By Margaret Crosby

Published at 16:03, Wednesday, 16 July 2008

THE West Cumbrian descendants of Whitehaven-born Joseph Hilliard, who died in the North East last year, have benefited from his £100,000 estate.

Detective work carried out by a firm of heir hunters, whose work is featured on the BBC programme of the same name, traced the family of Mr Hilliard, 76, who had lived on Wearside, to Distington and Great Clifton. His estate was left unclaimed when he died without leaving a will but his family, with whom he had lost touch, have received their inheritance thanks to genealogists and international probate researchers at Fraser and Fraser.

Speaking from the firm’s London headquarters, partner Neil Fraser said: “The Hilliard estate was a relatively easy case to work. We made a mistake at the beginning because we assumed that he would have been born in the North East, but he was actually born on the other side of the country, in Whitehaven.

“We were able to find his children in the Whitehaven area, and in total there were eight beneficiaries, which included children and grandchildren.’’

Researchers at the firm also discovered that Mr Hilliard was a former miner and had died from lung disease.

As a result, the family may also be entitled to compensation.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk