"Heir Hunters" #2

[Nick29]

Most local councils have help schemes for those wishing to start their own business.  I think it's still called Business Link.  Of course, if you are receiving job seeker's allowance, that will stop, if you work for yourself, so you'll need some money to tide you over.

Good Luck ! 

[Annie65115]

A distant relative of mine was the featured person on HH about a month ago. He was my dad's 3rd cousin - unfortunately closer relatives were traceable and got the cash!!

I hadn't seen the show before - I was a bit disappointed not to learn more of the family from it - repeated shots of the "local investigator" taking wrong turnings in his car weren't that entertaining.

But I found a new relative because of the programme. It triggered an interest in geneology in someone who was interviewed on the programme, and she started her tree on ancestry - I spotted it - and now we're in touch   . which is nice   

[Nick29]

Although I really enjoy the Heir Hunters TV programme, there's one part of me that can't wait for it to come off-air.

That's because just recently my sister and I received a fairly substantial payment from an inheritance (not from F & F, I might add), but now my sister has the bit between her teeth, and every day she watches Heir Hunters and comes up with another new theory about an inheritance that we may have had, and have missed, and she phones me asking me to do all the leg-work.  I have neither the time or the inclination to do this.  She's becoming obsessive about it.

I wonder if Neil from F & F has heard of anything similar ?

[Danchaslyn]

 

Nick29

Am sure there are many like your sister!

One would imagine that one windfall would be sufficient, especially as I gather in both your cases, your ride was not an easy one, in attaining what was rightfully yours.

Obviously as you did all the prior legwork on both her and your case, she's not 'earned' it herself, so, so easy to seek more.

If she has the bee in her bonnet that there is more, for the two of you elsewhere now, why not point her in the direction and tell her to get on with it.

[DudleyWinchurch]

After watching this morning's programme, it went through my head that both the two brothers who had left home early and not stayed in touch with their original family in the F&F case would have been of an age for National Service.

Could this be why they left?

Do F&F ever use, or do they have access to, the draft lists for National Service?  Would it be possible to find these anywhere or are they still subject to Data Privacy laws?

[Nick29]

 

Nick29

Am sure there are many like your sister!

One would imagine that one windfall would be sufficient, especially as I gather in both your cases, your ride was not an easy one, in attaining what was rightfully yours.

Obviously as you did all the prior legwork on both her and your case, she's not 'earned' it herself, so, so easy to seek more.

If she has the bee in her bonnet that there is more, for the two of you elsewhere now, why not point her in the direction and tell her to get on with it.

Yes, ours wasn't actually an inheritance, but a payout from a "Missing Beneficiary Insurance" which the people who originally got the money took out when they received the inheritance.  This insurance pays out if a closer beneficiary is later found.  When we first found out about the insurance, we thought it would be quite an easy matter to get the money that was rightfully ours.  One year (almost to the day) and about £3000 of solicitor's fees later, we had the money. And the worse part was that we never really found out why it took so long, because it didn't go to court.  If it had done that, it could have been another year.  Maybe that's something else that Heir Hunters could touch on ?  How long it takes to get the money, after making the claim.

The money is quite enough for me.  Some people, however, get obsessed by it  

[Mborrill]

Hi

I first watched Heir Hunters last year on a wet Cornish holiday last year [I think it was the first series with Nadia], I have been watching the currently available series on iplayer. I have read some of the posts on the threads on rootschat.

I just wanted to ask Neil a couple of questions in one post you said something about a 50 year disclosure rule on BMD certs, and in another about you having privileges in gaining access to 'current' certificates.

I have traced living descendants for 11 siblings born in the early 1800's [for a family history book I have written] and I have had no problems in obtaining certificates less than 50 years old. Just like Heir Hunters they gave me the information I needed to locate my distant cousins.

I am currently working on finding information for a close relative, who has been estranged from her father for 52 years and never knew her paternal relatives. So far I have found two sets of first cousins [estranged from each other]. Hopefully some photographs will be arriving shortly of their dad from one set of cousins both new of my relatives father but neither knew what happened to him. One of these cousins father is sill living [older brother to my relatives father] though he has no idea what happened to his brother. Fingers crossed today I will receive the death certificate of whom I believe was the estranged father and clues to what happened to him.

I like to watch HH on the iplayer and using online genealogical sites solve the 'cases' myself at the same time. As a random act of genealogical kindness, I have sent details of various programmes to people who are connected to these lines and the iplayer link so if in the UK they can watch it themselves.

I love the challenge of the hunt, putting the clues together and solving the riddles. It really paid off when writing my book the very last contact provided me with over 50 CdV and cabinet photos of our ancestors these along with all the other documents, images and stories plus my research enriched our family story.

[Soup]

Have just watched today's episode. Families are funny things!

With the case of Marie, falling out with people and pushing them away. Reminded me of my own Grandma 

She's managed to fall out with all her closest relatives. I haven't actually been pushed away - I chose to stay away as I'm frightened of what I might say to her.

I have never known my Grandfather as they separated and divorced when Mum was only two. Grandma, we saw little of as we were growing up but about fifteen years ago we saw her regularly. Unfortunately she would always talk of Grandfather and how he was mean, etc. Never a good picture of him. She even told us he had died many years before. I decided to track him down and discovered we had missed him by only six years. I was so cross thus the not wanting to see Grandma.

I have since done further research and been in touch with his family. All so far have said he was a nice person. Even a non-family member has said this. My only sadness is I have yet to find someone that has a photo of him - I don't even know what he looked like!! It's on on-going project.

Looking forward to more episodes!

[Chutzpah]

I've just started in family history (literally three weeks ago!) and caught Heir Hunters by chance the other day, have been catching up via iPlayer.

At risk of sounding dumb, how do they just walk "in and out" of the registry offices? Is it that simple or do they pay exorbitant fees for that service?

I ordered my first batch of certificates from the GRO on Friday 31st July and only one has shown up so far