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

Without even knowing it, hundreds of families across the UK could be missing out on an unclaimed estate which is in their name. As of March 2023, the Treasury still has an extensive list of Newcastle-based estates yet to be awarded to a forthcoming resident.

An unclaimed estate comes to be after a person passes away without an effective will but many are still intact due to a lack of family coming forward to claim them. The property of the deceased person is considered by the crown to be ‘ownerless’ until a legitimate relative steps forward.

While a lot of people believe that any unclaimed estate is automatically taken by the government, this isn’t true as property can still be claimed within a 12-year period from when the Crown possesses the estate. Any legitimate relative of the deceased can claim and see if 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 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

Cousins can claim an estate if there is no one above them in the order of relatives.

Surnames of the unclaimed properties in Newcastle

1. Bailes 
2. Bucking
3. Clark 
4. Craig
5. Davidson
6. Dumphey 
7. Freeman
8. Gibson 
9. Graham 
10. Gumula 
11. Horne 
12. Jackson 
13. Kelly 
14. King 
15. Lange 
16. Macdonald 
17. McGarry
18. McPherson
19. Miller 
20. Murray 
21. O’Carroll 
22. Rawlins 
23. Robinson

How to claim an unclaimed estate

People who believe they are entitled to a share of an unclaimed estate should contact The Treasury on the government website.