Massachusetts 1812 State Senate, Essex County

Office:
State Senate (State)
Title:
State Senator
Jurisdiction:
State
Label:
Massachusetts 1812 State Senate, Essex County
Date:
1812
State:
Massachusetts
Type:
General
Iteration:
First Ballot
Office/Role:
State Senate/State Senator
Candidates:
Thomas Kittredge, Joseph Fuller, 3rd, Benjamin W. Crowninshield, Bailey Bartlett, Benjamin Pickman, Jr., Nathaniel Hooper, scattering
Candidates: Thomas Kittredge[1]Joseph Fuller, 3rd[2]Benjamin W. Crowninshield[3]Bailey BartlettBenjamin Pickman, Jr.Nathaniel Hooperscattering
Affiliation:DemocratDemocratDemocratFederalistFederalistFederalist
Final Result: [4][5][6][7][8]305430312935----
District of Essex South305430312935----
Essex County-------
Town of Amesbury[9]-------
Town of Andover-------
Town of Danvers-------
Town of Haverhill-------
Town of Lynn-------
District of Lynnfield-------
Town of Marblehead[10]-------
Town of Methuen-------
Town of Middleton-------
Town of Salisbury-------
Town of Salem[11]7857797769309299278
Suffolk County-------
Town of Chelsea-------

Notes:

[1]Elected.
[2]Elected.
[3]Elected.
[4]"No. Voters, 5861. Make a choice, 2931." Governor's Council Records.
[5]"The towns of Salem, Danvers, Marblehead, Lynn, Lynnfield, Andover, Salisbury, Haverhill, Amesbury, Methuen and Middleton of Essex County and Chelsea in the County of Suffolk shall form one district and choose three Senators." The National Aegis (Worcester, MA). February 19, 1812.
[6]The strange shape of this district prompted the Boston Gazette in the March 26, 1812 issue to print a cartoon, lampooning the shape of the district as "The Gerry-mander. A new species of Monster, which appeared in Essex South District in January last." The furor over the creation of this district lead to the widespread use of the term "Gerrymander", with the Salem Gazette (Salem, MA) using it as the name of the district in reporting district majorities. This furor would help lead to Elbridge Gerry failing to win re-election as Governor in April.
[7]"Mr. Crowninshield of this District has squeezed into the Senate by a majority of only eight votes! but he has long been accustomed to squeeze through narrow crevices, for in 1808 he was elected a Representative of this town by a MAJORITY of Five Eighteenths of a Vote!" Salem Gazette (Salem, MA). May 19, 1812.
[8]5854 total votes, 2928 necessary to make a choice.
[9]"Ordered that the Report of the Committee appointed to examine the returns from the several towns, districts and plantations within this Commonwealth for Senators and Counsellors be amended by deducting from the Column of Joseph Fuller 3rd one hundred and nine votes from the returned list of the town of Amesbury in one of the districts of in Essex and placed in a column for Hon. Joseph Fuller which motion did not prevail." Governor's Council Records.
[10]"Yet the monstrous vote in Marblehead has unquestionably secured to Messrs, Kittredge, Fuller and Crowninshield the object for which they made this outrageous division of the ancient county of Essex - their seats in the Senate." Salem Gazette (Salem, MA). April 7, 1812.
[11]"Salem: Tuesday, April 7, 1812. - Federalism again Triumphant in Salem. - It is utterly impossible for us to describe the disgraceful and riotous scenes we yesterday witnessed at our town meeting for the choice of Governor, etc. or our satisfaction at the glorious result. The inconveniences which had heretofore been experienced from the smallness of the court house hall, had let the Selectmen to set up the ground floor in such a manner as to accommodate the citizens without danger of pressure - entering at one door, passing the ballot box through a narrow passage way, and going out the opposite door; which might have been performed with perfect ease and convenience to the voters. The poll was opened at 9 o'clock. Immediately a strong body of the democratic party, by previous concert, filled the avenue to the boxes, and crowded the area of the house, and in this manner the passage to the ballot box was completely blocked up, and all approach to it utterly impossible; they declaring that the voting should not go on till the Selectmen complied with their demand to have certain names inserted on the list of voters which it was said were not there, their leaders standing by, uttering expressions to encourage and inflame them. In this manner the whole body of citizens were actually kept at bay for two hours, and the authority of the peace officers set at defiance. The Sheriff was sent for to Ipswich, - he came, and departed, leaving the citizens to take care of themselves! - At length the rioters gave way, and the voting commenced, and continued without interruption till near the hour of closing the poll, which had been fixed at 4 o'clock. It had been given out by the Democrats, soon after the poll was opened, that it should never be closed till the names required were inserted - that they would storm the Selectmen's station, seize the boxes, destroy the votes, etc. and auxiliaries were brought in from a neighboring town to aid them. To support the Selectmen, an impenetrable body of Federalist had planted themselves around them, and every thing was tranquil till about half past 3 o'clock, when a strong body of Democrats rushed in and pushed for the Selectmen. All was immediately uproar and confusion; further voting was impossible; and all that could be done by the Federalist was to resist the assaults of the rioters and protect the Selectmen and the ballot boxes. At length the Selectmen declared the poll closed. This increased the confusion, the rioters declaring it was not and should not be closed; the riot act was read, but not heard, and business was a long time suspended. But the Selectmen, determined if possible to go through their duty, and the repeated assaults of the rioters being effectually resisted, proceeded to sort and count the votes; and the Town Clerk made declaration that they were as follows:" Salem Gazette (Salem, MA). April 7, 1812.

References:

Governor's Council Records. Massachusetts State Archives, Boston.
The National Aegis (Worcester, MA). February 19, 1812.
Boston Gazette (Boston, MA). March 26, 1812.
Salem Gazette (Salem, MA). April 7, 1812.
The True American and Commercial Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA). April 14, 1812.
Salem Gazette (Salem, MA). May 19, 1812.
Columbian Centinel. Massachusetts Federalist (Boston, MA). May 20, 1812.
The Weekly Messenger (Boston, MA). May 22, 1812.
Merrimack Intelligencer (Haverhill, MA). May 23, 1812.
Hampshire Federalist (Springfield, MA). May 28, 1812.

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handwritten notes
Phil's original notebook pages that were used to compile this election. These notes are considered a draft of the electronic version. Therefore, the numbers may not match. To verify numbers you will need to check the original sources cited. Some original source material is available at the American Antiquarian Society).

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