Albany Common Council Meeting Minutes

Established by the Dongan Charter in 1686, the Common Council consisted of aldermen elected from each of the wards of the city, their assistants, and the mayor or recorder. As the number of wards in the city grew, the number of elected aldermen grew as well. The governing body was responsible for enacting laws for the city.

This series contains 104 volumes of Albany (City) Common Council Minutes and, in addition, Mayor's Court Minutes (1736-1737) and Minutes of the Executive Sessions (1870-1884). There is no volume 1. Volume 2, which does not include original minutes, contains the translation and synopsis from the Dutch (per vote of the Common Council in 1842) of part of the Proceedings of the Commissioners of Magistrates (1676-1685) and the whole of the Proceedings of the Justice of the Peace in 1686. Volume 3 begins the Minutes proper. Volumes that are missing from the collection are volume 8 (1746-1772); volume 87 (1894); and volume 88 (1895). (Note that volume 90 is wrongly marked volume 88.)

Microfilm.

Container list and volume list available.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.