Small Testate Estates (Scotland) Act 1876

JurisdictionUK Non-devolved
Citation1876 c. 24
Year1876


Small Testate Estates (Scotland) Act, 1876.

(39 & 40 Vict.) 24.

An Act for the Relief of the Executors of Testates in Scotland where the Personal Estate is of small Value.

[13th July 1876]

W HEREAS many poor persons die testate in Scotland possessed of personal estate of small amount, and it is desirable to increase the facilities for expeding confirmation to such estate and effects, and to reduce the expense attending the same:

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

S-1 Short title.

1 Short title.

1. This Act may be cited for all purposes as ‘TheSmall Testate Estates (Scotland) Act, 1876.’

S-2 Extent of Act.

2 Extent of Act.

2. This Act shall extend to Scotland only.

S-3 Where estate does not exceed 150l executor may apply to commissary clerk to fill up inventory and expede confirmation.

3 Where estate does not exceed 150l executor may apply to commissary clerk to fill up inventory and expede confirmation.

3. Where the whole real and personal estate and effects of a testate dying domiciled in Scotland shall not exceed in value the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds, the executor of such testate may apply to the commissary clerk of the county within which such testate was domiciled at the time of death; and the said commissary clerk, on production of the will or other writing of the testate containing the nomination of an executor, shall prepare and fill up an inventory and relative oath, as nearly as may be in the form of Schedule A. appended to this Act, and, upon such inventory being duly sworn to by the executor, shall proceed to record said will or other writing and inventory and expede confirmation in the form as nearly as may be of Schedule B. annexed to this Act, and shall deliver the same to the executor without the payment of any fee therefor save as is provided in Schedule C. annexed to this Act; and such confirmation shall have the same force and effect as that prescribed in Schedule E. annexed to the Act of the twenty-first and twenty-second Victoria, chapter fifty-six; and where such confirmation shall contain English or Irish estate the registrar of any probate court in England or Ireland shall affix the seal of the said court thereto on the confirmation being sent to him by the commissary clerk for that purpose, enclosing a fee of two shillings and sixpence.

S-4 Proof of identity.

4 Proof of identity.

4. The commissary clerk of the county may require such proof as he may think sufficient to establish the identity of the executor.

S-5 Commissary clerk must be satisfied that whole estate is under 150l

5 Commissary clerk must be satisfied that whole estate is under 150l

5. If the commissary clerk of the county has reason to believe that the whole real and personal estate and effects of which the testate died possessed exceed in value one hundred and fifty pounds, he shall refuse to proceed with the application until he is satisfied as to the true value thereof.

S-6 Who may administer oath.

6 Who may administer oath.

6. Oaths or affirmations under this Act or under the Intestates Widows and Children's (Scotland) Act, 1875, shall, notwithstanding anything...

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