Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth from 1854 until 1872. The institution managed an annual budget to sustain its operations. Attendant financial records include trial balances, showing summarized debit and credit entries for assets, state appropriations, and expenses.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by month
Related Catalog Records:
Trial balances [Massachusetts State Almshouse (Monson, Mass.).]
Admission registers [Massachusetts State Almshouse (Monson, Mass.).]
Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth from 1854 to 1872. Series was created to administer and record their admission to the institution.
Arrangement: Arranged within each Volume by almshouse no./chronologically by admission date
Notes: Reel GSU 454: volumes 1. Reel GSU 455: volumes 2-3; Index volumes 1-4, A-U. Reel GSU 456: Index volumes 4, U-Z.
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Admission permits [Massachusetts State Almshouse (Monson, Mass.).]
Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth from 1854 until 1872. Admission was contingent on receipt of a certifying statement from local authorities as to lack of settlement (St 1852, c 275, s 5). Permits consisting of such statements document legal admission of persons to the institution.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Formerly kept as separate series: Paupers certificates from overseers of the poor
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Case histories [Massachusetts State Almshouse (Monson, Mass.).]
Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth from 1854 to 1872. St 1872, c 45 abolished the state almshouses at Monson and Bridgewater, although the State Primary School, opened at the Monson almshouse in 1866, continued until 1895. The legislation transferred all state paupers, except those needed to serve the primary school, to the almshouse at Tewksbury, although state paupers could continue to be sent to Monson. Overcrowding at Tewksbury led to continuing commitment of adult paupers to Monson, with such inmates from 1872 admitted for so-called support and temporary custody. St 1872, c 45, s 3 also admitted for such support (pending full admission to the school) dependent and neglected children (through 1890; some given immediate full admission earlier, including those per St 1882, c 181, ss 2-3), and juvenile offenders committed from the courts by the Board of State Charities per St 1870, c 359 (through 1882; then given immediate full admission). Series was created to record background and status of persons admitted to the institution.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by admission date
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Annual reports [Massachusetts State Primary School (Monson, Mass.).]
Scope and Content: In Massachusetts the State Almshouse at Monson was opened in Massachusetts in 1854 and closed in 1872. The State Primary School opened there in 1866 and remained in operation until 1895.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Related Catalog Records:
Transfer lists of inmates [Massachusetts State Primary School (Monson, Mass.).]
Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in Massachusetts from 1854 to 1872. The State Primary School, opened there in 1866 and continuing after the almshouse’s closing in 1872 until 1895, provided lodging, instruction, and employment for dependent and neglected children under age sixteen without settlement in Massachusetts and some juvenile offenders. Legislation had authorized transfer of inmates from one almshouse to another by the Board of Alien Commissioners (St 1853, c 352, s 3; St 1859, c 255) and the Board of State Charities (St 1863, c 240, s 4); and by the latter board and its successor from 1879, the State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity–through its Dept. of Indoor Poor–from the almshouses to the State Primary School (St 1866, c 209, ss 4-5; St 1872, c 45; St 1879, c 291). Series documents these transfers, from the State Almshouse at Tewksbury and to a lesser degree from the State Almshouse at Bridgewater to the State Almshouse at Monson (to 1872) and to the State Primary School (from 1866)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Files for 1854-1855, 1863-1871, 1878-1881, 1883 only
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Votes of Trustees of the State Primary and Reform Schools [Massachusetts State Primary School (Monson, Mass.).]
Scope and Content: The State Primary School, opened at the State Almshouse at Monson in 1866 and continuing after the almshouse’s closing in 1872 until 1895, provided lodging, instruction, and employment for dependent and neglected children under age sixteen without settlement in the Commonwealth and some juvenile offenders. From 1879 oversight of the school was vested in the Trustees of the State Primary and Reform Schools (St 1879, c 291, s 8; St 1880, c 208)–succeeding the school’s Board of Inspectors; they fixed State Primary School rules and regulations, placed inmates out of the Primary School with families, and transferred to the school inmates from the State Reform School and the State Industrial School. Series records decisions made at monthly meetings as transmitted to the school superintendent.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by meeting date
Notes: Files for 1879, 1889-1890, 1892-1893 (some incomplete) only. For a complete record see: Transcripts of votes of Trustees of the State Primary and Reform Schools, 1879-1895 ((M-Ar)901X)
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Placement evaluations [Massachusetts State Primary School (Monson, Mass.).]
Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth from 1854 to 1872. The State Primary School, opened at the almshouse in 1866 and continuing after its closing until 1895, provided lodging, instruction, and employment for dependent and neglected children under age sixteen without settlement in the Commonwealth and some juvenile offenders. Per St 1852, c 275, c 7, almshouse inspectors could place minor inmates out on trial with families, where they were often subsequently indentured. Later school inmates were similarly placed (originally by school inspectors–St 1866, c 209, s 7; then by school trustees–St 1880, c 208, s 1) and periodically monitored by the visiting agent of the Board of State Charities (St 1869, c 453, s 2; St 1870, c 359, s 2–in which called State Visiting Agency) and from 1879 by the Division of Visiting, Dept. of Indoor Poor, State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (State Board of Lunacy and Charity from 1886). Host families were also required to report regularly on the health, conduct, education, and religious training of inmates in their charge. Series consists of such reports to the almshouse (to 1866) or to the school (from 1866)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Files for 1862-1864 lacking
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Death certificates [Massachusetts State Primary School (Monson, Mass.).]
Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth from 1854 to 1872. The State Primary School, opened at the almshouse in 1866 and continuing after its closing until 1895, provided lodging, instruction, and employment for dependent and neglected children under age sixteen without settlement in the Commonwealth and some juvenile offenders. St 1855, c 366 required an annual report of deaths by the institution superintendent (in lieu of the town clerk) to the state secretary, based on: Death register, 1854-1895 ((M-Ar)413X), which is in turn is derived from these certificates, surviving only from the period after the almshouse closing.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Related Catalog Records:
Financial statements [Massachusetts State Primary School (Monson, Mass.).]
Scope and Content: The State Primary School, opened at the State Almshouse at Monson in 1866 and continuing after the almshouse’s closing in 1872 until 1895, provided lodging, instruction, and employment for dependent and neglected children under age sixteen without settlement in the Commonwealth and some juvenile offenders. The institution managed an annual budget to sustain operations. Attendant financial records include annual financial statements summarizing financial transactions and worth of the school.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Statement for 1882 lacking
Related Catalog Records:
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