New York House of Refuge Chaplain's Reports to the Indenturing Committee A2071

New York House of Refuge Chaplain's Reports to the Indenturing Committee

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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:

The Reformatory's Protestant chaplains functioned as "home visitation agents" or parole agents. They evaluated an inmate's former home, the master's home of an indentured inmate, or the home of a paroled inmate. The brief narrative reports may include master's name, residence, occupation and treatment of inmate; inmate's school habits and church attendance; residence, occupation, and economic status of inmate's family; conditions of inmate's house; whether inmate's family will take back inmate; and recommendations on returning inmate to family on parole.

Creator:

House of Refuge (New York, N.Y.)

Title:

New York House of Refuge chaplain's reports to the indenturing committee

Quantity:

3 cubic feet

Quantity:

1 volume(s)

Quantity:

1 35mm microfilm roll(s)

Inclusive Dates:

1863-1874, 1892

Series Number:

A2071

Arrangement

Chronological.

Scope and Content Note

These are brief narrative reports made by the reformatory's Protestant chaplains, who functioned also as "home visitation agents" or parole agents from 1863 until 1894.

Most of the volume contains reports for the period 1863 to 1874, by the chaplain who visited and evaluated an inmate's former home, the master's home of an indentured inmate, or the home of a "paroled" inmate. The reports end abruptly in 1874, and resume again for the year 1892 only. The name of the inmate is written in the margin beside each report. Depending on the reason for a visit, each report contains information about some of the following: master's name, residence, and occupation; master's treatment of inmate; inmate's habits of school and church attendance; residence, occupation, and economic status of inmate's family; conditions of inmate's house; whether inmate's family will take back inmate; and recommendations whether to return inmate to family on parole.