Castle Island payrolls for invalid pensioners, 1786-1788.

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Castle Island payrolls for invalid pensioners, 1786-1788.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/78544089

Fortifications at Castle Island, Boston Harbor, used since the 1640s for military and penal purposes, were rebuilt after being burned by evacuating British forces in 1776, and then manned by various militia troops, at times under the command of Paul Revere. A military garrison consisting of a company of men was established there in 1779; the island became the site of a prison facility for Massachusetts from 1785 to 1798. In Mar. 1786 the governor was authorized to order appropriate disabled (invalid) military pensioners to serve garrison duty (Resolves 1785, Feb 1786 Sess, c 134), while concern over limited space in the garrison for prisoners led to authorization of construction of a separate building for the prison (Resolves 1785, Feb 1786 Sess, c 166). Increase in the number of prisoners led in July 1786 to a general policy of placing disabled pensioners in the garrison (Resolves 1786, May Sess, c 123), a practice ended in Nov. 1788 (Resolves 1788, Oct Sess, c 73). Pensioners were paid both their existing pension and and increment for time spent as members of the garrison. Series consists of rolls drawn up quarterly by the garrison's commanding officer for submission to governor and council, which issued a warrant authorizing payment by the state treasurer, per Resolves 1786, Jan 1787 Sess, c 43 and Resolves 1787, May Sess, c 74.

1 file folder (partial doc. box)

Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives

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SNAC Resource ID: 8216648

Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Archives

Related Entities

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Massachusetts. State Prison (Castle Island, Mass.)

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Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6z934cb (corporateBody)

St 1832, c 166 authorized county commissioners in Massachusetts to grant liquor licenses to innholders and retailers. St 1852, c 322 (revised by St 1855, c 215) established state-wide prohibition, forbidding the sale of all liquor except for medicinal, chemical, or mechanical purposes. This was changed by St 1868, c 141, passed in April of that year, which authorized county commissioners (in Suffolk County specially-elected license commissioners) to issue licenses for the sale of liquor in their...

Massachusetts. Treasury Office

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Throughout the provincial period, Massachusetts towns were periodically assessed by the Treasury with taxes for the defraying of public charges and support of the government. This practice increased in importance and frequency during the Revolutionary War, as individual colonies became largely responsible for financial support of the war effort. Resolves 1777-78, c 398 (Oct. 9, 1777), dictated that all Massachusetts financial support of the war was thenceforth to be based on taxation only, with ...