Flatlands, N.Y., Overseers of the Poor account book
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Abstract
The account book includes the record of financial transactions conducted by the Overseers of the Poor of Flatlands, Kings County, N.Y., from December 1807 until the Overseer position was abolished in April 1831. The journal includes both receipts and expenditures, which typically include reference to the recipient's name and the amount of cash or goods provided by the Overseers.
Biographical / Historical
Late eighteenth and early nineteenth century laws, such as those of New York State, established that local municipalities were responsible for relief of their poor residents. Overseers of the Poor were elected or named by each municipality to manage the program. "Outdoor relief," or direct support of the poor outside of an institutional structure such as an almshouse, was a common approach for towns to use. Such support could take the form of cash or goods provided to individual residents, but might also include arranging for their boarding. (See Raymond A. Mohl's Poverty in New York, 1783-1825, especially Chapter 4.)
In Flatlands, Overseers of the Poor existed from at least 1807 when the records in this collection indicate the establishment of a poor fund with 75 dollars. The Overseer position was abolished by the town on April 5, 1831, and the fund closed shortly after. (See the Garret Baxter entry for that date in the abstracts from his journal; typescript version in BHS at call number F129.B7.F529, page 109.) Among the individuals holding the position of Overseer over time were Garret Baxter, Abraham Wyckoff, and John H. Lott.
Arrangement
The collection consists of one item.
Scope and Contents
The account book includes the record of financial transactions conducted by the Overseers of the Poor of Flatlands, Kings County, N.Y., from December 1807 to April 1831. The journal includes both receipts (e.g., collections from the town supervisor, interest on obligations) and expenditures. Entries on expenditures typically include specific reference to the name of the recipient and the amount of cash or goods (e.g., beef, wood) provided by the overseers.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to users without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
The material is in the public domain.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Flatlands, N.Y., Overseers of the Poor account book, 2005.001, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The account book was donated to Brooklyn Historical Society in 2005 by Meredith Peterson Tufts, a descendant of Garret Baxter.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Larry Weimer in September 2011.