Scope and Content: The state secretary holds constitutional and statutory responsibilities for elections.  Returns of votes for senators in the Massachusetts General Court were transmitted by municipalities to the secretary on printed forms supplied by the secretary’s office and bound into volumes.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder by county, and then alphabetically by municipality
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Scope and Content: The proprietors of the Charles River Bridge (St 1784, c 53) and of the Warren Bridge (St 1827, c 127) were empowered to erect bridges over the Charles River and to collect tolls until such time as the cost for building the bridges was recovered and the bridges surrendered to the Commonwealth.  St 1832, c 170; St 1833, c 219; and St 1835, c 155 began the legal process of transfer for the Warren Bridge.  St 1841, c 88 called for similar arrangements to buy out the proprietors of the Charles River Bridge.  The act called for the repair of the Charles River Bridge and the Warren Bridge and for responsibility for the bridges to be turned over to Boston and Charlestown.  Tolls for both bridges continued until the Commonwealth received reimbursement for the repair.  The statute required quarterly reports of receipts and expenditures and annual reports to be sent to the legislature by agents appointed by the governor and on the advice of commissioners also appointed by him.  The state secretary maintained these and other financial records of the corporations and the governor’s agents in this series. –Financial records include returns of receipts and expenditures for the Warren Bridge, schedule of bills, accounts of the agent, vouchers (1828-1841), recommendations for repairs to the Warren Bridge by the agent and commissioners, and petitions for repairs (1841); recommendations for repairs to the Charles River Bridge, returns of expenditures, accounts of the agent, and vouchers (1841-1849).
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Formerly part of: Miscellaneous collection, boxes 48-49
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Scope and Content: As early as the seventeenth century, the Massachusetts legislature provided pensions to soldiers wounded or disabled while in military service. Throughout the Revolutionary War, pensions continued to be issued at the state level to members of the Continental Army, as authorized by the Continental Congress. In addition, Massachusetts also provided post-war bonuses (bounties) in the form of monetary payment or a grant of land in Maine to veterans meeting certain requirements. Because so few individuals were disabled in service or qualified for bounties, the state granted pensions or bounties to only several hundred individuals. From 1789 pensions were funded by the federal government, from 1792 new pensions were administered by it, and from 1806 veterans of state troops and militia were also eligible. From 1818, Congress expanded pension eligibility for Revolutionary War service beyond invalidism, adding thousands to the rolls. However, to qualify, veterans often needed to obtain certificates of service from the state.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by surname
Notes:  Discovered in 1929 by J.S. Allen, Clerk of the U.S. District Court and deposited at the Archives. Contents: Box 1: A-G. Box 2: H-P. Box 3: R-Y
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Scope and Content: As early as the seventeenth century, the Massachusetts legislature provided pensions to soldiers wounded or disabled while in military service. Throughout the Revolutionary War, pensions continued to be issued at the state level to members of the Continental Army, as authorized by the Continental Congress. In addition, Massachusetts also provided post-war bonuses (bounties) in the form of monetary payment or a grant of land in Maine to veterans meeting certain requirements. Because so few individuals were disabled in service or qualified for bounties, the state granted pensions or bounties to only several hundred individuals. From 1789 pensions were funded by the federal government, from 1792 new pensions were administered by it, and from 1806 veterans of state troops and militia were also eligible. From 1818, Congress expanded pension eligibility for Revolutionary War service beyond invalidism, adding thousands to the rolls. However, to qualify, veterans often needed to obtain certificates of service from the state.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by name
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Scope and Content: As early as the seventeenth century, the Massachusetts legislature provided pensions to soldiers wounded or disabled while in military service. Throughout the Revolutionary War, pensions continued to be issued at the state level to members of the Continental Army, as authorized by the Continental Congress. In addition, Massachusetts also provided post-war bonuses (bounties) in the form of monetary payment or a grant of land in Maine to veterans meeting certain requirements. Because so few individuals were disabled in service or qualified for bounties, the state granted pensions or bounties to only several hundred individuals. From 1789 pensions were funded by the federal government, from 1792 new pensions were administered by it, and from 1806 veterans of state troops and militia were also eligible. From 1818, Congress expanded pension eligibility for Revolutionary War service beyond invalidism, adding thousands to the rolls. However, to qualify, veterans often needed to obtain certificates of service from the state.
Notes: Transferred to Archives by unidentified donor
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Scope and Content: The state secretary, as record keeper for Massachusetts, was during the early years of the Commonwealth periodically directed by the legislature in various efforts to preserve, arrange, and inventory public records and state papers.  Series consists of schedules and lists of records produced as the result of such efforts, up to the time of the organization of these materials into what is now known as the Massachusetts archives collection ((M-Ar)45X), by Joseph B. Felt and others, pursuant to legislative resolves of the General Court from 1836 and later years (see item (10) below).  Ten such lists have been identified, represented here either by the originals, or, in the case of those already belonging to other record series, by photocopies.  Accompanying each item are photocopies of enabling legislation and/or other relevant documentation.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Scope and Content: Pursuant to Resolves 1819, c 135, the state secretary identified all books and maps belonging to the Commonwealth so that one third could be apportioned for use by the new state of Maine being separated from Massachusetts.  Schedules drawn up by the secretary’s office record this apportionment.
Notes: Forms part of: Separation of Maine papers
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Scope and Content: As record keeper for the Commonwealth, the state secretary has responsibility for administration of elections, maintenance of public records, filing and distribution of regulations and public documents, corporate registration, lobbying agent registration, recording of appointments and commissions, storage of historical data, preservation of historic sites, administration and enforcement of the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act, information and referral on all aspects of state government, and until 1990, administration of the state decennial census.  Series is created to administer these and other office functions and to set related policies and procedures.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by topic
Notes: Some files distributed among other state secretary record series, including: Massachusetts. Public Records Division. State seal historical files ((M-Ar)1977X)
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Scope and Content: As record keeper for the Commonwealth, the state secretary has responsibility for administration of elections, maintenance of public records, filing and distribution of regulations and public documents, corporate registration, lobbying agent registration, recording of appointments and commissions, storage of historical data, preservation of historic sites, administration and enforcement of the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act, information and referral on all aspects of state government, and until 1990, administration of the state decennial census.  Series is created to arrange for and document secretary’s public statements and appearances in relation to these functions. –Series currently includes files from terms of Michael Joseph Connolly (1979-1995).  See also: Division publicity files ((M-Ar)2025) –For similar materials from the administration of William Francis Galvin, see: Public service announcements, 1997-2010 ((M-Ar)2574)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by office holder, thereunder by subject/date
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Scope and Content: As record keeper for the Commonwealth, the state secretary has responsibility for administration of elections, maintenance of public records, filing and distribution of regulations and public documents, corporate registration, lobbying agent registration, recording of appointments and commissions, storage of historical data, preservation of historic sites, administration and enforcement of the Massachusetts Uniform Securities Act, information and referral on all aspects of state government, and until 1990, administration of the state decennial census.  Series is created to administer and oversee these and other office functions, and to set related policy and procedures.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by office holder, thereunder alphabetically by subject
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