Families could claim unknown inheritance from those without will or blood relatives

WEST Wales families could make a claim for previously unknown inheritance with details of those who have left assets but no will or identified blood relatives revealed on a government website.

An extensive list of all UK unclaimed assets is available via the ‘Bona Vacantia’ department of the UK Government where ‘vacant goods and ownerless property’ is dealt with and passed to the Crown when someone dies with no known next of kin.

In Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion there are dozens of names listed, dating back to 1992 with the deadline to make any claim 30 years, after which the estate is removed from the list.

Many of those listed are older such as Margaret Olwen Deibert who died in Pembroke Dock in 2007, aged 69, while others are younger including Joshua Aaron King who died in 2020, aged 32.

Some died outside the area but their links to west Wales are known, such as Mair Whiting, who died in Newport, Gwent in 2010 but was originally from Aberystwyth and Charles Henry Brian Hawker from Tenby, who died in Swansea in 2016 aged 76.

Many of the UK listings saw people move from far-flung countries but in west Wales most came from the area, although Kensington and Alderley Edge are two areas residents were born.

Some listings have scant details but there is more available in some cases such as maiden names, the names of parents or if there are siblings and other names the deceased went by or in some cases their jobs.

The list is published by the Treasury Solicitor acting for the Crown to administer the estates in an attempt to trace relatives.

The information about deceased people is passed on by a number of organisations including banks, hospitals, local councils and the Post Office.

If someone dies without leaving a will, a spouse or civil partner is entitled to the estate first. The next priority are children, grandchildren, parents, then siblings who share both parents.

You can view the list and make a claim at www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unclaimed-estates-list.