Jump to content

North Carolina General Assembly of 1778

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2nd North Carolina General Assembly (1778-1779)
1777 1779
Overview
Legislative bodyNorth Carolina General Assembly
JurisdictionNorth Carolina, United States
Meeting place1st New Bern, 2nd Hillsborough, 3rd Halifax sessions
Term1778–1779
North Carolina Senate
Members41 Senators (41 counties, including Washington County/District)
SpeakerWhitmell Hill
ClerkJohn Sitgreaves
North Carolina House of Commons
Members88 Representatives (41 counties with two each, 6 districts with one each)
SpeakerJohn Williams, Thomas Benbury
ClerkJohn Hunt
Sessions
1stApril 14 – May 2, 1778
2ndAugust 8, 1778 – August 19, 1778
3rdJanuary 19 – February 13, 1779

The North Carolina General Assembly of 1778 met in three sessions in three locations in the years 1778 and 1779. The first session was held in New Bern from April 14 to May 2, 1778; the second session in Hillsborough, from August 8 to August 19, 1778; the third and final session in Halifax, from January 19 to February 13, 1779.[1][2][3][4]

Each of the 39 North Carolina counties and Washington District/County were authorized by the North Carolina Constitution of 1776 to elect one Senator to the Senate and two representatives to the House of Commons. In addition, six districts (also called boroughs) were authorized to elect one House representative each. Richard Caswell was elected governor by the legislature.[1][2][5]

Legislation

[edit]

This general assembly established Wilkes County in 1778[6] This general assembly established the following counties in their last session in 1779: Franklin,[7] Gates,[8] Jones,[9] Lincoln,[10] Montgomery,[11] Randolph,[12] Richmond, Rutherford,[10] Warren,[7] and Wayne Counties. For additional laws and minutes of the 1778 General Assembly, see Legislative Documents.[13]

Councilors of State

[edit]

The General Assembly elected the following Councilors of State on April 18, 1778:[2]

  • Joseph Leech, from Craven County
  • Thomas Bonner from Beaufort County
  • William Cray from Onslow County[note 1]
  • Edward Starkey from Onslow County
  • Robert Bignall from Edgecombe County
  • Richard Henderson from Granville County[note 2]
  • William Haywood from Edgecombe County[note 3]
  • William Bryan from Craven County
  • John Simpson from Pitt County
  • Frederick Jones from New Hanover County (elected on February 3, 1779)

House of Commons

[edit]

House leadership

[edit]

House members

[edit]
Rep. Benjamin Hawkins
Rep. Joseph Hewes
Rep. Willie Jones
AbnerNash

The members of the House and the counties and districts they represented are listed below.[3]

County House of Commons Member
Anson County George Davidson
Anson County Stephen Miller
Beaufort County Alderson Allerson[note 4]
Beaufort County Thomas Respress, Jr.[note 5]
Beaufort County William Brown
Bertie County William Jordan, Jr.
Bertie County Simon Turner
Bladen County Thomas Amis[note 6]
Bladen County Benjamin Clark[note 7]
Bladen County Samuel Cain
Brunswick County Lewis Dupree[note 8]
Brunswick County William Gause[note 8]
Burke County Ephraim McLaine[note 9]
Burke County Charles McLean[note 10]
Burke County Thomas Whitson
Bute County Benjamin Hawkins
Bute County Adkin McLemore
Camden County Caleb Grandy[note 11]
Camden County Willis Bright[note 12]
Camden County John Gray[note 13]
Camden County William Burgess[note 14]
Carteret County John Easton
Carteret County Solomon Shepperd
Caswell County Peter Farrar
Caswell County John Williams
Chatham County Alexander Clark
Chatham County James Williams
Chowan County Thomas Benbury
Chowan County Jacob Hunter
Craven County Nathan Bryan
Craven County John Tillman[note 15]
Craven County Abner Nash[note 16]
Cumberland County Peter Mallett
Cumberland County Robert Rowan
Currituck County William Ferebbe
Currituck County Holowell Williams[note 17]
Dobbs County Jesse Cobb
Dobbs County William Fellows
Duplin County Richard Clinton
Duplin County Thomas Hicks
Edgecombe County Jonas Johnston[note 18][14]
Edgecombe County Isaac Sessums
Granville County John Williams[note 19]
Granville County Thomas Person[note 20]
Granville County Thorton Yancey
Guilford County James Hunter
Guilford County Robert Lindsay
Halifax County Haywood
Halifax County John Whitaker
Hertford County William Baker
Hertford County Arthur Cotton
Hyde County Abraham Jones
Hyde County Joseph Hancock
Johnston County William Bryan
Johnston County John Bryan, Jr.
Martin County Nathan Mayo
Martin County E. Edward Smithwick
Mecklenburg County Caleb Phifer
Mecklenburg County David Wilson
Nash County Thomas Hunter
Nash County Hardy Griffin
New Hanover County Timothy Bloodworth
New Hanover County John Devane
Northampton County Joseph Bryan
Northampton County Robert Peebles
Northampton County Robert Nash
Onslow County Benijah Doty
Onslow County George Mitchell
Orange County John Butler[note 21]
Orange County Thomas Burke[note 22]
Orange County Mark Patterson[note 23]
Orange County William McCauley
Pasquotank County Thomas Harvey
Pasquotank County Thomas Relfe
Perquimans County Charles Blount
Perquimans County John Harvey[note 24]
Pitt County William Robeson[note 25]
Pitt County John Simpson[note 26]
Pitt County James Gorham[note 27]
Pitt County John Williams
Rowan County Matthew Locke
Rowan County Moses Winslow
Surry County Matthew Brooks
Surry County Frederick Miller
Tryon County William Gilbert[note 28]
Tryon County Joseph Hardin Sr.
Tyrrell County Joshua Swann
Tyrrell County Isham Webb[note 29]
Tyrrell County Benjamin Spruill[note 30]
Wake County Lodwick Alford
Wake County Hardy Sanders
Washington District/County Luke Boyer
Washington District/County William Cooke[note 31]
Washington District/County Jesse Walton[note 32]
Wilkes County Benjamin Cleveland
Wilkes County Elijah Isaacs
Edenton District Joseph Hewes
Halifax District Willie Jones
Hillsborough District William Courtney
New Bern District Richard Cogdell
Salisbury District Matthew Troy
Wilmington District William Hooper

Senate

[edit]

Senate leadership

[edit]

Senate members

[edit]
Sen. James Kenan
Sen. Allen Jones

The following senators and the counties they represented are listed.[4]

County Senate Member
Anson County John Childs
Beaufort County Thomas Respess
Bertie County Zedekiah Stone
Bladen County Thomas Owen[15]
Brunswick County Alexius M. Foster
Burke County Charles McDowell[note 33]
Bute County Edward Jones
Camden County Joseph Jones
Carteret County William Thompson
Caswell County James Sauders
Chatham County Ambrose Ramsey[note 34]
Chatham County John Birdsong[note 35]
Chowan County Luke Sumner
Craven County James Coor
Cumberland County Ebenezer Folsome
Currituck County Solomon Perkins
Dobbs County Benjamin Exum
Duplin County James Kenan
Edgecombe County Elisha Battle
Granville County Robert Harris
Guilford County Ralph Gorrell[note 36]
Guilford County Alexander Martin[note 37]
Halifax County Oroondates Davis
Hertford County Robert Sumner
Hyde County William Russell
Johnston County Needham Bryan[note 38]
Martin County Whitmell Hill[note 39]
Martin County Kenneth McKenzie[note 40]
Mecklenburg County Robert Irwin
Nash County Nathan Boddie
New Hanover County John Ashe, Jr.
Northampton County Allen Jones
Onslow County Henry Rhodes
Orange County John Kinchen
Pasquotank County John Lowrie
Perquimans County John Eason[note 41]
Perquimans County Thomas Harvey[note 42]
Pitt County Robert Salter
Rowan County Griffith Rutherford
Surry County William Sheppard
Tryon County William Graham
Tyrrell County Jeremiah Frazier
Wake County Michael Rogers
Washington District Charles Robertson
Wilkes County John Brown

Notes:

  1. ^ William Cray Died in office.
  2. ^ Richard Henderson declined to serve.
  3. ^ William Haywood declined to serve.
  4. ^ Alderson Allerson was elected county entry taker. His seat was declared vacant on 19 January 1779.
  5. ^ Thomas Respress was elected to replace Alderson Allerson. He took office on February 2, 1779.
  6. ^ Thomas Amis was elected to another office. His seat was declared vacant on May 2, 1778.
  7. ^ Benjamin Clark was elected to replace Thomas Amis. He took office on August 8, 1778.
  8. ^ a b Lewis Dupree took office on August 8, 1778 after a special election.
  9. ^ Ephraim McLaine was elected, but there is no evidence of service.
  10. ^ Charles McLean took office on August 13, 1778.
  11. ^ Caleb Grady's seat vacated because he held another public office.
  12. ^ Willis Bright was elected to replace Caleb Grandy. He took office on January 21, 1779.
  13. ^ John Gray's seat was vacated because he held another public office.
  14. ^ William Burgess was elected to replace John Gray. There is no evidence of service.
  15. ^ John Tillman resigned on April 30, 1778.
  16. ^ Abner Nash was elected to replace John Tillman. He took office on August 14, 1778.
  17. ^ Holowell Williams was elected, but there is no evidence that he took office.
  18. ^ Jonas Johnston was named county entry taker. His seat was declared vacant on April 27, 1778. A new election was held. Johnston was re-elected and he took office on August 8, 1778
  19. ^ John Williams resigned on April 28, 1778 when elected to Continental Congress.
  20. ^ Thomas Person was elected to replace John Williams. He took office on August 8, 1778.
  21. ^ John Butler was named county record taker. His seat was declared vacant on April 27, 1778.
  22. ^ Thomas Burke was elected to replace John Butler. He took office on August 8 and resigned on August 18 when elected to the Continental Congress.
  23. ^ Mark Patterson was elected to replace Thomas Burke. He took office on January 20, 1779.
  24. ^ There is some question about sources that say it died earlier than this date.
  25. ^ William Robeson was named county entry taker. His seat was declared vacant on April 27, 1778.
  26. ^ John Simposon was elected to replace William Robeson. He took office on August 8 and was then elected to Council of State, so he resigned on August 18.
  27. ^ James Gorham was elected to replace John Simpson. He took office on January 21, 1779.
  28. ^ William Gilbert was expelled from office on February 8, 1779 for fraud.
  29. ^ Isham Webb died in April 1778.
  30. ^ Benjamin Spruill was elected to replace Isham Webb. He took office on August 8, 1778.
  31. ^ William Cooke was named county clerk of court and his seat was declared vacant on April 27, 1778.
  32. ^ Jesse Walton was elected to replace William Cooke. He took office on January 19, 1779.
  33. ^ Charles McDowell held another public office, so his seat was declared vacant on April 22, 1778.
  34. ^ Ambrose Ramsey held another public office, so his seat was declared vacant on April 22, 1778.
  35. ^ John Birdsong was elected to replace Ambrose Ramsey. He took office on August 8, 1778.
  36. ^ Ralph Gorrell held the office of county entry taker, so his seat was declared vacant on April 22, 1778.
  37. ^ Alexander Martin was elected to replace Ralph Gorrell. He took office on August 12, 1778.
  38. ^ Needham Bryan held another public office, so his seat was declared vacant on April 22, 1778.
  39. ^ Whitmell Hill was appointed to the Continental Congress, so he resigned on August 12, 1778.
  40. ^ Kenneth McKenzie was elected to replace Whitmell Hill. He took office on January 19, 1779.
  41. ^ John Eason held the office of county entry taker, so his seat was declared vacant on April 15, 1778.
  42. ^ Thomas Harvey was elected to replace John Eason. He took office on January 20, 1779.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Connor, R.D.D. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Wheeler, John H. (1874). The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House 1778". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Senators 1778". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  5. ^ Holloman, Charles R. 1979.Caswell, Richard. NCpedia.
  6. ^ North Carolina Laws, General Assembly of 1778-1779, Chapter 22, page 178
  7. ^ a b North Carolina Laws, General Assembly of 1778-1779, Chapter 19, pages 227–230
  8. ^ North Carolina Law, General Assembly of 1778-1779, Chapter 20, pages 230-232
  9. ^ North Carolina Law, General Assembly of 1778-1779, Chapter 18, pages 225-227
  10. ^ a b General Assembly of 1778-1779 (1779). North Carolina Law, General Assembly of 1778-1779, Chapter 23, An Act for dividing Tryon County into two district counties by the name of Lincoln and Rutherford (PDF). pp. 236–237. Retrieved November 11, 2019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ North Carolina Laws, General Assembly of 1778-1779, Chapter 21, pages 232-234
  12. ^ General Assembly of 1778-1779 (1779). North Carolina Law, General Assembly of 1778-1779, Chapter 22, An Act for dividing Guilford County into two district counties by the name of Randolph and Guilford (PDF). pp. 234–236. Retrieved November 11, 2019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Lewis, J.D. "Laws of North Carolina, 1784" (PDF). Carolana. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  14. ^ Johnston, Hugh Buckner (1988). "Jonas Johnston". Retrieved November 4, 2019.
  15. ^ Powell, William S. (1991). "Thomas Owen". Retrieved November 4, 2019.