The Boston City Council was the bicameral legislative body of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, from 1822 until 1909. Its upper chamber was the Board of Aldermen, whose members were elected at-large, while the lower chamber was the much larger Common Council, whose members were elected from multi-member electoral districts (wards). Prior to 1822, the Boston Board of Selectmen governed the city. The bicameral council lasted until 1909, when it was replaced by the modern Boston City Council. Unlike the bicameral 1822 council, the modern council that was established in 1909 is unicameral.

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.

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. This Boston City Council existed along with a mayoralty that was established by the charter.

After the Boston City Charter was rewritten in 1909, the Boston City Council was recreated as a nine-member unicameral body.O'Connor, T.H. (1997). Boston Irish: A Political History. New York: Back Bay Books.

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) 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

Gallery of Presidents of the Boston Common Council (partial)

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 Name Tenure Benson Leavitt William Washburn 1855 Phelham Bonney 1856–1857 Joseph Wightman 1858 Silas Peirce 1859 Otis Clapp 1860 Silas Peirce 1861 Thomas Phillips 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 1909 Frederick J. Brand 1909

Gallery of Chairmen of the Boston Board of Aldermen (partial)

See also List of members of the Boston City Council

References