Province of North Carolina General Assembly of 1775

The Province of North Carolina General Assembly of 1775 was a bicameral legislative body of the Province of North Carolina that met from April 4, 1775 to April 8, 1775 in New Bern. The upper house of the legislature was the Executive Council, which was appointed by The Crown as was the Governor, Josiah Martin. The lower house, the House of Burgesses, was elected by the eligible voters in the 34 counties and nine major towns as certified by the local sheriff.[1][2]

Province of North Carolina General Assembly of 1775
Prior After
Restored Tryon Palace in New Bern
Overview
Legislative bodyGeneral Assembly
JurisdictionProvince of North Carolina, United Kingdom
Meeting placeNew Bern, North Carolina
Term1775
Executive Council
Lieutenant GovernorGeorge Mercer
Chief Baron of the ExchequerJames Hasell
Receiver GeneralJohn Rutherford
ClerkSamuel Strudwick
Attorney GeneralThomas McGuire
House of Burgesses
Members93 Delegates authorized (21 vacancies, 34 counties, 9 Towns)
SpeakerJohn Harvey
ClerkJames Green, Jr.
Assistant ClerkJames Glasgow
Mace BearerBenjamin Fordham
Sessions
1stApril 4, 1775 – April 8, 1775

This was the fourth House of Burgesses under Governor Josiah Martin and the final General Assembly of the Province of North Carolina. They met at the same time and with virtually the same representation as the Second North Carolina Provincial Congress, which met in New Bern on April 3 to April 7, 1775. Because the House of Burgesses approved the Continental Congress that was to be held in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, Governor Martin and the Executive Council issued a proclamation dissolving the House of Burgesses on April 8, 1775.[3][1]

Executive Council

Governor Josiah Martin
Martin Howard

The last Governor of the Province of North Carolina was Josiah Martin, who served from 1771 to 1776. His Executive Council, which was the upper house of the general assembly and advisor to the governor, included the following members:[4]

  • Samuel Cornell[5]
  • William Dry[6]
  • George Mercer (Lieutenant Governor)[7]
  • James Hasell (Chief Baron of the Exchequer, Acting Governor of the Province of North Carolina in 1771)
  • Martin Howard
  • Alexander McCulloch[8]
  • Robert Palmer[9]
  • John Rutherfurd (Receiver General)[10]
  • Lewis Henry De Rosset[11]
  • John Sampson
  • Samuel Strudwick (Clerk)[12]
  • Thomas McGuire (Attorney General)[13]

Governor Josiah Martin and the Executive Council issued a proclamation on April 8, 1775 dissolving the Province of North Carolina's General Assembly after the House of Burgesses presented a resolve endorsing the Continental Congress that was to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Executive Council met on June 25, 1775 at Fort Johnston in Brunswick County. By this time sedition was rampant and many were under arms. As the Council met for the last time onboard HMS Cruizer in the Cape Fear River on July 18, 1775, they noted that the "deluded people of this Province" will see their error and return to their allegiance to the King.[4]

House of Burgesses

Robert Howe, Brunswick County
Samuel Johnston, Chowan County
Richard Caswell, Dobbs County
Benjamin Williams, Johnston County
John Baptista Ashe, New Hanover County
William Hooper, New Hanover County
Allen Jones, Northampton County
Joseph Hewes, Edenton

The delegates to the House of Burgesses represented the 34 counties and nine Towns. The number of delegates from the counties was determined by the population and varied from one to four. Each town had one delegate. Elections were certified by the county sheriffs. The delegates are listed below. John Harvey was elected speaker of the House of Burgesses by his fellow delegates.[1][14]

County/TownDelegate
Anson County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Anson County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Beaufort County, North CarolinaRoger Ormond
Beaufort County, North CarolinaThomas Respess, Jr.
Bertie County, North CarolinaJohn Campbell
Bertie County, North CarolinaJohn Johnston
Bertie County, North CarolinaDavid Stanley
Bladen County, North CarolinaWilliam Salter
Bladen County, North CarolinaJames White
Brunswick County, North CarolinaRobert Howe
Brunswick County, North CarolinaJohn Rowan
Bute County, North CarolinaGreen Hill
Bute County, North CarolinaWilliam Person
Carteret County, North CarolinaSolomon Shepard
Carteret County, North CarolinaWilliam Thompson
Chatham County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Chatham County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Chowan County, North CarolinaThomas Benbury
Chowan County, North CarolinaThomas Hunter
Chowan County, North CarolinaSamuel Johnston
Chowan County, North CarolinaThomas Jones
Chowan County, North CarolinaThomas Oldham
Craven County, North CarolinaJames Coor
Craven County, North CarolinaLemuel Hatch
Cumberland County, North CarolinaFarquard Campbell
Cumberland County, North CarolinaThomas Rutherford
Currituck County, North CarolinaSamuel Jarvis
Currituck County, North CarolinaNathan Joyner
Currituck County, North CarolinaThomas McKnight
Currituck County, North CarolinaSolomon Perkins
Currituck County, North CarolinaFrancis Williamson
Dobbs County, North CarolinaRichard Caswell
Dobbs County, North CarolinaWilliam McKinnie
Duplin County, North CarolinaThomas Gray
Duplin County, North CarolinaThomas Hicks
Edgecombe County, North CarolinaElisha Battle
Edgecombe County, North CarolinaWilliam Haywood
Granville County, North CarolinaMemucan Hunt
Granville County, North CarolinaThomas Person
Guilford County, North CarolinaVacant[note 1]
Guilford County, North CarolinaVacant[note 1]
Halifax County, North CarolinaNicholas Long
Halifax County, North CarolinaBenjamin McCulloch
Hertford County, North CarolinaWilliam Murfree
Hertford County, North CarolinaGeorge Wynns
Hyde County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Hyde County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Johnston County, North CarolinaNeedham Bryan
Johnston County, North CarolinaBenjamin Williams
Mecklenburg County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Mecklenburg County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
New Hanover County, North CarolinaJohn Baptista Ashe
New Hanover County, North CarolinaWilliam Hooper
Northampton County, North CarolinaColonel Jeptha Atherton
Northampton County, North CarolinaAllen Jones
Onslow County, North CarolinaWilliam Cray
Onslow County, North CarolinaHenry Rhodes
Orange County, North CarolinaThomas Hart
Orange County, North CarolinaRalph McNair
Pasquotank County, North CarolinaEdward Everagin
Pasquotank County, North CarolinaJonathan Herring
Pasquotank County, North CarolinaJoseph Jones
Pasquotank County, North CarolinaIsaac Gregory
Pasquotank County, North CarolinaJoseph Reading
Perquimans County, North CarolinaJohn Harvey (Speaker)
Perquimans County, North CarolinaThomas Harvey
Perquimans County, North CarolinaAndrew Knox
Perquimans County, North CarolinaJohn Whedbee
Perquimans County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Pitt County, North CarolinaEdward Salter
Pitt County, North CarolinaJohn Simpson
Rowan County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Rowan County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Surry County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Surry County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Tryon County, North CarolinaWilliam Alston
Tryon County, North CarolinaWilliam Moore
Tyrrell County, North CarolinaJeremiah Frazier
Tyrrell County, North CarolinaBenjamin Spruill
Tyrrell County, North CarolinaJoseph Spruill
Tyrrell County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Tyrrell County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Wake County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Wake County, North CarolinaUnknown / Vacant
Bath TownWilliam Brown
Brunswick TownParker Quince
Campbellton Town (became Fayetteville in 1783)Robert Rowan
Edenton TownJoseph Hewes
Halifax TownUnknown / Vacant
Hillsborough TownFrancis Nash
New Bern TownIsaac Edwards[note 2]
Salisbury TownUnknown / Vacant
Wilmington TownCornelius Harnett

Notes:

  1. Election results were not returned and the seats remained vacant.
  2. Isaac Edwards died before taking his seat and the seat remained vacant.

See also

References

  1. Lewis, J.D. "Royal Colony of North Carolina, 27th House of Burgesses". Carolana.com. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  2. Norris, David A. (2006). "The General Assembly". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  3. Smith, Carmen Miner (2006). "Committees of Safety". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  4. Lewis, J.D. "Josiah Martin's Executive Council". Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  5. Price, William S.Jr. (1979). "Samuel Cornell". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  6. Watson, Alan D. (1986). "William Dry, III". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  7. Powell, William S. (1991). "George Mercer". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  8. Price, William S. Jr. (1991). "Alexander McCulloch". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  9. Price, William S. Jr. (1994). "Robert Palmer". Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  10. Watson, Alan D. (1994). "John Ruthefurd". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  11. Price, William S. Jr. (1986). "Lewis Henry De Rosset". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  12. Price, William S. Jr. (1994). "Samuel Strudwick". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  13. Price, William S. Jr. (1991). "Thomas McGuire". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  14. Towles, Louis P. (2006). "Speaker of the Assembly". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
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