The Eighteenth Century Records of the Boston Overseers of the Poor (Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts) [Hardcover]

Eric G. Nellis (Editor), Anne Decker Cecere (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts | Publication Date: February 2001

The Eighteenth-Century Records of the Boston Overseers of the Poor constitutes the collection of the earliest and most complete set of records pertaining to poor relief in early America. In a substantial introduction, the editor Eric Nellis describes the process by which the Overseers of the Poor, a board made up of generally wealthy merchants elected by the town meeting, attempted to distinguish between the "deserving" poor, eligible for "outdoor" relief in their homes, and the "undeserving" poor, who were remanded to the rigors of the workhouse. Because each Overseer knew personally the recipients of public charity, researchers will find here a wealth of detail about the nature of poverty and welfare in eighteenth-century America. This selection of records includes admissions records from 1758 to 1800, births and deaths from 1756 to 1771, a census and inventory of the almshouse, as well as fragmentary financial records from the period.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eric G. Nellis is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Anne Decker Cecere is Secretary of the Association for Documentary Editing and formerly an Associate Editor of the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 991 pages
• Publisher: Colonial Society of Massachusetts (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962073741
• ISBN-13: 978-0962073748
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 2.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,023,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)