# North Carolina General Assembly of 1780–1781

The North Carolina General Assembly of 1780-1781 was the fourth elected legislative body of the State of North Carolina. The assembly consisted of a Senate and House of Commons that met in three sessions in at least two locations in the years 1780 and 1781. Each of the existing 50 North Carolina counties were authorized to elect one Senator and two members of the House of Commons. In addition, six districts (also called boroughs) also elected one House member each. The first two sessions were probably held in New Bern, North Carolina in April and September 1780. The third session met in Halifax from January 27, 1781 – February 13, 1781.

## Governor and Councilors of State

In 1780, the General Assembly elected Abner Nash as Governor of North Carolina, as was called for in the Constitution of North Carolina. His term of office was extended by an act of the assembly until June 25, 1781.
The North Carolina Constitution of 1776 required "that the Senate and House of Commons, jointly, at their first meeting after each annual election, shall by ballot elect seven persons to be a Council of State for one year, who shall advise the Governor in the execution of his office."
The known North Carolina Council of State members elected by the General Assembly in 1780 included:
* Joseph Leech from Craven County
* James Davis
* Isaac Guion from Craven County
* James Granger

## Leadership

The House of Commons leadership included the following persons:
* Speaker: Thomas Benbury (Chowan County)
* Clerk: John Hunt
The Senate leadership included the following:
* Speaker: Alexander Martin (Guilford County)
* Clerk: John Haywood (Edgecombe County)
* Assistant Clerk: Sherwood Haywood (Edgecombe County)

## House and Senate members

New counties created in 1779 included Franklin County, Gates County, Lincoln County, Montgomery County, Randolph County, Richmond County, Rutherford County, Warren County, and Wayne County. Bute County and Tryon County were abolished in 1779. There were no new counties created in 1780 or 1781. There was at least a Senator or one Representative from each county and district.
Members of the General Assembly were allowed 55 dollars per day for attendance at sessions.
| County | House of Commons Member | Senate Member |
| Anson County | Miller, Stephen | Childs, John |
| Anson County | Farr, Richard | - |
| Beaufort County | Brown, William | Respess, Thomas, Jr. |
| Beaufort County | Willis, Samuel | - |
| Bertie County | Turner, David | Horne, William |
| Bertie County | Jaycocks, Jonathan | - |
| Bladen County | Cain, Samuel | Vacant |
| Bladen County | Lucas, Frances | - |
| Brunswick County | none | MacLaine, Archibald |
| Brunswick County | none | - |
| Burke County | Brevard, Hugh | McLean, Ephraim |
| Burke County | McDowell, Joseph | - |
| Camden County | Burgess, William | Grays, John |
| Camden County | Gregory, Isaac | - |
| Carteret County | Shepard, Solomon | Unknown |
| Carteret County | Unknown or vacant | - |
| Caswell County | Farrow, Peter | Unknown |
| Caswell County | Williams, John | - |
| Caswell County | Moore, Stephen | - |
| Chatham County | Scurlock, Mial | Ramsey, Ambrose |
| Chatham County | Williams, James | - |
| Chowan County | Benbury, Thomas | Johnson, Charles |
| Chowan County | Boyd, William | - |
| Craven County | Bryan, William | Coor, James |
| Craven County | Blount, William | - |
| Cumberland County | Cochran, Robet | Folsome, Ebenezer |
| Cumberland County | Winslow, Edward | - |
| Currituck County | Phillips, James | Jarvis, Samuel |
| Currituck County | Humphreys, John | - |
| Dobbs County | Caswell, William | Caswell, Richard, Sr. |
| Dobbs County | Sheppard, Abraham | - |
| Duplin County | Dickson, Joseph | Clinton, Richard |
| Duplin County | Gillespie, James | - |
| Edgecombe County | Gray, Etheldred | Battle, Elisha |
| Edgecombe County | Horn, Henry, Jr. | - |
| Franklin County | Bryant, Joseph | Hill, Henry |
| Franklin County | Brickell, William | - |
| Gates County | Sumner, Jethro | Gregory, James |
| Gates County | Garrett, James | - |
| Granville County | Person, Thomas | Hunt, Memucan |
| Granville County | Hawkins, Philemon, Jr. | - |
| Guilford County | Hunter, James | Martin, Alexander |
| Guilford County | Gowdy, William | - |
| Halifax County | Jones, Willie | Davis, Oroondates |
| Halifax County | Weldon, William/Whitaker, John | - |
| Hertford County | Baker, John | Unknown |
| Hertford County | Jordan, Pleasant/Mauney, James | - |
| Hyde County | Latham, Rotheas | Russell, William |
| Hyde County | Barrow, George | - |
| Johnston County | Lockhart, James | Williams, Benjamin |
| Johnston County | Whitley, John | - |
| Jones County | Hargett, Frederick | Nash, Abner/Vacant |
| Jones County | Isler, John | - |
| Lincoln County | Mauney, Valentine | Johnston, James |
| Lincoln County | Sloan, John | - |
| Martin County | Smithwick, Edward | McKenzie, Kenneth |
| Martin County | Averitt, John | - |
| Mecklenburg County | Phifer, Caleb | Irwin, Robert |
| Mecklenburg County | Wilson, David | - |
| Montgomery County | Roper, James | Ledbetter, Drury |
| Montgomery County | Moore, Edward | - |
| New Hanover County | Campbell, John A. | DeVane, John |
| New Hanover County | Bloodworth, Timothy/Bloodworth, James | - |
| Northampton County | Vaughan, James/Dawson, John | Unknown |
| Northampton County | Peoples, Robert | - |
| Onslow County | Starkey, Edward | Rhodes, Henry |
| Onslow County | Mitchell, George | - |
| Orange County | McCauley, William | Courtney, William |
| Orange County | Patterson, Mark | - |
| Pasquotank County | Blackstock, John | Everagin, Edward |
| Pasquotank County | Harvey, Thomas | - |
| Perquimans County | Blount, Charles | Eaton, Jesse |
| Perquimans County | Harvey, John | - |
| Pitt County | George | Simpson, John |
| Pitt County | Williams, John | - |
| Randolph County | Balfour, Andrew | Collier, John |
| Randolph County | Harper, Jeduthan | - |
| Richmond County | Harrington, Henry William | Medlock, Charles |
| Richmond County | Webb, Robert | - |
| Rowan County | Locke, Matthew | Rutherford, Griffith |
| Rowan County | Barrier, George Henry (aka George H. Berger) | - |
| Rutherford County | Whitesides, David/Porter, William | Unknown |
| Rutherford County | Gilbert, William | - |
| Sullivan County | Looney, David | Shelby, Evan |
| Sullivan County | Unknown/Vacant | - |
| Surry County | Cummings, Samuel | Shepherd, William |
| Surry County | Freeman, Samuel | - |
| Tyrrell County | Warrington, John | Frazier, Jeremiah |
| Tyrrell County | Blunt, Edmund | - |
| Wake County | Jones, Nathanial | Hinton, John, Jr. |
| Wake County | Humphries, John | - |
| Warren County | Macon, John | Haynes, Herbert |
| Warren County | Hawkins, Joseph | - |
| Washington County (became Tennessee in 1789) | Allison, Charles | Carter, John |
| Washington County (became Tennessee in 1789) | Robertson, Charles/Clarke, Henry | - |
| Wayne County | Cobb, Stephen | Unknown |
| Wayne County | Mooring, Burwell | - |
| Wilkes County | Isaacs, Elijah | Cleveland, Benjamin |
| Wilkes County | Herndon, Joseph | - |
| Edenton District | Smith, Robert | - |
| Halifax District | Montfort, Henry | - |
| Hillsborough District | Tullock, Thomas/Shields, John | - |
| New Bern District | Green, James, Jr./Blount, William | - |
| Salisbury District | Newman, Anthony | - |
| Wilmington District | Hooper, William | - |