The Salisbury District of North Carolina, was originally one of six colonial judicial districts established in 1766 by the Governor William Tryon of the Province of North Carolina. Immediately preceding the onset of the American War of Independence in 1775, these six regions were renamed "military districts" by the North Carolina Provincial Congress and used for organizing the North Carolina militia. The other military districts were Edenton, Halifax, Hillsborough, New Bern, and Wilmington districts. The military district designation was discontinued in 1835 during the North Carolina Constitution Convention.
Background In 1766, the Province of North Carolina House of Burgess, at the direction of Province of North Carolina Governor William Tryon, divided the state into six judicial districts. The districts did not do away with the county divisions of the state, which continued. Since the boundaries of Tryon County (part of the Salisbury District) originally stretched into territory which was later found to belong to South Carolina (due to surveying errors), the Salisbury District was, for a time, the legal center of modern-day northwestern South Carolina as well.
After the Third North Carolina Provincial Congress held at Hillsborough, North Carolina (Aug. 20-Sept. 10, 1775), the "judicial" districts became known as "military" districts. These districts were used to organize the North Carolina Minutemen Battalions for a six month trial as state troops, beginning on September 1, 1775. By April 10, 1776, the Provincial Congress decided in favor of District Brigades of militia with county militia regiments. Each brigade was led by a brigadier general. The county militia regiments were subordinated to the brigade. At that time, two additional districts were added, further dividing the western part of the state (Washington District Regiment in 1776 and Morgan District in 1784). Also, district representatives were chosen and sent to the North Carolina Provincial Congress. These representatives were instrumental in the passage of the Halifax Resolves in April 1776 during the Fourth Provincial Congress, which is now often referred to as the "Halifax Congress."
History The Salisbury District was based in the town of Salisbury, North Carolina, in Rowan County. Salisbury was established as the county seat of Rowan County in 1755, two years after Rowan County was created from Anson County.
Edmund Fanning was made the first official associate justice for the Judicial District of Salisbury in March 1766. The third colonial court, which regularly assembled at Salisbury, was the court of oyer, terminer and general jail delivery. This court had jurisdiction over criminal cases. The Salisbury District court met in June and December of each year.
James Smith had served as the justice presiding over the "Court of Pleas and Quarter Session for Rowan County," under King George III, from 1770 thru 1775. From 1775, he "took a prominent and active part in every movement tending to throw off the yoke of tyranny..." On April 22, 1776, he was appointed to major in the Rowan County Regiment of the North Carolina militia, which was commanded by Colonel Francis Locke. Colonel Lock assumed command from Brigadier General Griffith Rutherford who was selected as commander of the Salisbury District Brigade.
Boundaries The Salisbury District originally included Anson, Guilford, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Surry, and Tryon counties. A later addition was the Washington District (also known as the original Washington County, North Carolina), which covered most of the present day State of Tennessee."...all that part of this State comprehended with the lines aforesaid shall be henceforth be and remain Washington County and is declared to be part of Salisbury District."—North Carolina State Records, Vol. 24; p. 141; NC Laws -1777; Chapter 31; Whitney; p. 681 Eventually, as new settlements were carved out of the wilderness, the Salisbury District encompassed the counties of Lincoln, Montgomery, Richmond, Rutherford, Wilkes (all in present-day North Carolina), and Sullivan (in present-day Tennessee) as well.North Carolina Revolutionary pay vouchers In 1775, Salisbury District included the following counties: Rowan, Anson, Guilbord, Mecklenburg, Surry, and Tryon counties. In 1779, Salisbury District included the following counties: Rowan, Anson, Burke, Guilford, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Richmond, Rutherford, Surry, and Wilkes counties. In 1783, at the end of the war, Salisbury District included: Rowan, Anson, Guiford, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Richmond, and Surry counties. As late as 1800, the term Salisbury District was used in reference to the regional Federal Census headquarters in part of North Carolina. This 1800 Census district headquarters was located in Salisbury, and Iredell, Mecklenburg, and Rowan counties all list Salisbury as the location for these counties, even though Salisbury was and still is located in Rowan County.US Federal Census for Iredell, Mecklenburg, and Rowan Counties. See also FamilySearch.com The Provincial Congress included representatives from counties and districts. The six districts continued to be used under the North Carolina General Assembly after 1776 until 1835 when the State Constitution Convention changed the way representatives and senators to the General Assembly were determined. After the war, the districts were sometimes referred to as boroughs or just cities. In 1835, the general assembly set up 120 districts with representation in the assembly.
Delegates The delegates from the Salisbury District to the North Carolina Provincial Congress were:Journal of the Proceedings of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, Reprinted in pursuance of a resolution of the General Assembly of North Carolina, passed in the session of 1830-1831. William Kennon, 1st Provincial Congress, August 25–27, 1774 in New BernRumple, p 134, 135, 172; moved to GeorgiaHunter, p 171 William Kennon, 2nd Provincial Congress, April 3–7, 1775 in New Bern William Kennon and Hugh Montgomery, 3rd Provincial Congress, August 20 - September 10, 1775 in Hillsborough David Nesbitt, 4th Provincial Congress, April 4 - May 14, 1776 in Halifax David Nesbitt, 5th Provincial Congress, November 12 - December 23, 1776 in Halifax
The delegates from the Salisbury District to the North Carolina House of Commons were:
1st, 1777, David Nesbett 2nd, 1778, Matthew Troy 3rd, 1779, Maxwell Chambers 4th, 1780, Anthony Newman 5th, 1781, Anthony Newman (Nunan) 6th, 1782, Dr. Anthony NewmanRumple, p 169 7th, 1783, Anthony Newman (Nunan) 8th, 1784 April, Thomas FrohockRumple, pp 87-89 9th, 1784 October, Spruce McCoy (McCay, McKay) 10th, 1785, Thomas Frohock 11th, 1786-1787, Thomas Frohock 12th, 1787, John Steele 13th, 1788, John Steele 14th, 1789, Maxwell Chambers 15th, 1790, Maxwell Chambers 16th, 1791-1792, Lewis Beard 17th, 1792-1793, Lewis Beard 18th, 1793-1794, John Steele 19th, 1794-1795, John Steele 20th, 1795, John Steele 21st, 1796, Evan Alexander 22nd, 1797, John Newman 23rd, 1798, Evan Alexander 24th, 1799, Evan Alexander 25th, 1800, Evan Alexander 26th, 1801, Evan Alexander 27th, 1802, Evan Alexander 28th, 1803, Evan Alexander 29th, 1804, Joseph Pearson 30th, 1805, Joseph Pearson 31st, 1806, John Steele 32nd, 1807, Archibald Henderson 33rd, 1808, Archibald Henderson 34th, 1809, Archibald Henderson 35th, 1810, Joseph Chambers 36th, 1811, John Steele (Speaker of the House) 37th, 1812, John Steele 38th, 1813, John Steele 39th, 1814, Archibald Henderson 40th, 1815, John L. HendersonRumple, p 462 41st, 1816, John L. Henderson 42nd, 1817, Stephen L. Ferrand 43rd, 1818, John Beard, Jr. 44th, 1819, Archibald Henderson 45th, 1820, Archibald Henderson 46th, 1821, Charles Fisher 47th, 1822, Alfred McKay 48th, 1823-1824, John L. Henderson 49th, 1824-1825, John L. Henderson 50th, 1825-1826, David F. Caldwell 51st, 1826-1827, Charles Fisher 52nd, 1827-1828, Charles Fisher 53rd, 1828-1829, Charles Fisher 54th, 1829-1830, Charles Fisher 55th, 1830-1831, Charles Fisher (Speaker of the House) 56th, 1831-1832, Charles Fisher (Speaker of the House) 57th, 1832-1833, Burton Craig 58th, 1833-1834, Richard H. Alexander 59th, 1834-1835, Richard H. Alexander 60th, 1835, William Chambers
See also Tryon Resolves Tryon County Regiment (North Carolina)
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