VPRS 1704 Collection Books - Lunatic Estates

Full description

The Master in Equity (and Lunacy) was responsible until 1940 (and the transfer of the function to VA 719 Office of the Public Trustee) for the general care protection and management or supervision of the management of the estates of all lunatics, persons of unsound mind and those incapable of managing their own affairs. With very considerable powers over the management of estates, the Master was to charge all expenses incurred against the estate from which they were to be paid and from which they were recoverable. In addition, a percentage of the estate, set out in the Act (S 135-136), was to be paid into the consolidated revenue. Moneys collected were to be paid to the credit of a fund to be called the Lunatic Patients Estate Fund from which they would be placed to the credit of the particular estate of the patient(S 188). All management of estates was to be subject to the provisions of the Audit Act.

This series records payments made to the Receiver of Revenue by the Master in Lunacy. These amounts were those paid to the Master by the families of lunatic patients for their maintenance and amounts obtained from the invested assets of patients who had these resources. Details are given of the name of the estate (or patient), the rate of payment and the period and the destination of the payment. The payment could be for Maintenance, as Commission or to go to the General Trust Fund. The vast majority of payments were allocated for Maintenance. Payment s from the Master in Lunacy were recorded by the Treasury in VPRS 11326 Cash Books: Revenue [Consolidated Revenue Fund].