Scope and Content: The Council (under the governor except 1775-1780) functioned as the executive counterpart of the upper house of the General Court under the colonial charter, 1629-1686; as the executive (sole) government, 1686-1689; and both as upper house of the General Court and executive body under the revival of colonial government, 1689-1692, under the provincial charter, 1692-1774, and in the later Revolutionary period, 1775-1780.  (There was a rival Council appointed by the English Crown under Gov. Thomas Gage, 1774-1776.)  Under the 1780 Constitution it is an advisory executive body to the governor separate from the General Court.  Executive records (formerly known as: Council records) document the Council’s executive function during the colonial (1650-1656, and stray entries, 1660-1661 only), intercharter (1686-1687 only), provincial, and Revolutionary periods; and under the 1780 Constitution, which mandates a signed register of council actions (Const Pt 2, C 2, S 3, Art 5)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by date of meeting
Notes: Records in general are transcripts: v. 2-11 (1686-1747) from the British State Paper Office, 1846-1851.  From 1689 (not in this series) to 1776, many draft originals are in: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Massachusetts archives collection ((M-Ar)45X), v. 81-86. (For details and listing of additional Massachusetts archives collection holdings, 1650-1774, see finding aid below.)  From 1776 source document (but with less complete text at least in earlier years) is: Massachusetts Council. Minutes ((M-Ar)329) (see that series for detailed description of contents).  From 1780 records are signed by councilors. Vol. 1-94 (1650-1881) bound as numbered (v. 74 in 2); thereafter bound annually only.  Spine title: Council records
Related Catalog Records:

Archivegrid
OCLC