Hoopers and Heir Hunters

Hoopers are playing a leading role in the new series of Heir Hunters, the popular BBC 1 documentaries about probate genealogists. Each week, starting Monday 29 June, you will see how our expert researchers solve unusual and difficult cases. They include:

Ernest Phythian’s apparently conventional life included marrying his childhood sweetheart. Our team’s search for heirs to his fortune reveals a dramatic tale of emigrants, maritime disaster – and a family on the brink of losing everything.
Our quest for the heirs to quiet octogenarian Cyril Curtis’s substantial fortune brings to light a shadowy family secret – plus some unexpected additions to the family circle.
We reveal that the Austrian aristocrat “Baron” von Eudeni, who left a £200,000 estate, was really a holiday camp entertainer and son of an east-London street entertainer.
Our researches through a century’s worth of legal documents enable a family of brewing heirs to claim a Victorian school site worth £800,000.
We discover how a brutal childhood turned north-London boy Johnny Hubbard into a homeless rough sleeper – who left a 5-figure fortune for his long-lost family.
In seeking the beneficiaries of a £100,000 estate, our researchers trace the Cairo-born son of Mary Loraine, a Brighton recluse whose earlier life involved wartime espionage on mainland Europe.

Hoopers Chairman Michael Tringham, says: “Some cases can take several years to resolve while we pursue clues across the world. It’s always immensely satisfying to complete our task, often reuniting families.”

Starting Friday 3 July you will be able to view each week’s episodes on the BBC iPlayer website.