Massachusetts. State Almshouse (Monson, Mass.)

St 1852, c 275 authorized the building of three state almshouses for paupers without settlement in the Commonwealth as certified by overseers of the poor or other local authorities, each with a superintendent and three inspectors who could bind out minors as apprentices. St 1853, c 352 appropriated funds for almshouses in Bridgewater, Monson, and Tewksbury, which opened in 1854. St 1855, c 366 provided for recording by the almshouse superintendent of birth and deaths and the making of annual returns to the state secretary. St 1856, c 171 placed local certification procedures for admission under jurisdiction of the Board of Alien Commissioners. St 1856, c 446, s 4 held municipalities liable for expenses for paupers found to have settlement. St 1858, c 168 authorized superintendents to contract out and discharge paupers who would work; those who refused forfeited state support. St 1859, c 255 authorized the Board of Alien Commissioners to transfer paupers between state almshouses and lunatic hospitals or to discharge and send them out of state. St 1854, c 437 had banned admission of the dangerously insane; St 1865, c 162 based admission of cases of smallpox or other dangerous disease solely on determination of state authority. St 1863, c 240 placed almshouses under jurisdiction of the Board of State Charities.

Almshouse children under age sixteen (along with those transferred from other almshouses) were segregated at Monson in a State Primary School established at the almshouse per St 1866, c 209. The State Almshouse at Monson itself was discontinued per St 1872, c 45, and most inmates (i.e., adults) were transferred to the State Almshouse at Tewksbury, although some (s 3) were transferred for support or temporary custody as helpers (along with their children under age three) at the State Primary School (Board of State Charities. Annual report. 9th, 1872 (PD 17: Jan. 1873)), while the almshouse superintendent and inspectors continued responsible for the school (s 4)

NAME AUTHORITY NOTE. Series relating to the agency described above can be found by searching the following access point for the time period stated: 1854-1872--Massachusetts. State Almshouse (Monson, Mass.)