0:00:02 > 0:00:05Heir hunters track down people entitled to money from someone who's died.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10It may be a decent relative they didn't know existed.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Or because a person has died without leaving a will.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19Whatever the reason, the heir hunters must make sure the money goes to the right people.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24If we don't do the work to inform them, it's money which will go to the government.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26It involves painstaking research.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29We'll concentrate on her.
0:00:29 > 0:00:35It can be a race to track down and contact long lost relatives.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Whatever there is I'll share with my son.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42It's all about giving news of an unexpected windfall.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Could heir hunters be knocking on your door?
0:00:49 > 0:00:50Coming up,
0:00:50 > 0:00:54the heir hunter's phone call is the final piece in the puzzle
0:00:54 > 0:00:57of a brother who had disappeared many years ago.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01I'd been wondering for a long time what had happened to him.
0:01:01 > 0:01:07And one heir goes on a journey of discovery after a case was closed.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I imagine that Connie's work
0:01:12 > 0:01:16was highly confidential in nature.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19I think Connie kept herself to herself.
0:01:19 > 0:01:24Plus, how you could be entitled to inherit unclaimed estates
0:01:24 > 0:01:28held by the Treasury. Could thousands of pounds be heading your way?
0:01:33 > 0:01:35It's early on Thursday morning.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38As most of the country starts to wake up,
0:01:38 > 0:01:43- the heir hunters are busy working. - Just getting the troops together.
0:01:43 > 0:01:49Overnight, the latest Bona Vacantia list of unclaimed estates has been released.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53And at the offices of Fraser and Fraser in London, the research team
0:01:53 > 0:01:56are working four cases they think have potential.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01Boss Neil is looking into a case of a man who died in London
0:02:01 > 0:02:04in October 2010.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08We're looking into the case of Michael Daly D-A-L-Y.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11He died in a nursing home in 2010.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14It looks like he was born in 1928.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Michael died without leaving a will.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21As he had no obvious next of kin,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23his estate has been advertised as unclaimed.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Daly as a name is not too bad. It's still fairly common.
0:02:29 > 0:02:36The heir hunters know Michael Daly died in a care home and they don't believe he owned a property.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39So his estate is likely to be of low value.
0:02:39 > 0:02:45Not good news for the heir hunters who earn their money by taking a pre-agreed percentage of an estate.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50Neil is hoping they'll be able to find close relatives and quickly.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54It's not looking great for value.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59We may just play it to near kin. Just brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces. And see where we go.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07Michael was born in 1928 and grew up in Dulwich Village.
0:03:08 > 0:03:14He came from a close-knit family with grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews
0:03:14 > 0:03:17all living a few doors from one another.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21To his friends and family, he was known by his middle name Joe.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Sylvia Fox is his half-blood cousin
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and so not entitled to any inheritance.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31But she grew up on the same street and knew Joe very well.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Joe was unmistakable. You could always pick Joe out in a crowd
0:03:35 > 0:03:40because he was a big physique, he was sort of 6' 4".
0:03:40 > 0:03:45He always weighed, he had to weigh somewhere between 16 and 17 stone.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49And he had this fantastic mop of brown curly hair.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54Which, because it was curly, he used to try to keep it quite short because then it was wavy.
0:03:54 > 0:04:00And, as he got older, it was a steely grey, and it was like, wow!
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Sylvia remembers that one of his passions was football.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07And he was an avid supporter of his local team.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Well, his routine would have been going to watch Dulwich Hamlet.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Wherever they were playing, he would go and be there
0:04:14 > 0:04:19to watch them and enjoy it. I can remember he would follow it up in the newspaper.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22If anything was about Dulwich Hamlet,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26he would be cutting it out and saying who scored and how far up the league they were.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30But sadly later, Joe developed mental health issues
0:04:30 > 0:04:34and as a result became less connected from his close-knit family and friends.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I think he probably didn't want to be helped.
0:04:37 > 0:04:43It was something he just slid into and then went off to live on his own.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And hence the family were excluded
0:04:46 > 0:04:50from his life because of how he felt
0:04:50 > 0:04:53he wanted to live his life on his own.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Back in London, the investigation is headed by case manager Jo Ibrahim.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04And boss Neil is keeping a close eye on it too.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07They're still alive, are they?
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Their first job is to try to build up Michael's family tree.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15So far, all they know is Michael died in London 2010
0:05:15 > 0:05:18and that he was born in 1928.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22But already there might be a hitch to solving this quickly.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27Just looking around Michael Daly on the date of birth we have,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29which is 17th December 1928,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32we've identified two possible births.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37A plain Michael Daly who is in the December quarter of 1928.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39So the right time, the right name.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43But it's in Tamworth, which is in Worcestershire.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47So quite a long way away from South West London.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52The other birth we have is for a Michael PJ Daly.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56That's in the right area - Lambeth.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00But, obviously, it's got two middle initials,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03which is the wrong name to what he died under.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07We'll have a quick play around and see if we can work both of them up.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Although we're dealing with a low-value case,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13already it looks like we may be working two different families.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19Building two family trees means double the research and double the costs.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23As long as they're looking at two potential Michael Dalys born on different days,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26they're looking at more expense.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28- We need to concentrate on her. - Uh-huh.
0:06:28 > 0:06:34Heir hunters describe estates worth between £5,000 and £15,000 as low value.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39And Neil thinks Michael Daly's estate will fall into this category.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42It's really important the team solves this quickly.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Neil decides to draft in extra help.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Bob Barratt is one of the firm's senior researchers on the road,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57whose job it is to make enquiries, collect documents and sign up heirs.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- MOBILE RINGS - Hello, Bob Barratt.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05Neil asks him to check out the nursing home where Michael lived.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Any details Bob can find out, like a date of birth,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11might help rule out one of the two families they're investigating.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17Without getting the dates of birth, I wouldn't like to guess which is right.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22- We'll see whether the home can help. - 'Yeah.'- OK. Speak to you later.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24OK, bye.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30But no sooner than Bob is sent on his way, there's a sudden development in the office.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34The research team has ruled out one of the Michael Dalys.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40I've found the death for that one in Warwickshire in December 1999.
0:07:40 > 0:07:47So it looks like we're working the second birth, the Michael PJ Daly.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52Now they have the right man, the team's next challenge is to build up his family tree.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57They'll want to find out if he was married and had children because they would be heirs.
0:07:57 > 0:08:03If not, the team will look at his wider family who could lead them to beneficiaries.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Having the extra initials of PJ really helps.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12It's not long before the team find records of Michael's close family.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18We've managed to find a marriage for a Michael PJ in Lambeth.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24And the marriage certificate does reveal something rather interesting about Michael.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26It shows that during the 1950s,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29he worked for a fascinating organisation.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40The Navy, Army and Air Force Institute, better known as the NAAFI,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43was created between the two world wars.
0:08:43 > 0:08:49Its aim, to support armed forces at home and abroad by providing food and entertainment.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53When the soldiers, sailors or airmen were on their home base,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57within their home base there was an establishment where they could go
0:08:57 > 0:08:59to have a drink, rest, play darts
0:08:59 > 0:09:03or whatever. Then, when they were out on manoeuvres
0:09:03 > 0:09:07or mobilised to go to a fighting front,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10NAAFI wagons would follow them, at a discreet distance of course,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14providing food, cigarettes, cups of tea,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18coffee, a little bit of home away from home.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Joe would have been kept busy in the job.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Because of national service brought in after the war,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26there were more servicemen than ever,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29all wanting their home-from-home comforts.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32The '50s and '60s when Joe was involved
0:09:32 > 0:09:39was, post-war, the most busy and hectic time for the NAAFI service.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43I clearly remember during my years in the RAF,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46the highlight of each day, which was mid-morning, mid-afternoon,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49when the good old NAAFI wagon arrived.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Time spent at the NAAFI was very memorable.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58Today, the NAAFI remains as busy as it did when it was created in 1921,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02supporting servicemen and women at home and in Afghanistan.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Back at the office, the team has uncovered documents telling them
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Joe was divorced in 1984.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16This means his ex-wife wouldn't be entitled to Joe's estate.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19The team will now have to look to see if they had children
0:10:19 > 0:10:22because they would still be able to inherit.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Without more information about people who might have known him,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31it's hard to tell whether he had children or anything like that.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37But they quickly establish that Michael and his wife didn't have children.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41So they turn their attention to finding any brothers and sisters
0:10:41 > 0:10:43because they could be his closest living heirs.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Joe's parents were Henry Daly and Alice Fountain
0:10:48 > 0:10:50who married in 1922.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55They had four boys. And Joe's brothers were Henry and Bernard.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Another brother died in infancy in 1938.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06So case manager Jo is looking at brothers Henry and Bernard.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12We managed to find in Camberwell that there might be two potential brothers.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16One is out of area. But there's another brother Bernard,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21born in Camberwell 1933, who we think might have up-to-date info.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Heir hunters are experienced in contacting close relatives of people who have died.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32But it is never easy. When Jo speaks to Bernard,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36it is likely that she'll be breaking the news that his brother has died.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41The reason I'm calling today is that I'm hoping you're a Bernard Daly,
0:11:41 > 0:11:46born in 1933, the son of a Henry P Daly and Alice Fountain.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Is that correct? OK.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52I'm so sorry I have to tell you this over the phone
0:11:52 > 0:11:56but it's actually Joseph who has passed away
0:11:56 > 0:12:00in Streatham.
0:12:01 > 0:12:06Sadly, calls like this are a necessary part of an heir hunter's work.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09With very close relatives, we have to be incredibly delicate
0:12:09 > 0:12:12and very careful when we speak to the beneficiaries.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17We have to be sure that we talk about the deceased in a positive light.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20It's very tricky for us. It's not something the staff like doing.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23But that's part of the job.
0:12:24 > 0:12:31The team has found an heir. But with as many as 40 other companies competing to sign beneficiaries,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33have they done enough to get a meeting with him?
0:12:33 > 0:12:38If you're interested, we could get Colin to come and visit you today.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Sometimes, an heir hunting story doesn't just stop when an heir has been found.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Some cases capture the public's interest.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55And the heir hunters often receive information months after the estate has been finalised.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Constance Harrington died on the 7th of January 2011
0:13:01 > 0:13:06in Worthing in West Sussex at the age of 87.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11As she died without leaving a will, the heir hunters took on her case in a bid to trace relatives
0:13:11 > 0:13:15who would be heirs to her £130,000 estate.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19But this was an investigation that uncovered more than just relatives.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26Al though Fraser and Fraser's files were closed, we've completed the administration,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29we've paid out the money to the beneficiaries,
0:13:29 > 0:13:35we are constantly getting people asking about the life of Constance.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37She lived a very interesting life.
0:13:37 > 0:13:43The heir hunters did track down many heirs to Constance's estate,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46including cousin Reg Harrington.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48It was a complete surprise to me.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53I had no idea, in fact, that I had a cousin once removed
0:13:53 > 0:13:56named Constance.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59But when the investigation first began in April 2011,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03the heir hunters tried to find out more about Constance's immediate family.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08Her birth certificate revealed she was born in 1922 in Bethnal Green.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Her parents were Stephen Harrington and Ethel Mullings.
0:14:12 > 0:14:18From that, case manager Dave Slee could establish if she had siblings.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21We undertook a search of birth records in England and Wales
0:14:21 > 0:14:26from 1919 up to 1922 when Constance was born.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31Then we went past that date for another 20 years
0:14:31 > 0:14:35and was able to prove that Constance was, in fact, an only child.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39After painstakingly piecing together Constance's family tree,
0:14:39 > 0:14:44they discovered not only did she not have siblings but she had never married or had children.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47It was back to the drawing board.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51And Dave needed to establish if Constance's aunts and uncles
0:14:51 > 0:14:55had any children who, as cousins, could be heirs to the estate.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59But that search revealed a tragedy which must have hit the family hard.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03We know that Constance had two paternal aunts.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05One named Florence and one named Beatrice.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09And we quickly established that it would appear
0:15:09 > 0:15:12that they both died in Dartford as children.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17Now, in view of the fact that the family never seemed to leave Bethnal Green,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21it made me think there must be some reason why they were in Dartford.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24And I had the hunch that probably they died in a hospital.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Dave's hunch turned out to be correct.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32Florence and Beatrice's death certificates reveal that they both died in 1894
0:15:32 > 0:15:37aged 13 and 5 respectively. Their place of death
0:15:37 > 0:15:39was given as the hospital ship Atlas,
0:15:39 > 0:15:44one of two ships moored on the Thames that were used to house smallpox patients.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52The heir hunters looked to the remaining aunts and uncles
0:15:52 > 0:15:55and finally discovered heirs to the estate.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58We quickly learnt we were dealing with a relatively large family.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02There's well over 30 beneficiaries in total on the estate.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Split evenly between the mother's and father's side of the family.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11The knowledge the beneficiaries had of the deceased is very slight.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13The majority of them did not know the deceased.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16And one of those was Reginald Harrington,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20a first cousin once removed. His own father,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23also called Reginald, had become estranged from the family.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26So this heir new little about his family history.
0:16:26 > 0:16:32I didn't come across my family until I was a young man myself.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36So my paternal family is quite distant to me.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Which is one of the reasons why I'm now so keen to learn more.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Luckily for Reg, the heir hunters had discovered
0:16:44 > 0:16:48a wealth of fascinating information about his distant cousin.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53After leaving school, and excelling as a secretary for large London firms,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Constance enlisted in the Wrens in 1943,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00something the team discovered when they searched her property.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03We found a huge amount of information about Constance's life.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07We found CVs. We found information about her history in the Wrens.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12The Wrens played an absolutely key role in the Second World War.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15There were about 75,000 of them at the peak in 1944.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18There weren't enough male personnel
0:17:18 > 0:17:22to carry out all of the administrative jobs required.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Clearly, the best male personnel tended to be sent to sea.
0:17:25 > 0:17:32So what the Wrens allowed you to get was first-class people running the administration of the Royal Navy.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Having worked as a secretary since leaving school,
0:17:35 > 0:17:41Constance soon found herself helping to organise naval operations.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45She was involved in the Allied invasion of France at Juno Beach
0:17:45 > 0:17:47on the 6th of June 1944.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52A role which earned her a glowing reference from her commanding officer.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58"The success of the small part of the operation for which I've been responsible..."
0:17:58 > 0:18:03Quite a large small part. "..is in no small measure due to her hard work and efficiency."
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Clearly a key role in a key operation.
0:18:06 > 0:18:12The letter was among many found at Constance's home by the heir hunting team.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Along with a photograph album showing pictures of her parents,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18her childhood and her career as a Wren.
0:18:18 > 0:18:24From the information we found in the property, it looks like Constance led an amazing life.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29A life full of journeys and mysteries, involved in the Wrens, through the war.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33One of those people you just imagine you'd like to meet,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37you'd like to talk to and you'd like to listen to what she has to say.
0:18:37 > 0:18:43And further digging revealed Constance's post-war career had been just as illustrious.
0:18:43 > 0:18:50Constance, at one time, was working as private secretary to John Profumo
0:18:50 > 0:18:55who later, as the Minister of War, was involved in the Profumo scandal.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59John Profumo was a Conservative MP
0:18:59 > 0:19:04who served as Secretary of State for War from 1960 to 1963.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08During this time, he had an affair with call girl Christine Keeler,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12sparking off one of the greatest scandals in history.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18It was fascinating information for Reg who had just been tracked down
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and informed he was an heir to his cousin's estate.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26I just so wish that I'd known Constance during her lifetime.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It would have been wonderful.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33But more was to come when this case sparked an interest with the nation
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and new information came to light.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41We give a little tiny snippet away about what we think we've found and what we've seen in a letter.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45And then someone emails us, drops us a letter, and says,
0:19:45 > 0:19:50"Actually, I can fill in that bit, I can tell you about the history."
0:19:50 > 0:19:53And one person who got in touch was Valerie Carnley,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57who worked with Constance at the King's Fund College in Bayswater.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02I was appointed as the catering officer when it opened
0:20:02 > 0:20:08in 1951, I think. And there was a secretary to the committee
0:20:08 > 0:20:10who was Brigadier Semance.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15And he had a secretary who was Constance Harrington.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Keen to know more, Reg decided to travel from his home in Felixstowe
0:20:19 > 0:20:23to Kent to find out if Valerie could shed more light on Constance.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29- Hello there.- Hello, Val.- How lovely to see you.- Lovely to meet you.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31- Come in. - Thank you.
0:20:36 > 0:20:42Well, I'm interested to find out more about Connie's life.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46I knew her very well. We worked together in a college in London.
0:20:46 > 0:20:52I've got photographs here of when we used to go on holiday together.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56And so we went to Switzerland.
0:20:56 > 0:21:02Another holiday Connie and I went on was to Cornwall to Carbis Bay.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- That's her. - This is Cornwall.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08You mentioned that you both worked in a college.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11How long did you both work there?
0:21:11 > 0:21:15I've no idea how long Connie was there. No idea.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19And I don't know what happened to her afterwards.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24Is it possible that Connie may have
0:21:24 > 0:21:30stayed in this particular job until she became Profumo's...
0:21:30 > 0:21:34I doubt it because I'm not at all sure...
0:21:34 > 0:21:40I think the college sort of closed down in about 1956-7.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Something like that.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45So there's a gap. I wished I'd known
0:21:45 > 0:21:51where she went eventually after the college.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54And it's this period of time Reg is keen to find out about.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58It's been a fascinating insight into Constance's past.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00But it left Reg with more questions.
0:22:00 > 0:22:06What Constance did between leaving the college and working
0:22:06 > 0:22:11for John Profumo is a complete mystery as far as I'm concerned.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15And it's part of her life that I would like to fill in.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20And the answer could lie in a document detailing her career,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22which was found among her war records.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28After her time in the Wrens, there seems to be a little gap.
0:22:28 > 0:22:34And then a mention on the timeline of an exercise called Sidestep.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38So what exactly had Constance been involved in?
0:22:38 > 0:22:43These exercises were a reminder to all who needed to know
0:22:43 > 0:22:47that the world was on the brink of a nuclear Armageddon
0:22:47 > 0:22:50throughout the whole period of the cold war.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Thousands of beneficiaries are tracked down by heir hunters every year.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04But not all cases can be cracked.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07There are thousands of estates on the Treasury's unclaimed list
0:23:07 > 0:23:11that have eluded the heir hunters and remain unsolved.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Bona vacantia is Latin for ownerless goods.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18There are two types of bona vacantia.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21There's the estates of people who die without leaving a will
0:23:21 > 0:23:23or any entitled blood relatives.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26And there are the assets of dissolved companies.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Today, we're focusing on two cases that are yet to be solved by the heir hunters.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Could you be the beneficiary they've been looking for?
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Could you be about to inherit some money from a long lost relative?
0:23:38 > 0:23:43Harold James Dixon died in the Lancashire town of Preston
0:23:43 > 0:23:45on the 9th of August 2010.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48He was 82 years old.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52There is no father listed on Harold's birth certificate.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56His mother was Sarah Ellis Dixon and she worked as a servant.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58If Sarah married and had any more children,
0:23:58 > 0:24:03they would be Harold's half-blood relatives and could be entitled to a share of his estate.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Did you know Harold? Could you be one of the missing relatives?
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Next is the case of Margery Rummens who died on the Wirral
0:24:11 > 0:24:13on the 27th of December 2003.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18Efforts to trace her relatives have led to a possible brother in Australia.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21But there the research has stalled.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Were you a friend of Margery?
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Do you have any information that could help in the search for her relatives?
0:24:28 > 0:24:33Both Margery and Harold's estates remain unclaimed.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37If no one comes forward, their money will go to the government.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41The Crown doesn't want to grab all the estates it possibly can.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45It's keen for kin to be found and for people to make wills.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48That's the way to stop property becoming bona vacantia, make a will.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Here are those names once again.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Harold James Dixon and Margery Rummens.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57If you're one of their long lost relatives,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59you could have a windfall coming your way.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09In London, heir hunters Fraser and Fraser are having a busy morning.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13They have four cases from a list of unclaimed estates
0:25:13 > 0:25:17that names people who have died without a will.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Case manager Jo Ibrahim and partner Neil are investigating the case
0:25:21 > 0:25:25of Michael Daly, known as Joe to his friends and family.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Dies in a nursing home in 2010. Looks like he was born in 1928.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36They have traced one of Joe's brothers Bernard and heir hunter Jo
0:25:36 > 0:25:40already had to break the very difficult news to him that his brother has died.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I'm sorry I have to tell you this over the phone
0:25:43 > 0:25:47but it's actually Joseph that has passed away.
0:25:47 > 0:25:53Joe's estate was advertised by the Treasury, so the team is competing against rival firms
0:25:53 > 0:25:55to be the first to sign up heirs.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59So they'll want to work quickly to find Joe's other close relatives.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Joe's family arrived in Dulwich in the 1880s.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10And his grandfather sold flowers from a barrow around the village.
0:26:10 > 0:26:16Joe was close to his big brother Henry, known to friends and family as Derek
0:26:16 > 0:26:19who later became a popular landlord at the village pub.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21But Joe was more of a loner.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26He loved to go camping. He would go any time of the year.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30It didn't have to be the summer. It could be the middle of winter,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34freezing cold or snowing. He used to escape to wherever he could.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39Joe's love of the open road wasn't just limited to tents and walking.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Joe had a black motorbike and sidecar,
0:26:43 > 0:26:48which he went everywhere in and on. And it stood out.
0:26:48 > 0:26:54In the '50s and '60s, that was quite a piece of machinery to have.
0:26:54 > 0:26:59Joe's marriage was more than 50 years ago
0:26:59 > 0:27:02but Sylvia still remembers the day Joe asked her to be a bridesmaid.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Oh, wow! I'd never been a bridesmaid before.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10So the excitement of actually being measured up for a dress.
0:27:10 > 0:27:16Because in the '50s, everybody could put all their clothes in one wardrobe for the whole family.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19To have something that was going to be made for you,
0:27:19 > 0:27:26and have special shoes and really look the part and have flowers,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28was really a privilege.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31And all the family, as many as I can remember,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34everybody that could get to the wedding,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38actually turned up and it was a lovely day.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44Sadly, in later life, Joe began to experience mental health issues
0:27:44 > 0:27:46and was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50It seems this took a toll on his relationships with those around him.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53As far as I know,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56they separated and then got divorced
0:27:56 > 0:28:02because of Joe's problems with his mental health issues,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05which obviously got too hard for her to handle.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10And that was, you know, they just divorced and went their separate ways.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19Now that heir hunter Jo has spoken to Joe's brother Bernard,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22she has sent senior researcher Bob Barratt round to his house.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28She's hoping Bernard will be able to give Bob information
0:28:28 > 0:28:30to help trace the remaining heirs.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34It seems as though the deceased was quite separate from the family.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37His brother mentioned that he was ill at one stage.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41He got divorced and after that they didn't see much of him.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46So it might just be that the family grew apart.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50While the office team begin research on Joe's brother Derek,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52Bob talks to his other sibling Bernard.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Some of the information we will know already and so it confirms that
0:28:56 > 0:29:00and helps prove to the authorities that you are who we think you are.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04My father's name was Henry Patrick, he was Patrick.
0:29:04 > 0:29:05My brother's name was Henry Derek,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08his name was Derek. We called him Derek.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10And Michael Patrick Joseph was Joe.
0:29:10 > 0:29:15Bernard confirms that he's the last of the four Daly brothers.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Henry died in 1982.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22The youngest died in infancy in 1938.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26And Bernard has just learned that his big brother Joe died in 2010.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Bernard hadn't seen his brother for many years.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37He knew Joe lived with schizophrenia but he didn't know he spent
0:29:37 > 0:29:39the last stage of his life in a nursing home
0:29:39 > 0:29:42specialising in caring for people with mental health issues.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46It's been a very tough morning for Bernard.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49The heir hunter's telephone call was very difficult.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53But he has found comfort in knowing what happened to his brother.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58I've been wondering for a long time what had happened to him.
0:29:58 > 0:30:04I tried on many occasions to contact him and fine out where he was
0:30:04 > 0:30:06but without success.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08It's some... Although he's dead,
0:30:08 > 0:30:13it's somewhat of a relief to know where he is and what's happened to him.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19Schizophrenia is a condition that affects people in different ways.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Some of the many symptoms include jumbled thoughts, delusions,
0:30:23 > 0:30:26hallucinations and apathy.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33In the UK, schizophrenia affects about one in one hundred people
0:30:33 > 0:30:35across the course of somebody's lifetime.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39At any one time, that's about four out of a thousand people in the UK population.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Symptoms can vary from person to person.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48Their experience of them can vary within a person's lifetime.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Some people might only experience one episode.
0:30:50 > 0:30:55For others, it might be a more regular thing that carries on throughout their lifetime.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01Bernard remembers that, at times, it was difficult to understand what was happening to Joe.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04It wasn't easy to be in his company.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06I had him with me one Christmas
0:31:06 > 0:31:11and he was shaking like a leaf the whole time, couldn't sit still.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15It made me wary of being in his company.
0:31:15 > 0:31:21Despite his problems in later life, Joe worked as a customs officer.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25Lots of people with schizophrenia are able to hold down jobs
0:31:25 > 0:31:29and exist in society exactly the same as everybody else.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33I think his life was very into a routine.
0:31:33 > 0:31:38I think that's probably, while he was at work, how he survived how he did.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44Even today, some people fear that there's still a stigma attached to mental health issues.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49But charities and other organisations give valuable help and support.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56It's often difficult for people to seek support for mental health problems
0:31:56 > 0:31:58because of the stigma associated with it.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02But help is available and support is there and it's entirely possible
0:32:02 > 0:32:06to recover and live a full life with a mental health diagnosis.
0:32:11 > 0:32:17back in the office, the team is now focused on finding descendants of Joe's brother Derek,
0:32:17 > 0:32:19known as Henry, who along with Bernard would be heirs.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25They've established Joe's other brother Henry was married to Joan Rowing.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27He died in 1982.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30He and Joan had two daughters.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Both of them will be entitled to part of Joe's estate.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38The heir hunters broke the news to Patricia who is one of Joe's two nieces.
0:32:38 > 0:32:44As soon as I realised they were phoning about a relative, I said, "Is that Joe?"
0:32:44 > 0:32:48I just knew immediately that was who it would be.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52And it just was so sad to hear that he had passed away.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56I was always worried that perhaps he was out living rough.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00In a way, it was good news that he was at least being cared for.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05Patricia has fond childhood memories of her uncle Joe.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Yes, Joe was very much an outdoors person.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12He didn't worry what the weather was like, he would go camping,
0:33:12 > 0:33:16walking the dog. He was happiest when he was outside.
0:33:16 > 0:33:21And he was great company if you would meet him at the park and walk along with him.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23He was a good uncle.
0:33:24 > 0:33:30I wouldn't imagine Joe's estate would be very much for how he ended up living in care.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Whatever there is I'll just share with my son.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42The heir hunters have chased Joe's beneficiaries swiftly.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48It's been tough dealing with close family but it's something they have to do in their job.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52We always recommend that every person makes a will.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55There's no reason why someone with mental health issues
0:33:55 > 0:33:58cannot make a will. It just has to be done in good circumstances.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05The heir hunters estimate that Joe's three heirs will share his £10,500 estate.
0:34:06 > 0:34:13But for Joe's family and friends it's far more valuable to know what became of him in later life.
0:34:13 > 0:34:18At least I know where he is now, which is keeping me...
0:34:18 > 0:34:20I find it satisfying anyway.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Heir hunters have tracked down Reg Harrington,
0:34:29 > 0:34:34one of 33 heirs to the £130,000 estate of Constance Harrington.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Thanks to their research,
0:34:37 > 0:34:41Reg discovered his distant cousin had a colourful career as a Wren
0:34:41 > 0:34:44and as a secretary to some high-profile figures.
0:34:46 > 0:34:52It was all the more poignant for Reg whose daughter Claire has also had a successful career
0:34:52 > 0:34:55as a PA at 10 Downing Street to three prime ministers.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57There's a parallel there, isn't there?
0:34:57 > 0:35:01They both have worked at the highest level.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06So I'm very proud of both of them, I really am.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09This has sparked Reg's interest to find out more.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13But when he met with Val, a former friend and colleague of Constance,
0:35:13 > 0:35:19he was left with more questions about a part of her career in the late 1950s.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21There's one part of Constance's life
0:35:21 > 0:35:24that I haven't been able to fathom out.
0:35:24 > 0:35:30Constance's CV revealed that in 1946 she had a key secretarial role
0:35:30 > 0:35:33at an anti-submarine school based in Londonderry.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Its aim was to counteract the threat of German U-boats,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40which threatened merchant shipping trade between the US and the UK.
0:35:40 > 0:35:45It was just like Constance to be right in the middle of the action.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48This is all too typical from what I know about Constance.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51She was at the centre of activities. Combined operations,
0:35:51 > 0:35:56D-Day and so on. It's no wonder she retired on a bit of a high
0:35:56 > 0:35:59at the end of her naval career. She had always been at the centre.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04You could not have been more at the centre than being in Londonderry at this time.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09But it appears Constance may not have retired following this operation.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13By chance, the heir hunters received some information when dealing with the estate,
0:36:13 > 0:36:18which indicated there was more to this secretary than one could ever imagine.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23One of the snippets of information we got in was an email.
0:36:23 > 0:36:30It included a timeline, which pretty much followed the CV we found.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34However, it expanded in little additional areas.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38And it looked as though after Constance served in the Wrens
0:36:38 > 0:36:41she seems to have gone back into the Wrens.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46And then a mention on the timeline of an exercise called Sidestep.
0:36:46 > 0:36:52One line but one which could potentially answer so many questions about Constance's life.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55But what was exercise Sidestep?
0:36:59 > 0:37:04Exercise Sidestep was one of those exercises that practise and rehearse
0:37:04 > 0:37:07the procedure for launching nuclear weapons.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11Documents reveal that, far from retiring from her naval career,
0:37:11 > 0:37:16Constance signed up for the Wren reserves during the cold war in the 1950s.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19The cold war was a period of history that saw
0:37:19 > 0:37:22a complete division between the east and the west.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25The Soviet bloc and its partners in eastern Europe, the Warsaw Pact.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28America, Britain and the west
0:37:28 > 0:37:31and their partners in NATO.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34It was a cold war because it relied upon deterrents.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38Neither side would attack the other because they knew they would be destroyed themselves.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43And in 1959, Wren reserve Constance was called to action
0:37:43 > 0:37:48as a duty intelligence officer for this secretive exercise.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Sidestep was one of those intelligence and communications exercises
0:37:52 > 0:37:57to practise the procedures involved to request the use of nuclear weapons.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00A duty intelligence officer involved in these NATO exercises
0:38:00 > 0:38:03would have been at the very centre of the action.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05There would have been messages coming in.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09They would have needed interpreting, decoding and passing on
0:38:09 > 0:38:11to the appropriate authorities.
0:38:11 > 0:38:16So really, such as there was a frontline in these exercises,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18the intelligence officer would be right in it.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22It appeared to be such a key event in the cold war period.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25But why did Constance keep it so secret?
0:38:25 > 0:38:28The work of everybody involved in these exercises was totally secret.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32Nobody was allowed to talk about what they were doing to colleagues,
0:38:32 > 0:38:36certainly not to family members, certainly not to outsiders.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40The only people who would have been allowed to play these roles
0:38:40 > 0:38:44would be people who could be totally relied upon to be discreet,
0:38:44 > 0:38:48to be proper and not to reveal anything about what they were doing.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52And this exercise would have involved international cooperation.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56There would have been two or three communication centres.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Probably one in West Germany, probably one somewhere like Belgium,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04and one at a major communication centre in the UK.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09These would be the centre of this exercise, where signals are coming in around the prepared script,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13around the scenario, as the war game unfolds.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18And this UK hub was at HMS Pembroke in Chatham, Kent.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22Reg has come to walk in the footsteps of his cousin
0:39:22 > 0:39:26and find out more from local historian Clive Holden.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30The dockyard that's here is from Elizabethan times.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32It expanded over the centuries.
0:39:32 > 0:39:37Naval technology improved, we had the advent of steam power, wooden warships
0:39:37 > 0:39:40were replaced with ironclads and then armoured vessels.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44The ships themselves got much larger.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48Eventually, the dockyard as it was ran out of space almost.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51The ships were getting too big the dockyard.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Chatham dockyard has earned its place in history
0:39:55 > 0:39:58being the birthplace of the navy's new weapon of war.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00The submarine.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04- "Clear the bridge for diving." - "Diving now! Diving now!"
0:40:04 > 0:40:09Production ran through two world wars and into the nuclear cold war era
0:40:09 > 0:40:12when Constance would have been stationed here.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17But for former Royal Marine Reg, it's the day-to-day life he's interested in.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21I'll point out where Constance would have eaten her meals while she was here.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24They would have been on long mess tables there
0:40:24 > 0:40:29and also would have been able to get a drink if they wanted one.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33- I remember it well.- You remember it well. I'm sure you do. Yes, yes.
0:40:33 > 0:40:38It was all standard naval fare, much as you would have eaten in the Royal Marines
0:40:38 > 0:40:39- I'd imagine. - That's right.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43But Constance's working conditions would not have been comfortable.
0:40:43 > 0:40:49She was actually based in something called
0:40:49 > 0:40:52the Area Combined Headquarters Chatham.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Which was an underground complex, an underground bunker
0:40:55 > 0:40:59originally built in the Second World War.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04She would have been down there collating intelligence reports
0:41:04 > 0:41:07on Soviet naval shipping.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10This was what the whole exercise was about.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Testing NATO's preparedness.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17For everyone involved, it was a sensitive time.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20In a sense, an exercise like Sidestep
0:41:20 > 0:41:25is sort of reminder of the ultimate destructive
0:41:25 > 0:41:29capability that the cold war could draw upon.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Had the cold war ever become a hot war,
0:41:31 > 0:41:35it would have been nuclear annihilation, it would have been the end of the world.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41It just goes to show, you don't always know where life can take you
0:41:41 > 0:41:44or what secrets people take with them to the grave.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49What we do know is Constance was one truly remarkable lady
0:41:49 > 0:41:52who certainly did her country proud.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55I knew very little about my father's side of the family
0:41:55 > 0:41:59until this business with Constance started up.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04And now I feel I'm part of that family now,
0:42:04 > 0:42:06which I never felt before.
0:42:06 > 0:42:12And for the heir hunting team it's certainly a case that will stand out for them.
0:42:12 > 0:42:18The estate of Constance Harrington is one of those estates which seems to have gone on forever.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21We started the research in April of 2011.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24And we really finished that research quite quickly.
0:42:24 > 0:42:31But the social history afterwards has been the most interesting of any case we've really looked at.
0:42:31 > 0:42:36It's one of the most fascinating cases Frasers have ever researched.
0:42:36 > 0:42:41For Reg, finding out about exercise Sidestep
0:42:41 > 0:42:44has been the final piece of the puzzle.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48I feel as though I've known her.
0:42:48 > 0:42:54It's a strange feeling. But having met Val,
0:42:54 > 0:43:00and now with all the details that Clive's been able to fill in for me,
0:43:00 > 0:43:03I feel much closer to her.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd