North Carolina General Assembly of 1785

Last updated
10th North Carolina General Assembly (1785)
← Oct 1784 1786 →
Overview
Legislative body North Carolina General Assembly
Jurisdiction North Carolina, United States
Meeting place New Bern
Term1785
Senate
Members54 Senators
Speaker Alexander Martin
ClerkJohn Haywood
Assistant ClerkSherwood Haywood
DoorkeeperWilliam Murphy
Assistant DoorkeeperNicholas Murphy
House of Commons
Members114 Delegates Authorized
Speaker Richard Dobbs Spaight
ClerkJohn Hunt
Assistant ClerkJohn Haywood
DoorkeeperPeter Gooding
Assistant DoorkeeperJames Malloy
Sessions
1stNovember 19, 1785 – December 29, 1785

The North Carolina General Assembly of 1785 met in New Bern from November 18, 1785, to December 29, 1785. The assembly consisted of the 114 members of the North Carolina House of Commons and 54 senators of North Carolina Senate elected by the voters on August 19, 1785. During the 1785 session, the legislature created Rockingham County. As prescribed by the 1776 Constitution of North Carolina the General Assembly elected Richard Caswell to continue as Governor of North Carolina and members of the Council of State. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Councilors of State

As prescribed by the 1776 Constitution of North Carolina, the General Assembly elected Richard Caswell as governor on December 9, 1785, and the following members of the North Carolina Council of State: [1] [5]

James Glasgow continued as North Carolina Secretary of State.

Assembly membership

House of Commons members

William Polk, Davidson County WilliamPolkColonel.jpg
William Polk, Davidson County
Philemon Hawkins, Jr., Granville County Hawkins Philemon III.png
Philemon Hawkins, Jr., Granville County
John Baptista Ashe, Halifax County John Baptista Ashe.jpg
John Baptista Ashe, Halifax County
Abner Nash, Jones County AbnerNash.jpg
Abner Nash, Jones County

There were 114 positions authorized for the House of Commons in this assembly, including one representative from each of six districts and 54 counties. Only 105 delegates are known to have attended this House of Commons assembly. [7] [5]

Fayette County, which was formed in July 1784 from the eastern part of Cumberland County, reverted to Cumberland County three months later, so does not appear in this assembly. [5]

Greene, Sullivan and Washington Counties had formed the State of Franklin in an attempt to create a new state. They did not send representatives to this assembly. [8] [9]

Anson, Bladen, and Gates County only sent one elected official to the House of Commons. [5]

The House of Commons delegates elected a Speaker (Richard Dobbs Spaight), Clerk (John Hunt), Assistant Clerk (John Haywood), Doorkeeper (Peter Gooding), and Assistant Doorkeeper (James Malloy). The following delegates to the House of Commons were elected by the voters of North Carolina to represent each county and district: [3] [4] [5] [7]

County/DistrictDelegate
Anson James Terry [note 2]
Anson Vacant / Unknown
Beaufort Henry Smaw
Beaufort John Gray Blount [10]
Bertie Thomas Collins
Bertie Andrew Oliver
Bladen James Richardson
Bladen Vacant / Unknown
Brunswick Jacob Leonard
Brunswick David Flowers
Burke Joseph McDowell
Burke Waightstill Avery
Camden Enoch Sawyer
Camden Selby Harney
Carteret David Cooper
Carteret Eli West
Caswell Robert Dickens
Caswell Adam Sanders
Chatham Joseph Stewart
Chatham Roger Griffith
Chowan Dr. Hugh Williamson
Chowan Clement Hall
Craven Richard Dobbs Spaight
Craven Abner Neale
Cumberland Robert Rowan
Cumberland David Smith
Currituck Joseph Ferebee
Currituck Dr. James White
Davidson  Elijah Robertson
Davidson  William Polk
Dobbs Benjamin Coleman
Dobbs William Sheppard
Duplin Robert Dickson
Duplin Joseph Thomas Rhodes
Edgecombe Robert Diggs
Edgecombe Etheldred Phillips
Franklin Thomas Sherrod
Franklin Durham Hall
Gates Vacant / Unknown
Gates Seth Riddick
Granville Thomas Person
Granville Philemon Hawkins, Jr.
Greene  Vacant
Greene  Vacant
Guilford John Hamilton
Guilford Barzillai Gardner
Halifax John Whitaker
Halifax John Baptista Ashe
Hertford James Manney
Hertford Robert Montgomery
Hyde John Eborne
Hyde Thomas Jordan, Jr. [note 3]
Johnston Hardy Bryan
Johnston Benjamin Williams
Jones Abner Nash
Jones John Isler
Lincoln John Sloan
Lincoln Daniel McKissick
Martin Edmund Smithwick
Martin Samuel Williams
Mecklenburg Caleb Phifer
Mecklenburg George Alexander
Montgomery James McDonald
Montgomery Charles Robertson
Moore John Cox
Moore John Carroll
Nash Micajah Thomas
Nash John Bonds
New Hanover James Bloodworth
New Hanover John Pugh Williams
Northampton Howell Edmunds
Northampton Augustin Woods
Onslow Edward Starkey
Onslow Reuben Grant
Orange William Courtney
Orange William Cain
Pasquotank Edward Everagin
Pasquotank Abraham Symons
Perquimans John Skinner
Perquimans Robert Riddick
Pitt John Jordan
Pitt Richard Moye
Randolph  Joseph Robbins
Randolph  Aaron Hill
Richmond Robert Webb
Richmond Benjamin Covington
Rowan Matthew Locke
Rowan George Henry Barrier, aka George H. Berger
Rutherford Richard Singleton
Rutherford George Moore
Sampson David Dodd
Sampson John Hay
Sullivan Vacant
Sullivan Vacant
Surry William Lewis
Surry James Martin
Tyrrell Nehemiah Norman [note 4]
Tyrrell Nathan Hooker
Wake James Hinton
Wake William Hayes
Warren  Henry Montfort
Warren  Wyatt Hawkins
Washington Vacant
Washington Vacant
Wayne William Taylor
Wayne John Handley
Wilkes Jesse Franklin
Wilkes William T. Lewis
Edenton District Stephen Cabarrus
Halifax District Dr. Charles Pasteur
Hillsborough District John Taylor
New Bern District William Tisdale
Salisbury District Thomas Frohock [11]
Wilmington District Archibald MacLaine

Senate members

Alexander Martin, Guilford County NCG-AlexanderMartin.jpg
Alexander Martin, Guilford County

The Senators elected a President (Alexander Martin), Clerk (John Haywood), Assistant Clerk (Sherwood Haywood), Doorkeeper (William Murphy), and Assistant Doorkeeper (Nicholas Murphy). The following Senators were elected by the voters of North Carolina to represent each county: [3] [4] [5] [12]

CountySenator
Anson Stephen Miller
Beaufort John Smaw
Bertie Jonathan Jaycocks
Bladen Thomas Brown
Brunswick Dennis Hawkins
Burke Charles McDowell
Camden Isaac Gregory
Carteret John Easton
Caswell Dempsey Moore
Chatham Ambrose Ramsey
Chowan Michael Payne
Craven James Coor
Cumberland Thomas Armstrong
Currituck Willis Etheridge
Davidson  Anthony Bledsoe
Dobbs John Herritage
Duplin James Gillespie [note 5]
Edgecombe Elisha Battle
Franklin Henry Hill
Gates Joseph Riddick
Granville Howell Lewis
Greene Vacant
Guilford Alexander Martin
Halifax Benjamin McCulloch
Hertford Thomas Wynns
Hyde Abraham Jones
Johnston Arthur Bryan
Jones Frederick Hargett
Lincoln Robert Alexander
Martin Vacant / Unknown
Mecklenburg James Harris
Montgomery Samuel Parsons
Moore Henry Lightfoot
Nash  Hardy Griffin
New Hanover John A. Campbell
Northampton Samuel Lockhart [note 6]
Onslow John Spicer [note 7]
Orange William McCauley
Pasquotank Thomas Relfe
Perquimans William Skinner [note 8]
Pitt John Williams
Randolph  Edward Sharpe
Richmond Henry William Harrington
Rowan Griffith Rutherford
Rutherford James Miller
Sampson  Richard Clinton
Sullivan Vacant
Surry John Armstrong
Tyrrell  John Warrington
Wake Thomas Hines
Warren John Macon
Washington Vacant
Wayne Burwell Mooring
Wilkes Benjamin Herndon

Legislation

The assembly passed the acts concerning: [13]

For additional details on minutes of the assembly and laws, see Legislative Documents. [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Winston Caswell was the son of Richard Caswell.
  2. ↑ James Terry was unacceptable as a delegate because of his Loyalist past. The assembly requested a new election in Anson County in December 1785 for the next General Assembly.
  3. ↑ There were problems with Thomas Jordon's qualifications because he held the position of Entry Taker. A new election was requested and the voters again elected Thomas Jordan.
  4. ↑ Nehemiah Norman died on December 28, 1785.
  5. ↑ Although elected to the Council of State on December 11, James Gillespie is thought to have finished his term in the Senate.
  6. ↑ Samuel Lockhart was elected Sheriff of Hyde County and had to resign his position in the Senate. A new election was required at the end of December.
  7. ↑ Although John Spicer was elected to Council of State, it is thought that he fulfilled his term in the Senate.
  8. ↑ William Skinner was elected to another office, the Continental Loan office, Treasurer of the Continental Loan Office, on December 14, 1785. He was required to resign as delegate.

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References

  1. 1 2 "North Carolina Constitution of 1776". Yale Law School. 1776. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  2. ↑ Norris, David A. (2006). "North Carolina Capitals, Colonial and State". NCPedia.org. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Connor, Robert Diggs Wimberly, ed. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh, North Carolina: E. M. Uzzell & Company. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Wheeler, John Hill, ed. (1874). The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina for the Year 1874. Raleigh, North Carolina: Josiah Turner, Jr.; State Printer and Binder. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cheney, John L. Jr. (1974). North Carolina Government, 1585–1974. pp.  160, 164, 215–217.
  6. ↑ Smith, William S. (1994). "John Spicer". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  7. 1 2 Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House of Commons of 1785". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  8. ↑ Arthur, John Preston (1914); [ sic ] "History of Western North Carolina – Chapter VI – The State of Franklin"; John Preston Arthur; 1914; (HTML by Jeffrey C. Weaver); October 1998. Retrieved from New River.
  9. ↑ Troxler, George W. (1996). "State of Franklin". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  10. ↑ Maupin, Armistead Jones (1979). "John Gray Blount". NCPEDIA. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  11. ↑ Rumple, Jethro (1916). A History of Rowan County, North Carolina Containing Sketches of Prominent Families and Distinguished Men. Daughters of the American Revolution. Elizabeth Maxwell Steele Chapter (Salisbury, N.C.). pp. 87–89.
  12. ↑ Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Senate of 1785". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Secretary of State, ed. (1785). Laws of North Carolina, 1785 (PDF). Retrieved November 18, 2019.
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