Successive committees of the House of Representatives were appointed to receive, examine, and pass upon accounts submitted for payment for purchases and services approved by the Revolutionary Massachusetts General Court. From 1780, a joint standing committee of both houses of the Constitutional General Court (by at least 1782 known as the Committee on Accounts) performed the same function. Approved accounts were forwarded to the Council (for concurrence as of 1776), which issued warrants for payment by the Treasury. Series represents the accounting record for the period before 1786, at which time a settled procedure of account rolls (Account roll submissions ((M-Ar)9X); Account rolls (M-Ar)2268X)) was instituted. For a parallel series with some overlapping data see: Town accounts, 1775-1784 ((M-Ar)2266X). See also: Revolutionary War bills ((M-Ar)2578X), 1776-1785. Until June 1777 accounts were actually recorded by a committee of the Council (then also the upper house). Expenses are for guns, soldier mileage and other reimbursements to towns, mustering, printing, clerks and other state employees, coroner expenses, repairs to state property and government supplies, and support of state poor. Listings include date, payee, description of expense, and amount. Actual submitted bills, on which the accounts were based, may be found in part in: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Massachusetts archives collection (MA) ((M-Ar)45X), in volumes entitled: Accounts, including 255-265. Accounts are located as follows: (Council) Nov. 17, 1775-May 1776, June 1776-Jan. 1777, Jan. 24-Apr. 28, 1777 in MA 143: 80-160. (House) June 5, 1777-Nov. 26, 1779 in MA 141: 1-204; Nov. 26, 1779-Aug. 23, 1782 in MA 141: 331-625; Sept. 19, 1782-Mar. 24, 1786 in an account book, which also includes separate summaries at the end listing support of state poor, June 18, 1784-Mar. 21, 1786, and support of Charlestown poor, June 19, 1784-Mar. 24, 1786. There are also several leaves of unidentified origin, Aug.-Sept. 1775, listing payments by the Committee of Clothing to individuals for sundry articles, and Council warrants.
