# 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 (also called boroughs) 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 Legislative Documents.

## Councilors of State

The General Assembly elected the following Councilors of State on April 18, 1778:
* Joseph Leech, from Craven County
* Thomas Bonner from Beaufort County
* William Cray from Onslow County
* Edward Starkey from Onslow County
* Robert Bignall from Edgecombe County
* Richard Henderson from Granville County
* William Haywood from Edgecombe County
* William Bryan from Craven County
* John Simpson from Pitt County
* Frederick Jones from New Hanover County (elected on February 3, 1779)

## House of Commons
### House leadership

* Speaker: John Williams (Granville County), until April 28, 1778; Thomas Benbury (Chowan County) elected to replace Williams.
* Clerk: John Hunt (Franklin County)
* Assistant Clerk: Joseph Blithe

### House members

The members of the House and the counties and districts they represented are listed below.
| County | House of Commons Member |
| Anson County | George Davidson |
| Anson County | Stephen Miller |
| Beaufort County | Alderson Allerson |
| Beaufort County | Thomas Respress, Jr. |
| Beaufort County | William Brown |
| Bertie County | William Jordan, Jr. |
| Bertie County | Simon Turner |
| Bladen County | Thomas Amis |
| Bladen County | Benjamin Clark |
| Bladen County | Samuel Cain |
| Brunswick County | Lewis Dupree |
| Brunswick County | William Gause |
| Burke County | Ephraim McLaine |
| Burke County | Charles McLean |
| Burke County | Thomas Whitson |
| Bute County | Benjamin Hawkins |
| Bute County | Adkin McLemore |
| Camden County | Caleb Grandy |
| Camden County | Willis Bright |
| Camden County | John Gray |
| Camden County | William Burgess |
| Carteret County | John Easton |
| Carteret County | Solomon Shepperd |
| Caswell County | Peter Farrar |
| Caswell County | John Williams |
| Chatham County | Alexander Clark |
| Chatham County | James Williams |
| Chowan County | Thomas Benbury |
| Chowan County | Jacob Hunter |
| Craven County | Nathan Bryan |
| Craven County | John Tillman |
| Craven County | Abner Nash |
| Cumberland County | Peter Mallett |
| Cumberland County | Robert Rowan |
| Currituck County | William Ferebbe |
| Currituck County | Holowell Williams |
| Dobbs County | Jesse Cobb |
| Dobbs County | William Fellows |
| Duplin County | Richard Clinton |
| Duplin County | Thomas Hicks |
| Edgecombe County | Jonas Johnston |
| Edgecombe County | Isaac Sessums |
| Granville County | John Williams |
| Granville County | Thomas Person |
| Granville County | Thorton Yancey |
| Guilford County | James Hunter |
| Guilford County | Robert Lindsay |
| Halifax County | Haywood |
| Halifax County | John Whitaker |
| Hertford County | William Baker |
| Hertford County | Arthur Cotton |
| Hyde County | Abraham Jones |
| Hyde County | Joseph Hancock |
| Johnston County | William Bryan |
| Johnston County | John Bryan, Jr. |
| Martin County | Nathan Mayo |
| Martin County | E. Edward Smithwick |
| Mecklenburg County | Caleb Phifer |
| Mecklenburg County | David Wilson |
| Nash County | Thomas Hunter |
| Nash County | Hardy Griffin |
| New Hanover County | Timothy Bloodworth |
| New Hanover County | John Devane |
| Northampton County | Joseph Bryan |
| Northampton County | Robert Peebles |
| Northampton County | Robert Nash |
| Onslow County | Benijah Doty |
| Onslow County | George Mitchell |
| Orange County | John Butler |
| Orange County | Thomas Burke |
| Orange County | Mark Patterson |
| Orange County | William McCauley |
| Pasquotank County | Thomas Harvey |
| Pasquotank County | Thomas Relfe |
| Perquimans County | Charles Blount |
| Perquimans County | John Harvey |
| Pitt County | William Robeson |
| Pitt County | John Simpson |
| Pitt County | James Gorham |
| Pitt County | John Williams |
| Rowan County | Matthew Locke |
| Rowan County | Moses Winslow |
| Surry County | Matthew Brooks |
| Surry County | Frederick Miller |
| Tryon County | William Gilbert |
| Tryon County | Joseph Hardin Sr. |
| Tyrrell County | Joshua Swann |
| Tyrrell County | Isham Webb |
| Tyrrell County | Benjamin Spruill |
| Wake County | Lodwick Alford |
| Wake County | Hardy Sanders |
| Washington District/County | Luke Boyer |
| Washington District/County | William Cooke |
| Washington District/County | Jesse Walton |
| Wilkes County | Benjamin Cleveland |
| Wilkes County | Elijah Isaacs |
| Edenton District | Joseph Hewes |
| Halifax District | Willie Jones |
| Hillsborough District | William Courtney |
| New Bern District | Richard Cogdell |
| Salisbury District | Matthew Troy |
| Wilmington District | William Hooper |

## Senate
### Senate leadership

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

### Senate members

The following senators and the counties they represented are listed.
| County | Senate Member |
| Anson County | John Childs |
| Beaufort County | Thomas Respess |
| Bertie County | Zedekiah Stone |
| Bladen County | Thomas Owen |
| Brunswick County | Alexius M. Foster |
| Burke County | Charles McDowell |
| Bute County | Edward Jones |
| Camden County | Joseph Jones |
| Carteret County | William Thompson |
| Caswell County | James Sauders |
| Chatham County | Ambrose Ramsey |
| Chatham County | John Birdsong |
| Chowan County | Luke Sumner |
| Craven County | James Coor |
| Cumberland County | Ebenezer Folsome |
| Currituck County | Solomon Perkins |
| Dobbs County | Benjamin Exum |
| Duplin County | James Kenan |
| Edgecombe County | Elisha Battle |
| Granville County | Robert Harris |
| Guilford County | Ralph Gorrell |
| Guilford County | Alexander Martin |
| Halifax County | Oroondates Davis |
| Hertford County | Robert Sumner |
| Hyde County | William Russell |
| Johnston County | Needham Bryan |
| Martin County | Whitmell Hill |
| Martin County | Kenneth McKenzie |
| Mecklenburg County | Robert Irwin |
| Nash County | Nathan Boddie |
| New Hanover County | John Ashe, Jr. |
| Northampton County | Allen Jones |
| Onslow County | Henry Rhodes |
| Orange County | John Kinchen |
| Pasquotank County | John Lowrie |
| Perquimans County | John Eason |
| Perquimans County | Thomas Harvey |
| Pitt County | Robert Salter |
| Rowan County | Griffith Rutherford |
| Surry County | William Sheppard |
| Tryon County | William Graham |
| Tyrrell County | Jeremiah Frazier |
| Wake County | Michael Rogers |
| Washington District | Charles Robertson |
| Wilkes County | John Brown |
Notes:
* ↑ William Cray Died in office.
* ↑ Richard Henderson declined to serve.
* ↑ William Haywood declined to serve.
* ↑ Alderson Allerson was elected county entry taker. His seat was declared vacant on 19 January 1779.
* ↑ Thomas Respress was elected to replace Alderson Allerson. He took office on February 2, 1779.
* ↑ Thomas Amis was elected to another office. His seat was declared vacant on May 2, 1778.
* ↑ Benjamin Clark was elected to replace Thomas Amis. He took office on August 8, 1778.
* 1 2 Lewis Dupree took office on August 8, 1778 after a special election.
* ↑ Ephraim McLaine was elected, but there is no evidence of service.
* ↑ Charles McLean took office on August 13, 1778.
* ↑ Caleb Grady's seat vacated because he held another public office.
* ↑ Willis Bright was elected to replace Caleb Grandy. He took office on January 21, 1779.
* ↑ John Gray's seat was vacated because he held another public office.
* ↑ William Burgess was elected to replace John Gray. There is no evidence of service.
* ↑ John Tillman resigned on April 30, 1778.
* ↑ Abner Nash was elected to replace John Tillman. He took office on August 14, 1778.
* ↑ Holowell Williams was elected, but there is no evidence that he took office.
* ↑ Jonas Johnston was named county entry taker. His seat was declared vacant on April 27, 1778. A new election was held. Johnston was re-elected and he took office on August 8, 1778
* ↑ John Williams resigned on April 28, 1778 when elected to Continental Congress.
* ↑ Thomas Person was elected to replace John Williams. He took office on August 8, 1778.
* ↑ John Butler was named county record taker. His seat was declared vacant on April 27, 1778.
* ↑ Thomas Burke was elected to replace John Butler. He took office on August 8 and resigned on August 18 when elected to the Continental Congress.
* ↑ Mark Patterson was elected to replace Thomas Burke. He took office on January 20, 1779.
* ↑ There is some question about sources that say it died earlier than this date.
* ↑ William Robeson was named county entry taker. His seat was declared vacant on April 27, 1778.
* ↑ John Simposon was elected to replace William Robeson. He took office on August 8 and was then elected to Council of State, so he resigned on August 18.
* ↑ James Gorham was elected to replace John Simpson. He took office on January 21, 1779.
* ↑ William Gilbert was expelled from office on February 8, 1779 for fraud.
* ↑ Isham Webb died in April 1778.
* ↑ Benjamin Spruill was elected to replace Isham Webb. He took office on August 8, 1778.
* ↑ William Cooke was named county clerk of court and his seat was declared vacant on April 27, 1778.
* ↑ Jesse Walton was elected to replace William Cooke. He took office on January 19, 1779.
* ↑ Charles McDowell held another public office, so his seat was declared vacant on April 22, 1778.
* ↑ Ambrose Ramsey held another public office, so his seat was declared vacant on April 22, 1778.
* ↑ John Birdsong was elected to replace Ambrose Ramsey. He took office on August 8, 1778.
* ↑ Ralph Gorrell held the office of county entry taker, so his seat was declared vacant on April 22, 1778.
* ↑ Alexander Martin was elected to replace Ralph Gorrell. He took office on August 12, 1778.
* ↑ Needham Bryan held another public office, so his seat was declared vacant on April 22, 1778.
* ↑ Whitmell Hill was appointed to the Continental Congress, so he resigned on August 12, 1778.
* ↑ Kenneth McKenzie was elected to replace Whitmell Hill. He took office on January 19, 1779.
* ↑ John Eason held the office of county entry taker, so his seat was declared vacant on April 15, 1778.
* ↑ Thomas Harvey was elected to replace John Eason. He took office on January 20, 1779.