Moses Gill

Moses Gill (1721 – 1800) was a prominent American merchant, politician, and the acting Governor of Massachusetts from 1799 to 1800.

Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Gill graduated from Harvard College in 1742. He amassed a fortune as a merchant and became involved in politics, serving in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts Senate. He also served on the Governor's Council.

Gill served as Lieutenant Governor under Governor Increase Sumner. Upon Sumner's death in June 1799, Gill became acting Governor. Notably, Gill was an Anti-Federalist (later Democratic-Republican), a fact that created political friction given the Federalist leanings of much of the Massachusetts elite at the time. His refusal to allow the legislature to elect a new Lieutenant Governor to replace him led to a constitutional crisis. The Federalists, controlling the state legislature, attempted to force an election, but Gill consistently prorogued the legislature to prevent it.

He died in office in May 1800, still serving as acting Governor, without ever having been elected to the position in his own right. He is buried in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His actions during his tenure as acting governor significantly shaped Massachusetts politics in the early republic.