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.
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-memberwards.[2][3][4] This Boston City Council existed along with a mayoralty that was established by the charter.[2]
When the Boston City Charter was rewritten in 1909, the Boston City Council was recreated as a nine-member unicameral body.[3]
Common Counciledit
Presidents of the Boston Common Counciledit
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)[5]
^"Boston Celebrates 200 Years". Boston.gov. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
^ ab"Boston (Mass.). Common Council | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". archives.cityofboston.gov. Boston Archives. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
^ abO'Connor, T.H. (1997). Boston Irish: A Political History. New York: Back Bay Books.
^Devine, John. "Research Guides: Boston (City) Departmental Reports: City Council Proceedings". guides.bpl.org. Boston Public Library. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
^ ab"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. 1909. pp. 45–48, 57–183. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
^"The Common Council's President". Boston Evening Transcript. January 15, 1909. Retrieved 1 November 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Curley Names Committees". Boston Evening Transcript. January 19, 1909. Retrieved 31 October 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Chairman of the Aldermen". The Boston Globe. January 26, 1909. Retrieved 31 October 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
January 01, 1970
boston, city, council, 1822, 1909, from, 1822, until, 1909, boston, legislative, body, bicameral, with, board, aldermen, that, elected, large, much, larger, common, council, that, elected, from, multi, member, electoral, districts, wards, this, city, legislatu. 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 Boston City CouncilTypeTypeBicameral deliberative assembly of the City of Boston Massachusetts U S HousesBoston Board of AldermenBoston Common CouncilHistoryFoundedMay 1 1822Disbanded1909Preceded byBoston Board of SelectmenSucceeded byBoston City Council unicameral SeatsChanged over timeConstitutionBoston City Charter 1822 Contents 1 Description 2 Common Council 2 1 Presidents of the Boston Common Council 3 Board of Aldermen 3 1 Chairmen of the Boston Board of Aldermen 4 See also 5 ReferencesDescription editPrior 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 3 4 This Boston City Council existed along with a mayoralty that was established by the charter 2 When the Boston City Charter was rewritten in 1909 the Boston City Council was recreated as a nine member unicameral body 3 Common Council editPresidents of the Boston Common Council edit 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 5 Name Tenure William Prescott Jr 1822 John Welles 1823 Francis Johonnot Oliver 1824 1825 John Richardson Adan 1826 1828 Elliphalet Williams 1829 Benjamin T Pickman 1830 1831 John P Bigelow 1832 Josiah Quincy Jr 1834 1836 Philip Marett 1837 1840 Edward Blake 1841 1843 Peleg Chandler 1844 1845 George Stillman Hillard 1846 1847 Benjamin Seaver 1847 1849 Francis Brinley 1850 1851 Henry Gardner 1852 1853 Alexander H Rice 1854 Joseph Story 1855 Oliver Stevens 1856 1857 Samuel Wallace Waldron 1858 Josiah Putnam Bradlee 1859 1860 Joseph Hildreth Bradley 1861 Joshua Dorsey Ball 1862 George Silsbee Hale 1863 1864 William Bentley Fowle Jr 1865 Joseph Story 1866 Weston Lewis 1867 Charles Hastings Allen 1868 William Giles Harris 1869 Melville E Ingalls 1870 Matthias Rich 1871 Marquis Fayette Dickinson Jr 1872 Edward Olcott Shepard 1873 1874 Halsey J Boardman 1875 John Q A Brackett 1876 Benjamin Pope 1877 1878 William Henry Whitmore 1879 Harvey Newton Shepard 1880 Andrew Jackson Bailey 1881 Charles Edward Pratt 1881 1882 James Joseph Flynn 1883 John Henry Lee 1884 Edward John Jenkins 1885 1886 David Franklin Barry 1886 1888 Horace G Allen 1889 1890 David Frankin Barry 1891 Christopher Francis O Brien 1894 1895 Joseph A Conry 1896 1897 Timothy Lawrence Connolly 1898 Daniel Joseph Kiley 1899 1901 Arthur Walter Dolan 1902 1905 William John Barrett 1906 1907 Leo F McCullough 1908 George C McCabe 1909 6 Gallery of Presidents of the Boston Common Council partial nbsp William Prescott Jr 1822 nbsp John P Bigelow 1832 nbsp Josiah Quincy Jr 1834 1836 nbsp Philip Marett 1837 1840 nbsp Peleg Chandler 1844 1845 nbsp George Stillman Hillard 1846 1847 nbsp Benjamin Seaver 1847 1849 nbsp Henry Gardner 1852 1853 nbsp Alexander H Rice 1854 nbsp George Silsbee Hale 1863 1864 nbsp William Bentley Fowle Jr 1865 nbsp Charles Hastings Allen 1868 nbsp Melville E Ingalls 1870 nbsp Marquis Fayette Dickinson Jr 1872 nbsp Halsey J Boardman 1875 nbsp John Q A Brackett 1876 nbsp William Henry Whitmore 1879 nbsp Harvey Newton Shepard 1880 nbsp Andrew Jackson Bailey 1881 nbsp Edward John Jenkins 1885 1886 nbsp Joseph A Conry 1896 1897 nbsp Horace G Allen 1889 1890 nbsp Leo F McCullough 1908 Board of Aldermen editChairmen of the Boston Board of Aldermen edit This list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items April 2023 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 5 Name Tenure Benson Leavitt William Washburn 1855 Phelham Bonney 1856 1857 Joseph Wrightman 1858 Silas Peirce 1859 Otis Clapp 1860 Silas Peirce 1861 Thomas Philiips Rich 1862 Thomas Coffin Amory 1863 Otis Norcross 1864 George Washington Messinger 1865 1866 1 Charles Wesley Slack 1867 George Washington Messinger 1868 2 Benjamin James 1869 Newton Talbot 1870 Charles Edward Jenkins 1871 Samuel Little 1872 Leonard R Cutter 1873 John Taylor Clark 1874 1877 Solomon B Stebbins 1878 1 Hugh O Brien 1879 1881 1 Solomon B Stebbins 1882 2 Hugh O Brien 1883 2 Charles Varney Whitten 1884 1885 Charles Hastings Allen 1886 1 Patrick John Donovan 1887 Charles Hastings Allen 1888 2 Homer Rogers 1889 William Power Wilson 1890 Herbert Shaw Carruth 1891 John Henry Lee 1892 1893 1 Alpheus Sanford 1894 1895 John Henry Lee 1896 2 Perlie Appleton Dyar 1897 1898 Joseph A Conry 1898 David Franklin Barry 1899 Michael Joseph O Brien 1900 James Henry Doyle 1901 1904 Daniel A Whelton 1905 Charles Martin Draper 1906 Edward L Cauley 1906 William Berwin 1907 Louis M Clark 1908 James Michael Curley acting chairman 1909 7 Frederick J Brand 1909 8 Gallery of Chairmen of the Boston Board of Aldermen partial nbsp Silas Peirce 1859 1861 nbsp Otis Clapp 1860 nbsp Otis Norcross 1864 nbsp Newton Talbot 1870 nbsp Leonard R Cutter 1873 nbsp Hugh O Brien 1879 1881 1883 nbsp Solomon B Stebbins 1878 1882 nbsp Charles Hastings Allen 1886 1888 nbsp Homer Rogers 1889 nbsp William Power Wilson 1890 nbsp Herbert Shaw Carruth 1891 nbsp Joseph A Conry 1898 nbsp Michael Joseph O Brien 1900 nbsp Daniel A Whelton 1905 nbsp James Michael Curley acting chairman in 1909 See also editList of members of the Boston City CouncilReferences edit Boston Celebrates 200 Years Boston gov 29 April 2022 Retrieved 20 April 2023 a b Boston Mass Common Council ArchivesSpace Public Interface archives cityofboston gov Boston Archives Retrieved 7 April 2023 a b O Connor T H 1997 Boston Irish A Political History New York Back Bay Books Devine John Research Guides Boston City Departmental Reports City Council Proceedings guides bpl org Boston Public Library Retrieved 7 April 2023 a b 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 1909 pp 45 48 57 183 Retrieved 30 October 2022 The Common Council s President Boston Evening Transcript January 15 1909 Retrieved 1 November 2022 via Newspapers com Curley Names Committees Boston Evening Transcript January 19 1909 Retrieved 31 October 2022 via Newspapers com Chairman of the Aldermen The Boston Globe January 26 1909 Retrieved 31 October 2022 via Newspapers com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Boston City Council 1822 1909 amp oldid 1224178558 Presidents of the Boston Common Council, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
