordon's parents were Arthur Smith and Gladys Dickens.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51They married in 1923 and had two children.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56Sadly, Gordon's older brother died as an infant.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58With no possibility of nieces and nephews,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01the team must now look for uncles and aunties of the deceased.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04This could lead them to Gordon's cousins.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Born Arthur Cooper Smith in '01 in Wortley.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10The team track down Gordon's grandparent's names
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and use them to check the birth records
0:33:13 > 0:33:15for other children of their marriage.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19They discover just one brother, a Charles Smith.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22It is now imperative the team traces this man.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25If he went on to have multiple Smith children,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29they could be in for a long and laborious search.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32How many births of child A Smith were there in Sheffield?
0:33:32 > 0:33:34- Just the one.- Just the one.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37So you've got one birth in Sheffield,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39in Ecclesfield which is Sheffield.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42And we've got a death on age in Sheffield.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43Yeah.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45I think that might well be him.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49The team have found what could potentially be the birth
0:33:49 > 0:33:52and possible death of Gordon's uncle, but they have to be sure.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55If they can prove he died without children,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59it will mean there are no living heirs to Gordon's £400,000 estate
0:33:59 > 0:34:01from the Smith side of the family.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06- It'd be nice if it were a complete dead end.- Indeed.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10- Aged 15.- Flu.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Died of the flu?
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Against all the odds, the heir hunters have discovered
0:34:20 > 0:34:22that Gordon's uncle, Charles Smith,
0:34:22 > 0:34:27the last stem on the Smith family tree, died young of the Spanish flu
0:34:27 > 0:34:29that swept the world in 1918,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32towards the end of the First World War.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40The name Spanish flu is a misnomer.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42It appears that the first outbreaks of flu
0:34:42 > 0:34:44began in military populations.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46These were not reported
0:34:47 > 0:34:50The first government to report flu was the Spanish government,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53which was neutral during the First World War.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57So the press latched on to these reports
0:34:57 > 0:35:00and wrongly named this the Spanish flu.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06Wrongly named or not, the effects of the Spanish flu were very real.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10In severe cases, they could wake up in the morning feeling well
0:35:10 > 0:35:12and, within 48 hours, be dead.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15But it was the second wave of this virus
0:35:15 > 0:35:18that did the real damage on a global scale.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22This pandemic spreads across the world.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25So, about half the world's population, it is speculated,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28were infected with the flu.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33The pandemic went on to kill up to 100 million people worldwide.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36And in Sheffield, where the Smith family lived,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38they suffered the same as everywhere else.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Between October and November 1918,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45during the peak of the second wave, about 2,000 people died.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49And Charles Smith was one of these people,
0:35:49 > 0:35:51being just 15 when he succumbed to the illness.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Amazingly, over 90 years later,
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Charles's death is helping the heir hunters get one step closer
0:36:06 > 0:36:10to finding the beneficiaries to Gordon's £400,000 estate.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12It's dead.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15So, instead of spending all day flogging Smith,
0:36:15 > 0:36:16we can concentrate on something else.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21And that something else is the maternal line of the family.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Isha is on the case.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27At the moment, I'm doing the maternal side, the mother's side
0:36:27 > 0:36:31of the family, which is Dickens which is a much better name than Smith.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41At this stage, Isha thinks Gordon's mother was one of three children.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43One of whom, she believes, died young.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49Across the office, researcher Alan has also been called onto the case.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52He's come up with a lead from the Dickens family.
0:36:52 > 0:36:57- This guy here.- Yeah. - Dies in 1986, marries a Veronica.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00We've got a possible sure for that age. There is a bit of a gap.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03However, his widow is still alive at that address and phone.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Alan's research is on the money.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09The team has found their first heir
0:37:09 > 0:37:11and it's just past ten o'clock in the morning.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Grimble is keen for Ewart to head straight to her house.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19- 'How long will it be before you get to Sheffield?'- Ha.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24- 'Just roughly.'- Um, about two hours.
0:37:24 > 0:37:25While Ewart drives,
0:37:25 > 0:37:29the team has found another uncle using the 1911 Census.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32This could lead them to another cousin in Sheffield.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37They set about organising a visit and trying to verify their research.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39I just wondered if it would be possible
0:37:39 > 0:37:42for one of my colleagues to pop along and see you later on today?
0:37:42 > 0:37:46It's a great result and a meeting is arranged.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49Time to let Ewart know the good and bad news.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53- 'I've made an appointment for you to see a lovely lady.'- Yes.
0:37:53 > 0:37:54'Don't blame me,'
0:37:54 > 0:37:58I was told by Grimble that it's a one o'clock appointment.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01This time doesn't give Ewart much margin for error
0:38:01 > 0:38:04and, back in the office, the potential brothers and sisters
0:38:04 > 0:38:08of Gordon's mum are coming thick and fast.
0:38:08 > 0:38:14She had one, two, three, four, five, six siblings.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18The team has managed to find addresses
0:38:18 > 0:38:21for all of the potential cousins of Gordon Smith.
0:38:21 > 0:38:27It's now just a case of calling them to hopefully set up meetings.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30And Ewart has arrived in time for his first appointment
0:38:30 > 0:38:31with a cousin of Gordon's.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38It's a relief for everyone to finally make contact with an heir
0:38:38 > 0:38:39and, to the team's delight,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Ewart has worked his magic at the first meeting.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46- Hello, Dave. - 'How you doing?'- Not bad.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49- Right, I've got a signature from... - 'Ooh, well done.'
0:38:49 > 0:38:53- We haven't seen any competition as yet.- Okey-dokey.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56- 'All right?'- Yeah, all right. - 'OK, I'll speak to you later then.'
0:38:56 > 0:38:58- Yeah, cheers.- OK, bye.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02The team have signed up their first heir
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and case manager Grimble is pleased the name of Smith
0:39:05 > 0:39:07seems to have scared away rival companies.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11We haven't seen any competition yet.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14That means nothing, it could come in later or tomorrow.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19So we just have to see how it pans out now.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22No matter what happens, partner Neil can't believe
0:39:22 > 0:39:25how well the team's done and it isn't even lunch time.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30It's probably a record on a Smith case to be this far ahead,
0:39:30 > 0:39:31this early in the day, really.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35But they still need to get all of the heirs to sign with Frasers.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Ewart's next meeting is also in Sheffield.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43He's come to meet another cousin of Gordon's called Pat Dickens.
0:39:43 > 0:39:44What I'm here to do is just really
0:39:44 > 0:39:47run through a questionnaire with you, just to confirm who you are
0:39:47 > 0:39:49and if, indeed, you are part of the family.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Ewart quickly realises just how estranged Gordon was
0:39:54 > 0:39:56from his mother Gladys's side of the family.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01- Never had any contact with him? - No.- Never seen him before?- No.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Never met him?
0:40:03 > 0:40:07Ewart goes through the standard questions and paperwork with Pat.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10At the end of their meeting, she is happy to sign on the dotted line.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15There's an agreement for you to sign, OK?
0:40:19 > 0:40:22- Take care, take care. Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26With the paperwork complete, Ewart heads off to his next appointment.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33The death of a cousin she never met has left Pat speculating
0:40:33 > 0:40:35as to why she never knew that side of her family.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41Obviously, the age difference between my auntie Gladys
0:40:41 > 0:40:47and my dad was a generation, an absolute generation.
0:40:47 > 0:40:4920 years.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53It's, er... And that's possibly why.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00And it's another heir ticked off for the office.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04By just 11 o'clock on Thursday morning,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07the team have accounted for Gordon's eight cousins,
0:41:07 > 0:41:11who will all be heirs to his £400,000 estate.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16Fraser & Fraser's travelling heir hunters have now visited them all.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Partner Neil is over the moon with the team's work.
0:41:19 > 0:41:24To be able to solve a Smith case by lunch time on the first day
0:41:24 > 0:41:27of research is exceptional.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Um, David Milchard
0:41:29 > 0:41:34and his team have done incredibly well to be able to tidy up
0:41:34 > 0:41:38all of the loose ends and to work out the full extent of the family.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46But it was a family Gordon had never really known.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50His heirs are completely unaware of the upheaval that has happened
0:41:50 > 0:41:52with his will.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55But they'll all now inherit a percentage of his estate.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59An estate the Treasury now says is actually worth £150,000,
0:41:59 > 0:42:03not the 400,000 first suspected by the team.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06It's still a bitter pill for the Hobbs family to swallow
0:42:06 > 0:42:09and it highlights the vital importance
0:42:09 > 0:42:14of having a will made out correctly and by a professional.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17If I could go back in time, the one thing I would have done
0:42:17 > 0:42:21is taken my uncle to a solicitor, someone who's qualified to do a will
0:42:21 > 0:42:24and not trusted somebody who said he knew how to do wills.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26At the present time in the UK,
0:42:26 > 0:42:30the law doesn't require any qualifications or standards
0:42:30 > 0:42:32within the will-making industry
0:42:32 > 0:42:34and if something goes wrong,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37it's the law that decides where the money goes.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40They've got to regulate the will situation
0:42:40 > 0:42:43because this is going to happen to a lot more people than just us.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47If you would like advice about making a will
0:42:47 > 0:42:49or building your family tree go to:
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd