Massachusetts: Governors: 1689-1776
The possessive reference to the monarch in the styles of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, as presented in the table—Their, His, or Her—shifted in accordance with the reigning sovereign, reflecting changes in number (e.g., the joint reign of William III and Mary II, 1689-1694/1695) and gender (William III, 1694/1695-1702; Anne, 1702-1714).
| Governor of the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 7/17 Jun 1689 - 16/26 May 1692 | Simon Bradstreet |
| Captain General and Governor-in-Chief in and over Their Majesties' Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 16/26 May 1692 - 18/28 Feb 1695 | Sir William Phips |
| Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 18/28 Feb 1695 - 26 May/8 Jun 1699 | William Stoughton [1] |
| Captain General and Governor-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 26 May/8 Jun 1699 - 5/16 Mar 1701 | Richard Coote, Earl of Bellomont [2] |
| Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 5/16 Mar 1701 - 7/18 Jul 1701 | William Stoughton [3] |
| Council of His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 7/18 Jul 1701 - 11/22 Jun 1702 | |
| Captain General and Governor-in-Chief in and over Her Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 11/22 Jun 1702 - 1/12 Feb 1715 | Joseph Dudley [4][5] |
| Council of His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 1/12 Feb 1715 - 21 Mar/1 Apr 1715 | |
| Captain General and Governor-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 21 Mar/1 Apr 1715 - 9/20 Nov 1715 | Joseph Dudley |
| Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 9/20 Nov 1715 - 5/16 Oct 1716 | William Tailer [6] |
| Captain General and Governor-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 5/16 Oct 1716 - 19/30 Jul 1728 | Samuel Shute [7][8] |
| 19/30 Jul 1728 - 7/18 Sep 1729 | William Burnet [9] |
| Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 7/18 Sep 1729 - 11/22 Jun 1730 | William Dummer [10] |
| 11/22 Jun 1730 - 10/21 Aug 1730 | William Tailer |
| Captain General and Governor-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England | |
| 10/21 Aug 1730 - 14/25 Aug 1741 | Jonathan Belcher [11] |
| 14/25 Aug 1741 - 3 Aug 1757 | William Shirley [12][13] |
| 3 Aug 1757 - 2 Aug 1760 | Thomas Pownall [14] |
| 2 Aug 1760 - 14 Mar 1771 | Francis Bernard [15] |
| 14 Mar 1771 - 17 May 1774 | Thomas Hutchinson |
| 17 May 1774 - 17 Mar 1776 | Thomas Gage [16][17] |
- Phips sailed for England on 17/27 Nov 1694 and died in London on 18/28 Feb 1695. Upon his departure the functions of Governor devolved on Lieutenant Governor Stoughton who continued to serve until the arrival and swearing-in of the Governor Earl of Bellomont on 26 May/8 Jun 1699.
- Also in New York and New Hampshire.
- Lieutenant Governor Stoughton exercised the functions of Governor during the absence of the Earl of Bellomont (17/28 Jul 1700 - 5/16 Mar 1701) who served concurrently as Governor of New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Earl of Bellomont died in New York on 5/16 Mar 1701 and the fact of his death was communicated to the Council of Massachusetts on 24 Mar/4 Apr 1701. Stoughton continued in office without taking any new oaths as those which he had previously taken were regarded as sufficient.
- Also in the Dominion of New England and New Hampshire.
- In consequence of the death of the appointing monarch, the governor's commission was, under an act of Parliament, set to lapse six months thereafter unless renewed or continued by royal proclamation. Following the death of Queen Anne on 1/12 Aug 1714—news of which reached Boston on 15/26 Sep 1714—and with neither renewal nor continuance of the commission having arrived by the deadline of 1/12 Feb 1715, the functions of Governor devolved on the Council which resolved to assume the government (3/14 Feb 1715). Its members took the corresponding oaths of office on 4/15 Feb 1715.
- Elizeus Burges was commissioned as Governor on 17/28 Mar 1715. While Burges remained in England, an exemplification of his commission, together with the commission of Tailer as Lieutenant Governor, was transmitted to Massachusetts and read and published on 9/20 Nov 1715, thereby revoking Dudley's commission. On the same day Tailer took the oath of office and, in the absence of Burges, assumed the functions of governor. Burges ultimately resigned in April 1716 without ever coming to the province.
- Also in New Hampshire.
- Following the departure of Governor Shute on 1/12 Jan 1723, the functions of Governor devolved on Lieutenant Governor Dummer who took the oath of office on 2/13 Jan 1723:
- Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England
- 1/12 Jan 1723 - 19/30 Jul 1728
- William Dummer
- Also in New York, New Jersey and New Hampshire.
- Following the death of Burnet, the functions of Governor devolved on Dummer who took the oath of office on 10/21 Sep 1729.
- Also in New Hampshire and New Jersey.
- During the absence of Governor Shirley, the functions of Governor devolved on Lieutenant Governor Phips who took the oath of office on 15/26 Sep 1749:
- Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England
- 11/22 Sep 1749 - 7 Aug 1753
- Spencer Phips
- Following the departure of Governor Shirley on 25 Sep 1756, the functions of Governor devolved on Lieutenant Governor Phips and, after the latter's death. on the Council:
- Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England
- 25 Sep 1756 - 4 Apr 1757
- Spencer Phips
- His Majesty's Council for the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England
- 4 Apr 1757 - 3 Aug 1757
- Following the departure of Governor Pownall on 3 Jun 1760, the functions of Governor devolved on Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson:
- Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England
- 3 Jun 1760 - 2 Aug 1760
- Thomas Hutchinson
- Following the departure of Governor Bernard on 1 Aug 1769, the functions of Governor devolved on Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson who took the oath of office on 2 Aug 1769:
- Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England
- 1 Aug 1769 - 14 Mar 1771
- Thomas Hutchinson
- The Provincial Congress of Massachusetts passed a resolve withdrawing the recognition of the Governor on 5 May 1775. Acting on the recommendations of the Continental Congress of 9 Jun 1775, the Provincial Congress declared the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor vacant on 20 Jun 1775.
- Following the departure of Governor Gage on 10 Oct 1775, the functions of Governor devolved on Lieutenant Governor Oliver who took the oath of office on 25 Oct 1775 and served until the evacuation of British troops from Boston:
- Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England
- 10 Oct 1775 - 17 Mar 1776
- Thomas Oliver