RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: jinks on Sunday 25 August 19 19:53 BST (UK)
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Whilst searching for ancestors on google (I do this sometimes when I hit a brick wall) up popped a website about unclaimed estates (Its probably been there all the time BUT never seen it)
I came across a gentleman called Bartley James Smith born 17th December 1892 Manchester and died 22nd December 1991 Leeds. 99 Years old!
So like you do when you have an interest in genealogy I went digging.
I couldn't find much :(
In the 1901 he is living with his Mother Mary born Ireland and a Charwoman.
In the 1911 Census he is in a fever hospital!
So he was hospitalized at the age of 19 with fever survived it, lived to be 99, didn't leave a will
so his money now goes to the crown
Anyone else think this is particularly sad and can anyone add to it?
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I can't add anything but yes it's sad & I've always wondered what the 'Crown' do with such inheritance?
It would be nice to know just where exactly the £ goes.
Annie
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I can't add anything but yes it's sad & I've always wondered what the 'Crown' do with such inheritance?
It would be nice to know just where exactly the £ goes.
Annie
https://www.gov.uk/unclaimed-estates-bona-vacantia
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Actually registered March Qtr 1899!
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I had presumed that Mary was an unmarried Mother ::)
BUT
1899 SMITH Bartley J E MAHON Central Archives+, Manchester Central Library CEN/40/11
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What was her status on the 1901 census...S/M/W?
Annie
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https://www.gov.uk/unclaimed-estates-bona-vacantia
I know the site Gadget but I don't see where the £ is spent, maybe I've missed where it states such?
Annie
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From the Bona Vacantia website:
‘Bona Vacantia’ means vacant goods and is the name given to ownerless property, which by law passes to the Crown.
The Treasury Solicitor acts for the Crown to administer the estates of people who die intestate (without a Will) and without known kin (entitled blood relatives) and collect the assets of dissolved companies and other various ownerless goods in England and Wales.
The money therefore goes into the Treasury coffers.
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Annie
On the 1901 Census Mary is the head of household so it doesn't say
I have looked for other children Smith - Mahon and there doesn't seem to be any
The only marriage in England and Wales for a Mary Mahon to a Smith at roughly the right time (1895) was in Yorkshire to a Sidney Smith of course the marriage might have taken place in Ireland
I am going search for the Bartley connection now - Maybe it comes from the Smith line
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Hmm, are you looking at a transcription or an image as any images I've seen give the marital status of the Head?
Annie
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1901 - Mary is married aged 35.
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Thanks so her husband must be away from home since she is head of household
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This has probably been discussed before but these "Heir Hunter" adverts do appear both online and in newspapers. I know these firms take a hefty percentage when they find relatives but surely that's better than it all reverting to the state.
I once had a message on GR from a lady who was a member and had a tree, so presumably a family historian - but was not a relative. She was actually enquiring on behalf of her solicitor employers who were trying to find relatives of my Betsy Whitehead who died as widow Gibson in London in 2010 aged 101, childless and intestate, but with a substantial estate of over £1 million (probably mostly the value of her house, in 1939 she was a waitress married to a cook).
They had identified both of her deceased siblings who died unmarried and childless, and asked if I knew about any more distant relatives. In fact I knew something about four of her many cousins, some of them had parents married back in to closer relatives (again!) and another had a descendant who was a contact.
I was able to put that contact in touch with them, though I never found out what happened. (There were 14 first cousins, all deceased of course, most of the next generation were also deceased, so the final split would not have been a life-changing amount). I was able to tell the employee that two of the cousins were married but childless (not just from records but nearer relatives had known them).
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The List is a public record and anyone is free to make a claim on any estate on the list.
Heir Hunters and law firms simply trawl the list and have a go at matching heirs with estates.
Anyone can do it and everyone should take a look to see if any of their surnames are on there. It would be fabulous if someone posted they had inherited a fortune. 👍
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Hi,
My husbands cousin was listed on The Gazette, was a bit of a shock as we didn't even know she had died.
Have contacted the solicitor concerned and they say they have instructed genealogists to construct a family tree.
Just a waiting game now.
kd
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Fabulous. :)
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Full blood relatives found, Hubby was only half blood.
Back to the grindstone.
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The List is a public record and anyone is free to make a claim on any estate on the list.
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Anyone can do it and everyone should take a look to see if any of their surnames are on there. It would be fabulous if someone posted they had inherited a fortune. 👍
You need to be related to the deceased person.
The chances of finding your surname and making a documented family connection are pretty slim to zero!
Mark
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The List is a public record and anyone is free to make a claim on any estate on the list.
...
Anyone can do it and everyone should take a look to see if any of their surnames are on there. It would be fabulous if someone posted they had inherited a fortune. 👍
You need to be related to the deceased person.
The chances of finding your surname and making a documented family connection are pretty slim to zero!
Mark
About the same as doing a DNA test and finding a specific relation, and many have done that.
Cheers
Guy
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From my understanding having just gone through the process, if no full blood relative.is found then it goes to half blood relatives, if no living relative is found then the proceeds of the estate go to the Crown.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
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Hi,
My husbands cousin was listed on The Gazette, was a bit of a shock as we didn't even know she had died.
Have contacted the solicitor concerned and they say they have instructed genealogists to construct a family tree.
Just a waiting game now.
kd
If they are constructing a Family Tree, there must be no Will (died Intestate), or the Beneficiaries in any Will are already dead, or for tracing purposes to ensure they are dealing with only those possibly Legally entitled.
In the event of Intestacy, there is a set pecking order laid down in UK Law as to who inherits first, then next (if they are dead) etc., etc.
An Administrator of an Intestate must follow UK Law and not favour a particular family individual/s.
In your case if you are related, keep the Solicitor's (Administrator's) written reply/repies of your claim.
By drawing up a documented Family Tree it sounds as though they are trying to establish an order of inheritance and it might be that all those that were entitled to Legally inherit before you are all dead and your level is/are next.
Mark
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I would also note you do not have to sign up with any heir hunter to benefit from an estate, you may feel morally bound to compensate a heir hunter for work they have done, but you have no legal obligation to do so.
Cheers
Guy
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Having heard from solicitors my husband was half blood relative on the maternal side, they have found living full blood relatives on the paternal side therefore they are the beneficiaries.
Hi,
My husbands cousin was listed on The Gazette, was a bit of a shock as we didn't even know she had died.
Have contacted the solicitor concerned and they say they have instructed genealogists to construct a family tree.
Just a waiting game now.
kd
If they are constructing a Family Tree, there must be no Will (died Intestate), or the Beneficiaries in any Will are already dead, or for tracing purposes to ensure they are dealing with only those possibly Legally entitled.
In the event of Intestacy, there is a set pecking order laid down in UK Law as to who inherits first, then next (if they are dead) etc., etc.
An Administrator of an Intestate must follow UK Law and not favour a particular family individual/s.
In your case if you are related, keep the Solicitor's (Administrator's) written reply/repies of your claim.
By drawing up a documented Family Tree it sounds as though they are trying to establish an order of inheritance and it might be that all those that were entitled to Legally inherit before you are all dead and your level is/are next.
Mark
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Dying without a Will (Intestate). UK gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/inherits-someone-dies-without-will
I'm not a Solicitor and have no Legal training and therefore cannot advise.
Rootschat is family history only.
Mark