Administrations 10 years or more after death

[Tootles]

My GG Grandmother, Emma Victoria Lee RICKARDS died 1 Jan 1881 in Middlesex. The UK National Probate calendar in Ancestry lists the Administration of her estate on 8 July 1891, nearly 10 years later. Coincidentally the administration of her sister, Jane Eliza RICKARDS’ estate was also granted on the same day, however she died 8 Feb 1851, forty years earlier. Other coincidences are that the value of both sister’s estates are exactly the same (£26 0s 8d) and both were granted to their sister, Mary Adelaide RICKARDS. All three were spinsters although the birth certificates of my G Grandmother and her sister indicate her mother Emma was married and living under the name BROOKES when they were born however I have not found a marriage certificate.

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for the coincidences and why there is such a long time between death and administration of the estates?

Does anyone know what is contained in the administration docucments or is it just a letter granting the administration to someone?


Marion

[Kerrywood]

Possible scenario ...

When Jane Eliza died in 1851 no-one applied to administer her estate. It was only when Emma Victoria Lee died in 1881 that this was realised, and the surviving sister Mary Adelaide was then granted administration of both estates.

40 years on it may have been unclear which assets had originally belonged to Jane Eliza, so the court split the total value of the two estates equally between two grants.


is it just a letter granting the administration
Normally, yes. It's a statement on a single piece of paper which in this case is unlikely to provide anything additional to what is in the probate calendar.

For a more substantial estate you might expect a notice to potential claimants to be published in the London Gazette or local newspaper.

[Peter Goodey]

There must have been some assets held in the dead sisters' names that Mary Adelaide couldn't get hold of without probate.

If it was cash or something easily sold like jewellery, there would be no need to bother about probate.

Perhaps some bonds matured in 1891?