Third North Carolina Provincial Congress

Last updated

Third North Carolina
Provincial Congress
2nd 4th
Overview
Legislative body North Carolina Provincial Congress
Jurisdiction North Carolina ( de facto )
Meeting placeSt. Matthew's Church, Hillsborough
TermAugust 20, 1775 September 10, 1775
Provincial Congress
Members213 delegates
President Samuel Johnston
Sovereign
Monarch HM George III
Governor HE Josiah Martin

The Third North Carolina Provincial Congress was a meeting of the provincial congress of the de facto provincial government of North Carolina, composed of 213 delegates from 35 counties and nine towns. The congress convened in Hillsborough on August 20, 1775, and ended on September 10, 1775, during the final year of Josiah Martin's gubernatorial administration. Samuel Johnston was unanimously chosen as president as the former president, Colonel John Harvey, had died. [1]

Contents

History

Resolutions

The Third Provincial Congress, which included representatives of all 35 counties and nine towns, established itself as the highest governmental body within the Province of North Carolina after May 24, 1775, when British governor Josiah Martin fled the Governor's Palace at Newbern, ending sixty-three continuous years of colonial rule. The last North Carolina provincial assembly met at Newbern from April 4 to April 8, 1775, before Governor Martin prorogued the House of Burgesses. [2] [3]

The Third Provincial Congress divided the province into six militia districts for purposes of organizing the militia and for determining representation on a provincial council. The militia districts included Edenton, Halifax, Hillsborough, New Bern, Salisbury, and Wilmington. Later, an additional district, Morgan, was added for the western part of the province, including counties that eventually became part of Tennessee (Davidson, Greene, and Washington). Much of the deliberations of the congress dealt with the safety of its residents and preparation for war with Great Britain. [4] [3] [5]

To govern the province when congress was not in session, a 13-man provincial council was elected, constituting the first executive body free of British rule. Cornelius Harnett was elected the first council president. [3] [5]

The following 13 members were appointed to the North Carolina Provincial Council by the Provincial Congress: [5]

The delegates formed a committee of safety at the provincial level. The delegates also elected members of the military district Committees of Safety "for their common defence against their Enemies, for the Security of their Liberties and properties". These committees at the district level would become the roots of the militias. The following persons were elected to the Committees of Safety for military districts: [5]

Delegates

John Baptista Ashe, New Hanover County John Baptista Ashe.jpg
John Baptista Ashe, New Hanover County
Thomas Burke, Orange County Thomas Burke of North Carolina.jpg
Thomas Burke, Orange County
Richard Caswell, Dobbs County Richard Caswell (governor).jpg
Richard Caswell, Dobbs County
Joseph Hewes, Edenton Joseph Hewes.jpg
Joseph Hewes, Edenton
William Hooper, New Hanover County William Hooper.jpg
William Hooper, New Hanover County
Robert Howe, Brunswick County MajGenRobertHoweOval.jpg
Robert Howe, Brunswick County
Samuel Johnston, Chowan County Samuel Johnston - Governeur von Nord Karolina.jpg
Samuel Johnston, Chowan County
Allen Jones, Northampton County Allen Jones.jpg
Allen Jones, Northampton County
Willie Jones, Halifax County WillieJonesNC.jpg
Willie Jones, Halifax County
James Kenan, Duplin County James Kenan.jpg
James Kenan, Duplin County
Alexander Martin, Guilford County NCG-AlexanderMartin.jpg
Alexander Martin, Guilford County
Abner Nash, New Bern AbnerNash.jpg
Abner Nash, New Bern
Benjamin Williams, Johnston County NCG-BenjaminWilliams.jpg
Benjamin Williams, Johnston County

The following is a full list of delegates to the third congress by constituency.

ConstituencyName
Anson County David Love
Anson CountyWilliam Pickett
Anson County Samuel Spencer
Anson CountyWilliam Thomas
Anson County Thomas Wade
Beaufort County John Cowper
Beaufort County Roger Ormond
Beaufort CountyJohn Patton
Beaufort CountyThomas Respess Jr.
Bertie County Thomas Ballard
Bertie CountyWilliam Brimmage
Bertie CountyWilliam Bryan
Bertie CountyJohn Campbell [7]
Bertie CountyPeter Clifton
Bertie CountyWilliam Gray
Bertie CountyCharles Jaycocks
Bertie CountyJonathan Jaycocks
Bertie CountyJohn Johnston
Bertie CountyDavid Standly
Bertie CountyZedekiah Stone
Bladen County Walter Gibson
Bladen CountyThomas Owen [8]
Bladen CountyNathaniel Richardson
Bladen CountyThomas Robeson Jr.
Bladen County William Salter
Brunswick County Thomas Alton
Brunswick CountyRobert Ellis
Brunswick County Robert Howe
Brunswick CountyRoger Moore
Brunswick CountyParker Quince
Bute County Thomas Eaton
Bute CountyGreen Hill
Bute CountyRev. Henry Pattillo
Bute County William Person
Bute CountyJosiah Reddick
Bute County Jethro Sumner
Carteret County John Eason
Carteret CountySolomon Sheppard
Carteret County William Thompson
Carteret CountyEnoch Ward
Carteret CountyBryce Williams
Chatham County John Birdsong
Chatham CountyElisha Cain
Chatham CountyWilliam Clark
Chatham CountyJeduthan Harper
Chatham CountyRichard Kennon
Chatham CountyMatthew Jones
Chatham County Ambrose Ramsey
Chatham CountyJoseph Rosser
Chatham CountyRobert Rutherford
Chatham CountyJohn Thompson
Chowan County Thomas Benbury
Chowan CountyJames Blount
Chowan CountyJosiah Grandbury
Chowan CountyThomas Hunter
Chowan County Samuel Johnston
Chowan CountyThomas Jones [9]
Craven County Jacob Blount
Craven CountyWilliam Bryan
Craven County Richard Cogdell [10]
Craven County James Coor
Craven CountyEdmund Hatch
Craven CountyJoseph Leech
Cumberland County Farquard Campbell [11]
Cumberland County Alexander McAllister
Cumberland CountyAlexander McKay
Cumberland CountyThomas Rutherford
Cumberland CountyDavid Smith
Currituck County Thomas Jarvis
Currituck CountyGideon Lamb
Currituck CountySolomon Perkins
Currituck CountyJames Ryan
Currituck County James White [12]
Dobbs County Andrew Bass
Dobbs CountySimon Bright
Dobbs County Richard Caswell
Dobbs County James Glasgow
Dobbs CountyGeorge Miller
Dobbs County Abraham Sheppard
Dobbs CountySpyars Singleton
Duplin County Richard Clinton
Duplin CountyWilliam Dickson [13]
Duplin CountyThomas Gray
Duplin CountyThomas Hicks
Duplin County James Kenan
Edgecombe County Robert Bignal [14]
Edgecombe CountyThomas H. Hall
Edgecombe CountyThomas Hunter
Edgecombe CountyHenry Irwin
Edgecombe CountyDuncan Lamon
Granville County Memucan Hunt
Granville County John Penn
Granville County Thomas Person
Granville CountyJohn Taylor
Granville CountyJohn Williams
Guilford County George Cortner
Guilford CountyWilliam Dent
Guilford CountyJames Park Farley
Guilford CountyThomas Henderson
Guilford County Alexander Martin
Guilford CountyRansom Sutherland
Guilford CountyNathaniel Williams
Halifax County John Geddy [15]
Halifax County James Hogun
Halifax CountyNicholas Long
Halifax CountyDavid Sumner
Halifax CountyJohn Webb
Hertford County Lawrence Baker
Hertford CountyMatthew Brickel
Hertford CountyWilliam Murfree
Hertford CountyDay Ridly
Hertford CountyGeorge Wynns
Hyde County Joseph Hancock
Hyde CountyJohn Jordan
Johnston County Needham Bryan
Johnston County William Bryan
Johnston CountyJohn Smith
Johnston CountySamuel Smith
Johnston County Benjamin Williams
Martin County John Everitt
Martin County Whitmell Hill
Martin CountyKenneth McKenzie
Martin CountyWilliam Slade
Martin CountyJohn Stuart
Martin CountyWilliam Williams
Mecklenburg County John McKnitt Alexander
Mecklenburg County Waightstill Avery
Mecklenburg CountyJames Houston
Mecklenburg CountySamuel Martin
Mecklenburg CountyJohn Phifer
Mecklenburg County Thomas Polk
New Hanover County John Baptista Ashe
New Hanover County Samuel Ashe
New Hanover County William Hooper
New Hanover CountyJohn Alexander Lillington
New Hanover CountyGeorge Moore
New Hanover County James Moore
Northampton County Jeptha Atherton
Northampton CountyHowell Edmunds
Northampton CountyDrewry Gee
Northampton County Allen Jones
Northampton CountySamuel Lockhart
Onslow County Isaac Guion
Onslow CountyJohn King
Onslow CountyHenry Rhodes
Onslow CountyJohn Spicer
Onslow CountyEdward Starkey
Orange County John Atkinson
Orange County Thomas Burke
Orange CountyThomas Hart
Orange CountyJohn Kinchen
Orange CountyJohn Williams
Pasquotank County Thomas Boyd
Pasquotank County Dempsey Burgess
Pasquotank CountyDevotion Davis
Pasquotank CountyEdward Everagin
Pasquotank County Joseph Jones
Perquimans County Benjamin Harvey
Perquimans CountyMiles Harvey
Perquimans CountyThomas Harvey
Perquimans CountyAndrew Knox
Perquimans County William Skinner
Pitt County William Bryan
Pitt CountyJames Gorham
Pitt CountyJames Latham
Pitt CountyRobert Salter
Pitt CountyJohn Simpson
Rowan County William Kennon
Rowan County Matthew Locke
Rowan County William Sharpe
Rowan CountyJames Smith
Rowan CountySamuel Young
Rowan CountyMoses Winslow
Surry County Martin Armstrong
Surry CountyWilliam Hill
Surry CountyRobert Lanier
Surry CountyJoseph Williams
Surry County Joseph Winston
Tryon County Robert Alexander
Tryon County William Graham
Tryon County Frederick Hambright
Tryon County Joseph Harden
Tryon CountyJohn Walker
Tyrrell County Jeremiah Frazier
Tyrrell CountyThomas Hoskins
Tyrrell CountyStephen Lee
Tyrrell County Joseph Spruill
Tyrrell CountyPeter Wynn
Wake County Thomas Hines
Wake CountyJohn Hinton
Wake CountyTheophilus Hunter
Wake CountyTignal Jones
Wake CountyJoel Lane
Wake CountyJohn Rand
Wake CountyMichael Rogers
Bath Town William Brown [16]
Edenton Jasper Charlton
Edenton Joseph Hewes
New Bern James Davis
New BernRichard Ellis [17]
New Bern Abner Nash
New BernWilliam Tisdale
Wilmington Cornelius Harnett
WilmingtonArchibald MacLaine
Brunswick Maurice Moore
Halifax Willie Jones
Hillsborough William Armstrong
Hillsborough Francis Nash
Hillsborough Nathaniel Rochester
Salisbury William Kennon
Salisbury Hugh Montgomery
Campbelton [note 1] James Hepburn
Campbelton [note 1] Robert Rowan

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 Campbelton became part of Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1783.

Citations

  1. Butler, Lindley (2006). Powell, William Stevens (ed.). Encyclopedia of North Carolina, Provincial Congresses. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 917–918. ISBN   0807830712 . Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  2. Lewis, J.D. "3rd Provincial Congress". Carolina.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Connor, Robert Diggs Wimberly, ed. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina Issued by the North Carolina Historical Commission for the Use of Members of the General Assembly Session 1913 . Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  4. Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina Militia". "The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 North Carolina Provincial Congress. Minutes of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina. Vol. 10. pp. 164–220., August 20, 1775 – September 10, 1775
  6. Davidson, Chalmers G. (1979). "John Brevard, II". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  7. Parramore, Thomas C. Parramore (1979). "John Campbell". NCPEDIA. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  8. Powell, William S. (1991). "Thomas Owen". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  9. Powell, William S. (1988). "Thomas Jones". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  10. Watson, Alan D. (1979). "Richard Cogdell". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  11. Fields, William C. (1979). "Farquhard Campbell". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  12. Powell, William S. (1996). "James White". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  13. Ingram, Charles M. (1986). "William Dickson". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  14. Smith, Claiborne T. Jr. (1979). "Robert Bignal". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  15. Smith, Claiborne T. Jr. (1986). "John Geddy". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  16. Lewis, J.D. "William Brown". Carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  17. Carraway, Gertrude S. (1986). "Richard Ellis". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 1, 2019.