Per St 1778-79, c 49 (May 1, 1779), the Massachusetts General Court authorized the confiscation and sale of absentee estates for the benefit of the government. Resolves 1778-79, c 312 (Sept. 23, 1779) appointed various county committees to sell at public auction estates confiscated from prominent Loyalists named in the resolve. County committee actions, reflected in resolves passed Oct. 1779-May 1780, included sales, suspended sales, leases, and receipts deposited into the Treasury. Some records for these committees are found in: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Massachusetts archives collection ((M-Ar)45X), v. 280.
Resolves 1780, Oct Sess, c 95 (Nov. 29, 1780) appointed committees for each county to take charge of absentee real estate and personal effects from the Committee of Sequestration and to sell the same at public auction. Resolves 1783, Jan 1784 Sess, c 132 (Mar. 16, 1784) suspended sales of absentee estates and directed the committees to settle their accounts by June 10. As the treaty ending the Revolutionary War prohibited further confiscations, St 1783 c 69 (Mar. 24, 1784) specified that any absentee property not already sold or claimed for debt should be returned to its original owner.
From the description of Record of the Committee for the Sale of Estates of Absentees in Suffolk County, 1781-1785. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 191851233
