Often surviving parents had to apply for guardianship for one of the following reasons: 1. The surviving parent was female. Mothers did not automatically assume role of guardian for their own children. 2. The child was a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or was eligible for government pension. To ensure that the awarded money was handled by a person deemed suitable, a legal guardian (someone bonded and having a good standing in the community) had to be assigned. 3. The child was involved in some litigation, such as receiving real estate, etc. cited in another person's will or lawsuit. Again, it was an issue of showing that the child had representation of a person of good character. I have worked with a number of guardianship files and found that these records can lead to family connections not known. I hope that this has adequately answered your questions. Sincerely, Susan