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Heir Hunters

Season 5 2011

  • 2011-02-21T11:00:00Z on BBC One
  • 45m
  • 18h 45m (25 episodes)
  • United Kingdom
  • English
  • Documentary
The work of a firm of Probate investigators, Fraser & Fraser, who trace surviving family members when somebody dies intestate so they can claim the cash before HM Treasury does.

25 episodes

Season Premiere

2011-02-21T11:00:00Z

5x01 Chapman/Moran

Season Premiere

5x01 Chapman/Moran

  • 2011-02-21T11:00:00Z45m

Marjorie Chapman died in a nursing home but tragically the heir hunters learn she lost all three of her children and it's not long before the shocking truth about their deaths emerges.

The team also look at one of their largest-ever cases. Michael Moran died in England but was from an enormous Irish family who ended up spread around the world. Plus details of three more unclaimed estates, could you be an heir?

2011-02-22T11:00:00Z

5x02 Woods/Grinderbergs

5x02 Woods/Grinderbergs

  • 2011-02-22T11:00:00Z45m

Grace Woods died in Oxford aged 89 leaving an estate worth 150,000 pounds. The heir hunters are stunned to learn that Grace was Britain's first bona fide supermodel and in 1946 led a troupe of Britain's finest models on a glamorous trip to New York.

The heir hunters also look at the case of Leons Grinbergs, a Latvian who was forced from his homeland by the bloody battle between the Germans and the Russians.

Plus details of three more unclaimed estates; could you be an heir?

2011-02-23T11:00:00Z

5x03 Page/Ardley

5x03 Page/Ardley

  • 2011-02-23T11:00:00Z45m

Barbara Page died aged 80, leaving behind an estate worth 100,000 pounds. The heir hunters manage to trace Barbara's family quickly but it's a competition between them and rival firms.

The team also look at the case of George Ardley, a farmer who died in 2009 leaving 160,000 pounds and a herd of cows. The search for George's family uncovers relatives he never knew he had. Plus details of three more unclaimed estates; could you be an heir?

2011-02-24T11:00:00Z

5x04 Cator/Mukerji

5x04 Cator/Mukerji

  • 2011-02-24T11:00:00Z45m

Edith Cator was born and bred in Watford and married her third husband Burt at the age of 78. The search for Edith's relatives proves tricky with rival firms competing to be the first to find her heirs.

The case of Elizabeth Mukerji has stumped heir hunters for nearly 20 years. Her husband's family had connections with Ghandi but the search for Elizabeth's heirs ends up in Ireland. Plus details of three more unclaimed estates, could you be an heir?

2011-02-25T11:00:00Z

5x05 Thomas/Koshevnikova

5x05 Thomas/Koshevnikova

  • 2011-02-25T11:00:00Z45m

Robert Thomas died without leaving a will in 2009 and left behind a 20,000 pound estate. Thomas is the 9th most common surname in Britain, but will the team win through and ensure Robert's estate goes to relatives and not the government?

The team also look at the estate of Alexandra Koshevnikova who fled Russia after the revolution of 1917. She came from a wealthy background and spent months living in the Waldorf Astoria in New York but she ended up living in Buckinghamshire teaching Russian for the British Secret Service.

2011-02-28T11:00:00Z

5x06 Birch/Kutner

5x06 Birch/Kutner

  • 2011-02-28T11:00:00Z45m

Retired British Army Captain Brian Simon Birch MBE died in Malta where he'd lived as an expat for over 20 years. He left an estate worth over 270,000 pounds and the heir hunters throw all their resources at the case.

The heir hunters also look at the estate of Marilyn Kutner whose family came to Britain from Lithuania in the 1920s. Like many Jewish immigrants, the Kutners anglicised their names, making the search for Marilyn's heirs very difficult indeed.

2011-03-01T11:00:00Z

5x07 Walker/West

5x07 Walker/West

  • 2011-03-01T11:00:00Z45m

Doreen Walker died in Lewisham leaving a house worth an estimated 250,000 pounds. The heir hunters learn she was a professional singer but can they find any living relatives to inherit her estate?

The team also look at the case of Frederick West, a Victorian philanthropist who donated some land in 1844 which is now being sold for 375,000 pounds. The search uncovers links with Winston Churchill, King Edward VI and wealthy German aristocracy.

2011-03-02T11:00:00Z

5x08 Coleman/Dynak

5x08 Coleman/Dynak

  • 2011-03-02T11:00:00Z45m

The search is on for heirs to Audrey Coleman's estate and there's plenty of competition from rival firms.

The heir hunters also look at the estate of Wiktor Dynack who died in the Royal Star & Garter home for ex-military personnel in Richmond. He came to Britain with the Polish resettlement corps having been forced out of Poland during the war.

2011-03-03T11:00:00Z

5x09 Brown/Greenhouse

5x09 Brown/Greenhouse

  • 2011-03-03T11:00:00Z45m

Gravedigger Billy Brown is known to have died in South-West London but his surname is a notoriously difficult name to research. But will the heir hunters win through and find the rightful beneficiaries to Billy's estate?

The search for relatives of Georgina Greenhouses from the Shropshire quarrying town of Cleehills gives the heir hunters a real headache. Her mother committed bigamy because she couldn't afford a divorce, which makes the research very tricky indeed.

2011-03-04T11:00:00Z

5x10 Jones/Rose

5x10 Jones/Rose

  • 2011-03-04T11:00:00Z45m

Howard Jones died alone leaving 40,000 pounds in cash lying around his home and the heir hunters must break the news of his death to his closest relatives.

The team also look at the estate of musician Timothy Rose, widely acknowledged as one of the nearly men of the 1960s/70s music scene. He's best known for his unique arrangement of the blues song Hey Joe which was later covered by Jimi Hendrix but will heir hunters find any living relatives?

2011-03-07T11:00:00Z

5x11 Somers/Buck

5x11 Somers/Buck

  • 2011-03-07T11:00:00Z45m

James Somers died in Ashford in 2010. The search for his heirs causes confusion for the heir hunters who struggle to find out whether he was born in England or Ireland. The team also looks at the case of Olive Buck whose family were separated by the devastating Bath Blitz. Olive was moved out to the country and lost touch with her relatives - can the heir hunters track them down?

2011-03-08T11:00:00Z

5x12 Glanfield/Saunders

5x12 Glanfield/Saunders

  • 2011-03-08T11:00:00Z45m

The heir hunters investigate the case of Mary Glanfield but struggle to establish whether there is any value in the estate. The team also looks at the estate of Jamaican-born Keith Saunders who came to Britain in the 1950s. It seems he left an estate worth 90,000 pounds, but can the heir hunters solve this case without going to Jamaica? There are details of three more unclaimed estates, and could you be an heir?

2011-03-09T11:00:00Z

5x13 Roberts/Belchambers

5x13 Roberts/Belchambers

  • 2011-03-09T11:00:00Z45m

The estate of David Hugh Roberts, worth 2 million pounds, had eluded the heir hunters for five years. He died a recluse in a flat near Wimbledon and the team has tried unsuccessfully to find living relatives. Now though there is fresh hope as new records are available.

Penny Belchambers died in a 600,000 pound flat in Kensington. The search for her heirs uncovers the tale of Polish war pilot Witold Lanowski who flew with the RAF during the Second World War. Plus there are details of three more unclaimed estates, and could you be an heir?

2011-03-10T11:00:00Z

5x14 Milner/Sedgbeer

5x14 Milner/Sedgbeer

  • 2011-03-10T11:00:00Z45m

Motorcycle enthusiast Ian Milner died in 2010 and it's up to the heir hunters to try and find living relatives. Their search takes them to Bradford and they are in a race against competing firms.

The team also looks at the estate of Ruth Sedgbeer who came from a family of Scottish sheep farmers that were part of a pioneering Victorian experiment aimed at turning Exmoor into farmland. Plus, could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

2011-03-11T11:00:00Z

5x15 Luckarift/Paine

5x15 Luckarift/Paine

  • 2011-03-11T11:00:00Z45m

The team looks into the estate of Edward Luckarift who died in North Wales and, during the 1960s, worked as a scriptwriter on the BBC programme That Was The Week That Was.

Diana Paine was the daughter of a car salesman and when the Second World War broke out she was one of the thousands of women who joined the war effort, becoming a driver for the Kent fire service. Plus, could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

2011-03-14T11:00:00Z

5x16 Walton/Sturm

5x16 Walton/Sturm

  • 2011-03-14T11:00:00Z45m

Avid cricket fan Cecil Walton died in Durham in 2010 leaving no will. It's now up to the heir hunters to find relatives who can inherit his estimated 100,000 pound estate.

The Heir Hunters also look at the case of Gustav Sturm a German who came to Britain as a prisoner of war and never left. Gustav's family knew little of how he had been forced to fight for the German army in some of the bloodiest battles of the second world war. Plus, details of three unsolved cases. Could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

2011-03-15T11:00:00Z

5x17 Drinkwater/Neaves

5x17 Drinkwater/Neaves

  • 2011-03-15T11:00:00Z45m

The case of Edward Drinkwater is a sad tale of two brothers who died within hours of each other. It's an unusual situation for the Heir Hunters but they get straight to the task of trying to find living relatives.

Winifried Neaves is another name that appears on the unclaimed estates list and the hunters make swift work of building up her family tree and finding heirs. But then, out of the blue, a will is found.

Plus, could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

2011-03-16T11:00:00Z

5x18 Simpson/Webbe

5x18 Simpson/Webbe

  • 2011-03-16T11:00:00Z45m

When the heir hunters look into the estate of Vera Simpson they discover her Grandfather was involved in the famous Jarrow march of 1936 in which disgruntled shipbuilders marched 300 miles to London to protest against unemployment.

Arthur Webbe passed away over 20 years ago and his estate has remained unclaimed ever since. Arthur was from a proud sea faring family. His grandfather had travelled to the Caribbean and his father was a master mariner who was tragically lost at sea during the first world war.

Plus, details of three unsolved cases. Could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

2011-03-17T11:00:00Z

5x19 Pope/Edwards

5x19 Pope/Edwards

  • 2011-03-17T11:00:00Z45m

Elsie Pope died in a nursing home near Shrewsbury leaving an estate worth 50,000 pounds. The search for her heirs is complex, not least because Elsie's father managed to register her birth twice in two different districts.

Rose Edwards was a working class girl from the East End of London and went on to become one of Lyons' famous Nippy waitresses working in their prestigious teahouse in Marble Arch. Faced with a large London family, the heir hunters uncover a surprising secret.

Plus, how you could be entitled to a share of unclaimed estates worth thousands or even millions of pounds.

2011-03-18T11:00:00Z

5x20 Whittles/Phelps

5x20 Whittles/Phelps

  • 2011-03-18T11:00:00Z45m

The heir hunters get the inside scoop on the 250,000 pound estate of Howard Whittles and they're soon confident they've got the case sewn up. But is their confidence mis-placed?

Leanora Phelps died in the Wirral where she had lived her whole life. She came from a family of dairy farmers and when the heir hunters go door knocking, one lady gets the surprise of her life.

Plus, details of three unsolved cases. Could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

2011-03-21T11:00:00Z

5x21 Bernstein/Foster

5x21 Bernstein/Foster

  • 2011-03-21T11:00:00Z45m

David Bernstein died alone in a derelict house Brighton, leaving an estate worth around 300,000 pounds. David was from a Jewish immigrant family, and with Bernstein an extremely common name, the team have their work cut out.

The heir hunters also investigate the estate of music fanatic Donald Foster, whose family worked at the famous Cadbury factory in Birmingham. Plus, details of three unsolved cases. Could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

2011-03-22T11:00:00Z

5x22 Humphrey/Comaskey

5x22 Humphrey/Comaskey

  • 2011-03-22T11:00:00Z45m

The search is on for heirs of Vera Humphrey, who was given up for adoption when she was a child. Will the heir hunters get the information they need to solve the case and find Vera's heirs?

The heir hunters also look into the case of Arthur Comaskey. He died alone in Essex, but came from a proud engineering family who had been involved in ship building and the birth of the motor car. Plus, details of three unsolved cases. Could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

2011-03-23T11:00:00Z

5x23 Hudson/Jackson

5x23 Hudson/Jackson

  • 2011-03-23T11:00:00Z45m

The heir hunters search for relatives of Red Cross nurse and hairdresser Ivy Hudson, who died at the ripe old age of 103. Also testing the Heir Hunters is the case of Norah Jackson, whose husband James died in a horrific factory accident. There are 55,000 pounds in compensation waiting to be claimed, but can the heir hunters find any relatives?

Plus, could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate? Details of three unsolved cases which could be worth thousands, or even millions, of pounds.

2011-03-24T11:00:00Z

5x24 Fawcett/Whelan

5x24 Fawcett/Whelan

  • 2011-03-24T11:00:00Z45m

Ronald Fawcett died in Stoke-on-Trent in 2010 without leaving a will, so the search for his heirs is on. The team throw all their resources at the case in the hope they can track down his heirs. Will they succeed?

Meanwhile, the search for heirs to the estate of artist and set designer Anthony Whelan's estate takes the heir hunters all the way to the island of Bute in Scotland.

Plus, details of three unsolved cases. Could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

Season Finale

2011-03-25T11:00:00Z

5x25 Smith/Gray

Season Finale

5x25 Smith/Gray

  • 2011-03-25T11:00:00Z45m

Widower Gordon Smith died in 2009, leaving behind an estate worth 150,000 pounds. He left a will but it was not properly completed, so now the heir hunters must find living relatives.

Michael Gray died alone in 2007 in his home in Kingston and was something of an enigma to his neighbours. But when the heir hunters begin investigating the estate, they learn his father's career with the air ministry had meant that Michael had spent much of his childhood in a remote port in the Yemen.

Plus, details of three unsolved cases. Could you be an heir to an unclaimed estate worth thousands or even millions of pounds?

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