0:00:02 > 0:00:05Every year, thousands of people die with no known family
0:00:05 > 0:00:07and without leaving a will.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12If no relatives are found, their money could go to the Government
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and that's where the heir hunters step in.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20We trace the next of kin of people who have died intestate.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22They use specially honed research skills
0:00:22 > 0:00:24to trace long-lost relatives...
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Nothing in this job gets the adrenaline going
0:00:27 > 0:00:28like making enquiries.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31..and delve into the past to uncover family secrets.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Joseph Napier-Du has been dismissed with service
0:00:34 > 0:00:38by sentence of general court martial.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41It's a race against time to beat the competition...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44We treat everything with the same degree of urgency.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47You don't want to take a chance. You never really know for sure.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50..and bring news of an unexpected windfall.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Hopefully...he'll be proud that it went to his family members.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Could the heir hunters be knocking at your door?
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Coming up...a common family name puts the heir hunters in a spin...
0:01:05 > 0:01:07It's thrown a bit of a spanner in the works.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10We thought we'd ruled out the possibility of near kin.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13..and an unclaimed estate uncovers a family history
0:01:13 > 0:01:15spanning two world wars.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19None of them even had a chance to say goodbye,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and that in itself must have been horrendously traumatic.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Plus, could a fortune be heading your way?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Find out how you could inherit unclaimed estates
0:01:27 > 0:01:28held by the Treasury.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42It's Tuesday morning in London at heir hunting firm Fraser & Fraser.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44What have you got there, Jay?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Just some priorities that have come in this morning.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50A new case has just come in, which the staff are busy getting their
0:01:50 > 0:01:54teeth into, and senior researcher Roger Marsh is already optimistic.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Got my search? Ah! Good man.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Thank you very much.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02I've got a new job that's Arthur Charles Williams
0:02:02 > 0:02:04who died in 2013 in Brighton
0:02:04 > 0:02:08and we believe there's a property in Brighton, so there will be value,
0:02:08 > 0:02:13but I don't know how much at the moment, but definitely worth doing.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Arthur Charles Williams died on the 8th of July 2013
0:02:22 > 0:02:24in Brighton, aged 81.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28There seemed to be no surviving photographs of Arthur
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and the details of his life remain vague.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36He's believed to have served in the RAF and then
0:02:36 > 0:02:40worked as an aircraft maintenance engineer until he retired.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Judging by his home in Worthing-on-Sea, it would seem that,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52whatever Arthur did, he had a successful career,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54which is good news for Dom.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02We think the deceased owned his flat in Brighton.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05And we think it's probably a £200,000-plus case.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08But, although they believe he owned his own home, they don't yet have
0:03:08 > 0:03:12any proof, so taking on the case is a bit of a gamble,
0:03:12 > 0:03:14which could prove costly.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17The neighbours of the deceased said he'd never been known to have
0:03:17 > 0:03:19any visitors, any family or friends.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Many of the cases the heir hunters work are advertised
0:03:22 > 0:03:25on the Treasury solicitor's bona vacantia list of
0:03:25 > 0:03:28unclaimed estates, but, today, they're acting on a tip-off,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31so they need to tread carefully.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32When we do any of these cases,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34there's always a risk that there's a will.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37In this particular case, we haven't been indicated by anyone that
0:03:37 > 0:03:40there's definitely no will, so we are taking a bit of a risk on this one.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45And it doesn't look like there's an easy road ahead.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49If we're correct on the date of birth, the parents have got
0:03:49 > 0:03:52to be Charles Williams and Florence Hill, both common names.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54That'll make it quite a hard job, but, you know,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56we'll see how we get on.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03We'll have to come back to the one before that as well, because it's...
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- No, I can't.- Yeah, cos they're... - They said they've got...
0:04:07 > 0:04:12Arthur was born on the 3rd of April 1932 in Brighton...
0:04:12 > 0:04:16but the team can find no trace of any siblings.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19So, this means the search for heirs must widen to aunts,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22uncles and cousins on both sides of the family.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28So, it looks like the parents were married in Staining in 1931.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33He was 42 and Mum was 34, so...it's a start.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35It appears that both of Arthur's parents were
0:04:35 > 0:04:37born in the late 1800s,
0:04:37 > 0:04:41so researcher Roger turns to census records in the hope that it
0:04:41 > 0:04:44will give him a short cut to finding their siblings.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48I'm just trying to tie up censuses for the parents.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50I was hoping that there'd be something in the Brighton,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Sussex area, but there's no reason to presume
0:04:53 > 0:04:55they were born in that area, so...
0:04:57 > 0:04:59So, it's a bit hit-and-miss at the moment.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06But the team starts exploring the maternal side
0:05:06 > 0:05:10and is already making headway on Arthur's mother's family.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13The dad's got a second name and both names are listed on there,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Edward David Hill, father of Florence, of the right age,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21and there's one in Brighton, so, unless I'm really unlucky...
0:05:21 > 0:05:22this is going to be the right one.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But Roger is puzzled by the census entry for Arthur's grandmother.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31That's interesting.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35According to the marriage, she's married as Henderson Scott.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38The team were expecting Arthur's grandfather, Edward Hill,
0:05:38 > 0:05:40to be married to Elizabeth Henderson,
0:05:40 > 0:05:41but, to their surprise,
0:05:41 > 0:05:46the 1911 census lists Edward as having married in Brighton to
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Henderson Scott, a male-sounding name.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53He's not going to have married a Scott Henderson, is he?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- No.- I don't think they're retrospecting gay marriage.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Well, this is the wrong marriage.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04If this is the wrong marriage, then all the team's work
0:06:04 > 0:06:06so far will have been for nothing.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11In order to avoid any wrong turns,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15the team needs to ensure they have the right family and, for this,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19they urgently need to establish the full name of Arthur's grandmother.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Scott.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- Hmm.- It should be Elizabeth Henderson.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26This is down as Henderson, isn't it?
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Yeah.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33It's got to be the right one though, because it's bang on the right area.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- Yeah.- We're going to have to order it in anyway, just to make sure.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38- Yeah, I'll bang that in as a priority.- Yeah.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44After a thorough search of birth records,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46the confusion is cleared up.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Arthur's grandmother had the unusual name
0:06:48 > 0:06:52of Henderson Elizabeth Scott, but her full name was not listed
0:06:52 > 0:06:55on the census entries that relate to her.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58'I just found the birth of the maternal grandmother.'
0:06:58 > 0:07:00On the census, she was Elizabeth Henderson,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04but, when she was born, she was Henderson E.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08It just means that it's right and the marriage is right.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11It's one step further, isn't it? One step nearer.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15The heir hunters are back on the scent
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and have discovered that Arthur's grandparents, Edward Hill
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and Henderson Elizabeth Scott,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24had 11 children in addition to Arthur's mother, Florence.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Four died as infants, which means the team is now
0:07:27 > 0:07:30searching for descendants of seven of Florence's brothers and sisters.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35One of them, Dorothy, has a very unusual middle name.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38That's a middle name to die for!
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- Catura.- Yes. If correct...
0:07:42 > 0:07:44..it might make life easier, might it?
0:07:44 > 0:07:47A name like Dorothy Catura Hill could be invaluable
0:07:47 > 0:07:51in tracking down beneficiaries and the team quickly makes progress.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Dom identifies a cousin once removed
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and finds a telephone number for her.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Oh, hello, I wonder if you can help me.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I'm trying to figure out if a family that we've been looking into,
0:08:06 > 0:08:12which is a family by the surname of Hill, is any relation to your family.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Edward David Hill and an Elizabeth Henderson Scott.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- That's a name that means something to you, then?- Bingo.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It's the right family and the relative tells Dom some
0:08:24 > 0:08:28vital information about Arthur's mother, Florence.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Did Auntie Flo have any kids that you are aware of?
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Ah, OK. Well, that's interesting that you would say two.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40We think she had a son, Arthur, and we think Arthur has recently died.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Thank you very much. Take care. Bye-bye.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46But unfortunately,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50it's flagged up a possible major flaw in the research.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53She thought Auntie Flo, who is the mother of the deceased,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55had possibly two kids.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57It's thrown a bit of a spanner in the works.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00We thought we'd ruled out the possibility of near kin,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02but with a surname like Williams, you just never know.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Come on. Let's have a look at the trees over here.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16'The team now need to establish if Arthur did have brothers or sisters.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20'If he did, they or their children would be entitled over any cousins
0:09:20 > 0:09:25'the team are tracing, rendering that research null and void.'
0:09:25 > 0:09:27She had an Auntie Flo.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- Auntie Flo, and this is where it goes slightly wobbly...- Hmm.
0:09:30 > 0:09:31..is thought to have two children.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35She thought she remembered playing with Auntie Flo's two children.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39The heir hunters now have to split their resources, with some of
0:09:39 > 0:09:42the team double-checking if Arthur did have siblings.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Dom has to continue the search for wider family and updates the tree.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Ernest Edwards was a French polisher.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- She doesn't know if he married and had kids or not.- Right.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Beatrice is thought to have married with kids, no idea of their names.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00So, I think the two to concentrate on are Beatrice and Ernest
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- because they're the two with potential for issue.- Yeah.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07It seems there are still plenty more maternal cousins to find,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09and researcher Roger still has to get
0:10:09 > 0:10:12stuck into work on the paternal side.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Nobody's started much on the Williams' side, have they?
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Because of the names. Potentially, 12 stems, aren't there?
0:10:19 > 0:10:21So, it could be a very big tree.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23As Williams is such a widely used name,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Roger could be facing a huge search.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Because it's a common name, they probably have to put that in probate, to see if he's right.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34But all the research they're doing into the wider family could be for
0:10:34 > 0:10:38nothing if it turns out that Arthur did indeed have brothers or sisters.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50When heir hunters receive a new case to explore,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52they never know the family history that they are
0:10:52 > 0:10:55about to uncover or when the next file is coming their way.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Daniel Curran, from probate researchers Finders,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03knows that his team have to be prepared to hit the ground running
0:11:03 > 0:11:06to stay one step ahead of the competition.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10As the Treasury can advertise randomly at any time,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14we have to be ready to respond if we feel that a case is interesting.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Raymond Wilfred Wild died at Queen's Hospital, Romford,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30close to his home on the 3rd of May 2012, aged 77.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33He was a journalist for local newspapers for many years
0:11:33 > 0:11:37after developing a love for writing as a child.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Bonnie and David McGough lived next door to Raymond
0:11:40 > 0:11:41and remember him fondly.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49'Raymond was a very, very smart man. Very well dressed.'
0:11:49 > 0:11:53He'd have a Panama hat in the summer and a bowler hat in the winter
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and a red silk handkerchief in his top pocket.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Everybody knew him, everybody used to say,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01"Who's that smart man who walks along?"
0:12:02 > 0:12:06David first met Ray when he was suddenly taken ill one night.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11We rang for an ambulance for him and, uh, he was taken into hospital
0:12:11 > 0:12:16and when he came out, we received a present and a letter from him.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20"Dear Dave and Bonnie, I want to thank you both
0:12:20 > 0:12:23"most sincerely for all the help you gave me.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25"It is indeed good to know that there are still a few
0:12:25 > 0:12:28"kind and caring people left in this world.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31"I am only too well aware of how very rare such people are
0:12:31 > 0:12:33"in this day and age.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36"Thank you again, sincerely, Raymond Wild."
0:12:38 > 0:12:40We thought, "What a nice way to write."
0:12:40 > 0:12:42It looks old-fashioned
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and it's precise and it just reminded us
0:12:45 > 0:12:49of someone from way back, really, a gentleman from back in history.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Cos it is sad to see that he's not around any more.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56And...
0:12:56 > 0:12:58I suppose that's life, you know.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07When the estate of Raymond Wild was advertised by the Treasury's
0:13:07 > 0:13:11solicitor, case manager Amy-Louise Moyes immediately
0:13:11 > 0:13:13identified its potential.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17We thought that the surname Wild was particularly interesting.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21We also thought that he might have owned his own property.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Raymond's case came from the Bona Vacantia Division,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27a government department run by the Treasury solicitor,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29which publishes unclaimed estates.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34And Amy knew that having an uncommon family name to work with,
0:13:34 > 0:13:35made things all the more urgent.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40When we are working on a case from the Treasury solicitor,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44it's usually a competitive case, which is why,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47if the surname appears to be unusual or particularly rare,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51it's always best because it means that we can work on it quickly
0:13:51 > 0:13:53and hope to beat any other competition.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Aware that rival firms were also tracking Raymond's relatives, it was
0:13:57 > 0:14:01a race against time for Amy and the team, who hit problems straightaway.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05One of the first ports of call is to try
0:14:05 > 0:14:08and obtain a copy of the death certificate.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11The death certificate will confirm the full date of death for us
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and it will also provide a full name.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18The death certificate will also show a full date of birth
0:14:18 > 0:14:19and, hopefully, a place of birth.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Unfortunately, with Raymond Wild, we were unable to obtain
0:14:23 > 0:14:25the death certificate because his death was
0:14:25 > 0:14:27still at inquest at the time.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32There are a variety of reasons why a death certificate may not be
0:14:32 > 0:14:35issued soon after someone has died.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39And without Raymond's, Amy had to explore other avenues.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44One of the first bits of research I did was to check the electoral rolls.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49This suggested that Raymond had been living alone for a number of years.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53There appeared to be no spouse living with him and no children either.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I then double-checked this information to
0:14:55 > 0:14:58confirm by looking at the marriage indexes for England and Wales
0:14:58 > 0:15:02and there were no obvious marriages for Raymond, which, again,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06led us to believe that he had died a bachelor without any children.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10This meant that I could go straight ahead and look at the birth indexes.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I could find Raymond's birth records
0:15:13 > 0:15:16which would then lead me onto finding out his parents' names
0:15:16 > 0:15:20and, in turn, to establish whether or not either parent was still alive.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Having studied birth records,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Amy discovered that Raymond's father, John Wild,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31had four brothers and sisters,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35and he had married Elizabeth Ellen Witting in 1921.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Amy's search had thrown up some fascinating facts
0:15:39 > 0:15:41about John's profession.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Raymond's parents' marriage certificate was able to tell us
0:15:45 > 0:15:48that his father, John, had been a sheet metal worker.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56John worked for Bates Cycles in East London and,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00perhaps surprisingly, his bicycle making skills
0:16:00 > 0:16:02brought him to the attention of the War Office.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10The War Office is, today, what we would call the Ministry of Defence.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Army, Navy, Air Force all come under the War Office
0:16:12 > 0:16:14in the First World War.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16On the outbreak of war, there was a massive number
0:16:16 > 0:16:19of people who volunteered, and many of them were skilled workers,
0:16:19 > 0:16:20so it was very, very important
0:16:20 > 0:16:23that the War Office were able to stop some people going off to
0:16:23 > 0:16:26volunteer cos they were needed in the UK,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30so the War Office gave them a post. You probably don't know what
0:16:30 > 0:16:32you're making, because the War Office
0:16:32 > 0:16:35isn't going to tell you, it'll be assembled somewhere else.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37In those periods, you just don't talk about it.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40You do your job, you go home and you keep shtoom.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44John probably never imagined that one week he would be making
0:16:44 > 0:16:48bicycle frames and the next he would be part of the war effort.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The bicycle industry is a real analogy with
0:16:56 > 0:16:58the ammunitions industry.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00The technology of bicycles,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03the technology of weapons at the time, almost identical.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05If you can make one, you can make the other.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07John Wild was a sheet metal worker.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Sheet metalwork for the Army involves
0:17:10 > 0:17:14everything from building the interior ammunition boxes
0:17:14 > 0:17:19through material required inside the land ships later known as tanks.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22So, I suspect he was involved in some element of
0:17:22 > 0:17:24the production of weapons for the Army.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29John survived the war, but, unfortunately,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32like many families, he had loved ones fighting overseas.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35His brother, Matthew,
0:17:35 > 0:17:40was a stoker on HMS Inflexible at the beginning of the war.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42HMS Inflexible was a cruiser.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44When the Germans attempted to raid Port Stanley
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and they caught the Germans napping and they went out
0:17:47 > 0:17:51and all the German vessels were sunk just before Christmas 1914.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54The operation was a huge success for the crew,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57but, sadly, their celebrations were short-lived.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00What would have been a jubilant time for all those on board turned
0:18:00 > 0:18:03to tragedy as it seems Matthew fell overboard in what
0:18:03 > 0:18:08are described as unknown circumstances on Christmas Day 1914.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11They have just been involved in a successful operation,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14they've sunk all the enemy vessels, the South Atlantic is now clear,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18it's Christmas Day, there's a double reason to celebrate.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22Unfortunately, with everybody busy, everybody partying,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24somebody goes over the side, he simply will be lost
0:18:24 > 0:18:27and, even if he was seen to go over the side,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29a vessel of that size in the South Atlantic in winter...
0:18:29 > 0:18:32there's no point turning round and going back for him.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36The true story will never be known.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44This wasn't the only wartime tragedy to befall the family as
0:18:44 > 0:18:47less than six months later, John's older brother, James,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49was on board the Royal Edward.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53James Wild was in the second battalion of the Hampshire Regiment.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56He was a new recruit, wartime volunteer
0:18:56 > 0:19:00being sent on the Royal Edward to join the active service element of
0:19:00 > 0:19:03the 29th Division, when they are torpedoed.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06The vessel sinks very rapidly,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08there was a very, very high loss of life on board.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11One of those people is James Wild.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24By the time he was 25 years old, Raymond's father, John,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27had tragically lost both of his brothers.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30But in 1921, he married Elizabeth
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and Amy knew they had at least one son, Raymond.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37I searched the birth indexes using the surname Wild
0:19:37 > 0:19:41and also a mother's maiden name of Witting.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Because the family appeared to be from London, I also
0:19:45 > 0:19:47limited my search to the London area.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Based on her search, Amy quickly found a total of five siblings to
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Raymond, two sisters and three brothers, all born in London.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03I decided to look at the two sisters initially.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06I had a look at the marriage indexes in order to determine
0:20:06 > 0:20:10current surnames that the sisters were using.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13From here, I managed to identify potential addresses for both
0:20:13 > 0:20:15sisters and, in the meantime,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19the team had also identified an address for one of the brothers.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23The next steps were then to send some of our representatives
0:20:23 > 0:20:27around in order to determine that the information we had was correct
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and also to try and sign them up.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33As Amy continued her research, it soon became clear that
0:20:33 > 0:20:36the Second World War had just as devastating an impact
0:20:36 > 0:20:39on the family as the First.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45During that period, we're looking at probably 30,000 Londoners dying
0:20:45 > 0:20:50and possibly another 50,000 who are injured as a result
0:20:50 > 0:20:51of the bombing itself.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53EXPLOSIONS
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Heir hunters trace thousands of rightful beneficiaries
0:21:03 > 0:21:07every year, but not all cases can be cracked. There are thousands of
0:21:07 > 0:21:10estates on the Treasury's bona vacantia list that have
0:21:10 > 0:21:14eluded the heir hunters and remain unsolved.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17When the Bona Vacantia Division passes money to the Treasury,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20it puts the case on its unclaimed list and it stays on there
0:21:20 > 0:21:23for 12 years to be claimed. If someone makes a valid claim
0:21:23 > 0:21:26within that period, then the money is paid back.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Today, we're focusing on two cases that are yet to be
0:21:29 > 0:21:31solved by the heir hunters.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32First, it's the case of...
0:21:35 > 0:21:38..also known as Anita Fowler, who died a spinster on...
0:21:45 > 0:21:46Joyce was born in...
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Her mother, Phyllis May Vernon, died on...
0:21:56 > 0:21:57Joyce's father...
0:21:58 > 0:22:01..died on...
0:22:01 > 0:22:02..in Hillingdon.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Despite this information, there's been no success in tracing
0:22:07 > 0:22:09beneficiaries to her estate.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Do you know anything which could shed some light on her family?
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Next, can you shed any light on the case of...?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Joseph was born in Israel in 1932
0:22:22 > 0:22:24and was a bachelor. He died on...
0:22:27 > 0:22:29..East Sussex.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Both Joyce and Joseph's estates remain unclaimed and,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37if no-one comes forward, their money will go to the Government.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41The money raised by the Bona Vacantia Division is passed
0:22:41 > 0:22:45annually to the Treasury and it goes into the consolidated fund,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47therefore to benefit the country as a whole.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Do you have any clues that could help solve the cases of...?
0:22:52 > 0:22:54..also known as Anita Fowler or...
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Perhaps you could be the next of kin.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01If so, you could have thousands of pounds coming your way.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12In London, a team of heir hunters led by case manager Dom are
0:23:12 > 0:23:16working the case of Arthur Williams who died in Brighton aged 81.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21As they think the case could be worth as much as £200,000,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24they are keen to try and stay ahead of the competition.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27'We're currently working on the case of Arthur Charles Williams
0:23:27 > 0:23:30'who died in July 2013.'
0:23:30 > 0:23:32He was not known to have any close family or friends,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35so we're keen to get cracking and work the family tree.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38The team are busy trying to trace Arthur's cousins,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41but their work has been thrown into doubt by a phone call
0:23:41 > 0:23:43suggesting he may have had a sibling.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- Auntie Flo...and this is where it goes slightly wobbly...- Hmm.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49..is thought to have two children.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54If Arthur did have a sibling, he or she would be the sole heir
0:23:54 > 0:23:58to his estate, so the team must quickly establish if it's true.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03But at the same time, they must continue the search for cousins.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07I think the two to concentrate on are Beatrice and Ernest.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11In addition, there's work to be done on the paternal side as the surname
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Williams is so common, meaning the family tree could be enormous.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Because it's a common name, they probably have to put that in
0:24:18 > 0:24:19probate and see if it's right.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21To make matters worse, it's not yet known
0:24:21 > 0:24:26if Arthur owned his own property, so working on this case is a gamble.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29It's not that easy when you have these really rubbish names.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35But the team get to it, and by studying birth, marriage
0:24:35 > 0:24:39and census records, they establish that Arthur's father, Charles,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43was one of up to 12 children born to Robert and Eliza Williams.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46The research has also thrown up some interesting
0:24:46 > 0:24:49information about the occupations of Charles and Robert,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and the team have discovered that father and son
0:24:51 > 0:24:54were both saddle-makers in Bury St Edmunds.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Back in the 1800s, the job as a saddler
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and harness maker was absolutely vital
0:25:02 > 0:25:08for everybody, you know, if they wanted to get from A to B.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12If they were drawing carriages or whether they were being ridden,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15it all involved saddle and harness making.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18The master saddler had to be able to turn his hand to everything.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Whether it be horse harness,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24anything that needed to be fabricated from leather.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Due to the importance and necessity of their work, Robert and Charles
0:25:28 > 0:25:32would have been well-known and well thought of in their local community.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34'It was a highly respected profession
0:25:34 > 0:25:38'because everybody was reliant on the horse.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40'There was no mechanical transport.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42'You didn't really want to upset your local saddler.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44'They were highly respected.'
0:25:44 > 0:25:48But being held in such high regard would not have come easily.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56The lifestyle of a country saddler would have been rather hard, I think.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01Long hours because you're constantly under pressure, especially in...
0:26:01 > 0:26:06'Well, with Victorian times, we've got no electric light,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10'you've got to rely on daylight, so you're actually sat at the bench'
0:26:10 > 0:26:14for a long, long time making the most of the amount of light that
0:26:14 > 0:26:16you've actually got, naturally.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24And it would have been up to Robert to hand down the vital secrets
0:26:24 > 0:26:29of his trade to his son, in order to maintain the family business.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34'The usual way, of course, is to pass it from one generation to the other,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37'and that means that that person would sit
0:26:37 > 0:26:40'an apprenticeship with the master.'
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It's a long-term apprenticeship.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46But it is known that Arthur, who was born in 1932,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49did not follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54In 1932, of course, times were changing, technology was changing.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57The whole world was changing. It was the age of the motorcar.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01And, so, he went on to do other things.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Back in the office, several members of staff are now hard at work
0:27:13 > 0:27:16trying to track down heirs on the huge paternal side of the family.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19For researcher Shannon,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22it's clear there's still a mammoth amount of work to be done.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27It's not that easy because I've got 885 marriages to work through.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31And there's still the matter of a possible sibling
0:27:31 > 0:27:33of Arthur to consider.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Don't worry about this near kin thing.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37I think everything about this says that he
0:27:37 > 0:27:39looks like he's going to be an only child.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42A thorough trawl of birth records has also drawn a blank,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45so case manager Dom decides to follow Roger's hunch,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48that Arthur was indeed an only child.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50We've been told sort of roughly that there might be
0:27:50 > 0:27:54a sibling of the deceased. We think we've ruled that out.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57But for today, that's as much as the team can do.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09The next day, it's an early start for the heir hunters and
0:28:09 > 0:28:12satisfied that Arthur was an only child, the team can now put
0:28:12 > 0:28:15all their efforts into tracing his extended family.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Can you guys play with this a bit and then give me a shout
0:28:17 > 0:28:19when it's all on the tree?
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Case manager Dom starts the day in a confident mood.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26We're getting there. I have to say, the research has been brilliant.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27We got everything up-to-date
0:28:27 > 0:28:28really, really quickly.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31So, filling all the gaps is going to take a long time.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34And the arrival of various certificates helps the team
0:28:34 > 0:28:36take several steps forward.
0:28:36 > 0:28:41And what they know about the family profession proves vital.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44In the Sidney Williams marriage, the father has the right name
0:28:44 > 0:28:48and he's a saddler, so that pretty much confirms it's the right family.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50So...saddler and harness maker.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52The discovery of Sidney Williams,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56a saddle-maker in Bury St Edmunds, adds another piece to the jigsaw.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58What it means is that we've got the right name
0:28:58 > 0:29:01and he's got the right occupation, so it's going to link in with family.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04So, on the cert itself is an Arthur Williams and a Robert Williams
0:29:04 > 0:29:06and we've got both of those in the family,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09so, it's a double check, really.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16INAUDIBLE
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Finally, the heir hunters can confirm that Arthur's father,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Charles, had ten siblings,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24most of whom were believed to have lived in the Brighton area.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29One of Arthur's uncles, Robert, had seven children, one of whom,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Hilda, went on to have
0:29:31 > 0:29:33five children of her own.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35As first cousins once removed to Arthur,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38they're in line to inherit a share of his estate.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42This Hilda, however, suddenly jumps and goes up to Derbyshire.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45We've tracked down one of her kids, Reginald Alan Barber.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Reginald Barber is one of the heirs the team have tracked down
0:29:56 > 0:29:59and he's Arthur's cousin once removed.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02It's now two weeks since he was contacted by the team
0:30:02 > 0:30:04and the news is still sinking in.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08I didn't know anything about my mother's side of the family
0:30:08 > 0:30:11and I couldn't think of anybody up in Derby who it could be.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18'It's hard to believe when you get it and you do feel
0:30:18 > 0:30:21'a little bit sorry for the people who's died and left it to you.'
0:30:22 > 0:30:25But then, it was, "Who is this person that's died?"
0:30:25 > 0:30:31And we still, hopefully, will learn a bit more about it and about
0:30:31 > 0:30:33the extended family down in Bury St Edmunds,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36which we know absolutely nothing about.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46In London, it's taken Dom and the team more than three weeks to
0:30:46 > 0:30:50finally get a handle on Arthur Williams' huge family tree.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55On the maternal side, the team has identified descendants
0:30:55 > 0:30:57of three of Arthur's aunts and uncles,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01all of whom will be entitled to a share of his estate.
0:31:01 > 0:31:02And, from his father's side,
0:31:02 > 0:31:06there are heirs from five branches of the family.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09It's been a tough but rewarding job for case manager Dom.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11'We've identified over 30 beneficiaries so far'
0:31:11 > 0:31:13and I'm sure we're going to identify more again.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15This is going to be really quite a large family tree.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18So far, we've signed about seven of the family.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Uh, we'd hope to have a lot more in the coming days,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23so it's going quite well, but we've really still got to keep pushing it.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27And the team have confirmed that Arthur did own his own property.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Meaning his estate was worth around £214,000.
0:31:34 > 0:31:35Dom's instincts were right
0:31:35 > 0:31:38and the gamble he took on the case has paid off.
0:31:40 > 0:31:41DOM LAUGHS
0:31:43 > 0:31:46But for Reginald, more important than an unexpected windfall
0:31:46 > 0:31:51is the chance to find out more about the relative he never knew he had.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53You just want to know more,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56something that you've never bothered about in your life.
0:31:56 > 0:31:57And then, all of a sudden...
0:31:57 > 0:32:00somebody comes into your life who you don't know
0:32:00 > 0:32:02and it's a funny experience.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06I suppose, in a way, it is a bit of an adventure,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08your family tree that you never think of.
0:32:21 > 0:32:22In North London,
0:32:22 > 0:32:26case manager Amy-Louise Moyes was working the case of Raymond Wild.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32So far, she'd found out that Raymond had five brothers and sisters,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35but Amy knew she would have to act quickly to find them.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37With a highly competitive case,
0:32:37 > 0:32:42it's imperative that you are the firm that makes the first contact.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Once we had names of the potential siblings,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48myself and the rest of the team were then able to work
0:32:48 > 0:32:52simultaneously in order to try and find addresses for these siblings
0:32:52 > 0:32:56and try and visit them before any other competition came our way.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12Raymond Wild, a bachelor from East London, died in May 2012
0:33:12 > 0:33:15and the heir hunters believe he may have owned his own home.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19His neighbours, Dave and Bonnie McGough, were some of
0:33:19 > 0:33:23the few people that had contact with Raymond in his final years.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27He was an enigma...to us, yeah.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33'We was getting used to him stopping and chatting a bit more.'
0:33:33 > 0:33:36We just tried to be friendly and be as normal as possible.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41'He was just a nice guy.'
0:33:41 > 0:33:44- It was sad.- It would be nice to see him walking up and down again.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Having found contact details for some of Raymond's siblings,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00it was urgent that the heir hunters got to them as soon as possible.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03The challenge with this case was more to do with
0:34:03 > 0:34:05the timescale that we were working to.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Because we were keen not to encounter any competition,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11the whole team worked together so that we were able to, then,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14go and visit the heirs simultaneously.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17And when they did, it threw up a surprising twist.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22One of the first heirs we were able to contact was one of
0:34:22 > 0:34:27Raymond's sisters who was able to verify our research as correct and,
0:34:27 > 0:34:31also, she was able to tell us of an additional sibling,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34a younger brother named Bernard who had been born
0:34:34 > 0:34:37outside of the London area.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40This was why he hadn't been included in our original search.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47This new information meant that Amy was now able to confirm that
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Raymond was in fact one of seven children born to John and Elizabeth.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Raymond's brother Bernard was born in Somerset rather than London,
0:35:00 > 0:35:02where the other siblings were born.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Bernard was born during the Second World War and, during this time,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09it was common for whole families to flee London
0:35:09 > 0:35:11in order to avoid the bombing.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17With German bombs pounding the capital, the Wilds were
0:35:17 > 0:35:20one of many families who were not safe in their own home
0:35:20 > 0:35:23during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27This is the period of intensive bombing of London
0:35:27 > 0:35:33and other British cities and it is indiscriminate bombing, rather than
0:35:33 > 0:35:36attempts at tactical or strategic bombing on specific areas.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44We're looking at about 28,000 high explosive bombs being
0:35:44 > 0:35:47dropped on London and something over
0:35:47 > 0:35:51400 parachute mines being dropped in London at that time.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Having already lost his brothers during World War I, John did
0:36:02 > 0:36:06everything he could to make sure his family were safe.
0:36:06 > 0:36:10He moved his pregnant wife and his children to Bridgwater in Somerset.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17If you are suffering from intense aerial bombardment,
0:36:17 > 0:36:21you have an incentive to try and make your family safe.
0:36:21 > 0:36:27Key workers may well be staying in central London and elsewhere,
0:36:27 > 0:36:31although their families might be relocated, if they can.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38While it was a common experience, those who could leave, did.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Having confirmed Raymond's siblings,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Amy was now close to tracing all of the heirs.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56Two of Raymond's brothers had actually predeceased him,
0:36:56 > 0:36:59but had died leaving children of their own
0:36:59 > 0:37:04and these children would now inherit a share of Raymond's estate.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07But it was only when the team had actually traced the heirs,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10that it became clear that Raymond's father John's attempts to keep
0:37:10 > 0:37:14the family safe, weren't enough to prevent another tragedy.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Raymond and his family were in Somerset,
0:37:23 > 0:37:24having been evacuated,
0:37:24 > 0:37:28but Raymond's father John was worried about their house being
0:37:28 > 0:37:31damaged due to the bombing, and he wanted the insurance papers
0:37:31 > 0:37:35for the home and so Cyril went along with his father.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38When they got there, unfortunately, tragedy struck
0:37:38 > 0:37:42and a bomb actually hit and damaged the family home.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46As the bomb fell, Cyril was pushed out of the way.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Sadly, his father John was killed during this bombing.
0:37:52 > 0:37:53For the second time,
0:37:53 > 0:37:57a world war had caused the family agonising heartbreak.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02This is probably where 26 Rochester Avenue actually stood.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Now, the parachute mine detonated where that block of flats is.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09That would have taken out the entire row of houses
0:38:09 > 0:38:11from there up to this point.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15John had heroically saved his son's life by pushing him
0:38:15 > 0:38:17under a cupboard to safety.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22Raymond's brother Cyril fractured his skull, but survived, but a joist
0:38:22 > 0:38:26fell on John in the family home, breaking his neck and killing him.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29It's a matter of luck, in this case, enormously bad luck,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33that the parachute mine went off here and destroyed this area.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36It really is a tragedy.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Through her research and conversations with the family,
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Amy had managed to unravel the family tree
0:38:44 > 0:38:48and contacted the families of all six of Raymond's siblings.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51One of the beneficiaries was the family of Bernard,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54the youngest, born in Somerset during World War II.
0:38:56 > 0:39:02Bernard passed away in July 2011, um, survived by three children,
0:39:02 > 0:39:04a son called Martin and two others.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Bernard also left a wife, Eileen.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Their son, Martin, is one of the heirs
0:39:14 > 0:39:17and knows from his father how the bombing affected him.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20My dad never got to know his own dad
0:39:20 > 0:39:24because my dad was born nine days after his father was killed.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Um, and I think that had a massive effect on the entire family,
0:39:29 > 0:39:30really, the loss of the father.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Instead of introducing her husband to his newborn son,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Elizabeth had to travel to London for John's burial,
0:39:38 > 0:39:42but, when she arrived, Elizabeth had missed the funeral.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46None of them even had a chance to say goodbye,
0:39:46 > 0:39:49and that in itself must have been horrendously traumatic.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52News of Raymond's death has brought back
0:39:52 > 0:39:56vivid childhood memories of his uncle for Martin.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58When I first met Raymond, I thought he was great.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01He was just like a smaller version of my dad.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Their sense of humour was almost identical.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08And this is amazing.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Bernard was in possession of some priceless family items that he
0:40:11 > 0:40:13left with his wife, Eileen,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17including a birthday card sent from John to Elizabeth Wild,
0:40:17 > 0:40:21which reveals the pet names they used for each other, Jack and Nell.
0:40:23 > 0:40:28"My dear Nell, I wish you many happy returns of the day.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31"May the year be the end of the war. Best wishes.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35"Love from yours, Jack."
0:40:37 > 0:40:39And, on the back...
0:40:40 > 0:40:46"I am writing this under heavy gunfire, so..."
0:40:46 > 0:40:49So, he was being holed in somewhere...
0:40:49 > 0:40:51- So, he was...- ..in the war.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54That is about three months...
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- before he died.- Before he died, yeah.- Yeah.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Unfortunately, Raymond did not own his own house,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10meaning his estate was worth £6,000.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18AMY-LOUISE: With the work that we do here, it isn't always about the size
0:41:18 > 0:41:21of an estate with cases such as this one where the value itself
0:41:21 > 0:41:25is relatively small. It's the research that brings you
0:41:25 > 0:41:28the satisfaction and is the reason why we do the work that we do.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Amy's work has meant that Raymond's estate is
0:41:32 > 0:41:33going to the rightful heirs.
0:41:35 > 0:41:40'In total, we identified eight heirs to Raymond's estate.'
0:41:40 > 0:41:43It had come as quite a shock to several of the heirs that
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Raymond had lived so nearby,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48as they'd been unaware that he lived so close to them.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Raymond's ashes were scattered by hospital staff
0:41:56 > 0:41:59on the Chase in Dagenham after they were told by
0:41:59 > 0:42:03his neighbour Dave that Raymond used to go horse riding there as a boy.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07It was a surprise that he has got relatives
0:42:07 > 0:42:12and it's sad that there wasn't much contact between them.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17I don't know...I don't know, it's hard to...it's hard to fathom.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22For Martin, it could mean the start of a personal journey
0:42:22 > 0:42:26and a chance to build relationships with some of his long-lost family.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28'I'm certainly interested in'
0:42:28 > 0:42:32finding out more information about where my position in this
0:42:32 > 0:42:34whole Wild family is.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40'Had John not have died during the war, I think
0:42:40 > 0:42:43'the whole family dynamic would have been very different.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47'I certainly feel that that has affected...
0:42:47 > 0:42:50'the relationships between all of the siblings, and...'
0:42:50 > 0:42:53now, the family has gone sort of scattered far and wide
0:42:53 > 0:42:55with very little communication.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02'I know very, very little about my dad's side of the family and,
0:43:02 > 0:43:06'unfortunately, that side of the family are much older,'
0:43:06 > 0:43:08so, the time to be able to find that
0:43:08 > 0:43:10sort of thing out is...is running out.