0:00:02 > 0:00:08'Today, heir hunters are searching for a family who have no idea they're entitled to £100,000.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12'Could they be knocking at your door?'
0:00:12 > 0:00:13Hello.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32'On today's programme,
0:00:32 > 0:00:37'the team face opposition from rival companies in the race to sign up heirs.'
0:00:37 > 0:00:40He's been spoken to already.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43'And how a farming community used a digger
0:00:43 > 0:00:47'to ensure their friend made it through to his own funeral.'
0:00:47 > 0:00:53George would have thought that was the funniest thing. He'd be telling everybody!
0:00:53 > 0:00:58'And how you could be entitled to thousands of pounds held by the Treasury.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01'Could a windfall be heading your way?
0:01:06 > 0:01:11'Each year, the government receives around £12 million of bonus revenue.
0:01:11 > 0:01:18'This comes from unclaimed estates left by members of the public who died without making a will.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22'But it doesn't have to be this way.
0:01:22 > 0:01:29'There are over 30 companies competing to return this money to the families it belongs to.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32'They are known as heir hunters.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40'Another Thursday dawns crisp and bright.
0:01:40 > 0:01:46'Heir hunting companies examine the list of unclaimed estates,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48'which has just been published.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54'It's only 7.30am at the offices of Fraser & Fraser in London,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59'but the team has already identified a case worth working.
0:01:59 > 0:02:05'Company partner Neil Fraser is leading the team this morning.'
0:02:05 > 0:02:11We've got this case of Page. We were just looking at the addresses.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13'Cases that have the most value
0:02:13 > 0:02:17'usually contain property as an asset.
0:02:17 > 0:02:23'Neil and his team are always on the lookout for estates that are made up of bricks and mortar.'
0:02:23 > 0:02:28She bought the property in 1970, just under her name. A property in Ilford.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Ilford in Essex, obviously in the southeast.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37So it's got to be a kind of pricey sort of property.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42'Considering the location and the value of neighbouring houses,
0:02:42 > 0:02:49'the team's working on the assumption that Barbara's estate is worth a very healthy £100,000.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51'This is worth working for the team,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55'who take a commission based on the estate's final value.
0:02:58 > 0:03:05'Barbara Ethel Page died in January 2010, aged 80, in Ilford.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10'The love of Barbara's life was George Page, known as Bill,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12'who she married in 1951.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17'Good friends of Bill and Barbara's were Ron and Elsie Goldspink.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22'When their son Phil Goldspink was growing up, Barbara was close by.'
0:03:22 > 0:03:28She was very outgoing. She wasn't afraid to have a gin and tonic.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33Wouldn't go out of the house without make-up. Always smartly dressed.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37My father and Bill were taxi drivers in the East End.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Barbara worked in the radio dispatch office.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42So she was a very confident person,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46very happy to talk to people, and she liked a laugh.
0:03:46 > 0:03:52'Heir hunters need to build a family tree to establish next of kin.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56'They do this by using databases and public records,
0:03:56 > 0:04:01'including birth, death and marriage certificates and census results.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04'Available in register offices,
0:04:04 > 0:04:09'this helps heir hunters build a family tree for the deceased.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11'Debbie is already making good progress.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15'She's traced Barbara Page's mum and dad.'
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I identified the parents' marriage.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21She doesn't seem to have any siblings.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24I'm trying to identify the deaths of the parents.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28'With Debbie making good progress on her own,
0:04:28 > 0:04:35'and Neil's suspicion that there might be property, he gets more staff working on the case.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38'The colleagues split into two teams.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42'Gareth leading work on the maternal side,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45'and Simon Grosvenor in charge of the paternal.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50'Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to get the job done.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54'Work begins in earnest.
0:04:54 > 0:05:00'With Fran Brett as case manager, the search for heirs is under way.'
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- Theresa...- T-H...- E-R-E-S-A.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09'Who will be first to get a phone number for a potential beneficiary?'
0:05:09 > 0:05:12A-ah! There she is. No?
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Where's St Olave? St Olave?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17That's, like south London. Is it?
0:05:17 > 0:05:19'In the lead are Debbie and Simon,
0:05:19 > 0:05:24'who have both made good progress on their opposing sides of the tree.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:30I've just identified the census for the father, deceased.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35And he seems to have, um...a couple of brothers and sisters.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40We found the birth of the mother, Sarah Burnett.
0:05:40 > 0:05:47And she appears to have at least five siblings, all of whom are born in St Olave.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53'Barbara's parents were James Westwood and Sarah Burnett.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'James had six brothers and sisters,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59'and Sarah had five siblings.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01'This is great news,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05'as any children they had would be Barbara's cousins and heirs.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10'The family tree is sprouting branches at an alarming rate.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14'Simon Mills has found a marriage of one of Barbara's paternal aunts.'
0:06:14 > 0:06:20I found what looks like a good marriage in 1930 in Deptford to a Mr Bright.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26There might be a child from the marriage, so I'll see what I can do with her.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29'Simon's not the only one with wedding bells in his ears.'
0:06:29 > 0:06:35I found two marriages - Alfred's marriage and Ellen's marriage.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Ellen married a Davis, which is not the best of names.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Let's get it down on the sheet.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49'These marriages are all well and good, but none of these couples will be alive.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54'Any heirs will be the children of these marriages, or grandchildren.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58'Getting this family up to date is the goal
0:06:58 > 0:07:01'and it looks like we might have a winner.'
0:07:01 > 0:07:05- This is the first phone number. - Phone number?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08You're just too slack. Drat!
0:07:09 > 0:07:11I've got an address. >
0:07:11 > 0:07:15But I've been beaten to a phone number, which is annoying.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17We're claiming one for the team.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20'It's 8.30am.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24'The team already have a phone number for a possible heir.
0:07:24 > 0:07:30'You'd think this was good news, but Gareth is aware of the pitfalls of easy research.'
0:07:30 > 0:07:35The trouble is that the competition are going to get it as well.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39'With crossed fingers, Fran makes the call.'
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Good morning. This is a message for Ian...
0:07:42 > 0:07:44'But there's nobody at home.'
0:07:46 > 0:07:48I've left a message.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54'With the team fearful of the competition being hot on their heels, they can't waste any time.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59'No sooner has Fran hung up, then Gareth has another possible heir.
0:07:59 > 0:08:06'With a potential value of £100,000, they can't afford to get behind.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Good morning. This is a message for...
0:08:09 > 0:08:11'It's another answering machine.'
0:08:11 > 0:08:16We have addresses and phone numbers on both sides of the family
0:08:16 > 0:08:20but, unfortunately, there's nobody to speak to yet.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23'When they eventually reach an heir on the phone,
0:08:23 > 0:08:28'it should tell them if they're researching the right family.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32'Then they might be able to send someone to pay the heir a visit.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38'Bob Smith is on the road and standing by awaiting instructions.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50'The company have at their disposal a team of travelling heir hunters,
0:08:50 > 0:08:57'experienced researchers taking directions from the case managers in the office.'
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Gareth says go to Weymouth.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04'Their job is to track down certificates, check records
0:09:04 > 0:09:06'and sign up heirs.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09'Bob is an experienced case manager himself
0:09:09 > 0:09:12'who's worked for Fraser's for 25 years.'
0:09:12 > 0:09:15This is where the fun and games begin.
0:09:15 > 0:09:21'Fran has had a frustrating morning, but all her hard work might be about to pay off.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26'After leaving messages, calls from potential heirs begin flooding in.
0:09:26 > 0:09:32'Fran is through to a possible cousin to Barbara.'
0:09:32 > 0:09:39Now, I'm rather hoping that you would be a son of John Davis.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Fran's on the phone to, I think it's Paul Davis,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46who's a cousin of the deceased.
0:09:46 > 0:09:52I know he's mentioned the deceased so I know we're on the right family.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58'Paul Davis is the son of Ellen Westwood and John Davis.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01'He is a paternal cousin to Barbara.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06'While Fran is on the phone, Tony is on a call to another potential heir.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09'Suddenly, the team are doing brilliantly.'
0:10:09 > 0:10:14..A couple of children, George being one, your father-in-law...
0:10:14 > 0:10:18'Neil is pleased with the team's work this morning.'
0:10:18 > 0:10:22On the mother's side, we have one stem to finish off.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26..We know that Charles married and had three children...
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Gareth and Frances, again, have got it pretty up-to-date.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Do you have a mobile for him?
0:10:32 > 0:10:38'Crucially, it seems like all the team's efforts mean they've reached beneficiaries
0:10:38 > 0:10:40'ahead of the competition.'
0:10:40 > 0:10:45Now, it is possible that another company might contact you.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48It sounds like we're first there.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50'The next stage for Fran
0:10:50 > 0:10:54'is to book an appointment for Bob to visit Paul Davis.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Would it be possible to come and see you later on today?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00You're out?
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Well, we can do it all in writing. That isn't a problem.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09'Paul has no time to see Bob today and there's worse news to come.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12'When Fran calls another potential heir,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15'she's already been contacted by a rival firm
0:11:15 > 0:11:19'and doesn't want to speak to any other companies.'
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Beryl's been nobbled. She's been told not to speak to anyone.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Bonk.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29I can't ring her STRAIGHT back. I'll leave it a while.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31'This is terrible news.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36'There's competition and, worse, they've been beaten to some heirs.
0:11:36 > 0:11:42'The only thing for it is to throw all their efforts into regaining that vital lead.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47'Coming up, the strain of today's case is felt in the office
0:11:47 > 0:11:50'and out on the road.'
0:11:50 > 0:11:52The pressure's still on.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54The pressure is on.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05'Unsolved cases can come from a variety of sources.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07'Some are referred by solicitors.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11'Many are advertised on the Treasury's unclaimed estates list.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15'On occasion, a member of the public will call and ask for help.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19'This is what happened in the case of George Ardley.'
0:12:19 > 0:12:22We get a lot of e-mails and calls.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27The majority of them are nothing to do with work for us.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30They're people asking for help with family history.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Every now and then, it sounds like an estate.
0:12:33 > 0:12:39'In 2009, the person on the end of the phone was Millicent Parker.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43'Millicent had some concerns about the estate
0:12:43 > 0:12:47'of her friend George Ardley, who she'd known for many years,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50'until he passed away in Yorkshire.'
0:12:50 > 0:12:54He was such a lively soul. I just never expected that.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57It was a REAL shock that he'd gone.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02He leaves a great gap in everybody's lives that knew him.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07I knew he hadn't made a will, so I got on to Fraser & Fraser.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12'George Ardley passed away, aged 79.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14'He was born and spent his life
0:13:14 > 0:13:18'in and around the Yorkshire village of Uppermill.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20'George was a farmer
0:13:20 > 0:13:25'and a well-known and much-loved character in village life.'
0:13:25 > 0:13:29I met George when I was 17. I'd see him in Saddleworth,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33where I'd pick him up in my car and drop him off.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38On the journey, I used to learn about what his cows had been up to.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41There was one born the day he died, I believe,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44and one born the day of the funeral.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49He would have loved that because they were off a really good bull.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54'George's first love, pushing his cattle into second place,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56'was his mother, Eileen,
0:13:56 > 0:14:01'who he lived with all his life until she passed away in 2001.'
0:14:01 > 0:14:04George absolutely adored his mother.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09She was the same with George, and they were so happy.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14As she got older, he really looked after her.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19She'd looked after him and he looked after her. They were lovely people.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25'When George died in the winter of 2009, Britain was experiencing
0:14:25 > 0:14:28'the worst snow for decades.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31'Much of the UK was covered.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'Few areas were affected as badly as Yorkshire.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:39The funeral was cancelled twice and then on the third time,
0:14:39 > 0:14:44we decided we'd take measures to make sure it went ahead for George.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48'Julian and George's other friends called upon the help
0:14:48 > 0:14:52'of local man Nick Harrington, who used his digger
0:14:52 > 0:14:57'to clear a path so that mourners could get to the church.'
0:14:57 > 0:14:59The snow was very bad.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04It was four foot deep on the top road, six to nine inches down here.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09'Although Mick had cleared a path to the church, Julian soon realised
0:15:09 > 0:15:13'there was a final journey for George he might need a hand with.'
0:15:13 > 0:15:17We realised, when everyone had gone into church,
0:15:17 > 0:15:22that the undertaker couldn't get George's coffin to the graveyard.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25So we put it in the bucket of the machine.
0:15:29 > 0:15:36As I'd put him down in the digger, I said, "I didn't realise, George, I'd be giving you a lift like this,"
0:15:36 > 0:15:39after all the lifts I'd given him in the past.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43'George's friends felt sure
0:15:43 > 0:15:48'that he wouldn't have minded being transported in such a fashion.'
0:15:48 > 0:15:52I think he'd have been very amused that his last trip
0:15:52 > 0:15:54was in a bucket of a digger.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59George would have thought that was the funniest thing.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03He'd be telling everybody. He would have really loved it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06'Following his conversations with Millicent,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10'it soon dawned on Neil that George's £160,000 estate
0:16:10 > 0:16:13'was not just made up of property.'
0:16:13 > 0:16:18Mr Ardley was a farmer and in his estate was his herd of cows.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22They're having calves, so it's an ever-increasing asset
0:16:22 > 0:16:25which, from our point of view, is very interesting.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28It's almost £20,000 added to the value of the estate.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31'When case manager Dave Slee
0:16:31 > 0:16:35'began looking into George's estate of £160,000,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39'and his cows, he didn't have a lot to go on.
0:16:39 > 0:16:45'He knew from Millicent that George had never married or had children.'
0:16:45 > 0:16:47The only information I had
0:16:47 > 0:16:51was a copy of the death certificate from the deceased,
0:16:51 > 0:16:56which stated that he was born on 4th May 1930, in Oldham.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Armed with that,
0:16:58 > 0:17:03I obtained a copy of the birth certificate which clearly stated
0:17:03 > 0:17:06that his father was Douglas Charles Ardley
0:17:06 > 0:17:10and his mother was Eileen Ardley, maiden name, Chaloner.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15'It's thought that Douglas and Eileen met in the summer of 1929,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18'in Oldham, when Douglas, a mill specialist,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21'was transferred up from London.'
0:17:21 > 0:17:25They needed a specialist for some work at one of the mills,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27the mill she worked at.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30It was towards the end of August.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34In those days,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38the mills used to shut down for the wakes holiday.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41I think she knew him before they went
0:17:41 > 0:17:46but I think they got together, you know, at Blackpool.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50And that's when their affair began.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56'In the early 1900s,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00'the main employer in rural communities was the mills.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05'During the summer, in an attempt to control work rate and keep up morale
0:18:05 > 0:18:10'mill owners encouraged their staff to all holiday during the same week.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12'The mill would close
0:18:12 > 0:18:17'and often the entire village would make an exodus to the seaside.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19'This was known as wakes week.'
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Everybody from many northern towns would go on holiday.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29Mostly to Blackpool. By the '30s it was really well established.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Blackpool was a town of places of entertainment,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38with, of course, this very long
0:18:38 > 0:18:43wide promenade where everybody would walk to see and be seen.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48If you didn't have much money, you'd spend a lot of time on the promenade
0:18:48 > 0:18:51and the beach because that was free.
0:18:51 > 0:18:57Young women wouldn't go in the clogs and shawl they wore to the mill.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01They'd be in the most fashionable clothes they could get.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04In a rather gentle way, they'd be trying to pull.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13'And Douglas and Eileen weren't the only couple at wakes week
0:19:13 > 0:19:15'hungry for a holiday romance.'
0:19:15 > 0:19:18It was a tremendous time for courting.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22It was time away from work, from the usual routine.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27If you were already courting at home, you'd continue it on holiday,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30in separate rooms under the watchful eye of the landlady.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34It's a great occasion for "copping off",
0:19:34 > 0:19:36particularly at the dances.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Those places were classless.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43A female mill worker might hope to get off with the boss's son.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48They were opportunities to take a step up the social ladder.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53'Against this backdrop of frivolity,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57'Douglas and Eileen's romance blossomed.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00'When they returned to Oldham and the mill,
0:20:00 > 0:20:05'marriage and their first son, George, soon followed.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08'And when Dave found the certificates,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11'he saw they occurred in quick succession.'
0:20:11 > 0:20:16I obtained a copy of the deceased's parents' marriage certificate.
0:20:16 > 0:20:22The marriage took place only a month prior to the birth of the deceased.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27'It was with this certificate that Dave made his first breakthrough.'
0:20:27 > 0:20:32It showed that the deceased's father, I recognised it immediately,
0:20:32 > 0:20:37showed that his place of residence at the time was Kentish Town.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42I'm from Kentish Town and I know that it's not in Saddleworth, Yorkshire.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's a suburb of northwest London.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47'This seemed strange.
0:20:47 > 0:20:55'If George was born in Yorkshire, why was his father listed as living in Kentish Town in the capital?
0:20:55 > 0:21:01'This tied in with something Millicent knew about the relationship.'
0:21:01 > 0:21:03He had to work away.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08She went with him to start with. George was only a tiny baby.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12She went with him but she didn't like it down south.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15After a short while, she was back here again.
0:21:15 > 0:21:21'Knowing George died an only child and had been raised by his mother,
0:21:21 > 0:21:27'Dave needed to account for what had happened when George's father, Douglas, was absent.'
0:21:27 > 0:21:34I made a search at the probate registry and found that the deceased's father had made a will
0:21:34 > 0:21:38and the copy of the will clearly stated
0:21:38 > 0:21:43that he left part of his estate to his three sons,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45but not the deceased.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50'Finally, Dave's research had uncovered family for George.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52'Rather than long-lost cousins,
0:21:52 > 0:21:57'amazingly, it was George's brothers he'd managed to track down.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01'Coming up, Dave lifts the lid on a family secret
0:22:01 > 0:22:05'kept hidden for over half a century.'
0:22:05 > 0:22:09My priority was not the money, it was the "intriguedness".
0:22:09 > 0:22:12"I'm 62 years of age and I've got a brother?"
0:22:17 > 0:22:21'Every year, hundreds of cases are cracked by heir hunters in the UK,
0:22:21 > 0:22:27'but there are a few estates finding themselves in the "unsolved" file.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31'Could you help trace the beneficiaries?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35'These cases could be worth anything from £5,000 to millions,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38'and they're waiting to be claimed.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42'Today, we have three names from the "unsolved" list.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46'Could you be eligible to inherit a fortune?
0:22:48 > 0:22:53'Winifred Elizabeth Balharrie died over ten years ago, in January 1999,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55'in Davyhulme, Cheshire.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01'Winifred was born in July 1914, and lived until she was 84 years old.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03'Do you remember Winifred?
0:23:03 > 0:23:06'Might you know any of her relations?
0:23:09 > 0:23:13'John Herbert Featherstone died in Leytonstone, east London
0:23:13 > 0:23:15'in December 2007.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17'Does John sound familiar?
0:23:17 > 0:23:21'Perhaps he was a relative, but you lost touch?
0:23:23 > 0:23:28'Marie-Anne Rita Ingerborg Zarine died in February 2004,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30'in Rugby, Warwickshire.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35'Marie-Anne's name is very rare and originates from Scandinavia.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37'Did you know this lady?
0:23:37 > 0:23:42'Might you be able to help find beneficiaries to her estate?
0:23:42 > 0:23:47'If these estates are not claimed, the money will go to the government.
0:23:47 > 0:23:54'But if these names mean anything to you or someone you know, you could be in line to inherit.'
0:23:59 > 0:24:03'Heir hunters Fraser & Fraser are trying to find beneficiaries
0:24:03 > 0:24:07'to the estate of Barbara Page, who died in 2010,
0:24:07 > 0:24:11'leaving behind an estate worth an estimated £100,000.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15'The team made a brilliant start, tracing potential heirs
0:24:15 > 0:24:18'and hitting the phones with gusto.'
0:24:18 > 0:24:23What I'm talking about is somebody called Barbara Ethel Page who died.
0:24:23 > 0:24:29'But things began to unravel when they realised there was competition,
0:24:29 > 0:24:33'and heirs had already been contacted by a rival firm.'
0:24:33 > 0:24:37She's been told not to speak to anyone. Bonk!
0:24:39 > 0:24:44'Philip Goldspink knew Barbara and her husband Bill for most of his life,
0:24:44 > 0:24:48'as they were very close to his parents, Ron and Elsie.'
0:24:48 > 0:24:50We were all very close.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55We would spend holidays with them, Christmas with them.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00We knew them as Auntie Barbara and Uncle Bill because we saw so much of them.
0:25:00 > 0:25:06'Barbara married London cabbie Bill Page in 1951.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09'They always seemed very much in love.'
0:25:09 > 0:25:14To say they were a devoted couple is an understatement.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17They were the perfect couple.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22'But 11 years into their marriage, tragedy struck for Barbara.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24'George died aged just 39.'
0:25:24 > 0:25:27She was absolutely devastated.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29She recalled to my sister,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33my sister Anne, at one time,
0:25:33 > 0:25:38"I cannot believe that I'm widowed at such a very early age."
0:25:40 > 0:25:42'Barbara never married again
0:25:42 > 0:25:45'but remained close to the Goldspink family
0:25:45 > 0:25:47'until she passed away, aged 80.'
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I miss Barbara tremendously.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55Barbara was part of our family. Barbara was always there.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00At Christmas time, we didn't think of inviting Barbara.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Barbara was there, and she looked upon us as her family.
0:26:08 > 0:26:14'Back in the office, things are not going particularly well for Fran.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17'But it looks like her luck might be on the turn.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20'An heir she left a message for has called back.'
0:26:20 > 0:26:25Hello, Mr Clark. Thank you so much for having phoned.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28'He's about to give the team a massive advantage.'
0:26:28 > 0:26:32Ah! That would explain why we couldn't find her.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35She's been 20 years in Lanzarote.
0:26:35 > 0:26:41That will explain why we couldn't find a death record for her.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Bye bye for now. Thanks. Bye.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Lanzarote.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55'Gareth wastes no time getting Simon Mills onto this lead,
0:26:55 > 0:27:00'tracking down a cousin they'd struggled to find a phone number for.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02'She's living in Lanzarote.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07'And now the calls are coming in thick and fast for Fran.'
0:27:07 > 0:27:12Two o'clock will be fine. Many thanks indeed. Bye bye.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Mr Davis, who I spoke to first this morning,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21has phoned back and said that he will change his plans
0:27:21 > 0:27:26and we can go and see him later this afternoon, after all. Brilliant.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32'Finally, Fran can put travelling researcher Bob Smith to good use,
0:27:32 > 0:27:37'and send him to his first heir, in the hope that they sign an agreement
0:27:37 > 0:27:42'with the company, and inherit a share of Barbara's £100,000 estate.'
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- Hi, Bob.- Hello, Frances.
0:27:45 > 0:27:51I've got you a 2 o'clock appointment in Bromley on a job called Page.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56'Fran lets Bob know he may face competition on the road
0:27:56 > 0:27:58'when visiting heirs.'
0:27:58 > 0:28:02- They've been contacting people already.- Right.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06- Telling them not to speak to anyone. - Really?
0:28:06 > 0:28:10I think now, as a result of the phone call from the office,
0:28:10 > 0:28:15the fact that I've got an appointment and there's competition,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17that makes things...
0:28:17 > 0:28:20You know, there's a bit of pressure now.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25'Bob's on his way to Bromley in Kent for a meeting with Paul Davis,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29'a cousin to Barbara, and a potential heir.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33'And whilst en route, Fran calls with some more good news.'
0:28:33 > 0:28:38- I've spoken with a cousin of this chap.- Yeah.
0:28:38 > 0:28:44- They're coming along to his cousin Paul's at 2 o'clock, if he can.- OK.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- So you'll have two of them there. - Good. OK.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Speak to you later.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52'Bob thinks this is a good sign.'
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Things are looking positive for us.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00If they've cancelled another company's appointment, that's good.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04So...
0:29:04 > 0:29:08But the pressure's still on. The pressure is on.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13'The pressure's being felt in the office, too.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19'As soon as Gareth passes Fran the phone number of the potential heir in Lanzarote,
0:29:19 > 0:29:22'she's reaching for the handset.'
0:29:22 > 0:29:30We did an issue search from your marriage. We found that you weren't dead and no longer living in the UK.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33We found that you had two children
0:29:33 > 0:29:36and that they're both out there with you!
0:29:36 > 0:29:41'Finally, Bob has arrived at Paul Davis' house in Bromley.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45'Paul's cousin Martin has joined them for the meeting.
0:29:45 > 0:29:51'The team have been frantically working towards this moment,
0:29:51 > 0:29:56'an interview with two heirs, and the chance that they'll sign a contract with the company.'
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Mr Davis, I'll ask the questions to you.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03If you know a better answer, feel free.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07'Paul and Martin are paternal cousins to Barbara.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10'Paul is the son of Ellen Westwood.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13'Martin is the son of Alfred Westwood.'
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Now, your mother's brothers and sisters?
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Alfred Westwood.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Wally Westwood. Jim Westwood.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Theresa, Ellen...
0:30:25 > 0:30:27- Eileen.- That's interesting.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31We don't seem to have that name on our family tree.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35This is one of the reasons for the questionnaire.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40- It was a name we didn't know about. Was Eileen married? - Yes. Two daughters.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43'Having been initially contacted by a rival firm,
0:30:43 > 0:30:49'Paul and Martin would like time to think before they sign a contract.'
0:30:49 > 0:30:51Thank you. I'll be in touch.
0:30:51 > 0:30:59'But Bob feels the interview went really well and he has vital new information for Fran.'
0:30:59 > 0:31:04- There is an additional person on the top line not on your tree.- Right.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07- Eileen Westwood.- OK.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10I'm going to get off the phone and rush downstairs.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14'Fran quickly relays this information to Gareth.'
0:31:14 > 0:31:19- There is an Eileen Westwood. - Can you follow up this person?
0:31:19 > 0:31:21She has two children.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25'The team have been told about the stem of Eileen Westwood,
0:31:25 > 0:31:27'another paternal aunt to Barbara.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32'Any children or grandchildren Eileen had would be heirs.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35'The team plough all their efforts
0:31:35 > 0:31:41'into tracking down this final stem of the tree that they'd missed.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45'Will they reach the heirs ahead of the competition?'
0:31:45 > 0:31:50Married to Margaret, if that's what you're doing. Maybe in Tonbridge.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55I'm cross-checking marriages of Margaret E Moore to Reginald.
0:31:55 > 0:32:01I've got an address in Rochester. Trouble is I don't think they're there any more.
0:32:01 > 0:32:07'Finally, the team have a lead for Bob and want him to head straight there.'
0:32:07 > 0:32:12Have you got a pen and paper ready for this part of the family?
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Eileen is Eileen May.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19It looks like we've got one of the children up-to-date in Chatham.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22I've got to go and see him.
0:32:22 > 0:32:28'The team have now uncovered the phone numbers for Barbara's cousins once removed.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32'Will they have been contacted by a rival company?'
0:32:32 > 0:32:36Are you in for the rest of the evening?
0:32:36 > 0:32:39You're out at half past seven?
0:32:39 > 0:32:40Bye bye.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44He's been spoken to already.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47'This heir HAS been called by the competition.
0:32:47 > 0:32:53'But they've been thrown a lifeline. The heir is happy for Bob to also come and see them.'
0:32:53 > 0:32:58If you are able to see him between quarter past six and half past seven
0:32:58 > 0:33:00- he'll see you.- I'll do my best.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05'Barbara's paternal aunt, Eileen, had two daughters.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08'One is an heir. The other passed away.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13'Her two children would inherit their mother's share.
0:33:13 > 0:33:19'Bob needs to try and meet all three heirs, and he refuses to be beaten.'
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Rise to the challenge.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23Always have. Always will.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27'Bob certainly does rise to the challenge.
0:33:27 > 0:33:33'Over the next couple of hours, he has meetings with a cousin and a cousin once removed,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36'one of whom signs with the company.'
0:33:36 > 0:33:38That's it. 7 o'clock finish.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43That's not bad. I'll settle for that most weeks.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46'A few weeks later,
0:33:46 > 0:33:50'Fran has tied up all the loose ends of her case.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54'She and the team manage to sign the majority of the 14 heirs.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59'Two of whom were Martin and Paul, who Bob visited.'
0:33:59 > 0:34:03It is a shame. We didn't keep in contact for many years.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Although I knew her years ago.
0:34:06 > 0:34:13'The beneficiaries the company signed will share a claim to Barbara's £100,000 estate.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25'Heir hunters have been investigating
0:34:25 > 0:34:32'the estate of George Ardley, who passed away in the Yorkshire village of Uppermill in 2009,
0:34:32 > 0:34:39'leaving behind an estate made up of £160,000 and a herd of cows.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42'George was a big part of the community.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46'A devoted farmer, he was also something of a performer.
0:34:46 > 0:34:53'George was a keen singer and was known for his performances of local traditional songs in dialect.'
0:34:53 > 0:34:59George sang at my 60th birthday and my mother's 90th birthday.
0:34:59 > 0:35:04This is a recording of George singing.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07And they played this at his funeral.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09And it sounded wonderful.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13He had a wonderful singing voice in dialect.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17# Good neighbour folk, now how you bin?
0:35:17 > 0:35:19# Let me tell you where I've bin
0:35:19 > 0:35:22# What I've 'eard and what I've sin
0:35:22 > 0:35:25# It'll cap you wi' your larkin... #
0:35:25 > 0:35:29SINGS ALONG TO CHORUS IN DIALECT
0:35:37 > 0:35:39APPLAUSE
0:35:40 > 0:35:45Great little man. Great little man.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50'When George died, Millicent contacted Fraser's,
0:35:50 > 0:35:57'as she was concerned that he might have had relatives, and his estate could lay unclaimed.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02'Amazingly, Dave Slee discovered George had three half brothers,
0:36:02 > 0:36:04'who would all be beneficiaries.
0:36:04 > 0:36:10'Nobody was more shocked by the revelation than George's friend Millicent Parker.'
0:36:10 > 0:36:15I got a phone call and he said, "It's Mr Fraser."
0:36:15 > 0:36:18I thought, "Who the heck's Mr Fraser?"
0:36:18 > 0:36:22I'd forgotten that I'd been in touch with him.
0:36:22 > 0:36:28He says, "You'll be surprised to know, we've found some relatives of George's."
0:36:28 > 0:36:31I said, "Oh, yes? Have you?"
0:36:31 > 0:36:35He said, "Yes. He's got three half brothers."
0:36:35 > 0:36:38You could have knocked me down with a feather.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43The shock! I said, "What a shame. He would have been so pleased."
0:36:43 > 0:36:46'In a bitter-sweet twist,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50'Dave's revelation confirmed what George suspected.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53'That after his parents separated,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56'his father went on to have another family.'
0:36:56 > 0:37:02George always wanted to know if he'd got a brother and sister.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04When his mother was alive,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08he didn't want to do anything and upset her.
0:37:08 > 0:37:15Knowing that he wanted to know them, we were going to do something about it this year.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20I just only wish we'd have done it earlier and found them.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25'Dave had uncovered three half brothers to George Ardley,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28'all born in the south of England.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31'It seems that Douglas remained married to Eileen,
0:37:31 > 0:37:35'but moved back to London and had a common law wife, Phyllis Short,
0:37:35 > 0:37:40'with whom he had three sons, one of whom is John Ardley.'
0:37:40 > 0:37:46The letter said, "We believe that you have got a long-lost half brother.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51"We believe that you will be a beneficiary to his estate."
0:37:51 > 0:37:55My priority was not the money, is was the "intriguedness".
0:37:55 > 0:37:58"I'm 62 years of age and I've got a brother?"
0:37:58 > 0:38:01'Before hearing from the heir hunters,
0:38:01 > 0:38:05'John never had an inkling that his father had a previous family.'
0:38:05 > 0:38:10I don't know anything about my dad's private life before I was born.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14I do know that he was a precision toolmaker.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19That's why he was sent to Uppermill to do some work on the mill.
0:38:19 > 0:38:25'Naturally, John was keen to find out what had happened to his long-lost brother.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28'This meant a visit to Uppermill.'
0:38:28 > 0:38:32We went for two days and found as much information as we could,
0:38:32 > 0:38:36went to the pub where the wake was held, and the house,
0:38:36 > 0:38:38seeing the neighbours,
0:38:38 > 0:38:43who directed us to Brenda, the flower person, knew him very well.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48I had Millicent's name and address before we went there.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51We went round for lunch.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56They were saying was what a great guy he was, what a nice person,
0:38:56 > 0:39:00always see him in the main street of Uppermill,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03cadging a lift to go and see his animals.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05'Once John had met George's friends,
0:39:05 > 0:39:11'he needed to understand the relationship between his father and George's mother, Eileen.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15'Unsurprisingly, Millicent held the key.'
0:39:15 > 0:39:22I know his mother and father stayed in contact for quite a while.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26George remembers seeing his father when he was seven.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29How much longer after, I've no idea.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33But I know there was a pile of letters.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37'John has had time to look through the letters
0:39:37 > 0:39:40'written by his father to George's mother.
0:39:40 > 0:39:48'This has given him the chance to understand better the situation his father found himself in.'
0:39:48 > 0:39:51They're a bit old to call them love letters.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56They're certainly letters that are to the heart, like.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58The letters are very meant.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01'Referring to George as "young Doug",
0:40:01 > 0:40:05'John's father wrote frequently to his wife and son,
0:40:05 > 0:40:09'expressing how he longed to be reunited with them.'
0:40:09 > 0:40:11"I want a decent job,
0:40:11 > 0:40:15"so you, young Doug and myself can be together."
0:40:15 > 0:40:20It's basically signed off, "Your loving husband, Douglas."
0:40:20 > 0:40:24Lots of kisses. Every one is just affection.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27It just seems to be, you know?
0:40:27 > 0:40:31Trying to decipher between the lines before he met my mother,
0:40:31 > 0:40:37he was trying very hard to carry on with his married life in Oldham.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40She couldn't get down here. He couldn't get up there.
0:40:40 > 0:40:45Transport wasn't what it's like today so it was even more difficult.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50'John's father never made it back to Uppermill to be with his wife and son.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53'In the late '30s, he met Phyllis in London
0:40:53 > 0:40:57'and they went on to have a family of their own.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02'John will never know how his father felt about leaving his first family.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07'He doesn't remember any skeletons in the closet when he was growing up.'
0:41:07 > 0:41:09I don't know whether my mother knew
0:41:09 > 0:41:14that he had a son and was married up in Oldham.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Nothing was mentioned at all.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20All I know is Mum and Dad and the three boys.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27'When the file was closed on the case of George Ardley,
0:41:27 > 0:41:32'John and his brothers were the only beneficiaries Neil and the team traced,
0:41:32 > 0:41:38'equally sharing George's £160,000 estate and his herd of cattle.'
0:41:38 > 0:41:42One of the things particularly nice about this estate
0:41:42 > 0:41:46was Mrs Parker was a life-long friend of Mr Ardley.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Her relationship is why we became involved
0:41:48 > 0:41:54and we've been able to fulfil her promises back to Mr Ardley
0:41:54 > 0:41:58about making sure that the right people get his money.
0:41:58 > 0:42:04'With these revelations, John feels he has a duty to the brother he never knew.'
0:42:04 > 0:42:09I have promised them that I will put a stone in there, a headstone.
0:42:09 > 0:42:14His mother is buried with him, so I shall put a headstone in
0:42:14 > 0:42:16with the relevant wording on it.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19And they liked that, the friends.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22'After meeting John, Millicent feels delighted
0:42:22 > 0:42:26'that George's estate will go to his real family,
0:42:26 > 0:42:30'even if he never had a chance to know them himself.'
0:42:30 > 0:42:34He would have been thrilled to bits with them. He would, really.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38That's my one regret.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41That we didn't try earlier.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43'If you would like advice
0:42:43 > 0:42:48'about building your family tree or making a will, go to:
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Subtitling by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:10 > 0:43:13E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk