The Royal Colony of North Carolina

23rd House of Burgesses - 1770-1771

The 23rd House of Burgesses during the Royal Period met in New Bern in one session that met from December 5, 1770 to January 26, 1771.

This is also considered to the be the 3rd House of Burgesses under Royal Governor William Tryon.


On November 10, 1769, Governor William Tryon and his Executive Council issued a Writ of Elections for a new General Assembly to meet on May 1, 1770 in New Bern.

On April 9, 1770, Governor William Tryon and his Executive Council agreed to prorogue the General Assembly currently scheduled to meet on May 1st and defer this assembly until November 30th. As shown above, they met on December 5, 1770.

On December 20, 1770, Governor William Tryon informed the Executive Council that the House of Burgesses had expelled one of its members - Herman Husbands - because he was a "Regulator" and was a principal in the recent "riots and seditions" in Orange County. The Governor, Executive Council, and Attorney General all agreed that Herman Husbands must be taken into custody.

On January 26, 1771, Governor William Tryon and his Executive Council agreed to prorogue the General Assembly until May 10th in New Bern.

On April 19, 1771, Governor William Tryon and his Executive Council agreed to prorogue the General Assembly until October 10th. This gets delayed until November 19, 1771.


Chatham County, Guilford County, Surry County, and Wake County were established during this assembly, and they sent their first representatives to the next House of Burgesses.
The Town of Hillsborough sent its first delegate to this House of Burgesses.

Election District

Delegate

Anson County

William Mask

James Picket

Beaufort County

James Bonner

Moses Hare

Bertie County

John Campbell

James Lockhart

Lillington Lockhart

Bladen County

John Gibbs (1)

William McRee

Brunswick County

William Davis

Robert Howe

Bute County

Thomas Eaton

Benjamin Person (2)

Carteret County

Jacob Shepard

William Thompson

Chowan County

James Blount

Richard Brownridge

Samuel Dunscombe

Samuel Johnston

Edward Vail

Craven County

Jacob Blount

Christopher Neale

Cumberland County

Farquard Campbell

Walter Gibson

Currituck County

Samuel Jarvis

Thomas McKnight

Kader Merchant

Henry White

John Woodhouse

Dobbs County

Francis Macilwean

Abraham Sheppard

Duplin County

William Dickson

Thomas Gray

Edgecombe County

William Haywood

Aquilla Sugg

Granville County

Howell Lewis

Thomas Person

Halifax County

William Alston

Abner Nash

Hertford County

Edward Hare

Benjamin Wynns, Jr.

Hyde County

Rotheas Latham

Edward McSwain

Johnston County

Joel Lane

John Smith

Mecklenburg County

Abraham Alexander

Thomas Polk

New Hanover County

John Ashe

James Moore

Northampton County

Henry Dawson

Howell Edmunds

Onslow County

William Cray

Richard Ward

Orange County

Herman Husband (3)

John Pryor (4)

Pasquotank County

Jonathan Herring

Joseph Jones

John Lowry

Thomas Relfe

William Relfe

Perquimans County

Benjamin Harvey

John Harvey

Thomas Harvey

Andrew Knox

John Skinner

Pitt County

Richard Evans

Alexander Stewart

Rowan County

Matthew Locke

Griffith Rutherford

Tryon County

William Moore

Thomas Neel

Tyrrell County

William Slade

Edmond Smithwick

Unknown / Vacant

Unknown / Vacant

Unknown / Vacant

Town of Bath

Wyriot Ormond

Town of Brunswick

Maurice Moore

Town of Campbellton 

Thomas Hadley

Town of Edenton

Joseph Hewes

Town of Halifax

Joseph Montfort

Town of Hillsborough

Edmund Fanning

Town of New Bern

Richard Caswell*

Town of Salisbury

Vacant

Town of Wilmington

Cornelius Harnett
* Richard Caswell was elected Speaker of the House. James Green, Jr. was appointed Clerk. Benjamin Fordham was appointed Mace Bearer.
(1) John Gibbs died while in office during this assembly. His seat remained vacant.
(2) Benjamin Person died while in office during this assembly. His seat remained vacant.
(3) Herman Husbands was expelled from the House of Burgesses for being a "principal mover and promoter" of "riots and seditions," for publishing a "false, seditious, and malicious libel" on Maurice Moore, for "gross prevarication and falsehood," and for offering "a daring insult" to the General Assembly "tending to intimidate the members from a discharge of their duty." This was at the height of the War of Regulation.
(4) John Pryor died while in office during this assembly. His seat remained vacant.
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