ADMINISTRATOR, in Law, he to whom the
ordinary commits the administration of the goods of a
person deceased, in default of an executor.—An action
lies for or against an administrator, as for or against
an executor; and he shall be accountable to the value
of the goods of the deceased, and no farther:—unless
there be waste, or other abuse chargeable on him. If
the administrator die, his executors are not administra-
tors; but the court is to grant a new administration.
—If a stranger, who is neither administrator nor exe-
cutor, take the goods of the deceased and administer,
he shall be charged and sued as an executor, not as an
administrator. The origin of administrators is derived
from the civil law. Their establishment in England
is owing to a statute made in the 31st year of Ed-
ward III. Till then, no office of this kind was known
beside that of executor: in case of a want of which,
the ordinary had the disposal of goods of persons in-
testate, &c.