This is the cover page of the petition of Teo Kit for the letters of administration of the estate of Teo Ong Chuan to be granted de bonis non (Latin for non-administered goods). The letters of administration were granted to the petitioner on 20 October 1871. It is part of a collection of legal documents from the 19th and early 20th centuries which provides a glimpse into the work of the notable personalities who left their mark on Singapore’s legal history, and the economic and other transactions undertaken by ordinary immigrants in 19th century Singapore that tell stories of misfortune and indebtedness which would otherwise have disappeared from history.
