Dates of Election for Massachusetts Convention Delegates

(* See Notes Following Table)

Unknown Dates: Arundell, Bakerstown, Ballstown, Belfast, Bridgtown, Brownfield, Buxton, Camden, Canaan, Chilmark, Falmouth (Cumberland Co.), Goshen, Hancock (Lincoln Co.). Lewistown, Limerick, Little Falls, Massabeseck, Medumcook, Middleton, Montgomery, New Ashford, Norridgewalk, Pearsonfield, Provincetown, Raymondstown, Royalsborough, St. George’s, Shepardstown, Sterling (Lincoln Co.), Sylvester, Wales, Walpole (Lincoln Co.), Waldoborough, Warren

• Biddeford voted on 11 December not to send a delegate. At a second meeting, perhaps on 18 or 25 December, the town elected Allison Smith, who indicated that if elected he would not attend the Convention.
• Buckland’s election certificate, dated 2 January, indicates that the town meeting that elected a delegate was held “on friday the ninth Day of December last.” The ninth of December was a Sunday. The 7th of December was a Friday. The 9th of November was a Friday.
• Chatham voted not to send a delegate.
• Gardner voted not to send a delegate.
• Granville’s election certificate, dated 7 January, indicates that the town meeting that elected delegates met “on Monday the 9 day of December last.” The 9th of December was a Sunday.
• Great Barrington elected William Whiting on 26 November, but reconsidered and voted on 3 December for Elijah Dwight.
• Marlborough elected two delegates, one on 26 November, the other on 24 December.
• Northborough elected Isaac Davis on 10 December. Sometime thereafter, Davis declined and Artemas Brigham was elected on 24 December.
• Portland elected Samuel Deane and John Fox on 19 November. Deane declined. Then Peleg Wadsworth was elected but he declined. On 3 December Joseph McLellan was elected and accepted. Sometime thereafter, McLellan declined to serve, but he was elected again on 31 December.
• Sandwich elected Thomas Bourne and Thomas Smith on 11 December. Bourne declined and was replaced by Thomas Nye on 13 December.
• Sheffield and Mount Washington voted on 10 December but John Ashley received one vote short of a majority. Ashley received a majority on 17 December. The election result was unsuccessfully contested at the Convention.
• Sherburne (Nantucket Co.) voted not to send a delegate.
• Standish voted not to send a delegate.
• Taunton elected one delegate on 26 November and added two others on 7 January.
• Truro voted not to send a delegate.
• Vassalborough elected Abiel Lovejoy on 30 November. On 11 December the town reconsidered and voted to send no delegate to the Convention. On 1 January Samuel Grant was elected.
• Wellfleet elected Hezekiah Doane on 12 December. On 26 December the town voted to release him from going to the Convention and elected Levi Whitman.
• Wendell voted not to send a delegate.
• Williamstown elected William Young on 17 December, but the selectmen adjourned the meeting until 24 December, when the meeting replaced Young with Thompson J. Skinner. Another meeting on 1 January replaced Skinner with Young. The supporters of Young unsuccessfully petitioned the Convention to seat Young instead of Skinner.
• Windham voted not to send a delegate.

Source: The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution Digital Edition, ed. John P. Kaminski, Gaspare J. Saladino, Richard Leffler, Charles H. Schoenleber and Margaret A. Hogan. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2009.