Boston City Council (1822–1909) Explained

Boston City Council
House Type:Bicameral deliberative assembly of the City of Boston (Massachusetts, U.S.)
Houses:Boston Board of Aldermen
Boston Common Council
Constitution:Boston City Charter (1822)
Members:Changed over time
Foundation:May 1, 1822
Disbanded:1909
Preceded By:Boston Board of Selectmen
Succeeded By:Boston City Council (unicameral)

From 1822 until 1909, Boston's legislative body was bicameral, with a Board of Aldermen that was elected at-large and a much larger Common Council that was elected from multi-member electoral districts (wards). This city legislature was replaced in 1909 with the unicameral body that is the modern Boston City Council.

Description

Prior to 1822, Boston was governed by the Boston Board of Selectmen. Boston voted in 1822 to incorporate as a city and adopted the Boston City Charter. On May 1, 1822, the Boston Board of Selectmen ceremonially handed over the city to the new government consisting of the newly-established City Council and the newly-established mayoralty.[1]

Under this original Boston City Charter, between 1822 and 1909, the city's legislative body was bicameral. This legislature, known as the Boston City Council, consisted of a Board of Aldermen that was elected at-large and a much larger Common Council with members that was elected from multi-member wards.[2] This Boston City Council existed along with a mayoralty that was established by the charter.[3]

When the Boston City Charter was rewritten in 1909, the Boston City Council was recreated as a nine-member unicameral body.[4]

Common Council

Presidents of the Boston Common Council

The Common Council was led by a president. The following table chronologically lists the tenures of individuals in this position:

Presidents of the Boston Common Council (1822–1909)
NameTenure
1822
John Welles 1823
Francis Johonnot Oliver 1824–1825
John Richardson Adan 1826–1828
Elliphalet Williams 1829
1830–1831
1832
1834–1836
1837–1840
Edward Blake 1841–1843
1844–1845
1846–1847
1847–1849
Francis Brinley 1850–1851
1852–1853
1854
Joseph Story 1855
1856–1857
Samuel Wallace Waldron 1858
Josiah Putnam Bradlee 1859–1860
Joseph Hildreth Bradley 1861
Joshua Dorsey Ball 1862
1863–1864
1865
Joseph Story 1866
Weston Lewis 1867
Charles Hastings Allen1868
William Giles Harris 1869
1870
Matthias Rich 1871
Marquis Fayette Dickinson Jr. 1872
Edward Olcott Shepard 1873–1874
1875
1876
Benjamin Pope 1877–1878
1879
Harvey Newton Shepard 1880
1881
Charles Edward Pratt 1881–1882
James Joseph Flynn 1883
John Henry Lee 1884
1885–1886
David Franklin Barry 1886–1888
1889–1890
David Frankin Barry 1891
Christopher Francis O'Brien 1894–1895
1896–1897
Timothy Lawrence Connolly 1898
Daniel Joseph Kiley 1899–1901
Arthur Walter Dolan 1902–1905
William John Barrett 1906–1907
1908
George C. McCabe 1909[5]
Gallery of Presidents of the Boston Common Council (partial)
William Prescott Jr.
(1822)File:John P. Bigelow 5210004 015 012 (3x4).jpg
John P. Bigelow
(1832)File:Josiah Quincy 5210004 015 011 (3x4).jpg
Josiah Quincy Jr.
(1834–1836)File:Philip Marett - A. H. Ritchie (briefmemorialofp00bald - cropped) (3x4a).jpg
Philip Marett
(1837–1840)File:Peleg Whitman Chandler.png
Peleg Chandler
(1844–1845)File:Hon. George S. Hillard (NYPL Hades-256315-431560) (cropped 3x4).tiff
George Stillman Hillard
(1846–1847)File:Benjamin Seaver 5210004 015 013 (3x4).jpg
Benjamin Seaver
(1847–1849)File:GovHenryJGardner.jpg
Henry Gardner
(1852–1853)File:Alexander H. Rice 5210004 015 015 (3x4a).jpg
Alexander H. Rice
(1854)File:George Silsbee Hale - 1899 (3x4a).jpg
George Silsbee Hale
(1863–1864)File:Capt. (William) B. Fowle - DPLA - 322c9b650bdc62635e845cfc8f05ebea (page 1) (3x4).jpg
William Bentley Fowle Jr.
(1865)File:1880 Charles Hastings Allen Massachusetts House of Representatives.png
Charles Hastings Allen
(1868)File:1868 Melville Ezra Ingalls Massachusetts House of Representatives.png
Melville E. Ingalls
(1870)File:Marquis Fayette Dickinson Jr. (1840–1915).png
Marquis Fayette Dickinson Jr.
(1872)File:Halsey J. Boardman (a).png
Halsey J. Boardman
(1875)File:John Quincy Adams Brackett (3x4).jpg
John Q. A. Brackett
(1876)File:William Henry Whitmore (1836–1900).png
William Henry Whitmore
(1879)File:Harvey-newton-shepard---harvard-class-of-1871-portrait-at-graduation-and-in-later-life-1896 5477707048 o (3x4 a).jpg
Harvey Newton Shepard
(1880)File:1874 Andrew Jackson Bailey senator Massachusetts.png
Andrew Jackson Bailey
(1881)File:1888 Edward John Jenkins senator Massachusetts.png
Edward John Jenkins
(1885–1886)File:Joseph A. Conry (3x4a).png
Joseph A. Conry
(1896–1897)File:Horace G. Allen illustration (1).jpg
Horace G. Allen
(1889–1890)File:1913 Leo McCullough Massachusetts House of Representatives.png
Leo F. McCullough
(1908)

Board of Aldermen

Chairmen of the Boston Board of Aldermen

The Board of Aldermen was led by a chairman. The following table chronologically lists the tenures of individuals in this role:

Chairmen of the Boston Board of Aldermen[6]
NameTenure
1855
Phelham Bonney1856–1857
Joseph Wrightman1858
Silas Peirce1859
1860
Silas Peirce1861
Thomas Philiips Rich 1862
1863
Otis Norcross1864
George Washington Messinger 1865–1866 (1)
1867
George Washington Messinger 1868 (2)
Benjamin James 1869
1870
Charles Edward Jenkins 1871
Samuel Little1872
1873
John Taylor Clark 1874–1877
1878 (1)
1879–1881 (1)
1882 (2)
1883 (2)
Charles Varney Whitten 1884–1885
Charles Hastings Allen1886 (1)
Patrick John Donovan 1887
Charles Hastings Allen1888 (2)
1889
1890
Herbert Shaw Carruth 1891
John Henry Lee 1892–1893 (1)
Alpheus Sanford1894–1895
John Henry Lee 1896 (2)
Perlie Appleton Dyar 1897–1898
1898
David Franklin Barry 1899
Michael Joseph O'Brien 1900
James Henry Doyle 1901–1904
1905
Charles Martin Draper 1906
Edward L. Cauley 1906
William Berwin 1907
Louis M. Clark 1908
1909[7]
Frederick J. Brand 1909[8]
Gallery of Chairmen of the Boston Board of Aldermen (partial)
Silas Peirce
(1859, 1861)File:Otis Clapp Bea9bfc5445bcce53cb40c7cc0a10870 (1).jpg
Otis Clapp
(1860)File:Otis Norcross 5210004 015 018 (3x4a).jpg
Otis Norcross
(1864)File:Newton Talbot 1815 1904 Boston (1).png
Newton Talbot
(1870)File:Leonard R. Cutter 5210004 015 022 (3x4b).jpg
Leonard R. Cutter
(1873)File:Hugh O'Brien 5210004 015 028 (3x4a).jpg
Hugh O'Brien
(1879–1881, 1883)File:Solomon B. Stebbins 1 (1).jpg
Solomon B. Stebbins
(1878, 1882)File:1880 Charles Hastings Allen Massachusetts House of Representatives.png
Charles Hastings Allen
(1886, 1888)File:Homer Rogers (14595693367) (1).jpg
Homer Rogers
(1889)File:William Power Wilson (1852–1926) (1).png
William Power Wilson
(1890)File:Herbert Shaw Carruth 1 (a).png
Herbert Shaw Carruth
(1891)File:Joseph A. Conry (3x4a).png
Joseph A. Conry
(1898)File:Michael Joseph O'Brien (142868484) (1).jpg
Michael Joseph O'Brien
(1900)File:Daniel A. Whelton 5210004 015 034 (3x4a).jpg
Daniel A. Whelton
(1905)File:James Michael Curley (circa 1910) (1).jpg
James Michael Curley
(acting chairman in 1909)

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Boston Celebrates 200 Years . Boston.gov . 20 April 2023 . en . 29 April 2022.
  2. Web site: Devine . John . Research Guides: Boston (City) Departmental Reports: City Council Proceedings . guides.bpl.org . Boston Public Library . 7 April 2023 . en.
  3. Web site: Boston (Mass.). Common Council ArchivesSpace Public Interface . archives.cityofboston.gov . Boston Archives . 7 April 2023.
  4. O'Connor, T.H. (1997). Boston Irish: A Political History. New York: Back Bay Books.
  5. Web site: The Common Council's President . Newspapers.com . subscription . Boston Evening Transcript . 1 November 2022 . en . January 15, 1909.
  6. Web site: A Catalogue of the City Councils of Boston, 1822-1908, Roxbury, 1846-1867, Charlestown, 1847-1873 and of the Selectmen of Boston, 1634-1822: Also of Various Other Town and Municipal Officers . City of Boston Printing Department . 30 October 2022 . 45–48, 57–183 . en . 1909.
  7. Web site: Curley Names Committees . subscription . Newspapers.com . Boston Evening Transcript . 31 October 2022 . en . January 19, 1909.
  8. Web site: Chairman of the Aldermen . subscription . Newspapers.com . The Boston Globe . 31 October 2022 . en . January 26, 1909.