North Carolina General Assembly of 1775

The North Carolina General Assembly of 1775 was a bicameral legislative body 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 of the 34 counties and nine major towns as certified by the local sheriff.

This was the fourth House of Burgesses and the final provincial general assembly meeting that took place in North Carolina under The Crown. 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.

Council

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: Samuel Cornell William Dry George Mercer (Lieutenant Governor) James Hasell (Chief Baron of the Exchequer, Acting Governor of the Province of North Carolina in 1771) Martin Howard Alexander McCulloch Robert Palmer John Rutherfurd (Receiver General) Lewis Henry De Rosset John Sampson Samuel Strudwick (Clerk) Thomas McGuire (Attorney General)

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 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.

House of Burgesses

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.

County/TownDelegateAnson County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantAnson County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantBeaufort County, North CarolinaRoger OrmondBeaufort County, North CarolinaThomas Respess Jr.Bertie County, North CarolinaJohn CampbellBertie County, North CarolinaJohn JohnstonBertie County, North CarolinaDavid StanleyBladen County, North CarolinaWilliam SaltarBladen County, North CarolinaJames WhiteBrunswick County, North CarolinaRobert HoweBrunswick County, North CarolinaJohn RowanBute County, North CarolinaGreen HillBute County, North CarolinaWilliam PersonCarteret County, North CarolinaSolomon ShepardCarteret County, North CarolinaWilliam ThompsonChatham County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantChatham County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantChowan County, North CarolinaThomas BenburyChowan County, North CarolinaThomas HunterChowan County, North CarolinaSamuel JohnstonChowan County, North CarolinaThomas JonesChowan County, North CarolinaThomas OldhamCraven County, North CarolinaJames CoorCraven County, North CarolinaLemuel HatchCumberland County, North CarolinaFarquard CampbellCumberland County, North CarolinaThomas RutherfordCurrituck County, North CarolinaSamuel JarvisCurrituck County, North CarolinaNathan JoynerCurrituck County, North CarolinaThomas McKnightCurrituck County, North CarolinaSolomon PerkinsCurrituck County, North CarolinaFrancis WilliamsonDobbs County, North CarolinaRichard CaswellDobbs County, North CarolinaWilliam McKinnieDuplin County, North CarolinaThomas GrayDuplin County, North CarolinaThomas HicksEdgecombe County, North CarolinaElisha BattleEdgecombe County, North CarolinaWilliam HaywoodGranville County, North CarolinaMemucan HuntGranville County, North CarolinaThomas PersonGuilford County, North CarolinaVacantElection results were not returned and the seats remained vacant. Guilford County, North CarolinaVacantHalifax County, North CarolinaNicholas LongHalifax County, North CarolinaBenjamin McCullochHertford County, North CarolinaWilliam MurfreeHertford County, North CarolinaGeorge WynnsHyde County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantHyde County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantJohnston County, North CarolinaNeedham BryanJohnston County, North CarolinaBenjamin WilliamsMecklenburg County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantMecklenburg County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantNew Hanover County, North CarolinaJohn Baptista AsheNew Hanover County, North CarolinaWilliam HooperNorthampton County, North CarolinaColonel Jeptha AthertonNorthampton County, North CarolinaAllen JonesOnslow County, North CarolinaWilliam CrayOnslow County, North CarolinaHenry RhodesOrange County, North CarolinaThomas HartOrange County, North CarolinaRalph McNairPasquotank County, North CarolinaEdward EveraginPasquotank County, North CarolinaJonathan HerringPasquotank County, North CarolinaJoseph JonesPasquotank County, North CarolinaIsaac GregoryPasquotank County, North CarolinaJoseph ReadingPerquimans County, North CarolinaJohn Harvey (Speaker)Perquimans County, North CarolinaThomas HarveyPerquimans County, North CarolinaAndrew KnoxPerquimans County, North CarolinaJohn WhedbeePerquimans County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantPitt County, North CarolinaEdward SalterPitt County, North CarolinaJohn SimpsonRowan County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantRowan County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantSurry County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantSurry County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantTryon County, North CarolinaWilliam AlstonTryon County, North CarolinaWilliam MooreTyrrell County, North CarolinaJeremiah FrazierTyrrell County, North CarolinaBenjamin SpruillTyrrell County, North CarolinaJoseph SpruillTyrrell County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantTyrrell County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantWake County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantWake County, North CarolinaUnknown / VacantBath TownWilliam BrownBrunswick TownParker QuinceCampbellton Town (became Fayetteville in 1783)Robert RowanEdenton TownJoseph HewesHalifax TownUnknown / VacantHillsborough TownFrancis NashNew Bern TownIsaac EdwardsIsaac Edwards died before taking his seat and the seat remained vacant.Salisbury TownUnknown / VacantWilmington TownCornelius Harnett

Notes:

References