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.
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| 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 | |
| 2013-2017 | Michael 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.
8. Acting mayor, March 9 to April 12, 1981. Died April 15, 1981.
9. Acting mayor, April 12 to June 7, 1981.
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