COLLECTION GUIDES

1733-1925

Guide to the Microfilm Edition

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Representative digitized documents from this collection:

Restrictions on Access

Use of the originals is restricted. This collection is available as digital facsimiles (see links below). Black and white microfilm is also available.


Collection Summary

Abstract

This collection consists of the administrative records (1738-1916), almshouse records (1735-1911), temporary home records (1862-1925), and miscellaneous records (1733-1901) of the Boston Overseers of the Poor.

Historical Sketch

The Boston Overseers of the Poor were established by a colonial act in 1692, and incorporated in 1772. Under the provisions of the first city charter in 1822, one person was elected in each ward to be an Overseer of the Poor, totaling 12 Overseers. In 1864, it was voted that four Overseers be elected by the City Council in April of each year, to serve for three years. By 1886, four Overseers were appointed by the Mayor in February or March of each year for three-year terms, to be confirmed by the Board of Aldermen.

The Overseers provided relief in the form of food, fuel, medicines, and sometimes money, to "deserving" persons, provided that they were "settled" in Boston. The Overseers also provided relief at the expense of towns where needy people resided until the town took charge of them and relief to non-state residents for short periods until they were removed to State Almshouses.

By 1871, the Overseers of the Poor were in charge of the Charity Building (corner of Chardon and Hawkins Streets), a headquarters for numerous charitable organizations in Boston; and the Temporary Home for Women and Children. By 1881, they ran the Wayfarer's Lodge for destitute men. The Overseers also served as trustees for various charitable trusts. While at one time the Overseers were responsible for all types of relief, in 1823 their responsibilities were limited to "outdoor relief," or relief given outside of public institutions. The Commissioners of Public Institutions were in charge of "indoor relief," which primarily consisted of the State Almshouses.

Collection Description

The records of the Boston Overseers of the Poor include administrative records, almhouse records, temporary home records, and some miscellaneous and unidentified material. Administrative records (1738-1916), include financial records, warning-out books, memoranda, correspondence, and casebooks. Almshouse records (1735-1911), consist of admission and discharge registers, lists of inmates, deaths, indentures, accounts, and memoranda. Temporary home records (1862-1925), include lists of admissions, children and foundlings records, and adoptions. Miscellaneous material (1733-1901) includes City of Boston accounts of payments to various charities, partial lists of Boston residents, and legal material.

Processing Note

The boards were removed from the volumes before they were purchased by the Society, thus titles and descriptive materials were lost. Disbound volumes have been arranged and assigned titles by the Society.

Acquisition Information

Acquired by purchase, 1957, 1962.

Restrictions on Access

Use of the originals is restricted. This collection is available as digital facsimiles (see links below). Black and white microfilm is also available.

Other Formats

This collection is available as digital facsimiles. The microfilm of this collection is available from Scholarly Resources, Inc., Wilmington, Delaware.

Detailed Description of the Collection

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Index

Subject Reel Box Folder / Volume
Accounts: see under specific institution.
Adams, Henry Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 4
Admissions: see under specific institution.
Adoptions from Temporary Home Reel 14 Box 17 Folder 1-4
Reel 15 Box 18 Folders 1-4
"Afro-Americans" in Almshouse Reel 11 Box 12 Folder 3
Almshouse Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 3
Reel 2 Box 2 Folder 1
Almshouse accounts Reel 2 Box 2 Folder 1-4
Reel 3 Box 3 Folder 1-4
Reel 4 Box 4
Reel 5 Box 6 Folder 2-3
Reel 10 Box 11 Folder 1,2,4
Reel 11 Box 12 Folder 1
Reel 12 Box 13 Folder 1
Reel 12 Box 14 Folder 1-4, Volumes 4-5 (XT)
Reel 13 Box 15 Folder 1-3
Almshouse, admissions and discharges in Reel 8 Box 9 Folder 1-6
Reel 9 Box 10 Folder 1-5
Reel 10 Box 11 Folder 1-4
Reel 11 Box 11 Folder 1-4
Almshouse, children in Reel 8 Box 9 Folder 1
Reel 9 Box 11 Folder 4
Almshouse, deaths in Reel 8 Box 9 Folder 1-6
Reel 9 Box 10 Folder 1-5
Reel 10 Box 11 Folder 1-4
Reel 10 Box 12 Folder 4
Almshouse, list of inmates Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 3
Reel 10 Box 11 Folder 4
Reel 11 Box 12 Folder 1-3
Almshouse, payroll of staff Reel 12 Box 14 Folder 1
Almshouse, supplies for Reel 4 Box 5 Folder 1-4
Reel 8 Box 9 Folder 2
Reel 12 Box 14 Folder 2-3
Almshouse, support of non-residents in Reel 5 Box 6 Folder 2-3
see also Indentures
Almshouses in other towns Reel 4 Box 4
Appointments of overseers Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 3
Appropriations for the overseers Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 1
Asylum: see Boston Asylum
Baldwin, Aaron Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 4
Boston Almshouse: see Boston Asylum
Boston Asylum, accounts Reel 13 Box 15 Folder 1-3
Boston Asylum, supplies for Reel 13 Box 15 Folder 1-2
Boston City Treasury, appropriations to overseers Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 1
Boston City Treasury, disbursements Reel 6 Volume 3 (XT)
Boston City Treasury, drafts on Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 1,Volume 3 (XT)
Boston residents, partial list of Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 2-3
Boylston, John Reel 12 Box 13 Folder 1
Bridewell Reel 11 Box 12 Folder 3
Bridewell, list of persons in Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 5
Broadside, market report Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 5
Casebook of persons receiving outdoor relief Reel 7 Box 8 Folder 5
Cash accounts of overseers Reel 4 Box 5 Folder 1-4
Cashbooks of almshouse Reel 12 Box 14 Folder 2-4
Charitable disbursements of overseers Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 2
Reel 4 Box 5 Folder 1-4
Reel 5 Box 6 Folder 1-3
Reel 7 Box 8 Folder 1-5
City of Boston, accounts Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 1,Volume 3 (XT)
Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 1
City of Boston, charitable disbursements Reel 6 Volume 3 (XT)
Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 1
City Temporary Home, admissions to Reel 13 Box 16 Folder 1
City Temporary Home, children and foundling records Reel 14 Box 17 Folder 1-4
Reel 15 Box 18 Folder 1-2
City Temporary Home, register of adoptions Reel 15 Box 18 Folder 3-4
Claims, disposition of Reel 2 Box 2 Folder 2-4
Reel 3 Box 3 Folder 1-2
Reel 4 Box 4
Correspondence, of overseeers Reel 3 Box 3 Folder 1-4
Reel 4 Box 4
Reel 6 Box 4
Deaths, diseases causing Reel 11 Box 12 Folder 4
Deaths in almsouse: see Almshouse
Disbursements, charitable Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 2
Reel 4 Box 5 Folder 1-4
Reel 5 Box 6 Folder 1-3
Disbursements, from the City of Boston Reel 6 Volume 3 (XT)
Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 1
Discharges from almshouse: see Almshouse
Diseases causing death Reel 11 Box 12 Folder 4
Educational funds, payments to Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 1
Employee salaries Reel 4 Box 5 Folder 1-4
Foundlings: see City Temporary Home
Gaol, list of state paupers in Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 1
Indentures Reel 8 Box 9 Folder 1,5,6
Reel 9 Box 10 Folder 1-4
Reel 10 Box 11 Folder 1-2
Reel 11 Box 12 Folder 5
Indentures, contracts of Reel 11 Box 12 Folder 5
Jail: seeGaol
Ledgers, of Boston Asylum Reel 13 Box 15 Folder 1-3
Legal documents, miscellaneous Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 4
Letterbooks of overseers Reel 2 Box 2 Folder 1-4
Reel 3 Box 3 Folder 1-2
Lockroom Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 3
Maniac House Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 3
Market report (broadside) Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 5
Memoranda to overseers Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 3
Memorandum book of almshouse Reel 12 Volume 4 (XT)
Money granted at monthly meetings Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 2
"Negro" inmates in almshouse Reel 11 Box 12 Folder 3
Newspaper clippings Reel 5 Box 6 Folder 1
Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 1
Non-residents, support of Reel 5 Box 6 Folder 2-3
Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 2
Non-residents, in almshouse Reel 5 Box 6 Folder 2-3
Overseers, list of Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 1-2
Overseers, accounts Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 2
Reel 4 Box 5 Folder 1-4
Reel 5 Box 6 Folder 1-3
Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 2, Volume 3 (XT)
Reel 7 Box 8 Folder 1,2,4
Overseers, appointments of Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 3
Overseers, memoranda to Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 3
Overseers, wards Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 1
see also Charitable disbursements, Correspondence, Letterbooks
Outdoor relief Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 2
Reel 7 Box 8 Folder 4-5
Paupers, state, list of - in gaol Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 1
Paupers, support of - in almshouse Reel 12 Volume 5 (XT)
Paupers, transient Reel 9 Box 11 Folder 3
Pensioners Reel 5 Box 6 Folder 1
Ruggles, Samuel Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 4
Rules of the workhouse Reel 12 Box 13 Folder 1
Salaries of employees Reel 4 Box 5 Folder 1-4
State paupers, list of - in gaol Reel 6 Box 7 Folder 1
State paupers, support of - in almshouse Reel 12 Box 14 Folder 6
Temporary Home: see City Temporary Home
Thacher, Peter Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 4
Tradesmen, list of - in Boston Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 4
Transient paupers Reel 10 Box 11 Folder 3
Trustees of charitable donations, act of incorporation Reel 12 Box 13 Folder 1
Wards, list of names Reel 15 Box 19 Folder 3
Wards, list of overseers Reel 1 Box 1 Folder 1
Warning out books Reel 1 Volumes 1-2 (XT)
Warning out books, list Reel 8 Box 9 Folder 4
Workhouse, accounts Reel 12 Box 13 Folder 1
Workhouse, cash paid to inmates Reel 12 Box 13 Folder 2-3
Workhouse, rules of Reel 12 Box 13 Folder 1

Materials Removed from the Collection

The following Charlestown and Roxbury records were removed from this collection in August 1981 and separately stored and cataloged in the Massachusetts Historical Society:

Charlestown (Boston, Mass.) tax lists, 1780-1789.

Charlestown Overseers of the Poor records, 1847-1873. Digitized collection

Roxbury tax lists, 1795-1803.

Roxbury almshouse records, 1845-1912; bulk: 1845-1865. Digitized collection

Preferred Citation

Boston Overseers of the Poor records, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.

Subjects:

Almshouses--Massachusetts--Boston.
Orphans--Massachusetts--Boston.
Poor--Massachusetts--Boston.
Public welfare--Massachusetts--Boston.

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