Full list of the unclaimed Lincolnshire estates that could be worth a fortune

People with ties to Lincolnshire could have claims to fortunes which are yet to be given out. When someone dies without making a will, everything they own, including money, property, businesses and cars, becomes becomes known as their ‘estate’.

This can range in value from a small amount to potentially millions. The Bona Vacantia division (BVD) of the Government Legal Department administers the estates of people who die without blood relatives and without leaving a will.

If someone dies without leaving a valid or effective will (intestate) the following are entitled to the estate in the order shown below:

1. Husband, wife or civil partner
2. Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on
3. Mother or father
4. Brothers or sisters who share both the same mother and father, or their children (nieces and nephews)
5. 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
6. Grandparents
7. Uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins or their descendants)
8. 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. If your relationship with the deceased is traced through someone who survived the deceased but has since died, you will need to confirm who is entitled to deal with that person’s estate.

BVD publishes a list of all estates which have yet to be claimed. If you believe you are entitled to claim an estate which has been dealt with by BVD, you must send a family tree which shows how you are related to the person who has died, and include the dates of birth, marriage and death of all those on the tree.

If it appears that you may be entitled to claim the estate, BVD will then ask you to supply documentary evidence that proves your entitlement. See below for lists of Lincolnshire-related estates yet to be claimed, as of December 17, 2024.