Wills and probate

Letters of administration may have been granted if a person died intestate (without leaving a will).

A next-of-kin or creditor would apply to the probate court to appoint one or more administrators to wind up the estate of the deceased.

The court retained an administration bond, which contained the names of the administrators, the penal sum (payable if the administrators did not administer the estate properly) and any associated conditions.

You may occasionally find a reference to a will with administration annexed.

This means that a will was made, but the executors were unable to act for some reason, so the court granted letters of administration to someone else to enable the estate to be wound up.