New volumes: Boston, MA: Provident Institution for Savings, 1817-1882

Detail from the front matter of One Hundred Years of Savings Bank Service

Today we’ve added three new volumes to Boston, MA: Provident Institution for Savings, 1817-1882.

The new volumes are:
Waste Book 1A, 1817-1820
Waste Book 1B, 1820
Waste Book 1E, 1822-1824

The Provident Institution for Savings in the Town of Boston was one of the first savings bank to be incorporated in the United States. About 80% of the individuals represented in the early records of this bank were immigrants to Boston. The Waste Books provide lists of daily transactions that happened at the bank–often one person is depositing money in benefit of another person. Residence locations are provided (usually a town), and occupations are often recorded.

If you are interested in the subject of bank records in general, be sure to watch genealogist Eileen Pironti’s webinar, Using Bank Records in Family History Research.

This database is still a work in progress. When complete, the database will contain 6 signature books and 6 “waste” (transaction) books. One signature book and four waste books are currently available.

This database is possible through our partnership with the Boston Athenaeum. The Boston Athenaeum holds the original record books and performed the digitization of all the images. The full collection at the Boston Athenaeum is Provident Institution for Savings in the Town of Boston Records.

We’d like to thank volunteers and interns Paul McCool, Amanda Opalenik, Katherine Pozgay, Annie Tucker and Kennedy Smith for their work on this update.

Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.