North Carolina General Assembly of 1779
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| 3rd North Carolina General Assembly (1779-1780) | |||||||
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| Overview | |||||||
| Legislative body | North Carolina General Assembly | ||||||
| Jurisdiction | North Carolina, United States | ||||||
| Meeting place | 1st Smithfield, 2nd Halifax, 3rd New Bern | ||||||
| Term | 1778–1779 | ||||||
| North Carolina Senate | |||||||
| Members | 49 Senators (48 counties, plus Washington District/County) | ||||||
| Speaker | Allen Jones | ||||||
| Clerk | John Sitgreaves | ||||||
| North Carolina House of Commons | |||||||
| Members | 104 Representatives authorized (49 counties with 2 each, 6 districts with 1 each)[note 1] | ||||||
| Speaker | Thomas Benbury | ||||||
| Clerk | John Hunt | ||||||
| Sessions | |||||||
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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.[1][2][3][4]
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 (also called boroughs) were authorized to elect one House member each. Richard Caswell was elected governor by the legislature.[5][1][2]
For additional laws and minutes of the 1779 General Assembly, see Legislative Documents.[6]
Councilors of State
This General Assembly selected the following Councilors of State on May 3, 1779:[2]
- Joseph Leech from Craven County
- Robert Bignall from Edgecombe County
- John Sampson[note 2]
- John Simpson from Pitt County
- Thomas Respass, Senior from Beaufort County[note 3]
- Isaac Guion from Craven County
- William Whitfield from Dobbs County
- Waightstill Avery from Burke Count (selected on October 25, 1779)
- Edward Starkey from Onslow County (selected on October 30, 1779)
House of Commons
Leadership of the House of Commons
- Speaker: Thomas Benbury (Chowan County)
- Clerk: John Hunt (Franklin County)
Members 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:[1][2][3]
Senate
Senate leadership
- Speaker: Allen Jones (Northampton County), resigned October 25, 1779; Abner Nash, elected to replace Jones October 26, 1779
- Clerk: John Sitgreaves (Craven County)
Members of the senate
Members of the senate and counties they represented included the following[1][2][4]
