James J. Campbell

James J. Campbell was born in Billerica on November 11, 1878. He worked in the wool trade: the jury list printed in the town report of 1909 gives him as James J. Campbell, wool sorter. On October 16, 1913, James J. Campbell of North Billerica married Christina M. Shyne of Lowell. Already in March 1903 the annual town meeting had chosen a James Campbell, on the motion of Martin Conway Jr., a member of the Bowers Fund Committee for five years.

His lasting public work was the voting list. By the town report of 1911 he was one of the Registrars of Voters, serving with Arthur W. Holden, Carroll Delehanty and Town Clerk Herbert A. King, and he remained on the board for nearly fifty years, as its chairman from the early 1920s until his death. The registrars kept the list of voters and recounted close elections. After the special election for selectman of July 22, 1916, he signed with Albert H. Richardson, John H. Mahoney and King the recount that gave Prescott L. Pasho 202 votes to 201 for Forrest F. Collier, and in November 1934 he and his colleagues Dennis J. Mahoney, Edward Thommen and Roland G. Wright recounted the Billerica vote for councillor, state senator, county commissioner and sheriff.

Under Chapter 440 of the Acts of 1938 the board also took a yearly census of adults. Its report for 1941, signed by Campbell as chairman, says the registrars visited "each and every dwelling in the town" to list everyone twenty years of age and over, and found 2,594 men and 2,668 women, 327 more names than in 1940. The selectmen reappointed him again in 1950, and his report for 1959 counted 6,805 registered voters, 1,529 Republicans, 1,614 Democrats and 3,662 unenrolled, in a town that had grown to five precincts.

James J. Campbell died on April 1, 1960, still chairman of the board. In their report for 1960 the registrars, now led by Lewis M. Daniels, wrote: "We regret the passing of our Chairman James J. Campbell on April 1, 1960 who has served the Board for the past forty years." The town report printed an In Memoriam notice calling him a "beloved citizen," and the annual town meeting of 1961 stood in silence in memory of him and the other former town officials who had died during the year.

References

1. Annual town meeting, March 1903 (James Campbell chosen to the Bowers Fund Committee for five years)
2. Jury list, 1909 (James J. Campbell, wool sorter)
3. Town officers, 1910 to 1911 (Board of Registrars: James Campbell)
4. Marriages, 1913 (James J. Campbell of North Billerica and Christina M. Shyne of Lowell, Oct. 16)
5. Recount of the special election for selectman, July 1916 (signed by the registrars incl. James J. Campbell)
6. Town officers, 1922 (Board of Registrars: James J. Campbell, Chairman)
7. Registrars recount of the state election, November 1934 (signed James J. Campbell)
8. Report of the Board of Registrars, 1941 (census under Chapter 440, Acts of 1938; signed as Chairman)
9. Report of the Board of Registrars, 1959 (party enrollment; signed James J. Campbell, Chairman)
10. Report of the Board of Registrars, 1960, and In Memoriam (born Nov. 11, 1878; died April 1, 1960)