0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to Heir Hunters,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07where we follow the search for living family of people who've died
0:00:07 > 0:00:10without leaving a will, hoping to unite them with a forgotten fortune.
0:00:12 > 0:00:18Today the Heir Hunters are racing to track down the heirs to an estate worth £37,000.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Their job now is to beat the competition
0:00:22 > 0:00:25and be the first to find the long-lost relatives
0:00:25 > 0:00:28who have no idea they could be in line for a windfall.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- Could they be knocking at your door? - BUZZER
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Coming up on today's programme:
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I like where it's all staying in one area for us.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57It's absolutely all over the place.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59the hunt for one man's descendants
0:00:59 > 0:01:01leads the heir hunters on a nationwide search.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03We're covering every county in the country,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06and that's usually a very bad sign from our point of view.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09The heir hunters investigate
0:01:09 > 0:01:13the £225,000 estate of Arthur William Jones.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17But in the process, uncover his tragic life story.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Though Arthur hadn't died in the Second World War,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24his life really had ended as anybody else would have known it.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And I'll be investigating Arthur's past further,
0:01:28 > 0:01:33talking to the experts about his experiences of war in North Africa.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37There's constant psychological tension, if you like,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40because you don't know where death is coming from.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Plus, how you could be entitled to unclaimed inheritance,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46where heirs need to be found.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Could you be in line for a cash payout?
0:01:59 > 0:02:04Every year in the UK, over 300,000 people die without leaving a will.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06If no relatives are found,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10then any money that's left behind will go to the Government.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14And last year they made £14 million from unclaimed estates.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19But there are over 30 specialist firms competing to stop this happening.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23They are the heir hunters, and they make it their business
0:02:23 > 0:02:27to track down missing relatives and help them claim their rightful inheritance.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31The people that we trace are entitled to this money
0:02:31 > 0:02:34and we like to try and do all that we can to make sure that they get it.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Our first case today features a man from Manchester
0:02:42 > 0:02:44who died without leaving a will.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46But with possible family spread far and wide,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50the pressure is on for the team to track down his rightful heirs.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58It's Thursday morning in London, and overnight the Treasury
0:02:58 > 0:03:01has advertised a new list of names of unclaimed estates.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06But today things are going to be a little different for staff
0:03:06 > 0:03:08at heir hunting company Fraser & Fraser.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Yeah, OK.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Partner Neil is using an alternative list of names that is only
0:03:13 > 0:03:16published every two or three months.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19So what we're working today are a few cases which are
0:03:19 > 0:03:22slightly different than our standard Treasury cases.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24They're Duchy of Lancaster cases.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28The Duchy of Lancaster is actually the Queen, the Monarch.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Um, this means that the money
0:03:29 > 0:03:32doesn't directly go to the Government, it goes to the Queen.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35This actually goes into her own personal coffers.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39The Duchy of Lancaster is one of two Royal Duchies in England.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42The other is the Duchy of Cornwall, and these are traditionally used
0:03:42 > 0:03:44to provide income for the British monarch.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49This revenue comes from the people who die intestate
0:03:49 > 0:03:51within certain parts of these districts,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53where the land is still owned by the Crown.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Another difference from Treasury cases
0:03:57 > 0:04:01is that Neil knows exactly what an estate's worth.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02It's 37,000.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06With Duchies, we still get given the value on the cases.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10However, they're generally a lot smaller than the Treasury cases.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13So 37,000 is still in our budget to, to work.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18What Neil means is that chasing a case of £37,000
0:04:18 > 0:04:22is financially viable for the company,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24as long as they can turn it around quickly.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27If they can keep the manpower, timescale and resources
0:04:27 > 0:04:30used to find David Johnson's heirs to a minimum,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33it will mean there's a profit in it for the heir hunters.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Get in touch with Dave Hadley and send him there.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Wanting a speedy result,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Neil hands the estate over to senior case manager David Pacifico.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44OK, bye.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47David has over 40 years' experience at heir-hunting
0:04:47 > 0:04:52and if anyone can turn this case around quickly, it's him.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Neil and David share what information they have so far.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58- What was the date?- 18.04.56.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Initial research into the death records has given them
0:05:03 > 0:05:05a speculative date of birth for the deceased -
0:05:05 > 0:05:08a good starting point for the heir hunters.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11I've got a Duchy case out today of a David Johnson. ..Bye.
0:05:16 > 0:05:22David Johnson died aged just 53 on 25th January, 2010.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26He left no will and no known relatives.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27He died alone in his Manchester flat
0:05:27 > 0:05:31and was discovered by friends, who alerted the police.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It was a sad end for a man renowned for his sense of humour
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and love of life.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40His friend David Fisher remembers a vibrant character
0:05:40 > 0:05:44who he first befriended over a crossword puzzle down the pub.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48The first time I met him, 28 years ago.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51And he was happy, outgoing.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Loved his cigarettes, loved his beer. All the time, happy.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58We had great laughs together.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01In the week, David Johnson was a biochemist.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02But on the weekends,
0:06:02 > 0:06:07his greatest pleasure was walking in the great outdoors.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08David and his friends
0:06:08 > 0:06:11ventured from the Yorkshire Moors to the Lake District,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13looking for good walks and good pubs.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16But at the end of 2009, David Johnson
0:06:16 > 0:06:20dropped off his friends' radar and stopped visiting his old haunts.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Towards the end of David's life...
0:06:26 > 0:06:30..he became...almost invisible.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32You couldn't see him.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36He disappeared, as though he'd moved to another part of the town.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39But he hadn't.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41He was actually suffering from an undiagnosed cancer
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and started avoiding his friends.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49It was only by chance that David Fisher saw him in hospital.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52But it was obvious his old friend didn't want to talk.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56I think he'd pretended he hadn't seen me, yeah.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Which was a bit sad, really, because, you know,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01we weren't distant friends or anything.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03We were pretty close at the time.
0:07:04 > 0:07:10So maybe he was just a bit frightened of...expressing himself.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14When David Johnson finally sought medical help for his cancer,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16he was told it was terminal.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19And just two weeks later, he died.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22The day in the hospital was the last time I saw him alive.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24I never got to say any goodbyes,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27you know, or try and cheer him up a bit,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30take him on a bit of a camping holiday.
0:07:30 > 0:07:37You know, he sort of retired into himself. He wouldn't go anywhere.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40David Johnson left behind friends who miss him.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44But for the heir hunters, it's about whether he left any family, as well.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53What's the time now?
0:07:53 > 0:07:56David Pacifico is already on the hunt for David's heirs.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01The team's initial research into the death register suggests
0:08:01 > 0:08:05that even although the deceased passed away in Manchester,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08there was a David Johnson born in April 1956, in London
0:08:08 > 0:08:10that could be their man.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Can I get Jo to go to Islington Registry Office?
0:08:14 > 0:08:17David Johnson's birth certificate is crucial to the hunt.
0:08:17 > 0:08:23On it will be his parents' names - a must-have when tracking down heirs.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26David Pacifico puts in a call to researcher Jo, who is
0:08:26 > 0:08:30out on the streets of London, ready to visit any register office
0:08:30 > 0:08:31the team needs her to.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Could you go to Islington Registry Office and pick up the birth,
0:08:34 > 0:08:35hopefully, on one of them?
0:08:35 > 0:08:39At this early stage, all the team's research is speculative,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42including the deceased's date of birth.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Well, hopefully born on 18th April.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48And if that's the case, we'd also have the parents names.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50But we need that birth.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55From the team's initial research,
0:08:55 > 0:09:00they think David's parents could be an Alan Johnson and an Edna Daniels,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02although they won't know this for sure
0:09:02 > 0:09:05until they get their hands on his birth certificate.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07But because David died relatively young,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10there is a possibility his parents outlived him.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Roger is hard at work.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Well, hopefully we've got the right David Johnson birth,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20and if we have, I'm just seeing if the parents are still alive
0:09:20 > 0:09:22as he's not that old a person.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25So...I'll have a look around and see if there's any...
0:09:25 > 0:09:28any Ednas and Alans still together.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Roger finds a potential marriage for David's parents,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36but despite this, it's all still a bit confusing.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39He was born in, er, London.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42His potential parents also married in London,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45but he died in Manchester.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47So he might have gone on his own, or they might have all gone,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49so it's still a stab in the dark at the moment.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51But case manager David Pacifico
0:09:51 > 0:09:54knows you have to speculate to accumulate,
0:09:54 > 0:09:59and his team have found a potential last address for the deceased.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02If it's correct, then they may have tracked down
0:10:02 > 0:10:04a neighbour who knew David Johnson.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08We're trying to trace the next of kin of a David Johnson.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10At this stage, any additional information
0:10:10 > 0:10:12will be welcomed by the heir hunters.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15All right. Thank you. Bye-bye.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18The phone call fills in details,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22but details that don't help David Pacifico in his hunt for heirs.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Well, we've got the right address for the deceased,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27but I believe he'd only been living there for a few years
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and she had absolutely no knowledge where he came from,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32any family or anything like that.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Everything is still up in the air.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Are David Johnson's parents still alive?
0:10:38 > 0:10:42And even if they are, is the team even chasing the right family?
0:10:42 > 0:10:47All they can do is speculate and plan for every eventuality.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50- How are we doing, Roger?- We're trying to track down the parents, yeah.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- What about siblings? - Doesn't look like there are any.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55I think that if Jo picks up the birth, just obviously,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57do it one bit at a time.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- Yeah.- Can you hold the door for me, sir, while you're there?
0:11:00 > 0:11:05Fortunately, across the office, researcher Gareth is making headway.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Even though again, it's headway of a speculative nature.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Very speccy, because we haven't got any certificates.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13We don't even know if the parents we've got of the deceased
0:11:13 > 0:11:18are correct, but if it is, there's a Ronald born in 1931.
0:11:18 > 0:11:24Um, having trouble finding a marriage for him. So, again, speccy.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26I've possibly got HIS son,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29so that would be a potential cousin of the deceased.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Er, trying to track him down now. His name's Ian Ronald Daniels.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39To kick-start this hunt, the team are investigating the maternal line.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Using David's mother's maiden name of Daniels,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Gareth has potentially found Edna's birth in Sheffield.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49If this is correct, it would make her parents
0:11:49 > 0:11:52a Frederick Daniels and Agnes Brown.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54He then searched for other children from their marriage
0:11:54 > 0:11:57and has come up with a brother Ronald, who has passed away
0:11:57 > 0:11:59but left living children.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Gareth passes on his tentative lead.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08He has two children - Stephen and Ian Ronald Daniels.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Born in Sheffield?
0:12:11 > 0:12:13- I think.- Epping?
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Despite this promising lead,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19the team's hunt is still far from finished.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22All the research into David's cousins could prove useless
0:12:22 > 0:12:25if they discover his parents are still alive,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29as they would be the rightful heirs to his estate.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31To add to their worries, the speculative family tree
0:12:31 > 0:12:36Gareth's putting together is all over the place.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40We've got a deceased who died in Manchester, born in Islington,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44potential parents Wood Green, which is fine, goes with the birth,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and then the mother potentially born in Yorkshire.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49So, we're gradually covering the entire country.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Now, if my Ronald marriage is right, which is a long stretch, really,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58then he married in Hertfordshire and his children are in Essex.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01So we're gradually covering every county in the country.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03It's frustrating stuff
0:13:03 > 0:13:07when you're working on a case you know is worth £37,000.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10And Gareth isn't the only one feeling it.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12I'm losing the will to live here.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14There it is, see, Rhodri had it.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20David now has a phone number for the potential cousin of the deceased.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23But he's in for yet more frustration.
0:13:23 > 0:13:24Unobtainable.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28The phone number doesn't work.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30David is back to waiting on the birth certificate
0:13:30 > 0:13:32for confirmation that they are chasing the right family.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Researcher Joe has ordered the certificate
0:13:36 > 0:13:40from Islington Register Office, but has to wait until they've found it.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43How are you getting on with that birth, any...?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Right, on the basis that it's right,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53we think the parents may have got married in Wood Green,
0:13:53 > 0:13:54which is Haringey.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Would you mind possibly going over there afterwards?
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Until David Pacifico can confirm his family tree and the cousins
0:14:01 > 0:14:04they've found, he has frustratingly little
0:14:04 > 0:14:06for his travelling heir hunter to do.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Bob Barratt is one of the company's squadron of senior researchers
0:14:16 > 0:14:19who are willing to go wherever a case takes them
0:14:19 > 0:14:20in the hunt for heirs.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Their goal is to meet face to face with long-lost relatives
0:14:24 > 0:14:27and hopefully get them to sign up with the company.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32But for the time being, Bob will have to wait like everyone else
0:14:32 > 0:14:34for David Johnson's birth certificate.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37It's crucial for confirming that
0:14:37 > 0:14:40the basic details for this case are correct,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44and not leading the heir hunters on a wild goose chase.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48And, birth certificate aside, the team still doesn't know for certain
0:14:48 > 0:14:50what's become of the deceased's parents.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53If we get that second Christian name, we might be able to do a bit more,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56but we are worried that she's still alive.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Born 1924, so she could be in a home.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Yet again, it's more guesswork, and until the team start getting
0:15:03 > 0:15:05some firm answers on this case,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08all their initial research could be in vain.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Later in the programme, the team may have found David's cousins,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17but they still haven't found his mother.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20My own feeling is that I think she could be alive.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Every year, thousands of cases are cracked by heir hunters
0:15:31 > 0:15:32across the UK.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35But there are always a few estates that remain a mystery,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37finding themselves in the unsolved file.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43The Government list of over 2,000 estates is money that is owed
0:15:43 > 0:15:44to members of the public,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47but you must be related by blood ties to the deceased.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53People need to prove their entitlement by producing
0:15:53 > 0:15:56documentary evidence - various certificates of birth,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00death and marriage, which we will tell them was required,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and then they will need documents of identity.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06If your claim looks like it has merit,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09then the Bona Vacantia Division will take it further.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12You get two experienced people looking at each claim,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and, ultimately, if it's a big claim or a little bit complex,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17it could go higher. We generally find the right answer.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21If there isn't evidence, then we can't give the money away, because it's public money.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23If there's evidence, then the case is made out.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Let's look at some of the names from the unclaimed list.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Could you be the heir they've been looking for?
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Could you be in line for a windfall worth hundreds,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36thousands, or even millions of pounds?
0:16:36 > 0:16:41Margaret Grant-Paxton died in East Sussex in September 1996.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45She passed away in the Eastbourne District General Hospital.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Does her distinctive double-barrelled name
0:16:47 > 0:16:49mean anything to you?
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Do you remember Margaret? Was she a relative of yours?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Or did you know Herbert Fallows Worsnop?
0:16:56 > 0:17:00He died in March 2001 in Hampshire.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03He may have passed away in the South of England,
0:17:03 > 0:17:08but the vast majority of Worsnops live in and around Yorkshire.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11So far, all efforts to trace Herbert's heirs have failed.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Can you help solve his case?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Or finally, Mabel Presence,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20who died in Camberwell Green in London back in 1994.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25Her surname is extremely rare in the UK.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Was Mabel a friend or colleague of yours?
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Did she mention any family?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Do these names mean anything to you?
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Here's a reminder.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Margaret Grant-Paxton,
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Herbert Worsnop
0:17:38 > 0:17:40and Mabel Presence.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43So if any of the names on today's list are relatives of yours,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45you could have a windfall coming your way.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Next, the case of a man from Wales who died without leaving a will,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58and whose early life was a mystery to those who cared for him.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Can the team find living family entitled to his estate?
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Heir hunting companies don't always source unclaimed estates
0:18:07 > 0:18:11from the Treasury or the two Royal Duchies.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Sometimes they will be approached by solicitors
0:18:14 > 0:18:17acting on behalf of a deceased client.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19But no matter where a case comes from,
0:18:19 > 0:18:24the heir hunters' role is the same - to track down long-lost relatives
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and inform them of their rightful inheritance.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Arthur William Jones died in January 2011
0:18:33 > 0:18:35in a nursing home in Cardiff.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Arthur was 90 years old when he passed away,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and with no known relatives and no known will,
0:18:41 > 0:18:46his mammoth £225,000 estate went unclaimed.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Arthur had been in College Fields Nursing Home for eight years,
0:18:50 > 0:18:55and matron Rachel Kemp thought of him as one of the family.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01Arthur, he was a gregarious sort of chap once you got him going.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02SHE LAUGHS
0:19:02 > 0:19:06And he loved singing songs that... It would have been war songs.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08"Daisy, Daisy" was one of his favourites,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11so if you wanted to get Arthur wound up, if you started singing
0:19:11 > 0:19:15"Daisy, Daisy", he would start singing with you.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17But Arthur was unfortunately very ill.
0:19:17 > 0:19:24Before College Fields, he'd been in a mental hospital since 1979,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and dementia.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Other than this, most of his past was a complete mystery
0:19:31 > 0:19:34to Rachel and the other staff.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36We knew nothing of Arthur's background,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39only that he'd been a long, long-stay patient in Whitchurch Hospital,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and that he'd been wounded in World War Two.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46That was the sum total of Arthur's history, as far as we were concerned.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51After his death, Rachel and a solicitor appointed to Arthur
0:19:51 > 0:19:55by the state tried in vain to trace any family he may have had.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58Hitting a dead end,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02the solicitor decided to contact heir-hunting company Fraser & Fraser
0:20:02 > 0:20:04to see if they'd have more luck finding the heirs
0:20:04 > 0:20:08to Arthur's sizeable £225,000 estate.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12It is almost certainly going to be in Cardiff, isn't it?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Bob Smith is one of the company's case managers,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and the job of finding Arthur's heirs fell on his desk.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Obviously, the deceased had died without making a will
0:20:22 > 0:20:26and there were no family members, apparently, that were in contact with him,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28certainly no family members that visited him
0:20:28 > 0:20:31in the nursing home where he died.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33In the first instance,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Bob wasn't too happy about working a name like Arthur William Jones.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Jones is one of the most common surnames in Wales,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and solving cases with this name are notoriously difficult
0:20:46 > 0:20:48for the heir hunters,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50but Bob was given a head start.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Amongst the papers given to us
0:20:52 > 0:20:56by the solicitors was a copy of our deceased's birth certificate.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00That obviously has his parents' names on it.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04From there, we were able to identify their marriage in 1906.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Arthur's parents were George Jones and Laura Maud Rich.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Bob's next task was to identify
0:21:11 > 0:21:15whether they had any children apart from Arthur.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Using the details gathered from the marriage certificate,
0:21:17 > 0:21:21he trawled the birth records and struck gold.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22There were eight children.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28So Arthur had in fact had four brothers and three sisters.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Bob's problem was they were all called Jones
0:21:31 > 0:21:34and all born in Wales, but luck was on his side again.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Amongst the deceased's papers were mention of three family members.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46These were the initials and surnames of a suspected brother,
0:21:46 > 0:21:47niece and nephew.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52From the paperwork, Bob discovered the name J Jones matched up
0:21:52 > 0:21:55to Arthur's brother on the 1911 census records.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Now the team worked the niece's initials and surname.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05By using the birth and marriage records, they found
0:22:05 > 0:22:09who could be J Jones' daughter, and therefore Arthur's niece.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11But it was a long shot.
0:22:13 > 0:22:19On a hunch, we then located that lady, and she did in fact
0:22:19 > 0:22:23turn out to be the niece who was named in the deceased's papers.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Bob had found his first heir, and she was able to tell him
0:22:27 > 0:22:29crucial information about the family.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35And having interviewed her, we confirmed that two of those
0:22:35 > 0:22:39children had died in infancy, so that left five siblings
0:22:39 > 0:22:43to our deceased where there were possible descendants.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Arthur was from a military family,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49and when the Second World War broke out in 1939, both he
0:22:49 > 0:22:53and his brothers were at a prime age for conscription into the Army.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59But according to the niece Bob had found,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Arthur returned from the war a shell shocked and broken man,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06an affliction that was still haunting him into his 80s.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09His trauma from the war was witnessed first-hand
0:23:09 > 0:23:13by his nursing home's matron, Rachel Kemp.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Initially, on coming in to us, Arthur was obviously a gentleman
0:23:16 > 0:23:21who was quite disturbed, and would be able to have a normal
0:23:21 > 0:23:26or semi-normal conversation with you and then would get very distressed,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28would shout out about being in the trenches,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32about... Hitler was coming, things like that.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Over 50 years later,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38and Arthur's experiences of war were still haunting him.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39After his death,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42matron Rachel tried her hardest to piece together the tragic story
0:23:42 > 0:23:46of his adult life, and what led him to College Fields Nursing Home.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52We found out the fact that he was wounded at 24,
0:23:53 > 0:23:57and although Arthur hadn't died in the Second World War,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01his life really had ended, as anybody else would have known it,
0:24:01 > 0:24:07because he became homeless, he became isolated from his family,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09ended up in a mental hospital...
0:24:09 > 0:24:13So life had had major repercussions for Arthur
0:24:13 > 0:24:15because he'd been a soldier.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18So what had happened to Arthur during his war years
0:24:18 > 0:24:22that was so traumatic it stayed with him for the rest of his life?
0:24:26 > 0:24:30For heir hunter Bob Smith, this question would have to wait.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33His aim now was to track down the children of Arthur's other
0:24:33 > 0:24:39siblings, as they would also be the heirs to Arthur's £225,000 estate.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Later in the programme, the family Arthur had lost touch with
0:24:47 > 0:24:52remember just how traumatised their late uncle was by the war.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56He would want us all to get under the table and hide,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and get very distressed if we didn't.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Although Arthur's life is still a mystery,
0:25:04 > 0:25:08we know he had a brother, Alfred, who is also now dead,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12but research has revealed that Alfred joined the Army in the early 1930s.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I'm off to meet military expert Taff Gillingham,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18who's been investigating the Army records
0:25:18 > 0:25:22and can hopefully explain why young men like Arthur's brother Alfred
0:25:22 > 0:25:26joined the Army between the two world wars.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- So you've got Arthur's brother's Army record here.- That's right.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33This is the record of Alfred Jones, and as you can see here,
0:25:33 > 0:25:38- he joins the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1933.- Now, 1933 -
0:25:38 > 0:25:41is there any particular reason why he'd join up then?
0:25:41 > 0:25:45What's happened after the First World War, the Government have deliberately run the whole of the military down.
0:25:45 > 0:25:51"There's never going to be another war. We fought the war to end all wars, and don't need a big military."
0:25:51 > 0:25:54So everything's deliberately scaled down, but by the early '30s
0:25:54 > 0:25:57there 's already the stirrings of the Nazis in Germany,
0:25:57 > 0:25:58there's already a sense of unease,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and it's time to start thinking about building the military up,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05which, actually, the British don't really do very successfully before the war starts.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08And in 1933, there's an enormous recruitment campaign
0:26:08 > 0:26:13all across the country, to try and get young lads to join the Army and build those numbers up again.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Pre- the Second World War, Britain still had its empire to administer
0:26:17 > 0:26:18and govern.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21From the records, Taff's discovered Alfred Jones
0:26:21 > 0:26:24was stationed in India, in a colonial policing role.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28So what would life in India have been like at the time?
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Well, actually, it was quite hard work in a way,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33because, obviously, it's the peacetime Army -
0:26:33 > 0:26:37it was all about pressing and polishing... Incredibly smart,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40which isn't an easy thing to do in a very dusty environment,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44but on the other side to that, because it was so hot, they...
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Throughout the middle part of the day, fellows were allowed to sleep
0:26:47 > 0:26:50in their barrack rooms and come out in the cooler part of the day,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54and at certain times of year, when it was extremely hot, they'd be
0:26:54 > 0:26:57sent up the hill stations where the air was cooler, rather than keeping
0:26:57 > 0:27:01them down in the plains where they were likely to get a lot more disease and illness.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Most soldiers would have Indian servants who shaved them
0:27:03 > 0:27:06in bed in the mornings, without even having to get out of bed.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10They had all their washing done for them. Just, you know, pay the locals a little bit of money.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14So there was a whole sort of local industry that serviced
0:27:14 > 0:27:18- the troops at the time.- And what did Alfred do in World War II?
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Well, he's come back to Britain just before the war and he finds
0:27:22 > 0:27:27himself in France in 1940, at a period they call the phony war, where
0:27:27 > 0:27:31really they were just waiting to see what was going to happen with the Germans. He gets appendicitis
0:27:31 > 0:27:35and finds himself in a field hospital, in casualty clearing stations,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and is treated for that, and comes off at Dunkirk after the retreat there.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41And then he joins the Reconnaissance Corps,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45and the job of the Reconnaissance Corps... They're an armoured unit with armoured cars,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49so they would be attached to armoured divisions with tanks
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and their job was to get ahead of the tanks
0:27:51 > 0:27:55and see what the Germans were doing, so, literally, reconnaissance troops would go out,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59find out what was doing, report back to the tanks, because obviously the tanks moved much slower,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and that's what he does. He then gets sent back to India,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06which is quite unusual for someone who's spent so long out there already,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and we can't be sure from the records that are here
0:28:09 > 0:28:14but there's every likelihood that, between then and the time that he leaves India in December 1945,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17that he's actually part of the Army fighting the Japanese.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21So how had the British Army changed from when Alfred joined
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- to when he left? - It had changed enormously.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27After the First World War, all the lessons the British Army
0:28:27 > 0:28:30had learnt were pretty much forgotten through the '20s and '30s,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33and when the Second World War arrives, it really takes
0:28:33 > 0:28:36most of the Second World War for the British Army to relearn
0:28:36 > 0:28:38the lessons that they'd learnt 20 years earlier,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41but by the end of the second war, it's a very modern Army,
0:28:41 > 0:28:43it's a very mechanised Army.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Obviously, Alfred himself is attached to a reconnaissance troop,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48so it's all about fast-moving armoured cars.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51And it was all state-of-the-art technology,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54so it was a very, very different Army - all motorised,
0:28:54 > 0:28:58everything travelled by vehicles - than the Army he joined in 1933.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03From the records it appears Alfred Jones could have had a very
0:29:03 > 0:29:07different experience of the military to his brother Arthur.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10The Second World War may have been the beginning of a new
0:29:10 > 0:29:14era for the modern British Army, but as Arthur's condition showed,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17men still suffered horrifically while serving their country.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28Now it's back to the search for heirs to the £37,000 estate
0:29:28 > 0:29:32of David Johnson, who left no will and had no known relatives.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37David died aged 53 in January 2010.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41He passed away alone in his Manchester flat.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44David had been diagnosed with terminal cancer,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46and died just two weeks later.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49He'd been ill for a while, but had kept it to himself,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51and was loath to seek help.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00He never actually went to a doctor's, and in that case,
0:30:00 > 0:30:05when he did go to the doctor, it was a bit too late for the poor man.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10And sadly, he passed away very quickly after that.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14It was an unceremonious death for a man who loved life.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17At the local pub where the two friends met regularly,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21David was renowned for his dry humour and quick mind.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26Everyone would be talking and he'd just say something off the cuff
0:30:26 > 0:30:30and it'd throw everybody into turmoil then.
0:30:31 > 0:30:32We'd all be laughing and joking.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35He was a very bright, intelligent person.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42In London, the heir hunters are working
0:30:42 > 0:30:44David Johnson's £37,000 estate.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50Because David died in Manchester, his name has been released
0:30:50 > 0:30:53on the Duchy of Lancaster's list, not the Treasury's.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Unclaimed estates from areas of land owned by the monarchy
0:30:59 > 0:31:02in the district of Lancaster go to the Crown, not the Government.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06But the way the company tracks down heirs is exactly the same.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11I've got a Duchy case out today of a David Johnson. Bye.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16- Senior case manager David Pacifico and his team...- Hello.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19..are having a nightmare trying to confirm
0:31:19 > 0:31:23even the most basic of David's personal details.
0:31:23 > 0:31:24Why is nothing working today?
0:31:27 > 0:31:29With no birth certificate yet for the deceased,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32they're using a family tree based on an educated hunch.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37So far, using the maternal line, they've managed to trace
0:31:37 > 0:31:42but not yet contact two cousins in Essex who will be heirs
0:31:42 > 0:31:44if the team can prove David's parents have passed away.
0:31:45 > 0:31:46Not an easy task.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Born 1924, so she could be in a home.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55But across the office, things have taken a positive turn.
0:31:55 > 0:32:00Researcher Gareth thinks he's found a phone number for David Johnson's mother's brother's widow.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Got your tree?
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Bit of a mouthful, but it's music to David Pacifico's ears.
0:32:06 > 0:32:11We're trying to trace a particular family of the name of Daniels.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Now, would I be right in saying that you were married to a Ronald Daniels?
0:32:15 > 0:32:18And did Ronald have a sister Edna?
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Do you know whether or not she's still alive
0:32:22 > 0:32:25or anything at all about her family at all?
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Finally, even without David's birth certificate,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30the team has confirmation
0:32:30 > 0:32:33they've been chasing the right family all along
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and their initial guesswork was spot on.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41David Pacifico gets as many details as he can from the ex-sister-in-law.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47- Bye-bye.- But there's one answer she can only guess at.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50She thinks that Edna herself may have passed away,
0:32:50 > 0:32:51but she's not certain about it.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56Until they confirm whether David Johnson's parents are alive or dead,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58the heir hunt is still up in the air.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00David brings Gareth up to speed.
0:33:01 > 0:33:07Basically, this is all correct. Yeah. Ronald was one of two children.
0:33:07 > 0:33:13Edna was married to Alan Johnson. They only had one child, David.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17She says that Edna went into a home, thinks she may have died,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19but she's obviously not certain.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22So, we still could be talking about a mother.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24But the question is who deals with her affairs, if that's the case.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27All right. OK, bye.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33Downstairs, the team double their efforts to find a death certificate
0:33:33 > 0:33:37for Edna Johnson. Upstairs, David has his own thoughts about it.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43- My own feeling is that I think she could be alive.- Only time will tell.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47So, while he waits for confirmation on Edna's predicament,
0:33:47 > 0:33:51David uses a phone number given to him by the sister-in-law
0:33:51 > 0:33:53and puts in a call to a cousin of the deceased.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57We're looking into an estate of somebody
0:33:57 > 0:33:59that has recently passed away -
0:33:59 > 0:34:01in this case we're talking about her son.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Yeah. Your cousin, in other words.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09The cousin may be a potential heir, but that will only be known
0:34:09 > 0:34:11if he can shed some light on what's happened to Edna.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16OK, thank you very much, bye. Bye.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20Unfortunately, the cousin is still just a potential heir,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23as he can't give David any definitive answers on Edna.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26But there are other snippets of information he's provided
0:34:26 > 0:34:27that will help the hunt.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30That was the cousin. He knew that David was last known to be up north.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32He thought Manchester or Newcastle,
0:34:32 > 0:34:35but thought it might have been Manchester, which is right.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41His mother lived in Blackpool, and his father was also Blackpool.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43The father's definitely dead.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45He knows that Edna went into a home,
0:34:45 > 0:34:49so with Blackpool, I will hopefully ask them to see if they can check
0:34:49 > 0:34:54to find out if we have got any possibilities of deaths in Blackpool.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56That now cuts it down an awful lot.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59If there's no death, that means that she's possibly still alive.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05The location of Blackpool could be the key that unlocks this case.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09David heads downstairs to pass on his latest lead about Edna
0:35:09 > 0:35:11and her late husband Alan.
0:35:11 > 0:35:12Gareth, can you see if you can identify
0:35:12 > 0:35:17a death of Alan Johnson in Blackpool 22 to 25 years ago?
0:35:17 > 0:35:19But Edna was also Blackpool.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Can we pick her up on any electoral roll or death?
0:35:24 > 0:35:27This new information allows the heir hunters
0:35:27 > 0:35:30to significantly narrow their search.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34Gareth gets stuck into researching the records in Blackpool
0:35:34 > 0:35:36and strikes gold.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41- Edna, otherwise Edna Laetitia... - Oh, it's right?
0:35:41 > 0:35:42..dies on 8th May 1997.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Excellent.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47So, if that's correct, as it looks good,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49we'll then be back to this cousin again.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52The cousins look like they're going to be entitled.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55So, one side of the family is known but, of course,
0:35:55 > 0:35:57we then have to look at the Johnson side,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00because the father may well have had brothers and sisters
0:36:00 > 0:36:02and, subsequently, children.
0:36:02 > 0:36:03They may have had children,
0:36:03 > 0:36:08so there is unknown possible other beneficiaries on this.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Gareth switches his attention to
0:36:12 > 0:36:14David Johnson's father's family tree.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16And now David Pacifico knows for sure that
0:36:16 > 0:36:18the deceased's two cousins are heirs,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21he puts in a call to travelling heir hunter Bob Barratt,
0:36:21 > 0:36:23who has been on stand-by all morning.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29He lets him know he potentially has a meeting for him in Essex.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32Bye.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38Bob Barratt is available, traveller,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41so I know I've got somebody that can go to Epping.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Happy things are finally falling into place,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48David lets the rest of the office know the good news.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50We're up to date on one of the Duchy cases.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52But things are never that easy.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56It turns out the two cousins are willing to meet Bob,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58but it can't be today.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03David hurriedly organises a meeting for the following day.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07The good news is that neither cousin has been contacted by
0:37:07 > 0:37:09any competing heir-hunting companies.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11David Pacifico hopes it stays that way.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15I haven't come across any competition yet,
0:37:15 > 0:37:17but that doesn't mean to say it may not come.
0:37:22 > 0:37:23It's day two of the hunt.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26In the office, the team are still trying to work out
0:37:26 > 0:37:29if the paternal side of David's family will produce any heirs.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34Meanwhile, a travelling heir hunter has made it to the meeting
0:37:34 > 0:37:36with David's two cousins.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40At the moment, they are the only two heirs on David's mother's side
0:37:40 > 0:37:42to his £37,000 estate.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Bob Barratt is now tied up on other cases,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49so David Pacifico has drafted in Dave Hadley.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53- Hello there, Mr Daniels?- Yeah.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Hi, Dave Hadley from Fraser & Fraser.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59First on the agenda is cross-checking with the heirs
0:37:59 > 0:38:01the information the office has passed on to him.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04- And where was that? Was it in Blackpool?- That was in Blackpool.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09For the cousins, the news of David's death has come as quite a shock,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13knowing he was only in his early 50s.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Didn't even know Dave was ill, how he died.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17Don't know, but we can find that out.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Both cousins are happy to sign with the heir hunters.
0:38:23 > 0:38:24This means the company can help them
0:38:24 > 0:38:27in making a claim to the Duchy of Lancaster,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30and are then entitled to commission on the cousins' share of the estate.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34We hadn't talked in 20 years,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37it's a bit of a surprise to get a phone call out of nowhere.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Despite not having spoken for decades,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44there was no big family bust-up or arguments.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47The cousins speculate it was more geographic than anything.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52We had different lifestyles, totally.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56He liked living in Manchester, we like living down south.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59The two cousins, Stephen and Ian,
0:38:59 > 0:39:04will now be entitled to a proportion of David's £37,000 estate.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06But it's an estate they will now share.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09In the weeks following the initial hunt,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13David Pacifico and his team traced an aunt on the paternal side.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18She's in her 90s and is the final heir to inherit on this case.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24David Johnson may have lost contact with his family
0:39:24 > 0:39:26in the decades before his death,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29but the friends he left behind can give them some idea
0:39:29 > 0:39:31as to the type of man he'd become.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35We'd all be laughing and joking,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37David would come out with some real crackers, Dave would.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40He'd get everyone laughing within a few minutes.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44Everyone looked up to him, he was a dead decent chap.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58Here are some more unsolved cases where heirs still need to be found.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00The list of unclaimed estates is money that is owed to
0:40:00 > 0:40:05members of the public and new cases are being added all the time.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Cases get on our unclaimed list after a little while.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13The procedure is that initially the case will come in.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15We will make some enquiries ourselves to see
0:40:15 > 0:40:19whether we can trace relatives, or a will.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22If those initial enquiries don't bring forth anything,
0:40:22 > 0:40:27- we will then advertise.- This is money the Government want you to inherit
0:40:27 > 0:40:30if you are indeed the rightful heir.
0:40:30 > 0:40:31Money raised through Bona Vacantia
0:40:31 > 0:40:34ultimately goes to the General Exchequer to benefit
0:40:34 > 0:40:37the country as a whole, but it's important to remember
0:40:37 > 0:40:40that the Crown does not want to grab all the states that it can.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43It is keen for kin to be found and for people to make wills.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46That is the way to stop property becoming Bona Vacantia, make a will.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Are today's cases relatives of yours?
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Could you be in line for hundreds,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54thousands or even millions of pounds?
0:40:55 > 0:41:00Marguerita Joan Tysoe died in Olney, Buckinghamshire, in August 2007.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06The surname Tysoe is almost solely found in this area near Milton Keynes,
0:41:06 > 0:41:10suggesting that Marguerita may have been from a local family.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Did you know Marguerita? Could you be related to her?
0:41:17 > 0:41:23Brian Druce died in Heston in West London on the 22nd July 2009.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28Only around 25 people per million have Druce as a family name.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Do you share Brian's rare surname?
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Could you be related to him and entitled to a share of his estate?
0:41:36 > 0:41:40Bruce Harding died on the 27th January 2000.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43I've got Bruce's death certificate here.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48It shows that he was born on the 6th May 1919 in Staffordshire.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Was there a Bruce Harding in your family with that same date of birth?
0:41:52 > 0:41:54The death certificate also shows his occupation.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57It says he was a council maintenance worker.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01Did you used to work with Bruce? Did he mention any family to you?
0:42:01 > 0:42:05If you think you are related to any of the people featured today,
0:42:05 > 0:42:08then follow the Treasury solicitor's advice.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12If people want to find out information about Bona Vacantia
0:42:12 > 0:42:15division, the first port of call is our website.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19We have a dedicated website and there is information on there for them
0:42:19 > 0:42:23to find out about what we do and how to make a claim.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25A reminder of those names again -
0:42:25 > 0:42:30Marguerita Tysoe, Brian Druce and Bruce Harding.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35So if any of the names on today's list are relatives of yours,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38you could have a windfall coming your way.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45The heir hunters are searching for relatives of ex-soldier
0:42:45 > 0:42:47Arthur Jones.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Can the team uncover further family
0:42:49 > 0:42:53and find out what happened to Arthur during World War II?
0:42:55 > 0:42:59Arthur William Jones died in a Cardiff nursing home aged 90.
0:42:59 > 0:43:00He left no will
0:43:00 > 0:43:05and no known relatives to inherit his £225,000 estate.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Most of his past life was a mystery to those who cared for him
0:43:09 > 0:43:11in his final years.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13We knew nothing of Arthur's background,
0:43:13 > 0:43:16only that he'd been a long, long-stay patient in Whitchurch Hospital.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21And that his experiences in the Second World War
0:43:21 > 0:43:23had traumatised him for life.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26He would get very distressed at times and would shout out
0:43:26 > 0:43:32about being in the trenches, about Hitler was coming, things like that.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38The job of finding Arthur's heirs fell to
0:43:38 > 0:43:40probate researcher Bob Smith.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Hunting heirs to an Arthur William Jones born in Wales is a tall order,
0:43:45 > 0:43:50as Jones is one of the most common Welsh surnames.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55Despite this, Bob discovered Arthur had had seven siblings,
0:43:55 > 0:43:58five of which had survived into adulthood.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Using paperwork that came with the estate,
0:44:02 > 0:44:06Bob found his first heir, a niece of Arthur's,
0:44:06 > 0:44:09and her family knowledge helped him move his hunt forward.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12It is almost certainly going to be in Cardiff, isn't it?
0:44:13 > 0:44:16Using Arthur's mother's name of Laura Maud,
0:44:16 > 0:44:18he searched the birth records
0:44:18 > 0:44:21and found a sister of Arthur's who was also called Laura Maud.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27She had stayed in Cardiff, and had had two children,
0:44:27 > 0:44:32one of whom was Lorraine Sergeant, another of Arthur's nieces.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36She was able to provide great information in relation to all of the deceased's family
0:44:36 > 0:44:39and particular about the deceased himself and his life.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Niece Lorraine may have been extremely helpful to Bob,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45but initially the whole thing came as a shock to her.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51My immediate reaction was, "nothing to do with us."
0:44:51 > 0:44:54My sister phoned up and said about it.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58We were both dumbfounded, to be quite honest.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01Right out of the blue.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05Lorraine used to occasionally bump into Arthur around Cardiff,
0:45:05 > 0:45:07but lost touch.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11Her fondest memories of her uncle went back to her childhood.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15He used to come and stop with my grandmother
0:45:15 > 0:45:19and very fond memories of him at that stage.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21But he was a very sick person.
0:45:23 > 0:45:28Yes, he had problems stemming from the war.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36It turned out Arthur had enlisted in the army in 1939,
0:45:36 > 0:45:38aged just 19 years old,
0:45:38 > 0:45:41just before the outbreak of the Second World War.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44At this stage, he was a healthy young man.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49He was in the First Battalion Welsh Regiment
0:45:49 > 0:45:54and was initially based in Palestine before being posted to Egypt
0:45:54 > 0:45:56and the infamous El Alamein
0:45:56 > 0:46:00as part of the Allies' Western Desert campaign.
0:46:03 > 0:46:10El Alamein is a town in northern Egypt where, between 1940 and 1942,
0:46:10 > 0:46:14crucial battles were fought by the Allies against Italian and German forces.
0:46:15 > 0:46:20The Allies ultimately succeeded and halted their advance into Egypt,
0:46:20 > 0:46:23eventually forcing the Italians and Germans west.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31It was in this world that a 21-year-old Arthur found himself,
0:46:31 > 0:46:34and it appears something happened during this period of conflict
0:46:34 > 0:46:37that deeply affected him.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40What it was is not exactly known by the family,
0:46:40 > 0:46:43but niece Lorraine does remember one story.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49We understood him to have been out on a patrol.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56His best friend had stepped on a landmine and been blown to pieces.
0:46:58 > 0:47:03He was affected by that from then onwards.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09Once described as an honest, sober and hard-working soldier,
0:47:09 > 0:47:13by 1943 his military record had begun to deteriorate.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17So what was life like for a soldier like Arthur,
0:47:17 > 0:47:20and what was the reality of fighting in the desert?
0:47:21 > 0:47:26In order to find out the facts, I'm meeting author Stephen Bungay,
0:47:26 > 0:47:28who's researched and written extensively
0:47:28 > 0:47:30about this chapter of World War II.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33So what was the situation in North Africa
0:47:33 > 0:47:34at the beginning of World War II?
0:47:34 > 0:47:38Well, in North Africa, Britain possessed Egypt,
0:47:38 > 0:47:41and of course, Egypt was the key to the Suez Canal,
0:47:41 > 0:47:42very important for our economy,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45and just behind it was all the oil in the Persian Gulf.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47So in fact, from a strategic point of view,
0:47:47 > 0:47:50it was a very attractive political target,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52but the Germans weren't interested at all.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54It was the Italians who were interested,
0:47:54 > 0:47:56and in June 1940, they decided to invade Egypt
0:47:56 > 0:48:00in order to build up Italian colonies in North Africa.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02They already possessed Libya.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05But this turned into an embarrassing farce,
0:48:05 > 0:48:08because a very small detachment of British troops,
0:48:08 > 0:48:10no more than about three divisions at a time,
0:48:10 > 0:48:13succeeded in not only kicking them out of Egypt,
0:48:13 > 0:48:15but in kicking them right out back up to Tripoli,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18and it was at that point in February 1941
0:48:18 > 0:48:21that the Germans decided they'd got to intervene
0:48:21 > 0:48:26to prevent Italy from being knocked out of the war in its early stages.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30The Germans arrived in North Africa, led by General Rommel,
0:48:30 > 0:48:32who, because of his military expertise and cunning,
0:48:32 > 0:48:35was quickly dubbed "The Desert Fox".
0:48:35 > 0:48:39Despite the Germans having a smaller force than the British,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41the battles raged back and forth,
0:48:41 > 0:48:43with no clear winner for the next year and a half.
0:48:46 > 0:48:47What sort of hardships
0:48:47 > 0:48:50would Arthur have had to endure as an infantry soldier?
0:48:50 > 0:48:54Well, this part of the world actually had never
0:48:54 > 0:48:56really been fought over before.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58There'd been lots of fighting in the Middle East,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01there'd been lots of fighting in Libya in Roman times,
0:49:01 > 0:49:04but this area was so hostile to human beings
0:49:04 > 0:49:07that nobody had ever thought of getting some armies there
0:49:07 > 0:49:10to survive. Everything had to be taken with them,
0:49:10 > 0:49:11the biggest problem being water,
0:49:11 > 0:49:15and they had to survive an incredibly hostile environment.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19It's not the sandy desert we think of from Lawrence of Arabia.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22It's basically rock, stone and scrub.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25The temperatures vary from about plus 40 -
0:49:25 > 0:49:29it could even get up to 60 degrees centigrade during the day...
0:49:29 > 0:49:31- My gosh. - ..in the summer, absolutely -
0:49:31 > 0:49:34and it could be freezing, below freezing at night,
0:49:34 > 0:49:36which is why you sometimes see these people going around
0:49:36 > 0:49:38in these thick, grey coats and you wonder why.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42By all accounts, living conditions were horrific,
0:49:42 > 0:49:45with dirt and dust getting everywhere.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Clothes were washed maybe once a month,
0:49:48 > 0:49:49and usually using petrol,
0:49:49 > 0:49:53because water was such a precious resource.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56The troops in the desert also had a particular enemy -
0:49:56 > 0:49:59the food and latrines attracted flies,
0:49:59 > 0:50:03something every veteran of the campaign remembers bitterly.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08They were not our little flies, that's Musca domestica.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11This is a little beast called Musca sorbens,
0:50:11 > 0:50:14which is a vicious and aggressive animal.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17If you shut your eyes, the soldiers say,
0:50:17 > 0:50:19they would crawl around your eyelids
0:50:19 > 0:50:21trying to suck out a little bit of body fluid.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23They would settle on your tea.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25It took two hands to drink a mug of tea,
0:50:25 > 0:50:27cos you couldn't drink it like that,
0:50:27 > 0:50:29you had to cover the top in order to keep the flies out,
0:50:29 > 0:50:32but they didn't mind - if they got it, they'd stay in
0:50:32 > 0:50:34and you'd swallow them. They spread disease.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36They tried to kill them in large numbers,
0:50:36 > 0:50:38but that still didn't work, and in the end,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41you pretty much became resigned to an extremely poor diet
0:50:41 > 0:50:45with massive swings in temperature, constant diarrhoea -
0:50:45 > 0:50:47about 70 or 80% of the troops suffered from it -
0:50:47 > 0:50:49it was chronic.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52You just had to give up complaining and get on with it.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56- And then on top of that, there's a war going on.- Exactly!
0:50:59 > 0:51:03- What did the soldiers fear the most? - The thing that terrified them
0:51:03 > 0:51:06was something that would come out of the blue
0:51:06 > 0:51:10with massive violence, and the first fear was shell fire.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14Shortly after that comes bombing, particularly from Stukas,
0:51:14 > 0:51:15who will appear out of nowhere.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Everybody said that when a Stuka was coming for you,
0:51:18 > 0:51:21it looked like it had got you personally in its sights,
0:51:21 > 0:51:24and the third thing was landmines.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30As we already heard, a landmine was what had potentially killed
0:51:30 > 0:51:34Arthur's friend, and the experience had affected him deeply.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38Mines were everywhere, literally millions of them,
0:51:38 > 0:51:39and both sides laid them.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43They were strategically used to constrict movement,
0:51:43 > 0:51:46but also to channel enemy forces where you wanted them.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49They were an horrific form of weaponry.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53So, there's constant psychological tension,
0:51:53 > 0:51:56if you like, because you don't know where death is coming from.
0:51:56 > 0:52:01So how did the troops react to this? How were they affected by this?
0:52:01 > 0:52:07Well, there are three things that can come together to traumatise you.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11One is shock, which shells and mines delivered.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14The next is surprise, which they also both delivered,
0:52:14 > 0:52:17and the third thing is losing a friend.
0:52:17 > 0:52:18The thing that held people together
0:52:18 > 0:52:22more than anything else wasn't patriotism or the cause,
0:52:22 > 0:52:24or certainly not hatred of the enemy -
0:52:24 > 0:52:26they were all in it together, in a way -
0:52:26 > 0:52:28it was simply sticking by your mates.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31They fought in order to protect each other
0:52:31 > 0:52:33and to try to survive together.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36So when those three things come together,
0:52:36 > 0:52:38you get people going to pieces.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43For Arthur, seeing his best friend blown up by a landmine...
0:52:43 > 0:52:47I just can't imagine how devastating that would have been.
0:52:47 > 0:52:52It's probably a combination of the worst things that can happen.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56Losing your friend - OK, if he'd heard he'd been shot somewhere,
0:52:56 > 0:52:59that would have been pretty bad, but he'd probably have got over it.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03You combine that, though, with shock and surprise,
0:53:03 > 0:53:06this thing they don't know is there suddenly going off,
0:53:06 > 0:53:10and then the third thing is, he's actually present.
0:53:10 > 0:53:12He witnesses this event take place.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15I mean, that's where all the worst things
0:53:15 > 0:53:17that you can possibly imagine happening
0:53:17 > 0:53:21all come together in one brief, traumatic incident.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24So that would affect him for the rest of his life.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28That is going to give you post-traumatic stress disorder.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32This is exactly what it's suspected Arthur suffered from
0:53:32 > 0:53:34his entire adult life.
0:53:34 > 0:53:39His army records of the day clearly show he was no longer a well man.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42In March 1945,
0:53:42 > 0:53:46Arthur was declared permanently unfit for military service.
0:53:46 > 0:53:51Statistics suggest that as many as a fifth of World War II veterans
0:53:51 > 0:53:56suffered from some sort of emotional trauma, and that is just the ones who reported it.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05People experiencing things that they had never experienced before,
0:54:05 > 0:54:07thinking the world is a benevolent place
0:54:07 > 0:54:10and then seeing how awful human beings can be towards each other.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15But then also serving in conflict after conflict,
0:54:15 > 0:54:20so it is a general wearing down of their capacity to be able to cope as well.
0:54:25 > 0:54:30The experience of trauma and how it presented itself was not particularly well understood
0:54:30 > 0:54:31although it was better that it had been.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34But also the fact that these were men of their era
0:54:34 > 0:54:39and were unlikely to have admitted to experiencing emotional distress.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43The kinds of symptoms that they would have exhibited
0:54:43 > 0:54:46when they came back from war might have been anger,
0:54:46 > 0:54:50they might be acting out elements of their experiences
0:54:50 > 0:54:56because they were feeling as if they were back in that situation.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59Nightmares, depression,
0:54:59 > 0:55:04not being able to perform their job effectively,
0:55:04 > 0:55:06becoming very withdrawn,
0:55:06 > 0:55:09all of those sort of symptoms would have been noticeable.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13As a child, Lorraine can clearly remember
0:55:13 > 0:55:16her uncle displaying signs of his trauma,
0:55:16 > 0:55:18and also the lengths the family would go to
0:55:18 > 0:55:20to accommodate his illness.
0:55:21 > 0:55:27When the aeroplanes went over or there was any police noises or
0:55:27 > 0:55:32anything he would want us all to get under the table and hide
0:55:32 > 0:55:35and get very distressed if we didn't.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39He was a very nervous person.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44And despite the family's best efforts to care for Arthur,
0:55:44 > 0:55:47it eventually proved too much for his mother to cope with.
0:55:49 > 0:55:54She found it very, very difficult, not being able to take him out
0:55:54 > 0:55:59for fear of him, you know, having a bad turn or something like that.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02Then he went to stay at the hospital.
0:56:04 > 0:56:10Arthur and his family's situation were sadly all too common in the post-war years.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13He was just one of many men who found it extremely difficult
0:56:13 > 0:56:15to slot back into everyday life.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20It would have had a very shattering effect on the family,
0:56:20 > 0:56:23they would never have been able to have the relationships
0:56:23 > 0:56:25they would have liked to have had with each other.
0:56:25 > 0:56:29Having an uncle whose life was effectively over at 24
0:56:29 > 0:56:33and whose illness meant normal relationships were nearly impossible
0:56:33 > 0:56:37is a tragedy that caused Arthur to finally disappear
0:56:37 > 0:56:38from his family's lives.
0:56:40 > 0:56:45All the things he has missed, you know, he never had his own family, never had his own home.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50He was just forgotten, to be quite honest with you.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54Even from my point of view, I forgot about him
0:56:54 > 0:56:57once my mother passed on and...
0:56:59 > 0:57:01He just got forgotten.
0:57:02 > 0:57:07It wasn't just Arthur's heirs who were saddened by their late uncle's life.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10For Bob Smith, Arthur's story also struck a chord.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17Presently in the media there is a lot of coverage about soldiers
0:57:17 > 0:57:20that fight on behalf of their country in all parts of the world
0:57:20 > 0:57:23and how they are looked after, there are many charitable causes,
0:57:23 > 0:57:25quite rightly, for those soldiers.
0:57:25 > 0:57:31But of course, Arthur himself was a victim of the generation he was brought up in.
0:57:31 > 0:57:38They obviously didn't receive the same sort of support as they do now and I find that quite upsetting.
0:57:39 > 0:57:45Overall, Bob found 13 heirs to Arthur's £225,000 estate.
0:57:45 > 0:57:51An estate that could potentially have been made up of over 60 years worth of untouched war pension.
0:57:54 > 0:57:58The legacy of the Second World War ruined both men and their families.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01And for Lorraine, Arthur's life is a sad indictment
0:58:01 > 0:58:04of the lack of support for men who served their country.
0:58:06 > 0:58:07He never had nothing.
0:58:07 > 0:58:12I feel really, really strongly that these people, these boys,
0:58:12 > 0:58:17because he was only a boy, he wasn't a grown man, he wasn't...
0:58:17 > 0:58:22He hadn't seen nothing of life, and he came back and he was just left
0:58:22 > 0:58:28and I think it was such a shame, a real waste of a life, really.
0:58:50 > 0:58:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd