Recluse, 80, who died alone in run-down London flat and found a week later leaves £400k fortune

Six cousins have inherited a small fortune after a “mystery” long-lost relative in East London died, leaving behind a £400,000 windfall.

Jacqueline Davidson died alone in her Ilford home in 2019 and was found a week later when it was discovered she had been living in “appalling” conditions in the dilapidated flat.

The pensioner died without any known relatives to arrange her funeral or to search for her last Will and testament, reports the Telegraph.

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Jacqueline Davidson died without any known relatives to arrange her funeral or search for her last Will and testament

Ms Davidson was born in 1939 and spent most of her life in Ilford, working as an estate agent, before she retired.

Following her death, authorities investigated and found she had £200,000 in an untouched bank account, putting the total value of her estate at around £400,000 including the value of her flat.

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The team investigating Ms Davidson’s estate were incredibly saddened to see the squalor she had been living in

Despite her wealth, authorities found Ms Davidson had been living in squalor in the flat, which was dilapidated and in a “terrible state.”

Redbridge Council asked Finders International, which specialise in tracing heirs to estates, property and assets, to help trace any living relatives who would be entitled to her estate.

Founder and CEO of Finders International Danny Curran described how his firm thoroughly searched Ms Davidson’s flat to find key documents, and, “to get a feel for the person who has died and how they lived.”

He said: “On this occasion, it was quite shocking and incredibly sad to see how she lived.”

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Jacqueline Davidson was found a week after her death, in her flat in Ilford

Mr Curran said Ms Davidson’s neighbours barely knew anything about her, describing her as a “loner” who “kept herself to herself”.

After a thorough investigation, his team were able to locate six of Ms Davidson’s cousins, who will each inherit an equal share of her money.

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One of the cousins who will inherit a share of Ms Davidson’s wealth was left shocked and saddened to see the state she had been living in

Ms Davidson was an only child but her father was one of four boys and her mother had three sisters and one brother.

She is survived by two cousins on her maternal side and four on her paternal side, who will now inherit their fair share of her estate.

One of the beneficiaries, Ashley Davidson, 76, told the Daily Telegraph he had not seen his cousin for more than 50 years and found the surprise windfall both “shocking” and “sad.”

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Jacqueline’s mother, Gertie, who lost touch with her late husband’s family after she remarried following his death

Mr Davidson’s father was the brother of Jacqueline’s father, who died at the age of 38, and the two families lost touch after Jacqueline’s mother remarried.

Visiting his long-lost cousin’s flat after her death, Mr Davidson said he was saddened by the terrible state it was in.

He and his family then took over Ms Davidson’s funeral arrangements, and she was buried at a nearby cemetery.

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Mr Curran said: “When people die without leaving a Will or who appear to have no known next of kin, the Crown can inherit the estate, although this will not happen for many years.

“We work on cases like Jacqueline Davidson’s to trace the heirs and ensure that people inherit what is rightfully theirs, and we were delighted to find Jacqueline’s relatives.”

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