The late Rev.John Haygarth is supposed to have been the son of Matthew Haygarth, late of the parish of St.Judith, Ullerton, and Rebecca his wife, formerly Rebecca Caulfield, spinster, late of the same parish; both long since deceased." Upon the strength of this advertisement George Sheldon began his search.

His theory was that there always existed an heir-at-law somewhere, if people would only have the patience to hunt him or her out; and he attributed his past failures rather to a want of endurance on his own part than to the breaking down of his pet theory.
On this occasion he began his work with more than usual determination.
"This is the biggest chance I've ever had," he said to himself, "and I should be something worse than a fool if I let it slip through my fingers." The work was very dry and dreary, involving interminable hunting of registers, and questioning of oldest inhabitants.

And the oldest inhabitants were so stupid, and the records of the registers so bewildering.

One after another Mr.Sheldon set himself to examine the lines of the intestate's kindred and ancestors; his father's only sister, his grandfather's brothers and sisters, and even to the brothers and sisters of his great-grandfather.

At that point the Haygarth family melted away into the impenetrable darkness of the past.
They were no high and haughty race of soldiers and scholars, churchmen and lawyers, or the tracing of them would have been a much easier matter.