Worldwide search sees girl, 15, inherit estate of British dad
AN INDONESIAN teenager is set to inherit £400,000 from her estranged father – after a global hunt to find his mystery heir.
The 15-year-old daughter will receive the proceeds from a treasure trove found in a threebed semi-detached house, including the deeds to a 60ft boat and rare Chinese artefacts.
The home belonged to Alexander Thomson, a former BBC World Service editor, who died in September aged 71.
Unmarried and with no known next of kin or will, heir hunters searched for any children he may have had.
Danny Curran, managing director of Finders International, said: “Only one of Alexander’s two sisters had children and at first glance the sizeable estate was destined to be inherited by his only niece and nephew.
“Deeper and more forensic research by our team eventually revealed the young daughter in
Asia.” The detectives discovered that Mr Thomson, who was born in Singapore, once had a religious marriage ceremony in Indonesia.
While it was not a legal marriage, the union resulted in a daughter born in 2006.
Now, following a search across the globe, Mr Thomson’s £400,000 estate is set to be inherited by this mystery teenager, who was found to be still living in Indonesia. Among the treasures found at the house, thought to be in Ramsgate, Kent, were valuable pieces of art with an Asian influence.
They included a rare Chinese vase, found covered in dust and hidden from view, and a Straits China wedding footstool.
Dawsons Auctioneers and Valuers said the vase had a sixcharacter mark on it related to the late 19th-century Guangxu Emperor, making it valuable. It sold for £20,000 at auction. The firm’s Asian art expert, Richard Harrison, had been enlisted by the heir hunters to help with the treasures.
Mr Curran added: “One part of our job is to find relatives entitled to inherit an estate when the deceased has died intestate, with no will and with no known next of kin.
“We are thrilled that we traced Alexander’s daughter, who will rightly inherit his estate.
“We are sure that this is what Alexander would have wanted.”