Fourth North Carolina Provincial Congress

The Fourth North Carolina Provincial Congress was a meeting of the provincial congress of the de facto provincial government of North Carolina, composed of 153 delegates from 35 counties and nine towns. The congress convened in Halifax on April 4, 1776, and ended on May 14, 1776, during the final year of Josiah Martin's gubernatorial administration. Samuel Johnston was unanimously chosen as president, and Cornelius Harnett was appointed as vice president of the congress.

History Resolutions

The delegates authorized their representatives to the Second Continental Congress to vote for independence, including Joseph Hewes, William Hooper, and John Penn. The 83 delegates present on April 12, 1776 adopted the Halifax Resolves. On April 13, 1776, the delegates formed a committee to start working on a North Carolina Constitution, which was ratified in December by the Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress. In April 1776, the congress passed a resolve to move loyalists while allowing them to dispose of their property. Later in May 1776, the congress passed a resolve to confiscate the property of those taking up arms against the United Colonies.

Delegates

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

ConstituencyNameAnson CountyJohn ChildAnson CountyJohn CrawfordAnson CountyDaniel LoveAnson CountyJames PickettAnson CountySamuel SpencerBeaufort CountyJohn CowperBeaufort CountyRoger OrmondBeaufort CountyThomas Respess, jun.Bertie CountyJohn CampbellBertie CountyJohn JohnstonBertie CountyCharles JaycocksBladen CountyThomas AmisBladen CountyMaturin ColvilleBladen CountyJames CouncilBladen CountyNathaniel RichardsonBladen CountyThomas Robeson, jun.Brunswick Countynot representedBute CountyWilliam AlstonBute CountyPhilemon HawkinsBute CountyGreen HillBute CountyWilliam PersonBute CountyThomas SherrodCarteret CountyJohn BackhouseCarteret CountySolomon ShepardCarteret CountyWilliam ThompsonChatham CountyElisha CainChatham CountyJeduthan HarperChatham CountyAmbrose RamseyChatham CountyJoseph RosserChatham CountyJohn ThompsonChowan CountyThomas BenburyChowan CountyJohn B. BeaslyChowan CountyThomas HunterChowan CountySamuel JohnstonChowan CountyThomas JonesCraven CountyJacob BlountCraven CountyJohn BryanCraven CountyWilliam BryanCraven CountyJames CoorCraven CountyLemuel HatchCumberland CountyDavid SmithCumberland CountyAlexander McAllisterCumberland CountyFarquard CampbellCumberland CountyThomas RutherfordCumberland CountyAlexander McKayCurrituck CountySamuel JarvisCurrituck CountyGideon LambCurrituck CountySolomon PerkinsCurrituck CountyJames RyanCurrituck CountyJames WhiteDobbs CountySimon BrightDobbs CountyRichard CaswellDobbs CountyWilliam McKinnieDobbs CountyGeorge MillerDobbs CountyAbraham SheppardDuplin CountyRichard ClintonDuplin CountyWilliam DicksonDuplin CountyThomas GrayEdgecombe CountyElisha BattleEdgecombe CountyNathan BoddieEdgecombe CountyWilliam HaywoodEdgecombe CountyHenry IrwinEdgecombe CountyDuncan LemonGranville CountyCharles A. EatonGranville CountyMemucan HuntGranville CountyJohn PennGranville CountyThomas PersonGranville CountyJohn TaylorGuilford CountyWilliam DentGuilford CountyRalph Gorrell, jun.Guilford CountyRansom SutherlandHalifax CountyWillis AlstonHalifax CountyJohn BradfordHalifax CountyJames HogunHalifax CountyDavid SumnerHalifax CountyJoseph John WilliamsHertford CountyLawrence BakerHertford CountyMatthias Brickell, jun.Hertford CountyWilliam MurfreePossibly the father of William MurfreeHertford CountyRobert SumnerHyde CountyJoseph HancockHyde CountyJohn JordanHyde CountyRotheas LathamHyde CountyBenjamin ParmelinJohnston CountySamuel Smith, jun.Johnston CountyHenry RainsJohnston CountyNeedham Bryan, jun.Martin CountyWhitmell HillMartin CountyKenneth McKenzieMartin CountyEdward SmithwickMartin CountyThomas WigginsMartin CountyWilliam WilliamsMecklenburg CountyJohn McKnitt AlexanderMecklenburg CountyRobert IrwinMecklenburg CountyJohn PhiferNew Hanover CountyJohn AsheNew Hanover CountySamuel AsheNew Hanover CountyJohn DeVaneNew Hanover CountyJohn HollingsworthNew Hanover CountySampson MoselyNorthampton CountyJeptha AthertonNorthampton CountyHowell EdmundsNorthampton CountyDrewry GeeNorthampton CountyEaton HaynesNorthampton CountyAllen JonesNorthampton CountySamuel LockhartNorthampton CountyEaton HaynesOnslow CountyBenjamin DotyOnslow CountyJohn KingOnslow CountyGeorge MitchellOnslow CountyJohn NormanOnslow CountyJohn SpicerOrange CountyThomas BurkeOrange CountyJohn ButlerOrange CountyJohn KinchenOrange CountyNathaniel RochesterOrange CountyJames SaundersPasquotank CountyHenry AbbotPasquotank CountyThomas BoydPasquotank CountyDempsey BurgessPasquotank CountyWilliam CummingPasquotank CountyJoseph JonesPerquimans CountyCharles BlountPerquimans CountyMiles HarveyPerquimans CountyThomas HarveyPerquimans CountyCharles MoorePerquimans CountyWilliam SkinnerPitt CountyWilliam RobesonPitt CountyEdward SalterPitt CountyJohn SimpsonRowan CountyJohn JohnstonRowan CountyMatthew LockeRowan CountyGriffith RutherfordSurry CountyCharles GordonSurry CountyJoseph WilliamsSurry CountyJoseph WinstonTryon CountyJames JohnstonTryon CountyCharles McLeanTyrrell CountyArchibald CorryWake CountyJohn HintonWake CountyWilliam HooperWake CountyTignal JonesWake CountyJoel LaneWake CountyJohn RandTown of BathWilliam BrownEdentonJoseph HewesNewbernAbner NashWilmingtonCornelius HarnettBrunswicknot representedHalifaxWillie JonesWillie Jones had to leave the provincial congress because he was elected by the Continental Congress to serve as the Superintendent of Indian Affairs. John Webb replaced him.HalifaxJohn WebbHillsboroughWilliam JohnstonSalisburyDavid NesbittCampbeltonCampbelton became part of Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1783.Arthur Council

References Footnotes

Citations

Further reading

, North Carolina State Normal & Industrial, College Historical Publications, Number 2