Scope and Content: The Division of State Adult Poor was established under the State Board of Lunacy and Charity in 1898 (shortly thereafter continued under the State Board of Charity).  It was succeeded by the Division of Aid and Relief in the Dept. of Public Welfare in 1919.  That division was replaced by the Division of Public Assistance in 1953, which continued until departmental reorganization in 1971.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Restrictions: Personal information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s7, d 26(c), c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
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Scope and Content: In Massachusetts, the Board of State Charities at the time of its creation in 1863 had a department of settlement and bastardy, which was responsible for prosecuting cases of bastardy to provide support for affected children. With the formation of State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity in 1879, the board split its duties among four departments: health, lunacy, indoor poor, and outdoor poor; with indoor poor responsible for bastardy cases. The State Board of Lunacy and Charity, formed per St 1886, c 101, continued as its predecessor with departments of indoor poor and outdoor poor. In 1898 this was changed with the establishment within the board of a division of state adult poor (with indoor and outdoor units) and a division of state minor wards, both of which were continued under the State Board of Charity, which was established per St 1898, c 433 by separating out a State Board of Insanity. The State Board of Charity was assigned by this act to the prosecution of all cases of bastardy of non-settled persons. St 1919, c 350 established the Dept. of Public Welfare as successor to the State Board of Charity, with divisions of aid and relief and of child guardianship, the latter division a successor to state minor wards. –St 1906, c 501 directed fines for non-support of children be paid to the state board of charity if the minor child was under its custody. St 1911, c 456 included mothers as also potentially responsible, and increased term of payments to up to two years, with fines payable to probation officers, city treasurers, or legal representatives of the wives or minor children. St 1913, c 563 authorized courts to issue orders compelling the father to provide support to the mother or probation officer for confinement or care of the child. St 1918, c 199 allowed the money to be designated for support of the child.
Arrangement: In three alphabetical groupings: ledger, 1915-1916, folders 1916-1919, 1919-1928
Notes: Includes contents of former series (M-Ar)1654X
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Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth from 1854 until 1872.  St 1855, c 446, s 4 and St 1856, c 108, s 5 provided that if paupers, lunatics, and idiots sent to the almshouses were ascertained to have settlement, the municipality of such settlement was liable for expenses incurred until their removal.  Series consist of statements from municipal overseers of the poor that inmate has or has not settlement, and that the municipality therefore is/is not liable for expenses and removal.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
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Scope and Content: The adjutant general of the Commonwealth, as executive administrator of the state’s Military Establishment, has been responsible for maintaining and reporting data concerning militia strength.  This series provides summarized data concerning personnel of the state militia, 1780-1823.
Arrangement: Arranged numerically by military unit
Restrictions: Restricted as fragile. Access by permission of state archivist or curator of Massachusetts Archives only
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Scope and Content: The adjutant general of the Commonwealth, as executive administrator of the state’s Military Establishment, has been responsible for maintaining and reporting data concerning militia strength.  This series documents in ledger format the expenditures and receipts undertaken and received by officers of the Massachusetts Militia during service on the Maine coast during the War of 1812, where they were posted by the governor to defend against a threatened invasion by the British.
Arrangement: Arranged by officer account
Restrictions: Restricted as fragile. Access by permission of state archivist or curator of Massachusetts Archives only
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Scope and Content: The adjutant general of the Commonwealth, as executive administrator of the state’s Military Establishment, has been responsible for maintaining and reporting data concerning militia strength. Returns were completed and endorsed by brigade commanders to provide their divisional commanders and the adjutant general with information concerning the strength, organization, and provisioning of the militia.
Arrangement: Arranged numerically by brigade/division
Restrictions: Restricted as fragile. Access by permission of state archivist or curator of Massachusetts Archives only
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Arrangement: Arranged chronologically.
Notes: Public document, no. 7. –Includes extra copy of 1864 report, of 1862 report of surgeon general, quartermaster general, and master of armory only. –Reports for 1847-1848, 1858, 1861, 1863, 1866, 1878, 1880 missing
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Scope and Content: The adjutant general of the Commonwealth, as executive administrator of the state’s Military Establishment, has general superintendency over military stores and property.  This series comprises an expense ledger for FY1954 involving all National Guard armories.
Arrangement: Arranged by municipal armory account
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Scope and Content: The adjutant general of the Commonwealth, as executive administrator of the state’s Military Establishment, came to be responsible for preserving and administering information about all aspects of the state’s military service.  In this correspondence, commanding officers of units of the 101st Infantry Regiment, 26th Division American Expeditionary Forces, recommended individual soldiers for awards for heroism in World War I, including the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, and Distinguished Service Medal.
Arrangement: Arranged by correspondence file number
Notes: Based on a penciled note with the file, it appears that these records were sent to the state secretary’s office at some point for photostatic copying
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Scope and Content: The adjutant general of the Commonwealth, as executive administrator of the state’s Military Establishment, has been responsible for maintaining and reporting data concerning militia strength.  During and after the Civil War these activities were intensified, particularly as they related to fulfillment of municipal recruitment quotas and determinations of entitlement to state aid, bounties, and other benefits.  Resolves 1903, c 100 authorized the adjutant general to advertise for the names and addresses of all military personnel in the war who had not received the appropriate bounties, and to place the names before the next session of the legislature.  This series comprises the correspondence resulting from that authorization.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by correspondent
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