Thomas Gage warrants, 1763-1775
10 linear feet
The Thomas Gage warrants are financial documents authorizing payment for the British military forces in North America from the conclusion of the French and Indian War through the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The warrants are one series within the larger Thomas Gage papers. The Gage Warrants Finding Aid and Index provides additional information on the Gage Warrants and an itemized list of volumes 6-36.
The financial records contained in this collection represent financial accounts for British forces in North America from the conclusion of the French and Indian War to the beginning of the Revolutionary War. These documents are secretarial copies retained by Thomas Gage (1720-1787) for his personal records.
Types of documents in the collection:
- Subsistence warrants: Documents issued by Gage authorizing payment for regular salaries and rations.
- Warrants for extraordinary expenses: Documents issued by Gage authorizing payment for irregular expenses.
- Temporary warrants: Documents signed by Gage allowing financial advances.
- Annexed accounts: Detailed lists or accounts affixed to warrants, often including vouchers and receipts from various middlemen and agents. These may be lists of bills of exchange and are occasionally signed.
- Abstracts of accounts: Abstracts or explanations of complex accounts.
- Vouchers: Receipts showing payment.
- These may include:
- Bills of lading: Used when dealing with hired ships.
- Pay rolls: Listing of personnel, their occupations, and their wages.
- Invoices: Enumerating goods received.
- Bills of exchange: Calling for one party to pay a certain amount to a second party; may be accompanied by receipts.
The miscellaneous documents in the collection include:
- Memorials: Signed statements certifying that a service has been performed.
- Legal documents: Depositions, testimonies, contracts, or other witnessed and sworn statements.
- Discharges: Documents releasing men or vessels from military service.
- Wrappers: Papers in which documents were originally contained.
See the Gage Warrants Finding Aid and Index (pdf) for more information on the Gage Warrants and an itemized list of volumes 6-36.
See the finding aid for the Thomas Gage papers for a complete description of the collection.