Dean Povey was initially skeptical when he received an unexpected phone call regarding a long-lost family member, suspecting it might be a scam. The call informed him of an inheritance from a cousin he had never met, Lilian May, despite living relatively close by.
Surprisingly, the call turned out to be genuine, shedding light on how little we sometimes know about our own family connections and emphasizing the importance of having a will. Dean, a 52-year-old resident of Lancaster, was among 45 relatives entitled to a portion of a £24,000 inheritance, resulting in each person receiving approximately £500.
Reflecting on the situation, Dean, who is married to Louise for 24 years and has a son, expressed his astonishment at the proximity between their residences and the lack of prior knowledge about each other. The revelation of this unexpected inheritance came shortly after Dean’s father’s passing due to cancer in 2024, during which his mother was initially contacted before passing on his information.
The inheritance, offered during a challenging period marked by the loss of his mother in January 2026 and his battle with a rare autoimmune disorder known as Hughes-Stovin Syndrome, provided a much-needed uplift for Dean. This condition, affecting only a small number of individuals in the UK, led to a severe health scare for Dean, where he lost a significant amount of blood.
In the UK, numerous estates are left intestate each year, prompting authorities and probate genealogists to track down surviving relatives. Simultaneously, a considerable number of individuals are estimated to pass away alone annually, with limited or no contact with family members.
Probate genealogist James Booth described the intricate research involved in identifying Dean and the other beneficiaries, tracing back Lilian’s complicated background, including her illegitimate birth and time spent in care. The exhaustive search efforts eventually connected the beneficiaries to the inheritance, underscoring the importance of thorough genealogical investigations in such cases.
