Mayoral elections in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the 19th century

The rules of the original 1846 city charter, in effect for the city's earliest elections, required that, to be elected, a candidate needed to receive a majority of the vote in a mayoral election. If no candidate received a majority, or if the winning candidate refused to take office, further election(s) would be held until an election produced a candidate with a majority of the vote. From 1846 to 1857, mayors served for a one-year term, expiring on the third Tuesday in March. From 1857 to 1872, the mayor's term expired on the last day of December. In 1873, the term ended annually on the third Tuesday in March, up until 1880, when it became a two-year term. ==1846==

The 1846 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral elections were held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. The first election was part of the first municipal election held after Manchester formally became a city (having previously been a town), which was held on August 19, 1846. The August municipal election's mayoral election, however, failed to produce a winner, as first-place finisher Hiram Brown fell 17 votes shy of the majority threshold needed to win the election. A second election was held on September 1, which saw Brown win a majority. Hiram Brown was affiliated with the Whig Party, Thomas Brown was affiliated with the Abolition Party, and Clarke was affiliated with the Democratic Party. Candidates in the September 1 election were Hiram Brown, Thomas Brown, Issac C. Flanders, Jacob F. James, William Stephens, and J. Sullivan Wiggin. Flanders was affiliated with the Democratic Party. {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box winning candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change|votes = 1,154 ==1847==

The 1847 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral elections were held on March 10, March 31, April 30, and May 22, 1847, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. The conclusive fourth election saw the election of Jacob F. James. In the first three elections, no candidate had managed to reach the required majority threshold to win election. In the fourth election, Jacob F. James won election by receiving a majority of the vote. {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change|votes = 1,662 {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change|votes = 1342 {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change|votes = 1,036 {{Election box winning candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change|votes = ==1848==

The 1848 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral elections were held on March 18, April 8, and April 26, 1848, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. The conclusive third election saw the reelection of incumbent mayor Jacob F. James. In the first two elections, no candidate had managed to reach the required majority threshold to win election. In the third election, Jacob F. James won election by receiving a majority of the vote. The initial March 18 election had coincided with the elections for the city's aldermen. {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change|votes = 1,842 {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change |votes = 1,342 {{Election box winning candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change|votes = ==1849==

The 1849 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral elections were held in April, May, and October 1849, to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. The conclusive third election saw the election of Warren L. Lane. In the first two elections, no candidate had managed to reach the required majority threshold to win election. In the third election, Warren L. Lane won election by receiving a majority of the vote. The third election coincided with the October elections for the city's aldermen. {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change|votes = 852 {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change |votes = 728 {{Election box winning candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box candidate no party no change {{Election box total no party no change |votes = ==1850==

The 1850 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Moses Fellows, who unseated incumbent mayor Warren L. Lane. Fellows and Lane were the only two candidates running in the election, which coincided with the city's aldermanic elections. ==1851==

The 1851 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Moses Fellows, who defeated challengers Walter French, Alonzo Smith, and D.L. Stevens. The election coincided with the city's aldermanic elections. ==1852==

The 1852 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Frederick Smyth, who defeated Walter French, the only other candidate running in the election. The election coincided with the city's aldermanic elections. ==1853==

The 1853 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Frederick Smyth, who defeated challenger Stevens James, the only other candidate running in the election. The election coincided with the city's aldermanic elections. ==1854==

The 1854 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held in March 1854 to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Frederick Smyth, who defeated challenger William C. Clarke, the only other candidate running in the election. This made Clarke the first mayor of the city to be elected to a third term. The election coincided with the city's aldermanic elections. ==1855==

The 1855 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held in March 1855 to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Theodore T. Abbott, who defeated Frederick G. Stark, the only other candidate running in the election. The election coincided with the city's aldermanic elections. ==1856 (March)==

The March 1856 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Theodore T. Abbott, who defeated challenger George W. Morrison, the only other candidate running in the election. The election coincided with the city's aldermanic elections. ==1856 (November)==

The November 1856 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Jacob F. James to a third nonconsecutive term. James defeated Isaac C. Flanders, the only other candidate running in the election. The election coincided with the city's aldermanic elections. ==1857==

The 1857 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Alonzo Smith, who defeated both Edward W. Harringon and incumbent mayor Jacob F. James. ==1858==

The 1858 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Edward W. Harrington, who unseated incumbent mayor Alonzo Smith. ==1859==

The 1859 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Edward W. Harrington, who defeated challenger Bradbury Cilley. ==1860==

The 1860 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of David A. Bunton, who defeated Bradbury Cilley. ==1861==

The 1861 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of David A. Bunton, who defeated challenger James A. Weston. ==1862==

The 1862 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the reelection of Theodore T. Abbott to a third nonconsecutive term. Abbott defeated Theodore T. Abbott. ==1863==

The 1863 Manchester, New Hampshire, mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire. It saw the election of Frederick Smyth to a fourth nonconsecutive term, making him the first mayor of the city to be elected to a fourth term. Smyth was elected nearly unanimously, with the remainder of the vote being a scattering of write-in votes, with no single individual receiving more than five write-in votes. ==1864==