Three sessions of the general assembly of North Carolina held in 1780-1781
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1780-1781 was the fourth elected legislative body of the State of North Carolina. The assembly consisted of a Senate and House of Commons that met in three sessions in at least two locations in the years 1780 and 1781. Each of the existing 50 North Carolina counties were authorized to elect one Senator and two members of the House of Commons. In addition, six districts (also called boroughs) also elected one House member each.[note 1] The first two sessions were probably held in New Bern, North Carolina in April and September 1780. The third session met in Halifax from January 27, 1781 – February 13, 1781.[note 2] [1] [2] [3] [4]
Governor and Councilors of State
Sen./Gov. Abner Nash
In 1780, the General Assembly elected Abner Nash as Governor of North Carolina , as was called for in the Constitution of North Carolina . His term of office was extended by an act of the assembly until June 25, 1781.[5]
The North Carolina Constitution of 1776 required "that the Senate and House of Commons, jointly, at their first meeting after each annual election, shall by ballot elect seven persons to be a Council of State for one year, who shall advise the Governor in the execution of his office."[6]
The known North Carolina Council of State members elected by the General Assembly in 1780 included:[7]
Leadership
Sen. Alexander Martin
The House of Commons leadership included the following persons:[3]
The Senate leadership included the following:[4]
House and Senate members
Sen. Benjamin Williams
Rep Willie Jones
Rep. William Blount
Rep. William Hooper
Sen. Richard Caswell
New counties created in 1779 included Franklin County, Gates County, Lincoln County, Montgomery County, Randolph County, Richmond County, Rutherford County, Warren County, and Wayne County. Bute County and Tryon County were abolished in 1779. There were no new counties created in 1780 or 1781. There was at least a Senator or one Representative from each county and district.[11] [3] [4]
Members of the General Assembly were allowed 55 dollars per day for attendance at sessions.[12]
County
House of Commons Member
Senate Member
Anson County
Miller, Stephen
Childs, John
Anson County
Farr, Richard
-
Beaufort County
Brown, William
Respess, Thomas, Jr.
Beaufort County
Willis, Samuel
-
Bertie County
Turner, David
Horne, William
Bertie County
Jaycocks, Jonathan
-
Bladen County
Cain, Samuel
Vacant
Bladen County
Lucas, Frances
-
Brunswick County
none
MacLaine, Archibald
Brunswick County
none
-
Burke County
Brevard, Hugh
McLean, Ephraim
Burke County
McDowell, Joseph
-
Camden County
Burgess, William
Grays, John
Camden County
Gregory, Isaac
-
Carteret County
Shepard, Solomon
Unknown
Carteret County
Unknown or vacant
-
Caswell County
Farrow, Peter
Unknown
Caswell County
Williams, John
-
Caswell County
Moore, Stephen [13]
-
Chatham County
Scurlock, Mial
Ramsey, Ambrose
Chatham County
Williams, James
-
Chowan County
Benbury, Thomas
Johnson, Charles
Chowan County
Boyd, William
-
Craven County
Bryan, William
Coor, James
Craven County
Blount, William
-
Cumberland County
Cochran, Robet
Folsome, Ebenezer
Cumberland County
Winslow, Edward
-
Currituck County
Phillips, James
Jarvis, Samuel
Currituck County
Humphreys, John
-
Dobbs County
Caswell, William
Caswell, Richard, Sr. [note 3]
Dobbs County
Sheppard, Abraham
-
Duplin County
Dickson, Joseph
Clinton, Richard
Duplin County
Gillespie, James
-
Edgecombe County
Gray, Etheldred
Battle, Elisha
Edgecombe County
Horn, Henry, Jr.
-
Franklin County
Bryant, Joseph
Hill, Henry
Franklin County
Brickell, William
-
Gates County
Sumner, Jethro
Gregory, James
Gates County
Garrett, James
-
Granville County
Person, Thomas
Hunt, Memucan
Granville County
Hawkins, Philemon, Jr.
-
Guilford County
Hunter, James
Martin, Alexander
Guilford County
Gowdy, William
-
Halifax County
Jones, Willie [note 3]
Davis, Oroondates
Halifax County
Weldon, William /Whitaker, John
-
Hertford County
Baker, John
Unknown
Hertford County
Jordan, Pleasant /Mauney, James
-
Hyde County
Latham, Rotheas
Russell, William
Hyde County
Barrow, George
-
Johnston County
Lockhart, James
Williams, Benjamin
Johnston County
Whitley, John
-
Jones County
Hargett, Frederick
Nash, Abner /Vacant[note 4]
Jones County
Isler, John
-
Lincoln County
Mauney, Valentine
Johnston, James
Lincoln County
Sloan, John
-
Martin County
Smithwick, Edward
McKenzie, Kenneth
Martin County
Averitt, John
-
Mecklenburg County
Phifer, Caleb
Irwin, Robert
Mecklenburg County
Wilson, David
-
Montgomery County
Roper, James
Ledbetter, Drury
Montgomery County
Moore, Edward
-
New Hanover County
Campbell, John A.
DeVane, John
New Hanover County
Bloodworth, Timothy /Bloodworth, James
-
Northampton County
Vaughan, James /Dawson, John
Unknown
Northampton County
Peoples, Robert
-
Onslow County
Starkey, Edward
Rhodes, Henry
Onslow County
Mitchell, George
-
Orange County
McCauley, William
Courtney, William
Orange County
Patterson, Mark
-
Pasquotank County
Blackstock, John
Everagin, Edward
Pasquotank County
Harvey, Thomas
-
Perquimans County
Blount, Charles
Eaton, Jesse
Perquimans County
Harvey, John [note 5]
-
Pitt County
George
Simpson, John
Pitt County
Williams, John
-
Randolph County
Balfour, Andrew
Collier, John
Randolph County
Harper, Jeduthan
-
Richmond County
Harrington, Henry William
Medlock, Charles
Richmond County
Webb, Robert
-
Rowan County
Locke, Matthew
Rutherford, Griffith
Rowan County
Barrier, George Henry (aka George H. Berger)
-
Rutherford County
Whitesides, David /Porter, William [note 6]
Unknown
Rutherford County
Gilbert, William
-
Sullivan County
Looney, David
Shelby, Evan
Sullivan County
Unknown/Vacant
-
Surry County
Cummings, Samuel
Shepherd, William
Surry County
Freeman, Samuel
-
Tyrrell County
Warrington, John
Frazier, Jeremiah
Tyrrell County
Blunt, Edmund
-
Wake County
Jones, Nathanial
Hinton, John, Jr.
Wake County
Humphries, John
-
Warren County
Macon, John
Haynes, Herbert
Warren County
Hawkins, Joseph
-
Washington County (became Tennessee in 1789)
Allison, Charles
Carter, John
Washington County (became Tennessee in 1789)
Robertson, Charles /Clarke, Henry
-
Wayne County
Cobb, Stephen
Unknown
Wayne County
Mooring, Burwell
-
Wilkes County
Isaacs, Elijah
Cleveland, Benjamin
Wilkes County
Herndon, Joseph
-
Edenton District
Smith, Robert
-
Halifax District
Montfort, Henry
-
Hillsborough District
Tullock, Thomas /Shields, John
-
New Bern District
Green, James, Jr. /Blount, William [note 7]
-
Salisbury District
Newman, Anthony
-
Wilmington District
Hooper, William [note 3]
-
Notes
^ Not all counties sent two representatives. Some sent none or one.
^ The journal for the first two sessions have been lost, so the locations or dates cannot be confirmed.
^ a b c He served in the Continental Congress .
^ Abner Nash was elected governor on April 20, 1780.
^ John Harvey's Wikipedia biography states that he died in 1775, which is verified on NCPedia . Not sure who the John Harvey was in 1780.
^ David Whitesides died while in office. William Porter was elected to replace him.
^ John Green, Jr. was elected to the Council of State and had to give up his seat. William Blount was elected to replace him.
References
^ Connor, R.D.D. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF) . Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission. Retrieved April 27, 2019 .
^ Wheeler, John H., ed. (1874). "The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina" . Retrieved April 9, 2019 .
^ a b c Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House 1780" . The American Revolution in North Carolina . Retrieved April 17, 2019 .
^ a b c Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Senators 1780" . The American Revolution in North Carolina . Retrieved April 17, 2019 .
^ Nash, Jaquelin Drane (1991). "Abner Nash" . NCPedia . Retrieved October 4, 2019 .
^ "Avalon Project: Constitution of North Carolina" . Avalon.law.yale.edu . December 18, 1776. Retrieved November 4, 2019 .
^ Connor, page 422
^ Carraway, Gertrude S. (1991). "Joseph Leech" . NCPedia . Retrieved April 8, 2019 .
^ Littleton, Tucker Reed; Carraway, Gertrude S. "Isaac Guion" . NCPedia . Retrieved April 28, 2019 .
^ Johnson, Elmer D. (1979). "Thomas Benbury" . NCPedia . Retrieved April 26, 2019 .
^ See List of counties in North Carolina for sourcing.
^ "Resolution by the North Carolina General Assembly concerning members' salary, North Carolina. General Assembly, May 03, 1780 - May 07, 1780, Volume 15, Page 205" . Docsouth.unc.edu . May 3, 1780. Retrieved October 4, 2019 .
^ Anderson, Jean Bradley (1991). "Stephen Moore" . Retrieved November 4, 2019 .
List of North Carolina state legislatures Senate President pro tempore of the Senate House of Commons House of Representatives Speakers of the House of Representatives (see Note)Other Conventions Provincial Congresses and Constitution North Carolina Provincial Congress (1774–1776:
1st ,
2nd ,
3rd ,
4th ,
5th ),
Constitution of North Carolina (1776,
1835 Convention , 1861 Convention, 1868 redraft, 1875 Convention, Constitution of 1971)
Notes: Prior to the Constitution of 1868: the lower house of the North Carolina Legislature was known as the House of Commons and the leader of the Senate was called the Speaker of the Senate.