New York State Comptroller's Office Ledgers for Bonds and Mortgages Held by the State of New York

Arranged roughly chronologically in four subseries, with one beginning on each of the years 1797, 1827, 1855, and 1878.

One of the duties of the Comptroller was to "loan upon good land security in this state, all monies which may at any time in the treasury not otherwise be appropriated . . .," taking a bond and mortgage in the same of the people of the State of New York, to sell those lands to the highest bidder taking obligations (i.e. mortgages and bonds) in return which he was to deliver to the Comptroller; a patent was to be issued by the Commissioners of the Land Office after cancellation of those obligations. Title III, Articles I and III of the Revised Statutes of 1827 codified the "duty of the comptroller. . . . to open accounts against any person, for any part or subdivision of any lot of land purchased from, or mortgaged to the state."

This series consists of ledgers of accounts showing debits and credits for bonds and mortgages held by the Comptroller for the State of New York. Each account gives: name of mortgagor or obligor; date and amount of bond; location of mortgaged property; interest due; and payments on principal and interest by cash or other credits. Most of the accounts are for sales of land from former Indian reservations and from unappropriated lands. Unappropriated lands are all unconveyed state lands, including those belonging to the Common School Fund, escheated lands, lands conveyed to the state for benefit of the Canal Fund, or by foreclosure of mortgage to U.S. Deposit Fund or any other loan by the state.

Former Indian reservations include the Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and other smaller ones. Unappropriated lands included unconveyed parcels in the Old Military Tract, New Military Tract, Onondaga Salt Springs Reservation, east side of the Niagara River (including Black Rock and Lewiston), and many tracts in the Adirondacks, including the Jay Tract, New Petersburgh, Brant Lake Tract, Iron Ore Tract, etc.)

The ledgers also contain a few accounts of loans to individuals, many accounts of loans authorized by statute to counties and towns for erection of public buildings and improvement of roads and bridges, and loans to academies and schools for construction (from School Fund).

A1335Series A1335, Register of Buyers of State Lands, 1818-1834, contains names which appear in the ledgers in this series.

Alphabetical name or location list at beginning of some volumes. Volumes 34, 37-43 index tracts within subseries. Series A1335, Register of Buyers of State Lands, 1818-1834, indexes parts of Subseries 1 and 2.

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