VPRS 1921 Deed Books; Register of Deceased Estates Administration

The Public Trustee Act 1939 devolved the functions of the Curator of the Estates of Deceased Persons (VA 7218) and the functions under the Lunacy Act of the Master in Equity and Lunacy (VA 2624) to the Office of the Public Trustee. The Public Trustee was able to be designated as the executor of a will or seek Letters of Administration for an intestate estate as well as being Administrator of Last Resort. The Curator of Deceased estates had performed these functions from 1860.Most of the volumes in this series contain the records of the Curator of Deceased Estates relating to the disposition of property and negotiable instruments which were part of deceased estates which the Curator was responsible for administering. For each deceased estate the name of the person and their former replace of residence is given. Details are then given of the date of the Instrument, the nature of the instrument (Crown Grant, conveyance, mortgage, licence, lease or insurance policy), details of its acquisition and in the case of instruments relating to land, the allotment, section and parish of its location and its acreage. The name of the person to whom it was sold is given with details of the disposal of the related deeds.The second series in the final volume of this series in custody contains a summary of deceased estates administered by the Public Trustee. Details given are the date of its receipt, the nature of the administration (probate or letters of administration), the name of the deceased person or principal (usually giving also the place and date of death), the name and address of the agent, executor or administrator, the date of the document (of the grant by the Court) as well as some further details.