From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
North Carolina General Assembly of 1779
Three sessions of the general assembly of North Carolina held in 1779-1780
Three sessions of the general assembly of North Carolina held in 1779-1780
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | 3rd North Carolina General Assembly (1779-1780) |
| body | North Carolina General Assembly |
| country | United States |
| state | North Carolina |
| meeting_place | 1st Smithfield, 2nd Halifax, 3rd New Bern |
| term | 17781779 |
| before | 1778 |
| after | 1780 |
| chamber1 | North Carolina Senate |
| membership1 | 49 Senators (48 counties, plus Washington District/County) |
| chamber1_leader1_type | Speaker |
| chamber1_leader1 | Allen Jones |
| chamber1_leader2_type | Clerk |
| chamber1_leader2 | John Sitgreaves |
| chamber2 | North Carolina House of Commons |
| membership2 | 104 Representatives authorized (49 counties with 2 each, 6 districts with 1 each)Not all counties sent two representatives. Some sent none or one. |
| chamber2_leader1_type | Speaker |
| chamber2_leader1 | Thomas Benbury |
| chamber2_leader2_type | Clerk |
| chamber2_leader2 | John Hunt |
| session1_start | May 3, 1779 |
| session1_end | May 15, 1779 |
| session2_start | October 18, 1779 |
| session2_end | November 10, 1770 |
| session3_start | January 1780 |
| session3_end | February 1780 |
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1779 met in three sessions in three locations in the years 1779 and 1780. The first session was held in Smithfield from May 3 to May 15, 1779; the second session in Halifax, from October 18 to November 10, 1779; the third and final session in New Bern, from January to February, 1780.
Each of the 50 North Carolina counties was authorized by the North Carolina Constitution of 1776 to elect one Senator and two members of the House of Commons. In addition, six districts (also called boroughs) were authorized to elect one House member each. Richard Caswell was elected governor by the legislature.
Legislation
For additional laws and minutes of the 1779 General Assembly, see Legislative Documents.
Councilors of State
This General Assembly selected the following Councilors of State on May 3, 1779:
- Joseph Leech from Craven County
- Robert Bignall from Edgecombe County
- John SampsonJohn Sampson declined to serve as councilor of state.
- John Simpson from Pitt County
- Thomas Respass, Senior from Beaufort CountyThomas Respass declined to serve as councilor of state.
- Isaac Guion from Craven County
- William Whitfield from Dobbs County
- Waightstill Avery from Burke Count (selected on October 25, 1779)
- Edward Starkey from Onslow County (selected on October 30, 1779)
House of Commons
Leadership of the House of Commons
- Speaker: Thomas Benbury (Chowan County)
- Clerk: John Hunt (Franklin County)
Members of the House of Commons
In 1779, the General Assembly abolished Bute County and Tryon County. They also created eleven new counties: Franklin, Gates, Jones, Lincoln, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Rutherford, Sullivan, Warren, and Wayne Counties. Members of the House of Commons are listed below, along with the county they represented:
| County | House of Commons Member |
|---|---|
| Anson County | Charles Medlock |
| Anson County | Stephen Miller |
| Beaufort County | John Kennedy |
| Beaufort County | Robert Tripp |
| Bertie County | James Campbell |
| Bertie County | John Johnston |
| Bladen County | Samuel Cain |
| Bladen County | Thomas Brown |
| Brunswick County | William Dry (possibly) |
| Brunswick County | (vacant) |
| Burke County | William Morrison |
| Burke County | Thomas Whitson |
| Camden County | Willis Bright |
| Camden County | Caleb Grandy |
| Carteret County | John Easton |
| Carteret County | Solomon Shepperd |
| Caswell County | Peter Farrow |
| Caswell County | William Moore |
| Chatham County | Jonathan Harper |
| Chatham County | John Luttrell |
| Chowan County | Thomas Benbury |
| Chowan County | William Boyd |
| Craven County | Hardy Bryan |
| Craven County | Benjamin Williams |
| Cumberland County | Robert Cochran |
| Cumberland County | Robert Rowan |
| Currituck County | John Humphries |
| Currituck County | Thomas Youngblood |
| Dobbs County | Jesse CobbThis Dobbs County seat was declared vacant on May 15, 1779. |
| Dobbs County | William CaswellWilliam Caswell was elected to replace Jesse Cobb. He took office October 20, 1779. |
| Dobbs County | Thomas GrayThomas Gray's seat was declared vacant on May 15, 1779. |
| Dobbs County | Abraham SheppardAbrham Sheppard was elected to replace Thomas Gray. He took office on October 20, 1779. |
| Duplin County | Richard Clinton |
| Duplin County | James Gillespie |
| Edgecombe County | Ethelred ExumEthelred Exum died before the second session. |
| Edgecombe County | William HaywoodWilliam Haywood was elected to replace Ethelred Exum and served during third session. |
| Edgecombe County | William HaywoodWilliam Haywood died in November 1779. There was no replacement. |
| Franklin County | Green HillGreen Hill was elected Halifax district treasurer. His seat was declared vacant on May 15. |
| Franklin County | John NorwoodJohn Norwood was elected to replace Green Hill on October 18, 1779. |
| Franklin County | Thomas Sherrod |
| Granville County | Philemon Hawkins II |
| Gates County | vacantGates County was formed in 1779 from parts of Chowan, Hertford, and Perquimans counties. |
| Granville County | Thomas Person |
| Guilford County | Daniel Gillespie |
| Guilford County | James Hunter |
| Halifax County | Willie Jones |
| Halifax County | Augustine Willis |
| Hertford County | Arthur Cotton |
| Hertford County | William Wynns |
| Hyde County | Joseph Hancock |
| Hyde County | Benjamin Parmele |
| Johnston County | Lewis BryanBryan Lewis died in November 1779. |
| Johnston County | Phillip Raiford |
| Jones County | vacantJones County was formed in 1779 from the southwestern part of Craven County. |
| Lincoln County | vacantLincoln County was formed in 1779 from the eastern part of Tryon County. |
| Martin County | Samuel Smithwick |
| Martin County | Samuel Williams |
| Mecklenburg County | Caleb Phifer |
| Mecklenburg County | David Wilson |
| Montgomery County | Solomon Gross |
| Montgomery County | John Kimbrough |
| New Hanover County | Timothy Bloodworth |
| New Hanover County | John A. Campbell |
| Northampton County | Robert Peebles |
| Northampton County | James Vaughan |
| Onslow County | James Howard |
| Onslow County | Edward Starkey |
| Orange County | William McCauley |
| Orange County | Mark Patterson |
| Pasquotank County | John Blackstock |
| Pasquotank County | Thomas Riding |
| Perquimans County | Jonathan Skinner |
| Perquimans County | John Whedbee |
| Pitt County | James Gorham |
| Pitt County | John Williams |
| Randolph County | Jacob Shepperd |
| Randolph County | Absolam TatumAbsolam Tatum was named county clerk of court. His seat was declared vacant on May 8, 1779. |
| Randolph County | John ArnoldJohn Arnold was elected to replace Absolam Tatum. He assumed office on October 15, 1779. |
| Richmond County | vacantRichmond County was formed from Anson County in 1779. |
| Richmond County | |
| Rowan County | Matthew Locke |
| Rowan County | Moses Winslow |
| Sullivan County | vacantSullivan County was established in 1779 from a portion of Washington County. |
| Sullivan County | vacant |
| Surry County | Gray Bynum |
| Surry County | Frederick Miller |
| Tyrrell County | Benjamin Spruill |
| Tyrrell County | Joshua Swann |
| Wake County | Thomas Hines |
| Wake County | John Hinton, Jr. |
| Warren County | Joseph Hawkins |
| Warren County | John Macon |
| Washington District | Henry Clark |
| Washington District | Jesse Walton |
| Wayne County | vacantWayne County was established in 1779 from the western part of Dobbs County. |
| Wayne County | vacant |
| Wilkes County | Elisha Isaacs |
| Wilkes County | Benjamin Herndon |
| Edenton District | Robert Smith |
| Halifax District | Henry Montford |
| Hillsborough District | Thomas Tulloch |
| New Bern District | Richard CogdellRichard Cogdell was elected treasurer for the New Bern district. |
| New Bern District | Richard Dobbs SpaightRichard Dobbs Spaight was elected to replace Richard Cogdell. He took office on October 18, 1779. |
| Salisbury District | Maxwell Chambers |
| Wilmington District | William Hooper |
Senate
Senate leadership
- Speaker: Allen Jones (Northampton County), resigned October 25, 1779; Abner Nash, elected to replace Jones October 26, 1779
- Clerk: John Sitgreaves (Craven County)
Members of the senate
Members of the senate and counties they represented included the following
| County | Senate Member |
|---|---|
| Anson County | John Childs |
| Beaufort County | Thomas Respess |
| Bertie County | Jasper Carlton |
| Bladen County | Thomas Owen |
| Brunswick County | (vacant) |
| Burke County | Ephraim McLean |
| Camden County | John Gray |
| Carteret County | William Thompson |
| Caswell County | James Saunders |
| Chatham County | Ambrose Ramsey |
| Chowan County | Samuel Johnston |
| Craven County | James Coor |
| Cumberland County | (vacant) |
| Currituck County | Solomon PerkinsAlthough Solomon Perkins was elected, there is no evidence of service in the minutes. |
| Dobbs County | Benjamin Exum |
| Duplin County | James Kenan |
| Edgecombe County | Elisha Battle |
| Franklin County | Benjamin Seawell |
| Gates County | (vacant) |
| Granville County | Memucan Hunt |
| Guilford County | Alexander Martin |
| Halifax County | Oroondate Davis |
| Hertford County | George Wynn |
| Hyde County | William Russell |
| Johnston County | Samuel Smith |
| Jones County | Abner Nash |
| Lincoln County | William Graham |
| Martin County | (unknown) |
| Mecklenburg County | Kenneth McKenzie |
| Montgomery County | (vacant) |
| New Hanover County | Nathan Boddie |
| Northampton County | Allen JonesAllen Jones was elected to the Continental Congress. He resigned as senator on October 25, 1779. |
| Northampton County | Samuel LockhartSamuel Lockhart was elected to replace Allen Jones. He served during the third session. |
| Onslow County | Henry Rhodes |
| Orange County | John Hogan |
| Pasquotank County | Thomas Relfe |
| Perquimans County | Thomas Harvey |
| Pitt County | Edward Salter |
| Randolph County | John Collier |
| Richmond County | (vacant) |
| Rowan County | Griffith Rutherford |
| Sullivan County | (vacant) |
| Surry County | William Shepperd |
| Tyrrell County | Jeremiah Frazier |
| Wake County | John Rand |
| Warren County | John Faulcon |
| Washington District | Charles Roberson |
| Wayne County | (vacant) |
| Wilkes County | Benjamin Cleveland |
Notes
References
References
- (1913). "A Manual of North Carolina". North Carolina Historical Commission.
- Wheeler, John H.. (1874). "The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina".
- Lewis, J.D.. "North Carolina State House 1778".
- Lewis, J.D.. "North Carolina State Senators 1778".
- Holloman, Charles R. 1979.[http://ncpedia.org/biography/caswell-richard-0 Caswell, Richard.] NCpedia.
- Lewis, J.D.. "Laws of North Carolina, 1784".
- "William Dry, III".
- Powell, William S.. (1991). "Thomas Owen".
Info: Wikipedia Source
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about North Carolina General Assembly of 1779 — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up free
Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report