0:00:02 > 0:00:04Each year, thousands of people die
0:00:04 > 0:00:07with no known family and without leaving a will.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10I don't think anybody knew David.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13If no relatives come forward, their money will go
0:00:13 > 0:00:16to the government and that's where the Heir Hunters step in.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18I'll have a look for William James.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20They're experts in tracing long-lost family members
0:00:20 > 0:00:22who are entitled to a share of an estate.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25If there was a sister, try to get her name.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Their work involves detailed research
0:00:27 > 0:00:30and there is often thousands of pounds at stake.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32It's urgent, because we've got to beat the competition.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35You know, there will be lots of companies looking at this case.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37But it's also about reuniting families
0:00:37 > 0:00:39and bringing people closer together.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43I was racking my brains, trying to think, "Well, who could this possibly be?"
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Above all, it's about giving people the news of an unexpected windfall.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50I was shocked. This is one of these things you hear about,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53but you never think you're going to be in line for ever receiving
0:00:53 > 0:00:57money from somebody perhaps that you've never heard of.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Could the Heir Hunters be knocking at your door?
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Coming up, research into one case
0:01:08 > 0:01:10uncovers the most challenging of names.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13When you're hit with a surname like Smith,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16it's one of your worst nightmares.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18And the Heir Hunters take a huge gamble.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21You can only speculate so much.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24You need the certificates to prove it.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28- We need that marriage, don't be? - We need that marriage badly.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Plus how you could be entitled to inherit unclaimed estates
0:01:31 > 0:01:32held by the Treasury.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Could a fortune be heading your way?
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Monday morning in central London
0:01:45 > 0:01:48and the team at Heir Hunting firm Fraser & Fraser
0:01:48 > 0:01:51are hard at work on a new case that's just come in.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55- Do want a new job?- OK.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58This chap died last week.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00David Walker.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Owns his property, has other assets,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05quite a valuable estate.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10In fact, the team estimate this case could be worth over £100,000.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13So it's now their number-one priority.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16All we do know at the moment is the deceased name
0:02:16 > 0:02:18and his mother's maiden name.
0:02:19 > 0:02:25David Walker passed away in May 2013, in Newcastle.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27He was 69 years old.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32Neighbour Albert Bendin knew him for over 40 years.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36He kept himself very much to himself.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40You might not see him for months upon a time, you know,
0:02:40 > 0:02:45and I knew him from being a younger man, not a boy,
0:02:45 > 0:02:52a younger man, because he lived here, I think, 60-odd years.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57Although there were neighbours, they had very separate lives.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03Once or twice when I walked past, he would have said,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06"Well, how are you? And how's things?"
0:03:06 > 0:03:11He wasn't harmful to anybody that I knew, you know,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15he would respond by "good day" or "good morning",
0:03:15 > 0:03:17but outside of that,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20I don't think anybody knew David,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23you know, other than his mother.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26David lived all his life in the family home with his mother Edna
0:03:26 > 0:03:29until her death in 2002.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35When his mother died, he didn't withdraw,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39but he didn't expand his life as a bachelor
0:03:39 > 0:03:42living in that house on his own.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54With no will and no known next of kin,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58the team have been given the task of tracing David's heirs.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00We need to move on this really quickly,
0:04:00 > 0:04:05so I'm going to try to find next of kin as quickly as possible,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09just in case they want to become involved in the arrangement
0:04:09 > 0:04:15of the deceased's funeral and, of course, would like to attend.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17A lot of the company's work comes from cases
0:04:17 > 0:04:22that are advertised by the Treasury solicitors Bona Vacantia department,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26but they also get cases referred to them by other sources too.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29We pick up a huge number of private referrals.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34They come from members of the public or councils or neighbours
0:04:34 > 0:04:36or someone who just happens to know about someone
0:04:36 > 0:04:38who's passed away and know about us.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Although the case has been referred to the team, it may have also
0:04:44 > 0:04:47been given to any one of their rival heir-hunting firms.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50And so, they're going to have to work fast
0:04:50 > 0:04:51to make sure they stay ahead.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56But the people who've referred the case to the team are going
0:04:56 > 0:04:59to give them what could be some vital information.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03They're going to fax me through a family tree
0:05:03 > 0:05:07that they found in his possession, um...
0:05:07 > 0:05:10which suggests that he was a bachelor only child,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14mother's maiden name Turner. She didn't have all the details there,
0:05:14 > 0:05:19- but she's going to fax it through. - OK.- Could you start the initial research?
0:05:19 > 0:05:23To receive a ready-made family tree is almost unheard of.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Potentially, having all the information they need in front of them
0:05:26 > 0:05:28gives the team a huge head start,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31although they will have to verify the information
0:05:31 > 0:05:32that they've been given.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37They've already been told that David's mother's maiden name
0:05:37 > 0:05:39was Turner, and it's not good news.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44The problem is with a Walker on one side and a Turner on the other,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48both fairly common surnames, it's so likely that you're going to find
0:05:48 > 0:05:51a lot of Walker-Turner births in Newcastle,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54so it's identifying the correct one.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57They waste no time in starting the research
0:05:57 > 0:06:00and confirming the information they've been given.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06We look for a speculative marriage for the parents of the deceased,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09which now proves to be right because the mother is Edna,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12because she's actually shown on the electoral register
0:06:12 > 0:06:15residing with her son, the deceased.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20All ties in, really, the deceased is a bachelor and an only child
0:06:20 > 0:06:24and there he is sharing with his mother on the electoral register.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29David Walker was born in August 1943
0:06:29 > 0:06:30to Thomas Henry Walker
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and Edna May Turner.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Confirmation that the deceased is definitely an only child.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Again, that confirms the information Accounts has given me,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41which means now the heirs have to come via the father's
0:06:41 > 0:06:45or mother's family, so they can only be, probably,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49first cousins or their descendants' cousins once removed.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52They have to widen their search,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56but will the ready-made family tree solve the case for them?
0:06:56 > 0:07:00- Um... I'll go up and see if that fax has come in.- All right.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04This could be the easiest case that Dave's ever had to solve,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06but only if the family tree is accurate.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14OK, let's start with our man.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17All they need to do is look for any possible
0:07:17 > 0:07:20aunts and uncles or their living descendants.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24The family tree shows the deceased here
0:07:24 > 0:07:28and relates to his mother's family and going back in time.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32None of this is relevant to us,
0:07:32 > 0:07:37because it's too distant for purposes related to an intestacy.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Great for a family tree, but no good to us.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44It's disappointing news for Dave,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47as under English and Welsh intestacy laws,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49you can only inherit if you're descended
0:07:49 > 0:07:51from the deceased's grandparents.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54So Dave turns his attention to the one part of the tree
0:07:54 > 0:07:56that is helpful.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58The mother...
0:07:58 > 0:08:01is shown on this tree to have one sibling.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05There is no indication that they have descendants, so this kind of gives
0:08:05 > 0:08:08you an indication that there's probably no-one entitled
0:08:08 > 0:08:09on the maternal family.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14The tree may not have given Dave the head start he was hoping for,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17but he is focusing on the positives.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20It kind of...works both ways.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22If there was a family tree and it had all the heirs on it,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24they'd all know about it and wouldn't need us.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Great piece of work by someone.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29It's just no use to us.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31The team do have to double-check
0:08:31 > 0:08:34that the information they've been given is correct,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36but, in the meantime, they turn their attention
0:08:36 > 0:08:39to David's father, Thomas Henry Walker.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41At the moment, he's a mystery
0:08:41 > 0:08:43and with such a common name,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46will the team be able to identify the right one?
0:08:46 > 0:08:48What? Sorry, go back to that list.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53These are the only three Newcastle deaths.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55He was born before that, so that can't be one.
0:08:55 > 0:08:5718... No, it could be...
0:08:57 > 0:09:01The team are finding various records for Thomas Walkers.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03However, it's knowing which is the right one
0:09:03 > 0:09:05that is proving to be difficult.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Let me question mark that.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12All we're trying to do is find the right death for the father.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15By finding the right death, we'll be able to find the right birth
0:09:15 > 0:09:21without the need of, initially, having the marriage certificate.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26We desperately need this certificate, the marriage of the parents.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29The marriage certificate would give not only Thomas' age,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32allowing them to find the right birth record,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35but hopefully, his father's name too.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Until they can get their hands on the certificate,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40they look at all the Thomas Henry Walkers born around the right time.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44And Noel wants to cover all bases and widen the search.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Make sure that there's not another birth of a plain Thomas Walker
0:09:48 > 0:09:52by 1908 or 1909 in Newcastle.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54If there isn't, Dave...
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- I'll tell you what. Here's my wallet, I bet there is.- Do you reckon?
0:09:59 > 0:10:01DAVE CHUCKLES
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Not surprisingly, Dave wins his bet
0:10:05 > 0:10:07but with so little information to go on,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11the team can only rely on guesswork for so long.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- We need the certificates to prove it. - We need that manage, don't we?
0:10:14 > 0:10:17We need that marriage badly.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Although they're struggling with the paternal family,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Noel has been able to confirm Dave's suspicions about the maternal side.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27With regards to the mother's side of the family,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31there isn't going to be any beneficiaries at all.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35She had one... The mother had one brother who died without any
0:10:35 > 0:10:39issue, so that is completely dead.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41With confirmation that there are no maternal heirs,
0:10:41 > 0:10:45all hopes rest with the paternal family
0:10:45 > 0:10:47and the race to beat the competition is on.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- Right.- No one said this job would be easy.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03For heir hunters, an unusual name is a great place to start.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06However, they never know where it is going to lead.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10In 2012, genealogy firm Finders were faced
0:11:10 > 0:11:12with what they hoped to be a straightforward case
0:11:12 > 0:11:14of Marson Frank Naylor.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19Based in London, the company is one of the largest probate research firms in the UK
0:11:19 > 0:11:23and for managing director Daniel Curran, it's a rewarding business.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26There is a big plus on some cases
0:11:26 > 0:11:31where you find people that have a life changing experience,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34whether that's through the money they inherit or through the family
0:11:34 > 0:11:37they get to know about that they never knew about before.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40When the firm got to work tracing heirs
0:11:40 > 0:11:43to Marson Frank Naylor's £230,000 estate,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48it was up to case manager Ryan Gregory to lead the team.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50The case of Marson Frank Naylor
0:11:50 > 0:11:53first came to our attention in June 2012.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55We found out it was with the Treasury Solicitor's office
0:11:55 > 0:11:57and we began work on it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Marson Frank Naylor died on 12 March 2012
0:12:02 > 0:12:07in Chesham, a picturesque market town in the Chiltern Hills.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10To his friends he was known as Frank
0:12:10 > 0:12:13and neighbour William Phillips remembers him fondly.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15I moved in 27 years ago.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20When we moved in, Frank was already there with his mother, Mary.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25He was a quiet man. Very quiet. A gentleman.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27He dressed quite nicely.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Always very polite and especially to the young ladies,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33and old ladies as well.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37He always wore a hat and if you ever came round,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39he would always take his hat off...
0:12:39 > 0:12:43You know, which is an old-fashioned thing that nobody does these days, you know.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46He was a very pleasant gentleman.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Yes, he was. A very nice man.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51You couldn't fault him, really.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57With very little information to go on,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Ryan started the search for Marson's heirs.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02When we started working on the case,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05literally all we had was the deceased's name
0:13:05 > 0:13:07and a postcode for where he lived.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10They quickly established that Marson lived with his mother, Mary,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13until her death in 1991,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15and that he continued to live in the family home,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19which was valued in the region of £200,000.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22We found out the deceased owned their property.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23We knew we had to put everything into it
0:13:23 > 0:13:26in the office to get things moving as quickly as possible.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29There's always the possibility that other heir hunting firms
0:13:29 > 0:13:31are on the case as well.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35The race was on to track the rightful heirs before the competition.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Heir hunters work on commission, earning money by taking a percentage
0:13:39 > 0:13:43of the estate which is agreed with any heirs they find.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45If a rival firm signs up the heirs first,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Ryan and the team won't make a single penny.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Because the case was apparently of quite high-value,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54we had a few different people working on the case.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58One person's job was to try and find out whether Marson
0:13:58 > 0:14:00was married during his lifetime and whether he had any children.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Because the name Marson is very uncommon,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07it was quite quick for us to verify that Marson never actually married
0:14:07 > 0:14:13during his lifetime and so it was unlikely that he had any children.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16With no children, the team then had to look to siblings
0:14:16 > 0:14:20or nieces and nephews, as they would be next in line to inherit.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22From his birth certificate,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26they knew that Marson's parents were Frank and Mary Ann Naylor.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31Frank was born in 1897, making him 17 at the outbreak of World War I.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33He signed up and served for a time
0:14:33 > 0:14:35before transferring to the Machine Gun Corps.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39It was a front-line fighting force
0:14:39 > 0:14:41that served in all the main theatres of war.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50They soon became known for great heroism
0:14:50 > 0:14:52but also a high casualty rate,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55earning them the nickname The Suicide Club.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01There is no doubt that Frank
0:15:01 > 0:15:04would have seen some of the most brutal horrors of the war.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11But he was one of the lucky ones who, against the odds,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14survived and returned to the UK.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17In 1936 he married Mary, whose maiden name was the name
0:15:17 > 0:15:21that heir hunters dread the most - Smith.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24It's the most common surname in the UK,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27belonging to over half a million people.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31As soon as we knew Marson's mother's maiden name was Smith,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33we then had to do a search
0:15:33 > 0:15:36to try and find out whether he had any siblings.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40We had to do a Smith birth search, which is quite a huge feat.
0:15:40 > 0:15:46With such a prevalent name, the search had to be narrowed down.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Now we know that Marson was born in the Marylebone area
0:15:49 > 0:15:53so we really have to focus our search quite close to Marylebone
0:15:53 > 0:15:55and the surrounding areas
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and that was where we found Marson's sister, Teresa.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Marson and his older sister lived a short distance from each other.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06They remained close all their lives and sadly,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08she died just two years before him.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14We were able to obtain a copy of Teresa's death certificate
0:16:14 > 0:16:17quite quickly after finding out that she had passed away.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20From the death certificate we were also able to ascertain that
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Marson was actually the informant, which,
0:16:23 > 0:16:27one, showed us it was unlikely Teresa had any children of her own
0:16:27 > 0:16:30but two, it showed they had a connection when she passed away.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35And actually, she probably was one of his last known close living relatives.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Further research confirms that although Teresa married,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40she didn't have children.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43So with no living siblings or nieces and nephews,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47the search for Marson's heirs had to extend to the wider family.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Marson's mother Mary was born to Anthony Smith
0:16:53 > 0:16:55and Louisa Bryars in 1904.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58The team had to try to find Mary's siblings.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Although the maternal grandmother's surname was Bryars,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06there were still a lot of certificates that would have
0:17:06 > 0:17:09to be ordered in order to establish who was born after 1911.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Bryars is a relatively uncommon name but once you combine it with Smith,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18you are more likely to find births from other families
0:17:18 > 0:17:21and potentially waste time following the wrong lead.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25But the team had a trick up their sleeve - the census.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29The most recent one that researchers have access to was recorded in 1911.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It takes a snapshot of a household on one day every 10 years.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39It's an invaluable resource for researchers as it shows
0:17:39 > 0:17:41the person's name, age, occupation
0:17:41 > 0:17:44and relation to others in the household.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47If Ryan could find Mary and her parents on the census,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50it could shed some light on how many siblings she had
0:17:50 > 0:17:52and narrow down the search.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56There were six children listed on the 1911 census
0:17:56 > 0:17:58and after carrying out the birth search,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01we identified a further four children
0:18:01 > 0:18:04who would be brothers and sisters of Mary Ann Smith.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07The other four children were found by meticulously
0:18:07 > 0:18:09searching through birth records.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Mary was one of the six listed on the census
0:18:12 > 0:18:15but it gave the team more information than that.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18As well as finding out how many brothers and sisters
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Mary Ann Smith may have had, we also found out her father,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Anthony Smith, was actually a chimney sweep.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34Chimney sweeps have always been terribly proud of their trade
0:18:34 > 0:18:40because their tradition goes way back and people were always very
0:18:40 > 0:18:43cheerful around sweeps, for some reason or other.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45It has this sort of aura.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Anthony was working in London during the early 1900s.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Not only would he have had unrivalled views
0:18:50 > 0:18:55of the city's rooftops but an insight into all types of society.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Depending on his client,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02there would have been a huge range of different types of chimneys.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04I mean, no chimney...
0:19:04 > 0:19:08There is no chimney that is exactly the same as any other chimney.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12He might have gone, say, to the Bank of England,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15and spent maybe a whole week doing all their chimneys.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Or he might have gone to just a small terraced house
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and done one or two chimneys.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25This is a very early photograph of a chimney sweep
0:19:25 > 0:19:28around about the same time as Anthony.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30And Anthony could have had a handcart
0:19:30 > 0:19:34or he might even have had a horse and cart.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36And he had his own premises.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Of course, there weren't any health hazards for Anthony
0:19:40 > 0:19:44at the beginning of the 20th century.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Not like there were in the Victorian era.
0:19:49 > 0:19:5250 years prior to Anthony working as a chimney sweep,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55it was a very different job.
0:19:56 > 0:20:03Children were used as human brushes, if you like, for about 250 years.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08Unfortunately, flues didn't go straight up, not all flues,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12they twisted and turned, and you needed somebody
0:20:12 > 0:20:17to crawl around inside and to remove the soot with their bodies.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22For the children it could be an extremely dangerous job.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26The hazards weren't so much breathing in soot
0:20:26 > 0:20:30but actually getting stuck in the flues...
0:20:32 > 0:20:35..and caught in sort of bends and corners
0:20:35 > 0:20:39and being trapped and not being able to get out.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46This might sound terrible but in Victorian times,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49it was quite a good trade to be in, really,
0:20:49 > 0:20:54compared to children who were down the mines or in the cotton mills,
0:20:54 > 0:21:00because the apprentice sweeps would be finished by lunchtime.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Chimney sweeps have a lot of folklore written around them
0:21:03 > 0:21:06and are apparently good luck.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11Although nobody knows exactly why a chimney sweep is thought to be lucky,
0:21:11 > 0:21:17probably one of my favourite theories is that at the time of George II,
0:21:17 > 0:21:22apparently he was riding his horse through the park
0:21:22 > 0:21:27and his horse stumbled and a chimney sweep sort of grabbed the reins
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and saved him and ever since then,
0:21:30 > 0:21:35it has been decided that the luck of the sweep had saved the King.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39But there are all sorts of weird and wonderful theories.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Nobody really knows.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45It seems some of that luck had rubbed off on Ryan
0:21:45 > 0:21:48and the team - they had already found nine entitled aunts
0:21:48 > 0:21:52and uncles on the maternal tree and ten on the paternal side.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56But there were still plenty of heirs to find
0:21:56 > 0:21:58and team were in for a big surprise.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I've been doing the job about ten years
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and I've probably had it about twice so it's still quite rare.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Heir hunters trace thousands of rightful beneficiaries every year.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15But not all cases can be cracked.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19There are thousands of estates on the Treasury's Bona Vacantia list
0:22:19 > 0:22:24that have eluded the heir hunters and remain unsolved.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28There are actually two Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates lists.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31There is one list which is our current list of advertised estates.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33That's updated daily.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36There is also an historic unclaimed list,
0:22:36 > 0:22:42cases that have been referred to us between 1997 and 2013
0:22:42 > 0:22:45which have been dealt with by the Treasury's solicitor
0:22:45 > 0:22:48but we are still looking for kin to come forward and claim.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Today we are focusing on two cases that are yet to be solved by the heir hunters.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Could you be the beneficiary they are looking for?
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Could you be about to inherit some money from a long lost relative?
0:23:00 > 0:23:04First the case of Ivy Mary Barnes.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08She was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in January 1921.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Ivy was a widow.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13She moved to England and went on to marry in 1956.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Her maiden name was Crossman.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21When Ivy died on 23 January 2002 in Willesden, London,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23she didn't leave a will
0:23:23 > 0:23:27and no relatives have come forward to claim her estate.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Did you know Ivy?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Do you have information that could be the key to cracking this case?
0:23:34 > 0:23:39Next is the case of widow Alexandra Cameron Wysocki
0:23:39 > 0:23:41who was born in July 1920 in Glasgow.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48She died on 2nd March 2001 in Highgate, London,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and she was also known by the name Sandra.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55The name Wysocki originates from Poland
0:23:55 > 0:23:58and means one who came from or lived near "wysock",
0:23:58 > 0:24:00meaning high or elevated land.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Could this name be the key to unlocking Alexandra's past?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Did you know her?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Both these cases remain unsolved and if no one comes forward,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12their money will go to the government.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14The public can get in touch with us in writing,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17either by e-mail or by post or on the phone.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20And that's how we will get in touch with them as well.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Did you know Ivy Mary Barnes or Alexandra Cameron Wysocki?
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Perhaps you hold the information that can solve these cases
0:24:29 > 0:24:31or maybe you are the next of kin.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35If so, you could have thousands of pounds heading your way.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49Heir hunting firm Finders were on the trail of the £230,000 estate
0:24:49 > 0:24:54of Marson Frank Naylor, who died in 2012 in Chesham, Buckinghamshire.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Neighbour William Phillips lived next door to Marson for 27 years,
0:24:59 > 0:25:04although it wasn't until a chance meeting that they became friends.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06He went to the Royal British Legion,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and that's where I met him.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14And it was probably five years after I moved in that I realised
0:25:14 > 0:25:16he was a member of the Royal British Legion.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Other than that I was...
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I didn't know the man, really.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25And then I got to know him better.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28He liked to play snooker. I am an awful snooker player.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32I mean, I am the worst snooker player you've ever met
0:25:32 > 0:25:35and Frank used to say, "You're no dang good as a partner.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38"I can't have a partner like you for long!"
0:25:38 > 0:25:41I used to say, "That's all right, Frank. You play with somebody else."
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Marson was a regular figure at his Royal British Legion club
0:25:45 > 0:25:47and a supporter of the organisation
0:25:47 > 0:25:50that was set up for ex-servicemen like his father
0:25:50 > 0:25:53who had returned from fighting in the war.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59The Royal British Legion is a welfare...
0:25:59 > 0:26:01service welfare organisation.
0:26:01 > 0:26:08It started in 1921 as predominantly a club based organisation
0:26:08 > 0:26:10so that soldiers who came back from the First World War
0:26:10 > 0:26:16who had seen images that no one in England would possibly understand
0:26:16 > 0:26:19could congregate together, find comradeship
0:26:19 > 0:26:21and begin to go through what is recognised now
0:26:21 > 0:26:26as that sort of counselling process to bring them back into normality.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33The Legion began with some support from fairly wealthy benefactors
0:26:33 > 0:26:37together with a lot of the welfare support in local communities,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40where local neighbourhoods would look after each other.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Because communities were much more isolated in those days,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46long before the Internet and telephone.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50At its peak, the Legion had more than one million members
0:26:50 > 0:26:55providing invaluable support to the men who had served in the war.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I think probably, between the two World Wars,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01the Royal British Legion was one of those focal points for the community,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04without which the communities themselves may not have existed.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Between the wars they were hugely important,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12particularly bearing in mind the experiences that the adult males,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16predominantly, had been through in the previous decade.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Although it was a place where ex-servicemen could find help,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23it also offered them other activities.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28They were able to play dominoes, darts and just generally congregate
0:27:28 > 0:27:32as they would anywhere else but in this particular instance,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34congregate with people with shared experience.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39They are still going strong today and continue to offer support.
0:27:39 > 0:27:45The membership of the Legion was set up specifically for ex-servicemen.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50As time progressed, it became servicemen, ex-servicemen
0:27:50 > 0:27:54and affiliate memberships for their friends who lived in the local towns.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58In the office, Ryan and the team were making progress
0:27:58 > 0:28:00on tracking down Marson's beneficiaries.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03They had established that any possible heirs to this estate
0:28:03 > 0:28:07would be descended from siblings of his mother Mary or father Frank.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12In total they had found 19 entitled aunts and uncles
0:28:12 > 0:28:14so there was a lot of work to do.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19But the team's research was about to uncover an unusual revelation.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24What we actually discovered was that Mary Ann Smith's sister,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Annie Smith, was born in 1910.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30She actually married her sister's brother-in-law, Leonard Naylor.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32So there is a crossover between the Naylor side of the family
0:28:32 > 0:28:35and the Smith side of the family.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Which meant that Marson's maternal aunt Annie
0:28:38 > 0:28:40married his paternal uncle, Leonard.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44So any children born from that marriage would be Marson's cousins,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46who were blood related through not only their mother
0:28:46 > 0:28:49but their father, too.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Any potential heirs on that stem would be in for a shock.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Effectively means they would be receiving double the amount of money
0:28:55 > 0:28:59that they would have than if they appeared on just one side.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02The crossover between the maternal and paternal families
0:29:02 > 0:29:04does happen occasionally.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07I've been doing the job about ten years and I've probably had
0:29:07 > 0:29:10it about twice so it's still quite rare but it does happen.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12The team were making headway
0:29:12 > 0:29:16but they still had to track down Mary's other eight siblings.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20They discovered that four died without leaving living descendants.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23The remaining siblings did go on to marry and have children.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26One of which was Louisa.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Both Louisa and her son George have passed away,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31meaning that her grandson Stephen
0:29:31 > 0:29:33is entitled to a share of Marson's estate.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Stephen is Marson's cousin once removed
0:29:38 > 0:29:41and was more than surprised to hear from Ryan,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45especially as he got the call when attending a very special occasion.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47The first time I heard the name Marson Naylor
0:29:47 > 0:29:50was when I was at my daughter's wedding.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54He explained what the situation was
0:29:54 > 0:29:58and I was up for receiving some money!
0:29:59 > 0:30:01I was shocked.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06Because it's one of these things you sort of hear about
0:30:06 > 0:30:09but you never think you are going to be in line for ever receiving
0:30:09 > 0:30:14some money from somebody, perhaps, that you've never heard of.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16So I feel very lucky, but I think anybody would.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20It turned out Stephen would be one of the many heirs
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Ryan had to contact as the case quickly spiralled
0:30:23 > 0:30:26into one of the largest he has dealt with.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28As there was almost 60 beneficiaries in this case,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30obviously it's a very large family tree
0:30:30 > 0:30:35and very rare to have a case with so many beneficiaries.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40So we were very fortunate we managed to find everybody entitled.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44Although the inheritance is being shared by so many heirs,
0:30:44 > 0:30:48becoming a beneficiary came just at the right time for Stephen.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53I had already booked a holiday to go to Sri Lanka
0:30:53 > 0:30:58for my partner's 60th birthday so of course, that paid for that.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01It was very nice and almost the exact amount as well
0:31:01 > 0:31:03so that was very good.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Considering the difficulties the team faced,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Ryan is counting his blessings.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14In this case we had a couple of main challenges.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18One of those was coming across potential competition in the case.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21We were lucky in this instance we were able to get to all
0:31:21 > 0:31:24the beneficiaries before any other competition did.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And there were the other complexity which was the Smith surname,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30which no genealogist particularly wants to come up against.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33So when you have a Smith family and you find beneficiaries on it,
0:31:33 > 0:31:35there is also a sense of achievement
0:31:35 > 0:31:38that you have managed to take it through to its conclusion.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Back in central London the team led by case manager David Slee
0:31:49 > 0:31:54are busy tracking down heirs to David Walker's £100,000 estate.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57David Walker died in May 2013.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01He lived all his life in the family home in Newcastle.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Since starting the case they have discovered there are no
0:32:03 > 0:32:07maternal heirs so all hope rests with his father's family.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Noel has been searching through various records,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14trying to find any that relate to Thomas Henry Walker, David's father,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17and he has a hunch that one he has found might be right.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20I think we've got the birth of the father of the deceased
0:32:20 > 0:32:23in 1904 in Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30He is the son of Thomas Henry Walker and Alice Henderson.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33At the time of David's birth,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Thomas Walker was working as a pharmaceutical chemist,
0:32:36 > 0:32:41and doing so during a remarkable period in the development of medicine.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Thomas Walker would have been
0:32:43 > 0:32:45working as a pharmacist during the beginning
0:32:45 > 0:32:47of the therapeutic revolution
0:32:47 > 0:32:50that began just after the Second World War.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55Pre-war, Germany were the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturer.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58I think they...
0:32:58 > 0:33:02About 39% of all exports were from Germany in 1938
0:33:02 > 0:33:05compared to 12% in England.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08So when the war broke out, a lot of medicines were cut off.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13There was a lot of work to do so the Allies joined forces.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17In the post-war period, the Allies, America and Britain in particular,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21worked together to develop new medicines and pool resources
0:33:21 > 0:33:23in terms of money and scientific expertise
0:33:23 > 0:33:25to get research teams working together.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28That led to a massive surge in the development of new,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31effective treatments.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36It was a time of innovation and some of the most important
0:33:36 > 0:33:38medical sciences in history were developed.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Penicillin was one of the things that was developed in 1939.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47As the first antibiotic, that played an important role
0:33:47 > 0:33:50in treating war wounds and things like that,
0:33:50 > 0:33:52to stop them being infected.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57Health was clearly very important to the government in the post-war
0:33:57 > 0:34:00period and the National Health Service was set up in 1948
0:34:00 > 0:34:05so there was a big push to protect the nation's health.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Thomas would have been directly involved
0:34:08 > 0:34:11in dispensing these new medicines to the public.
0:34:11 > 0:34:15The 1868 Pharmacy Act meant that all people dispensing medicines
0:34:15 > 0:34:17had to register with the society,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19just so they are accountable
0:34:19 > 0:34:22and we knew who was responsible in these kind of roles.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29Thomas Walker qualified in 1932 as a chemist and druggist
0:34:29 > 0:34:33and he seems to have just registered under his home address
0:34:33 > 0:34:36so unfortunately we haven't managed to find out where he worked.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40And he stays at that address pretty much his whole career in Newcastle.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45Although a lot of formation about Thomas's work is available,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48the team are finding the search for his family more difficult.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51They believe they know when Thomas was born
0:34:51 > 0:34:55and who his parents are but they can't find any record of siblings.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57If David had no aunts or uncles,
0:34:57 > 0:34:59there is no one in line to inherit
0:34:59 > 0:35:03and his estate will go to the government.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05But the team don't give up.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10At the minute I'm trying to find him
0:35:10 > 0:35:12and his family on the census.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Hopefully we'll open up the paternal side of the family.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21With all avenues exhausted, Noel hopes he's had a breakthrough.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25We have found a 1911 census with him and his mother
0:35:25 > 0:35:32on the 1911 census with his half-brothers and sisters,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35which suggested to us that Mum had been married before.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40The team hope they've found the right family.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43They believe Thomas's mother, Alice Henderson,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45was married before meeting his father.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50She married an Alfred Armstrong and had six children.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52They and their descendants could be entitled
0:35:52 > 0:35:55to a share of David's estate.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58With no documented proof they are running with the assumption
0:35:58 > 0:36:01they have found the right Thomas Walker
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and start looking into the children.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07- Why don't you top line on the births? - Whack them in.- Whack them all in.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11- I've got them all apart from her. - 1901, she's still a widow.
0:36:11 > 0:36:131902 she marries him.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18They're the only surviving children - Joan, Herbert, Mamie and Alfred.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23- Mamie...- Is this Mamie... She's Mamie on both, isn't she?- Yeah.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Mamie Armstrong is one of Alice's six children
0:36:27 > 0:36:33from her first marriage, making her and any descendants heirs.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Phone Newcastle.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38No one said this job would be easy.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Our priority is, at the minute, to apply for certificate
0:36:43 > 0:36:47we will receive back tomorrow morning to confirm
0:36:47 > 0:36:51that what we are doing at this moment in time is correct.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55And until we get the proof, the paper proof in front of us,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58we are still surmising a lot.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01The team have placed a priority order
0:37:01 > 0:37:04for the marriage certificate online.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06However, with a day already spent on the case,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Dave doesn't want to waste any more time.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12The certificates should arrive tomorrow afternoon
0:37:12 > 0:37:14but without knowing if another company are working the case,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16every minute counts.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Dave wants the certificate as soon as possible so he puts a call in.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Hi, Colin. It's David.
0:37:23 > 0:37:29Bachelor, only child. The son of a Thomas Henry or Harry Walker.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36The team have an army of travelling researchers based all over the UK
0:37:36 > 0:37:39whose job out on the road is to make enquiries,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42collect documents and crucially, sign up heirs.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Nothing in this job gets the adrenaline going
0:37:45 > 0:37:47more than making enquiries.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50A large part of my jobs is visiting registry offices
0:37:50 > 0:37:54and obtaining certificates for births, deaths and marriages.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Some offices you can go into and you can get a certificate
0:37:57 > 0:38:00within half an hour and another one you will go in
0:38:00 > 0:38:03and they will want seven days or even 28 days.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09One of the company's travelling researchers is in the north-east
0:38:09 > 0:38:12and has been sent to collect the certificates.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16But for today, that is as much as the team can do.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19They have to wait until the morning when, hopefully,
0:38:19 > 0:38:23the all-important marriage certificate can be collected.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27We will bash this estate tomorrow morning. We need to.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30To see what happens on the paternal side.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Even though we can't do anything more today, really,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34we won't let it go in the morning.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36It will be all hands to the pump again.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40The case could be blown wide open
0:38:40 > 0:38:43if they have been researching the wrong family.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45They need that crucial marriage certificate.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Will all their work pay off?
0:38:52 > 0:38:55The following morning, they pick up where they left off.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59We've got to try and get this up-to-date. Today would be nice.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01They are expecting a result by tomorrow.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05Dave finally hears back from the travelling researcher
0:39:05 > 0:39:07and is hoping for good news.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12All right. I'll leave that with you. Thanks, Colin.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Speak to you later. Bye-bye.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19What I've just learnt is the registry office in Newcastle
0:39:19 > 0:39:21won't issue any certificates anyway.
0:39:21 > 0:39:27So pointless us even having the agent attend the office.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31This is a major blow as the team desperately needs
0:39:31 > 0:39:34that marriage certificate to prove their research.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37But there is still hope because as well as sending a researcher
0:39:37 > 0:39:39to try and pick up the certificate in person
0:39:39 > 0:39:43they have also ordered copies to be sent in the post
0:39:43 > 0:39:45and they should arrive today.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48There's not a lot we can do until we get proper proof
0:39:48 > 0:39:52but whether or not it's right or wrong is another story.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55But the certificates that are actually coming back
0:39:55 > 0:39:58this morning will prove whether what the complete picture
0:39:58 > 0:40:02of what we are working is right or wrong.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09And when the certificates come in an hour later,
0:40:09 > 0:40:14Noel and Dave can see if their hunches were right.
0:40:14 > 0:40:19- 1896... - 13th. Brilliant. Brilliant.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22The copy of the marriage of the deceased's parents.
0:40:22 > 0:40:28And what's crucial is that one of the witnesses is Mamie Lincoln.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Mamie Lincoln, we know,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34is the half-blood sister to the deceased's father.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37What's really useful is it ties together the half-blood
0:40:37 > 0:40:39and the full blood, as we first suspected.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43But we needed confirmation and this is proof beyond all reasonable doubt
0:40:43 > 0:40:45we are now on the right family.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49With Thomas's half-sister as a witness on the marriage certificate,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53the team know that all their work has paid off
0:40:53 > 0:40:55and can put together a tree.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Dave can start calling heirs,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00knowing finally that they have the right family.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Musician and festival organiser Peter Lincoln
0:41:03 > 0:41:07is one of 12 heirs that will inherit a share of David's estate.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Being a half cousin once removed,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13he was more than surprised to hear from the team.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16It was just weird cos I thought... I was racking my brains...
0:41:16 > 0:41:18When I first received the letter I was racking my brains,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20trying to think who could this possibly be
0:41:20 > 0:41:23and what's it all about and is it real or is it a scam?
0:41:24 > 0:41:27So I asked around, asked my brother
0:41:27 > 0:41:29and he'd heard of probate researchers
0:41:29 > 0:41:32and the work that they do
0:41:32 > 0:41:35and he thought it was worth my while to follow it up.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38We were both kind of intrigued, you know.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45I had never met David Henry Walker myself.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48My mother was aware of him and had met him years ago
0:41:48 > 0:41:50and as far as I know, she knew his parents
0:41:50 > 0:41:54and that's literally all I know about him.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59So when it was pointed out a relative of mine had passed away
0:41:59 > 0:42:03in Newcastle I was quite shocked - who could this possibly be?
0:42:03 > 0:42:07But of course, I didn't even know he existed in the first place.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12It's given Peter a chance to reflect on his family.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16I found the whole thing fascinating and funnily enough, my dad,
0:42:16 > 0:42:18who died in 2007, was really into family history,
0:42:18 > 0:42:22so he would have been...he was a really keen genealogist
0:42:22 > 0:42:25and he would have been desperate to have got his claws into this!
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Peter is still struggling to believe it's happened to him.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37The whole idea of somehow suddenly coming in to a shedload of cash
0:42:37 > 0:42:39out of the blue, from a relative
0:42:39 > 0:42:41that wasn't even a full blood relative
0:42:41 > 0:42:46and I've never met just seems kind of seriously unlikely.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49However unlikely it may have been,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Dave's counting his blessings
0:42:51 > 0:42:54that there are half-blood relatives to be found.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58We're very fortunate that the paternal grandmother
0:42:58 > 0:43:00had previously married.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Otherwise this would have been an estate with no heirs
0:43:03 > 0:43:05and it would have gone to the Crown.