I. Financial Affairs of the Society,, 1825-1884

Summary: Treasurer's Reports (1826-1881): These records include Treasurer's Reports presented to the Society. Bills and receipts can be found in the following subseries. These records report income from dues and fines, as well as expenditures. There exist several undated documents in this subseries. The Treasurer's Reports often appeared at the end of each semester. Many years, however, have more than two reports. Many of these reports may be informal accountings that were later copied into formal bound volumes. The bound volumes include Treasurer's Reports, account books, and fine books. The bound volumes of Treasurer's Records (which are collections of Treasurer's Reports) always indicate the name of the Treasurer at the top of the page while the loose reports are seldom authored. The account books list companies and persons to whom The Society owed money. The fine books represent fines incurred by members of The Society (for tardiness, absence, or excessively bad spelling). Each member was represented on a separate page.

Bills, Vouchers, Receipts: These bills, vouchers, and receipts record expenditures of the Society. Money was spent on books, periodicals, furnishings, oil, and wicks (replaced by gas light in 1852), ribbons, rosettes and badges, janitorial services, coal, locks and keys. These files are in loose chronological order. Many of these documents were written on scraps of paper.

Prudential Committee Records: The Prudential Committee was responsible for the disposition of funds for a variety of purposes, but mostly for payment of bills and obtaining services and supplies for the Society's hall. Separate committees were formed from time to time to procure stoves, lamps, carpets, desks, bookcases, and other items.