According to an online database, there are 112 estates in Somerset that are currently sitting unclaimed with the Government.
And if you’ve got the right surname, you can make a claim to one of them.
Members of the public are mostly unaware that the details of thousands of unclaimed estates are recorded and kept online, and there are 102 surnames listed in Somerset locations.
All the information is kept on a spreadsheet that can be accessed by anyone.
If a person passes away without first making a will or with no named next of kin, the Government is responsible for taking care of that person’s estate.
The database shows that there are currently 112 unclaimed estates in Somerset that bear 102 different surnames – one of which could be your family name.
Some of the estates have been listed by the Government for decades, and will revert to the Crown permanently if they remain unidentified.
According to Finders International – a specialist probate genealogist team – family members and heirs have just 12 years to claim the estate once it has been declared unclaimed to the Crown.
Any member of the public can check the Central Probate Registry online at any time to see if any next of kin are on the unclaimed list.
Surnames listed for unclaimed fortunes in Somerset
Andrews
Badcock
Baker
Baron
Bennett
Bergin
Berry
Best-Starr
Birar
Bishop
Boyd
Bracey
Brito
Buys
Cameron
Cann
Chapman
Clark
Clements
Coles
Collins
Coode
Cooksley
Corono
Coulston
Driver
Ellis
Emms
Evans
Fear
Field
Fortune
Gaez
Gibbons
Gibbs
Groom
Hagan
Hamblin
Harvey
Hatton
Heacock
Heath
Hereszczuk
Hobbs
Howick
Huddleston
Jefferey
King
Lee
Leece
Liesis
Makin
Marsh
McDonagh
McDonald
McRobie
Mear
Millar
Millen
Miller
Morgan
Morris
Nash
Nazaryn
Neill
Newman
Oliver
Paget
Partington
Perry
Phelps
Poltorzycka
Pring
Randolph
Richards
Samuda
Samway
Sellick
Shears
Slaney
Smith
Squires
Stirrups
Stone
Tucker
Turner
Van
Wirdum
Vejs
Venn
von Muller
Waddon
Walsh
Walters
Ward
Webber
White
Whitley
Whittaker
Wilby
Woodland
Young
This article has been first published in somersetlive.co.uk