The Trade of Bristol in the later Seventeenth Century ALHA Book no 33
December 4, 2021
Shirehampton Sketches by Richard Coates
January 22, 2022
Bristol Administration Bonds 1661-1780
£3 – £7
When a person died without leaving a Will, his next-of-kin, a close friend, or a creditor (someone to whom the dead person owed money), might apply to the Probate Court for the legal right to administer the estate. In cases where Wills did exist, but probate could not proceed in the normal way, due to the prior death of the Executor for example, then Administration could be granted to a third party in this situation as well.
The process of Administration gave rise, in general, to three types of documentation, namely Letters of Administration, Administration Act Registers and Administration Bonds.
Bonds held at Bristol Archives are the subject of this publication which includes all the essential information extracted from a total of 7,359 Bonds covering the period 1661 to 1780.
By identifying the relationship between the deceased and those nominated to administer their estate, Administration Bonds can provide a valuable resource for the family historian.
The contents are divided into bookmarked Transcripts and a Surname Index. A comprehensive set of notes, including an introduction to the subject of Administration, is also included. The following information is provided:
- Administration Bond Identifier or Reference:
Year
Fiche
Frame
Number
Date - Details of the deceased:
Surname
Forename
Occupation
Abode - Details of up to 5 nominees (those nominated to administer the estate):
Role
Relationship
Forename
Surname
Occupation
Abode - Additional Information – any other information that does not fit well in any of the columns thus far defined. For example, extra detailed information in the case of very complex Bonds or, in the case of deceased Mariners, the name of the ship on which the deceased last served is usually included.
Information is presented in tabular form and contains over 40 columns. It will be necessary to use the horizontal scrolling and zoom controls within your PDF reader to view this publication.
