1885-1887John S. Parsons served as the mayor of Gloucester.Government and Public Service, City Government

John S. Parsons owned a house moving business. He started his political career in 1878 when he was elected to the Gloucester Common Council as a member of the Greenback Party. In 1881, he was elected to the city’s Board of Aldermen.

In 1884, Parsons ran for mayor on the “Citizen’s Ticket” on a platform of moral reform, including prostitution and illegal drinking. Later, Parsons was appointed City Marshal himself by Mayor David I. Robinson. He had strict orders to arrest anyone who was suspected of being intoxicated. Robinson’s successor, Mayor Benjamin F. Cook, attempted to remove Parsons from office, but he refused to resign and was backed by the Board of Aldermen.