"Heir Hunters"

[Nick29]

I hadn't realised that all this happened so long ago.  This page from the National Archives should tell you all you need to know.  If the money had been held in trust by the other two children, then I suppose you could trace their successors, and see if they know anything, but I wouldn't like to make a bet on your chances of success after all this time.  If there were no successors of the other two children, the money would have gone to the state if they didn't leave it in their wills.

[Deb D]

Many thanks, Nick - that link looks fascinating, but I'll have to study it later when I'm not being pestered by family demands!

I have copies of the daughters' wills ... will also have to study them again, I think, - although I don't recall that there was any mention of their brother in either of them.

*Sigh!* ... bbl, thanks again

[Draigcoch]

I am really enjoying the new series of Heir Hunters, but they seem to have less of the interviews with the found families or maybe that is just the way it has panned out in the programmes so far.

[lyla]

On this morning's program I think that they said there are currently over 3000 unclaimed estates however the bona vacantia list only has a small number of those. Is there somewhere that the full list can be viewed?

If I could find one of my family research surnames on the list I'd quite like to have a go at solving one for myself.

Lyla

[smeni]

Watching this morning's programme, I wondered if the Land Registry was ever researched to see who owned a property - I know not every property is registered there, but it could be a useful way of ascertaining ownership.

[toni*]

gosh heres a difficult one from the Bona Vacatia list

Rutherford late Dibble formerly Lewis formerly Williams nee Hodgins
Audrey Ann (widow)
died 18.02.09 Hailsham

[kooky]

I enjoyed this morning's programme, especially where a beneficiary did some research herself into her benefactor's life. The war service information was particularly interesting.
Kooky

[Eking]

On this morning's program I think that they said there are currently over 3000 unclaimed estates however the bona vacantia list only has a small number of those. Is there somewhere that the full list can be viewed?

If I could find one of my family research surnames on the list I'd quite like to have a go at solving one for myself.

Lyla

Lyla

The quick answer is no full list. A more useful and
complete answer has been provided by Fraser and Fraser on page 19 of this thread

[Nick29]

If an inheritance has gone unclaimed for years, and heir hunter companies have failed to find heirs, I think it's safe to say that a genealogist is unlikley to find any, because heir hunters will have done all the paper chasing that it's possible to do.  The only way these sort of cases is likely ever be solved (if indeed there is a solution) is if someone who knew the deceased or is related to the deceased comes forward.