The Scots Charitable Society in Boston
On January 6, 1657, twenty-eight �Scottish men� signed the Laws Rules and Order of the Poor Boxes Society� in Boston, New England, to form the Scots� Charitable Society. It is very likely the Society was founded in part to assist those destitute Scots captured by Oliver Cromwell at the battle of Dunbar in 1650 and the battle of Worcester the following year, who were sold as indentured servants to the London Company of Undertakers. It had been set up in London as a venture investing in the first successful iron works in America, the Iron Works at Lynn, now Saugus, in Massachusetts. Most of the indentured Scots were required to complete seven years of labour for the company, and it seems these indentures began to expire between 1655 and 1657 when the Scots� Charitable Society was formed.
Due to the �smallness of their Number� the Society seems to have been dormant from 1665 until 1684 when new Rules and Orders were written. Of the original 27 founders in 1657, only four returned with the re-organisation on 25th October, 1684, Alexander Simson, James Webster, William Gilbson and James Ingles. In total, 41 men signed the new Charter of Rules and Orders, which addressed a number of issues including the accounting and management practices. The treasurer was obliaged to invest the excess monies in the locked box in order to earn interest as income for the Society and it is first treasure was William Browne, who owed the Castle Tavern about 1674. Hugh Mulligan, blacksmith in Boston, was one of the 41 founding members and his signature has been preserved in two instances [see below]. In the first eight years between 1684 and 1692, a further 154 new members were admitted and this included John Mulligan (1685) and James Milliken (1698).
The following records have been abstracted by Rhonda Wilson and Alan Milliken in an effort to recover the earliest references to Hugh Mulligan, John Mulligan or Milliken and James Milliken found in the Records Relating to the Scots Charitable Society in Boston. As these records and other demonstrate, there is no evidence to suggest Hugh Mulligan was the father of John Mulligan as claimed in a number of sources. Hugh Mulligan, blacksmith, was already an inhabitant of the City of Boston in 1681, when his name appears in the earliest �Tax List of Boston� published in the First Report of the Record Commission of the City of Boston (1876). However, John Mulligan did not become an inhabitant of Boston until 1685.
In the Miscellaneous Papers of the Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston published in 1886 (Boston), there is �A List of Seuerall psons returned to ye Countie Courts at seuerall times not admitted nor aproned of by ye select men of Boston to be Inhabitants of ye Towne� dated from 1670 to 1686. In list dated 24th September, 1685, of 21 people returned to the County Court which notes �John Moligan, Carpentr at Tho. Smiths�, who appears to have become surety for him. The list also gives the name of �Tho. Palmer wife & 4 childrne from Charles towne'. Shortly afterwards, on 9th November, 1685, �John Moliken� was admitted to the Scots� Charitable Society and paid one shilling for his dues to the Society. He would remain a member of the Society of the rest of his life and payments to the Society have been faithfully preserved in the account records.
Charter of Rules and Orders
October 25, 1684
Signature of �Hugh Mulligan� in two articles issued this day. Firstly, he signed the new Rules and Orders re-organising the Scots� Charitable Society in Boston, and nomination of William Browne, shoemaker, to be collector and box master for one year.
Accounts of Money received Quarterly (name given as it appears in the records)
October 25, 1684
Hugh Mullikin, smith, paid 3 shillings
November 10, 1684
Hugh Mullikin, paid 1 shilling
May 5, 1685
Hugh Mullikin, paid 2 shillings
Note: There are no further references to Hugh after this date in the Society's records.
November 9, 1685
John Moliken, paid 1 shilling
February 1, 1686
John Mulliken, paid 1 shilling
May 3, 1686
John Molegen, paid 1 shilling
August 2, 1686
John Muliken, paid 1 shilling
August 1, 1687
John Moliken, paid 1 shilling
November 7, 1687
John Muliken, paid 1 shilling
February 6, 1688
John Milliken, paid 1 shilling
May 7, 1688
Jn Molliken, paid 1 shilling
November 12, 1688
John Muliken for last and this 2 shillings
February 4, 1689
John Moliken, paid 1 shilling
May 6, 1689
John Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
November 4, 1689
John Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
February 3, 1690
John Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
August 4, 1690
John Mulligan, paid last quarter and this, 2 shillings
November 3, 1690
John Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
February 1, 1692
John Muligen, paid last and this, 2 shillings
May 2, 1692
Jn Muligen, paid 1 shilling
August 1, 1692
John Muliken, paid 1 shilling
November 7, 1692
Jon Muliken, paid 1 shilling
February 13, 1693
Jon Muligan, paid 1 shilling
May 1, 1693
Jon Muligan, paid 1 shilling
August 6, 1693
Jon Muliken, paid 1 shilling
November 6, 1693
Jon Muligan, paid 1 shilling
February 5, 1694
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
May 7, 1694
Jon Muliken, paid 1 shilling
August 6, 1694
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
November 5, 1694
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
February 4, 1695
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
May 6, 1695
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
August 5, 1695
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
November 4, 1695
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
February 3, 1696
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
May 4, 1696
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
August 3, 1696
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
November 2, 1696
Jon Mulligan, paid 1 shilling
February 2, 1697
Jon Mullegan, paid last and this 2 shillings
February 1, 1698
John Stirling entries and gives �1 4 shillings
James Milliken entries and gives �1 4 shillings
James Robinson entries and gives �1 10 shillings
William Bailie entries and gives �1 10 shillings
May 3, 1698
James Milliken, paid 1 shilling 6 pence
August 2, 1698
James Milliken, paid 2 shillings
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