List of 45 unclaimed estates in Newcastle that you could inherit if you have these surnames - how to claim

If you have one of these surnames you could be entitled to money as the Treasury has released its list of unclaimed estates in Newcastle. An unclaimed estate is when someone dies without leaving a will, or when an old will is in place and the beneficiaries have died.

When this happens, the property of the person who has died will be deemed as ‘ownerless property’ and be in possession of the Crown. From when the Crown possesses the state, a 12-year window opens where family members can come forward if they believe they are entitled to a share of the deceased relative’s 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?

There is an order of priority when people are entitled to unclaimed estate. This is:

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

The government website claims: “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.”

Read Newcastle's news on the go with our free email newsletters - bringing the headlines to your inbox. Catch up on the day's news and sport and enjoy even more from the NewcastleWorld team. Visit our website here to find out more and sign up.

Surnames of the unclaimed estates in Newcastle

1: Cairnes

2: Carr

3: Clark

4: Coltart

5: Craig

6: Davidson

7: Dumphey

8: Fallon

9: Fraser

10: Freeman

11: Gibson

12: Graham

13: Gray

14: Gumula

15: Henderson

16: Hinton

17: Horne

18: Jackson

19: Kelly

20: King

21: Lackland

22: Lange

23: MacDonald

24: Marshall

25: McCorry

26: McDonnell

27: McGarry

28: McPherson

29: Miller

30: Murray

31: O'Carroll

32: Robinson

33: Scott

34: Simpson

35: Sparrow

36: Stephens

37: Stephenson

38: Stewart

39: Stobbs

40: Swan

41: Terry

42: Wade

43: Walton

44: Ward

45: Waugh

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.