Archives of Maryland
Historical List
Annapolis Mayors, 1708--

Annapolis was settled as a town in the 1680s, and became the capital of Maryland in 1694/5. It was chartered as a city in 1708.

Under the charter, the city government was made up of the mayor, a recorder, six aldermen, and ten common-councilmen.
The charter granted the mayor executive power over the city, with the authority to appoint constables and justices of the peace.
The mayor also acted as a member of the City Council, Annapolis' legislative body. The mayor, recorder, and aldermen also
held judicial power, presiding over what came to be known as Mayor's Court.

Initially, the mayor was elected by the City Council from among the Aldermen to a one-year term. Popular election of the mayor
and councilmen began in 1819. Beginning in 1867, the mayor's term was lengthened to two years. Since 1941, the mayor has
served a four-year term.

Records from the city government during the colonial era are scarce. Virtually no city records exist from before 1720, and there
are only sporadic records from before the 1750s. The information that is known has been gathered from correspondence, and
other governmental records, as well as the Maryland Gazette, published in Annapolis. See the Sources page for further
information on specific mayors.
 

Annapolis Mayors

Dates Served Mayor
1708-1709 Amos Garrett
1709-1715 [unknown]
1715-1716 Thomas Macnemara
1716-1717 [unknown]
1717-1718 John Gresham
1718-1719 [unknown]
1719-1720 Thomas Larkin
1720-1721 Benjamin Tasker, Sr.
1721-1722 Vachel Denton
1722-1725 [unknown]
1725-1726 Benjamin Tasker, Sr.
1726-1728 [unknown]
1728-1730 Robert Alexander [1]
[pre-1744] Samuel Stringer [2]
1744-1745 William Rogers
1745-1746 Robert Gordon
1746-1747 Michael Macnemara
1747-1748 Benjamin Tasker, Sr.
1748-1749 John Ross
1749-1750 John Bullen
1750-1753 [unknown]
1753-1754 Michael Macnemara
1754-1755 Benjamin Tasker, Jr.
1755-1756 John Brice, Jr.
1756-1757 John Bullen
1757-1758 Benjamin Tasker, Sr
1758-1759 John Ross
1759-1760 George Steuart
1760-1761 Michael MacNamara [3]
1761 Stephen Bordley
1761-1762 John Brice, Jr.
1762-1763 George Steuart
1763-1764 Stephen Bordley
1764-1765 John Ross
1765-1766 Walter Dulany
1766-1767 Upton Scott
1767-1771 [unknown]
1771-1772 Thomas Jennings
1772-1773 Lancelot Jacques
1773-1775 [unknown]
1775-1776 William Roberts
1776-1777 Thomas Jennings
1777-1778 William Paca
1778-1779 [unknown]
1779-1780 Robert Tootell
1780-1781 John Brice
1781-1782 John Bullen
1782-1783 James Brice
1783-1784 Jeremiah Townley Chase
1784-1785 Nicholas Carroll
1785-1786 Robert Couden 
1786-1787 Allen Quynn
1787-1788 James Brice
1788-1789 John Bullen
1789-1790 Nicholas Carroll
1790-1791 Robert Couden
1791-1792 Allen Quynn
1792-1793 John Bullen
1793-1794 James Williams
1794-1795 William Pinkney
1795-1796 Allen Quynn
1796-1797 John Bullen
1797-1798 Philip Barton Key
1798-1799 Nicholas Carroll
1799-1800 John Davidson
1800-1801 James Williams
1801-1802 Allen Quynn
1802-1803 Samuel Ridout
1803-1804 John Johnson
1804-1805 James Williams
1805-1806 Samuel Ridout
1806-1807 Burton Whetcroft
1807-1808 John Kilty
1808-1809 Burton Whetcroft
1809-1810 John Johnson
1810-1811 Nicholas Brewer
1811-1812 Gideon White
1812-1813 Nicholas Brewer
1813-1814 John Randall
1814-1815 Nicholas Brewer
1815-1816 John Randall
1816-1817 Nicholas Brewer
1817-1818 John Randall
1818-1819 Nicholas Brewer
1819-1823 Lewis Duvall
1823-1825 James Boyle
1825-1828 Richard Harwood of Thomas
1828-1837 Dr. Dennis Claude
1837-1840 John Miller
1840-1843 Alexander Contee Magruder
1843-1845 Richard Swann
1845-1846 William Bryan
1846-1848 Richard Swann
1848-1849 Richard R. Goodwin
1849-1851 Dr. Abram Claude
1851-1852 Brice T. B. Worthington
1852-1853 Richard R. Goodwin
1853-1854 Dr. Dennis Claude
1854-1855 Dr. Abram Claude
1855-1856 Nicholas Brewer, III
1856-1858 Richard Swann
1858-1859 Joseph Brown
1859-1860 William Harwood
1860-1862 John R. Magruder
1862-1863 J. Wesley White
1863-1864 John R. Magruder
1864-1865 Solomon Phillips
1865-1866 Richard R. Goodwin
1866-1867 Richard Swann
1867-1869 Dr. Abram Claude
1869-1870 Augustus Gassaway
1870-1871 John T. E. Hyde
1871-1875 James Munroe
1875-1877 Arthur W. Wells
1877-1879 James H. Brown
1879-1883 Thomas E. Martin
1883-1889 Dr. Abram Claude
1889-1893 James H. Brown
1893-1897 John H. Thomas
1897-1899 Dr. Richard H. Green
1899 Nevett Steele [4]
1899-1901 Edwin A. Seidewitz
1901-1903 Charles A. Dubois
1903-1905 Samuel Jones
1905-1907 John deP. Douw
1907-1909 Gordon H. Claude
1909-1919 James F. Strange
1919-1921 John J. Levy
1921-1923 Samuel Jones
1923-1925 Charles W. Smith
1925-1927 Allen Bowie Howard
1927-1929 Charles W. Smith
1929-1935 Walter E. Quenstedt
1935-1939 Louis N. Phipps
1939-1941 George W. Haley
1941-1949 William U. McCready
1949-1952 Roscoe C. Rowe
1952 Robert H. Campbell, Sr. [5]
1952-1961 Arthur M. Ellington
1961-1965 Joseph H. Griscom, Sr.
1965-1973  Roger W. Moyer
1973 Noah A. Hillman [6]
1973-1981 John C. Apostol [7]
1981  Gustav Akerland  [8]
1981 John T. Chambers, Jr.  [9]
1981-1985 Richard Lazer Hillman
1985-1989 Dennis M. Callahan
1989-1998 Alfred A. Hopkins
1998-2001 Dean L. Johnson
2001-2009 Ellen O. Moyer
2009-2013 Joshua J. Cohen
2013-2017Michael J. Pantelides
2017-present Gavin Buckley

Notes:

1. Alexander appears to have served two consecutive terms, the first from 1728-1729, and the second from 1729-1730.
No other such instance is known of a mayor serving consecutive terms, which may mean that Alexander was filing a vacancy
at some point during that period; this is unclear, however.

2. Stringer died in 1747. The Maryland Gazette of 24 August 1747 reported that he was "formerly Mayor of this City."
He served his term by 1744, and possibly after 1730.

3. Macnemara left Annapolis for England in April, 1761; Stephen Bordley was elected to serve out the rest of his term.

4. Steele was elected mayor 13 February 1899 to fill the unexpired term of Green, who had died the month before.
Steele served until the election of Edwin A. Seidewitz in July.

5. Acting mayor for nine months following Rowe's death in January, 1952.

6. Served June 2 to 11; Moyer resigned 10 days before the end of his term as a way to honor Hillman, a long-time City Councilmen.

7. Resigned March 3, 1981.

8. Acting mayor, March 9 to April 12, 1981. Died April 15, 1981.

9. Acting mayor, April 12 to June 7, 1981.

Sources


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