Scope and Content: The State Almshouse at Monson provided residence for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth from 1854 to 1872. St 1852, c 275, s 6 provided for gubernatorial appointment of a three-member Board of Inspectors to establish and enforce almshouse rules and regulations, monitored through weekly visits; to bind out minor inmates as apprentices; and to return inmates to their place of origin. St 1866, c 209, s 2 gave the board similar powers over inmates at the State Primary School, established at the almshouse in 1866 and providing lodging, instruction, and employment of dependent and neglected children under age sixteen without settlement in the Commonwealth and some juvenile offenders. St 1872, c 45, s 4 continued the school under the same board after the almshouse closing. Series documents monthly meetings of the board until three years before its abolition and replacement by the Trustees of the State Primary and Reform Schools per St 1879, c 291.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by meeting date
Related Catalog Records:
Minutes of the Board of Inspectors [Massachusetts State Primary School (Monson, Mass.).]
Weekly reports of admissions and discharges at the State Primary School [Massachusetts State Board of Lunacy and Charity]
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. Series was created to report their admission to and discharge from the institution on a weekly basis to the parent state agency–Board of State Charities; from 1879, State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity; from 1886, State Board of Lunacy and Charity.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Spine title: State Primary School returns
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Register of weekly admissions and discharges [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. Series was created to administer and record their admission to and discharge from the institution on a weekly basis.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Volume 1: Oct. 1876-Sept. 1882. Volume 2: Sept. 1882-July 1890. Volume 3: Aug. 1890-June 1895. Reel GSU 451: Oct. 1876-Feb. 1895. Reel GSU 452: Feb.-June 1895
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Orders of admission [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. Series was created to administer their admission to the institution as follows:
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Files for 1870, 1876-1878, 1883, 1886, 1889-1890, 1892-1894 only; pre-1889 files fragmentary. Box 1: 1870-1890. Box 2: 1892-1894. Reel GSU 447: 1870-1892. Reel GSU 448: 1892-1894
Related Catalog Records:
Letters of placement recommendation [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). These offices (and the almshouse inspectors before them) also visited and approved homes before placement, requiring recommendations on behalf of applicants for placed inmates (St 1869, c 453, s 3; St 1870, c 359, s 4). Series was created to administer this process.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Related Catalog Records:
Indentures and agreements [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–1866, c 209, s 7; then by school trustees–St 1880, c 208, s 1). If indenture or similar placement on a term basis was agreed upon, an indenture form or official agreement was drawn up between the inspectors/trustees and the person undertaking to train, educate, and board the inmate until his/her eighteenth birthday (originally twenty-first for boys).
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Indentures and agreements, 1854-1890 (2) Annulled indentures and agreements, 1861-1880; Arranged within each subseries chronologically
Notes: Both subseries likely incomplete; bulk of documents from 1860s and early 1870s. Many records in duplicate, as originally drawn up. Reel GSU 448: Subseries (1), 1854-1857. Reel GSU 449: Subseries (1), 1857-1866. Reel GSU 450: Subseries (1), 1866-1890; Subseries (2)
Related Catalog Records:
Incoming correspondence [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. Series consisting of incoming correspondence, generally addressed to the institutions’ superintendent, was maintained to administer them.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Formerly known as: General correspondence. Files for 1854-1871, 1878-1883, 1889-1890, 1892-1894 only
Related Catalog Records:
Admission registers [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. Series was created to administer and record their admission to the institution.
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Full admission (2) Support or temporary custody; Arranged within each Volume by school no./chronologically by admission date
Related Catalog Records:
Correspondence concerning placement applications [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. Inmates were placed out on trial (often subsequently indentured) with families (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). These offices also visited and approved homes before placement (St 1869, c 453, s 3; St 1870, c 359, s 4). Series was created to administer such approval.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Vols. 2-4 formerly part of: Outgoing correspondence ((M-Ar)882X) Contents: Apr. 1882-Oct. 1883; Novolumes 1883-Jan. 1887; Feb. 1887-May 1891; May 1891-Apr. 1895
Related Catalog Records:
Boarding out register [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. Inmates were placed on trial (often subsequently indentured) with families; per St 1880, c 208, s 1, inmates too young or otherwise handicapped to earn their support were placed on board with families, the state paying attendant costs. Series was created to monitor program and costs.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Related Catalog Records:
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