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Sir Francis Bernard, colonial governor of Massachusetts, compiled this 31-page manuscript report for British authorities at the conclusion of the French and Indian War (September 5, 1763). Bernard's report provides details about the colony's geography, economics, and government, along with administrative suggestions.

Sir Francis Bernard, colonial governor of Massachusetts, compiled this 31-page manuscript report for British authorities at the conclusion of the French and Indian War (September 5, 1763). Bernard's report provides details about the colony's geography, economics, and government, along with administrative suggestions. Bernard remarked on Massachusetts residents' loyalty to the crown, and believed that their sentiments compared favorably to those of other colonists.

• Pages 3-5: Geography of Massachusetts and border disputes with other colonies
• Pages 5-6a: Shipping and manufactures within the colony; trade with other colonies and Great Britain
• Page 7: Inhabitants' clothing and furniture
• Pages 7a-8: International trade
• Pages 8-8a: Illegal trade and its prevention
• Pages 8a-9: Soil quality; agriculture; and indigenous metals
• Page 9: Mines
• Pages 9a-10a: Estimated population; plans for a census
• Pages 10a-12: Military information, including manpower and information on Fort William and other military buildings
• Pages 12-13a: Indian population; conflicts with Native Americans
• Pages 13a-14: Imports and excises
• Pages 14-18: Constitution of government; offices and officeholders; payment of civil servants; potential for local peerage
• Pages 18-18a: Conclusion

• Great Britain "need not fear Trades & Manufactures set up here; since whatever is saved or gained here will be sent to Great Britain, to purchase other things." (6a)
• "The people here are very much tired of Negro Servants, & it is generally thought that it would be for the public Good to discourage their importations if it was not at present very inconsiderable, not one parcel having been imported this year as yet." (10)
• "In the beginning of the late War many perished by the Sword, but much more by the Diseases incidental to a Campaign." (10a)
• Respecting the native population, "These people who have for near a Century occasioned so much expence of blood & treasure to this Province are now in a manner reduced to nothing." (13)
• "Great & many are the inconveniences which arise to the Public, as well from the insufficiency as from the precariousness of the Salaries of the Chief Officers; which will never be remedied but by the Establishment of a sufficient & independent Civil List, out of which his Majesty may assign to the public Officers such salaries as the Dignity & duty of their offices should require: A regulation extreamly wanted in America, for which it would be very easy to provide a proper Fund." (16)
• "I know of no Colony where the Compact between the King & the People is better observed. The Royal Rights are never openly invaded: the utmost that is done, is to dispute what are Royal Rights." (16a)
• "On the other hand it would be objected on the behalf of the People to have a Council appointed & removeable by the Crown..." (17)
• "If these great matters were regulated, lesser things would mend themselves. In fine, a Civil List, an Independent middle Legislative Power, & a Court of Chancery with a few other regulations, which would follow of course, would give this Government as good a constitution as any in his Majesty's American Dominions: Especially as the People in general are as well inclined to his Majesty's Government, & as well satisfied with their subordination to Great Britain, as any Colony in America..." (18-18a)

The Massachusetts Bay (Colony) Treasury accounts contain records of expenditures by the Colony between May 1698 and May 1699.

James Taylor, Treasurer and Receiver General, recorded the Massachusetts Bay Colony Treasury accounts, which contain 36 pages of the colony's financial transactions between May 1698 and May 1699. The first few pages are composed of tax records for towns and counties in the colonies. This is followed by a list of payments to individuals for duties performed, which makes up the remainder of the volume. Many of the payments are to soldiers, judges, messengers, keepers of "French and Indian Prisoners of War" (p. 13), and providers of transportation. Also of interest is a payment of £50 to Increase Mather for his responsibilities as President of Harvard (p. 24). In addition, the accounts contain numerous references to Native Americans, who were regularly paid for their service in fighting other tribes. The accounts provide a thorough record of the Colony's many services and expenses for 1698-1699.

The Samuel G. Drake Additions and Corrections manuscript is comprised of 121 pages of corrections, revisions, and notes Drake compiled around 1866 while he edited a new edition of Francis Baylies's 1830 book An Historical Memoir of the Colony of New Plymouth.

This manuscript is broken up into chapters one through nine (excluding chapter five), totaling 91 items (121 manuscript pages). Each chapter title page contains lists of the sources Drake referenced in that chapter. In chapter one, Drake gave his justifications for editing Baylies's work and explained the extent of his contributions; he was primarily concerned with Baylies's lack of citations and the need to update the book with new information that arose since its initial publication.

In this manuscript, Drake synthesized new secondary sources alongside his own analysis of primary sources. He kept his own notes, including family trees and short biographies of individuals. For example, on page eight Drake sketched Elizabeth Poole's family tree, and on page seven he described his difficulty finding information for her short biography. At the end of chapter one, he listed all the towns of New Plymouth and gave brief histories of them. Drake also kept detailed footnotes throughout the manuscript to keep track of his sources, add commentary, and provide clarification. In some chapters, Drake dedicated two or three pages to copies of long excerpts from other sources. For example, in chapter four, he copied primary source letters from men who lived in Plymouth in the seventeenth century, like John Cotton and Josiah Minslow.

This manuscript, entitled The Number of Polls and the Value of rateable Estates within the Province of Massachusetts-bay during the year 1771, contains a detailed calculation of the total tax revenue generated by Massachusetts in 1771. The manuscript may be in the hand of George Chalmers.

This manuscript is entitled "The Number of Polls and the Value of rateable Estates within the Province of Massachusetts-bay during the year 1771." The figures are presented by county, with each county divided into towns; totals for each town and county are provided, as are totals for the entire colony, multiplied by current tax rates to provide a proportional and total amount of taxes owed in 1771. The information was presented to the House of Delegates.

• Suffolk: 8,446 (including Boston's 2,876)
• Essex: 11,697
• Middlesex: 8,987
• Hampshire: 6,779
• Plymouth: 6,163
• Barnstable: 3,478
• Bristol: 5,842
• York: 3,368
• Dukes: 692
• Nantucket: 1,130
• Cumberland: 2,683
• Lincoln: 1,844
• Worcester: 9,697
• Berkshire: 2,773

A "Recapitulation" shows a total count of 73,478 polls and a total estate value of £549,001 17s. 4d. Taxes accrued equal £382 14s. 0d. from polls, £617 12s. 6d. from estates, and £1000 6s. 6d. total.