0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to Heir Hunters. We follow investigators as they search for living family
0:00:06 > 0:00:08of people who've died without leaving a will.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13Today the team are looking for heirs who could be in line for thousands of pounds.
0:00:13 > 0:00:21In the office, the team needs to rethink their heir-hunting tactics on a £250,000 estate.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Today, obviously, rule one has been broken!
0:00:24 > 0:00:28They're trying to track down long-lost relatives who may have no idea
0:00:28 > 0:00:31they're in line for a windfall.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Could they be knocking at your door?
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Coming up on today's programme...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Do you believe this Huddersfield birth?
0:00:55 > 0:00:59The estate of a professional singer causes a real headache.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02So, things aren't looking terribly good.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04And a case spanning 200 years
0:01:04 > 0:01:06reveals connections to Winston Churchill
0:01:06 > 0:01:10and a surprise inheritance.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15How do I feel about inheriting from this family which isn't my family?
0:01:15 > 0:01:17I feel quite pleased, actually!
0:01:17 > 0:01:22I'll be investigating further into forgotten laws that not only mean
0:01:22 > 0:01:25you could inherit from your most distant of ancestors,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29they also revolutionised schooling in this country.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32This is a way for the first time,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34especially for the poor of the parish,
0:01:34 > 0:01:36to receive a system of education,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40giving them skills to cope in an industrialising society.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46Plus, how you could be entitled to unclaimed estates where beneficiaries need to be found.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Could you be in line for an unexpected windfall?
0:01:56 > 0:02:03Every year in the UK, an estimated 300,000 people die intestate.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08If no relatives are found, then any money that's left behind will go to the Government.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Last year that amounted to £14 million.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17But there are over 30 specialist firms
0:02:17 > 0:02:19competing to stop this happening.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24They're called heir hunters, and they make it their business to track down
0:02:24 > 0:02:29missing relatives and help them claim their rightful inheritance.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31I love the fact that I can put families back together.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33I can reunite people.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35I can tell them secret histories about their own family,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38which they don't know about themselves.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50In our first case today, the team investigate the estate of a talented woman from Lewisham,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52who died without leaving a will.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01It's first thing Thursday morning, and while most of the country thinks about breakfast,
0:03:01 > 0:03:07heir hunters across the land are digesting the Treasury's latest list of unclaimed estates.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13In central London, the team at Fraser and Fraser are poring over the names,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16hoping to find a lucrative case.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20It's a little bit early, I suppose, but let's see where we go on it.
0:03:20 > 0:03:27The estates on the list are worth a minimum of £5,000 and could potentially be worth many millions.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32But at the moment, none of the advertised estates has got the team excited.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34It's not terribly encouraging.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38The Treasury's list doesn't say how much estates are worth,
0:03:38 > 0:03:43so the team are searching for any clues that may give them an idea of value.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44Do you want to have a look at this?
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Do you want to do an enquiry on that, then?
0:03:47 > 0:03:48I can't because there's no address.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Rench. Irene Rench, anyone got?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Walker?
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Doreen Walker?
0:03:56 > 0:04:02Neil's keen to start research and he's spotted a name he thinks has potential.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07We're going to have a little look at this estate of Doreen Ellen Walker.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14The advert's a little confusing, because it's Doreen Ellen Walker, formerly Howard, nee Walker.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16So, it means her maiden name's Walker.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21It also says she's a single woman, which probably means she's a divorced lady.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28Doreen Walker died in March 2010, aged just 62.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32She had lived in Lewisham in southeast London for 10 years.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Friend and local lay preacher Neil Hill has fond memories of her.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42My memories of Doreen were really very happy ones.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45She was good company and pleasant.
0:04:45 > 0:04:50Liked a good laugh, liked socialising.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Doreen was a professional singer.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56She performed with a number of well-known choirs,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01and her beautiful contralto voice was captured in this BBC recording.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04OPERATIC SINGING
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Sue Sturrock studied with Doreen at the Royal College of Music.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I will never forget Doreen
0:05:16 > 0:05:21because she was a wonderfully vibrant, flamboyant character.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25I have to say that you'd know
0:05:25 > 0:05:28whether Doreen was or was not at the singers' table
0:05:28 > 0:05:30the moment you stepped into the dining room,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34because she would be the centre of attention.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38She was funny, she was witty, she was nicely naughty,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40nicely disrespectful.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42But, most of all, very amusing.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44SHE SINGS
0:05:46 > 0:05:52Another singing friend, Judy Rees, shares similar memories.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54Everybody knew Doreen.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56All the orchestral players knew her as well.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00She really was that sort of person and everybody had a word,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04everybody had a laugh with Doreen.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06She really was a big personality.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12But after a successful career, Doreen suddenly gave up performing,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16and began to live an increasingly reclusive life.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21She lived, I would have thought, almost an isolated...
0:06:21 > 0:06:23I mean, I don't think she went very far.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26She went occasionally, probably, to the bank,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29but I don't think she left the house very much at all,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31which is dreadfully sad.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Having led an active and sociable life, Doreen sadly died alone.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42In Central London,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46the heir hunters are keen to start the search for Doreen's heirs,
0:06:46 > 0:06:51but first they need to try and find out how much her estate is worth.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Heir hunters work on commission,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57so the value of the estate means the difference between profit and loss.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01Neil has an address for Doreen in Lewisham,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05and because it's a London suburb, house prices are likely to be high.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09But he needs to know if she rented her home or owned it.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Hi. I've got a property which is freehold in SE13,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16but it's not available electronically.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17What do you reckon that means?
0:07:17 > 0:07:21They need someone on the ground who can visit the property
0:07:21 > 0:07:24and make enquiries with the neighbours.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I'm going to get Bob Smith to go there.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Fingers crossed he can find something out.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35The company has a network of regional heir hunters
0:07:35 > 0:07:37spread across the country.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Each one is on standby from 7.00am on a Thursday morning,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and they can be called upon to make door-to-door enquiries,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49collect important certificates and visit potential heirs.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56Bob Smith is their south London man, so he's been told to hit the road,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59to see if he can find out valuable information about Doreen.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Today, we are heading off to Lewisham.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09The deceased, Doreen Walker, she died in 2010.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13We'll be going along there, making enquiries with neighbours,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16find out what they know about the deceased and her family.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18A property in South London
0:08:18 > 0:08:22is bound to have attracted interest from rival heir hunters,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24so Bob needs to get to Lewisham fast.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28But, frustratingly, he's hit rush hour.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31There's a two-mile traffic queue at the moment.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35We're about five miles away.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38At this rate, it could be a long time before we get there.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43'Your destination is straight ahead.'
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Once the roads clear, Bob makes quick time
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and he arrives at Doreen's house to be greeted by a fairly grim sight.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52This one here.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Unbelievable, isn't it?
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Incredible.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04The house is boarded up and completely overgrown.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08I'm making enquiries about the lady that used to live next door.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13I don't think there's anyone in here.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Bob eventually speaks to a neighbour
0:09:19 > 0:09:22and learns that Doreen did own the property.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26He gets straight on the phone to give Neil the news.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Hello, Neil.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33I tell you what, it's a lovely house, Neil, but it's a little bit derelict.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36But it's in a lovely location, a little bit overgrown.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Anyway, the neighbour had known her for the last 15 or 20 years,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and said that she didn't have any children.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45She was a local lady, as far as he was aware.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48He didn't know she was born elsewhere or anything.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52So the house itself isn't a council house?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54No, no, it looks like...
0:09:54 > 0:09:55He said she owned it.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58I asked him that and he said, "No, I think she owned it."
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Bob's also noticed a number for the company who boarded up the house.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06That notice on the corrugated iron on the front door...
0:10:06 > 0:10:09there's a telephone number.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12I mean, I don't know what sort of organisation they are.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14I can't get hold of any other neighbours.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16There's no-one answering.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20While Bob goes off to make further enquiries at the local church,
0:10:20 > 0:10:25back at the office, Neil's managed to find out more about Doreen's house
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and he's been able to pinpoint exactly when she bought the property.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Doreen owns the property, bought it in 2000.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37So, it's definitely worth us pursuing it. It's a £250,000 estate.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42It's now all systems go for the heir hunters.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47Gareth, she definitely owns it, so pull some staff on to it as well.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53With a £250,000 estate at stake,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57the team must follow up any clue that could lead them to heirs.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Neil phones the company who boarded up Doreen's house.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Good morning. I wonder if you could help me.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07I'm doing an enquiry about a property
0:11:07 > 0:11:10which I think your shutters are on.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14I'm basically trying to find out who is paying you for them,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16or who asked you to put them up.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Neil's wondering if they've been in touch
0:11:18 > 0:11:21with one of Doreen's relatives.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23That was put up because of the police.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26The police broke into the property on 4th March,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29which is exactly the same date of death we have for Doreen.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32So, obviously, she was found dead.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34They broke in as part of a welfare enquiry.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39So, obviously, no-one's heard anything and no sign of anything, so they went in there.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44The case has taken a sad turn. Doreen was found dead in her flat.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47Thank you. Bye-bye.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Bob has now spoken to the vicar at the local church,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56and a picture of Doreen's later years is starting to emerge.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Neil, hi, it's Bob. I actually spoke with the Reverend.
0:12:00 > 0:12:06She phoned someone that she thought might have known the deceased, and he did, he remembered her.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Apparently, her husband was the church organist,
0:12:10 > 0:12:16but ten years ago he just left a note to say that he was leaving her, and he went to South Africa.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19They're not sure whether there was actually a divorce.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24This information could be crucial for the team.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26If Doreen did not get divorced,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29her husband will be the sole heir to her estate.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34It seems the sudden end of her marriage in 2001
0:12:34 > 0:12:36affected Doreen very deeply.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38She was devastated.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I don't think the decline set in then,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45but I think it contributed to her
0:12:45 > 0:12:47withdrawing from...
0:12:47 > 0:12:52socialising and meeting up with friends.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I rarely saw her over the last ten years.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00The state of the house was really quite shocking.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04No idea what the inside looked like. I was never going to be invited in.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08But outside, as I said before, completely overgrown,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10and it was like that while she was living there.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13It's just rather distressing.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19In the office, the search for Doreen's heirs is gathering pace.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21The team's first priority is to find out
0:13:21 > 0:13:24if she and her husband got divorced.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- Emily, are you doing probate?- Yeah. - I've got a divorce for you to do.
0:13:28 > 0:13:34- Are they the first years you want? - We want it 1995 to 2005.- Yeah.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36The first three years first, do you want?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Emily will try and find records of a divorce,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42but the team can't afford to wait for the results.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46They start the search for any other living relatives.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50But, first, they need to find records for the right Doreen Walker,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53and they've found a possible birth for her in Yorkshire.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56We've got a date of birth, 23rd February, 1948.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00There's only one birth of a Doreen Ellen Walker, which was her maiden name.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03It's in Huddersfield, which is completely out of area.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06If this birth is right,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Doreen was the only child of Eric and Doris Walker
0:14:09 > 0:14:12and came from somewhere near Huddersfield.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18But the neighbours in Lewisham thought Doreen was from London
0:14:18 > 0:14:19and the team are split.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Where are you up to? Do you believe this Huddersfield birth?
0:14:23 > 0:14:24At the moment, yeah.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29If we confirm this date of birth is correct, there is only one Doreen E.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31She looks like she's an only child.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Coming up, the search for heirs goes nationwide.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37I'm now trying to move all my guys back up to South Yorkshire.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42And it turns out Doreen was no ordinary singer.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47She was one of the absolute stars. It was obviously considered that she had real potential.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Heir hunters solve thousands of cases a year
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and millions of pounds are paid out to rightful heirs,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02but not every case can be cracked.
0:15:02 > 0:15:08The Treasury has a list of over 2,000 estates which baffle the heir hunters and remain unsolved.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Bona vacantia is the Latin for "ownerless goods"
0:15:13 > 0:15:16and we deal with the estates of people who die intestate
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and without known kin.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21This could be money with your name on it,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24as long as you are correctly related to the deceased.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29So, the people that are entitled are those that trace their relationship in a direct line,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31from the deceased person's grandparents.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36So, a spouse would be entitled, children would be entitled,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces, first cousins.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44So, could you be in line for a windfall worth hundreds,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46thousands or even millions of pounds?
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Today we're focusing on three names. Are they relatives of yours?
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Sandor Alex Kiss died in Chertsey, Surrey,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02on 22nd February 2005, aged 65.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Did you know Sandor?
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Was he a friend or colleague of yours back in the day?
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Gertrude Augusta Kite died in Bath back in May 2001.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20Kite is a rare surname, shared by less than 40 people in a million.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Was Gertrude a member of your family?
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Could you be entitled to her unclaimed estate?
0:16:29 > 0:16:33Also on our list is Crystal Hephzibah Gardner,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35who was from Marsham in Norfolk.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38She died in 2008, aged 71.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41While the surname Gardner is quite common,
0:16:41 > 0:16:45the name Hephzibah is Hebrew, meaning "my delight is in her".
0:16:47 > 0:16:50All efforts to trace heirs have drawn a blank.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Could you help solve Crystal's case?
0:16:53 > 0:16:55If Crystal was a relative of yours,
0:16:55 > 0:17:00the Treasury wants this money to go to you, its rightful owner.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02My division isn't allowed to make a profit.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05We don't make commission, or huge bonuses
0:17:05 > 0:17:09for passing money to the Treasury. The Treasury is more interested in finding more kin,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13which we are, and are we good value for taxpayers' money, which we are.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Remember, it's up to you to prove how you're related to a name on the unclaimed list.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23The bona vacantia division will ask for family trees
0:17:23 > 0:17:27and the relevant certificates showing the link to the deceased.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30A reminder of those names again...
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Sandor Kiss, Gertrude Kite,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36and, finally, Crystal Gardner.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40So, if any of the names on today's list are relatives of yours,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43you could have a windfall coming your way.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Next, a case for the heir hunters reveals an unusual estate,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and an even more unusual family.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Most heir-hunting cases involve people who have died in the last 20 years,
0:18:02 > 0:18:06but the estate of 19th-century nobleman, Frederick West,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09was a very different story.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13The search for his heirs would span six generations
0:18:13 > 0:18:18and unearth links with the Royal Family and a rather famous politician.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24The heir hunters picked up the case after spotting an article in the paper
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and partner Charles got straight to work.'
0:18:28 > 0:18:31The article stated that they were looking for
0:18:31 > 0:18:34the beneficiaries of Frederick West,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39who was the donor, he gave land away for the purpose of a school.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Frederick West lived at Ruthin Castle in Wales
0:18:43 > 0:18:45and was a wealthy MP and landowner.
0:18:45 > 0:18:51In 1844, he decided to donate a small piece of land
0:18:51 > 0:18:53so the local church could build a school.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58In the middle Victorian period, there was a great philanthropic process
0:18:58 > 0:19:02where they were trying to educate the masses.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04In order to do that, schools were being created.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09But thanks to the School Sites Act of 1841,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Frederick West's gift to the Church came with a catch.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19If the school closed, then the land would go back to the original donor.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23I think it was a belt and braces approach to try and prevent people
0:19:23 > 0:19:25just giving land away for the school,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29the school closing immediately and then the land being sold off.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34This significant piece of small print was largely irrelevant until 2008,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38when the school that had been built on the land closed down.
0:19:38 > 0:19:44The plot was put up for sale and by law the proceeds would have to go to heirs of Frederick West.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47The land originally given away would have been less than an acre
0:19:47 > 0:19:50in order to comply with the legislation,
0:19:50 > 0:19:56It's, hopefully, being sold for somewhere in the region of £375,000.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02This meant it could be a very profitable case for the heir hunters.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09The team needed to find Frederick West's heirs,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12whoever and wherever they were.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The first step was to find a copy of Frederick's will.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19The finding of the will isn't always the most difficult part.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23It's actual interpreting the will, which can be very difficult to read,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25to decipher and then to interpret.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29The will showed that Frederick West had left his entire estate
0:20:29 > 0:20:33to his daughter, Charlotte Louisa West.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36She in turn passed the estate down to her nephew, William,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and nieces Georgina and Florence.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Both Georgina and Florence died without children,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47so the entire estate went to their brother.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50William Cornwallis-West was now a very wealthy man
0:20:50 > 0:20:57and in 1872 he married flamboyant socialite Mary Fitzpatrick.
0:20:57 > 0:21:02They set up home in Ruthin Castle and began hosting parties for their influential friends,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06who included the future King Edward VII.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08They were known for
0:21:08 > 0:21:10their high class parties, if you like.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14And because Prince Edward Albert, the future Edward VII,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18used it as one of his secret haunts,
0:21:18 > 0:21:23he used to bring many of his lady friends here, including
0:21:23 > 0:21:27Lillie Langtry, the actress, Alice Keppel, many of his mistresses,
0:21:27 > 0:21:33who may well have included members of the West family themselves.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Their parties were absolutely legendary.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39The future king of England, Edward VII,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42was one of many high-society guests at Ruthin Castle.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47Fun-loving aristocrats travelled across the country to enjoy Mary and William's hospitality,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51which earned them the nickname the Wild Wests.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57Mary Cornwallis-West, her party trick was sliding down the huge banisters in the main hall
0:21:57 > 0:22:02on a tea tray, which apparently Edward Albert loved.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Hence the Wild West Show, the nickname that he gave them.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12In between the parties, William and Mary also raised a family.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16They had three children, Daisy, Constance and George
0:22:16 > 0:22:20and they were next in line to inherit the West estate.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24But, surprisingly, George was written out of the will.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27George was the middle one. He was the boy.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30He had quite a hard life
0:22:30 > 0:22:32in his early days.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36But, eventually, of course, he started enjoying himself
0:22:36 > 0:22:38and he really spent all the money.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43He squandered all the proceedings of the family.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Having blown most of the family's fortune,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50the 17-year-old George then caused further scandal
0:22:50 > 0:22:56by embarking on affair with an American divorcee who was more than twice his age.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02He became involved with Jennie Churchill.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06This was reckoned to be scandalous, firstly, because of the age gap,
0:23:06 > 0:23:11and the two families also had really broken down their friendship.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14And this, at the end of the day, did not go down well.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19What's more, Jennie had a son the same age as George
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and her son was none other than future Prime Minister,
0:23:22 > 0:23:23Winston Churchill.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28Despite the controversy surrounding their relationship,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30George and Jennie married in 1895.
0:23:31 > 0:23:37Both families were very much against this and he was sent off to the Boer War,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42where he met his future stepson, Winston.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Still to come, George's connection with Winston Churchill
0:23:46 > 0:23:50comes in very handy for his family during the Second World War.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55I believe Churchill stepped in because of the family connection.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59And the search continues for living relatives of talented singer Doreen Walker.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04All we've got to play with on this case is one maternal aunt.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06So, things aren't looking very good.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Well, the Wests certainly were an extraordinary family.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17I want understand why Frederick donated the land for a school in the first place.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24I'm meeting Alex Windscheffel, who can tell me more about the need for land
0:24:24 > 0:24:27on which to build schools during the Victorian period.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33So, Alex, why in Victorian times did people give away land for schools?
0:24:33 > 0:24:37In Victorian Britain you don't have a national education system.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41The education system is voluntary
0:24:41 > 0:24:47and so donation of land by local philanthropists, or benefactors, is one of the only ways
0:24:47 > 0:24:51in which a school can be set up for the poor of a certain area.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53And what was the School Sites' Act?
0:24:53 > 0:24:59The School Sites' Act was an Act of Parliament introduced in 1841.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03It provided a legal framework
0:25:03 > 0:25:08in order to allow, and encourage, benefactors to donate areas
0:25:08 > 0:25:14of lands and sites of land, explicitly for the purposes of education.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20The Act meant that the land could only be used for the purpose it was given.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23As we've seen in Frederick West's case, the Act stopped schools
0:25:23 > 0:25:27from being immediately closed down and the land sold for profit.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Frederick left his acre of land to his local church in 1844,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37just three years after the School Sites' Act came into being.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41But what was West's motivation to give away the plot?
0:25:42 > 0:25:45The West family were the local landowners in Ruthin.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48They had Ruthin Castle in Wales.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Two purposes...
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Firstly, it's to provide education, which is Anglican.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59The school can be run by the local vicars and the churchwardens
0:25:59 > 0:26:05to provide an Anglican education for the young children of the parish.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11For the family themselves, it was something which is expected of them in their role as local landowners.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15It's also a way of restoring, if you like, and establishing,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18their local authority in an area.
0:26:18 > 0:26:24So, would this small school in rural Wales have made a big difference to the lives of the local people?
0:26:24 > 0:26:25Oh, undoubtedly.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31Before this time, provision is very partial across the country
0:26:31 > 0:26:35and so this is a way, for the first time, especially for the poor of the parish,
0:26:35 > 0:26:42to receive a system of education, giving them some of the skills to cope in an industrialising society.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49The Wests' donation was one of many across England and Wales.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53These donations didn't just apply to schools.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58Another piece of legislation, the 1873 Places of Worship Act,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01meant the same rules could be applied for people who wanted
0:27:01 > 0:27:05to donate land for a church, chapel or burial place.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It seemed during this period, a changing society,
0:27:08 > 0:27:14combined with a change in the laws, was changing things for the better.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19So, was the School Sites' Act a part of the greater revolution in educating Britain?
0:27:19 > 0:27:27Yes, very much so. It's part of a wider Victorian move towards a more national education system.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30The 1841 Act provides the legal framework.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36Something like 17,000 Church of England schools had been created before 1870.
0:27:36 > 0:27:42In 1870, you have, for the first time, a national system of education in England and Wales
0:27:42 > 0:27:47which is paid for out of the local rates, paid for, therefore, by the local community,
0:27:47 > 0:27:53establishing primary education up to the age of 12 in England and Wales.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56The School Sites' Act worked.
0:27:56 > 0:28:02It allowed philanthropists, like Frederick West, to donate land for much-needed schools.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07They knew that if the schools ever closed, the money would come back to the family.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10In the West case, it may have taken six generations to do so,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14but the legislation is still in place for it to happen.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17All the heir hunters need to do now, is find the family.
0:28:28 > 0:28:33Here's some more names of unclaimed estates from the Treasury Solicitor's list.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35Could you be in line for a forgotten fortune?
0:28:36 > 0:28:41The list of unclaimed estates is money that is owed to members of the public
0:28:41 > 0:28:43and new names are added all the time.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45The bona vacantia unclaimed list
0:28:45 > 0:28:50is a list of cases that we haven't found kin for.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54The list goes back to 1997, because that's when our case management system came online.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58The idea is to produce a list of all those solvent cases,
0:28:58 > 0:29:02so there should be at least a few pounds in there, possibly many thousands.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05There is no plan to change the list going forward in a major way,
0:29:05 > 0:29:09but we continue to review what we do.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12It's something that'll be there for the foreseeable future
0:29:12 > 0:29:15and, hopefully, reduce in numbers as further kin are found.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19And this is money that you could be entitled to.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Monies raised through bona vacantia
0:29:21 > 0:29:24ultimately goes to the general Exchequer to benefit the country as a whole.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29But it's important to note that the Crown doesn't want all estates at all costs.
0:29:29 > 0:29:35It's not how it operates. It wants kin to be found, and that's what we work very hard to do.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Let's look at some of the estates from the unclaimed list.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Do these names mean anything to you?
0:29:43 > 0:29:44Are they relatives of yours?
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Henry Potter died in Carlisle back on 19th September, 1997.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54Can you help solve Henry's case?
0:29:54 > 0:29:57So far, all efforts to trace his heirs have drawn a blank.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05Marion Schumann died in Bordesley Green, Birmingham, back in November 2001.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10The name Schumann is rare in the UK, more common in Germany.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13It literally translates as "shoemaker" or "cobbler".
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Did you know Marion? Did she ever talk to you about her family?
0:30:20 > 0:30:25Wladislaw Graf died on 17th May, 2007, in Bradford.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30I've got Wladislaw's death certificate. It shows that he was
0:30:30 > 0:30:34born on 22nd August, 1922, in Poland.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38The death certificate also states that his wife was called Stefania Graf.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Do you remember a Stefania Graf?
0:30:42 > 0:30:46If you think you can prove you're related to any of the names today,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49you could have a fortune waiting for you.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51If people want further information
0:30:51 > 0:30:54about bona vacantia and what we do,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57the first port of call would be our website
0:30:57 > 0:31:01which has information about who's an entitled relative,
0:31:01 > 0:31:06how to put in a claim, how we deal with estates and things like that.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09But, remember, unless the Treasury approve your claim,
0:31:09 > 0:31:14there's no way of discovering how much an estate is potentially worth.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18We never released details of the estate or anything about the deceased
0:31:18 > 0:31:23until a claim has been admitted and we will only then release it to the person
0:31:23 > 0:31:25whose claim we have admitted.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28A reminder of those names again...
0:31:28 > 0:31:31Henry Potter, Marion Schumann
0:31:31 > 0:31:34or Wladislaw Graf.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36If today's names are relatives of yours,
0:31:36 > 0:31:38you could have a windfall coming your way.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Now back to the case of Doreen Walker.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51Join me later when I'll be finding out more about the life of a professional singer.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55# Thinking that he
0:31:55 > 0:31:59# Was a trusty tree... #
0:32:00 > 0:32:05But first, can the team find any living family members entitled to her money?
0:32:08 > 0:32:11At the offices of Britain's largest heir-hunting firm,
0:32:11 > 0:32:15the team are racing to find heirs to Doreen's estate.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18She died in Lewisham in 2010.
0:32:18 > 0:32:23Gareth, she definitely owns it, so pull some staff on to it as well.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27The case is worth an estimated £250,000,
0:32:27 > 0:32:31but the team is struggling to make much progress.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33They've only found one potential birth for Doreen
0:32:33 > 0:32:37and it's 200 miles away in Huddersfield.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Huddersfield to Lewisham is a hugely long way.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43I don't particularly like that. I think the birth is in London somewhere.
0:32:43 > 0:32:49Doreen died alone in her south London home in March, 2010.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Having separated from her husband in 2001,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56it seems she went from being the life and soul of the party
0:32:56 > 0:32:58to a virtual recluse.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Doreen was very sociable and amusing
0:33:04 > 0:33:06and liked a good laugh.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Went round to parties, liked mixing, all those sort of things.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16This is why it was so sad about what happened, that she just withdrew.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20But this was a far cry from Doreen's earlier years.
0:33:20 > 0:33:27She had worked as a professional singer and had sung at some of the country's most prestigious venues,
0:33:27 > 0:33:29including the Royal Albert Hall.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34In 1966, she was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37a prize that was only awarded to those with exceptional talent.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Sue Sturrock was a fellow student.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43To get into the Royal College in 1968 was probably
0:33:43 > 0:33:46one of the most difficult things a singer could try to do,
0:33:46 > 0:33:52so to be offered a place was a huge achievement,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55but as Doreen was given a full scholarship, a full open scholarship,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57that was a real accolade.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59She was one of the absolute stars.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04Doreen graduated from the Royal College of Music in 1970
0:34:04 > 0:34:06and seemed destined for great things.
0:34:08 > 0:34:14She had a lovely, warm, dark sound
0:34:14 > 0:34:18and it could have been a stunning voice.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22She could have been a great singer, with her personality.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26It just didn't work out as it should have done.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Her potential was not fulfilled.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33Although she never became a full-blown solo performer,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Doreen carved out a successful career singing
0:34:36 > 0:34:42with the BBC Orchestra and choir London Voices.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Once she appeared in our lives, she was...
0:34:45 > 0:34:48I can only say, the life and soul of the party.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53She had a very broad Yorkshire dialect
0:34:53 > 0:34:58and she was always in the middle of all the fun.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02She was a very, very great girl to know.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Back in the office, the team desperately need more information
0:35:10 > 0:35:14if they are to have any chance of finding Doreen's heirs.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19Case manager Tony Pledger has been given a number for one of Doreen's closest friends.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Could this be the breakthrough they need?
0:35:22 > 0:35:25I'm ringing you with regard to the late Doreen Walker.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29She was married, but I understand that her husband upped and left her.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Yeah. Do you know when they divorced, at all?
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Well, no, I assumed that he was dead, but...
0:35:39 > 0:35:40Right, OK.
0:35:40 > 0:35:46And it was definitely a village in Huddersfield-ish was it, not Huddersfield town, so to speak?
0:35:46 > 0:35:51Tony's confirmed Doreen's place of birth and that she was divorced.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57He told me that the deceased husband had returned to South Africa,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59remarried and had died in South Africa.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02He told me roughly when the divorce was.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05He told me a little bit of information about the parents
0:36:05 > 0:36:07and confirmed that the deceased was an only child,
0:36:07 > 0:36:09so there's a little bit of headway.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Armed with this new information,
0:36:12 > 0:36:16the team can finally start building Doreen's family tree,
0:36:16 > 0:36:20but Neil is still surprised about the Huddersfield birth.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25The first rule is that the deceased was probably born near where they passed away,
0:36:25 > 0:36:30unless it's the south coast, but we still expect them to come from the southeast.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Today, rule one has been broken,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36which means now that I'm trying to move all my guys back up to South Yorkshire.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41Neil has sent one of his northern based travelling researchers
0:36:41 > 0:36:44to pick up Doreen's birth certificate.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Here you go.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49And, in the meantime, the team in the office are building
0:36:49 > 0:36:52a family tree from information they've found online.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- This tree is getting a bit crowded. - Yeah, I know.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- That's why I started a new one. - Ben Charles...
0:36:57 > 0:37:00What are we looking at here?
0:37:00 > 0:37:03They soon build a picture of Doreen's family.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Her parents were Eric Walker and Doris Charlesworth.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Doreen was an only child and so was her father, Eric,
0:37:10 > 0:37:15which mean all eyes are on Doreen's mother, Doris.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Her parents were Ben and Ellen Charlesworth and the team are hoping
0:37:18 > 0:37:22they had other children who may lead them to heirs.
0:37:22 > 0:37:28The family on the Charlesworth side come from a small village called Honley near Huddersfield.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33We know that Ben, the grandfather deceased on the Charlesworth side,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36was certainly living in that village in 1911,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38and then when he died he was still living there,
0:37:38 > 0:37:42so there's a potential chance that some family are still living in the village.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46These are simply some telephone numbers of Charlesworths living in that village.
0:37:46 > 0:37:52There may be Charlesworths living in the right village, but are they the same family?
0:37:52 > 0:37:59If they are, they could be Doreen's cousins and heirs to her £250,000 estate.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Hello, sorry to trouble you. My name is Tony Pledger.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04We specialise in tracing missing heirs
0:38:04 > 0:38:08and we're researching into the family of somebody who died recently in London
0:38:08 > 0:38:10who was born in the village of Honley
0:38:10 > 0:38:15and their mother was a Doris Charlesworth.
0:38:15 > 0:38:21If nobody in your Charlesworth family has ever heard of a Doris Charlesworth
0:38:21 > 0:38:24who married an Eric Walker, then I'm sorry to have troubled you.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28OK, then. That's OK. Thanks ever so. Thanks, bye.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Tony speaks to all the Charlesworths he can
0:38:33 > 0:38:38and not a single one of them has heard of Doreen's mother, Doris.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42So, things aren't looking terribly good.
0:38:42 > 0:38:49As Doreen had no children herself, the team are running out of options.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Then the researchers make a breakthrough.
0:38:51 > 0:38:58They find that Doris had a sister called Annie who is Doreen's paternal aunt.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03If Annie had children, they'll be the cousins the team have been searching for.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05But Gareth is doubtful.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08All we've got to play with on this case is one maternal aunt
0:39:08 > 0:39:13who, unfortunately from our point of view, she did get married,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16but she didn't have any children that we know of, at the moment,
0:39:16 > 0:39:20so our last hope is that maybe she adopted a child.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25We're waiting for a probate to come back.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29When that comes back, that should tell us, but no heirs as yet.
0:39:29 > 0:39:36It doesn't look like Annie had children, but Gareth's refusing to give up.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39He's asked for a copy of Annie's will to see if it mentions
0:39:39 > 0:39:44any children or other relatives that the team haven't found.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49We've just seen the will of Annie Oldham who, in her will,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52she's mentioned the deceased, so we know it's the right family,
0:39:52 > 0:39:56but she's also mentioned an Anne, who she's described as a niece.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59We need to work out where she fits in.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01This could be the last roll of the dice.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05Is Anne the daughter of an aunt or uncle they don't know about
0:40:05 > 0:40:10and the last remaining blood relative of Doreen Walker?
0:40:10 > 0:40:13She, as I said, describes her niece as Anne.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18Her parents, no matter what we do, are always going to come from him.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20It's a disaster for the team.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24Anne is a niece through Annie's husband.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28She's no relation to Doreen and cannot inherit her estate.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33The team have exhausted every avenue of research, and must admit defeat.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37Unfortunately, it looks as though we're not really going to be able
0:40:37 > 0:40:39to make much progress on this estate.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Not through lack of trying, I don't think,
0:40:42 > 0:40:47but really through lack of family, as from what we've found,
0:40:47 > 0:40:49the father was an only child,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51the mother had a single sister who got married,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54but it doesn't look like they had any children,
0:40:54 > 0:40:58so as far as we're concerned, it's a dead case.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It's a case with no living beneficiaries on it.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Obviously, if this case came from Scotland,
0:41:03 > 0:41:05we could have gone a generation further back
0:41:05 > 0:41:08before we came down and foreign beneficiaries, but we can't,
0:41:08 > 0:41:12it's an English estate, so it's money which is going to the Treasury.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Doreen may not have any heirs,
0:41:16 > 0:41:20but her larger-than-life personality and remarkable voice
0:41:20 > 0:41:22have left a lasting legacy.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26I think she'd want us all to remember the best of her singing,
0:41:26 > 0:41:28and the very best of her performances,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30and the happy memories her friends have
0:41:30 > 0:41:36and those of us who remember her from more of a distance
0:41:36 > 0:41:40have of her as such a vibrant and huge human being.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42As the team's drawn a blank,
0:41:42 > 0:41:45it seems unlikely anyone will ever come forward
0:41:45 > 0:41:49to claim Doreen's estate, estimated at a quarter of a million pounds.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54And if it's not claimed by 2040, the money will go to the Government.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01So unfortunately, it appears there are no heirs to Doreen's estate,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04but I'm intrigued by her life as a singer.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10SHE SINGS OPERATICALLY
0:42:12 > 0:42:15I'm here at Burr House to meet Emma Curtis,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18one of the only professional contraltos around,
0:42:18 > 0:42:20who can tell me all about Doreen's voice
0:42:20 > 0:42:23and the challenges she would have faced
0:42:23 > 0:42:25trying to make it in a competitive world.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34Emma, that was fantastic. It was beautiful. Thank you.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36So Doreen was a contralto like you,
0:42:36 > 0:42:41but for those of us who can't sing a note, what does that actually mean?
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Well, I think first thing to say is Doreen was definitely contralto,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47and we're both contraltos,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50but each voice is unique and it differs according to personality,
0:42:50 > 0:42:55so to say that we're like each other, I don't know.
0:42:55 > 0:42:56I don't know.
0:42:56 > 0:43:02But the categories of female voice are, from high to low,
0:43:02 > 0:43:04soprano, mezzo soprano and contralto,
0:43:04 > 0:43:07so the contralto is the lowest of the female voices.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10But Doreen trained at the Royal College of Music.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Clearly, it takes years of training to be a professional singer.
0:43:13 > 0:43:14It does.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18There's a lot more to becoming a professional singer
0:43:18 > 0:43:19than many people might imagine.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23We see people so often singing with microphones,
0:43:23 > 0:43:27but a classical singer has to learn to balance the resonances
0:43:27 > 0:43:31within their own bodies in order to be that microphone themself,
0:43:31 > 0:43:33so you can be heard at the back of a hall.
0:43:33 > 0:43:38And balancing how your sound reflects around your own head and body
0:43:38 > 0:43:42is something that takes many years to get really right,
0:43:42 > 0:43:46and to get a beautiful purity of sound,
0:43:46 > 0:43:49and also, we have to sing operas in French, Italian, German,
0:43:49 > 0:43:53sometimes Russian, sometimes Spanish, so we learn languages,
0:43:53 > 0:43:55lots of us speak other languages,
0:43:55 > 0:43:58and there's also all the musical training
0:43:58 > 0:44:01that you need to be at the top of the musical profession.
0:44:01 > 0:44:06Which Doreen's friends and colleagues speculate she could have been.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Listening to Emma, I get the impression
0:44:14 > 0:44:18it takes a lot of hard work to be at the top of your game
0:44:18 > 0:44:20in the world of professional singing.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23We know that Doreen sang for the BBC Orchestra,
0:44:23 > 0:44:25but what about the jobs treading the boards?
0:44:25 > 0:44:29What are the traditional roles for a contralto, then?
0:44:29 > 0:44:34In opera, the contraltos tend to be...
0:44:34 > 0:44:36some people say witches and bitches.
0:44:36 > 0:44:41It's a fabulous alliteration, but it's not just all cackling.
0:44:41 > 0:44:48We tend to sing the earth mothers and the prophetesses and seers.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Basically, the wiser characters most of the time
0:44:51 > 0:44:52tend to be contraltos,
0:44:52 > 0:44:56so there's something about the colour and earthiness of the voice
0:44:56 > 0:45:00that composers like as portraying that kind of information or role.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02So there's less roles for a young contralto.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05- The older you get, the more roles there are.- Absolutely, yes.
0:45:05 > 0:45:06Very much so.
0:45:06 > 0:45:11For a young contralto, the repertoire is really quite limited.
0:45:11 > 0:45:12There's not so much to sing.
0:45:12 > 0:45:19You're waiting until you're growing into these motherly and wise roles.
0:45:19 > 0:45:20That's great.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24As an actress, you're always dreading getting older.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26Contraltos are waiting to get older!
0:45:33 > 0:45:37So why did Doreen never pursue the big roles?
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Sadly, we will never know.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42She was obviously a very big personality,
0:45:42 > 0:45:45but maybe it just wasn't the life for her.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48I think that it's quite a challenge to make a career
0:45:48 > 0:45:52when there are so many different factors involved.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54There's not just the technical work,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57there's not just the beauty of the voice,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00but there's how one withstands the travelling
0:46:00 > 0:46:03and the very curious hours.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05- Sometimes, we work 12, 14-hour days...- Yeah.
0:46:05 > 0:46:12..on a regular basis, and seven-day weeks quite a lot,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15so you have to be prepared to really work
0:46:15 > 0:46:18and not worry too much about your social life.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23- So you've got to really love it, then?- If you don't love it, you're in the wrong job.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25You've got to love it, because also,
0:46:25 > 0:46:29loving it is partly what enables you to go through the long hours
0:46:29 > 0:46:32and the travel and all those other things.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34- Loving it is very deeply important. - Thank you.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42I don't think anyone can doubt Doreen loved what she did,
0:46:42 > 0:46:45and during her career, singing as a contralto,
0:46:45 > 0:46:47this vivacious, outgoing woman
0:46:47 > 0:46:50made a deep impression on everyone who knew her.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05Lastly, it's back to the story of the West family,
0:47:05 > 0:47:09and the search for living family members entitled to inherit money
0:47:09 > 0:47:12from land donated over 160 years ago.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20In 2008, heir hunter Charles Fraser began the search
0:47:20 > 0:47:25for heirs to a former school site worth an estimated £375,000.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29The school was to be demolished,
0:47:29 > 0:47:32and an 1841 law meant the land it was built on
0:47:32 > 0:47:35had to be returned to the family of its original owner,
0:47:35 > 0:47:3719th-century nobleman Frederick West.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41By tracing his descendants,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44the heir hunters had already uncovered a story
0:47:44 > 0:47:46of extraordinary wealth and royal connections.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49These types of cases are often very exciting.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53The families we're dealing with are often quite different to the ordinary intestacy cases.
0:47:53 > 0:47:58Frederick's great-great-grandson, George Cornwallis-West,
0:47:58 > 0:48:02had caused a scandal and been written out of the family will,
0:48:02 > 0:48:07so the heir hunters were now focused on his sisters, Constance and Daisy.
0:48:08 > 0:48:13Mary leaves her estate to her two daughters.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16She leaves her property in Cannes to her daughter Constance,
0:48:16 > 0:48:20in order that she may have a residence near to her sister,
0:48:20 > 0:48:23Mary Theresa Olivia, Princess of Pless.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25So at that stage we knew that
0:48:25 > 0:48:29not only had one daughter married well, into the Westminster family,
0:48:29 > 0:48:33the other daughter had also married into royalty of some sort.
0:48:33 > 0:48:38It was obvious we were now dealing with quite wealthy families,
0:48:38 > 0:48:42of certainly upper and higher class in British society
0:48:42 > 0:48:47and, indeed, German nobility and royalty, so it was very exciting.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50We didn't know where we were going to end up.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52First, they turned to Daisy,
0:48:52 > 0:48:56and her story was yet another remarkable chapter
0:48:56 > 0:48:58in the West family history.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01We didn't know much about her initially,
0:49:01 > 0:49:03so we had to do quite a lot of research
0:49:03 > 0:49:06to establish who she was and what happened to her,
0:49:06 > 0:49:11and then the story of her life was quite fascinating, but tragic.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16Because Daisy's brother George had squandered the family fortune,
0:49:16 > 0:49:18her mother Mary, also known as Patsy,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21was keen to find a wealthy suitor,
0:49:21 > 0:49:23and who better than a German prince?
0:49:25 > 0:49:29Patsy wanted to make sure that her daughter married well,
0:49:29 > 0:49:32and she was on the lookout on the Continent,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34and the Prince of Pless came along
0:49:34 > 0:49:36and she decided he would be the one,
0:49:36 > 0:49:39and he was not very pleased with this
0:49:39 > 0:49:41because he came to London to meet another young lady,
0:49:41 > 0:49:48who in fact he lost, but at the end of the day, he did marry Daisy.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53The newlyweds moved to the enormous Furstenstein Castle
0:49:53 > 0:49:55in the Prussian town of Pless.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59The castle look like the setting of a fairytale,
0:49:59 > 0:50:03but Daisy and the Prince of Pless had married for convenience,
0:50:03 > 0:50:05and there was no happy ending.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09As far as the marriage was concerned,
0:50:09 > 0:50:13neither Daisy or the Prince of Pless really, really wanted to be together.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17It was really forced on them, but friends and family
0:50:17 > 0:50:20and the Royal family did in fact try to help it out.
0:50:20 > 0:50:25They gradually got to know each other a bit better.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29Things got worse when the Pless family fell on hard times.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31Daisy moved from the castle to the gatehouse,
0:50:31 > 0:50:34and the couple eventually divorced.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40Daisy, the Princess of Pless, died in 1943.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44The Pless family money went
0:50:44 > 0:50:49because of the way the governments of both Poland and Germany
0:50:49 > 0:50:52took over the companies after the war.
0:50:52 > 0:50:58The money went, the money went, she became ill and by that time,
0:50:58 > 0:51:02there was no money left to look after her and she depended on friends.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05Unfortunately, she developed MS
0:51:05 > 0:51:10and that really brought on a slow, slow death to her.
0:51:10 > 0:51:11In London,
0:51:11 > 0:51:14the heir hunters were trying to find the rightful beneficiaries
0:51:14 > 0:51:17of a piece of land donated to make a school
0:51:17 > 0:51:21by Daisy's great-grandfather, Frederick West.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Charles's next move was to see if Daisy had left a will.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28Finding the will for the Princess was difficult
0:51:28 > 0:51:30for a whole host of reasons.
0:51:30 > 0:51:36There were obviously the boundary changes from Germany and Poland,
0:51:36 > 0:51:39and also the fact that she died in poverty.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41It was actually so difficult.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45We haven't been able to trace any will for her at all.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49This meant looking for Daisy's blood relatives.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52They quickly learnt that Daisy and the Prince of Pless
0:51:52 > 0:51:56had had three sons, Hansel, Alexander and Bolko.
0:51:56 > 0:52:01The oldest, Hansel, who was also known as Henry, had died,
0:52:01 > 0:52:07but in his will, the only beneficiary was an ex-wife who was still alive.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11The team had found their first heir through a long line of inheritants.
0:52:11 > 0:52:16He left the entirety of his estate to his ex-wife, Lady Ashdown.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20In relation to the Honourable Frederick West,
0:52:20 > 0:52:24Lady Ashdown has no blood relationship at all.
0:52:24 > 0:52:29She's the ex-wife of a very distant relative of his.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35Lady Ashton lives in London, and was stunned to hear she was in line
0:52:35 > 0:52:40to inherit from her ex-husband's great-great-grandfather.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44I knew there was a lot of land or had been a lot of land in Wales,
0:52:44 > 0:52:47but I didn't know much about it.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49We never talked about it.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Um...
0:52:51 > 0:52:55So I didn't really expect it to come back, as it were.
0:52:55 > 0:53:00Funny how things happen so many years later, isn't it?
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Although Lady Ashdown and Henry Pless divorced,
0:53:03 > 0:53:07they remained on good terms.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11He was one of the kindest people I've ever known. He never...
0:53:11 > 0:53:17I never, in 30-plus years, I never saw him irritated or bad-tempered.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21What more can I say? He was a saint, I think.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26Henry had come to England from Prussia in the 1930s,
0:53:26 > 0:53:28but when war broke out,
0:53:28 > 0:53:31he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
0:53:31 > 0:53:32Because he was German,
0:53:32 > 0:53:38and...although he was living in England and had English relations,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41like the Duke of Westminster was his uncle,
0:53:41 > 0:53:45he was popped into Brixton Prison
0:53:45 > 0:53:51and there they kept him for... I think it was nearly three years.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55And then one day, the prison governor came and said,
0:53:55 > 0:53:58"I am so sorry, this has been a frightful mistake,
0:53:58 > 0:54:02"you should never have been here, you must leave as soon as possible."
0:54:02 > 0:54:06It seems that Henry was released from prison
0:54:06 > 0:54:09because Winston Churchill was the stepson of George Cornwallis-West,
0:54:09 > 0:54:10Henry's uncle.
0:54:10 > 0:54:15I believe Churchill stepped in because of the family connections.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19He brought the matter... He had tried other ways, but eventually,
0:54:19 > 0:54:23he asked a question in Parliament.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Soon afterwards, Hansel was released.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29For Charles and his team,
0:54:29 > 0:54:32the search for heirs to a £375,000 plot of land
0:54:32 > 0:54:35was starting to come good.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39They found that another of Daisy's sons, Bolko,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42had three children, who were also heirs.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46They now turned their attention to Daisy's sister, Constance,
0:54:46 > 0:54:48the Duchess of Westminster.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52Would her branch of the family lead to even more heirs?
0:54:52 > 0:54:54Initially, I found it quite surprising
0:54:54 > 0:54:57that she had left her estate to her companion,
0:54:57 > 0:54:59and not to any of her children,
0:54:59 > 0:55:03which in 1970 amounted to just under £30,000.
0:55:03 > 0:55:04Quite a lot of money at the time.
0:55:04 > 0:55:10The beneficiary named in Constance's will was Nora Gillespie,
0:55:10 > 0:55:14and she had worked for the Duchess for over 40 years.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17Nora's godson, Peter Sykes,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20has letters from the Duchess which date back to 1928,
0:55:20 > 0:55:23when she was looking for someone to manage her estate.
0:55:24 > 0:55:29"Dear Miss Wills," and this is July 4, 1928,
0:55:29 > 0:55:32"Dear Miss Wills, I am writing to ask you to do me a favour.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35"If by chance you hear of a nice lady," with a capital L,
0:55:35 > 0:55:40"who wants a comfortable home and is a really capable manager,
0:55:40 > 0:55:43"do let me know as I am looking out for one
0:55:43 > 0:55:48"to entirely run this house for me. Someone about 28 or 30,
0:55:48 > 0:55:50"but she must be a lady.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53"Also, she must have had some experience of the type,"
0:55:53 > 0:55:56with a capital T, "of work required."
0:55:56 > 0:55:59At just 22 years of age,
0:55:59 > 0:56:02Nora Gillespie wasn't the ideal candidate.
0:56:02 > 0:56:07The Duchess was very doubtful that such a young person
0:56:07 > 0:56:12could rule the household in the way that she wanted,
0:56:12 > 0:56:15but evidently she convinced her,
0:56:15 > 0:56:19and in 1928, she took the job
0:56:19 > 0:56:24and was there until the Duchess died in 1970.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26Constance rewarded Nora's loyalty
0:56:26 > 0:56:30by naming her as the sole beneficiary to her estate.
0:56:30 > 0:56:36Nora died 22 years later, in 1992, and she left half of her estate,
0:56:36 > 0:56:40which had come from the West family, to her godson, Peter.
0:56:42 > 0:56:47It's sort of started me delving back into the history
0:56:47 > 0:56:51and discovering, if you like, the Cornwallis-Wests of Ruthin,
0:56:51 > 0:56:54and some of it has been quite fascinating.
0:56:56 > 0:57:03The parties they used to go to, and...yes, and also, the Plesses.
0:57:03 > 0:57:08Princess Daisy, from what I've read since,
0:57:08 > 0:57:10it would make the eyes water, really.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14Although Peter has no blood link to the West family,
0:57:14 > 0:57:18he was now an heir to a piece of land donated in 1844,
0:57:18 > 0:57:23and now worth an estimated £375,000.
0:57:23 > 0:57:29How do I feel about inheriting from this family which isn't my family?
0:57:29 > 0:57:32I feel quite pleased, actually.
0:57:32 > 0:57:37After an epic heir hunt that has spanned six generations,
0:57:37 > 0:57:43Charles Fraser is pleased to be able to wrap up a truly remarkable case.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45We've established that the majority of the heirs
0:57:45 > 0:57:46aren't blood relatives,
0:57:46 > 0:57:52and we've also gained a delightful insight into some of these families,
0:57:52 > 0:57:56these quite wealthy families, and how they lead their lives.
0:57:56 > 0:57:59Some of the details in their wills
0:57:59 > 0:58:01just don't appear in ordinary people's wills.
0:58:01 > 0:58:06Fraser and Fraser managed to trace nine heirs
0:58:06 > 0:58:09who will all share in the six-figure proceeds
0:58:09 > 0:58:11from the sale of the school.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13Join me next time on Heir Hunters
0:58:13 > 0:58:16for more family secrets and long-forgotten fortunes.
0:58:16 > 0:58:21If you would like advice about building your family tree
0:58:21 > 0:58:24or making a will, go to:
0:58:45 > 0:58:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:47 > 0:58:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk