When the Office of Administrator-General was established in 1873, the duly authorized officer was bound to administer on the estates of which the personalty amounts to £50 and upwards of persons who die intestate without leaving a widower, widow, brother or such relatives who will not take out Letters of Administration within three months of the death of the deceased.

The Administrator-General was made subject to the control of the Supreme Court of Judicature and, being an officer of that Court, was accountable to it for the due and efficient discharge of his duties.

In those early days, the Administrator-General received a salary of £300 per annum and 6% on his disbursements. He defrayed all the expenses of his office including the salaries of his clerks out of his emoluments.

The first Administrator-General, Charles Hamilton Jackson, who served from 1873-1878, received his first Grant of Letters of Administration from the Supreme Court of Judicature on the 24th of February 1875 in the Estate of Douglas Pitt. His second grant came over one year later, on the 18th of May 1876 in the Estate of Julia Florence Bell.

Administrator-Generals Throughout the Years

• Charles Hamilton Jackson 1873 - 1878
  
• Edward Bancroft Lynch 1878 - 1880
  
• William Lee 1880 - 1893
  
• Phillip Chapman 1893 - 1899
  
• John Mapletoft Nethersole 1899 - 1935
  
• Alan O. Ritchie 1935 - 1942
  
• R.C. Marley 1942 - 1948
  
• Herbert F. Barry 1948 - 1955
  
• Eric Charles Tomlinson 1956 -
  
• Louis Lloyd Mendez 1960s
  
• Errol A. Hall 1970s
  
• Noel Irving 1970s
  
• Allan A. Grant 1982 - 1985
  
• Omar Gower Bradley 1985 - 1989
  
• Verna Bennett 1989 - 1992
  
• Andrew Robin Gyles 1992 - 1996
  
• Lona Millicent Brown 1996 - present
  

The Administrator-General over time has held four other posts, in keeping with the demands of the society, namely, Trustee in Bankruptcy (1936-1937), Stamp Commissioner (1893-1899), Custodian of Enemy Property and Protector of Immigrants (1879-1970s).

Staff History

The Administrator-General started out with a small staff, which grew in 1919 to 5 including the Administrator-General. This number increased in 1930 to 15 workers. The steady increase in personnel continued in 1935 with 23 persons being on the payroll including the Administrator-General. In 1946 the Department’s staff complement grew to 42 members of staff and to 56 in 1950. The Department currently has 79 posts.

Some of our longest serving members of staff (who are still with us) are: