Third North Carolina Provincial Congress

The Third North Carolina Provincial Congress was a meeting of the provincial congress of the de facto provincial government of North Carolina, composed of 213 delegates from 35 counties and nine towns. The congress convened in Hillsborough on August 20, 1775, and ended on September 10, 1775, during the final year of Josiah Martin's gubernatorial administration. Samuel Johnston was unanimously chosen as president as the former president, Colonel John Harvey, had died.

History Resolutions The Third Provincial Congress, which included representatives of all 35 counties and nine towns, established itself as the highest governmental body within the Province of North Carolina after May 24, 1775, when British governor Josiah Martin fled the Governor's Palace at Newbern, ending sixty-three continuous years of colonial rule. The last North Carolina provincial assembly met at Newbern from April 4 to April 8, 1775, before Governor Martin prorogued the House of Burgesses.

The Third Provincial Congress divided the province into six militia districts for purposes of organizing the militia and for determining representation on a provincial council. The militia districts included Edenton, Halifax, Hillsborough, New Bern, Salisbury, and Wilmington. Later, an additional district, Morgan, was added for the western part of the province, including counties that eventually became part of Tennessee (Davidson, Greene, and Washington). Much of the deliberations of the congress dealt with the safety of its residents and preparation for war with Great Britain., August 20, 1775 – September 10, 1775

To govern the province when congress was not in session, a 13-man provincial council was elected, constituting the first executive body free of British rule. Cornelius Harnett was elected the first council president.

The following 13 members were appointed to the North Carolina Provincial Council by the Provincial Congress: The Honorable Samuel Johnston, Esquire; Cornelius Harnett and Samuel Ashe, Esquires, Wilmington District Thomas Jones and Whitmell Hill, Esquires, Edenton District Abner Nash and James Coor, Esquires, New Bern District Thomas Person and John Kinchen, Esquires, Hillsborough District Willie Jones and Thomas Eaton, Esquires, Halifax District Samuel Spencer and Waightstill Avery, Esquires, Salisbury District

The delegates formed a committee of safety at the provincial level. The delegates also elected members of the military district Committees of Safety "for their common defence against their Enemies, for the Security of their Liberties and properties". These committees at the district level would become the roots of the militias. The following persons were elected to the Committees of Safety for military districts: Wilmington District: Frederick Jones, Sampson Mosely, Archibald Maclaine, Richard Quince, Thomas Davis, William Cray, Henry Rhodes, Thomas Routledge, James Kenan, Alexander McAlister, George Mylne, John Smith and Benjamin Stone. Edenton District: Luke Sumner, William Gray, John Johnston, Thomas Benbury, Gideon Lamb, Joseph Jones, Miles Harvey, Lawrence Baker, Kenneth McKinzie, Stevens Lee, Charles Blount, Isaac Gregory and Day Ridley. Hillsborough District: William Taylor, Joseph Taylor, Samuel Smith, John Atkinson, John Butler, William Johnston, John Hinton, Joel Lane, Michael Rogers, Ambrose Ramsey, Mial Scurlock, John Thompson and John Lark. New Bern District: John Easton, Major Croom, Roger Ormond, Edward Salter, George Barrow, William Thomson, William Tisdale, Benjamin Williams, Richard Ellis, Richard Cogdell, William Brown, James Glasgow and Alexander Gaston. Salisbury District: John Crawford, James Auld, Hezekiah Alexander, Benjamin Patten, John Brevard, Griffith Rutherford, William Hill, John Hamlin, Charles Galloway, William Dent, Robert Ewart and Maxwell Chambers. Halifax District: James Leslie, John Bradford, David Sumner, Allen Jones, William Eaton, Drury Gee, John Norwood, the Revd Henry Pattillo, James Mills, William Bellamy, William Haywood, Duncan Lamon and John Webb.

Delegates

The following is a full list of delegates to the third congress by constituency.

ConstituencyNameAnson CountyDavid LoveAnson CountyWilliam PickettAnson CountySamuel SpencerAnson CountyWilliam ThomasAnson CountyThomas WadeBeaufort CountyJohn CowperBeaufort CountyRoger OrmondBeaufort CountyJohn PattonBeaufort CountyThomas Respess Jr.Bertie CountyThomas BallardBertie CountyWilliam BrimmageBertie CountyWilliam BryanBertie CountyJohn CampbellBertie CountyPeter CliftonBertie CountyWilliam GrayBertie CountyCharles JaycocksBertie CountyJonathan JaycocksBertie CountyJohn JohnstonBertie CountyDavid StandlyBertie CountyZedekiah StoneBladen CountyWalter GibsonBladen CountyThomas OwenBladen CountyNathaniel RichardsonBladen CountyThomas Robeson Jr.Bladen CountyWilliam SaltarBrunswick CountyThomas AltonBrunswick CountyRobert EllisBrunswick CountyRobert HoweBrunswick CountyRoger MooreBrunswick CountyParker QuinceBute CountyThomas EatonBute CountyGreen HillBute CountyRev. Henry PattilloBute CountyWilliam PersonBute CountyJosiah ReddickBute CountyJethro SumnerCarteret CountyJohn EasonCarteret CountySolomon SheppardCarteret CountyWilliam ThompsonCarteret CountyEnoch WardCarteret CountyBryce WilliamsChatham CountyJohn BirdsongChatham CountyElisha CainChatham CountyWilliam ClarkChatham CountyJeduthan HarperChatham CountyRichard KennonChatham CountyMatthew JonesChatham CountyAmbrose RamseyChatham CountyJoseph RosserChatham CountyRobert RutherfordChatham CountyJohn ThompsonChowan CountyThomas BenburyChowan CountyJames BlountChowan CountyJosiah GrandburyChowan CountyThomas HunterChowan CountySamuel JohnstonChowan CountyThomas JonesCraven CountyJacob BlountCraven CountyWilliam BryanCraven CountyRichard CogdellCraven CountyJames CoorCraven CountyEdmund HatchCraven CountyJoseph LeechCumberland CountyFarquard CampbellCumberland CountyAlexander McAllisterCumberland CountyAlexander McKayCumberland CountyThomas RutherfordCumberland CountyDavid SmithCurrituck CountyThomas JarvisCurrituck CountyGideon LambCurrituck CountySolomon PerkinsCurrituck CountyJames RyanCurrituck CountyJames WhiteDobbs CountyAndrew BassDobbs CountySimon BrightDobbs CountyRichard CaswellDobbs CountyJames GlasgowDobbs CountyGeorge MillerDobbs CountyAbraham SheppardDobbs CountySpyars SingletonDuplin CountyRichard ClintonDuplin CountyWilliam DicksonDuplin CountyThomas GrayDuplin CountyThomas HicksDuplin CountyJames KenanEdgecombe CountyRobert BignalEdgecombe CountyThomas H. HallEdgecombe CountyThomas HunterEdgecombe CountyHenry IrwinEdgecombe CountyDuncan LamonGranville CountyMemucan HuntGranville CountyJohn PennGranville CountyThomas PersonGranville CountyJohn TaylorGranville CountyJohn WilliamsGuilford CountyGeorge CortnerGuilford CountyWilliam DentGuilford CountyJames Park FarleyGuilford CountyThomas HendersonGuilford CountyAlexander MartinGuilford CountyRansom SutherlandGuilford CountyNathaniel WilliamsHalifax CountyJohn GeddyHalifax CountyJames HogunHalifax CountyNicholas LongHalifax CountyDavid SumnerHalifax CountyJohn WebbHertford CountyLawrence BakerHertford CountyMatthew BrickelHertford CountyWilliam MurfreeHertford CountyDay RidlyHertford CountyGeorge WynnsHyde CountyJoseph HancockHyde CountyJohn JordanJohnston CountyNeedham BryanJohnston CountyWilliam BryanJohnston CountyJohn SmithJohnston CountySamuel SmithJohnston CountyBenjamin WilliamsMartin CountyJohn EverittMartin CountyWhitmell HillMartin CountyKenneth McKenzieMartin CountyWilliam SladeMartin CountyJohn StuartMartin CountyWilliam WilliamsMecklenburg CountyJohn McKnitt AlexanderMecklenburg CountyWaightstill AveryMecklenburg CountyJames HoustonMecklenburg CountySamuel MartinMecklenburg CountyJohn PhiferMecklenburg CountyThomas PolkNew Hanover CountyJohn Baptista AsheNew Hanover CountySamuel AsheNew Hanover CountyWilliam HooperNew Hanover CountyJohn Alexander LillingtonNew Hanover CountyGeorge MooreNew Hanover CountyJames MooreNorthampton CountyJeptha AthertonNorthampton CountyHowell EdmundsNorthampton CountyDrewry GeeNorthampton CountyAllen JonesNorthampton CountySamuel LockhartOnslow CountyIsaac GuionOnslow CountyJohn KingOnslow CountyHenry RhodesOnslow CountyJohn SpicerOnslow CountyEdward StarkeyOrange CountyJohn AtkinsonOrange CountyThomas BurkeOrange CountyThomas HartOrange CountyJohn KinchenOrange CountyJohn WilliamsPasquotank CountyThomas BoydPasquotank CountyDempsey BurgessPasquotank CountyDevotion DavisPasquotank CountyEdward EveraginPasquotank CountyJoseph JonesPerquimans CountyBenjamin HarveyPerquimans CountyMiles HarveyPerquimans CountyThomas HarveyPerquimans CountyAndrew KnoxPerquimans CountyWilliam SkinnerPitt CountyWilliam BryanPitt CountyJames GorhamPitt CountyJames LathamPitt CountyRobert SalterPitt CountyJohn SimpsonRowan CountyWilliam KennonRowan CountyMatthew LockeRowan CountyWilliam SharpeRowan CountyJames SmithRowan CountySamuel YoungRowan CountyMoses WinslowSurry CountyMartin ArmstrongSurry CountyWilliam HillSurry CountyRobert LanierSurry CountyJoseph WilliamsSurry CountyJoseph WinstonTryon CountyRobert AlexanderTryon CountyWilliam GrahamTryon CountyFrederick HambrightTryon CountyJoseph HardenTryon CountyJohn WalkerTyrrell CountyJeremiah FrazierTyrrell CountyThomas HoskinsTyrrell CountyStephen LeeTyrrell CountyJoseph SpruillTyrrell CountyPeter WynnWake CountyThomas HinesWake CountyJohn HintonWake CountyTheophilus HunterWake CountyTignal JonesWake CountyJoel LaneWake CountyJohn RandWake CountyMichael RogersBath TownWilliam BrownEdentonJasper CharltonEdentonJoseph HewesNew BernJames DavisNew BernRichard EllisNew BernAbner NashNew BernWilliam TisdaleWilmingtonCornelius HarnettWilmingtonArchibald MacLaineBrunswickMaurice MooreHalifaxWillie JonesHillsboroughWilliam ArmstrongHillsboroughFrancis NashHillsboroughNathaniel RochesterSalisburyWilliam KennonSalisburyHugh MontgomeryCampbeltonCampbelton became part of Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1783.James HepburnCampbeltonRobert Rowan

References Footnotes

Citations