Scope and Content: Per Resolves 1787, Oct Sess, c 9 (Oct. 25, 1787), the Massachusetts General Court directed delegates to be chosen for a state convention to ratify the federal constitution; they were allowed the same reimbursement given to legislators for travel and attendance.  The convention was held in Boston Jan.9-Feb. 7, 1788, when its payroll was approved.  Payroll proper is found in: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Massachusetts archives collection ((M-Ar)45X), v. 278, p. 162, along with other convention-related documents. Series consists of orders sent by convention delegates to the state treasurer for reimbursement per payroll.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by delegate
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Scope and Content: Members of the Massachusetts General Court were paid per diem attendance at session, as first scheduled by Resolves 1780, Oct Sess, c 44.  While actual payrolls are generally found elsewhere (see below), subseries (1-2) consist for each chamber of orders (grouped from 1782 by treasurer–Thomas Ivers (1782-1787), Alexander Hodgdon (1787-1792), and Thomas Davis (1792-1797), thereunder by payroll no.) from individual legislators directing the state treasurer to consign payment to a third party, or occasionally receipt of payment accompanied by certificate of attendance.
Arrangement: In four subseries: (1) House orders  (2) Senate orders (3) Leave of absence certificates (4) Constitutional Convention payroll; Arranged within each subseries chronologically, thereunder (where applicable) alphabetically by legislator
Notes: Box 1: House–1780-1782; Ivers rolls 1-4, 1782-1785. Box 2: House–Ivers rolls 5-10, 1784-1786.  Box 3: House–Ivers rolls 11-14, 1786-1787; Hodgdon rolls 1-2, 1787-1791. Box 4: House–Hodgdon rolls 3-7, 1787-1790. Box 5: House–Hodgdon rolls 7-12, 1789-1791. Box 6: House–Hodgdon rolls 13-36 and misc., 1791-1811; House and Valuation Committee payroll, 1785-1786. Boxes 7-8: Senate–Ivers rolls 1-14, 1782-1787, Hodgdon rolls 1-16, 1787-1792, Davis rolls, 1792-1795; Certificates, 1791-1830; Constitutional Convention, 1779
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Scope and Content: HISTORICAL NOTE: The post-Revolutionary Massachusetts legislature endeavored to collect taxes levied to pay war debt and other state expenses, particularly burdening farmers in the western part of the state.  Angered by foreclosures and imprisonment imposed for tax delinquency and not receiving satisfaction for grievance petitions filed with the legislature, the protesting farmers rioted and closed courthouses under the leadership of Revolutionary veteran Daniel Shays.  The state militia was called out to suppress Shays’ Rebellion in Sept. 1786, in Jan. 1787 a state army was formed for the purpose, and by February the insurgents were defeated. –MILITARY PAYROLL SYSTEM: (For titles of record series cited by number only, see finding aids note below.)  Payment of the various troops was by a system of rolls ((M-Ar)987X) organized and paid by the state treasurer.  Rolls were written up by each military unit, validated by a local justice of the peace, then sent to the Treasury where the rolls were numbered and the information entered into a roll book ((M-Ar)2310X).  The treasurer submitted a warrant for each payroll to the Governor and Council for approval to pay out the amounts listed; these approved warrants were attached to the original payroll.  Each soldier wishing to collect his pay submitted an order ((M-Ar)988X and present series) to the treasurer, often through a third party, in some cases including a certificate ((M-Ar)2314X) verifying his service.  The soldier or his representative then signed the roll book confirming receipt of this amount.  Amounts actually paid out were entered into the treasurer’s blotter by number as part of that month’s payments.  Since payees often delayed collecting their debts from the treasurer, orders for Shays’ Rebellion service were still being paid out into the 1790s. –The payment system for Shays’ Rebellion was further complicated by the death of Treasurer Thomas Ivers in April 1787.  In that era each treasurer was personally responsible for state funds, so that books had to be balanced and closed out and started anew with each treasurer.  Each treasurer created roll books to track new payrolls coming in, with a new numbering sequence, so that duplicate payroll numbers are often found.  Many payees had not yet collected on payrolls already submitted to and warranted by Ivers (through Apr. 11, 1787).  These unpaid amounts had to be identified and transferred into books of abstracts administered by Treasurer Alexander Hodgdon. Amounts remaining unpaid in 1792 were then again transferred to new treasurer Thomas Davis, whose accounts have not been located.  Original organization of records was as follows: –Treasurer Ivers: (1) Old militia rolls, so-called, 1782-1787, numbered 1-276 (not presently located), were comprised primarily of Revolutionary War rolls and also those for Castle Island.  Rolls 1-194 data was entered in roll book L.  Rolls 195-276 data was entered in roll book M.  Warrants for these rolls predate March 1787.  Some were entered into Ivers’s last blotter, on Apr. 11, 1787.  (2) Rebellion rolls, numbered 277-383, data entered in roll book N. These had warrants dating Mar.-Apr. 1787, also entered in blotter, Apr. 11, 1787. –Treasurer Hodgdon: (1) Rebellion rolls, 1-197, data entered in roll book A, warrants entered into blotter, Dec. 31, 1787-July 1792.  (2) Rebellion rolls, 1-238 (Castle rolls included in 204-238), data entered in roll book B, warrants entered into blotter, Dec. 31, 1787-July 1792.  (3) Abstract E 4-367, based on Iver’s unpaid rolls 2-367 (368-383 already paid in full), including old militia rolls (1-276, with warrants predating March 1787) as listed in roll books L and M, and unpaid rebellion rolls 277-383 as listed in roll book N; entered into blotter, Dec. 31, 1787-July 1792.  (4) Abstracts based on roll books A and B, sent in later than the others.  (5) Newall’s Regiment for one-month men. –In Feb. 1787, the legislature established pay rates for those involved in suppressing Shays’ Rebellion and requested that rolls be made out by officers and approved by the governor and council.  Resolves 1786, Jan Sess, c 13 (Feb. 6, 1787) set rates for noncommissioned officers and privates, c 50 (Feb. 25, 1787) for officers, and c 61 (Feb. 28, 1787) for cavalry and artillery.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically, by date paid
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Scope and Content: HISTORICAL NOTE: The post-Revolutionary Massachusetts legislature endeavored to collect taxes levied to pay war debt and other state expenses, particularly burdening farmers in the western part of the state.  Angered by foreclosures and imprisonment imposed for tax delinquency and not receiving satisfaction for grievance petitions filed with the legislature, the protesting farmers rioted and closed courthouses under the leadership of Revolutionary veteran Daniel Shays.  The state militia was called out to suppress Shays’ Rebellion in Sept. 1786, in Jan. 1787 a state army was formed for the purpose, and by February the insurgents were defeated. –MILITARY PAYROLL SYSTEM: (For titles of record series cited by number only, see finding aids note below.)  Payment of the various troops was by a system of rolls ((M-Ar)987X) organized and paid by the state treasurer.  Rolls were written up by each military unit, validated by a local justice of the peace, then sent to the Treasury where the rolls were numbered and the information entered into a roll book ((M-Ar)2310X).  The treasurer submitted a warrant for each payroll to the Governor and Council for approval to pay out the amounts listed; these approved warrants were attached to the original payroll.  Each soldier wishing to collect his pay submitted an order (present series and ((M-Ar)2313X) to the treasurer, often through a third party, in some cases including a certificate ((M-Ar)2314X) verifying his service.  The soldier or his representative then signed the roll book confirming receipt of this amount.  Amounts actually paid out were entered into the treasurer’s blotter by number as part of that month’s payments.  Since payees often delayed collecting their debts from the treasurer, orders for Shays’ Rebellion service were still being paid out into the 1790s. –The payment system for Shays’ Rebellion was further complicated by the death of Treasurer Thomas Ivers in April 1787.  In that era each treasurer was personally responsible for state funds, so that books had to be balanced and closed out and started anew with each treasurer.  Each treasurer created roll books to track new payrolls coming in, with a new numbering sequence, so that duplicate payroll numbers are often found.  Many payees had not yet collected on payrolls already submitted to and warranted by Ivers (through Apr. 11, 1787).  These unpaid amounts had to be identified and transferred into books of abstracts administered by Treasurer Alexander Hodgdon. Amounts remaining unpaid in 1792 were then again transferred to new treasurer Thomas Davis, whose accounts have not been located.  Original organization of records was as follows: –Treasurer Ivers: (1) Old militia rolls, so-called, 1782-1787, numbered 1-276 (not presently located), were comprised primarily of Revolutionary War rolls and also those for Castle Island.  Rolls 1-194 data was entered in roll book L.  Rolls 195-276 data was entered in roll book M.  Warrants for these rolls predate March 1787.  Some were entered into Ivers’s last blotter, on Apr. 11, 1787.  (2) Rebellion rolls, numbered 277-383, data entered in roll book N. These had warrants dating Mar.-Apr. 1787, also entered in blotter, Apr. 11, 1787. –Treasurer Hodgdon: (1) Rebellion rolls, 1-197, data entered in roll book A, warrants entered into blotter, Dec. 31, 1787-July 1792.  (2) Rebellion rolls, 1-238 (Castle rolls included in 204-238), data entered in roll book B, warrants entered into blotter, Dec. 31, 1787-July 1792.  (3) Abstract E 4-367, based on Iver’s unpaid rolls 2-367 (368-383 already paid in full), including old militia rolls (1-276, with warrants predating March 1787) as listed in roll books L and M, and unpaid rebellion rolls 277-383 as listed in roll book N; entered into blotter, Dec. 31, 1787-July 1792.  (4) Abstracts based on roll books A and B, sent in later than the others.  (5) Newall’s Regiment for one-month men. –In Feb. 1787, the legislature established pay rates for those involved in suppressing Shays’ Rebellion and requested that rolls be made out by officers and approved by the governor and council.  Resolves 1786, Jan Sess, c 13 (Feb. 6, 1787) set rates for noncommissioned officers and privates, c 50 (Feb. 25, 1787) for officers, and c 61 (Feb. 28, 1787) for cavalry and artillery.
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Scope and Content: Per St 1843, c 9, various Massachusetts state officials were paid their salaries by the state treasurer on a quarterly basis, Jan. 1, Apr. 1, July 1, and Sept. 1.  These officials included at various times the governor, justices of the Supreme Judicial Court and the Court of Common Pleas, the attorney general and district attorneys, probate, insolvency and police court judges, registers of probate, sheriffs, lunatic asylum officials, and other government officials and employees.  Those who were unable to pick up their quarterly salary directly, usually because of distance from Boston, would submit an order to the treasurer, authorizing that the salary should be given to the third-party bearer, or submitted to the cashier of a particular bank.  Orders were then endorsed on the back, and the recipient signed the treasurer’s book (books for 1854, 1855, 1856, 1858, 1860 located in: Massachusetts. General Court. Committee on Accounts. Account rolls ((M-Ar)2268X)) per the order. Officials who picked up their salaries directly from the treasurer did not submit orders and signed the book in person.
Notes: Box 1: 1842-1849.  Box 2: 1850-Apr. 1856. Box 3: July 1857-1860
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Scope and Content: HISTORICAL NOTE: The post-Revolutionary Massachusetts legislature endeavored to collect taxes levied to pay war debt and other state expenses, particularly burdening farmers in the western part of the state.  Angered by foreclosures and imprisonment imposed for tax delinquency and not receiving satisfaction for grievance petitions filed with the legislature, the protesting farmers rioted and closed courthouses under the leadership of Revolutionary veteran Daniel Shays.  The state militia was called out to suppress Shays’ Rebellion in Sept. 1786, in Jan. 1787 a state army was formed for the purpose, and by February the insurgents were defeated.
Arrangement:  (1) Suffolk County (2) Other counties, by first letter of surname  (3) Account books.
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Scope and Content: After the Revolutionary War’s end in 1783,  Massachusetts struggled to collect outstanding taxes to pay off accumulated debt.  In an attempt to reconcile Treasury books and begin bringing in arrears, in 1782 the office of Treasurer Thomas Ivers (1782-1787) formed a Committee for Auditing of the Late Treasurer Gardner’s Accounts, i.e., including taxes not yet collected under Henry Gardner (1774-1782). Resolves 1783, Jan 1784 Sess,  c 65 (Feb. 18, 1784)  additionally authorized collection of  taxes levied prior to 1775 by the office of Treasurer Harrison Gray (1753-1774), and remaining uncollected under Gardner. Series consists of a small assortment of documents relating to settlement of these old accounts. –Related series: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Massachusetts archives collection ((M-Ar)45X), v. 137, p. 440-442 (1783–correspondence from committee on Gardner accounts); Massachusetts. Treasury Dept. Inventories transferred to incoming treasurers, 1784-1949 ((M-Ar)147) (transfer of debts and assets from outgoing to incoming treasurer)
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Scope and Content: In May 1862, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks’s Union forces were being routed in the Shenandoah Valley by Gen. Jackson, who was reputed to be approaching Washington. At the request of Secretary of War Stanton, Gov. John A. Andrew of Massachusetts called out the state militia as reinforcements for troops at the front (General Order 14, May 26, 1862). Various militia units reported, but when told that under the law they might have to serve eight months, most companies refused to be sworn in for longer than three months. The governor contacted the War Dept. for authority to send them for the shorter time, but after some delay was informed that the men would not be needed after all, and so they were dismissed. Series records the payment of these men for  days of service occurring during May 26-29.
Arrangement: Arranged by unit
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Scope and Content: St 1780, c 21 ( Mar. 3, 1781), also known as the Militia Act, specified that Massachusetts members of the Christian denomination known as the Society of Friends (Quakers) were to be exempted from active duty in the Continental Army because of their religious pacifism. However, they were to pay a full proportion of expenses for raising men in their place for military service along with an additional 10% charge to defray the expense of raising such men, commonly known as the Quaker Tax. A related tax established a few months earlier by Resolves 1780, Oct Sess,  c 103 (Dec. 2, 1780), required towns to procure a specified number of men for subscription into the Continental Army and/or to compensate monetarily for any deficiency. Commonly known as the Class Tax, it held towns responsible for dividing their populations into classes based on land area and/or number of inhabitants, and procuring from each class a certain proportion of the town’s total number of required men. If a town neglected to fulfill its quota, Resolves 1781, c 245 (Oct. 20, 1781) called for it to be taxed again at cost plus an additional 50% fine, unless it could provide proof of having recruited the necessary men by Dec. 20, 1781.
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