North Carolina General Assembly of 1779


The North Carolina General Assembly of 1779 met in three sessions in three locations in the years 1779 and 1780. The first session was held in Smithfield from May 3 to May 15, 1779; the second session in Halifax, from October 18 to November 10, 1779; the third and final session in New Bern, from January to February, 1780.
Each of the 50 North Carolina counties was authorized by the North Carolina Constitution of 1776 to elect one Senator and two members of the House of Commons. In addition, six districts were authorized to elect one House member each. Richard Caswell was elected governor by the legislature.

Legislation

For additional laws and minutes of the 1779 General Assembly, see .

Councilors of State

This General Assembly selected the following Councilors of State on May 3, 1779:

Leadership of the House of Commons

In 1779, the General Assembly abolished Bute County and Tryon County. They also created eleven new counties: Franklin, Gates, Jones, Lincoln, Montgomery, Randolph, Richmond, Rutherford, Sullivan, Warren, and Wayne Counties. Members of the House of Commons are listed below, along with the county they represented:
CountyHouse of Commons Member
Anson CountyCharles Medlock
Anson CountyStephen Miller
Beaufort CountyJohn Kennedy
Beaufort CountyRobert Tripp
Bertie CountyJames Campbell
Bertie CountyJohn Johnston
Bladen CountySamuel Cain
Bladen CountyThomas Brown
Brunswick CountyWilliam Dry
Brunswick County
Burke CountyWilliam Morrison
Burke CountyThomas Whitson
Camden CountyWillis Bright
Camden CountyCaleb Grandy
Carteret CountyJohn Easton
Carteret CountySolomon Shepperd
Caswell CountyPeter Farrow
Caswell CountyWilliam Moore
Chatham CountyJonathan Harper
Chatham CountyJohn Luttrell
Chowan CountyThomas Benbury
Chowan CountyWilliam Boyd
Craven CountyHardy Bryan
Craven CountyBenjamin Williams
Cumberland CountyRobert Cochran
Cumberland CountyRobert Rowan
Currituck CountyJohn Humphries
Currituck CountyThomas Youngblood
Dobbs CountyJesse Cobb
Dobbs CountyWilliam Caswell
Dobbs CountyThomas Gray
Dobbs CountyAbraham Sheppard
Duplin CountyRichard Clinton
Duplin CountyJames Gillespie
Edgecombe CountyEthelred Exum
Edgecombe CountyWilliam Haywood
Edgecombe CountyWilliam Haywood
Franklin CountyGreen Hill
Franklin CountyJohn Norwood
Franklin CountyThomas Sherrod
Granville CountyPhilemon Hawkins II
Gates Countyvacant
Granville CountyThomas Person
Guilford CountyDaniel Gillespie
Guilford CountyJames Hunter
Halifax CountyWillie Jones
Halifax CountyAugustine Willis
Hertford CountyArthur Cotton
Hertford CountyWilliam Wynns
Hyde CountyJoseph Hancock
Hyde CountyBenjamin Parmele
Johnston CountyLewis Bryan
Johnston CountyPhillip Raiford
Jones Countyvacant
Lincoln Countyvacant
Martin CountySamuel Smithwick
Martin CountySamuel Williams
Mecklenburg CountyCaleb Phifer
Mecklenburg CountyDavid Wilson
Montgomery CountySolomon Gross
Montgomery CountyJohn Kimbrough
New Hanover CountyTimothy Bloodworth
New Hanover CountyJohn A. Campbell
Northampton CountyRobert Peebles
Northampton CountyJames Vaughan
Onslow CountyJames Howard
Onslow CountyEdward Starkey
Orange CountyWilliam McCauley
Orange CountyMark Patterson
Pasquotank CountyJohn Blackstock
Pasquotank CountyThomas Riding
Perquimans CountyJonathan Skinner
Perquimans CountyJohn Whedbee
Pitt CountyJames Gorham
Pitt CountyJohn Williams
Randolph CountyJacob Shepperd
Randolph CountyAbsolam Tatum
Randolph CountyJohn Arnold
Richmond Countyvacant
Richmond County
Rowan CountyMatthew Locke
Rowan CountyMoses Winslow
Sullivan Countyvacant
Sullivan Countyvacant
Surry CountyGray Bynum
Surry CountyFrederick Miller
Tyrrell CountyBenjamin Spruill
Tyrrell CountyJoshua Swann
Wake CountyThomas Hines
Wake CountyJohn Hinton, Jr.
Warren CountyJoseph Hawkins
Warren CountyJohn Macon
Washington DistrictHenry Clark
Washington DistrictJesse Walton
Wayne Countyvacant
Wayne Countyvacant
Wilkes CountyElisha Isaacs
Wilkes CountyBenjamin Herndon
Edenton DistrictRobert Smith
Halifax DistrictHenry Montford
Hillsborough DistrictThomas Tulloch
New Bern DistrictRichard Cogdell
New Bern DistrictRichard Dobbs Spaight
Salisbury DistrictMaxwell Chambers
Wilmington DistrictWilliam Hooper

Senate

Senate leadership

Members of the senate and counties they represented included the following
CountySenate Member
Anson CountyJohn Childs
Beaufort CountyThomas Respess
Bertie CountyJasper Carlton
Bladen CountyThomas Owen
Brunswick County
Burke CountyEphraim McLean
Camden CountyJohn Gray
Carteret CountyWilliam Thompson
Caswell CountyJames Saunders
Chatham CountyAmbrose Ramsey
Chowan CountySamuel Johnston
Craven CountyJames Coor
Cumberland County
Currituck CountySolomon Perkins
Dobbs CountyBenjamin Exum
Duplin CountyJames Kenan
Edgecombe CountyElisha Battle
Franklin CountyBenjamin Seawell
Gates County
Granville CountyMemucan Hunt
Guilford CountyAlexander Martin
Halifax CountyOroondate Davis
Hertford CountyGeorge Wynn
Hyde CountyWilliam Russell
Johnston CountySamuel Smith
Jones CountyAbner Nash
Lincoln CountyWilliam Graham
Martin County
Mecklenburg CountyKenneth McKenzie
Montgomery County
New Hanover CountyNathan Boddie
Northampton CountyAllen Jones
Northampton CountySamuel Lockhart
Onslow CountyHenry Rhodes
Orange CountyJohn Hogan
Pasquotank CountyThomas Relfe
Perquimans CountyThomas Harvey
Pitt CountyEdward Salter
Randolph CountyJohn Collier
Richmond County
Rowan CountyGriffith Rutherford
Sullivan County
Surry CountyWilliam Shepperd
Tyrrell CountyJeremiah Frazier
Wake CountyJohn Rand
Warren CountyJohn Faulcon
Washington DistrictCharles Roberson
Wayne County
Wilkes CountyBenjamin Cleveland