Lorraine Gesell
Photo by Finders International / SWNS

Woman Stunned to Inherit £400,000 Fortune from Stranger Who Died Alone

A woman who was initially wary due to fears of “so many scams” has successfully inherited a fortune from an unexpected source. The unexpected windfall emerged after Raymond Barry Howson, aged 85, passed away without any next of kin or a will. His estate was valued at over £400,000.

Raymond, a native of Altrincham, never married or had children. He spent much of his career as a flight attendant and lived in a modest two-bedroom flat in Twickenham. After his death in September 2021, Finders International, a probate genealogist firm, undertook the task of identifying potential heirs to Raymond’s substantial assets, reported by Cheshire Live.

Their diligent search led them to Lorraine Gesell, a 60-year-old resident of Canada, who is now recognized as Raymond’s heir. Lorraine’s mother had migrated from Ellesmere Port in Cheshire to Canada in 1951 and was discovered to be Raymond’s first cousin. This connection made Lorraine directly eligible for the inheritance, according to the Mirror.

“In this day and age there are so many scams going around that I was very wary when Finders International first contacted me,” Lorraine said. “My son, in particular, was very suspicious. I mean it does sound incredible ‘someone you never knew has died and you’re entitled to an inheritance’. It sounds like a fairy-tale.”

She continued, “However, the researchers at Finders were very good. They provided me with details about my extended family and of course there was never a request for money, so it did make sense to me. My mother, who died in 1999, was a first cousin of Raymond. I didn’t know Raymond, I never heard of him.”

Lorraine added, “It’s quite remarkable how Finders International tracked me down to Mission, British Columbia. Other than visiting the UK and studying in London for a time, Canada is where I’ve lived my entire life. I’m hoping to spend the inheritance on a holiday; however, I think it will all go on home improvements! But I am very grateful to Finders International for finding me.”

Raymond was the only child of Harry Howson, an accountant, and Lena Iris Moores. Lena’s brother was Lorraine’s grandfather. In total, Finders International identified 47 beneficiaries across New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and the UK, each receiving a portion of the estate.

Simonne Llewellyn, CEO of Finders International, stated: “While this might be unexpected, it’s not totally uncommon, particularly with large extended families and where people emigrated from the UK a long time ago. While we don’t know what Raymond’s wishes were, had we not found these beneficiaries the money would have eventually gone to the treasury.”

She added, “When somebody dies intestate, their estate becomes a ‘vacant good’. Bona Vacantia is the name given to these ownerless estates that are then passed to the Crown. Family members and heirs have 12 years to claim an estate once it has been reported unclaimed to the Crown.”

The Bona Vacantia list, maintained by the government, is updated daily and is available for free access. According to Finders International’s research, there are over 6,000 unclaimed estates in England and Wales.

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