7th North Carolina General Assembly (1783)
←1782 April 1784→
Overview
Legislative bodyNorth Carolina General Assembly
JurisdictionNorth Carolina, United States
Meeting placeHillsborough
Term1782
Senate
Members50 Senators authorized
SpeakerRichard Caswell, Sr.
House of Commons
Members106 Representatives authorized
SpeakerEdward Starkey
Sessions
1stApril 18, 1783 – May 17, 1783

The North Carolina General Assembly of 1783 was the state legislature that convened in Hillsboro, North Carolina from April 18, 1783, to May 17, 1783. Members of the North Carolina Senate and the North Carolina House of Commons were elected by eligible North Carolina voters. This was the last assembly to meet during the American Revolution. Much of their time was devoted to taking care of the North Carolina soldiers that fought in the war.[1][2][3][4][5]

The General Assembly elected Alexander Martin of Guilford County as governor on April 26, 1782. James Glasgow was Secretary of State. James Iredell was Attorney General. There was no Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina until 1868.[2]

Councilors of State

Councilor Nathaniel Macon
Councilor Robert Burton

The General Assembly elected the following Councilors of State on May 9, 1783:[2]

Members

Sen. Richard Caswell, Dobbs County
Hawkins Philemon Jr., Granville County
Sen. James Kenan, Duplin County
Rep. Richard Dobbs Spaight, New Bern
Rep. William Lenoir, Wilkes County

There was one senator and two members of the House of Commons for each of the 50 counties. In addition, each of the six districts had one representative each. The House of Commons leadership and staff included: Edward Starkey, Speaker; John Hunt, Clerk; and John Haywood, Assistant Clerk. The Senate leadership and staff included: Richard Caswell, speaker; John Haywood, clerk; and Sherwood Haywood, assistant cleark. Members of the House of Commons and Senate are listed below for each county and district.[1][3][4]

County/District Senate Member House Member House Member
Anson County Thomas Wade John Jackson John Jackson
Beaufort County William Brown Thomas Alderson John Gray Blount
Bertie County James Campbell William Horn David Turner
Bladen County Thomas Brown Samuel Cain Francis Lucas
Brunswick County Benjamin Smith William Waters Dennis Hawkins
Burke County Charles McDowell Waightstill Avery Joseph McDowell
Camden County Isaac Gregory Dempsey Sawyer Benjamin Jones
Carteret County John Easton Enoch Ward Eli West
Caswell County William Moore David Shelton Unknown
Chatham County Ambrose Ramsey Matthew Jones Richard Kennon
New Bern District Richard Dobbs Spaight, Sr.[note 1]
Chowan County Charles Johnson Stephen Chambers Richard Benbury
Craven County James Coor William Bryan William Blount
Cumberland County Ica Atkins Edward Winslow Patrick Travis
Currituck County William Ferebee Thomas Jarvis Joseph Ferebee
Dobbs County Richard Caswell, Sr. (Speaker) Richard Caswell, Jr. John Herritage
Duplin County James Kenan Richard Clinton James Gillespie
Edgecombe County Elisha Battle Robert Diggs James Wilson
Franklin County Alexius M. Foster Simon Jeffreys Harrison Macon
Gates County Jacob Hunter Joseph Riddick David Rice
Granville County Robert Harris Thomas Person Philemon Hawkins, Jr.
Guilford County Charles Bruce James Galloway John Leak
Halifax County Benjamin McCulloch John Whitaker John Geddy
Halifax District Henry Montfort
Hertford County John Brickell Lewis Brown Thomas Brickell
Hyde County William Russell Benjamin Parmele John Eborne
Johnston County Hardy Bryan Arthur Bryan Nathan Williams
Jones County Nathan Bryan Frederick Hargett William Randall
Lincoln County Robet Alexander Daniel McKissick John Sloan
Martin County Whitmell Hill Samuel Smithwick Samuel Williams
Mecklenburg County Robert Irwin Caleb Phifer David Wilson
Montgomery County Edward Moore James McDonald Mark Allen
Nash County Hardy Griffin Micajah Thomas John Bonds
Wilmington District Archibald MacLaine
New Hannover County John A. Campbell Timothy Bloodworth[note 2] Thomas Bloodworth[note 3]
Northampton County Allen Jones James Vaughan Drury Gee
Hillsboro/Hillsborough District Thomas Farmer
Onslow County John Spicer Edward Starkey (Speaker)[7] James Howard
Orange County William McCauley Alexander Mebane Thomas Burke
Pasquotank County Edward Everagin William Lane Thomas Reading
Perquimans County Jesse Eaton Jonathan Skinner John Reed
Pitt County John Williams John Jordan Richard Moye
Randolph County Thomas Dougan Jeduthan Harper Robet McLean
Richmond County Henry William Harrington Robert Webb John Childs
Salisbury District Dr. Anthony Newman
Rowan County Griffith Rutherford Matthew Locke George Henry Barrier
Rutherford County James Holland William Gilbert[note 4] Richard Singleton[note 4]
Sullivan County (became part of Tennessee) Joseph Martin[8] Abraham Bledsoe William Cage
Surry County Martin Armstrong William T. Lewis James Martin
Tyrrell County Jeremiah Frazier Nehemiah Norman Nathan Hooker
Wake County Joel Lane Theophilus Hunter Hardy Sanders
Warren County Herbert Haynes Joseph Hawkins John Macon
Washington County (became part of Tennessee) Unknown Joseph Hardin Thomas Haughton
Wayne County Burwell Mooring Needham Whitfield Richard McKinnie
Wilkes County Elijah Isaacs Joseph Herndon William Lenoir
Edenton District William Cumming

Legislation

North Carolina in 1783

The American Revolution was ending, so much of the session was devoted to enacting legislation to compensate soldiers. There were also acts to name an agent for dealing with the Cherokees, dealing with slaves, monetary policy, and an act dealing with pardoning some loyalists (not David Fanning). The town of Fayetteville was authorized by the assembly. Martin Academy (later changed to Washington College) in Washington County was chartered by the assembly.[9][10][5][11]

The territory of North Carolina extended to the Mississippi River in 1783. The General Assembly established Greene and Davidson Counties in the western region of North Carolina that eventually would become Tennessee in 1796.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ Richard Dobbs Spaight was elected Delegate to the Continental Congress on April 25, 1783
  2. ^ Timothy Bloodworth was ineligible for seat since he was already Treasurer for the Wilmington District.
  3. ^ Thomas Bloodworth was ineligible since he was Marshal of the Court of Admiralty for the Port of Bruswick.
  4. ^ a b William Gilbert and Richard Singleton's seats were vacated on May 10, 1783. A new election was scheduled for September 15-16.

References

  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. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House of Commons 1783". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Senate 1781". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Laws of North Carolina for 1783 (PDF). 1783.
  6. ^ Brawley, James S. (1991). "Spruce Macay". NCPedia. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  7. ^ Littleton, Tucker Reed (1994). "Edward Starkey". NCPedia.
  8. ^ Shrader, Richard A. (1991). "Joseph Martin". NCPedia.
  9. ^ Clark, Walter, ed. (1901). Journal of the Senate of the General Assembly of North Carolina, April 18, 1783 to May 17, 1783 (PDF). Nash Brothers.
  10. ^ Clark, Walter, ed. (1899). Journal of the House of Commons of the General Assembly of North Carolina, April 18, 1783 to May 17, 1783 (PDF). Nash Brothers.
  11. ^ Troxler, Carole Watterson (2006). "Act of Pardon and Oblivion". NCPedia.
  12. ^ Williams, Wiley J. (2006). "Tennessee Formation". NCPedia.
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