Daily AncestorAdministrator de bonis non
An administrator de bonis non is a second administrator the court appoints to finish settling an estate when the first executor or administrator can no longer serve.
Estates were not always settled by the person who started the job. If the executor or administrator died, moved away or was removed before the work was done, the court appointed a successor to take over what was left. That successor is the administrator de bonis non, often shortened to d.b.n.
When a will was involved, the full phrase is administrator de bonis non cum testamento annexo. For a family historian, a d.b.n. appointment is a clue that something happened to the first representative, so look for his death, removal or resignation in the court minutes.
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Daily Ancestor. "Administrator de bonis non." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/administrator-de-bonis-non. Last checked 2026-10-12.