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

2 Sarah Battells

3 Sarah Boleson

No. 2

4 Mary Whitehead

3

6

3

6

5 Maratha Kingstone

6 Sarah Bumstead

No. 3

7 Penelope George

3

6

3

10

8 Eliza. Coombs

9 Ester Warden

<John Cushing> gone to servis Children of 6 & 7 years

10 Thos. Field

Margaret Blake

2 Children

No. 4

11 <Martha Colton> Ann Tyley

<Mary Blake> gone to Workhous

2

4

2

8

14 Mary Fleet & 2 Children

16 Martha Colton & Daughter

No. 5

17 James Mellins

Dead

3

6

3

4

18 David Osborne

Ebenzr. Grater

No. 6

19 William Morto

<John Dewen> gone

Phillip More

5

10

5

8

20 Thos. Bickford

<Robert Feathergill>

Dead

21 John Finley

Room No. 7

22 Sarah Mead

23 <Sarah Green> Dead

7 in all

24 Sarah Peirce

4

8

4

12

<Susanna Newcomb>

<gone to Servis> Return’d again

27 2 Children Sarah Wincot & Child

No. 8

28 Hepsibeth Griffith

<Mary Davis> Dead

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

35 Susanna Lynde &

4

8

4

12

36 Daugr. 11 Years Old

37 Mary Brisco

38 Sarah Stover

40 Sarah Harding & Child

43 3 Children

10

44 Eliza Skinner

Mary Gullion

45 Kathn. Legg & Child

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>

49 Benja. Phillips

3

6

3

6

50 Saml. Marion

Thos. Odel Lodges in the house only

Ebenzr. Grater

No. 14

51 Hannah [Crehose?] & Sarah Roads

52 Mary Crumpton No. 15 &

53 Mary Crumpton

Susana Dix

54 Eliza. Mccurde

Eddy Child

3

6

3

10

Eddy Joanna <Savage> & child

55 <Margaret Buckly>

No. 15

Dead <Owen Cunningham & Thos. Odell>

4

8

4

4

No. 16

56 Sarah Rice

4

8

4

16

57 Mary Mortgaridge

58 Abigail Lynch & 5 Children

No. 17

64 Sarah <Livingston> Livett

3

6

3

6

65 Sarah Jones 92 yrs. old

66 Mercy Ryland Margaret Clefton young man

No. 18

67 Mary Ann Anderson

68 Jane Champion

4

8

4

12

70 Margaret FitchGerald & Child

72 2 Negro Women Hagar & Rachel

No. 19

73 Rebecca Burnet

Edward McGowen Mary McGowen & Child

4

8

4

10

74 Ann Ashley

75 <Eliza. Garnes>

76 Eliza. Copp

78 <Jane Thompson> a Child

gone

No. 20

79 Nathl. Gordon

80 John Hughes

81 <Delve a Dutchman>

Christopher Delve

5

10

5

10

82 Tho. Plaisted

<Wm. Saymore> gone away Mrs. Dyer

21

85 Mary Wyat & 2 Children

86 Eliza. Gray

2

4

2

2

22

87 Content Gordon

88 Mary Water<house>man & 2 Children

2

4

2

6

Sepr. 4 Layd. 3 weeks

No. 23

91 Hannah Ivory

92 Eliza. Lewis

5

10

5

12

93 Mary Harr all

95 Mary ann Sack & 2 Children

97 Phebe Randal

No. 24

98 Ann Hogg

99 Mary Higgens

4

8

4

10

100 Jane Young

104 Mary Linnington & 3 Children

No. 25. & <26>

Eddy & wife

1

2

1

2

106 Macks Room the Hall & Chairs

No. 27

107 John Warrick

108 Thos. Dilla

109 John Dinsdell

4

8

4

8

110 Thos. Frazier

No. 28

111 Mary Monk

3

6

3

8

112 Susanna Jackson

113 Mary Heath & 1 Child

No. 29

115 Benja. Storrer & susana his Wife

2

4

2

8

116 Eliza. Bill

117 Abigail Dawson

No. 30

118 Thos. Mason

4

8

4

8

119 <John Mccollam>

121 John Preston and Danl. Mondon

No. 31

123 Eliza. Peirce and Mary Thorn

2

4

2

4

No. 32

124 Desire Hawes

3

6

3

6

125 Sands Gibbon

126 Christophr. Thornton

No. 33

127 Jane Taylor

3

6

3

12

128 Mary <Freeman> Shaw

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