North Carolina General Assembly of 1778


The North Carolina General Assembly of 1778 met in three sessions in three locations in the years 1778 and 1779. The first session was held in New Bern from April 14 to May 2, 1778; the second session in Hillsborough, from August 8 to August 19, 1778; the third and final session in Halifax, from January 19 to February 13, 1779.
Each of the 39 North Carolina counties and Washington District/County were authorized by the North Carolina Constitution of 1776 to elect one Senator to the Senate and two representatives to the House of Commons. In addition, six districts were authorized to elect one House representative each. Richard Caswell was elected governor by the legislature.

Legislation

This general assembly established Wilkes County in 1778 This general assembly established the following counties in their last session in 1779: Franklin, Gates, Jones, Lincoln, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Rutherford, Warren, and Wayne Counties. For additional laws and minutes of the 1778 General Assembly, see .

Councilors of State

The General Assembly elected the following Councilors of State on April 18, 1778:

House of Commons

House leadership

Speaker: John Williams, until April 28, 1778; Thomas Benbury elected to replace Williams.Clerk: John Hunt Assistant Clerk: Joseph Blithe

House members

The members of the House and the counties and districts they represented are listed below.
CountyHouse of Commons Member
Anson CountyGeorge Davidson
Anson CountyStephen Miller
Beaufort CountyAlderson Allerson
Beaufort CountyThomas Respress, Jr.
Beaufort CountyWilliam Brown
Bertie CountyWilliam Jordan, Jr.
Bertie CountySimon Turner
Bladen CountyThomas Amis
Bladen CountyBenjamin Clark
Bladen CountySamuel Cain
Brunswick CountyLewis Dupree
Brunswick CountyWilliam Gause
Burke CountyEphraim McLaine
Burke CountyCharles McLean
Burke CountyThomas Whitson
Bute CountyBenjamin Hawkins
Bute CountyAdkin McLemore
Camden CountyCaleb Grandy
Camden CountyWillis Bright
Camden CountyJohn Gray
Camden CountyWilliam Burgess
Carteret CountyJohn Easton
Carteret CountySolomon Shepperd
Caswell CountyPeter Farrar
Caswell CountyJohn Williams
Chatham CountyAlexander Clark
Chatham CountyJames Williams
Chowan CountyThomas Benbury
Chowan CountyJacob Hunter
Craven CountyNathan Bryan
Craven CountyJohn Tillman
Craven CountyAbner Nash
Cumberland CountyPeter Mallett
Cumberland CountyRobert Rowan
Currituck CountyWilliam Ferebbe
Currituck CountyHolowell Williams
Dobbs CountyJesse Cobb
Dobbs CountyWilliam Fellows
Duplin CountyRichard Clinton
Duplin CountyThomas Hicks
Edgecombe CountyJonas Johnston
Edgecombe CountyIsaac Sessums
Granville CountyJohn Williams
Granville CountyThomas Person
Granville CountyThorton Yancey
Guilford CountyJames Hunter
Guilford CountyRobert Lindsay
Halifax CountyHaywood
Halifax CountyJohn Whitaker
Hertford CountyWilliam Baker
Hertford CountyArthur Cotton
Hyde County[Abraham Jones County, North Carolina|Jones (North Carolina politician)|Abraham Jones]
Hyde CountyJoseph Hancock
Johnston CountyWilliam Bryan
Johnston CountyJohn Bryan, Jr.
Martin CountyNathan Mayo
Martin CountyE. Edward Smithwick
Mecklenburg CountyCaleb Phifer
Mecklenburg CountyDavid Wilson
Nash CountyThomas Hunter
Nash CountyHardy Griffin
New Hanover CountyTimothy Bloodworth
New Hanover CountyJohn Devane
Northampton CountyJoseph Bryan
Northampton CountyRobert Peebles
Northampton CountyRobert Nash
Onslow CountyBenijah Doty
Onslow CountyGeorge Mitchell
Orange CountyJohn Butler
Orange CountyThomas Burke
Orange CountyMark Patterson
Orange CountyWilliam McCauley
Pasquotank CountyThomas Harvey
Pasquotank CountyThomas Relfe
Perquimans CountyCharles Blount
Perquimans CountyJohn Harvey
Pitt CountyWilliam Robeson
Pitt CountyJohn Simpson
Pitt CountyJames Gorham
Pitt CountyJohn Williams
Rowan CountyMatthew Locke
Rowan CountyMoses Winslow
Surry CountyMatthew Brooks
Surry CountyFrederick Miller
Tryon CountyWilliam Gilbert
Tryon CountyJoseph Hardin Sr.
Tyrrell CountyJoshua Swann
Tyrrell CountyIsham Webb
Tyrrell CountyBenjamin Spruill
Wake CountyLodwick Alford
Wake CountyHardy Sanders
Washington District/CountyLuke Boyer
Washington District/CountyWilliam Cooke
Washington District/CountyJesse Walton
Wilkes CountyBenjamin Cleveland
Wilkes CountyElijah Isaacs
Edenton DistrictJoseph Hewes
Halifax DistrictWillie Jones
Hillsborough DistrictWilliam Courtney
New Bern DistrictRichard Cogdell
Salisbury DistrictMatthew Troy
Wilmington DistrictWilliam Hooper

Senate

Senate leadership

President pro tempore: Whitmell Hill, until his election to the Continental Congress; Allen Jones elected to replace HillClerk: John Sitgreaves

Senate members

The following senators and the counties they represented are listed.
CountySenate Member
Anson CountyJohn Childs
Beaufort CountyThomas Respess
Bertie CountyZedekiah Stone
Bladen CountyThomas Owen
Brunswick CountyAlexius M. Foster
Burke CountyCharles McDowell
Bute CountyEdward Jones
Camden CountyJoseph Jones
Carteret CountyWilliam Thompson
Caswell CountyJames Sauders
Chatham CountyAmbrose Ramsey
Chatham CountyJohn Birdsong
Chowan CountyLuke Sumner
Craven CountyJames Coor
Cumberland CountyEbenezer Folsome
Currituck CountySolomon Perkins
Dobbs CountyBenjamin Exum
Duplin CountyJames Kenan
Edgecombe CountyElisha Battle
Granville CountyRobert Harris
Guilford CountyRalph Gorrell
Guilford CountyAlexander Martin
Halifax CountyOroondates Davis
Hertford CountyRobert Sumner
Hyde CountyWilliam Russell
Johnston CountyNeedham Bryan
Martin CountyWhitmell Hill
Martin CountyKenneth McKenzie
Mecklenburg CountyRobert Irwin
Nash CountyNathan Boddie
New Hanover CountyJohn Ashe, Jr.
Northampton CountyAllen Jones
Onslow CountyHenry Rhodes
Orange CountyJohn Kinchen
Pasquotank CountyJohn Lowrie
Perquimans CountyJohn Eason
Perquimans CountyThomas Harvey
Pitt CountyRobert Salter
Rowan CountyGriffith Rutherford
Surry CountyWilliam Sheppard
Tryon CountyWilliam Graham
Tyrrell CountyJeremiah Frazier
Wake CountyMichael Rogers
Washington DistrictCharles Robertson
Wilkes CountyJohn Brown

Notes: