Scope and Content: Massachusetts state almshouse inspectors had the power to place out for indenture minor almshouse inmates per St 1852, c 275, s 7. From 1863 they came under the jurisdiction of the Board of State Charities, which oversaw the Massachusetts state immigration and pauper relief functions, as well the state’s charitable and correctional (reformatory only from 1870) institutions. In 1866 the board appointed a visiting agent, under its secretary, to track and visit state wards sent out to indenture. The Visiting Agency was made a separate department within the board in 1869 to investigate applicants wanting to adopt or indenture children, approve placements, conduct visits of children that were adopted, indentured, or otherwise placed out, and provide ongoing follow-up. Visitation work was continued by the Dept. of Indoor Poor, responsible for adults in state institutions and juvenile wards of the state over three years of age, upon formation of the successor State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity in 1879.
Related Catalog Records:
Register of indentures [Massachusetts Department of Indoor Poor]
Register of alien immigrants aided [Massachusetts Department of Outdoor Poor]
Scope and Content: The Massachusetts State Board of Lunacy and Charity (1886-1898) had responsibility to monitor immigration, including examining passengers, procuring passenger lists, collecting bonds or head money, returning passengers, and, through its Dept. of Outdoor Poor, caring for alien passengers requiring medical assistance who were not committed to state institutions. A Nov. 1882 contract between the state and the U.S. Treasury Dept. had provided federal reimbursement care of alien passengers requiring care within five years of landing at Massachusetts ports. Transfer of immigration authority from the states to the federal government occurred with the federal Acts of 1891, c 551. A Feb. 1892 contract with the board allowed federal reimbursement for state care of immigrants for their first year of residence and for state deportation of such immigrants.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by registration date
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Log of medical treatment of foundlings [Massachusetts Department of Outdoor Poor]
Scope and Content: Under the Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (1879-1886) and the State Board of Lunacy and Charity (1886-1898), the Dept. of Outdoor Poor was responsible for adults in need of state medical or general assistance not committed to state institutions under the board’s jurisdiction and for juvenile wards of the state under three years of age. When an infant was committed to the board, it was examined and treated by a medical officer of the department, and was often placed at the Massachusetts Infant Asylum (see: Massachusetts. Board of State Charities. Massachusetts Infant Asylum case histories, 1871-1879 (M-Ar) 541X)), or in a temporary home under the supervision of the board and its medical officers.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by first letter of surname
Related Catalog Records:
Histories of foundlings [Massachusetts Department of Outdoor Poor]
Scope and Content: Under the Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (1879-1886) and the State Board of Lunacy and Charity (1886-1898), the Dept. of Outdoor Poor was responsible for adults in need of state medical or general assistance not committed to state institutions under the board’s jurisdiction and for juvenile wards of the state under three years of age. Visitors for the department’s unit for the sick state poor were charged with determining the status of and care for foundlings or other deserted children, as had been done earlier done under the Board of State Charities (see: its Massachusetts Infant Asylum case histories, 1871-1879 (M-Ar) 541X)). Attempts were made to identify the parents of the deserted children, in order to procure sources of child support.
Arrangement: Arranged by case no./chronologically
Related Catalog Records:
Outside foundlings account books [Massachusetts Department of Outdoor Poor]
Scope and Content: Under the Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity (1879-1886) and the State Board of Lunacy and Charity (1886-1898), the Dept. of Outdoor Poor was responsible for adults in need of state medical or general assistance not committed to state institutions under the board’s jurisdiction and for juvenile wards of the state under three years of age. Series records amounts paid to temporary guardians for foundlings.
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Persons supported at the State Primary School, Monson, and at the State Workhouse, Bridgewater [Massachusetts Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity]
Scope and Content: St 1872, c 45 abolished the Massachusetts state almshouses at Monson and Bridgewater, with Bridgewater continuing as the State Workhouse and Monson as the State Primary School. All state paupers were to be transferred to the almshouse at Tewksbury, although the legislation indicated that state paupers could continue to be sent to Monson and Bridgewater as needed to help maintain the institutions. Under the jurisdiction of the Board of State Charities until 1879, and thereafter under the Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity, state paupers supported at the two institutions are listed in this volume, 1872-1881, with some discharge information into 1882. –Arranged by institution (Monson, Bridgewater), entries give name, age (primarily children at Monson), birthplace, age admitted, from (locality, State Almshouse i.e., at Tewksbury), sent by (state board or agent), condition (illness or well; from 1874, previous institutional number), discharged, how discharged (per state board, died), where sent (Boston, Primary School), remarks (old number, health, discharged at own request). Monson paupers were given support and temporary custody numbers 1-2209, 1872-Oct. 1881. Bridgewater paupers were given numbers 1-1149, 1872-Nov. 1881. Upon readmission both places assigned a new number, with old number shown in remarks.
Related Catalog Records:
F.B. Sanborn confidential letterbooks [Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity]
Scope and Content: The Board of State Charities, which had oversight of charitable and correctional institutions in Massachusetts, 1863-1879, was succeeded in this function by the State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Series (M-Ar)1658X refers to a similar earlier letterbook
Related Catalog Records:
Register of foundlings and dependent children [Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity]
Scope and Content: The Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity, which had oversight of state charitable institutions, 1879-1886, was directed by St 1882, c 181 to receive orphaned, poor, or neglected children without local settlement committed to its care by the Massachusetts courts. Series provides summary statistics kept by Inspector of Charities F.B. Sanborn of such children served under the board. The volumes contains separate sections with information on those receiving services from the board’s Dept. of Outdoor Poor (foundlings and indigent children under the age of three, persons having children in charge) and from the Dept. of Indoor Poor (neglected and indigent children over the age of three).
Related Catalog Records:
Annual reports [Massachusetts State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity]
Scope and Content: The State Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity was established in Massachusetts in 1879, replacing the State Board of Health and the Board of State Charities. In 1886 the State Board of Health was reinstated as a separate agency, the remainder of the larger board now being known as the State Board of Lunacy and Charity.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Public document, no. 17. Holdings: 1879-1882, 1884-1885 (no. 1-4, 6-7); 1883 (no. 5) lacking. Supplementary volumes relating to public health topics are cataloged with the annual reports of the State Board of Health ((M-Ar)HS6)
Related Catalog Records:
Single service case files [Massachusetts Department of Social Services]
Scope and Content: Pursuant to St 1978, c 552, the Dept. of Social Services since 1980 has provided a comprehensive social service program for families, children, and unmarried parents; the aging; and other adults and population groups with special needs. As part of its mandate, the department through its area offices provides counseling; legal, homemaker, educational, and training services; and services to prevent the need for foster care for children. Single service case files are created to determine, authorize, and provide individual services, such as day care, respite care, and homemaking, needed to support and stabilize the family, usually to allow the single parent to hold employment.
Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by client
Restrictions: Personal data restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s 7, d 26(c) and c 66A. For conditions of access consult repository
Related Catalog Records:
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