Boston Board of Selectmen


The Boston Board of Selectmen was the governing board for the town of Boston from the 17th century until 1822. Selectmen were elected to six-month terms early in the history of the board, but later were elected to one-year terms.
In colonial days selectmen included William Clark. At the time of the American Revolution, the selectmen were John Hancock, Joseph Jackson, Samuel Sewall, William Phillips, Timothy Newell, John Ruddock, John Rowe and Samuel Pemberton.

Notable selectmen

17th century

1630s

  • 1634: John Winthrop, William Coddington, John Underhill, Thomas Oliver, Thomas Leverett, Giles Firmin, John Coggeshall, William Pierce, Robert Harding, William Brenton, Richard Bellingham, John Coggan.
  • 1636: Thomas Oliver, Thomas Leverett, John Coggeshall, William Brenton, William Hutchinson, William Colburn, John Sanford, Richard Tuttell, William Aspinwall, William Balston, Jacob Eliot, James Penn, Robert Keayne, John Newgate.
  • 1637: Thomas Oliver, Thomas Leverett, John Coggeshall, Robert Harding, William Brenton, William Hutchinson, William Colburn, John Sanford, William Aspinwall, William Balston, Jacob Eliot, James Penn.
  • 1638: Thomas Oliver, Thomas Leverett, Robert Harding, William Colburn, John Sanford, William Aspinwall, William Balston, Jacob Eliot, James Penn, Robert Keayne, John Newgate.
  • 1639: John Winthrop, Thomas Oliver, Thomas Leverett, Robert Harding, Richard Bellingham, John Coggan, William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, Robert Keayne, John Newgate, Edward Gibbons, William Tyng, William Hibbens.

    1640s

  • 1640: Richard Bellingham, John Winthrop, William Tyng, Edward Gibbons, William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, John Newgate, William Hibbens, Atherton Hough.
  • 1641: Richard Bellingham, John Winthrop, William Tyng, Edward Gibbons, William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, William Hibbens, James Penn, John Oliver.
  • 1642: Richard Bellingham, John Winthrop, William Tyng, Edward Gibbons, William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, James Penn, John Oliver, Valentine Hill.
  • 1643: Richard Bellingham, John Winthrop, William Tyng, Edward Gibbons, William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, William Hibbens, John Oliver, Valentine Hill.
  • 1644: John Winthrop, William Tyng, Edward Gibbons, William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, William Hibbens, James Penn, John Oliver, Valentine Hill.
  • 1645: John Winthrop, Edward Gibbons, William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, William Hibbens, James Penn, John Oliver, Valentine Hill, Edward Tyng, Robert Keayne, Thomas Fowle.
  • 1646: John Winthrop, Edward Gibbons, William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, William Hibbens, James Penn, Valentine Hill, Robert Keayne.
  • 1647: William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, James Penn, Anthony Stoddard, Thomas Marshall, James Everill, William Davis.
  • 1648: William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, James Penn, Anthony Stoddard, Thomas Marshall, James Everill, Edward Tyng.
  • 1649: William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, James Penn, Anthony Stoddard, Thomas Marshall, James Everill, Jeremy Houchin.

    1650s

  • 1650: William Colburn, Jacob Eliot, James Penn, Anthony Stoddard, Thomas Marshall, Jeremy Houchin, Thomas Clarke.
  • 1651: Anthony Stoddard, Thomas Marshall, Edward Tyng, Jeremy Houchin, Thomas Clarke, Richard Parker, John Leverett.
  • 1652: Thomas Marshall, Jeremy Houchin, Thomas Clarke, Adam Winthrop, Thomas Savage, Edward Hutchinson, William Brenton.
  • 1653: Thomas Marshall, Jeremy Houchin, Edward Hutchinson, William Brenton, James Oliver, Samuel Cole, Peter Oliver.
  • 1654: Thomas Marshall, William Davis, Jeremy Houchin, William Brenton, James Oliver, Samuel Cole, Peter Oliver.
  • 1655: Thomas Marshall, William Davis, William Brenton, James Oliver, Samuel Cole, Peter Oliver, William Paddy.
  • 1656: Thomas Marshall, William Davis, William Brenton, James Oliver, Samuel Cole, Peter Oliver, William Paddy.
  • 1657: Thomas Marshall, William Brenton, William Paddy, Samuel Cole, William Davis, Joshua Scottow, John Hull.
  • 1658: William Paddy, William Davis, Joshua Scottow, John Hull, Thomas Broughton, Thomas Lake, Jacob Sheaffe.
  • 1659: William Davis, Joshua Scottow, John Hull, Thomas Broughton, Thomas Lake, Jacob Sheaffe, Hezekiah Usher.

    1660s

  • 1660: William Davis, Joshua Scottow, John Hull, Thomas Broughton, Thomas Lake, Hezekiah Usher, Nathaniel Williams.
  • 1661: William Davis, Joshua Scottow, John Hull, Thomas Lake, Hezekiah Usher, Nathaniel Williams, Peter Oliver.
  • 1662: Joshua Scottow, Thomas Lake, Hezekiah Usher, Peter Oliver, James Oliver, Edward Rainsford, John Joyliffe.
  • 1663: Joshua Scottow, John Hull, Thomas Lake, Hezekiah Usher, Peter Oliver, James Oliver, Edward Rainsford.
  • 1664: Joshua Scottow, John Hull, Thomas Lake, Hezekiah Usher, Peter Oliver, James Oliver, Edward Rainsford.
  • 1665: Joshua Scottow, John Hull, Thomas Lake, Hezekiah Usher, Peter Oliver, James Oliver, Edward Rainsford.
  • 1666: Joshua Scottow, John Hull, Thomas Lake, Hezekiah Usher, Peter Oliver, James Oliver, Edward Rainsford.
  • 1667: Thomas Lake, James Oliver, Peter Oliver, Joshua Scottow, John Hull, Edward Rainsford, Hezekiah Usher.
  • 1668: Thomas Lake, James Oliver, Peter Oliver, Edward Rainsford, Hezekiah Usher, John Joyliffe, John Richards.
  • 1669: Thomas Lake, James Oliver, Peter Oliver, Edward Rainsford, Hezekiah Usher, John Joyliffe, John Richards.

    1670s

  • 1670: Thomas Lake, James Oliver, Peter Oliver, Hezekiah Usher, John Joyliffe, John Richards, William Davis.
  • 1671: Thomas Lake, James Oliver, Hezekiah Usher, John Joyliffe, John Richards, William Davis, Thomas Brattle.
  • 1672: Thomas Lake, James Oliver, Hezekiah Usher, John Joyliffe, John Richards, William Davis, Thomas Brattle.
  • 1673: Thomas Lake, James Oliver, Hezekiah Usher, John Joyliffe, John Richards, William Davis, Thomas Brattle.
  • 1674: Thomas Lake, James Oliver, Hezekiah Usher, John Joyliffe, William Davis, Thomas Brattle, John Lake.
  • 1675: Thomas Lake, James Oliver, Hezekiah Usher, John Joyliffe, William Davis, Thomas Brattle, John Lake.
  • 1676: Thomas Brattle, John Lake, Thomas Lake, Hezekiah Usher, John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, James Oliver.
  • 1677: Thomas Brattle, John Lake, John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, James Oliver, Henry Allen, Jacob Eliot.
  • 1678: Thomas Brattle, John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, James Oliver, Henry Allen, John Fairweather, Elisha Hutchinson.
  • 1679: Thomas Brattle, John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Henry Allen, John Fairweather, Elisha Hutchinson, Theophilus Frary.

    1680s

  • 1680: Thomas Brattle, John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Henry Allen, John Fairweather, Elisha Hutchinson, Theophilus Frary.
  • 1681: Thomas Brattle, John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Henry Allen, Theophilus Frary, Nathaniel Greenwood, John Marion Sr.
  • 1682: Thomas Brattle, John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Henry Allen, Elisha Hutchinson, Theophilus Frary, Nathaniel Greenwood.
  • 1683: Thomas Brattle, John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Henry Allen, Elisha Hutchinson, Theophilus Frary, Nathaniel Greenwood.
  • 1684: John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Henry Allen, John Fairweather, Elisha Hutchinson, Theophilus Frary, Nathaniel Greenwood, Timothy Prout, Edward Willis.
  • 1685: John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Henry Allen, John Fairweather, Elisha Hutchinson, Theophilus Frary, Timothy Prout, Edward Willis, Elisha Cooke.
  • 1686: John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Henry Allen, John Fairweather, Elisha Hutchinson, Theophilus Frary, Timothy Prout, Edward Willis, Elisha Cooke.
  • 1687: John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Henry Allen, John Fairweather, Elisha Hutchinson, Theophilus Frary, Timothy Prout, Edward Willis, Elisha Cooke.
  • 1688: Daniel Turell, John Fairweather, Timothy Prout, Edward Willis, Penn Townsend, James Hill, Isaac Addington, Adam Winthrop.
  • 1689: John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Theophilus Frary, Timothy Prout, Edward Willis, Penn Townsend, James Hill, Adam Winthrop, Richard Middlecott.

    1690s

  • 1690: John Joyliffe, Daniel Turell, Timothy Prout, Penn Townsend, James Hill, Adam Winthrop, Richard Middlecott, Thomas Walker, John Foster.
  • 1691: John Joyliffe, Timothy Prout, Penn Townsend, Thomas Walker, John Foster, Bozoun Allen, Obadiah Gill, Jeremiah Dummer, John Marion Sr.
  • 1692: Timothy Prout, Penn Townsend, Thomas Walker, John Foster, Bozoun Allen, Obadiah Gill, Jeremiah Dummer, John Marion Sr., Joseph Bridgham.
  • 1693: James Hill, Thomas Walker, Bozoun Allen, Obadiah Gill, John Marion Sr., Samuel Checkley, Timothy Thornton, Ephraim Savage, Nathaniel Williams.
  • 1694: Thomas Walker, Bozoun Allen, Obadiah Gill, John Marion Sr., Samuel Checkley, Timothy Thornton, Ephraim Savage, John Eyre, Edward Bromfield.
  • 1695: Thomas Walker, Bozoun Allen, Obadiah Gill, John Marion Sr., Samuel Checkley, Ephraim Savage, John Eyre, Edward Bromfield, Samuel Legg.
  • 1696: Thomas Walker, Bozoun Allen, Obadiah Gill, John Marion Sr., Ephraim Savage, Samuel Checkley, Samuel Legg, Samson Stoddard, Thomas Hunt.
  • 1697: Thomas Walker, Bozoun Allen, Obadiah Gill, John Marion Sr., Samuel Checkley, Thomas Hunt, Isaiah Tay, James Barnes, John Marion Jr.
  • 1698: Thomas Walker, Bozoun Allen, Obadiah Gill, Samson Stoddard, Thomas Hunt, Isaiah Tay, James Barnes, John Marion Jr., Simeon Stoddard.
  • 1699: Obadiah Gill, Isaiah Tay, James Barnes, John Marion Jr., Joseph Prout, Daniel Oliver, Elizur Holyoke, Samuel Lynde, Timothy Clark.

    18th century

1700s

  • 1700: James Barnes, John Marion Jr., Joseph Prout, Daniel Oliver, Elizur Holyoke, Timothy Clark, Robert Gibbs.
  • 1701: James Barnes, John Marion Jr., Joseph Prout, Timothy Clark, Robert Gibbs, John Barnard, John George, Giles Dyer, Richard Draper.
  • 1702: John Marion Jr., Joseph Prout, Timothy Clark, Robert Gibbs, John Barnard, Giles Dyer, Richard Draper, Robert Howard, Thomas Savage.
  • 1703: John Marion Jr., Joseph Prout, Daniel Oliver, Timothy Clark, John Barnard, Giles Dyer, Robert Howard, Thomas Savage, Thomas Fitch.
  • 1704: John Marion Jr., Joseph Prout, Daniel Oliver, Timothy Clark, John Barnard, Giles Dyer, Robert Howard, Thomas Fitch, Thomas Jackson.
  • 1705: Joseph Prout, Daniel Oliver, Timothy Clark, John Barnard, Thomas Fitch, Thomas Jackson, Thomas Cushing, Elias Heath, Daniel Powning.
  • 1706: Daniel Powning, Joseph Prout, John Barnard, Thomas Cushing, Thomas Jackson, Elias Heath, Thomas Hutchinson, James Barnes, Timothy Clark.
  • 1707: Daniel Powning, Joseph Prout, Thomas Cushing, Thomas Hutchinson, Timothy Clark, Stephen Minot, Abraham Blith, Daniel Oliver, Francis Thresher.
  • 1708: Daniel Powning, Joseph Prout, Thomas Cushing, Stephen Minot, Daniel Oliver, Francis Thresher, Oliver Noyes.
  • 1709: Daniel Powning, James Barnes, Timothy Clark, Isaiah Tay, Jonas Clark, Samuel Marshall, Richard Draper, Ephraim Savage, Joseph Wadsworth.