How one juvenile court helps to make child labor legislation effective

by Mabel Brown Ellis.

Petition to the Massachusetts General Court, 1826 January

Six drafts of a letter.

To the Justices of the Police Court of Boston, 1828 April

Draft of a complaint against the boys in Croswell's neighborhood.

Complaint to the Police Court of Boston, 1831 November 18

One draft of a complaint regarding noisy neighbors.

Memorials to the Massachusetts General Court, 1833-1834

Ten drafts of letters to the Massachusetts General Court written between February 1833 and March 1834.

Petition of Sever and Welsteed to the General Court (manuscript copy), [1723 June-August]

Two folio-sized leaves containing a two-page handwritten copy of the June 21, 1723 petition of Sever and Welsteed requesting the question of non-resident Fellows in the Corporation be readdressed by the General Court, and a one-page handwritten copy of the answer to the petition passed by the General Court on August 7, 1723. The text of the petition begins "Sheweth that we have formerly represented to the Overseers of the College the Difficulty we were under in the business of it by reason of our not being vested with the power of its Charter..." The petition is incorrectly dated as "June 24th 1722" instead of 1723.

Petition to the General Court (photostat copy), 1646 May 15

Photostat copy of a petition from ferrymen James Heyden and Francis Hudson requesting compensation for unpaid fares of "magistrates & deputyes" using the ferry.

Petition to the General Court (photostat copy), 1662

Photostat copy of a petition from ferrymen Francis Hudson and John Burrage requesting the General Court coin twopenny and fourpenny pieces for change so the ferrymen could accommodate customers attempting to pay with larger currency denominations.

Draft of a petition to the General Court from the Corporation, 1743 October 26-27

Two-page handwritten draft of a petition to the General Court signed by President Edward Holyoke, and a half-page letter that accompanied the draft from President Holyoke to Tutor Flynt, a member of the Committee to draft the petition.

[Grants of the General Court for 1737 and 1750 to President Holyoke], undated

One folio-sized leaf containing a handwritten list of grants received by President Holyoke from the Massachusetts General Court between 1737 and 1750, presumably copied from a record book cited as "M.S. No. II," pages 26-56.

Members of the General Court, 1798-1799

Notebook with paper cover containing a handwritten list of the members of the Massachusetts General Court arranged by county and town. Pearson identified characteristics of the politicians including whether they were chosen by the people or Legislature, were for or against the College, were for or against the Virginia Resolutions, and whether they were "a good Federalist."

Memorial of the President and Fellows of Harvard College to the General Court for the enlargement of their power to hold real estate. Copy, [1797 July 15]

Four folio-sized leaves containing a handwritten copy of a petition to the Massachusetts General Court from the Harvard Corporation requesting the College's amount of tax exempt real estate be enlarged.

Lists of books granted to Harvard by the Massachusetts General Court, ca. 1778

The books listed were sequestered from "Cox & Berry's Collection" (British booksellers Cox and Berry) and from Province House, home to the royal Governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony prior to the American Revolution. To the left of each book's title is a number indicating how many copies of that title were received.

The report of the committee about Harvard Coledge: presented to the Generall Court held the 3 of (3) month, 1654

Two folio-sized leaves with a handwritten draft of the May 3, 1654 report of a General Court Committee authorized to investigate the financial state of Harvard College. The report responds directly to eight questions raised in the September 10, 1653 Order of the General Court that established the Committee. The report provides summaries of Harvard's income sources and disbursements, offers recommendations regarding the President's salary and the allowances for the academic Fellows, steward, butler, and cook, and indicates specific contributions from local towns.