Treasury Solicitor and HM Procurator General: Bona Vacantia, Administration of Estates...

TS 17

1698-1981

Selected case papers and letters of administration (to 1857), relating to estates, etc, administered by the Treasury Solicitor and HM Procurator General after the property has became bona vacantia owing to the owner's dying intestate, or testate without disposing of the residue of his estate, or without being survived by a lawful heir. Papers relating to the property in this country of dissolved companies and trusts which have failed or have been determined, are also included.

Some of the case papers deal with policy questions affecting bona vacantia, rather than individual cases. Some files concerning letters of administration contain only the jury summons.

Most of the papers concern twentieth century cases, but there are a few for the nineteenth century.

The case papers are arranged roughly in order of their former departmental references. The letters of administration were originally with case files for the years 1808 to 1857, but they were subsequently removed and arranged in chronological order.

For Preogative Court of Canterbury administration act books between 1559 and 1858 see PROB 6

For further probate material see TS 15

See records of the Companies Registration Office

A record of grants of letters of administration after 1857 is maintained by the Principal Registry of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice and may be inspected at Somerset House.

For bound volumes of depositions of witnesses in causes heard by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury for the period 1826-1858 see PROB 26

Public Record(s)

English

1474 files and papers

Subject to 30 year closure

The case papers were selected for preservation because of their precedent value or intrinsic interest.