0:00:02 > 0:00:05Every year, half a million people die in the UK.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08One in three leave no will or no known relatives.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11In all of the time I've been here,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14I've never seen a single person visit him.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20If the estate is not claimed by a member of the family,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22all the money will go to the government,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25and that's where the heir hunters come in.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28They are specialists in tracking down beneficiaries and informing
0:00:28 > 0:00:32them of an inheritance, which can come like a bolt out of the blue.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37When I got the phone call, I was very shocked and surprised.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Heir hunting is fiercely competitive
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and hundreds of thousands of pounds can be at stake...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47I've still got a quarter of a million pound estate to try
0:00:47 > 0:00:50and find a home for.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54..and it can reunite families and long-lost relatives.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Awesome. It's been such a blessing meeting Aunt Pat.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Above all, it's about giving people news of a surprise windfall.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Could the heir hunters be knocking at your door?
0:01:07 > 0:01:08HE KNOCKS
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Coming up, a case in Wales that is an heir hunter's worst nightmare...
0:01:19 > 0:01:22The name Jones in North Wales is just about the most
0:01:22 > 0:01:26needle in a haystack job you could ever possibly get.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29..and the poignant story of a beloved son.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31He idolised his mother,
0:01:31 > 0:01:35and his father. That's why, I think, he never got married,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37you know, not to leave 'em.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Plus, how you could be entitled to inherit unclaimed estates
0:01:40 > 0:01:42held by the Treasury.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Could thousands of pounds be heading your way?
0:01:51 > 0:01:55It's early on a Thursday summer morning and Saul Marks,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58a case manager for heir hunting firm Celtic Research,
0:01:58 > 0:01:59is heading out on the road.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04So, today, we're going to Mold Register Office.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Today's trip is the latest stage of research in an ongoing
0:02:08 > 0:02:12investigation into the £11,000 estate of Harold Jones.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Saul has already managed to trace some family members,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21but there are many more to discover until he can be sure he's found
0:02:21 > 0:02:25his heirs, and names to research don't come much harder than Jones.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29I think it's fair to say that researching
0:02:29 > 0:02:33the surname of Jones is rather a piece of genealogical masochism.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Harold Jones died peacefully in the hospital near his care home
0:02:41 > 0:02:46in Rhyl, North Wales, on the 7th of March 2012, aged 88.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50One of the relatives Saul has already tracked down is
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Vera Williams and,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56although she doesn't have any photos of Harold, she remembers him well.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Harold and my father were first cousins.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04Harold's mother and my grandmother were sisters.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06He was about 5'8",
0:03:06 > 0:03:10quite trim, not overweight, well, when I was a youngster,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12he wasn't, anyway, and always, always,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16especially if you saw him when I'd finished work, or something,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18at half past five, you saw him going down the street, he was
0:03:18 > 0:03:21always in a shirt and a tie and a nice jacket or suit.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26He was a very quiet person, very introverted person,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28a very private person, actually.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29Um.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31..you never knew...
0:03:31 > 0:03:33what he was doing or where he was going.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Harold died without leaving a will
0:03:39 > 0:03:44and his estate was advertised by the Treasury Solicitor in 2012.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Saul took up the search and after weeks of investigation,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50he managed to solve Harold's mother's branch of the family,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53which led him to six cousins, including Vera.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57But, to complete the research on this case,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Saul must make sure he's found every heir and that means unlocking
0:04:01 > 0:04:03the difficult father's side of the family.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10It's the worst surname to research simply
0:04:10 > 0:04:13because there are so many of them.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Um, and especially in Wales, so I'm not sure if, uh...
0:04:18 > 0:04:21If we're incredibly wise researching a Jones case in Wales.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Liverpool-based Saul is the company's man in the North West,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29and the firm also has offices in mid-Wales
0:04:29 > 0:04:33and London run by father and son team Peter and Hector Birchwood.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38As Harold Jones died in North Wales, Saul has taken
0:04:38 > 0:04:41the lead on the case, but, despite hours of research,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44the paternal side of the family has proved tough to crack.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Normally in our work, when we look at the birth, marriage and
0:04:50 > 0:04:54death indexes, we're able to establish from the index
0:04:54 > 0:04:58if the family we're tracing is the right family, um, because of
0:04:58 > 0:05:02clues on the index such as mother's maiden name on the birth index.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07With such incredibly common names like this, um...it's a lot more
0:05:07 > 0:05:09difficult, so we actually need to get
0:05:09 > 0:05:11the information from the certificates themselves.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Saul's established that Harold was born in 1923,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21the third son of Henry Lloyd Jones and Margaret Hughes.
0:05:21 > 0:05:26Both his brothers died as bachelors ruling out beneficiaries from them.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31Harold married a Margaret Roberts in 1950, but she predeceased him
0:05:31 > 0:05:35and they had no children, so the search has to widen to
0:05:35 > 0:05:38the Jones' and Hughes' sides of the family.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40Henry Lloyd Jones was one of five children
0:05:40 > 0:05:43born to David and Jane Jones.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Other than Henry, only one other child, Thomas,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48appeared to go on to have a family.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49He had four children.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53The eldest child of this family,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57who would have been Harold's first cousin, was George Hewitt Jones
0:05:57 > 0:06:00and his informant on his death certificate was his son,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03who was also called George Hewitt Jones.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07If George Hewitt Jones Junior is still alive, as we hope he is,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10he will definitely be an heir to Harold Jones' estate.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Discovering there could be a living heir on Harold's father's
0:06:15 > 0:06:18side prompted Saul to leave his office and make
0:06:18 > 0:06:22the 25-mile trip to the register office in Mold, North Wales.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Solving this case could depend on what he finds there.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31The objective of the day is to, hopefully,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34find a gentleman named George Hewitt Jones and...
0:06:37 > 0:06:41who registered his father's death in 1976.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43What we're going to do at the Register's Office,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46is we're going to order two certificates.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51The hope is that he or one of his siblings may have been
0:06:51 > 0:06:55the informant on their mother's death certificate and that they still live
0:06:55 > 0:07:00now at the same address that they were living at in 1992 when she died.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Um...
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and we can then, hopefully, get in contact with them that way.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07But, before the death certificate,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Saul needs confirmation from Lillian and George's marriage certificate
0:07:11 > 0:07:13that the groom's father is Harold's uncle.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Saul is a well-known figure at the Register Office.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Right...
0:07:20 > 0:07:23so, this is the first one, this is a marriage. It's George H and
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Lillian M, but I'm fairly sure those are the middle names.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I've put the bridegroom's father must be Thomas Jones.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Are you sort of urgent for this or can we...?
0:07:31 > 0:07:32Yeah, today, I want the priority service.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34So, on the priority service. OK.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Well, if you'd like to take a seat for one second,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38I'll do a search and we'll go from there.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Brilliant. Thanks very much.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44With one in four people in Wales named Jones,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47admin assistant Gwyneth and the team at the Register Office
0:07:47 > 0:07:51are well aware of how difficult it is to pinpoint a specific Jones.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57There's absolutely loads of Joneses. Isn't there, Sue?
0:07:57 > 0:08:01So, really, we do need some detail that's going to tie up,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03you know, ie, if you were after a birth,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07we really would need the father's name or the mother's name to
0:08:07 > 0:08:10make sure that you've obviously got the correct one.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Um, preferably, obviously, as much information as you can give.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18If it's a marriage then it's the father's name that we
0:08:18 > 0:08:21need for the bride and the groom, and that, basically,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24would help to tie everything together.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28A probate researcher gets paid a percentage of a legacy,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30as agreed with the beneficiary.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32So, if Saul can't crack this case,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35all his many hours of hard work will be for nothing.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40But, luckily, today, he doesn't have to wait long before superintendent
0:08:40 > 0:08:45registrar Noelle comes back to him with some good news.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49- Is it the right one? - Yes, it is. Bridegroom's father.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Thomas Jones, brilliant, that's wonderful.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Well, in that case, I won't pay for that yet,
0:08:53 > 0:08:58because I'll give you this one. This is...um, let me put that down.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01So, this is the death application for Lillian May,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- who I'm hoping was the bride in that marriage.- Was the bride, yes.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07So, good news for Saul on the marriage certificate.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10The groom's father is Harold's uncle.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Now, all Saul needs is to find the correct death certificate
0:09:13 > 0:09:17for Lillian May for that all-important informant's address.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20So, she's got to be the widow of George Hewitt Jones
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- and her maiden name has to be Hughes. - Was Hughes, yes.- Brilliant.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27- OK, if you'd like to take a seat, we'll be back with you shortly. - OK, thank you.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30While waiting anxiously,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and hoping for news that the death certificate he's asked for
0:09:32 > 0:09:36will show the same Lillian May who was on the marriage certificate,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Saul reflects on the success of today's research so far.
0:09:42 > 0:09:43I'm really pleased with this.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Um, the lady's just told me this is the right marriage.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Um, I thought it probably was, so, this is the marriage certificate
0:09:49 > 0:09:52of George Hewitt Jones and Lillian May Hughes.
0:09:52 > 0:09:5522nd of February 1930, so I can add that to the tree.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57This was the less risky of the two certificates.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01This is really confirming something I was quite confident about.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03The next one is the big crunch.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06But Saul's hopes that the Lillian May named on the
0:10:06 > 0:10:11death certificate will be Harold's aunt receive a bitter blow.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13This is a serious discrepancy here now,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16so I'm a bit worried that this next certificate
0:10:16 > 0:10:18is going to turn out to be the wrong Lillian May Jones.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Sometimes, the work of an heir hunter involves more than
0:10:27 > 0:10:29just finding long-lost relatives.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Sometimes, they're given the task of sorting through
0:10:32 > 0:10:35the house of the person who's died without leaving a will.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40My job is to go through every cupboard and try and find some deeds
0:10:40 > 0:10:45to the house or even some indication that he would have owned it.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Today, company boss Andrew Fraser has finally got the keys to
0:10:50 > 0:10:53a house in Greater Manchester to visit the home of William Green,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56who died in 2012,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59leaving an estate estimated at £100,000.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06To us, it's very important to go through a house to find any
0:11:06 > 0:11:08assets and liabilities,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12because we've been given very little information from the authorities
0:11:12 > 0:11:14and, therefore, we need to find it ourselves.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20The house visit is only the latest part of the puzzle that
0:11:20 > 0:11:23London heir hunting firm Fraser & Fraser has been piecing together,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26since picking up the case from the government's list of
0:11:26 > 0:11:29unclaimed estates published by the Treasury's Solicitor.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35But case manager Ben Cornish recalls how they very nearly gave it a miss.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Green is generally quite a common name,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41so, it can be a bit of a nightmare to research this,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44quite a lot of records, but, in this particular case,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46we know that the deceased had two middle initials,
0:11:46 > 0:11:50which was...which could help us with our research.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57William Alfred George Green died on the 20th of March 2012
0:11:57 > 0:12:01at his local hospital near his home in Stockport.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Long-time neighbour Steve Brown has fond memories of Bill.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Bill was a gentleman...
0:12:08 > 0:12:11a really nice guy. If he could help you, he would.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13If you wanted anything, he'd fetch it for you.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Bill was a very quiet, private man, but a lovely natured man. Lovely.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19He would do anything for you.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And although Bill lived on his own and had never married,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25it seemed he ran a busy household.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30He used to grow his own tomatoes and he had an aviary in the back.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33He'd loads of pets. Yeah, he was just lovely.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35He used to give me apples for apple pies...
0:12:37 > 0:12:39..on the condition I made one for him.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Bill had been a car mechanic and his professional skills appeared
0:12:43 > 0:12:47to make him particularly popular with at least one neighbour.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51He was good like that, cos, I mean...I used to come and ask...
0:12:51 > 0:12:54for details about my car when broke down. He was very good.
0:12:54 > 0:12:55He'd help anybody.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01With a valuable estate comes competition, so the heir hunters
0:13:01 > 0:13:05were under pressure to crack this case before the arrivals.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08They kick-started their search by following a tried and tested route.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13So, initially, we will look for a marriage of the deceased,
0:13:13 > 0:13:14to see if the deceased had a spouse,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18and we also look for children from that marriage.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20In this particular case, there was no marriage,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23which doesn't necessarily mean that are no children,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26but it's an indicator to us that there probably isn't.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28The deceased was in his early 70s when he passed away.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32So, there was a possibility that he, you know, his mum could still
0:13:32 > 0:13:34be alive, or his father, so that's the next thing we would check,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36to see if they have passed away.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40The team quickly establish that Bill's mother, Jane,
0:13:40 > 0:13:45had died in 1999 and his father, Douglas, had died in 2004.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50According to records found by the heir hunters,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Bill's father played a remarkable
0:13:52 > 0:13:56and very dangerous role in World War II as a firefighter in the
0:13:56 > 0:14:00RAF base near the coastal town of Pwllheli in North West Wales.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Former RAF firefighter Steven Harrison appreciates only too
0:14:08 > 0:14:11well the frightening scenario facing those early crews
0:14:11 > 0:14:14when trying to rescue airmen from their burning planes.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23The role of firefighters during World War II obviously was very busy at
0:14:23 > 0:14:26a time when squadrons were returning from missions
0:14:26 > 0:14:30and that was the point where they could well crash.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36And they might have bombs hung up as ammunition still in the aircraft,
0:14:36 > 0:14:37so, if they did crash,
0:14:37 > 0:14:42there would be danger of exploding ammunition and exploding bombs.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45And it seems these valiant men were up against it,
0:14:45 > 0:14:49even when it came to the tools they were given to carry out their job.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54The firefighting equipment of the World War II firefighter,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56was quite basic, really.
0:14:56 > 0:15:02There had been some progression using foam, which was really,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06at that stage, just a soap, really, soap bubbles,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10reinforced soap bubbles, to spread over the fuel surface
0:15:10 > 0:15:14and they also used CO2 extinguishers as well.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18But the firefighting protective clothing was not very good.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21It was basically a leather jacket.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24There was some development of an asbestos suit,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27so, if the fire didn't get you, the asbestos suit most probably
0:15:27 > 0:15:32would, so, it was very precarious and it called for some bravery.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37But even while Douglas was busy braving the intense heat of
0:15:37 > 0:15:40a burning cockpit to rescue his fellow airmen,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44case manager Ben discovered that he'd found time for a family life.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50The parents married on the 14th of April 1941,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53and we found that William was the only child born to the marriage.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57We also made sure, we found death records for both parents,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00just in case they had remarried and had other children,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04which would mean they'd be half-blood siblings to the deceased.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Having established that there were no near kin, the team looked for
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Bill's aunts and uncles on both his mother Jane's side
0:16:11 > 0:16:13and his father Douglas' side of the family.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18Douglas' father was William Alfred Green
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and his mother was Lily M Simmons. They had six children.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26They left descendants, including the deceased's father.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29So, with this, the team knew that there were potential heirs
0:16:29 > 0:16:33who were full blood relatives on Bill's father's side,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36but what about his mother's side of the family?
0:16:36 > 0:16:39His mother was a lady called Jane Ellen Roberts.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41We know that she was illegitimate.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44There's no father mentioned on her birth certificate. Um, we think...
0:16:44 > 0:16:47later on, from the family information that we got, that she
0:16:47 > 0:16:51was informally adopted, but adoptions didn't really start till 1926, 1927.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56She's born 1919, so we think it's just an informal adoption,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58but she carries on the Roberts name after,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02so it doesn't feel that she was with the Jones family for that long.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05The discovery that Bill's mother was illegitimate
0:17:05 > 0:17:07had an immediate impact on the case.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10When we established that there were full blood relatives
0:17:10 > 0:17:11on the paternal side,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13it meant that the maternal side wouldn't be entitled
0:17:13 > 0:17:16because the deceased mother was illegitimate
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and any deceased siblings that she may have had would now be
0:17:19 > 0:17:22half-blood relatives, and, under the rules of intestacy,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26full blood has a prior claim than that of half-blood.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32With an estate worth an estimated £100,000, the team were aware
0:17:32 > 0:17:36that they may not be the only heir hunters on this case,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40so they wasted no time in tracking down two of Bill's aunts.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It's quite unusual, finding aunts of the deceased still alive.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Um, obviously, they're of that older generation,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48so they'll have a lot of the family knowledge, so, it's always good
0:17:48 > 0:17:52to have them there to confirm what we've already done in our research.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54But as the case progresses,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58news of Bill's death comes as a bit of a shock.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59Billy was such a lovely boy.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I didn't believe it. I still can't believe it, you know.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Heir hunters trace thousands of rightful beneficiaries
0:18:15 > 0:18:18every year, but not all cases can be cracked.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20There are over 10,000 estates on the government's own list
0:18:20 > 0:18:22of unclaimed estates,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26which have eluded the heir hunters and remain unsolved.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32Cases get put onto the list once we have made our own enquiries
0:18:32 > 0:18:34to see if we can trace kin and then we upload them
0:18:34 > 0:18:36onto the website daily.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Today, we're focusing on two cases that are yet to be
0:18:39 > 0:18:41solved by the heir hunters.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Could you be about to inherit some money from a long-lost relative?
0:18:46 > 0:18:48First, is the case of...
0:18:49 > 0:18:50..who died on...
0:18:55 > 0:18:57..aged 70.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Malcolm was also born in Halifax on the 21st of August, 1937.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07He never married and had no known children.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11He had one sister who died without children in 1984.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Malcolm's father was...
0:19:16 > 0:19:17..who was born on...
0:19:19 > 0:19:22..also in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23His mother was born...
0:19:25 > 0:19:27on the 21st October 1905
0:19:27 > 0:19:29in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35She had one brother, Norman Gill, who died in 1978 with no children.
0:19:37 > 0:19:38At the time of her death on...
0:19:41 > 0:19:44..Malcolm's mum, Emma, was using the name Shooter.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Maybe this could unlock the mystery.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Next, from Norfolk County Council,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54do you have any clues that could crack open the case of...?
0:19:55 > 0:19:56..who died on...
0:19:58 > 0:19:59..in Great Yarmouth.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06Pauline had also been born in Great Yarmouth on the 21st March 1942.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Pauline had never been married,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12but it's believed she might have had two children.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14She was one of eight siblings.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Both Malcolm and Pauline's estates remain unclaimed and,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23if no-one comes forward, their money will go to the government.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27The money raised by the Bona Vacantia Division is passed
0:20:27 > 0:20:31annually to the Treasury and it goes into the consolidated fund,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34therefore, to benefit the country as a whole.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Do you have any clues that could help solve
0:20:36 > 0:20:40the cases of Malcolm Hugh MacDonald or Pauline Bartlett?
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Perhaps you could be their next of kin.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46If so, you could have a windfall coming your way.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57In London, the heir hunters were searching for heirs in the case of
0:20:57 > 0:21:01William Green who died in March 2012
0:21:01 > 0:21:04leaving an estimated £100,000 estate.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08By taking on a case and investing the company's resources
0:21:08 > 0:21:10and time into tracing heirs,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12the heir hunters take a huge gamble.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16If a rival firm managed to sign up beneficiaries for
0:21:16 > 0:21:19an agreed percentage of their legacy before they do,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22then all the work and effort is for nothing.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26The other stumbling block is if a will is found.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29We very rarely come across a will,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31but...it's always something I'm looking for,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35before we all do too much work
0:21:35 > 0:21:38and all our time would then be unrecoverable and it's a loss.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42When someone dies intestate,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44company partner Andrew Fraser is tasked with
0:21:44 > 0:21:47the job of arranging house clearances,
0:21:47 > 0:21:52searching for deeds and documents and auctioning homes and contents.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Crucially, he also has to look for any signs of a will
0:21:55 > 0:21:57stashed in a house.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59But he often doesn't get access to the house
0:21:59 > 0:22:03until after the team have spent costly hours researching heirs.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Today, Andrew has come to Bill's home.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11And it's a welcome revelation.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Excellent! This is, um...
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Just what we're looking for in terms of assets,
0:22:15 > 0:22:21because we have tax, pensions, the assets and details what we...
0:22:21 > 0:22:23the solicitors will be looking for.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Although he'd had girlfriends,
0:22:26 > 0:22:3070-year-old Bill had been an only child and a bachelor
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and had lived in the family home in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38His friend and neighbour Amy Thorpe remembers him fondly.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Bill was a very quiet, private man, but a lovely natured man,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47lovely, would do anything for you.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50And, even though he used to hoard things, if you went and asked him
0:22:50 > 0:22:53for one particular letter, he would go and pick it up straightaway.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56He knew exactly where everything was, so, in his mind,
0:22:56 > 0:23:00he was very methodical, but, to everybody else, he was just...
0:23:00 > 0:23:02You know, just was a hoarder!
0:23:02 > 0:23:05It seems Bill had also been devoted to his parents.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08When I moved in, Bill was in the house on his own
0:23:08 > 0:23:10and his parents had already passed away.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Um, and he has a caravan in his back garden that belonged to his mum
0:23:13 > 0:23:17and dad, and he used to sit in it regularly reading books and things.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20It was his way of feeling close to his mum and dad, I think.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22And when we did our garden at the back, we asked him
0:23:22 > 0:23:25if he wanted to move the caravan out and he wouldn't part with it.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27He said, "No, no, no. That's all I've got left of them.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29"I'm going to keep it."
0:23:33 > 0:23:37It seemed that a love of all kinds of transport ran in the family
0:23:37 > 0:23:41as Bill's grandfather, William, had a job on the buses in the 1930s.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49William worked for Black & White Motorways Ltd,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53a coach company which was founded in 1926 in Cheltenham.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58It was the heyday of British coach travel, as not every household had
0:23:58 > 0:24:03a car and coaches were mainly used by groups for organised outings.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07The Black & White coaches became one of the first express commuter
0:24:07 > 0:24:11services to and from London with three services a day.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13It was quite luxurious
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and Black & White was probably in the top half a dozen
0:24:16 > 0:24:19companies in the country and, for example,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22they had toilets on board from 1930,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and a courier, a second staff member, just to look after the luggage
0:24:25 > 0:24:29and the interests of the quite low numbers of passengers,
0:24:29 > 0:24:30roundly, 30 passengers.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33So, it was an upmarket operation.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37William, also known as Bill, was a fitter for the company,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40and would have carried out all the maintenance on the coaches,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42but he was also employed as a driver.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Bill would probably have been very pleased to have go
0:24:46 > 0:24:48driving as well as being a fitter.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It would have got him out and about at weekends, changed his scene
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and his environment, and it would have been extra income.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59The company remained a vanguard of British coach services
0:24:59 > 0:25:03for 50 years until, finally, it became subsidiary of
0:25:03 > 0:25:10the government-backed National Bus Company in 1969 and then, by 1976,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12the Black & White fleet name was gone.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Having established who Douglas' parents were,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22the heir hunters made a major breakthrough.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25We traced two aunts who were still alive.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29And there were a further three aunts or uncles that left descendants,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32and then one that had passed away in infancy.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36One of the first beneficiaries to hear
0:25:36 > 0:25:39the news of their inheritance was Bill's aunt Joyce who hadn't
0:25:39 > 0:25:43seen the nephew she knew as Billy for many years.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45This particular knock on the door
0:25:45 > 0:25:47was the last thing she'd been expecting.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52This very posh gentleman come to the door and he asked me
0:25:52 > 0:25:54was I related to William.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57And I said yes, I said, "I'm an auntie."
0:25:57 > 0:25:59And he said he'd passed away.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Billy was such a lovely boy.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08I didn't believe it. I still can't believe it, you know.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09But it's true, innit?
0:26:11 > 0:26:15Bill's aunt still has very fond memories of her nephew.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17The short time I knew Billy, he was the same as Dougie,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20he had the same personality.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Friendly, kind, like when he took me to the train station,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27he was more worried about me than his mother being on her own,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30but, that was the last time I saw Billy...
0:26:31 > 0:26:33when I left there.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37And Joyce has her own theory on just why Bill remained a bachelor.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41He idolised his mother...
0:26:41 > 0:26:45and his father. He was one of the best sons going, that's why I think
0:26:45 > 0:26:47he never got married.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49You know, not to leave 'em.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Bill's father, Dougie, had four sisters.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56At the time of Bill's death, only two were still alive.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58His aunt Joyce and his aunt Lilian,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02who was also taken by complete surprise by the news of her nephew.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Billy I hadn't seen since he was a little boy.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11So, well, I was really surprised. I was shocked, you know.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- Catch!- Talking about Billy brought back memories
0:27:14 > 0:27:18of Billy's father, Lilian's brother, Dougie.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20I was very close to Dougie.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26I think I was his favourite. Yeah.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29That's why he took me up to North Wales for a holiday.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32'But once I got courting, you don't bother any more.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35'Years go by and you don't realise.'
0:27:36 > 0:27:40And then, when you do, when you do catch up with it,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42it's a disappointment.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44You know.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47But, uh, I feel sorry that Billy's gone.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54With the team's research almost complete,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57and after the Treasury Office had accepted the heirs they'd found
0:27:57 > 0:27:58were the rightful ones,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Andrew was able to gather some final bits of information
0:28:02 > 0:28:04from a visit to Bill's house.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07This meant the last piece of the puzzle could be put in place
0:28:07 > 0:28:10with a little help from Bill's trusty friends.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14They've been in touch with the solicitors
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and they've actually handed over all the paperwork they've got.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19They haven't been able to find a will,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23so I'm sure there isn't going to be a will on this occasion and,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26therefore, the beneficiaries who we have located will be
0:28:26 > 0:28:29the beneficiaries of Mr Green's estate.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32This is a huge relief for case manager Ben.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35So, now that we know that there isn't a will,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37all our work hasn't been in vain, um,
0:28:37 > 0:28:41and the family will benefit from the estate rather than the government.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46The team has managed to bring the case to a successful conclusion,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48uncovering all the heirs.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51The estate of William Alfred George Green, we think, is worth
0:28:51 > 0:28:56approximately £100,000 and will be shared between 22 beneficiaries.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00For the heir hunters, their hard work has finally paid off,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03and they will now receive their commission from a percentage
0:29:03 > 0:29:07of the legacy agreed by each heir who's signed up.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10But for one of the beneficiaries, his aunt Lilian,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13the entitlement is stained with regret.
0:29:14 > 0:29:19I feel very sad that Billy never got married...
0:29:20 > 0:29:25..and had children because this would have all been settled
0:29:26 > 0:29:28without any bother at all.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38In Mold Register Office in North Wales, heir hunter Saul is waiting
0:29:38 > 0:29:41for information he hopes will help him finally crack
0:29:41 > 0:29:47the £11,000 estate of Harold Jones, who died in March 2012, aged 88.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51What I've done now is, straightaway,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53I've put in the application for Lillian's death certificate
0:29:53 > 0:29:56and that's the one where I'm hoping the informant is going to be
0:29:56 > 0:29:58one of their children.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00It's the surname Jones which has made Harold's father's
0:30:00 > 0:30:03side of the family so difficult to research,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06but the mother's side is a different story.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11Although Harold's mother, Margaret, also had a common surname, Hughes,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14when Saul first took on the case in 2012,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18he successfully managed to trace her relatives after weeks of research.
0:30:20 > 0:30:26I managed to establish that Harold's aunt, Sarah-Jane Hughes,
0:30:26 > 0:30:29got married... Would you believe it? ..to a Jones!
0:30:29 > 0:30:31You would believe it in North Wales, believe me.
0:30:31 > 0:30:32Umm...
0:30:32 > 0:30:37Sarah-Jane Hughes married John William Jones in 1912 in Chester.
0:30:37 > 0:30:42Sarah and John had two children. The elder of whom was John Owen Jones.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46And, after a bit more work, I was finally able to establish that
0:30:46 > 0:30:51John Owen Jones had two daughters, the elder of whom's name was Vera.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Harold's cousin, and maternal heir, Vera has
0:30:57 > 0:31:00vivid memories of visits to his home.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03When we'd go out when I was growing up, I used to go,
0:31:03 > 0:31:05from the age of 15, um...
0:31:07 > 0:31:09To my Auntie Maggie's every lunchtime...
0:31:10 > 0:31:13..for a lightly boiled egg and a piece of toast.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14Enough to put you off eggs for life,
0:31:14 > 0:31:19but Harold used to be there sometimes, but he was very quiet,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22a very introverted person, not very sociable.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26While the maternal side might have been straightforward,
0:31:26 > 0:31:31the paternal side is anything but, and, in Mold, probate researcher
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Saul is hoping the death certificate he's waiting for will be of
0:31:35 > 0:31:40Harold's aunt and the informant on it will therefore be a living heir.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43However, he fears he's got the wrong person.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48The Lillian May Hughes who we know is correct,
0:31:48 > 0:31:52in 1930 she's putting on her marriage certificate that she's 23.
0:31:52 > 0:31:58Now, ages aren't necessarily always accurate, but, um...
0:31:58 > 0:32:01But this is a serious discrepancy here now, so I'm...
0:32:01 > 0:32:04a bit worried that this next certificate is going to
0:32:04 > 0:32:06turn out to be the wrong Lillian May Jones.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08No, it's not the right one.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11I've worked that out. I've worked that out.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13So, we need to, we need to...
0:32:13 > 0:32:18She was born the right year, but her maiden name is Jones on
0:32:18 > 0:32:23- this one and she was a widow of someone else.- Yeah.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25This is a real blow to Saul's research
0:32:25 > 0:32:28and could set his hunt for paternal heirs back weeks.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Right, well, that's the first disappointing news of the day.
0:32:32 > 0:32:39Um, as I had just realised and come to fear that the death registration
0:32:39 > 0:32:43of 1992 is not the same Lillian May Jones who was born
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Lillian May Hughes, so that's a stumbling block and it's one of those
0:32:47 > 0:32:51things that happen when people called Jones marry people called Hughes.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53But, undaunted by this set back,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Saul is determined to keep pushing for a result.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00What I'm doing now is I'm searching the death index, um, for...
0:33:02 > 0:33:07deaths of a Lillian May Jones who was who was born around 1906, 1907.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Could Saul's persistence be about to pay off?
0:33:11 > 0:33:14There is a death listing for a Lillian May Jones who
0:33:14 > 0:33:19died in Ruthin, which is also near to here, uh, in February '95.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Date of birth was 1st of August 1906.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28This could be the Lillian May Saul is so desperate to find,
0:33:28 > 0:33:30but will her death certificate be here?
0:33:31 > 0:33:35- Ruthin is not here, is it? - No, it's in Denbighshire North.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37So, it'll be the Rhyl Register Office.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Yeah, that's very frustrating.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45This is a further blow to Saul's day and he doesn't have time to drive
0:33:45 > 0:33:49the 24 miles across to Rhyl Register Office before it closes.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52However, Saul's got one more plan up his sleeve.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59The other thing is to order George Hewitt Junior's birth
0:33:59 > 0:34:02certificate and that'll give us his exact date of birth.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07And then we can start looking for people called George H Jones
0:34:07 > 0:34:09who are still alive with that date of birth.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13With the day's research resting on this final throw of the dice,
0:34:13 > 0:34:18Saul puts in his request to superintendent registrar Noelle.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23I'm fairly sure he's George Hewitt Jones, those should be the parents.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25- OK.- If he's the wrong George H Jones, then we don't need it.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29- Thanks very much.- Could this finally be the piece of information
0:34:29 > 0:34:32that will unlock Harold's father's side of the family?
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Harold's father, Henry Lloyd Jones, had been one of five children.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43He'd had three brothers and one sister. He'd worked as a stonemason
0:34:43 > 0:34:45alongside his eldest brother, Robert,
0:34:45 > 0:34:49a trade which had been passed down from their father, David.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00The craft of stonemasonry has existed since civilisation began.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03It's thought that the great Greek philosopher Socrates
0:35:03 > 0:35:05practised as a stonemason alongside his father
0:35:05 > 0:35:08before concentrating his efforts on philosophy.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Stone has been used throughout our history to build
0:35:12 > 0:35:16some of the world's most iconic and durable buildings.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21But, as stonemason Steven Blackwell knows only too well,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24it's a profession that requires dedication from the outset.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Stonemasonry is very highly skilled...
0:35:29 > 0:35:31and, generally, there was a five-year apprenticeship
0:35:31 > 0:35:33and two-year improving.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Henry would also have had to have the patience of a saint.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41Harold's ancestors would have set all their work out by drawing
0:35:41 > 0:35:44whatever they wanted to carve on the stone first.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48To cut 100 letters on a piece of stone...might have
0:35:48 > 0:35:52taken as long as two days for Harold's ancestors.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Nowadays, we can do that in maybe two hours.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59Steven has nothing but admiration for the pioneers of his profession.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03Modern stonemasons rely on technology heavily.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05We use modern sandblasting techniques,
0:36:05 > 0:36:07diamond and tungsten-tipped tools.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13The tools that Harold's ancestors used were principally hardened steel.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17They probably produced articles of a finer finish of what we can,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20so it's a remarkable testimony to their skills at that time.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Back in the Register Office in North Wales, finally,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30there's been a breakthrough in the paternal side of the case.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34So, is that the right one then?
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Yes, that is the right one, right father and right mother, yes.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39OK, we'll have that then in that case.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41I mean, it doesn't tell us a great deal more,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43but it'll tell us something.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46This is just the result Saul was hoping for and, potentially,
0:36:46 > 0:36:48very exciting news.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51This certificate gives us a little bit of information.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53This is the birth of George Hewitt Jones Junior.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55It gives us his exact date of birth.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00Armed with this new knowledge, Saul gets on his computer to see
0:37:00 > 0:37:01if he can locate George.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04Right. I think I've got him.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10What I've done is I've searched on the electoral rolls
0:37:10 > 0:37:14for a George Jones with no middle initial,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18just a general George Jones, but with a specific date of birth
0:37:18 > 0:37:21and I've done it all over the country, so, it could be anywhere.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25There is one George Jones who has the middle initial H
0:37:25 > 0:37:28and he lives in Prestatyn, which is not far from here.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32So, I'm quite confident now that this is our man...
0:37:32 > 0:37:34and he has a phone number.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Hi, is that Mr Jones?
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Hi, my name is Saul Marks. I work for a company...
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Saul wastes no time and gets on the phone
0:37:43 > 0:37:45to try and confirm his findings.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48We're working a case called Jones for our sins,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52and we're hoping to find a George Hewitt Jones.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54I was hoping that might be you.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59And your parents were George Hewitt Jones and Lillian May Hughes?
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Fantastic! Brilliant! I'm so glad we've found you.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08Great news. It seems the phone call has delivered just what
0:38:08 > 0:38:09Saul needed to hear.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Thanks very much. Thanks, bye.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Never give up. Never, ever give up.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21Even if you're searching a Jones family, never give up.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25Brilliant! We've done it, that was the big breakthrough that we wanted.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28I've spoken to George Hewitt Jones Junior, he's happy for me
0:38:28 > 0:38:30to go and see him. Um...
0:38:31 > 0:38:34He's confirmed that he's the right person and we've traced the
0:38:34 > 0:38:39right family and I'm thrilled, absolutely thrilled. Brilliant.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Saul explodes into action to go
0:38:41 > 0:38:44and sign up this first paternal heir of Harold's estate.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49This visit is now very, very important.
0:38:49 > 0:38:56He is the first heir that we've found on the paternal side of the family,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59and it's taken us an awful lot of research to get this far,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02so I'm going to be sitting down with the family tree with him
0:39:02 > 0:39:08and going through it and, hopefully, he'll be able to tell us
0:39:08 > 0:39:11enough information that we can start visiting more heirs this
0:39:11 > 0:39:13afternoon and signing them up.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Where's 22...?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Although Saul might have found one potential heir in George,
0:39:19 > 0:39:23he's relying on him for information on the rest of the family.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Otherwise, he'll be back trying to deal with that
0:39:25 > 0:39:27impossible Jones name.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31- This is you? George Hewitt Jones Junior?- Yes, yes.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- Junior, I've been calling you George Hewitt Jones Junior.- Yeah.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- Right, so there were six of you. - Yeah.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41So...all of you who are still alive...
0:39:41 > 0:39:45- will be entitled to inherit a portion of this.- Mm-hm.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47And, just as Saul had hoped,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51it seems that George has got a firm grasp of who is who in the family,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54opening up a whole new world of untapped heirs.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- That'll be Margaret Florence. - Uh, huh, that'll be...yes, that's...
0:39:57 > 0:39:59- A bit younger than your dad? - Yes.- Let's...
0:39:59 > 0:40:02This is great news for Saul and it looks like all his hard work
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and persistence is going to pay off.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09- So, if your father was alive...- Yes. - ..and his sisters and whatever,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12- then they would get to share the estate.- Hmm.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16But, because they're not alive, the father's line comes down to you.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20When a beneficiary signs up with a probate research firm,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24they generally agree to allow that company to help them make a claim
0:40:24 > 0:40:28for an agreed percentage of his or her share of their inheritance.
0:40:28 > 0:40:29OK...
0:40:29 > 0:40:33For George, this completely unexpected legacy is something
0:40:33 > 0:40:36he could never have imagined happening to him.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42When I got the phone call, I was very shocked and surprised and...
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Yeah, and he told me what was happening.
0:40:45 > 0:40:52I didn't know him and I didn't know any of the rest of the family.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55I've never had nothing in my life before so...
0:40:56 > 0:40:58It's a surprise. Yeah.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02And Saul couldn't be more pleased with the results of the meeting.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Mr Jones was very, very helpful.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07He was able to tell us about his brothers and sisters
0:41:07 > 0:41:10and the rest of his immediate family.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Sadly, his eldest sister's passed away,
0:41:12 > 0:41:17but he and his wife were able to give us details of his nieces and nephews
0:41:17 > 0:41:21and his brothers' phone numbers, so I'm going to go and give them a ring.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24He was also able to talk about his Aunt Flo,
0:41:24 > 0:41:28that was Margaret Florence Jones, and her line of the family.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32She married another Jones, so, six more sons all called Jones.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36Um, so, yes, we've got a number of leads to work on.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Um, I'm thrilled that Mr Jones was happy to sign with us, so he's
0:41:39 > 0:41:43another one ticked off the list, as it were, and we've got to go
0:41:43 > 0:41:47and find the other Joneses now, so bring on North Wales!
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Keen to keep this positive momentum going,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Saul immediately arranges to visit George's brother, Phillip.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56- Hi, Mr Jones. Saul Marks. - Pleased to meet you.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59While Saul explains what he's discovered so far,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Phil is able to add some of his own information to the family tree,
0:42:02 > 0:42:07and it seems this unexpected visit has started something.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10It's nice to be remembered, really, so I've asked
0:42:10 > 0:42:14Saul for a copy of the family tree and he said he'd gladly send me it.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Along with a clear form so that we can study the family tree,
0:42:18 > 0:42:19it'd be so nice.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21And a few days later,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24thanks to the information he was able to learn from George
0:42:24 > 0:42:27and Phil, Saul has traced and made contact with
0:42:27 > 0:42:31many of the heirs on Harold's father's elusive side of the family.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36There are still two branches of the Jones side to track down,
0:42:36 > 0:42:40but, so far, Saul has found 21 heirs who will inherit a share of
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Harold's £11,000 estate.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50But, for Vera, the cousin who knew him
0:42:50 > 0:42:55so well in childhood, the legacy is tinged with sadness.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59We lost touch with Harold when Auntie Maggie died,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02so, I'm at the funeral and, after that, um...
0:43:03 > 0:43:06there were no contact at all, really.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Unfortunately, families do lose touch, but, uh...
0:43:12 > 0:43:15That's life, I'm sorry, isn't it? Hmm.