North Carolina General Assembly of 1778

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]

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

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 borroughs) were authorized to elect one House representative each. Richard Caswell was elected governor by the legislature.[1][2][5]

Legislation

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

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

House leadership

House members

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]

CountyHouse of Commons Member
Anson CountyGeorge Davidson
Anson CountyStephen Miller
Beaufort CountyAlderson Allerson[note 4]
Beaufort CountyThomas Respress, Jr.[note 5]
Beaufort CountyWilliam Brown
Bertie CountyWilliam Jordan, Jr.
Bertie CountySimon Turner
Bladen CountyThomas Amis[note 6]
Bladen CountyBenjamin Clark[note 7]
Bladen CountySamuel Cain
Brunswick CountyLewis Dupree[note 8]
Brunswick CountyWilliam Gause[note 8]
Burke CountyEphraim McLaine[note 9]
Burke CountyCharles McLean[note 10]
Burke CountyThomas Whitson
Bute CountyBenjamin Hawkins
Bute CountyAdkin McLemore
Camden CountyCaleb Grandy[note 11]
Camden CountyWillis Bright[note 12]
Camden CountyJohn Gray[note 13]
Camden CountyWilliam Burgess[note 14]
Carteret CountyJohn Easton
Carteret CountySolomon Shepperd
Caswell CountyPeter Farrar
Caswell CountyJohn Williams
Chatham CountyAlexander Clark
Chatham CountyJames Williams
Chowan CountyThomas Benbury
Chowan CountyJacob Hunter
Craven CountyNathan Bryan
Craven CountyJohn Tillman[note 15]
Craven CountyAbner Nash[note 16]
Cumberland CountyPeter Mallett
Cumberland CountyRobert Rowan
Currituck CountyWilliam Ferebbe
Currituck CountyHolowell Williams[note 17]
Dobbs CountyJesse Cobb
Dobbs CountyWilliam Fellows
Duplin CountyRichard Clinton
Duplin CountyThomas Hicks
Edgecombe CountyJonas Johnston[note 18][14]
Edgecombe CountyIsaac Sessums
Granville CountyJohn Williams[note 19]
Granville CountyThomas Person[note 20]
Granville CountyThorton Yancey
Guilford CountyJames Hunter
Guilford CountyRobert Lindsay
Halifax CountyHaywood
Halifax CountyJohn Whitaker
Hertford CountyWilliam Baker
Hertford CountyArthur Cotton
Hyde CountyAbraham Jones
Hyde CountyJoseph Hancock
Johnston CountyWilliam Bryan
Johnston CountyJohn Bryan, Jr.
Martin CountyNathan Mayo
Martin CountyE. Edward Smithwick
Mecklenburg CountyCaleb Phifer
Mecklenburg CountyDavid Wilson
Nash CountyThomas Hunter
Nash CountyHardy Griffin
New Hanover CountyTimothy Bloodworth
New Hanover CountyJohn Devane
Northampton CountyJoseph Bryan
Northampton CountyRobert Peebles
Northampton CountyRobert Nash
Onslow CountyBenijah Doty
Onslow CountyGeorge Mitchell
Orange CountyJohn Butler[note 21]
Orange CountyThomas Burke[note 22]
Orange CountyMark Patterson[note 23]
Orange CountyWilliam McCauley
Pasquotank CountyThomas Harvey
Pasquotank CountyThomas Relfe
Perquimans CountyCharles Blount
Perquimans CountyJohn Harvey[note 24]
Pitt CountyWilliam Robeson[note 25]
Pitt CountyJohn Simpson[note 26]
Pitt CountyJames Gorham[note 27]
Pitt CountyJohn Williams
Rowan CountyMatthew Locke
Rowan CountyMoses Winslow
Surry CountyMatthew Brooks
Surry CountyFrederick Miller
Tryon CountyWilliam Gilbert[note 28]
Tryon CountyJoseph Hardin Sr.
Tyrrell CountyJoshua Swann
Tyrrell CountyIsham Webb[note 29]
Tyrrell CountyBenjamin Spruill[note 30]
Wake CountyLodwick Alford
Wake CountyHardy Sanders
Washington District/CountyLuke Boyer
Washington District/CountyWilliam Cooke[note 31]
Washington District/CountyJesse Walton[note 32]
Wilkes CountyBenjamin Cleveland
Wilkes CountyElijah Isaacs
Edenton DistrictJoseph Hewes
Halifax DistrictWillie Jones
Hillsborough DistrictWilliam Courtney
New Bern DistrictRichard Cogdell
Salisbury DistrictMatthew Troy
Wilmington DistrictWilliam Hooper

Senate

Senate leadership

Senate members

Sen. James Kenan
Sen. Allen Jones

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

CountySenate Member
Anson CountyJohn Childs
Beaufort CountyThomas Respess
Bertie CountyZedekiah Stone
Bladen CountyThomas Owen[15]
Brunswick CountyAlexius M. Foster
Burke CountyCharles McDowell[note 33]
Bute CountyEdward Jones
Camden CountyJoseph Jones
Carteret CountyWilliam Thompson
Caswell CountyJames Sauders
Chatham CountyAmbrose Ramsey[note 34]
Chatham CountyJohn Birdsong[note 35]
Chowan CountyLuke Sumner
Craven CountyJames Coor
Cumberland CountyEbenezer Folsome
Currituck CountySolomon Perkins
Dobbs CountyBenjamin Exum
Duplin CountyJames Kenan
Edgecombe CountyElisha Battle
Granville CountyRobert Harris
Guilford CountyRalph Gorrell[note 36]
Guilford CountyAlexander Martin[note 37]
Halifax CountyOroondates Davis
Hertford CountyRobert Sumner
Hyde CountyWilliam Russell
Johnston CountyNeedham Bryan[note 38]
Martin CountyWhitmell Hill[note 39]
Martin CountyKenneth McKenzie[note 40]
Mecklenburg CountyRobert Irwin
Nash CountyNathan Boddie
New Hanover CountyJohn Ashe, Jr.
Northampton CountyAllen Jones
Onslow CountyHenry Rhodes
Orange CountyJohn Kinchen
Pasquotank CountyJohn Lowrie
Perquimans CountyJohn Eason[note 41]
Perquimans CountyThomas Harvey[note 42]
Pitt CountyRobert Salter
Rowan CountyGriffith Rutherford
Surry CountyWilliam Sheppard
Tryon CountyWilliam Graham
Tyrrell CountyJeremiah Frazier
Wake CountyMichael Rogers
Washington DistrictCharles Robertson
Wilkes CountyJohn 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. 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 on 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.

References

  1. Connor, R.D.D. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  2. Wheeler, John H. (1874). The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  3. Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House 1778". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  4. 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. North Carolina Laws, General Assembly of 1778-1779, Chapter 19, pages 227230
  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. 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.
  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.
  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.
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