Massachusetts Archives
Accounts of Guardians of the Dudley Indians, 1801-1857 (bulk 1801-1846)
Detail from:
Accounts of Guardians of the Dudley Indians 1809
In the 18th century, the Massachusetts government began the practice of appointing "guardians" for every Massachusetts Indian tribe. These guardians were generally Anglo-American gentry, usually lawyers or businessmen. By the terms of their appointment, they were given the power to handle all legal and financial matters on behalf of each tribe, including allotting the land and resources that belonged to each tribe to its members, leasing portions of those lands to white farmers, and using the funds gained from this and the selling of resources to support poor and elderly members of the tribe. The guardians then reported their transactions to the Massachusetts General Court.
These records contain the annual financial accounts from the guardians of the Dudley Indians, who oversaw one tribe of the Nipmuc people, then living on a reservation in the town of Dudley, Massachusetts. The records (from 1801-1846, with a few other documents from 1857) are arranged chronologically by fiscal year. From 1801-1830, this is from May through April. From 1830-1846, accounts were rendered in January of each year.
Each report includes information on expenditures for provisions, labor, and medical care on behalf of poor and elderly Native American people. These usually take the form of individual accounts, organized by recipient. There is often also an accompanying note from the guardian to the state treasurer asking for payment of the amount listed. Sometimes, detailed statements of medical care and charges are included, such as in 1817 and 1830. A census of the Dudley Indians from 1835 is included in these records as well.
These records contain the annual financial accounts from the guardians of the Dudley Indians, who oversaw one tribe of the Nipmuc people, then living on a reservation in the town of Dudley, Massachusetts. The records (from 1801-1846, with a few other documents from 1857) are arranged chronologically by fiscal year. From 1801-1830, this is from May through April. From 1830-1846, accounts were rendered in January of each year.
Each report includes information on expenditures for provisions, labor, and medical care on behalf of poor and elderly Native American people. These usually take the form of individual accounts, organized by recipient. There is often also an accompanying note from the guardian to the state treasurer asking for payment of the amount listed. Sometimes, detailed statements of medical care and charges are included, such as in 1817 and 1830. A census of the Dudley Indians from 1835 is included in these records as well.
