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
  • 3rd North Carolina Provincial Congress (August 20, 1775)
  • 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

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    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

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    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/Town Delegate
    Anson County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Anson County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Beaufort County, North Carolina Roger Ormond
    Beaufort County, North Carolina Thomas Respess, Jr.
    Bertie County, North Carolina John Campbell
    Bertie County, North Carolina John Johnston
    Bertie County, North Carolina David Stanley
    Bladen County, North Carolina William Salter
    Bladen County, North Carolina James White
    Brunswick County, North Carolina Robert Howe
    Brunswick County, North Carolina John Rowan
    Bute County, North Carolina Green Hill
    Bute County, North Carolina William Person
    Carteret County, North Carolina Solomon Shepard
    Carteret County, North Carolina William Thompson
    Chatham County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Chatham County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Chowan County, North Carolina Thomas Benbury
    Chowan County, North Carolina Thomas Hunter
    Chowan County, North Carolina Samuel Johnston
    Chowan County, North Carolina Thomas Jones
    Chowan County, North Carolina Thomas Oldham
    Craven County, North Carolina James Coor
    Craven County, North Carolina Lemuel Hatch
    Cumberland County, North Carolina Farquard Campbell
    Cumberland County, North Carolina Thomas Rutherford
    Currituck County, North Carolina Samuel Jarvis
    Currituck County, North Carolina Nathan Joyner
    Currituck County, North Carolina Thomas McKnight
    Currituck County, North Carolina Solomon Perkins
    Currituck County, North Carolina Francis Williamson
    Dobbs County, North Carolina Richard Caswell
    Dobbs County, North Carolina William McKinnie
    Duplin County, North Carolina Thomas Gray
    Duplin County, North Carolina Thomas Hicks
    Edgecombe County, North Carolina Elisha Battle
    Edgecombe County, North Carolina William Haywood
    Granville County, North Carolina Memucan Hunt
    Granville County, North Carolina Thomas Person
    Guilford County, North Carolina Vacant[note 1]
    Guilford County, North Carolina Vacant[note 1]
    Halifax County, North Carolina Nicholas Long
    Halifax County, North Carolina Benjamin McCulloch
    Hertford County, North Carolina William Murfree
    Hertford County, North Carolina George Wynns
    Hyde County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Hyde County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Johnston County, North Carolina Needham Bryan
    Johnston County, North Carolina Benjamin Williams
    Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    New Hanover County, North Carolina John Baptista Ashe
    New Hanover County, North Carolina William Hooper
    Northampton County, North Carolina Colonel Jeptha Atherton
    Northampton County, North Carolina Allen Jones
    Onslow County, North Carolina William Cray
    Onslow County, North Carolina Henry Rhodes
    Orange County, North Carolina Thomas Hart
    Orange County, North Carolina Ralph McNair
    Pasquotank County, North Carolina Edward Everagin
    Pasquotank County, North Carolina Jonathan Herring
    Pasquotank County, North Carolina Joseph Jones
    Pasquotank County, North Carolina Isaac Gregory
    Pasquotank County, North Carolina Joseph Reading
    Perquimans County, North Carolina John Harvey (Speaker)
    Perquimans County, North Carolina Thomas Harvey
    Perquimans County, North Carolina Andrew Knox
    Perquimans County, North Carolina John Whedbee
    Perquimans County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Pitt County, North Carolina Edward Salter
    Pitt County, North Carolina John Simpson
    Rowan County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Rowan County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Surry County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Surry County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Tryon County, North Carolina William Alston
    Tryon County, North Carolina William Moore
    Tyrrell County, North Carolina Jeremiah Frazier
    Tyrrell County, North Carolina Benjamin Spruill
    Tyrrell County, North Carolina Joseph Spruill
    Tyrrell County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Tyrrell County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Wake County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Wake County, North Carolina Unknown / Vacant
    Bath Town William Brown
    Brunswick Town Parker Quince
    Campbellton Town (became Fayetteville in 1783) Robert Rowan
    Edenton Town Joseph Hewes
    Halifax Town Unknown / Vacant
    Hillsborough Town Francis Nash
    New Bern Town Isaac Edwards[note 2]
    Salisbury Town Unknown / Vacant
    Wilmington Town Cornelius Harnett

    Notes:

    1. ^ a b 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

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    References

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    1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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.