The Documents
The Almshouse Census and Inventory 1756
The Almshouse census and inventory manuscripts are not part of the Overseers collection at the MHS though they were most certainly produced by or for the Overseers in 1756. The two transcribed documents that are here presented together are identified as “A List of Persons . . . in the alms House” and “A List of Sundrys in the Alms House.” The documents are dated August 1756 and were likely drawn up then, and annotated later. While they may have been part of the vast Overseers Records held for decades by the City of Boston they became separated and appeared glued to the front leaf of volume one of the six volumes of children’s indentures that were the basis of Lawrence Towner’s study. When Towner did his research, the indenture records were in the City Clerk’s office at the Boston City Hall. Those records, and the attached Almshouse census and inventory, are now in the Manuscripts and Special Collections at the Boston Public Library. So far as we can determine, this is the only manuscript of its kind for the eighteenth-century Almshouse. Other eighteenth-century references to the Almshouse and Workhouse populations can be found in scattered references, mostly in the Boston Records, but the manuscript transcribed here is rare because of its identification of people, living arrangements, and inventory. There are no extant Almshouse admissions and discharge records for 1756 and so it is impossible to measure the lengths of stay of the occupants in this list. While there are comparable censuses for nineteenth-century Boston institutions, and for eighteenth-century institutions elsewhere in America, it is likely that this is the only glimpse we have into the eighteenth-century Boston Almshouse.
A List of Persons, Beds &c. in the alms House Augt. 1756
Room No. 1 vizt. | Beds | Ruggs & Blanketts | Prs. of Sheets | Shirts & shifts | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Mary Odlin |
3 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
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2 Sarah Battells |
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3 Sarah Boleson |
No. 2 |
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4 Mary Whitehead |
3 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
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5 Maratha Kingstone |
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6 Sarah Bumstead |
No. 3 |
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7 Penelope George |
3 |
6 |
3 |
10 |
||||
8 Eliza. Coombs |
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9 Ester Warden |
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<John Cushing> gone to servis Children of 6 & 7 years |
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10 Thos. Field |
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Margaret Blake |
2 Children |
No. 4 |
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11 <Martha Colton> Ann Tyley <Mary Blake> gone to Workhous |
2 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
||||
14 Mary Fleet & 2 Children |
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16 Martha Colton & Daughter |
No. 5 |
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17 James Mellins |
Dead |
3 |
6 |
3 |
4 |
|||
18 David Osborne Ebenzr. Grater |
No. 6 |
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19 William Morto |
||||||
<John Dewen> gone |
Phillip More |
5 |
10 |
5 |
8 |
|
20 Thos. Bickford |
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<Robert Feathergill> |
Dead |
|||||
21 John Finley |
22 Sarah Mead |
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23 <Sarah Green> Dead |
7 in all |
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24 Sarah Peirce |
4 |
8 |
4 |
12 |
||
<Susanna Newcomb> |
<gone to Servis> Return’d again |
|||||
27 2 Children Sarah Wincot & Child |
No. 8 |
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28 Hepsibeth Griffith |
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<Mary Davis> Dead |
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29 Sarah Richards child |
4 womn. [&] 3 Childn. |
|||||
<Anna Mason> |
gone to Servis |
4 |
8 |
4 |
14 |
|
32 3 Children |
||||||
34 Mrs Townsend / Sarah Boyles |
No. 9 |
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35 Susanna Lynde & |
4 |
8 |
4 |
12 |
|
36 Daugr. 11 Years Old |
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37 Mary Brisco |
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38 Sarah Stover |
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40 Sarah Harding & Child |
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43 3 Children |
10 |
||||||
44 Eliza Skinner |
Mary Gullion |
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45 Kathn. Legg & Child |
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46 <Sarah Rhoads> & Child |
Buckleys & child |
4 |
8 |
4 |
12 |
|
47 <Sarah Flyng> Dead |
11 |
Furniture of [J?] Davis |
12 |
||||
Mrs Garns |
||||
48 Rebecca Reed |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
13 |
|||||
Movd. <Saml. Edy> |
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49 Benja. Phillips |
3 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
|
50 Saml. Marion |
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Thos. Odel Lodges in the house only |
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Ebenzr. Grater |
51 Hannah [Crehose?] & Sarah Roads |
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52 Mary Crumpton No. 15 & |
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53 Mary Crumpton |
Susana Dix |
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54 Eliza. Mccurde |
Eddy Child |
3 |
6 |
3 |
10 |
|
Eddy Joanna <Savage> & child |
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55 <Margaret Buckly> |
No. 15 |
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Dead <Owen Cunningham & Thos. Odell> |
4 |
8 |
4 |
4 |
No. 16 |
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56 Sarah Rice |
4 |
8 |
4 |
16 |
|
57 Mary Mortgaridge |
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58 Abigail Lynch & 5 Children |
No. 17 |
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64 Sarah <Livingston> Livett |
3 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
|
65 Sarah Jones 92 yrs. old |
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66 Mercy Ryland Margaret Clefton young man |
No. 18 |
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67 Mary Ann Anderson |
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68 Jane Champion |
4 |
8 |
4 |
12 |
|
70 Margaret FitchGerald & Child |
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72 2 Negro Women Hagar & Rachel |
No. 19 |
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73 Rebecca Burnet |
Edward McGowen Mary McGowen & Child |
4 |
8 |
4 |
10 |
|
74 Ann Ashley |
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75 <Eliza. Garnes> |
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76 Eliza. Copp |
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78 <Jane Thompson> a Child |
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gone |
No. 20 |
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79 Nathl. Gordon |
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80 John Hughes |
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81 <Delve a Dutchman> |
Christopher Delve |
5 |
10 |
5 |
10 |
|
82 Tho. Plaisted |
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<Wm. Saymore> gone away Mrs. Dyer |
21 |
||||
85 Mary Wyat & 2 Children |
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86 Eliza. Gray |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
87 Content Gordon |
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88 Mary Water<house>man & 2 Children |
2 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
|
Sepr. 4 Layd. 3 weeks |
No. 23 |
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91 Hannah Ivory |
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92 Eliza. Lewis |
5 |
10 |
5 |
12 |
|
93 Mary Harr all |
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95 Mary ann Sack & 2 Children |
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97 Phebe Randal |
No. 24 |
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98 Ann Hogg |
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99 Mary Higgens |
4 |
8 |
4 |
10 |
|
100 Jane Young |
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104 Mary Linnington & 3 Children |
No. 25. & <26> |
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Eddy & wife |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
106 Macks Room the Hall & Chairs |
No. 27 |
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107 John Warrick |
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108 Thos. Dilla |
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109 John Dinsdell |
4 |
8 |
4 |
8 |
|
110 Thos. Frazier |
No. 28 |
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111 Mary Monk |
3 |
6 |
3 |
8 |
|
112 Susanna Jackson |
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113 Mary Heath & 1 Child |
No. 29 |
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115 Benja. Storrer & susana his Wife |
2 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
|
116 Eliza. Bill |
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117 Abigail Dawson |
No. 30 |
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118 Thos. Mason |
4 |
8 |
4 |
8 |
|
119 <John Mccollam> |
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121 John Preston and Danl. Mondon |
No. 31 |
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123 Eliza. Peirce and Mary Thorn |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
124 Desire Hawes |
3 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
|
125 Sands Gibbon |
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126 Christophr. Thornton |
No. 33 |
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127 Jane Taylor |
3 |
6 |
3 |
12 |
|
128 Mary <Freeman> Shaw |
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133 Eliza. Barger & 4 Children |
a List of Sundrys in the Alms House taken Augt. 1756
- In the Garrett vizt.
- A Large Parcell Old Cloths
- 19 Trunks Some wth. herbs &c.
- 8 Qts. fish
- 3 Bushell Beans
- a Desk wheel & Table
- some Old Chairs & Cask
- 2 Case Drawers
- 4 Old Ditto
- 7 Tables
- abt. 40 [Hopps l?]
- a Clothiers Frame & Tools
- 2 New Beds
- 8 Old Ditto
- 13 New Duffell Blanketts
- 2 New Pillows
- 1 Do. Old &c. &c.
- ______________________
- In the Meal Room viz
- a pr. steel yards
- a pr. Scale Beams & Weights
- a Meal Troth shovels &c.
- abt [½ ll.] Brown Sugar
- ______________________
- In the Yard
- about 200 Cord Wood
- 1 Cross cut Saw
- 2 hand Saws
- 1 Wood Ax
- Betel & Wedges
- 4 Live Hogs
- 6 Beds wth. Covering for Four
- In the Grainery &c.
- abt. 150 Bushell Rye
- 350 Bushell Corn
- ______________
- In the Kitchen vizt.
- 1 Large Copper
- 1 Brass Kettle
- 1 Brass Ladle
- 2 Do. Skimmers
- 5 Wood Trays
- 2 Platters
- 4 Large Earthen Pans
- 5 Do. Dishes
- 7 Milk Potts
- 2 Pitchers
- 1 Bell Meltle Mortar
- Pewter unweighd
- 3 dishes
- 3 plates
- 1 Bason
- 1 porringer
- 2 Table
- 1 Large Iron Slice
- 7 Trammells
- 2 pr. Dog / 1 pr. hand Irons
- 3 Iron Candle Sticks
- 1 Looking Glass
- ________________
- In the Cellar vizt.
- about 90 Gall. Mollasses
- 4 Barrells Pork wantg. 2 or 3 pieces
- 1 Large Chest
- 3 Smaller Do.
- part 2 Cask Pork
- 2 Brs. Hogs Fatt
- a parcell Empty Cask
- 2 Chests
- 1 Grindstone
- 1 hhd. Soap