Do the names Elfriede Carr, Doris Taylor, or John Matthews mean anything to you?

Could they be a name you remember from your childhood, a distant relative who the family has lost touch with?

If so, then you could be in line to inherit their estate, as just some of the names from Andover to feature on the Bona Vacantia list. The list covers the estates that are unclaimed by any relatives of the deceased, which are waiting to be inherited.

The Bona Vacantia list was set up in 1925, and since then, all estates worth over £500 which have gone uninherited, either through lack of a will or lack of known relatives, have been placed on it. It is a last resort for when no living relatives can be found, with estates unclaimed after 30 years becoming the property of the Crown, and passed to the Treasury.

The exact value of the estate isn’t revealed until an application is made by a relative, with unknown family members potentially in line for a significant windfall.

For more information on how to apply to inherit an unclaimed estate, visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/make-a-claim-to-a-deceased-persons-estate

John Anthony Matthews

Born: Andover

Date of Birth: 6/8/1961

Place of Death: Freemantle, Southampton

Date of Death: 5/8/2009

Placed on Bona Vacantia List: 17/1/2019

Marital Status: Unknown

Elfriede Carr

Born: Germany

Date of Birth: 3/5/1930

Place of Death: Andover

Date of Death: 6/1/2014

Placed on Bona Vacantia List: 29/3/2019

Marital Status: Widow

Doris Bryn Hilda Taylor

Alias: Doris Brynhilda Taylor

Born: Southampton

Date of Birth: 13/5/1921

Place of Death: Andover

Date of Death: 11/12/1993

Placed on Bona Vacantia List: Unknown

Marital Status: Unmarried

Additional Information: Doris's mother is Adelaide Jane Taylor (deceased 8/1/1973) and her maternal grandfather is James Donaldson Taylor.

Gerald Wilton

Born: Westminster

Date of Birth: 23/2/1942

Place of Death: Andover

Date of Death: 20/2/2008

Placed on Bona Vacantia List: Unknown

Marital Status: Unmarried

James John Tuckwell

Aliases: James Frederick Tuckwell; Jim Tuckwell

Born: Weymouth

Date of Birth: 14/10/1929

Place of Death: Andover

Date of Death: 17/10/2019

Placed on Bona Vacantia List: 21/11/2019

Marital Status: Unknown