Scope and Content: From 1790 to 1837, population censuses in Massachusetts were limited to those taken decennially by the federal government under constitutional provision.  Starting in 1837 the General Court authorized state decennial censuses to supplement the federal ones, for determining representation in the legislature and other purposes.  These state censuses have been conducted by authority of constitutional and statutory provisions under the auspices of the secretary of the Commonwealth.  St 1971, c 820 provided for the taking of a special census of inhabitants of wards and precincts of cities and towns to be used as a basis for redividing representative, senatorial, and councillor districts in accordance with Const Amend Art 92, ratified 1970.  The census was taken by city and town officials and returns made to the state secretary, for whom the Census Division inspected results for errors and inconsistencies before submitting them to the General Court.  Returns consist of census lists recording number of inhabitants in wards and precincts, ward and precinct maps, certified statements about returns, receipts, and some correspondence relating to redivision of wards and precincts.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by municipality
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Scope and Content: In 1983 the Dept. of Mental Health was sanctioned by the U.S. District Court for inadequately controlling reports of restraint and seclusion of patients institutionalized under the department’s jurisdiction. The Evaluation Section in its Division of Mental Health Services (called the Evaluation Section of the Division of Policy and Planning from 1987) was instructed to develop the forms, maintain the data, and publish the results of restraint and seclusion reports for public and private institutions (St 1984, c 464). A public report, omitting patient identifiers, was required. Both state mental health and mental retardation institutions were included in these reports until St 1986, c 599 removed the responsibility for mental retardation from the Dept. of Mental Health and established a new Dept. of Mental Retardation.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: From the records of the Governor’s Commission on Mental Retardation, transferred to  Archives, 1994-2008. For details consult the Massachusetts Archives series control file
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Scope and Content: Resolves 1802, c 123 provided that commissioners be designated by the governor to fix terms of awards from Henry Knox, principal proprietor, to settlers without title in Waldoborough, Waldo Patent, District of Maine.  This series contains legal documents evidencing completion of the process.
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Awards (2) Surveyor field notes
Notes: Title page: Submission of settlers – Waldo Claim, v. 3
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Arrangement: In four subseries: (1) References (2) Awards (3) Powers of attorney  (4) Surveyor field notes; Arranged within each volume by locality.
Notes: Resolves 1796, Jan 1797 Sess, c 60 provided that report of the commissioners be filed with the state secretary. Title page: Submission of settlers–Waldo Claim, v. 1-2
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Scope and Content: The Joint Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs, a standing committee of the General Court, considers all matters concerning public welfare, children, the elderly, the handicapped, mental health, drug rehabilitation and control, veterans benefits, alcoholism, the correction system (including administration, prisoners’ rights, furloughs, work release, probation, rehabilitation, and parole), other social service programs, and other matters referred.  It drafts, reviews, and holds hearings on proposed legislation.  Series is created by the committee chair to enable the committee to formulate human services budget proposals and to react to gubernatorial vetoes of portions thereof.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by fiscal year
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Scope and Content: Massachusetts has administered water works and sewage disposal for the Boston metropolitan area successively through the Board of Metropolitan Sewerage Commissioners (Metropolitan Sewerage Commission) (1889-1901) and the Metropolitan Water Board (1895-1901); the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board (1901-1919); and the Water and Sewerage Divisions of the Metropolitan District Commission (1919-1985).  Since 1985, the sewerage works functions have been assigned to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), and the water works functions have been shared by the MWRA (distribution) and the Metropolitan District Commission (to 2003) and the Dept.  of Conservation and Recreation (since 2003) (water supply reservoirs and their watershed management).
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Metropolitan District Commission
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Scope and Content: Massachusetts has administered water works and sewage disposal for the Boston metropolitan area successively through the Board of Metropolitan Sewerage Commissioners (Metropolitan Sewerage Commission) (1889-1901) and the Metropolitan Water Board (1895-1901); the Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board (1901-1919); and the Water and Sewerage Divisions of the Metropolitan District Commission (1919-1985).  Since 1985, the sewerage works functions have been assigned to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), and the water works functions have been shared by the MWRA (distribution) and the Metropolitan District Commission (to 2003) and the Dept.  of Conservation and Recreation (since 2003) (water supply reservoirs and their watershed management).
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Transferred to Archives from Metropolitan District Commission
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Scope and Content: Per St 1867 c 243, s 1, in Massachusetts every private society or institution for charitable purposes that was aided by a grant of money from the state treasury had to prepare and send to the Board of State Charities a report of all its proceedings, income, and expenditures. (Per St 1875, c 118, institutions for the instruction of the deaf and dumb and of the blind were to report instead to the Board of Education.)  The 1867 mandate extended to reporters to Board of State Charities successors, the State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (1879-1886) (see PS 1882, s 16), the State Board of Lunacy and Charity (1886-1898), and the State Board of Charity (1898-1919) (RL 1902, c 84, s 13). It was apparently subsumed (per RL 1902-1908 supplement) under an omnibus provision for statewide annual reports (St 1905, c 211). –Meantime, per St 1899, c 259 , as amended by St 1901,  c 179 (RL c 1902, c 84, s 14 ), every charitable organization whose personal property was exempt from taxation by PS c 11 s 5 (RL 1902, c 12, s 5 per St 1903, c 402) was to transmit to the State Board of Charity an annual report showing property, receipts, expenditures, number of beneficiaries and other information. St 1901, c 405 made the board responsible for investigating the applicants and proposed purpose of those applying for charitable incorporation for illegal activity or unsuitable persons before the issuance of a certificate of incorporation by the state secretary. –St 1909, c 379, as amended by St 1913, c 82, required the board, upon the request or with the consent of a charitable corporation required to make an annual report, to visit and inspect the institution or investigate the work of the corporation.  St 1919, c 350, s 87 abolished the Board of State Charities, replacing it with a Dept. of Public Welfare, with responsibility for the same function (GL 1921, c 180, s 11),  successively through its Subdivision of Private Incorporated Charities and Bureau of Incorporated Charities. –Per St 1954, c 529, s 1 (MGLA c 12, ss 8A-M), the responsibilities for charitable corporations were passed to a newly established Division of Public Charities in the Attorney General’s Office. A public charity had to file with the division a copy of its charter and articles or certificates of incorporation, along with an annual fiscal year report in order to obtain official status as a charitable institution. Filings with the division include audits, probate files such as trust instruments, annual financial reports, wills, probate court pleadings and filed actions, and subsequent status reports.
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Scope and Content: Charles Nelson Gardner was born Mar. 29, 1845 in South Scituate, Mass. (later Norwell). Enlisted (Private) in the 18th Regt. Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Company G), Aug. 4, 1862, discharged Feb. 7, 1864, and re-enlisted Feb. 8, 1864. Transferred to 32nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Oct. 21, 1864 (Company E); awarded Medal of Honor, Apr. 27, 1865 for capturing Confederate flag at the Battle of Five Forks, Va., Apr. 1, 1865;  commissioned 2nd Lieut., Apr. 1, 1865; discharged  June 7, 1865.  Transferred to Company D, June 8, 1865; mustered out June 29, 1865. Served in Massachusetts General Court, House of Representatives, 1901-1902. He died in Norwell, Feb. 22, 1919.
Notes:

Transferred to Archives, Sept. 2011. Gift of Deborah Rogers, Canton, Mass.

Contents (all items created by or relating to Gardner unless otherwise noted):

• Civil War diary, 1864-1865.
• Status documents: discharge, Feb. 7, 1864; application for discharge, June 6, 1865; discharge, June 7, 1865; muster-in roll, June 8, 1865; discharge, June 29, 1865.
• Medal of Honor and related documents: report of flag capture, Apr. 22, 1865; transmittal, May 3, 1865; delivery, May 20, 1865; certificate, Oct. 8, 1916.
• Dedication of the Soldiers’ Monument erected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at Andersonville, Georgia, Thursday, December 19, 1901 (booklet and commemorative medal).
• Clasp pin, 1917 (otherwise unidentified).
• Miscellaneous documents/clippings (12) relating to Gardner, Medal of Honor, and other Civil War veterans.
• Photographs: carte-de-visite (Gardner portrait) and enlargement; Norwell G.A.R. group including Gardner; D. Willard Robinson Post 112 (G.A.R., Norwell) taken after Gardner’s death.

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Scope and Content: Middlesex County was incorporated on May 10, 1643 (Mass Recs 2:38), continuing under successive governments of Massachusetts, most recently the Commonwealth (1780), as outlined in MGLA c 34.  Administrative powers and duties previously exercised at various times under the laws of the Commonwealth by the county courts of general sessions of the peace, county courts of common pleas, and circuit courts of common pleas, were assigned to commissioners in Middlesex and other counties, per St 1827, c 77 (1828).  The government of Middlesex County in this and other respects was abolished as of the effective date of St 1997, c 48 (approved July 11, 1997)
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