List of 55 unclaimed estates in Bristol that you could inherit if you have these surnames - how to claim

If you have one of these surnames, you could be about to find yourself in the money after the Treasury released its list of unclaimed estates in Bristol. An unclaimed estate happens when someone has passed away without having an effective will in place, with no family coming forward to make a claim.

It means the deceased’s property will become ‘ownerless property’ and will be in possession of the Crown. But within a 12-year period from when the Crown possesses the estate, family members can come forward if they believe they are entitled to a share of the property.

For unclaimed estates before 1997, the Treasury will allow claims up to 30 years from the date of the person’s death, subject to no interest being paid on the money that is held - if the claim is received after the 12-year period has ended.

Who is entitled to an unclaimed estate?

If someone dies without leaving a valid or effective will the following relatives are entitled to the estate in the following order of priority:

• Husband, wife or civil partner

• Children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on

• Mother or father

• Brothers or sisters who share both the same mother and father, or their children (nieces and nephews)

• Half brothers or sisters or their children (nieces and nephews of the half blood or their children). ‘Half ’ means they share only one parent with the deceased

• Grandparents

• Uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins or their descendants)

• Half uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins of the half blood or their children). ‘Half’ means they only share one grandparent with the deceased, not both

If you are, for example, a first cousin of the deceased, you would only be entitled to share in the estate if there are no relatives above you in the order of entitlement, for example, a niece or nephew.

Surnames of the unclaimed properties in Bristol

1. Alders
2. Banks 
3. Bauknecht 
4. Bidjikian
5. Black 
6. Bridges
7. Clark
8. Cleghorn
9. Clements 
10. Coles
11. Collins
12. Courtice
13. Davies 
14. Davis 
15. Delahunty
16. Edwards
17. Gardner
18. Grahame
19. Green
20. Greenman
21. Gwozdzik
22. Hall
23. Hudson
24. Hunt
25. James
26. Johnston
27. Jones
28. Kowalski
29. Luce
30. Madden
31. Marsh
32. Martin
33. Mason
34. Morgan
35. Neal 
36. O’Donnell
37. Panes
38. Parkhouse
39. Peterson
40. Rudge
41. Ryan
42. Samuda
43. Saunders
44. Savage 
45. Silverthorn
46. Sullivan
47. Szpak
48. Taylor
49. Thomas
50. Walker
51. Walters 
52. Watkins
53. Weaver
54. Whitcher
55. Whitcombe

How to claim an unclaimed estate

Anyone who believes they might be entitled to a share of an unclaimed estate should contact The Treasury on the government website.