Genealogy Chat

Never seen the programme but my sister told me about it. Checked it out on Google (Heir Hunters) and you can see a list of all the people that have died and left no will. Check them out - could be a long long relations. Good luck Irene

n

Hi Irene
I have just watched this mornings episode on the computer.
I think I could do that job.........anybody out there fancy doing the 'on the road bit' ?
Noticed that there's no one in the North West left any money.
Joan

There is a website which you can check out yourself which holds lists of unclaimed estates.

If you can prove your link you may be entitled to a share in that estate AND you wuoldn't have to pay a percentage to the Heir Hunters!!

Can't remember the website's name but I'm sure if you googled you'd find it easily enough.

Here's the website for anyone interested:

http://www.bonavacantia.gov.uk/forms/estate_search.asp

Thanks for that Snowdrops - took a look at that site. Made me think of my dear old mum she used to study "Wills of the Week" in the News of the World years ago every week hoping to find some dear old sole that had left us a fortune. I have learnt in life you only get what you work for. Regards Irene

Will take a look this morning 9-15am BBC 1.

Thankyou.




Libra.

Just watched the programme for the first time. It is just like we all do all the time, reasearching and finding decendents, only the company get a % of the estate. The only thing that made me cross is that they got their copies of the certificates straight away and we have to wait, although I have never been direct to a register office to ask for one there and then. Irene

The bonavacantia site is fun to browse, but what does o/w mean? I'm sure it is obvious, but I can't think what it could be!

It is the people who have died and left no will so their estates have to go to next of kins. You do not know what they have left unless you are next of kin. If you think you are connected to anyone of those people you can claim their estate but of course it would have to be proved you are a true heir. Irene

Thanks Irene - it is just that not all the people listed there have o/w and another name given. I wondered what o/w stood for. Does that mean they never left a will, but the other ones did? And maybe couldn't be traced?

Thanks BPC Thought it was something like AKA but couldn't work it out!

How do so many people have so many alternative names!!

I watched the programme for the first time this morning. It was interesting to see that they are still using the fiche BMD rather than online indexes. (although I did spot one guy using free bmd)

This sort of thing has been going on for years. In the mid sixties one of my relations died without an obvious heir. A firm of solicitors took two years to trace my Dad, his siblings and three cousins. The woman who had died was my grandfathers half sister.

From the list of people who inherited, I have been able to work out which records the solicitors accessed for info. If they had accessed my grandfathers military record they'd have known of another brothers decendants who should have had an equal claim.

The solicitors got 10%of the estate and my Dad and his siblings received about £80 each and his cousins in France got £160 each.