Note on the Index

Abbreviations

Generally recognized abbreviations (govr., R.N., etc.) are used in this index. In addition, the following abbreviations occur:

B.W.I.: British West Indies

comdr.: commander

commnr.: commissioner

cllr.: councilor

Council of T. and P.: Council of Trade and Plantations

dep.: deputy

F.W.I.: French West Indies

g.: grantee of land in South Carolina

Ga.: Georgia

Georgia Soc.: Georgia Society L.I.: Leeward Islands

m.: one of the signatories of the petition of 13 October 1737 (No. 540), collectively described as 'merchants and planters in behalf of themselves and others trading to and interested in the British colonies in America'

Mass.: Massachusetts

N.C.: North Carolina

N.F.L.: Newfoundland

N.J.: New Jersey

N. Scotia: Nova Scotia

N.Y.: New York (colony)

Pa.: Pennsylvania

pres.: president

R.I.: Rhode Island

S.C.: South Carolina

spkr.: speaker

Va.: Virginia

W.I.: West Indies

Subjects

The following are the principal subject–headings in the index:

In most cases these headings direct the user to the colonies etc. where references will be found.

The colony being for almost all purposes the administrative unit of the empire, most of the subject–indexing will be found under the individual colonies. Subject sub–headings for the colonies are:

In practice, not every colony supplies material under each of these sub–heads. But the abstracts referring to each colony have been searched for such material; so that the absence under Barbados of a sub–heading Land Grants denotes that, in the opinion of the indexer, the volume contains no material bearing on this subject.

Colonies and the British Government

The institutions and officials chiefly concerned with the administration of the colonies appear in the index in the following forms:

COUNCIL OF TRADE AND PLANTATIONS

FANE, FRANCIS, legal adviser to Council of Trade and Plantations

HILL, THOMAS, secretary of Council of Trade and Plantations

PELHAM HOLLES, THOMAS, Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State

POPPLE, ALURED, secretary of Council of Trade and Plantations

PRIVY COUNCIL

PRIVY COUNCIL, COMMITTEE OF, FOR PLANTATION AFFAIRS

Relevant matter under each of these heads has been arranged by colonies. Thus all papers coming to or going from the Council of Trade and Plantations relating, for example, to Massachusetts are indexed under:

COUNCIL OF TRADE AND PLANTATIONS,

proceedings of, concerning

massachusetts

By consulting all the seven headings given above, a complete picture of the official business of the British Government relating to a particular colony should be obtained.