Massachusetts's 11th congressional district

Massachusetts's 11th congressional district is an obsolete district that was active during three periods: 1795–1843, 1853–1863, and 1873–1993. The district was located in several different areas of the state. It was most recently eliminated in 1993 after the 1990 U.S. census. Its last congressman was Brian J. Donnelly.

Massachusetts's 11th congressional district
Obsolete district
Created	1795 1850 1870
Eliminated	1840 1860 1990
Years active	1795–1843 1853–1863 1873–1993

Massachusetts's 11th congressional district, 1901

Massachusetts's current districts, since 2013

Notable persons elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the 11th congressional district include John Quincy Adams following his term as president, John F. Kennedy prior to his term as president, and Tip O'Neill prior to his selection as Speaker of the House.

Cities and towns in the district

1790s–1880s

1890s

1893: Suffolk County: Boston, Wards 21, 22. 23, 25. "Middlesex County: City of Newton, towns of Belmont, Holliston, Sherborn, and Water- town. Norfolk County: Towns of Bellingham, Brookline, Dedham, Dover, Foxboro, Franklin, Hyde Park, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Needham, Norfolk, Norwood, Sharon, Walpole, and Wrentham. Bristol County: Town of North Attleboro. Worcester County: Towns of Hopedale and Milford."^[1]

1910s–1940s

1916: Suffolk County: Boston Wards 10, 11 (Precincts 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), 12, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23.^[2]

1921: Boston (Wards 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23).^[3]

1941: Boston (Wards 1, 2, 3, 22), Cambridge, Somerville (Wards 1, 2, 3).^[4]

1960s–1980s

1968: "Norfolk County: City of Quincy. Towns of Avon, Braintree, Canton, Dedham, Holbrook, Milton, Norwood, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, and Weymouth. Plymouth County: City of Brockton. Suffolk County: City of Boston: Ward 18."^[5]

1977: "Norfolk County: City of Quincy. Towns of Avon, Braintree, Holbrook, Milton, Randolph, and Stoughton. Plymouth County: City of Brockton. Towns of Abington and Whitman. Suffolk County: City of Boston: Wards 15, 16, 17, 18."^[6]

1985: "Norfolk County: City of Quincy. Towns of Avon, Braintree, Holbrook, Milton, Randolph, and Weymouth. Plymouth County: City of Brockton. Towns of Abington, East Bridgewater, Rockland, West Bridgewater, and Whitman. Suffolk County: City of Boston: Wards 15, 16, 17, and 18."^[7]

List of members representing the district

Representative (District home)	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location
District created March 4, 1795
Theophilus Bradbury (Newburyport)	Federalist	March 4, 1795 – July 24, 1797	4th 5th	Elected in 1795 on the third ballot. Re-elected in 1796. Resigned to become a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice.	1795 – 1803 "4th Middle district"
Vacant		July 25, 1797 – November 26, 1797	5th
Bailey Bartlett (Haverhill)	Federalist	November 27, 1797 – March 3, 1801	5th 6th	Elected August 4, 1797, to finish Bradbury's term and seated November 27, 1797.[8] Re-elected in 1798. Retired.
Manasseh Cutler (Hamilton)	Federalist	March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1803	7th	Elected in 1800. Redistricted to the 3rd district.
William Stedman (Worcester)	Federalist	March 4, 1803 – July 16, 1810	8th 9th 10th 11th	Elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Resigned to become Clerk of Courts for Worcester County.	1803 – 1815 "Worcester North district"
Vacant		July 16, 1810 – October 8, 1810	11th
Abijah Bigelow (Leominster)	Federalist	October 8, 1810 – March 3, 1815	11th 12th 13th	Elected to finish Stedman's term. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Redistricted to the 12th district and retired.
Elijah Brigham (Westborough (now Northborough))	Federalist	March 4, 1815 – February 22, 1816	14th	Redistricted from the 10th district and re-elected in 1814. Died.	1815 – 1823 "Worcester South district"
Vacant		February 22, 1816 – December 1, 1816
Benjamin Adams (Uxbridge)	Federalist	December 2, 1816 – March 3, 1821	14th 15th 16th	Elected August 26, 1816, to finish Brigham's term and seated December 2, 1816.[9] Re-elected in 1816. Re-elected in 1818. Lost re-election.
Johnathan Russell (Mendon)	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823	17th	Elected in 1820. Redistricted to the 5th district and retired.
Aaron Hobart (East Bridgewater)	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	18th 19th	Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1824. [data missing]	1823 – 1833 [data missing]
	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1827
Joseph Richardson (Hingham)	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1831	20th 21st	Elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828. Retired.
John Quincy Adams (Quincy)	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833	22nd	Elected in 1830. Redistricted to the 12th district.
John Reed Jr. (Yarmouth)	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835	23rd 24th 25th 26th	Elected in 1833. Re-elected in 1834. Re-elected in 1836. Re-elected in 1838. [data missing]	1833 – 1843 [data missing]
	Anti- Masonic	March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837
	Whig	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1841
Barker Burnell (Nantucket)	Whig	March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843	27th	Elected in 1840. Redistricted to the 10th district.
District eliminated March 3, 1843
District re-created March 4, 1853
John Z. Goodrich (Glendale)	Whig	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	33rd	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1852. [data missing]	1853–1863 [data missing]
Mark Trafton (Westfield)	Know Nothing	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	34th	Elected in 1854. [data missing]
Henry L. Dawes[10] (North Adams)	Republican	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1863	35th 36th 37th	Elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860. Redistricted to the 10th district.
District eliminated March 3, 1863
District re-created March 4, 1873
Henry L. Dawes (Pittsfield)	Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875	43rd	Redistricted from the 10th district and re-elected in 1872. [data missing]	1873–1883 [data missing]
Chester W. Chapin (Springfield)	Democratic	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877	44th	Elected in 1874. [data missing]
George D. Robinson[11][12] (Chicopee)	Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883	45th 46th 47th	Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Redistricted to the 12th district.
William Whiting (Holyoke)	Republican	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1889	48th 49th 50th	Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. [data missing]	1883–1893 [data missing]
Rodney Wallace (Fitchburg)	Republican	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891	51st	Elected in 1888. [data missing]
Frederick S. Coolidge (Ashburnham)	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893	52nd	Elected in 1890. [data missing]
William F. Draper (Hopedale)	Republican	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897	53rd 54th	Elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. [data missing]	1893–1903 [data missing]
Charles F. Sprague[13] (Brookline)	Republican	March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1901	55th 56th	Elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. [data missing]
Samuel L. Powers (Newton)	Republican	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903	57th	Elected in 1900. Redistricted to the 12th district.
John Andrew Sullivan (Boston)	Democratic	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1907	58th 59th	Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. [data missing]	1903–1913 [data missing]
Andrew J. Peters[14] (Boston)	Democratic	March 4, 1907 – August 15, 1914	60th 61st 62nd 63rd	Elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Resigned to become Asst. Secretary to the US Treasury Department.
1913–1923 [data missing]
	Vacant		August 15, 1914 – March 3, 1915	63rd
	George H. Tinkham (Boston)	Republican	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1933	64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd	Elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Redistricted to the 10th district.
1923–1933 [data missing]
John J. Douglass (Boston)	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935	73rd	Redistricted from the 10th district and re-elected in 1932. [data missing]	1933–1943 [data missing]
John P. Higgins (Boston)	Democratic	January 3, 1935 – September 30, 1937	74th 75th	Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Resigned to become chief justice of Superior Court of Massachusetts.
Vacant		September 30, 1937 – December 14, 1937	75th
Thomas A. Flaherty[15] (Boston)	Democratic	December 14, 1937 – January 3, 1943	75th 76th 77th	Elected to finish Higgins's term. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Retired.
James Michael Curley (Boston)	Democratic	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1947	78th 79th	Elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Retired.	1943–1953 [data missing]
John F. Kennedy (Boston)	Democratic	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1953	80th 81st 82nd	Elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
Tip O'Neill (Cambridge)	Democratic	January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1963	83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th	Elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Redistricted to the 8th district.	1953–1963 [data missing]
James A. Burke[5] (Milton)	Democratic	January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1979	88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th	Redistricted from the 13th district and re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972 Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. [data missing]	1963–1973 [data missing]
1973–1983 [data missing]
	Brian J. Donnelly[16] (Boston)	Democratic	January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1993	96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Retired.
1983–1993 [data missing]
District eliminated January 3, 1993

References

1. Francis M. Cox (1893). "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: Fifty-Third Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. hdl:2027/mdp.39015022758133.
2. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 64th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1916. hdl:2027/uc1.l0075858456.
3. Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1921), "Population of Congressional Districts", Population of Massachusetts as determined by the fourteenth census of the United States 1920, Boston: Wright & Potter, hdl:2027/nnc1.cu56182970
4. Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1941), "Population of Congressional Districts", Population of Massachusetts as determined by the sixteenth census of the United States, 1940, Boston: Wright & Potter, OCLC 10056477, House No. 2849
5. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 90th Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1968.
6. "Massachusetts", 1977 Official Congressional Directory: 95th Congress, Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1977, hdl:2027/uc1.31158002391372
7. "Massachusetts". 1985-1986 Official Congressional Directory: 99th Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1985. hdl:2027/uc1.31158013115752.
8. "Forth Congress March 4, 1797, to March 3, 1799". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 11, 2019 – via History.house.gov.
9. "Fourteenth Congress March 4, 1815 to March 3, 1817". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 11, 2019 – via History.house.gov.
10. "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory for the Second Session of the Thirty-Seventh Congress. Washington DC: House of Representatives. 1861.
11. Ben. Perley Poore (1878). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 45th Congress (3rd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-16-041176-2.
12. Ben. Perley Poore (1882). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 47th Congress (3rd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
13. L.A. Coolidge (1897). "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: Fifty-Fifth Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
14. A.J. Halford (1909). "Massachusetts". Congressional Directory: 60th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.
15. "Massachusetts". Official Congressional Directory: 75th Congress (2nd ed.). Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1938.
16. "Massachusetts". 1991-1992 Official Congressional Directory: 102nd Congress. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1991.

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

• "Our Campaigns - United States - Massachusetts - MA - District 11 (1795–1840)". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
• "Our Campaigns - United States - Massachusetts - MA - District 11 (1852–1860)". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.