Newberry Library - A list of the prisoners now in His Majestys goal i.e., gaol in Boston in said county of Suffolk : manuscript, 1775 January 3

A list of the prisoners now in His Majestys goal i.e., gaol in Boston in said county of Suffolk : manuscript, 1775 January 3

Overview

Loading details...

You do not have the permission to view Original image

Open book A list of the prisoners now in His Majestys goal i.e., gaol in Boston in said county of Suffolk : manuscript, 1775 January 3

Title A list of the prisoners now in His Majestys goal i.e., gaol in Boston in said county of Suffolk : manuscript, 1775 January 3

Creator Otis, Joseph, 1709 or 1710-1788

Date 1775

Place Massachusetts--Boston

Language English

Subjects Prisoners, Jails, Crime

Summary List compiled by jailkeeper Joseph Otis of 15 prisoners held in the jail in Boston, Massachusetts, on 3 January 1775. Includes prisoners' names and the crimes they were accused of committing. Among the prisonsers was Samuel Dyer, jailed for assaulting and firing pistols at British officiers Col. Samuel Cleaveland and Capt. John Montresor on the main street of Boston in October 1774. The assault took place just months before the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War, the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Other prisoners on the list include two women, Lucy Purnam and Elizabeth Jones (jailed for theft), and an unnamed Black man accused of running away from his enslaver. The other prisoners were jailed for "breach of peace", assault, suspicion of rape, and theft.

Biographical/Historical Note Joseph Otis was born in 1709 or 1710 in Scituate, Massachusetts, to Capt. Stephen Otis and Hannah Ensign. He married Mercy Little (born 1724) in Scituate on 2 February 1740, and the couple had seven children: Joseph, Charles (died in early childhood), Mercy, Charles, John, Barnabas, and Molly. Joseph Otis was a representative of Boston and the keeper of the jail. He was also a mariner and the sheriff of Suffolk County. Otis and his descendants occupied for many years the house known as the "Old Two-Stacks," built around 1700 by his wife's family, the Littles. Joseph Otis died in Scituate on 11 September 1788 and is buried in the Union Street Cemetery.

Extent 1 item ; 32 x 20 cm

Format Early works, Registers, Manuscripts

Archival Collection Title Rudy Lamont Ruggles Collection

Link to Catalog View record

Call Number VAULT folio Ruggles 637

BibID 9911632534205867

Projects Tag US250 promotion

Rights Status No Copyright - United States

Contributing Institution Newberry Library

Newberry Open Access Policy The Newberry makes its collections available for any lawful purpose, commercial or non-commercial, without licensing or permission fees to the library, subject to these terms and conditions.

IIIF Resource Type Canvas

Size 4581px × 7247px 190.00 MB

Filename 9911632534205867_ruggles_637_000002.tif

Unique Identifier NL12Z0YO

Help Need help finding, searching, sharing, or downloading? Check out our help page!