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] |
| 19/30 Jul 1728 - 7/18 Sep 1729 | William Burnet [8] |
| 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 [9] |
| 11/22 Jun 1730 - 10/21 Aug 1730 | William Tailer [10] |
| 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 |
| 3 Aug 1757 - 2 Aug 1760 | Thomas Pownall |
| 2 Aug 1760 - 14 Mar 1771 | Francis Bernard |
| 14 Mar 1771 - 17 May 1774 | Thomas Hutchinson |
| 17 May 1774 - 17 Mar 1776 | Thomas Gage [12][13] |
- Stoughton served as Lieutenant Governor (16/26 May 1692 - 7/18 Jul 1701). He assumed the functions of Governor after the departure of Phips who sailed for England on 17/27 Nov 1694 and died in London on 18/28 Feb 1695.
- 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.
- In office as Lieutenant Governor 4/15 Oct 1711 - 5/16 Oct 1716. Elizeus Burges was appointed Governor by a commission issued on 17/28 Mar 1715. While Burges remained in England, the exemplification of his commission and the commission of Tailer as Lieutenant Governor were delivered 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 assumed the functions of Governor in the absence of Burges, who ultimately resigned in Apr 1716 without ever coming to the province.
- Also in New Hampshire.
- Also in New York, New Jersey and New Hampshire.
- In office as Lieutenant Governor 5/16 Oct 1716 - 11/22 Jun 1730. After the death of Burnet, the functions of Governor devolved on Dummer who took the oath of office on 10/21 Sep 1729.
- In office as Lieutenant Governor 11/22 Jun 1730 - 1/12 Mar 1732; pending the installation of Jonathan Belcher.
- Also in New Hampshire and New Jersey.
- 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.
- Gage sailed for England on 10 Oct 1775. Lieutenant Governor Thomas Oliver was sworn in on 25 Oct 1775 and assumed the government in absence of Gage until the evacuation of the British troops from Boston on 17 Mar 1776.