North Carolina General Assembly of 1781

The North Carolina General Assembly of 1781 met in Wake Court House (also known as Bloomsbury) from June 23 to July 14, 1781. Each of the 50 North Carolina counties were allowed one Senator and two members of the House of Commons; 6 districts/boroughs towns also elected one House member each.[1][2][3][4]

5th North Carolina General Assembly (1781)
1780 1782
Overview
Legislative bodyNorth Carolina General Assembly
JurisdictionNorth Carolina, United States
Meeting placeBloomsbury, Raleigh, North Carolina
Term1781
Senate
Members50 Senators (50 counties, including Washington District/County)
SpeakerAlexander Martin
ClerkJohn Haywood
House of Commons
Members106 Representatives authorized (50 counties with 2 each, 6 districts with 1 each)
SpeakerThomas Benbury
ClerkJohn Hunt
Sessions
1stJune 23, 1781 – July 14, 1781

Leadership

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The governor of North Carolina during the time of this session of the legislature was Thomas Burke, who was elected by the General Assembly in June of 1781. James Glasgow served as Secretary of State and James Iredell served as Attorney General.[5]

Councilors of State

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Councilor John Penn
 
Councilor Willie Jones

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 1781 included:[2][1]

Members

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Rep. Joseph McDowell, Jr
 
Sen. Benjamin Williams
 
Rep. Richard Henderson
 
Rep. Richard Dobbs Spaight
 
Rep. William Hooper
County or District/City House of Commons Member Senate Member
Anson County Vacant (no election held) Vacant (no election held)
Beaufort County Thomas Alderson William Brown
Beaufort County Charles Crawford
Beaufort County Thomas A. Grist
Bertie County William Horne Jonathan Jaycocks
Bertie County David Turner
Bladen County Samuel Cain unknown or vacant
Bladen County Unknown or Vacant
Brunswick County Vacant (no election held) vacant (no election held)
Brunswick County Vacant (no election held)
Burke County Hugh Brevard (died) Andrew Wood
Burke County Joseph McDowell, Jr.
Camden County Vacant (no election held) Vacant (no election held)
Camden County Vacant (no election held)
Carteret County John Easton Unknown or vacant
Carteret County Unknown or Vacant
Caswell County Josiah Cole Unknown or vacant
Caswell County Unknown or Vacant
Chatham County James Williams Ambrose Ramsey
Chatham County John Luttrell[note 1][3]
Chowan County Thomas Benbury Charles Johnson
Chowan County Michael Payne
Chowan County Edmund Blount
Craven County William Bryan James Coor
Craven County John Tilghman (Tilman)
Cumberland County David Smith Ebenezer Folsome
Cumberland County Thomas Armstrong
Currituck County James Phillips Samuel Jarvis
Currituck County John Humphreys
Dobbs County Benjamin Sheppard Unknown or vacant
Dobbs County William Caswell
Duplin County Thomas Hicks James Kenan
Duplin County John Molton
Edgecombe County Henry Irwin Toole Elisha Battle
Edgecombe County James Wilson
Edgecombe County Robert Diggs
Franklin County William Brickell Henry Hill
Franklin County William Green
Gates County Jethro Sumner James Gregory
Gates County Joseph Riddick
Granville County Thomas Person Joseph Taylor
Granville County Richard Henderson
Guilford County James Hunter Alexander Martin
Guilford County William Gowdy
Halifax County John Branch, Sr. Oroondates Davis
Halifax County Benjamin McCulloch[note 2]
Hertford County Lewis Brown Pleasant Jordan
Hertford County Thomas Brickell
Hyde County Robert Latham William Russell
Hyde County Robert Jennett
Johnston County Joseph Boone Benjamin Williams
Johnston County Hardy Bryan
Jones County Frederick Hargett Nathan Bryan
Jones County Edward Whitty
Lincoln County Robert Alexander James Johnston
Lincoln County John Sloan
Martin County Samuel Smithwick Kenneth McKenzie
Martin County Samuel Williams
Mecklenburg County Caleb Phifer Robert Irwin
Mecklenburg County David Wilson
Montgomery County Robert Moss Thomas Childs
Montgomery County Peter Randle
Nash County Joseph Arrington Hard Griffin
Nash County Edward Nicholson*
New Hanover County Thomas Bloodworth John DeVane
New Hanover County Caleb Grainger
Northampton County John Dawson James Vaughan
Northampton County James Sikes
Onslow County Edward Starkey John Spicer
Onslow County Lewis Williams
Orange County Jesse Benton John Butler
Orange County Robert Campbell
Pasquotank County Unknown or vacant Edward Everagain
Pasquotank County Unknown or vacant
Perquimans County John Whedbee Jesse Eaton
Perquimans County Jonathan Skinner
Pitt County James Gorham Edward Salter
Pitt County George Evans
Randolph County Andrew Balfour
Randolph County Absalom Tatum John Collier
Randolph County Jeduthan Harper
Richmond County Edward Williams Charles Medlock
Richmond County Charles Medlock
Rowan County William Sharpe Matthew Locke
Rowan County Samuel Young
Rutherford County James Withrow William Porter
Rutherford County George Moore
Rutherford County David Miller
Sullivan County (became part of Tennessee) Unknown or vacant Unknown or vacant
Sullivan County (became part of Tennessee) Unknown or vacant
Surry County Samuel Cummings William Shepherd
Surry County Wilson T. Lewis
Tyrrell County Isham Webb
Tyrrell County John Harrington Jeremiah Frazier
Tyrrell County Nehemiah Norman
Wake County Burwell Pope Michael Rogers
Wake County James Hinton
Warren County Joseph Hawkins Nathaniel Macon
Warren County John Macon
Washington County (became part of Tennessee) Unknown or vacant Unknown or vacant
Washington County (became part of Tennessee) Unknown or vacant
Wayne County (newly established in 1779) Joseph Green Unknown or vacant
Wayne County (newly established in 1779) Burwell Mooring*
Wilkes County Joseph Herndon Charles Gordon
Wilkes County William Lenoir
Edenton District Robert Smith
Halifax District Henry Montfort
Hillsborough District Thomas Tullock
New Bern District Richard Dobbs Spaight
Salisbury District Anthony Newman (Nunan)
Wilmington District William Hooper

Notes:

  1. ^ John Luttrell was killed while in office leading the Chatham County Regiment at the Battle of Lindley's Mill on September 13, 1781.
  2. ^ Benjamin McCulloch, Edward Nicholson, Jeduthan Harper, and Burwell Mooring were disqualified from taking their seats in the House of Commons since they were considered to be Prisoners on Parole. New elections were ordered for August.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Wheeler, John H. (1874). "The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina". Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Connor, R.D.D. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission. p. 453-. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House 1781". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  4. ^ Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Senators 1781". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  5. ^ Watterson, John (1979). "Thomas Burke". NCPedia.
  6. ^ "1776 Constitution of North Carolina". Avalon Project. December 18, 1776. Retrieved October 6, 2019.