List of selectmen of Freetown, Massachusetts

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This is a list of Selectmen of Freetown, Massachusetts and election results, where available. Freetown was first settled in 1659, but did not incorporate (and therefore did not elect members to its Board of Selectmen) until 1683.

Selectmen currently serve terms of three years each, and those terms are staggered to ensure that only one member is up for re-election in any given year. Through the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, the number of Selectmen was not set in law, and therefore varied, sometimes greatly. In 1988, Barbara Trainor became the first woman to hold the position of Selectman in Freetown, giving the town a record of 305 years of all-male leadership. Since her defeat in 1991, only one additional woman, Lisa A. Pacheco, has been elected to the board.

In 2005, attempts to expand the Board of Selectmen to five members failed. Also failing in 2005 was an attempt to limit Selectmen to a total of two terms (or, six years). Attempts to expand the board to five members have been frequent in recent years.

Elections in Freetown are held on the first Monday in March, except in years of a presidential election, in which case they are held on the first Monday in April.

Contents 1 1683 - 1749 2 1750 - 1799 3 1800 - 1849 4 1850 - 1899 5 1900 - 1949 6 1950 - 2049 7 Elections 7.1 2006 7.2 2005 7.3 2004 7.4 2003 7.5 2002 7.6 2001 7.7 2000 7.8 1999 7.9 1998 7.10 1997 7.11 1996 7.12 1995 7.13 1994 8 References

[edit] 1683 - 1749

Year(s)	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman
1683 - 1684	No record
1685	Thomas Terry	Thomas King	John Bailey
1686			Job Winslow
1687	John Hathway
1688		Samuel Gardiner
1689	Thomas Terry	Job Winslow	John Read
1690		Samuel Gardiner	Samuel Howland
1691	No record
1692	Job Winslow	Samuel Gardiner	John Read
1693 - 1695	No record
1696	Joshua Tisdale	John Simmons	Thomas Makepeace
1697			John Read
1698 - 1699		John Hathway	Benjamin Chase
1700	Thomas King		John Read, Jr.
1701	Job Winslow		Thomas Makepeace
1702 - 1703		Josiah Winslow	Robert Durfee
1704			Joshua Tisdale
1705		Thomas Terry
1706		John Hathway	John Simmons
1707	Nicholas Morey		John Simmons
1708	Benjamin Chase		Thomas Thurston
1709	Josiah Winslow		Thomas Thurston
1710		William Winslow	Ralph Earle
1711	Job Winslow	John Hathaway	Jonathan Dodson
1712	Thomas Terry	Joseph Reed	Jonathan Dodson
1713	Thomas Terry	John Hathaway	Joseph Blackman
1714 - 1715	Jonathan Dodson	Joseph Reed	Joseph Borden
1716	Benjamin Chase	Robert Durfee	Jacob Hathaway
1717	Thomas Terry	Jonathan Dodson	Joseph Reed
1718	Robert Durfee	Jonathan Dodson	Joseph Reed
1719	John Hathaway	Jonathan Dodson	Benjamin Chase
1720	Jacob Hathaway	Jonathan Dodson	Benjamin Chase
1721	Jacob Hathaway	Samuel Forman	Benjamin Chase
1722 - 1723	Jacob Hathaway	Samuel Forman	Benjamin Chase, Jr.
1724 - 1729	Jacob Hathaway	Samuel Forman	Thomas Terry
1730	Joseph Reed	George Winslow	Walter Chase
1731 - 1744	Thomas Terry, Esq.	Jacob Hath(a/e)way	Samuel Forman
1745 - 1748	Samuel Tisdale	Stephen Chase	James Chase
1749 - 1750	Samuel Tisdale	John Winslow	James Chase

[edit] 1750 - 1799

Year(s)	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman
1751	Abiel Terry	John Winslow	Samuel Valentine
1752 - 1753	Abiel Terry	Ebenezer Hathaway	George Chase
1754	Abiel Terry	Ambrose Barnaby	Joshua Boomer
1755	Maj. Abiel Terry	Ambrose Barnaby	Joshua Boomer
1756	Maj. Abiel Terry	Ambrose Barnaby	George Brightman
1757	Thomas Durfee	Philip Hathaway	Nathan Simmons
1758 - 1759	Capt. Ambrose Barnaby	Philip Hathaway	Nathan Simmons
1760	Thomas Durfee	Philip Hathaway	Nathan Simmons
1761	Thomas Durfee	Abiel Terry	Nathan Simmons
1762	James Winslow	Abiel Terry	George Brightman
1763 - 1768	Thomas Durfee	Philip Hathaway	Nathan Simmons
1769 - 1771	Thomas Durfee	Thomas Gilbert	Jael Hathaway
1772	Jael Hathaway	George Chase	(?) Borden
1773	Samuel Barnaby	George Chase	(?) Borden
1774	Samuel Barnaby	George Chase	Elisha Parker	(?) Borden
1775	Samuel Barnaby	Jonathan Reed	Elisha Parker
1776	Samuel Barnaby	Jonathan Reed	Abner Winslow
1777 - 1778	Samuel Barnaby	Jonathan Reed	Abner Winslow	(?) Borden
1779	No Record
1780	Nathaniel Morton	Jonathan Reed	Abner Winslow	Joseph Durfee
1781 - 1782	Nathaniel Morton	Jonathan Reed	William Reed	Joseph Durfee
1783	Jael Hathaway	George Chase	George Brightman
1784	Jael Hathaway	Nathaniel Morton	George Brightman
1785	Benjamin Durfee	Nathan Dean	Abner Winslow	Philip Rounseville	George Borden
1786	Nathan Dean	Simeon Borden	Benjamin Durfee	Abner Winslow	Levi Rounseville
1787	Ambrose Barnaby	Jonathan Reed	Benjamin Durfee	Levi Rounseville	Glibert Hathaway
1788	Ambrose Barnaby	Jonathan Reed	Gilbert Hathaway	Nathaniel Morton, 3rd	Benjamin Durfee
1789 - 1792	Ambrose Barnaby	Nathaniel Morton, 3rd	Thomas Borden	Capt. Benjamin Reed	Benjamin Durfee
1793 - 1794	Jonathan Reed	Nathaniel Morton	Ambrose Barnaby
1795	Benjamin Durfee	Nathaniel Morton	Ambrose Barnaby
1796	Benjamin Durfee	Nathaniel Morton	Benjamin Reed
1797	Luther Winslow	Nathaniel Morton	Ambrose Barnaby
1798	Gilbert Hathaway	Nathaniel Morton	Ambrose Barnaby
1799 - 1800	Gilbert Hathaway	Nathaniel Morton, Esq.	Ambrose Barnaby

[edit] 1800 - 1849

Year(s)	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman
1801	Thomas Borden	Nathaniel Morton	Levi Dean	Ambrose Barnaby
1802	Thomas Borden	Nathaniel Morton	Luther Winslow
1803	Daniel Douglas	Nathaniel Morton	Levi Dean
1804	Daniel Douglas	Nathaniel Morton	Job Terry
1805	Job Morton	Capt. Charles Strange	Samuel Hathaway
1806	Job Morton	Peregrine White	Charles Strange	C. Tobey	Peter Nichols
1807	Job Morton	Charles Strange	Peter Nichols
1808	Job Morton	Daniel Douglas	Peter Nichols
1809 - 1810	Job Morton	Daniel Douglas	Charles Strange
1811	Job Morton, Esq.	David Terry	Edmund Hathaway
1812 - 1813	Job Morton	Charles Strange	Edmund Hathaway
1814	Job Morton	Charles Strange	John Terry
1815	Job Morton	Hercules Cushman	John Terry
1816 - 1817	Job Morton	John Hathaway	John Terry
1818	Job Morton	Silas Terry	Col. Benjamin Weaver
1819	Job Morton	Silas Terry	Ephraim Merrick
1820	Job Morton	Silas Terry	John Hathaway
1821 - 1823	Job Morton	Malachi Howland	John Hathaway
1824 - 1827	Job Morton	Malachi Howland	David Evans
1828	Abram Ashley	Philip P. Hathaway	Thomas Bump
1829	Job Horton	Philip P. Hathaway	Lot Strange
1830 - 1831	Malachi Howland	Philip P. Hathaway	Abram Ashley
1832	Malachi Howland	Philip P. Hathaway	George Pickens
1833 - 1834	Malachi Howland	Gilbert Rounseville	George Pickens
1835	Malachi Howland	Abner Braley	Stephen Barnaby
1836	John Hathaway	Abner Braley	Job Pierce
1837	John Hathaway	Abner Braley	George Cummings
1838	John Hathaway	Charles A. Horton	George Cummings
1839	Guilford H. Hathaway	Charles A. Horton	George Cummings
1840	Guilford H. Hathaway	Charles A. Horton	Jos. Cudworth
1841	Guilford H. Hathaway	Charles A. Horton	George Cummings
1842	Silas Terry	Charles A. Morton	Joseph Cudworth
1843	Silas Terry	Guilford H. Hathaway	Joseph Cudworth
1844	Charles A. Horton	Guilford H. Hathaway	Bradford Braley
1845 - 1846	Charles A. Horton	Joseph Cudworth	Gideon P. Hathaway
1847	Charles A. Horton	Philip Tripp	Gideon P. Hathaway
1848	Alden Hatheway, Jr.	Philip Tripp	Walter S. Rounseville
1849	Alden Hatheway, Jr.	Samuel F. Dean	Walter S. Rounseville

[edit] 1850 - 1899

Year(s)	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman
1850 - 1852	Alden Hatheway, Jr.	Samuel F. Dean	Bradford Braley
1853 - 1854	Gideon P. Hathaway	Benjamin Evans	Abishal H. Chase
1855	Ambrose W. Hathaway	Ennis Hathaway
1856		George Dean	Marcus M. Rounseville
1857		Thomas W. Philips
1858	John D. Wilson	George W. Hall	Bradford Braley
1859	Ambrose W. Hathaway	Thomas W. Philips	Marcus M. Rounseville
1860		Sylvanus S. Payne	Asa Pickens
1861	John D. Wilson	James Pickett	Paul M. Burns
1862		Edmund D. Hathaway	Granville Allan
1863			Elijah D. Chace
1864		John W. Peabody
1865		James W. Hathaway	Marcus M. Rounseville
1866	David C. Thresher	Henry Winslow	Elijah D. Chace
1867 - 1869		James W. Hathaway
1870	Alden Hathaway, Jr.
1871		William Dean
1872			Cornelius Chace
1873	Manasseh S. Terry
1874 - 1875		George W. Hall
1876 - 1877			Charles Braley
1878	Henry Peirce		Jonathan R. Gurney
1879			Orsmond F. Braley
1880	Ebenezer W. Peirce	James Winslow
1881 - 1882	George W. Hall	Ambrose Dean	Marcus M. Rounseville
1883		George B. Cudworth	Charles E. Chace
1884	Palo Alto Peirce		Job F. Lucas
1885		James B. Hathaway
1886	George W. Hall	Silas P. Richmond	Jonathan R. Gurney
1887	George B. Cudworth		Charles Braley
1888	Gilbert M. Nichols		Frank H. Ashley
1889 - 1890			Alden B. Nichols
1891 - 1895	Andrew M. Hathaway
1896 - 1898		George B. Cudworth	George A. Braley
1899	John H. Evans		Job F. Lucas

[edit] 1900 - 1949

Year(s)	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman
1900	John H. Evans	George B. Cudworth	George H. Gibbs
1901 - 1902			Charles Braley
1918 - 1920	Francis P. Daley	Walter H. Cudworth	William A. Reynolds
1920 - 1923	Rufus P. Davis
1923 - 1925	Mark H. Richmond
1925 - 1927			Charles E. Gurney
1927 - 1936		George S. Mycock
1936 - 1939		Fred W. Hodgman
1939 - 1943		George S. Mycock
1943 - 1944			Albert F. Edminster
1944 - 1945	George E. Grimshaw
1945 - 1946	(vacant)	Benjamin R. Evans
1945 - ????	Nahum B. Morse	Benjamin R. Evans
1949 - 1963		Benjamin R. Evans

[edit] 1950 - 2049

Year(s)	Selectman	Selectman	Selectman
1974 - 75	Frederick C. Boehler	Milton A. DeMoranville	Marianno Rezendes, Jr.
1975 - 80		Robert S. Dorsey
1980 - 81	L. Barry French
1981 - 83		John S. Ashley
1983 - 85	Richard L. Suprenant
1985 - 86			Thomas R. Perry
1986 - 88	Marianno Rezendes, Jr.
1988 - 89			Barbara A. Trainor
1989 - 91	Richard P. Johnson
1991 - 92			Robert A. Robidoux
1992 - 96	Bruce W. Wilbur
1996 - 98		Christopher D. McCarthy
1998 - 99	John S. Ashley
1999 - 00		Lawrence N. Ashley
2000 - 03			Mark A. Howland
2003 - 06			John Laronda, Jr.
2006 - 07			Lisa A. Pacheco

[edit] Elections

[edit] 2006

In 2006, incumbent John Laronda, Jr., chose to not seek a second term. Preliminary results posted at 8:15p indicated a four vote victory for school committee chairman Lisa A. Pacheco. Pacheco was sworn to duties on March 7, and challenger George Grunwald subsequently petitioned for a recount, which was held on March 23.

Initial Count

	Lisa A. Pacheco	George L. Grunwald
Votes	687	683

Hand Recount Results

	Lisa A. Pacheco	George L. Grunwald
Votes	689	687

[edit] 2005

In 2005, two-term incumbent Lawrence N. Ashley defeated challengers Michael J. Motta and John A. Santangelo to win a third term.

	Lawrence N. Ashley	John A. Santangelo	Michael J. Motta
Votes	596	479	42

[edit] 2004

In 2004, seven-term incumbent John S. Ashley defeated challenger Michael J. Motta to win a seventh non-consecutive term.

	John S. Ashley	Michael J. Motta
Votes

[edit] 2003

In 2003, incumbent Rep. Mark A. Howland did not seek re-election to a second term, producing an open field. ^[1]

	John Laronda, Jr.	Bruce W. Wilbur	Maureen Trahan	Michael J. Motta
Votes	661	500	189	64

[edit] 2002

In 2002, incumbent Lawrence N. Ashley was re-elected to a second term without facing any challengers. He received 843 votes.^[2]

[edit] 2001

In 2001, six-term incumbent John S. Ashley defeated Assessor John Laronda, Jr. to secure a seventh non-consecutive term.^[3]

	John S. Ashley	John Laronda, Jr.
Votes	1,408	1,126

[edit] 2000

In 2000, three-term incumbent Robert A. Robidoux was defeated was defeated by challenger Mark A. Howland.^[4]

	Mark A. Howland	Robert A. Robidoux
Votes	1,018	816

[edit] 1999

In 1999, incumbent Christopher D. McCarthy did not seek a second term, producing an open field.^[5]

	Lawrence N. Ashley	Mark A. Howland
Votes	1,009	777

[edit] 1998

In 1998, incumbent Bruce W. Wilbur did not seek re-election to a third term, producing an open field. Former five-term selectman John S. Ashley, defeated in 1996, waged a comeback bid that proved successful.^[6]

	John S. Ashley	Atty. Patrick T. Matthews
Votes	873	472

[edit] 1997

In 1997, incumbent Robert A. Robidoux defeated Patrick J. Murphy and Finance Committee Chairman George L. Grunwald to secure a third term.^[7]

	Robert A. Robidoux	Patrick J. Murphy	George L. Grunwald
Votes	665	291	232

[edit] 1996

In 1996, incumbent John S. Ashley was defeated in his bid for a sixth term by Christopher D. McCarthy.^[8]

	Christopher D. McCarthy	John S. Ashley
Votes	1,110	754

[edit] 1995

In 1995, incumbent selectman Bruce W. Wilbur ran unopposed for a second term.^[9]

[edit] 1994

In 1994, incumbent Robert A. Robidoux succeeded in his bid for a second term against community activist Nancy T. Hall.^[10]

	Robert A. Robidoux	Nancy T. Hall
Votes	545	220

[edit] References

A History of the Town of Freetown, Massachusetts with an Account of the Old Home Festival, July 30th, 1902. Assonet Village Improvement Society (1902)

• Lists of Selectmen, 1683 - 1902

From The New Bedford Standard-Times:

• ↑  Razor-thin win for Pacheco in Freetown?. March 7, 2006. (Election results, 2006)
• ↑  Laronda is newest Freetown selectman. March 4, 2003. (Election results, 2003)
• ↑  Pacheco keeps school board seat. March 5, 2002. (Election results, 2002)
• ↑  Ashley edges Laronda in fly ash "referendum". March 13, 2001. (Election results, 2001)
• ↑  Howland upsets Robidoux in Freetown. April 4, 2000. (Election results, 2000)
• ↑  Pro-school candidates carry Freetown. March 2, 1999. (Election results, 1999)
• ↑  Happy return in Freetown. March 3, 1998. (Election results, 1998)
• ↑  Freetown re-elects Robidoux. March 4, 1997. (Election results, 1997)
• ↑  Newcomer in Freetown ousts five-term selectman. April 2, 1996. (Election results, 1996)
• ↑  Freetown candidates for office share their views. March 16, 2000. (Election results, 1995.)

From the Herald News of Fall River:

• ↑  Robidoux wins big in Freetown. March 8, 1994. (Election results, 1994.)

	Freetown, Massachusetts
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