List of Counts of Massachusetts Bay
(House Adams holds hereditary rights over the Executive Branch of this Realm)
- John | T: 1790-1816 (26) | abdicated at 80 | L: 1735-1826 (91) [1]
- John Quincy I | T: 1816-48 (32) | abdicated at 80 | L: 1767-1848 (81) [2]
- Charles I (Adams) | T: 1848-86 (38) | L: 1807-86 (79)
- John Quincy II (Adams) | T: 1886-94 (8) | L: 1833-94 (61)
- George (Adams) | T: 1894-1900 (6) | L: 1863-1900 (37) [3]
- Charles II (Adams) | T: 1900-43 (43) | abdicated at 80 | L: 1862-1954 (92) [4]
- Charles III (Adams) | T: 1943-81 (38) | abdicated at 80 | L: 1901-99 (88) [5]
- Charles IV (Adams) | T: 1981-2001 (20) | L: 1938-2001 (62) [6]
- Charles V (Adams) | T: 2001-incumbent (18) | L: 1970 (49)
[1] On Count John's 80th birthday on October 30, 1815, he gave a speech before the entirety of the Massachusetts legislature [i.e. the Executive Council of Assistants (Upper House) and the General Assembly (Lower House)] in which he looked back on his tenure as Count of Massachusetts - a tenure that, at that moment, had lasted a quarter century. "Far longer than any
one person should
, in their right mind, run a realm," John told those in attendance that evening, "but alas, such were the provisions of the Union Constitution and the Governing Charter of the Massachusetts Bay County." But at a certain age, the faculties of man fail us, the Count would continue, such that it would be a disservice to continue holding the position. As such, he concluded, on July 4, 1816, the 26th Anniversary of his inauguration, he would be abdicating the office of Count of Massachusetts Bay. This unofficial
abdicate at 80 rule has been followed by every Count who has reached that age, and is known as
John's Rule.
[2] John Quincy I, upon assuming the position of Count, passed up the official name of John II so that his father would remain the only Count of that name. In 1886, when John Quincy II assumed the position, he too chose the official name John Quincy as opposed to John out of respect for his great-grandfather. This unofficial rule is known as
Quincy's Rule.
[3] Count George holds the unfortunate records of having the shortest tenure as count, and of being the youngest count to die while in office, dying at the age of 37 from the
Wandering Flu.
[4] Because George left no living heirs, the office of Count passed to George's brother, Charles II. This marks the only sibling to sibling succession in the realm's history. Charles II holds the record for longest term in the realm's history at 47 years - nearly half a century. Charles II followed John's Rule and abdicated on the first anniversary of his inauguration following his 80th birthday.
[5] Charles III followed John's Rule and abdicated on the first anniversary of his inauguration following his 80th birthday.
[6] Charles IV's death from brain cancer in 2001 rocked Massachusetts.
[7] Youngest person to ascend to the office of Count of Massachusetts Bay (31 at the time).