Research

New York State Governor Executive Clemency Application Status Ledgers


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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:
Volumes in this series were used to track the status of applications to the governor for pardons or commutations of sentence. The volumes generally provide application number; date(s) of application(s); journal number and page; name; county; crime; court; date of sentence; term; name of prison and date received; date term expires; disposition (pardon or commutation granted or denied and date); and date of actual discharge.
Title:
Executive clemency application status ledgers
Quantity:

4 cubic feet

5 volumes

Inclusive Dates:
1883-1899
Series Number:
A0626

Arrangement

Numerical by application number, corresponding to a chronological arrangement.

Biographical Sketch

Article 18 of the 1777 State Constitution authorized the governor to grnt pardons and reprieves. This power was continued in the constitutions of 1821 and 1846 and expanded to include commutations by Article 5 of the Constitution of 1894.

Scope and Content Note

These volumes were used to track the status of applications to the governor for pardons or commutations of sentence. Volume 1 has pages labeled "Statement showing condition of applications for Executive Clemency" and overlaps in coverage with entries in Volume 2. Volumes 2-5 were originally labeled J, K, L, and M and are apparently the only extant lettered volumes in this now fragmentary series. The volumes generally provide the following information (with some variations in format and inclusiveness) about the status of clemency applications: application number; date(s) of application(s); journal number and page (volumes 2-5 only; no indication of what journals are being cited); name; county; crime; court (volumes 2-5 only); date of sentence (volumes 2-5 only); term; date received at prison; date term expires; prison; disposition (pardon or commutation granted or denied and date); writ to (volume 2-5 only; gives name of person, e.g. prison warden, to whom writ was delivered); and date of actual discharge (volumes 2-5 only)

Related Material

Series A0629, Executive Clemency and Pardon Application Ledgers and Correspondence, and Series A0597, Executive clemency and pardon case files, contain related Governors' records.

Other Finding Aids

Available at Repository

Series A0629, Executive Clemency and Pardon Application Ledgers and Correspondence, includes index volumes providing rough alphabetical name indexes to volumes 2-5 of this series.

Volume list.

Custodial History

Volume 18 of series A0629, Executive Clemency and Pardon Application Ledgers and Correspondence, was previously filed as volume 3 of this series.

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.

Access Terms

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