A woman who traced her family tree to a 17th‑century sailor has launched a bid to claim a share of an estate she says was founded with pirate riches now worth about £60 million.
Viki López‑Love, 52, of Pontypool, Gwent, said she discovered a direct line of descent to John Stockwell — also known historically as Long John or Black‑Jack Stockwell — after researching her ancestry. Stockwell is recorded as a crewmember of the privateer Captain William Kidd and is believed to have invested seafaring profits in land in and around south London during the late 1600s.
According to López‑Love and family records she provided to reporters, Stockwell used his wealth to acquire parcels of land now referred to in some records as the Stockwell‑Angell estate, an area historians and local documents show stretched from south of the Thames toward Croydon. Contemporary estimates cited by López‑Love and her supporters place the modern value of property associated with that estate at roughly £60–64 million.
Stockwell is believed to have returned to sea after his land purchases and to have disappeared from records. William Kidd, the better‑known figure with whom Stockwell sailed, was initially licensed by English authorities as a privateer to suppress piracy but was later denounced as a pirate himself after a change in political and legal circumstances. Kidd’s case and the movement of seafaring crews in the late 17th century have left some ownership and inheritance threads difficult to trace.
López‑Love said she first learned of the connection when a sister called her attention to family research. She said she contacted the British television programme Heir Hunters and is seeking further genealogical and legal help to pursue any potential claim. She told reporters she had not yet received a response from the programme.
Other people identifying themselves as descendants of Stockwell have attempted to assert interests in the estate or its proceeds in the past, López‑Love said, and she is seeking anyone who can corroborate family links or help investigate historical records. She said she hoped that modern genealogical tools and public records might clarify whether a lawful claim can be pursued.
Legal experts and historians caution that claims tied to centuries‑old estates can involve complex questions of title, succession and statute of limitations, and often require detailed archival research and legal proceedings. The Daily Mail report that first covered López‑Love’s account cites the estimated modern value of the Stockwell‑Angell holdings but does not provide independent valuation documentation.
López‑Love said the discovery has prompted personal curiosity as well as the prospect of pursuing a formal interest. She lives in Pontypool with her wife, Suze, and said she was prepared to work with researchers or legal advisers who could verify the lineage and advise on next steps.
Records from the late 17th century remain a primary source for understanding how Stockwell acquired and disposed of property, and any claim derived from such records would likely require examination by professional genealogists and property law specialists. López‑Love said she is continuing to assemble documentation and to reach out to others with possible connections to the Stockwell family line.