0:00:02 > 0:00:04Welcome to Heir Hunters where we follow the search for relatives
0:00:04 > 0:00:07of people who've died without leaving a will
0:00:07 > 0:00:09hoping to unite them with forgotten fortunes.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16A team of Heir Hunters is chasing through the leafy lanes of Surrey,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19hunting for people due a small fortune.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22I'm too old to be running. Are you Natalie?
0:00:22 > 0:00:27They're looking for relatives who have no idea they may be in line for a windfall.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Could they be knocking at your door?
0:00:47 > 0:00:53On today's programme, the Heir Hunters tackle a highly unusual case...
0:00:53 > 0:00:58The difficulty in this case is the fact that he died seven or eight years ago.
0:00:58 > 0:01:04..that leads them from one young man's tragedy to its chilling consequences.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08I just think it's really sad that someone with so much potential,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11that life ended like that. It's really sad.
0:01:13 > 0:01:20And the fascinating story of how this man's talent took him to the giddy heights of the art world.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25He restored for Christie's, Sotheby's, all the major people.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29And I'll be meeting up with the Heir Hunters who helped me map out my family tree.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34That would make him being born?
0:01:34 > 0:01:35Oh, my maths is awful.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41Plus how you could be entitled to unclaimed estates where heirs still need to be found.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Could you be in line for a cash payout?
0:01:50 > 0:01:56Every year in the UK, it's estimated that over 300,000 people die without leaving a will.
0:01:56 > 0:02:02If no relatives are found, then any money they've left behind will go to the government.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06And last year, that was a staggering £14 million.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10But over 30 specialist firms are competing to stop this happening.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15They're the Heir Hunters and they try to track down missing relatives
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and help them claim their rightful inheritance.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24Putting families back together, cousins who haven't seen each other for 30, 40 years,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27this is the whole thing about the job which I love.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Heir Hunters often bring joy to people, reuniting families
0:02:37 > 0:02:39who've lost touch over time,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42but sometimes their investigations can uncover a life story
0:02:42 > 0:02:44that's far from happy.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48It's 7am in London.
0:02:48 > 0:02:54Overnight, the Treasury has released their weekly list of unclaimed estates.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57In the offices of Fraser & Fraser...
0:02:57 > 0:02:59We need the death certificate on that.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02..partner Charles Fraser is scanning the options.
0:03:02 > 0:03:08We've got a nice, short list today, so there are probably about four cases we'll look at.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13Case manager David Pacifico is shocked by one of the names on the list.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- Have you got a birth for him?- Yeah.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Brett Peter Miller who died in 2003.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21We've got one born in 1964 here.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Getting younger and younger.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Brett Miller, seen here in his 20s, was just 39 when he died.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37He worked as an electrical engineer.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42We were doing charades there, weren't we?
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Alison is not a blood relative, but married into the family.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51That's his most favourite photo that I used to show to all his girlfriends.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55She and her daughter Rachel knew Brett as a teenager.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Brett was very friendly and he was very outgoing.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06He tried hard, you know, to help anybody.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09He used to make you laugh all the time.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11He was a really funny person.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15I've got a lot of nice little memories of him,
0:04:15 > 0:04:22my ex-husband and him dancing around in the living room after we'd had a little party,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26then falling through my room divider with my favourite ornaments,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30knocking it over and just breaking all my ornaments.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33But he managed to chat his way out of that as well.
0:04:33 > 0:04:39He may have been a charmer, but sometimes Alison saw a darker side to his personality.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Occasionally, he had his moments when he was quite a rebel,
0:04:45 > 0:04:50but generally, he was a really lovely, outgoing, friendly person.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56At the time Brett died, he was living in a Housing Association flat.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Nobody thought he had any money.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Sometimes when names appear on the Treasury list,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11it's because money has come to light or an investment has matured.
0:05:11 > 0:05:18At this stage, the Heir Hunters know nothing about Brett and have no leads as to the value of his estate.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Brett Peter Miller, probably small value.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26The minimum amount needed to make it on to the list is £5,000.
0:05:26 > 0:05:32Heir Hunters work on commission, taking a percentage of the money received by each heir they sign.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35They need a good-sized estate to cover costs.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38But in this case, they have a trump card.
0:05:38 > 0:05:44Although the surname Miller is common, the combination of Brett and Miller is unusual.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48We look to see if there's any close kin, even if it may be low value.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51With a name like Brett Miller, it's easy to identify,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54easy to identify marriages...
0:05:55 > 0:05:58..and also whether he had siblings.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02David is disturbed by Brett's early death.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06He was only 39 when he died. Most of our deceased are much older.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10It will be interesting to see the cause of death on this one.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16David has Brett's last known address in Surrey
0:06:16 > 0:06:20and he's hoping neighbours may remember something about him.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- He gives travelling Heir Hunter Bob Barratt a call. - Good morning, Bob.- Hello, David.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Bob is one of the company's experienced mobile Heir Hunters.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36Every Thursday, they take to the road, poised to follow the leads, ordering certificates...
0:06:36 > 0:06:40- Thanks very much.- ..and canvassing neighbours...- Mrs Holman?- Yes.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- Thank you.- ..intent on staying one step ahead of the competition
0:06:44 > 0:06:48and getting to the people who are the rightful heirs.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53We've got Miller in Surrey. Brett Peter Miller.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59I'm afraid he's much younger than us. It's a Housing Association, by the way, this address.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01- Right.- We're looking for near kin.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Thanks, Bob. Bye.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Right.
0:07:08 > 0:07:14I'm going over to Deepcut to try and make some inquiries with regard to Brett Miller
0:07:14 > 0:07:18who died back in 2003 and wasn't very old.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22My guess is there's probably a tale there.
0:07:22 > 0:07:29I'll start off by seeing whether the neighbours can tell me anything - was he married, did he have children?
0:07:29 > 0:07:33While Bob makes his way to the last registered address for Brett Miller,
0:07:33 > 0:07:38in the office, the research team are starting to draw up a family tree.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42- Have you got a birth for him?- Yeah. - Where is it for?- Windsor.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- Can you check for any near kin on that?- Yeah.
0:07:46 > 0:07:52Heir Hunters use these documents to guide them through the twists and turns of families.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56They break down every generation until they find the rightful heirs.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00And Dave was right. Brett's name has been easy to research.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02That's in Kensington and Chelsea.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04When's that birth? 1999?
0:08:04 > 0:08:07James Harry. So this could be a child.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12In just 20 minutes of research, they've made a startling discovery.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19Brett was married to Trudi in 1986 when he was just 22 years old.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22The couple went on to have a son, James.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29If they were still married when Brett died, then his wife Trudi will be first in line to inherit.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33But first they need some more facts.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37There's two things here. Firstly, is the wife still alive?
0:08:37 > 0:08:42If so, was she still married to him? Possibility of divorce, then she doesn't come into it.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44If Brett has divorced Trudi,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48that means the next in line to inherit will be his son James.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53The child might come into it unless the child was adopted out.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58Sometimes when partners remarry, a child can be adopted by the new step-parent.
0:08:58 > 0:09:04This could have happened to James which means the next in line to inherit will be Brett's parents
0:09:04 > 0:09:06if they're still alive.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- Do you know what the parents' names are?- Not yet.
0:09:11 > 0:09:17If one of you can look up a birth on this, see if there's a birth on that one there...
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Using the birth records, the researchers find
0:09:20 > 0:09:24that Brett's parents were Sidney Miller and Marlene Starkey.
0:09:24 > 0:09:32He also had three brothers. If the parents have passed away, they could be next in line to inherit.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Possible child. If not, it could be parents.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37If not, there's a brother,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41so we've got a choice of potentially near kin here.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46It's only eight o'clock in the morning and they have a family tree,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50but to crack this, they need to speak directly to a family member.
0:09:50 > 0:09:56The researchers are trawling local Surrey directories when Debbie strikes gold.
0:09:56 > 0:10:02They have found a phone number for a woman who was married to one of Brett's brothers in the 1980s.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07David, I've got the ex-wife of the brother of the deceased on the phone.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- How do you know it's the ex-wife? - She's remarried.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It's the break they're looking for.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19She's not a blood relative and not entitled, but maybe she'll know how to find James.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- She'll know what happened.- Yeah. - Right.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28David gets straight on the phone to her.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32Sorry to trouble you so early in the morning.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36I'm not sure if you're aware that Brett passed away some years ago.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We're trying to track down his next of kin.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42But it's not good news.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Right. No idea whereabouts?
0:10:44 > 0:10:50It's so long since she divorced Brett's brother, the ex-wife has lost touch with the entire family.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55But she was able to fill them in on how Brett died
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and it's left Dave stunned.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00The deceased committed suicide, yeah.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Why? Do you know?
0:11:04 > 0:11:10Whatever it is, committing suicide is a very desperate and final thing to do, isn't it?
0:11:11 > 0:11:14It's profoundly sad.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Brett was just 39 years old when he died.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22What drove him to something so extreme?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25And as his death was eight years ago,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30why has he suddenly cropped up on the Treasury list of unclaimed estates?
0:11:30 > 0:11:36The researchers are desperately looking for a family member who can help answer these questions.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- Get David to phone the ex-wife. - Yeah.
0:11:40 > 0:11:46In the search, they've stumbled upon another ex-wife of another of Brett's brothers.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Alison's on the phone, so you can give her a call and see where the ex-husband is.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Not another! They're all married and all divorced.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59This is a crucial call.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Will this other ex-wife know the answers to who is entitled?
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Can she confirm that Brett's parents are alive?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Hello. Is that a Mrs Miller?
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Or whether his son James has been adopted out of the family?
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I mean, James was born in 1990.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20But then she drops a bombshell which changes everything.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24But you don't know the names of the children or the girlfriend?
0:12:24 > 0:12:28This call seems to have opened a whole new can of worms.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32It's a bit complicated. Thank you very much indeed, Mrs Miller.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Thank you. Bye-bye.
0:12:37 > 0:12:43She confirmed that Brett was divorced from Trudi, although they don't know what happened to Trudi.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46He also had another girlfriend with whom he had two children, but no idea who they are.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52This is more research they didn't see coming.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55They can't locate Brett's ex-wife Trudi
0:12:55 > 0:13:00and without a marriage certificate, how will they locate the name and address of his girlfriend?
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Dave gives travelling Heir Hunter Bob Barratt a call.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- 'Hi, Bob.'- Hi. - 'This is getting more complicated.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13- 'He's supposed to have had a girlfriend with two children as well.'- Right.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17So now they've got three children that could be heirs,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19but no way of contacting the mothers.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25The phone call did rule out Brett's parents Sidney and Marlene as they have both passed away.
0:13:27 > 0:13:33So now it's vital that they find either Trudi, Brett's ex-wife, or his former girlfriend.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Bob is left pondering the news.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40His girlfriend has no entitlement,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44but all his children from his marriage or his girlfriend will be entitled.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49I'll see what I can find out by knocking at one of these neighbours.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56This is a long shot. Brett lived here in 2003.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58No luck. I'll try round the corner.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04Will anyone remember anything about a neighbour from that long ago?
0:14:04 > 0:14:06I've only lived here three years.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11I'm trying to find out something about a neighbour that used to live upstairs.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13No joy here either.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Thanks ever so much. Cheers.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22No luck. No-one's lived here long enough to have known Mr Miller.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I'd better tell them in the office and see what else they want me to do.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28But while Bob has hit a brick wall,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32in the office, there's been a massive breakthrough.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Researcher Alan has been looking at birth records.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40He has found Brett's two children.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43He's on the birth certificate as the father.
0:14:43 > 0:14:50And their mother's name Natalie is also on the register. From there, he's found a current address.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Natalie holds the key to cracking the case.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00She was living with the deceased until his death.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05They desperately need to speak to Natalie, but they must tread carefully.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Her and Brett's children are young teenagers.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18Travelling Heir Hunter Bob Barratt has been sent to Natalie's house.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Do you think she'll be back in a bit?
0:15:20 > 0:15:25She's not in, but she should be back soon from the school run.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30Bob might think he's in for a quick kip, but there's no rest for the wicked.
0:15:30 > 0:15:37The neighbour has indicated that Natalie is about to walk down the road, so I'd better go and see her.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Have they found Natalie?
0:15:45 > 0:15:47I'm too old to be running.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Could this woman be the key to unlocking the case?
0:15:55 > 0:16:01- Coming up, the chase is on, but have they been barking up the wrong tree?- I don't know.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Are you Natalie?
0:16:03 > 0:16:06And what happened to Brett and his family?
0:16:06 > 0:16:10He loved his children. You know, he loved James.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13He was very proud of him.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Heir Hunters solve thousands of cases a year
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and millions of pounds are paid out to rightful heirs,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30but not every case can be cracked.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34The Treasury has a database of over 2,000 names
0:16:34 > 0:16:37that have baffled the Heir Hunters and remain unsolved.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40This is known as the Bona Vacantia list.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Bona Vacantia is the Latin term for ownerless property.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45There's two main types.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48There's the property of now-dissolved companies
0:16:48 > 0:16:51and the estates of those who die without a valid will or entitled kin.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Are today's cases relatives of yours?
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Could you be in line for hundreds, thousands, or even millions of pounds?
0:16:58 > 0:17:05Terpsithea Ellinas died in Southall, Middlesex on 23 November 2003.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Both of Terpsithea's names are Greek.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Did you know Terpsithea?
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Did she ever speak to you about any family she had here or in Greece?
0:17:15 > 0:17:20Charlotte Titchiner passed away in Upminster, Essex.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23She died on 10 October 1998.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Titchiner is a very rare surname
0:17:26 > 0:17:30with only around a dozen people in a million with the name.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Do you share the surname Titchiner?
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Could Charlotte be a relative of yours?
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Does the name Samuel Archibald Illingworth ring any bells?
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Samuel died on 25 January 2002 in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Samuel's last name Illingworth comes from that area.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Were you a friend or neighbour of Samuel's?
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Can you help solve his case?
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Those names again.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Terpsithea Ellinas,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Charlotte Titchiner,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03and Samuel Illingworth.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06If any of today's names are relatives of yours
0:18:06 > 0:18:09then you could be entitled to their unclaimed estate.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Our next case involves a man from Essex who was blessed with
0:18:17 > 0:18:21an artistic talent, but who died without leaving a will.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28In every family, there are secrets waiting to be uncovered,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30but not all of them are tragic.
0:18:30 > 0:18:36In some cases, in their hunt to find the heirs, the researchers discover fascinating stories
0:18:36 > 0:18:40of people whose lives straddled key moments in history.
0:18:40 > 0:18:46Fraser & Fraser case manager Dave Slee found this when he investigated the fascinating life
0:18:46 > 0:18:49of art restorer John Woor.
0:18:49 > 0:18:55Of course, my ears pricked up at the thought that these might be valuable paintings.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01John Woor, seen here in the only photo that exists of him,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04was 87 when he passed away.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09He lived in this modest, semi-detached rented cottage in Essex.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14Inside, it had been stripped bare, except for hundreds of oil paintings.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19And with rumour of hidden funds amounting to £13,000 in a bank account,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Dave suspected that there could be rich pickings.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26It all started when a neighbour got in touch.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31She believed that the deceased had died without leaving a will
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and that his house, though he didn't own his own home,
0:19:34 > 0:19:39contained a number of artefacts, including a number of what she thought may be valuable paintings.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Art gallery owner Derek Sorrell knew John for 30 years of his life.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48He first met him when he came into his gallery.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53John was an extremely kind man, extremely kind to all of my family.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55He taught my son to restore.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00My son started when he was 16 years of age and John taught him for 20-odd years.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02And he was a character.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09John never spoke of his family, but he did tell Derek about his wife Madeleine
0:20:09 > 0:20:12and how his life changed after her death.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16His home was a nice home when his wife was alive
0:20:16 > 0:20:19and after she died, John stripped the home of everything -
0:20:19 > 0:20:23all furniture, all carpets, everything out of the property,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27and lived very, very basically from then on in.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Because of John's solitary existence,
0:20:31 > 0:20:36his £13,000 estate, including what could be valuable paintings, lay unclaimed.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42But Dave Slee was determined to find a rightful heir.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46I was fortunate that the neighbour knew the deceased very well.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50The deceased had told her that he was married during his lifetime,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54that his wife pre-deceased him and they had no children.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Dave's next step was to look for brothers or sisters.
0:20:58 > 0:21:04John Woor was born in 1923 in Edmonton, North London,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08so I undertook a search for birth records
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and I established that the deceased had a sister called Eunice,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15but she didn't in fact survive infancy.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Dave was able to draw up the first stage of John Woor's family tree.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24His parents were James Woor and Mary Ann Farrow.
0:21:24 > 0:21:30Dave knew that he would have to look further back, hoping to find cousins who might be in line to inherit,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and he had an advantage.
0:21:33 > 0:21:39This is an estate where I had the luxury of researching a fairly uncommon surname in Woor,
0:21:39 > 0:21:46so firstly, our research was on the paternal family, the Woor side.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50In fact, the name Woor is incredibly rare.
0:21:50 > 0:21:56There are just two in a million. The largest concentration of them seem to be in East Anglia.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01John Woor certainly had lots of ties to this area.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06And Dave was to discover that during the war years, even his regiment had links.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14John Woor was just 16 when World War Two broke out.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18As soon as he was old enough, he volunteered to join the army
0:22:18 > 0:22:22and in 1944, he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion Suffolk.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25John's battalion was sent to Asia
0:22:25 > 0:22:30where they became involved in policing the post-war independence of India.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35Attlee's government decided to partition India into two countries.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39The Muslims were given modern-day Pakistan in the north
0:22:39 > 0:22:43and the Hindus were given India to the south.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Suddenly, those two countries come into being.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51They have no working government, no economies. It was a disaster.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56And when the borders were drawn up, millions of people found themselves displaced.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01There are at least 15 million refugees who suddenly have to leave their homes,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05go into countries they've never been in before,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09all just for the sake of what religion they happen to believe in.
0:23:09 > 0:23:1524-year-old John Woor and his battalion witnessed communities being torn apart
0:23:15 > 0:23:20and conflicts about property and religion were rife.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Anything up to two million people were killed.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31With a nation in upheaval, it was up to the British soldiers like John to try and keep the peace.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35The role that 2nd Suffolk were playing of internal security,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37people like John, it was a very important job
0:23:37 > 0:23:42because there were signs of anarchy, the whole country was falling apart,
0:23:42 > 0:23:47and the idea of walking away and leaving them was something the British didn't want to do.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52But with dwindling post-war resources and millions of people to police,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56John and his fellow infantrymen were fighting a losing battle.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01In the end, there is no option.
0:24:01 > 0:24:07There are simply not enough British soldiers to keep the warring factions apart.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12In the end, the 2nd Suffolk are withdrawn with all the other British army units and sent home,
0:24:12 > 0:24:17but at the time, they did their best in very difficult circumstances.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22John's time in India was extreme and shocking.
0:24:22 > 0:24:28And the experiences would have stayed with him until the end of his life.
0:24:30 > 0:24:38In London, case manager Dave Slee was still trying to find heirs to his small fortune of £13,000.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Dave was poised to work up the father's side of the family tree.
0:24:42 > 0:24:47Little did he know, he would discover a family forced apart by poverty and strife.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55John Woor's family is still a mystery
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and the Heir Hunters need to further construct the family tree
0:24:57 > 0:24:59to lead them to any heirs.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02So how do you go about drawing up your own family tree
0:25:02 > 0:25:05and what's the best place to start with genealogical research?
0:25:05 > 0:25:11'In order to find out I'm meeting Heir Hunter Neil, as I can't see the wood for the family trees.'
0:25:11 > 0:25:14So what's the first step in building your family tree?
0:25:14 > 0:25:18The first tip I always give is to get the biggest piece of paper you can find
0:25:18 > 0:25:22- and go and speak to the oldest person of the family you can find. - OK.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26And start asking them about what they remember about their family.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28Obviously it's just the same as your family,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31but the older the generation, the more they're going to know.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34They're going to know possibly about their grandparents
0:25:34 > 0:25:38whereas you probably won't know about your great-grandparents.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Sounds like a good starting point for any budding genealogists
0:25:41 > 0:25:43interested in their ancestors.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45But what about the pros who do this for a living?
0:25:45 > 0:25:50So how do Heir Hunters draw up a family tree?
0:25:50 > 0:25:54We're very particular about how we draw our family trees because
0:25:54 > 0:25:57our family trees are looked at by lots of different members
0:25:57 > 0:25:59of our staff so it's important we follow
0:25:59 > 0:26:02a couple of uniform rules. So we would start with a
0:26:02 > 0:26:05single person in the middle of the page.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07We then go up and find their parents.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09We'd follow those rules all the way.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12It just means that anyone from anywhere in the office
0:26:12 > 0:26:15can have a look at the family tree and it should be quite clear
0:26:15 > 0:26:17and they should be able to tell instantly what the relationship is
0:26:17 > 0:26:20back to the deceased.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23'I asked Neil to help me construct a family tree.'
0:26:23 > 0:26:27As this isn't a real heir hunt we're going for a more traditional
0:26:27 > 0:26:30tree with me at the bottom and then working our way up.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Neil needs to know everything I know about my family.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- You put yourself down.- Yeah.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- We then put your parents down.- OK.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43So there's Julie and David.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Now do you have any brothers and sisters?
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Yes, sister Victoria.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- Do you know your grandparent's names on your father's side?- Yes.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57They're Betty and Norman.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Do you know your grandmother's maiden name?
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I think it was Morton.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08"Think" in family history unfortunately is not very good.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- It's where we have to start getting the proofs, the documentation.- OK.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15One of those documentations which we use all the time,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19that people have to use to trace their family tree,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21is the certificates.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25We're quite lucky. We have your grandparents' marriage certificates
0:27:25 > 0:27:26here in front of us.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29And it says your grandfather, Norman Leslie Faulkner,
0:27:29 > 0:27:34- and your grandmother, Betty Morton. - Betty Morton.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37So you were right with the surname. Her surname is Morton,
0:27:37 > 0:27:38but obviously now on our family tree
0:27:38 > 0:27:41we're going to start filling in some of the details
0:27:41 > 0:27:42from this certificate.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45OK. And this is them on their wedding day.
0:27:45 > 0:27:53So this photo was taken when this bit of the certificate was filled out.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57So for the family tree we've got Norman Leslie Faulkner,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- so we'd put down Norman Leslie Faulkner.- Right.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- It's important to start recording all the details on the tree now.- OK.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08Certificates of birth, death and marriage are crucial
0:28:08 > 0:28:10to filling in the gaps on anyone's family tree.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16The details they contain are indispensable to the Heir Hunters.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21If you look in the first column, that gives us the date,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and that date is when they got married.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27- That was...- August 24...- 1940.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35Each column in the marriage certificate has a specific piece of information in it.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38In one it lists my grandparents' ages when they were married.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Very helpful to Neil.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43From their ages and the date of the marriage
0:28:43 > 0:28:45we can work out when we think they're going to be born
0:28:45 > 0:28:47or when-abouts.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51The age for your grandfather, he's 28 years old,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54and that would make him being born...?
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Oh, my maths is awful!
0:28:57 > 0:29:00- 1912?- Yes.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Forgetting my maths for a moment, Neil ploughs ahead.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08The other columns tell me that my grandparents were considered
0:29:08 > 0:29:11a spinster and a bachelor.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Basically it means that this was their first marriage.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17It also lists their occupations and place of residence.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21We then get on to something which is very important,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24which is column number seven. Column number seven
0:29:24 > 0:29:27is the father's name and surname.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30This is your great-grandfather's name.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- That is Thomas Faulkner.- Right.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37- So we've got our next bit to put on the family tree.- Yeah.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43As my family tree grows so does my knowledge of my distant kin.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47All marriages require two witnesses to sign the certificate.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50One of these witnesses advances our tree even further.
0:29:50 > 0:29:56One of the witnesses here, we've got the Faulkner name,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Amelia Anne Faulkner.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01We're automatically going to be looking, as we start researching,
0:30:01 > 0:30:02into the Faulkner family
0:30:02 > 0:30:05- to see if we've got this Amelia Anne Faulkner.- Yeah.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09If we do we're going to know straightaway that she's alive in 1940.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12It's amazing. This is fascinating to me.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16It's one of the big joys and thrills of actually
0:30:16 > 0:30:18tracing your own family tree.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22We're already up to your great-grandfather Thomas.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24What we're going to try to do now
0:30:24 > 0:30:26is to expand out.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28In order to do this Neil has dug out details of my
0:30:28 > 0:30:30grandfather Norman's birth.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33We already know his father, my great-grandfather,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35was Thomas Faulkner
0:30:35 > 0:30:39but this birth also gives my great-grandmother's maiden name.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44His mother's maiden name is Bryant. BRYANT.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47So we can add that now to our family tree.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52That Amelia Anne sort of rings a bell.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56She's a witness here in this 1940 marriage.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59There she is - Amelia Anne.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Your great-grandmother was alive in 1940,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05even though your great-grandfather had passed away,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07at the marriage of your grandparents.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10So witnesses are very important.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15In just a matter of minutes the paternal line of my family has been
0:31:15 > 0:31:17laid out in front of me.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20It's a truly fascinating process
0:31:20 > 0:31:22that I recommend to anyone.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31Here are some more unsolved cases where heirs still need to be found.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35The List Of Unclaimed Estates is money that is owed to
0:31:35 > 0:31:38members of the public. New names are added all the time.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41The Bona Vacantia unclaimed list
0:31:41 > 0:31:43is a list of cases that we haven't found kin for.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46The list goes back to 1997 because that's when
0:31:46 > 0:31:49our case management system came online.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52The idea is to produce a list of all those solvent cases,
0:31:52 > 0:31:56so there should be at least a few thousand here, possibly many thousands.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Do these names mean anything to you? Are they relatives of yours?
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Michael Pearse O'Hanlon died in April 2008 in Southampton.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08The surname O'Hanlon is of Irish origin
0:32:08 > 0:32:11and is very rare in the UK
0:32:11 > 0:32:13with just five people in a million with that name.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17Do you share Michael's unusual surname of O'Hanlon?
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Could you be related to him?
0:32:19 > 0:32:24Thomas Edward Ladbrooke died on 1 September 2010
0:32:24 > 0:32:26in Cricklewood in London.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Thomas' ancestors could have been from the village of Ladbroke
0:32:29 > 0:32:33in Warwickshire, or from Norfolk where the name is also found.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Do you remember Thomas?
0:32:37 > 0:32:38Could you be a family member
0:32:38 > 0:32:41and therefore entitled to a share of his estate?
0:32:41 > 0:32:45Martha Zavril died on 29 March 2000 in Harrogate.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49I've got Martha's death certificate here.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51It contains a lot more information about her.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54It says she was born on 6 May 1909 in Austria.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58Did you know Martha? Did she ever talk to you
0:32:58 > 0:33:00about any family over here or in Austria?
0:33:00 > 0:33:03The death certificate also reveals that Martha's maiden name
0:33:03 > 0:33:08was Forstner. Did you have a Forstner back in your family?
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Could you help solve this case?
0:33:10 > 0:33:13A reminder of those names again.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15Michael O'Hanlon,
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Thomas Ladbrooke,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19and Martha Zavril.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22If today's names are relatives of yours then you could
0:33:22 > 0:33:24have a windfall coming your way.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Let's return to the case of art restorer John Woor.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35Can the Heir Hunters find living relatives entitled to inherit his money?
0:33:35 > 0:33:40Dave Slee was hoping to crack John's case. He died in Basildon in Essex
0:33:40 > 0:33:43at the age of 87.
0:33:44 > 0:33:50Without any obvious heirs, all of his small fortune of £13,000 would go to the Treasury,
0:33:50 > 0:33:52but not if Dave could help it.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57He was keen to take advantage of John Woor's extremely rare surname.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02We decided to concentrate firstly our research on the paternal family
0:34:02 > 0:34:06because the surname is relatively uncommon.
0:34:06 > 0:34:12Dave was desperately hoping that John's father James Woor would have siblings
0:34:12 > 0:34:15who would be John's uncles and aunts.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20The deceased father was named James Woor. He in turn was the son of James Woor.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23And he was one of five children.
0:34:23 > 0:34:29But would any of James Woor's brothers or sisters have produced children that could be heirs?
0:34:29 > 0:34:36Two of them, one called Luke Woor and one called Alice Georgiana Woor, had descendants.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Dave decided to focus on Luke Woor first.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Once again I've been blessed with not only a good surname in Woor,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48but Luke is a fairly unusual Christian name.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52And so we located Luke Woor's marriage.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57Dave traced Luke's descendants and discovered his first heir -
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Luke's grandson, John Reeve.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02He is a first cousin once removed
0:35:02 > 0:35:05to John Woor and an heir to his estate.
0:35:05 > 0:35:12A keen family historian, he was amazed and excited when he was contacted by the Heir Hunters.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18John James Woor is a name that didn't mean anything to me at all,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21although I'd researched a little bit about the Woor family.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25John had been very close to his grandfather, Luke Woor.
0:35:25 > 0:35:31I knew quite a lot about him, but he didn't mention anything about any brothers or sisters,
0:35:31 > 0:35:36which I've found out since that he had. So the whole thing is a mystery.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41John Reeve's grandfather Luke, who was John Woor's uncle,
0:35:41 > 0:35:45had been hiding a dreadful secret from his childhood,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49something which might explain why the family lost touch.
0:35:49 > 0:35:56My grandfather, Luke Woor, spent a considerable number of years when he was younger in an orphanage.
0:35:57 > 0:36:05In the late Victorian era, families that had fallen on hard times were often put in the poorhouse,
0:36:05 > 0:36:10but in the case of Luke Woor, he and his siblings were put in a children's home
0:36:10 > 0:36:13while their father went in search of work.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18When they were old enough, they left the orphanage to find work.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22John wonders if that's what happened to John Woor's father.
0:36:22 > 0:36:27I'm just wondering if his father did contact him at any point
0:36:27 > 0:36:33and said, "You're old enough. We've got a job for you in London. Come down and help me out."
0:36:33 > 0:36:40And at that point, of course, my grandfather Luke would have still been in the orphanage,
0:36:40 > 0:36:46so he would have lost contact with James. And, likewise, when my grandfather left the orphanage,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50he probably didn't tell anybody where he went.
0:36:50 > 0:36:56With such humble origins, John was genuinely stunned to learn of his cousin once removed, John Woor,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58and his history.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03I had assumed he would either be a labourer or working on the land
0:37:03 > 0:37:08because all the family I'd been able to trace had some connection with the countryside.
0:37:10 > 0:37:15John Woor's travels with the Army and part in the radical restructuring of India
0:37:15 > 0:37:18were just one aspect of his life.
0:37:20 > 0:37:26Some time between 1947 and the 1950s John retrained as a fine art restorer.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Nick Sangari worked with John in the 1950s
0:37:31 > 0:37:35at the prestigious Hahn and Sons.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39We worked for some of the top London galleries.
0:37:39 > 0:37:45One memory I have of working at Christie's the auctioneers.
0:37:45 > 0:37:52They had a painting there by Burne-Jones. It was approximately 24 feet by 12.
0:37:52 > 0:37:58And to reach the top we had, obviously, to get on a step ladder to work on it.
0:37:58 > 0:38:04And to novice Nick senior restorer John Woor was a master at his art.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07John was a talented restorer.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11He had a good eye for detail.
0:38:13 > 0:38:19In the 1980s, John told his friend Derek Sorrell all about the calibre of work he took on.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23John restored a Rembrandt,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25which was a panel.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29And there was only the head left on the panel.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34So the head had to be re-set into another panel.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38I know he did different frescos around the country at times.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Paintings like this are good examples of John's work.
0:38:43 > 0:38:50His small estate and collection of paintings found in his house came to £13,000.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58Heir Hunter Dave Slee spent weeks researching both sides of the family
0:38:58 > 0:39:03and was amazed at the number of heirs he eventually tracked down.
0:39:03 > 0:39:09We've located in excess of 40 beneficiaries, all round the world, Australia and America.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20Heir John Reeve is on his way to Hertfordshire to meet Derek.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23It's an exciting moment for him.
0:39:23 > 0:39:29He's about to find out more about his illustrious cousin once removed, John Woor.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34- Hi there. I'm Derek.- I'm John. - Welcome. Come in, come in.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38It's the first time he'll see his cousin's work.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43This is a little picture here that he restored for me 25 years ago
0:39:43 > 0:39:47by quite a famous artist called George Charlton.
0:39:47 > 0:39:52The little picture behind you there is actually by John himself.
0:39:52 > 0:39:59That's one he painted himself and the one over there, which is in the manner of Seurat,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01is one he did for me years ago,
0:40:01 > 0:40:06which is really an amazing little piece of art.
0:40:06 > 0:40:11John is thrilled to know there is such a talented artist in the Woor clan.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16- That's phenomenal.- Is it? - Because we have nobody with any talent, as far as I know,
0:40:16 > 0:40:22on that side of the family. All the photos I've got of the family show labourers
0:40:22 > 0:40:26and people working on the farm.
0:40:26 > 0:40:31Derek has quite a few of John's paintings and they're a good example of his versatility.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36This is one John did for me years ago when I was into Russell Flints.
0:40:36 > 0:40:41This is all pencil. John had an amazing amount of talent.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45There's very little he couldn't paint if he wanted to paint.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50It's really good to actually see some of the things he produced
0:40:50 > 0:40:54- and how wonderful they are.- John, you're welcome to take a few home
0:40:54 > 0:40:59- then you've got a few in the family. - Well, that's...
0:40:59 > 0:41:06That's very kind because that would be the only tactile thing we've got as any remembrance.
0:41:06 > 0:41:12- Yeah.- This one in particular, this is a brilliant piece of work. - Yeah.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16- You're more than welcome. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:41:21 > 0:41:27For John Reeve, meeting Derek and finding out about John Woor has been a real eye-opener.
0:41:27 > 0:41:34It's nice to know what a great man he was. To actually see the variety of paintings that he's produced
0:41:34 > 0:41:40and he was absolutely prolific and spent most of his life doing landscapes and charcoal.
0:41:40 > 0:41:47Nothing like I imagined I was going to find out. He'd obviously contributed a lot to a lot of people
0:41:47 > 0:41:51and he's done a lot in the life that he's had.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56And I can now go home and tell the family and share it with everybody. Brilliant day.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10John had a fascinating career as fine art restorer
0:42:10 > 0:42:13but some in the trade crossed the line from restoration
0:42:13 > 0:42:15to forgery.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18I'm here to meet gallery owner Johnathan Brandler
0:42:18 > 0:42:21who ran another gallery back in the 1960s
0:42:21 > 0:42:24and can tell me about John's work,
0:42:24 > 0:42:28but also a contemporary of John's who took on the art world.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32John Woor worked at the Hahn Gallery in the 1950s and '60s,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35what would he have been doing?
0:42:35 > 0:42:37The Hahn Gallery were very high-end market.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41He would have been cleaning and mending any pictures that they had bought
0:42:41 > 0:42:44either at country house sales or in the big London auction houses
0:42:44 > 0:42:48to make them presentable to the public. People didn't want to buy
0:42:48 > 0:42:51pictures with all the dirt of ages on,
0:42:51 > 0:42:52the smoke.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Don't forget, all the big houses, everybody had coal fires,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58so you have all the coal smoke over the paintings making them
0:42:58 > 0:43:00dark and dingy and brown.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03He would have taken all that dirt off, mended any holes in the
0:43:03 > 0:43:07canvases and he would have then made the pictures look attractive.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10People at that time wanted pictures as if they'd come off
0:43:10 > 0:43:11the artist's easel.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13They didn't want any age showing.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16They didn't want the cracks, they didn't want the patina of age.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19They wanted things to look brand-new. They wanted crisp, clean lines.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Were there other people working with him in the gallery?
0:43:22 > 0:43:24There was another guy there called Tom Keating.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Tom didn't stay at the Hahn Galleries all that long
0:43:27 > 0:43:30because Tom fell out, I think, with the Hahn Galleries
0:43:30 > 0:43:32because Tom used to enhance pictures.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35Tom would think that if you had a nice traditional landscape
0:43:35 > 0:43:37maybe you needed a pretty little girl in the corner,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40or a child with a dog,
0:43:40 > 0:43:42or a boy with a balloon, or something like that.
0:43:42 > 0:43:47Art restorer Tom Keating was a self-taught artist like John
0:43:47 > 0:43:51and by all accounts he was a charismatic and colourful man.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54His tendency to enhance rather than restore paintings
0:43:54 > 0:43:57eventually led to his leaving the gallery
0:43:57 > 0:44:00but it set him on a completely new path instead.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04Trouble is that Tom decided he wasn't getting the recognition
0:44:04 > 0:44:08he deserved and the work that he did was never noticed
0:44:08 > 0:44:12and because it wasn't noticed and he wasn't getting any recognition
0:44:12 > 0:44:14he decided there might be more fun in life if he went out
0:44:14 > 0:44:17and started doing the whole painting and not bothering
0:44:17 > 0:44:19with an original painting to start with.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22He went out, he collected old materials,
0:44:22 > 0:44:25which were easy to find at that time just after the war.
0:44:25 > 0:44:27He would do an awful lot of research in the local libraries
0:44:27 > 0:44:31and he would find paintings that were known to exist,
0:44:31 > 0:44:33but were missing.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35His heroes were Turner and Constable
0:44:35 > 0:44:37and Samuel Palmer.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39So he did a lot of work in those three as well as others.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42And he realised that nobody could tell the difference.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45He would go to a saleroom, buy 50 old frames
0:44:45 > 0:44:48and some of them would have gallery labels on the back.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52So he would do a painting in the style of whatever the label said...
0:44:54 > 0:44:56..put it in a frame, put it in a small auction house.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59And he wasn't in it for the money. A lot of the forgers over the years
0:44:59 > 0:45:03aren't in it for the money. They're in it for the recognition
0:45:03 > 0:45:05that they are as good as their hero.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09Tom as a forger wanted to fool people
0:45:09 > 0:45:11who deserved to be fooled.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13Who were his targets?
0:45:13 > 0:45:17His targets were the stuffed shirts of the art world.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20His targets were the people that thought they knew everything
0:45:20 > 0:45:23and because they knew everything they could never get caught.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26So he would do a painting,
0:45:26 > 0:45:27he would put it in an old frame,
0:45:27 > 0:45:31then he would take it into one of the Bond Street galleries
0:45:31 > 0:45:33and say something like,
0:45:33 > 0:45:36"I've found this in the attic. I've talked to a mate down the pub.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39"He said it was valuable, so I've brought it up to London.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41"Would you like it?"
0:45:41 > 0:45:43The gallery would buy this picture for £200
0:45:43 > 0:45:46and say, "Won't you take less?" "No."
0:45:46 > 0:45:48"Oh, all right, we'll buy it off you."
0:45:48 > 0:45:51And they'd sell it within a week for 20,000...
0:45:51 > 0:45:52My gosh.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54..because they weren't looking at it with an honest eye.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56They were looking at it with a greedy eye.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58And because they were the experts,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00Tom got his pleasure not from the amount of money
0:46:00 > 0:46:02he was putting in his back pocket,
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Tom got his pleasure by fooling the so-called expert.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08Tom started painting more and more forgeries.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12The prolific nature of his work was what was to cause his downfall.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15How was he eventually exposed?
0:46:15 > 0:46:17He did too many in the same style.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20A journalist for the Times, Geraldine Norman,
0:46:20 > 0:46:23she wrote a book and she exposed him
0:46:23 > 0:46:27because a gallery in London had got an exhibition of
0:46:27 > 0:46:29Samuel Palmers, and there were just too many.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32They were all the same, almost all the same.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35And there were too many of them.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37Samuel Palmer, obviously he painted his whole life,
0:46:37 > 0:46:41but there aren't... It's not a huge number of works.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44And to get 20, 30, 40 paintings by Samuel Palmer
0:46:44 > 0:46:46in one room at one time is an impossibility.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49But this gallery had them.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52And it wasn't until somebody went in there and looked with an honest eye,
0:46:52 > 0:46:54Geraldine Norman,
0:46:54 > 0:46:57and then it was blindingly obvious.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59- Right.- And he got caught.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02Now most crooks, because he was a crook,
0:47:02 > 0:47:05would have done a runner. He had a house in Tenerife,
0:47:05 > 0:47:08so he could have gone to Tenerife and never been found.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10But, he didn't literally, but he virtually stood up
0:47:10 > 0:47:12in the middle of Bond Street
0:47:12 > 0:47:16and said, "You don't know what you're talking about. "You're supposed to be the expert.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19"How can I, a self-taught artist, fool you that easily?"
0:47:19 > 0:47:22Once exposed, Tom reached celebrity status.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26He was widely written about and had television shows made about him
0:47:26 > 0:47:27and his art.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31The public viewed him as a Robin Hood figure of the art world,
0:47:31 > 0:47:34because he'd fooled the dealers.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37Tom's philosophy was, "It doesn't matter about the name attached
0:47:37 > 0:47:41"to a painting, if it's good and makes you smile then it's art.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43"End of discussion."
0:47:43 > 0:47:45I think it's lovely. Tom is now better known
0:47:45 > 0:47:48than a lot of the artists that he forged.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51He wasn't trying to be dishonest to people who genuinely liked art,
0:47:51 > 0:47:54he was only trying to be dishonest to people that were greedy about it.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58So Tom Keatings now fetch thousands of pounds.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02Tom Keating in his own right has become world famous.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04It's a wonderful complete circle.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16Finally, let's return to the case of Brett Miller.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Can the Heir Hunters make contact with his family
0:48:19 > 0:48:22and conform they've identified the rightful heirs to Brett's estate?
0:48:22 > 0:48:28Brett died tragically in 2003 when he committed suicide.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34He was only 39 when he died. Very, very young.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40The team have found out that Brett married Trudi in 1986
0:48:40 > 0:48:43and had a son called James.
0:48:45 > 0:48:51After divorcing Trudi, he then went on to live with Natalie and had two children,
0:48:51 > 0:48:55a boy and a girl, who are now young teenagers.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59- There's Brett at Dad's 40th. - He looks like Barry Manilow!
0:48:59 > 0:49:03Alison Miller was married to one of Brett's brothers.
0:49:03 > 0:49:09She remembers Brett as a very young dad that was devastated when he split with his first wife, Trudi.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14He was very upset about the split-up.
0:49:14 > 0:49:19Very upset not to see his son as much as he'd like to.
0:49:20 > 0:49:25He loved his children. You know, he loved James.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27He was very proud of him.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29He idolised him, really.
0:49:31 > 0:49:37- There he is at my wedding. - Aww, he looks very small there, doesn't he?- Yeah.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39He grew up so quickly.
0:49:40 > 0:49:47Alison had known Brett from when he was a teenager and the news of his suicide left her reeling.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51It was quite a shock. I had a phone call
0:49:51 > 0:49:55and I was told that he'd been found dead in his flat,
0:49:55 > 0:49:58which was very sad. Very sad.
0:49:59 > 0:50:04I just think it's really sad that someone as young as him,
0:50:04 > 0:50:08he wasn't REALLY young, but someone with so much potential,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11you know, life ended like that.
0:50:15 > 0:50:20- He was so cute. - He looks beautiful.- A sweetheart.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28Brett died eight years ago in 2003
0:50:28 > 0:50:34and his name has only just appeared on the Treasury list of unclaimed estates.
0:50:34 > 0:50:40At the moment, the Heir Hunters have no idea why it's there or how much the estate is worth.
0:50:40 > 0:50:45The minimum amount to qualify for the list is £5,000.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49Brett's ex-girlfriend Natalie might know if he had money
0:50:49 > 0:50:53and her children will also be entitled to a share of his estate,
0:50:53 > 0:50:57but will the Heir Hunters be able to find her?
0:50:57 > 0:51:02- I'm too old to be running! - In Surrey, Heir Hunter Bob Barrett thought he had found her.
0:51:02 > 0:51:07- Hello. Are you Natalie?- But then... - You're not Natalie Townsend.
0:51:08 > 0:51:13But there is good news. It may have been a false start,
0:51:13 > 0:51:16but now Bob's found the right address.
0:51:19 > 0:51:24- Hello. Natalie Townsend?- Yes. - Hi, my name's Bob Barrett...
0:51:24 > 0:51:29She is not entitled to inherit, but her and Brett's two children are.
0:51:29 > 0:51:35- You had a relationship with a Mr Miller?- Yes. - Who died back in 2003.- Yes.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37- Did you have children with him?- Yes.
0:51:37 > 0:51:42- Well, we think they will be heirs to an estate that he's left.- Right.
0:51:42 > 0:51:48I don't quite understand how he died back in 2003
0:51:48 > 0:51:51and the estate has only just come to notice.
0:51:51 > 0:51:59And I can't tell you how much it is because I don't know. Would you know how he has left an estate?
0:51:59 > 0:52:01- No.- No.
0:52:01 > 0:52:07Unfortunately, Natalie can't give them any reason why Brett's estate has been advertised now.
0:52:07 > 0:52:12- So you've got no idea where this money might have come from?- No idea.
0:52:12 > 0:52:17Natalie agrees to sign with the company on behalf of her two children.
0:52:17 > 0:52:23As they are minors, she will manage the inheritance until they are old enough.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27Natalie was with Brett for 11 years, on and off.
0:52:27 > 0:52:32He was a regular father. He always came to see the children after we'd split up.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37But there was something about Brett that made family life difficult
0:52:37 > 0:52:42and Natalie and the kids experienced it first-hand.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46Most of the time it was good, but some of the time it was horrendous.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49He was an alcoholic.
0:52:49 > 0:52:55His drinking, and his eventual suicide, had shattering consequences.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58My boy is still in counselling now
0:52:58 > 0:53:00and it all stems from Brett's death.
0:53:02 > 0:53:03It was a shock.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07The children, they miss their father.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11- Bye.- Bye-bye.
0:53:14 > 0:53:20It's a heartbreaking story of addiction and the catastrophic effects on a family.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25Bob phones in to the office.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29- Hello?- Hi, Dave. Bob Barrett.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34- Hi, Bob.- Just to let you know I've seen Natalie, Natalie Townsend.
0:53:34 > 0:53:41She has signed an agreement on her own behalf and on behalf of her two children.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45Natalie couldn't tell them how much Brett's estate might be worth,
0:53:45 > 0:53:53but as far as the hunt for his eldest son James is concerned, David Pacifico has some good news.
0:53:53 > 0:53:59- It looks like the full story. - They've found Brett's ex-wife, Trudi, the mother of James
0:53:59 > 0:54:01and the final piece in the puzzle.
0:54:01 > 0:54:08James will be due one third of the estate. I understand he's at university somewhere.
0:54:08 > 0:54:16So I'll leave some paperwork with his mother with a view to her forwarding it on to him.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20Trudi was divorced from Brett 20 years ago and remarried.
0:54:21 > 0:54:27- Hello, Bob Barrett. I think you're expecting me. - Yes.- Excellent.
0:54:27 > 0:54:34The Heir Hunters' biggest worry is that James may have been adopted by her new husband.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38If he has been adopted, he will no longer be entitled.
0:54:38 > 0:54:44- We weren't sure whether James had been adopted.- There was talk of it, but we didn't get round to it.
0:54:44 > 0:54:49- It's quite a long process.- Quite. - So James just decided to change his name by deed poll.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52- Oh, he's done it by deed poll?- Yeah.
0:54:52 > 0:54:57Trudi and James hadn't seen Brett for some time before his death.
0:54:57 > 0:55:01When we separated originally and then divorced,
0:55:01 > 0:55:06he was only allowed supervised access.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10He did that a couple of times and then it drifted apart.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14I don't think he felt that comfortable with people there.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17So, yeah, we kind of lost contact.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22- Thanks very much. Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29It's been an unusual case for the Heir Hunters.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31It's been quite an interesting day.
0:55:31 > 0:55:37We've identified three heirs and I've not seen any of them,
0:55:37 > 0:55:44although I've spoken to the parent... to the parents of all three.
0:55:44 > 0:55:47A bit unusual, that.
0:55:52 > 0:56:00In the office, case manager David Pacifico is pleased, but still a little puzzled by the story.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04This is a strange case. The fact that he died so many years ago
0:56:04 > 0:56:09and they all knew that he died and dealt with matters then,
0:56:09 > 0:56:17but, of course, what this matter... Why this matter has come to light further
0:56:17 > 0:56:23is obviously some further assets, which obviously weren't known at the time when he died.
0:56:25 > 0:56:31The team estimates the final value of Brett's estate to be around £5,000.
0:56:31 > 0:56:37Although they don't know where the money has come from, it could be interest on savings
0:56:37 > 0:56:41or a forgotten insurance policy maturing.
0:56:45 > 0:56:50James, Brett's eldest son, is now 21 and studying at university.
0:56:50 > 0:56:56His father's legacy will go towards his studies to be a pharmacist.
0:56:56 > 0:57:02When I found out this money was here, I was so surprised. I had a phone call from my mum
0:57:02 > 0:57:09and she said, "You'll never believe what's just happened. You've actually got some money coming."
0:57:09 > 0:57:14I said, "Where's it coming from?" And she said, "It's from your dad."
0:57:14 > 0:57:20Unlike Natalie's children, he didn't have a lot to do with his father.
0:57:20 > 0:57:26When I last saw him I was about three years old and I was at my grandmother's house.
0:57:26 > 0:57:31He came round with a colouring book full of dinosaurs
0:57:31 > 0:57:34and I sat and did that and he read the paper.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39That's my last memory of seeing him.
0:57:39 > 0:57:45Having lost touch at such a young age, James is philosophical about his father's alcoholism
0:57:45 > 0:57:48and his tragic death.
0:57:48 > 0:57:54The story of my dad, I don't really feel as though it's affected how I feel about parenting.
0:57:54 > 0:58:00I think that maybe, if anything, it's made me want to be a better parent towards my children.
0:58:03 > 0:58:10My father was an alcoholic. He didn't have his priorities right, I think was the main problem.
0:58:10 > 0:58:15Which I think comes with alcoholism. You end up losing sight of what's really important in life.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18But he wasn't a stupid man.
0:58:20 > 0:58:26He just lost his way a bit and couldn't find his way back to the path.
0:58:43 > 0:58:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd