Long list of unclaimed estates with links to Derby and Derbyshire that could be worth thousands

Every week people in the UK die without having made a proper will, or if their will was invalid. In many cases relatives can be tracked down and the deceased person’s estate can be distributed, but sometimes that isn’t possible.

As a result, those people end up on a huge government list of unclaimed estates. Some are targeted by “heir hunters” who try and track down relatives in return for a share of the proceeds, but many remain on the list for years without being resolved.

That list, administered by the Bona Vacantia division, is frequently updated, with names added and removed as required. It was most recently updated on May 23 and currently contains the names of 69 people who were either born or died in Derbyshire.

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If you believe you might be related to someone on the list you have to contact the Bona Vacantia division with the name of the deceased person, their date of death, your relationship to that person and critically, any evidence that proves your relationship. That might be a birth certificate or a marriage certificate.

The Bona Vacantia Division will then investigate your claim and will let you know if you are successful. If you are successful in claiming an unclaimed estate, you will be entitled to a share of the deceased person’s assets. The amount of the share will depend on the size of the estate and the number of other heirs.

There is a time limit for claiming an unclaimed estate. In England and Wales, the time limit is 12 years from the date of death. If you do not claim the estate within the time limit, the estate will be forfeited to the Crown. The government says fully documented claims up to 30 years from the date of death, subject to no interest being paid on the money held, will be admitted if the claim is received after the 12-year period above has run out.

Philip Horseman, a bachelor, died on January 11, 2023, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He was born on January 4, 1966, in Hartlepool.
Julius Taiwo Akinyeye, a bachelor, died on July 19, 1995, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on December 18, 1942, in Ondo, Nigeria.
William Henry Attwood, a widower, died on March 25, 1996, in Derby, East Midlands. He was born on January 4, 1966, in Hartlepool.
Zelma Berzins, a widow, died on June 3, 2007, in Derby, Derbyshire. She was born on April 16, 1908, in Latvia.
William Boyle, a single man, died on September 16, 2008, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on April 7, 1926, in Derbyshire.
Thomas Brough, a bachelor, died on September 27, 2022, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on December 27, 1949, in Derby.
Arthur Brown, a bachelor, died on October 18, 1993, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on March 12, 1897, in Wakefield, Yorkshire.
Graham Caddick, a bachelor, died on February 14, 2012, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on March 20, 1952, in Derby, Derbyshire.
William Chappell, a bachelor, died on February 19, 2005, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on December 6, 1918, in Wales.
Kazimierz Cholodowski, a bachelor, died on September 4, 1998, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on August 28, 1925, in Austria.
Margaret Frances Clegg, a widow, died on June 2, 1994, in Derby. She was born on June 15, 1908, in England.
Charlotte Connolly, a widow, died on September 29, 2000, in Derby, Derbyshire. She was born on November 10, 1912, in Republic of Ireland.
Margaret Mary Davies, a single woman, died on June 15, 2014, in Glossop, Derbyshire. She was born on August 4, 1925, in Glossop, Derbyshire.
Joseph Day, a bachelor, died on May 2, 2005, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Thomas Henry Dodds, a widower, died on March 10, 2010, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Anne Ellis, a widow, died on June 16, 2003, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. She was born on January 22, 1938, in Sheffield.
Feliks Frajmut, a widower, died on December 27, 2006, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He was born on March 29, 1924, in Josefoet, Poland.
John Fraser, a bachelor, died on January 31, 1994, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Ann Gaunt, a widow, died on September 27, 2012, in Derby, Derbyshire. She was married to Peter Cheyenne Paul Hames, who was born on August 26, 1954, in Ironville, Derbyshire.
Peto Gerzson, a bachelor, died on January 25, 2015, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Walerian Goluwko, a bachelor, died on January 24, 1999, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Dorothy Goodwin, a widow, died on March 28, 2020, in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. She was married to Edwin Thomas Goodwin, who was born on April 6, 1927.
Graham John Hallam, a bachelor, died on August 11, 2008, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Norleen Gwendoline Alice Hilson, a spinster, died on July 16, 2008, in Derby, Derbyshire.
John David Holt, a single man, died on June 3, 1998, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on May 21, 1923.
Frederick Hudson, a widower, died on December 17, 1996, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on May 5, 1912.
Valda Inta Hudson, a widow, died on August 2, 1996, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. She was born on April 27, 1937, in Latvia.
Charles Donald Kennard, a bachelor, died on July 21, 1996, in Derby, Derbyshire.
John Francis Maguire, a bachelor, died on December 28, 2018, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on June 13, 1936.
Phyllis Hilary Elizabeth Mayne, a spinster, died on March 16, 1999, in New Mills, Derbyshire. She was born on March 10, 1922.
John Joseph McGeady, a bachelor, died on June 13, 2005, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on July 8, 1930.
Emily McGee, a spinster, died on February 2, 1999, in Derby, Derbyshire. She was born on March 29, 1919.
Michael McGowan, a bachelor, died on January 24, 2000, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on October 12, 1920.
Michael McPhail, a bachelor, died on October 10, 1994, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on May 1, 1942.
Nicholas Patrick O’Farrell, a bachelor, died on July 5, 2020, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He was born on May 13, 1939.
Pamela Potter-O’Shea, a spinster, died on July 17, 2022, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. She was born on April 25, 1941.
Arthur Frederick Rennie, a bachelor, died on July 25, 1995, in Swanick, Derbyshire.
Robert Robertson, a bachelor, died on September 15, 1996, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Victoria Barbara Rouse, a spinster, died on November 19, 2022, in Derby, Derbyshire. She was born on December 1, 1939.
Gordon Simpson, a bachelor, died on January 19, 2006, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
V Slizys, a bachelor, died on September 15, 2003, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Jason Edward Smith, a bachelor, died on May 31, 2020, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on January 1, 1984.
Leon Stasiolek, a bachelor, died on July 7, 1993, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on November 27, 1919.
Kazimierz Struzik, a bachelor, died on December 25, 2009, in Alfreton, Derbyshire.
Zigmunt Tarasiewicz, a widower, died on February 18, 2003, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He was born on March 23, 1926.
David Joseph Taylor, a bachelor, died on December 20, 2019, in Derby, Derbyshire. He was born on January 24, 1958.
Timothy Paul Taylor, a bachelor, died on October 15, 1994, in Findern, Derbyshire.
Stojan Trajkovic, a bachelor, died on March 11, 2003, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Stefan Vince, a bachelor, died on March 13, 1994, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Genowefa Was, a widow, died on May 14, 1998, in Derby, Derbyshire. She was born on December 24, 1920.
Alfred Daniel Wells, a bachelor, died on July 22, 2016, in Derby, Derbyshire
Herbert Drury, a bachelor, died on December 27, 1994, in Birmingham, West Midlands. He was born on April 30, 1922, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Margaret Elliot, a spinster, died on June 23, 2009, in Macclesfield, Cheshire. She was born on September 13, 1941, in Derbyshire.
Victoria Godfrey, a spinster, died on February 29, 2020, in Arundel, West Sussex. She was born on November 25, 1956, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Joan Margaret Halsall, a spinster, died on January 25, 1994, in Birmingham, West Midlands. She was born on February 17, 1932, in Derby.
Ian James, a bachelor, died on September 20, 1999, in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. He was born on March 2, 1944, in Borrowash, Derby.
Keith Edmund Knowles, a bachelor, died on May 30, 2015, in Salisbury, Wiltshire. He was born on September 28, 1937, in Derby.
Juozaus Lapeikis, a bachelor, died on October 29, 2005, in Guildford, Surrey. He was born on February 2, 1924, in Derbyshire.
Elizabeth Lowe, a spinster, died on September 29, 2009, in West Bromwich, West Midlands. She was born on June 22, 1925, in Derby.
Valerie Maureen Winifred Morgan, a widow, died on February 17, 2020, in Bristol. She was married to Norman Morgan, who was born on July 13, 1930, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Monica Jane Price, a spinster, died on March 10, 2016, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. She was born on October 24, 1943, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Evelyn Mary Spray, a spinster, died on July 30, 1998, in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire. She was born on December 25, 1909, in Derbyshire.
Eileen Taylor, a spinster, died on June 5, 2013, in Holloway, London N7. She was born on August 13, 1929, in Derby, Derbyshire.
Yvonne Joan Tivey, a widow, died on April 27, 2021, in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. She was married to Reginald Tivey, who was born on July 14, 1936, in Derbyshire.