Oaths and Bonds for City Licenses on Vehicles, 1834-1866
Scope and Contents
Printed forms with manuscript entries. In most cases the record gives the type of license, the names of the licensee and the individual acting as his security, the amount of the bond, the date, and some reference to the conditions of the bond agreement. In some cases the addresses of the licensee and/or the security are also given. Some of the bonds are marked to signify cancellation or other alteration. These records may be useful in locating individuals in the city at a specific time and in identifying exact addresses for some of those individuals. They may also be valuable in studies of the early transportation system in New Orleans, both quantitatively and in identifying individuals active in the various aspects of that activity. A study of the role of those acting as security for the licensees may also be of interest, i.e., did they have a business interest in the activities carried out by the licensees beyond any fee that they may have charged for putting up the bond.
Dates
- Creation: 1834-1866
Creator
- From the Collection: Office of the Mayor (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Microfilm is available to researchers. Originals, if microfilmed, are closed for research. Unfilmed volumes are available for research.
Biographical / Historical
The 1805 city charter authorized the Mayor to "license all taverns and boarding houses, hackney coaches, or other carriages for the conveyance of persons for hire, and all carts and drays for the carriage of goods, or other articles for hire, subject to such restrictions as the said mayor and city council shall by ordinance direct." Beginning in 1814 the City Council implemented regulations setting forth the obligations of licensees and requiring that they subscribe "jointly and severally with another solvent person to the satisfaction of the Mayor," security bonds for the proper execution of those obligations. The amount of the bond varied according to the purpose or occupation being licensed.
Extent
36 Volumes
8 Reels (A portion of the subseries has been filmed on 8 microfilm reels. Volumes that are not on microfilm have been noted. )
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Repository Details
Part of the City Archives Repository
City Archives & Special Collections
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans LA 70112
504-596-2610
archivist@nolalibrary.org