| 10th North Carolina General Assembly (1785) | |
| Term: | 1785 |
| Membership1: | 54 Senators |
| Chamber1 Leader1 Type: | Speaker |
| Chamber1 Leader2 Type: | Clerk |
| Chamber1 Leader2: | John Haywood |
| Chamber1 Leader3 Type: | Assistant Clerk |
| Chamber1 Leader3: | Sherwood Haywood |
| Chamber1 Leader4 Type: | Doorkeeper |
| Chamber1 Leader4: | William Murphy |
| Chamber1 Leader5 Type: | Assistant Doorkeeper |
| Chamber1 Leader5: | Nicholas Murphy |
| Membership2: | 114 Delegates Authorized |
| Chamber2 Leader1 Type: | Speaker |
| Chamber2 Leader2 Type: | Clerk |
| Chamber2 Leader2: | John Hunt |
| Chamber2 Leader3 Type: | Assistant Clerk |
| Chamber2 Leader3: | John Haywood |
| Chamber2 Leader4 Type: | Doorkeeper |
| Chamber2 Leader4: | Peter Gooding |
| Chamber2 Leader5 Type: | Assistant Doorkeeper |
| Chamber2 Leader5: | James Malloy |
| Session1 Start: | November 19, 1785 |
| Session1 End: | December 29, 1785 |
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1785 met in New Bern from November 18, 1785, to December 29, 1785. The assembly consisted of the 114 members of the North Carolina House of Commons and 54 senators of North Carolina Senate elected by the voters on August 19, 1785. During the 1785 session, the legislature created Rockingham County. As prescribed by the 1776 Constitution of North Carolina the General Assembly elected Richard Caswell to continue as Governor of North Carolina and members of the Council of State.[1] [2] [3] [4]
As prescribed by the 1776 Constitution of North Carolina, the General Assembly elected Richard Caswell as governor on December 9, 1785, and the following members of the North Carolina Council of State:[5]
James Glasgow continued as North Carolina Secretary of State.
There were 114 positions authorized for the House of Commons in this assembly, including one representative from each of six districts and 54 counties. Only 105 delegates are known to have attended this House of Commons assembly.
Fayette County, which was formed in July 1784 from the eastern part of Cumberland County, reverted to Cumberland County three months later, so does not appear in this assembly.
Greene, Sullivan and Washington Counties had formed the State of Franklin in an attempt to create a new state. They did not send representatives to this assembly.[8] [9]
Anson, Bladen, and Gates County only sent one elected official to the House of Commons.
The House of Commons delegates elected a Speaker (Richard Dobbs Spaight), Clerk (John Hunt), Assistant Clerk (John Haywood), Doorkeeper (Peter Gooding), and Assistant Doorkeeper (James Malloy). The following delegates to the House of Commons were elected by the voters of North Carolina to represent each county and district:[10]
| County/District | Delegate | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Anson | data-sort-value="Terry, James" | James Terry[11] | |
| Anson | data-sort-value="z Vacant/Unknown" | Vacant / Unknown | |
| Beaufort | data-sort-value="Smaw, Henry" | Henry Smaw | |
| Beaufort | data-sort-value="Blount, John Gray" | John Gray Blount[12] | |
| Bertie | data-sort-value="Collins, Thomas" | Thomas Collins | |
| Bertie | data-sort-value="Oliver, Andrew" | Andrew Oliver | |
| Bladen | data-sort-value="Richardson, James" | James Richardson | |
| Bladen | data-sort-value="z Vacant/Unknown" | Vacant / Unknown | |
| Brunswick | data-sort-value="Leonard, Jacob" | Jacob Leonard | |
| Brunswick | data-sort-value="Flowers, David" | David Flowers | |
| Burke | data-sort-value="McDowell, Joseph" | Joseph McDowell | |
| Burke | data-sort-value="Avery, Waightstill" | Waightstill Avery | |
| Camden | data-sort-value="Sawyer, Enoch" | Enoch Sawyer | |
| Camden | data-sort-value="Harney, Selby" | Selby Harney | |
| Carteret | data-sort-value="Cooper, David" | David Cooper | |
| Carteret | data-sort-value="West, Eli" | Eli West | |
| Caswell | data-sort-value="Dickens, Robert" | Robert Dickens | |
| Caswell | data-sort-value="Sanders, Adam" | Adam Sanders | |
| Chatham | data-sort-value="Stewart, Joseph" | Joseph Stewart | |
| Chatham | data-sort-value="Griffith, Roger" | Roger Griffith | |
| Chowan | data-sort-value="williamson, Hugh, Dr." | Dr. Hugh Williamson | |
| Chowan | data-sort-value="Hall, Clement" | Clement Hall | |
| Craven | data-sort-value="Spaight, Richard Dobbs" | Richard Dobbs Spaight | |
| Craven | data-sort-value="Neale, Abner" | Abner Neale | |
| Cumberland | data-sort-value="Rowan, Robert" | Robert Rowan | |
| Cumberland | data-sort-value="Smith, David" | David Smith | |
| Currituck | data-sort-value="Ferebee, Joseph" | Joseph Ferebee | |
| Currituck | data-sort-value="white, James, Dr." | Dr. James White | |
| Davidson | data-sort-value="Robertson, Elijah" | Elijah Robertson | |
| Davidson | data-sort-value="Polk, William" | William Polk | |
| Dobbs | data-sort-value="Coleman, Benjamin" | Benjamin Coleman | |
| Dobbs | data-sort-value="Sheppard, William" | William Sheppard | |
| Duplin | data-sort-value="Dickson, Robert" | Robert Dickson | |
| Duplin | data-sort-value="Rhodes, Joseph Thomas" | Joseph Thomas Rhodes | |
| Edgecombe | data-sort-value="Diggs, Robert" | Robert Diggs | |
| Edgecombe | data-sort-value="Phillips, Etheldred" | Etheldred Phillips | |
| Franklin | data-sort-value="Sherrod, Thomas" | Thomas Sherrod | |
| Franklin | data-sort-value="Hall, Durham" | Durham Hall | |
| Gates | data-sort-value="z Vacant/Unknown" | Vacant / Unknown | |
| Gates | data-sort-value="Riddick, Seth" | Seth Riddick | |
| Granville | data-sort-value="Person, Thomas" | Thomas Person | |
| Granville | data-sort-value="Hawkins, Philemon, Jr." | Philemon Hawkins, Jr. | |
| Greene | data-sort-value="z Vacant" | Vacant | |
| Greene | data-sort-value="z Vacant " | Vacant | |
| Guilford | data-sort-value="Hamilton, John" | John Hamilton | |
| Guilford | data-sort-value="Gardner, Barzillai" | Barzillai Gardner | |
| Halifax | data-sort-value="Whitaker, John" | John Whitaker | |
| Halifax | data-sort-value="Ashe, John Baptista" | John Baptista Ashe | |
| Hertford | data-sort-value="Manney, James" | James Manney | |
| Hertford | data-sort-value="Montgomery, Robert" | Robert Montgomery | |
| Hyde | data-sort-value="Eborne, John" | John Eborne | |
| Hyde | data-sort-value="Jordan, Thomas, Jr." | Thomas Jordan, Jr.[13] | |
| Johnston | data-sort-value="Bryan, Hardy" | Hardy Bryan | |
| Johnston | data-sort-value="Williams, Benjamin" | Benjamin Williams | |
| Jones | data-sort-value="Nash, Abner" | Abner Nash | |
| Jones | data-sort-value="Isler, John" | John Isler | |
| Lincoln | data-sort-value="Sloan, John" | John Sloan | |
| Lincoln | data-sort-value="McKissick, Daniel" | Daniel McKissick | |
| Martin | data-sort-value="Smithwick, Edmund" | Edmund Smithwick | |
| Martin | data-sort-value="Williams, Samuel" | Samuel Williams | |
| Mecklenburg | data-sort-value="Phifer, Caleb" | Caleb Phifer | |
| Mecklenburg | data-sort-value="Alexander, George" | George Alexander | |
| Montgomery | data-sort-value="McDonald, James" | James McDonald | |
| Montgomery | data-sort-value="Robertson, Charles" | Charles Robertson | |
| Moore | data-sort-value="Cox, John" | John Cox | |
| Moore | data-sort-value="Carroll, John" | John Carroll | |
| Nash | data-sort-value="Thomas, Micajah" | Micajah Thomas | |
| Nash | data-sort-value="Bonds, John" | John Bonds | |
| New Hanover | data-sort-value="Bloodworth, James" | James Bloodworth | |
| New Hanover | data-sort-value="Williams, John Pugh" | John Pugh Williams | |
| Northampton | data-sort-value="Edmunds, Howell" | Howell Edmunds | |
| Northampton | data-sort-value="Woods, Augustin" | Augustin Woods | |
| Onslow | data-sort-value="Starkey, Edward" | Edward Starkey | |
| Onslow | data-sort-value="Grant, Reuben" | Reuben Grant | |
| Orange | data-sort-value="Courtney, William" | William Courtney | |
| Orange | data-sort-value="Cain, William" | William Cain | |
| Pasquotank | data-sort-value="Everagin, Edward" | Edward Everagin | |
| Pasquotank | data-sort-value="Symons, Abraham" | Abraham Symons | |
| Perquimans | data-sort-value="Skinner, John" | John Skinner | |
| Perquimans | data-sort-value="Riddick, Robert" | Robert Riddick | |
| Pitt | data-sort-value="Jordan, John" | John Jordan | |
| Pitt | data-sort-value="Moye, Richard" | Richard Moye | |
| Randolph | data-sort-value="Robbins, Joseph" | Joseph Robbins | |
| Randolph | data-sort-value="Hill, Aaron" | Aaron Hill | |
| Richmond | data-sort-value="Webb, Robert" | Robert Webb | |
| Richmond | data-sort-value="Covington, Benjamin" | Benjamin Covington | |
| Rowan | data-sort-value="Locke, Matthew" | Matthew Locke | |
| Rowan | data-sort-value="Berger, George H." | George Henry Barrier, aka George H. Berger | |
| Rutherford | data-sort-value="Singleton, Richard" | Richard Singleton | |
| Rutherford | data-sort-value="Moore, George" | George Moore | |
| Sampson | data-sort-value="Dodd, David" | David Dodd | |
| Sampson | data-sort-value="Hay, John" | John Hay | |
| Sullivan | data-sort-value="z Vacant" | Vacant | |
| Sullivan | data-sort-value="z Vacant" | Vacant | |
| Surry | data-sort-value="Lewis, William" | William Lewis | |
| Surry | data-sort-value="Martin, James" | James Martin | |
| Tyrrell | data-sort-value="Norman, Nehemiah" | Nehemiah Norman[14] | |
| Tyrrell | data-sort-value="Hooker, Nathan" | Nathan Hooker | |
| Wake | data-sort-value="Hinton, James" | James Hinton | |
| Wake | data-sort-value="Hayes, William" | William Hayes | |
| Warren | data-sort-value="Montfort, Henry" | Henry Montfort | |
| Warren | data-sort-value="Hawkins, Wyatt" | Wyatt Hawkins | |
| Washington | data-sort-value="z Vacant" | Vacant | |
| Washington | data-sort-value="z Vacant" | Vacant | |
| Wayne | data-sort-value="Taylor, William" | William Taylor | |
| Wayne | data-sort-value="Handley, John" | John Handley | |
| Wilkes | data-sort-value="Franklin, Jesse" | Jesse Franklin | |
| Wilkes | data-sort-value="lewis, T., William." | William T. Lewis | |
| Edenton District | data-sort-value="Cabarrus, Stephen" | Stephen Cabarrus | |
| Halifax District | data-sort-value="Pasteur, Charles, Dr.." | Dr. Charles Pasteur | |
| Hillsborough District | data-sort-value="Taylor, John" | John Taylor | |
| New Bern District | data-sort-value="Tisdale, William" | William Tisdale | |
| Salisbury District | data-sort-value="Frohock, Thomas" | Thomas Frohock[15] | |
| Wilmington District | data-sort-value="MacLaine, Archibald" | Archibald MacLaine |
The Senators elected a President (Alexander Martin), Clerk (John Haywood), Assistant Clerk (Sherwood Haywood), Doorkeeper (William Murphy), and Assistant Doorkeeper (Nicholas Murphy). The following Senators were elected by the voters of North Carolina to represent each county:[16]
| County | Senator | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Anson | data-sort-value="Miller, Stephen" | Stephen Miller | |
| Beaufort | data-sort-value="Smaw, John" | John Smaw | |
| Bertie | data-sort-value="Jaycocks, Jonathan" | Jonathan Jaycocks | |
| Bladen | data-sort-value="Brown, Thomas" | Thomas Brown | |
| Brunswick | data-sort-value="Hawkins, Dennis" | Dennis Hawkins | |
| Burke | data-sort-value="McDowell, Charles" | Charles McDowell | |
| Camden | data-sort-value="Gregory, Isaac" | Isaac Gregory | |
| Carteret | data-sort-value="Easton, John" | John Easton | |
| Caswell | data-sort-value="Moore, Dempsey" | Dempsey Moore | |
| Chatham | data-sort-value="Ramsey, Ambrose" | Ambrose Ramsey | |
| Chowan | data-sort-value="Payne, Michael" | Michael Payne | |
| Craven | data-sort-value="Coor, James" | James Coor | |
| Cumberland | data-sort-value="Armstrong, Thomas" | Thomas Armstrong | |
| Currituck | data-sort-value="Etheridge, Willis" | Willis Etheridge | |
| Davidson | data-sort-value="Bledsoe, Anthony" | Anthony Bledsoe | |
| Dobbs | data-sort-value="Herritage, John" | John Herritage | |
| Duplin | data-sort-value="Gillespie, James" | James Gillespie[17] | |
| Edgecombe | data-sort-value="Battle, Elisha" | Elisha Battle | |
| Franklin | data-sort-value="Hill, Henry" | Henry Hill | |
| Gates | data-sort-value="Riddick, Joseph" | Joseph Riddick | |
| Granville | data-sort-value="Lewis, Howell" | Howell Lewis | |
| Greene | data-sort-value="z Vacant " | Vacant | |
| Guilford | data-sort-value="Martin, Alexander" | Alexander Martin | |
| Halifax | data-sort-value="McCulloch, Benjamin" | Benjamin McCulloch | |
| Hertford | data-sort-value="Wynns, Thomas" | Thomas Wynns | |
| Hyde | data-sort-value="Jones, Abraham" | Abraham Jones | |
| Johnston | data-sort-value="Bryan, Arthur" | Arthur Bryan | |
| Jones | data-sort-value="Hargett, Frederick" | Frederick Hargett | |
| Lincoln | data-sort-value="Alexander, Robert" | Robert Alexander | |
| Martin | data-sort-value="z Unknown/Vacant" | Vacant / Unknown | |
| Mecklenburg | data-sort-value="Harris, James" | James Harris | |
| Montgomery | data-sort-value="Parsons, Samuel" | Samuel Parsons | |
| Moore | data-sort-value="Lightfoot, Henry" | Henry Lightfoot | |
| Nash | data-sort-value="Griffin, Hardy" | Hardy Griffin | |
| New Hanover | data-sort-value="Campbell, John" | John A. Campbell | |
| Northampton | data-sort-value="Lockhart, Samuel" | Samuel Lockhart[18] | |
| Onslow | data-sort-value="Spicer, John" | John Spicer[19] | |
| Orange | data-sort-value="McCauley, William" | William McCauley | |
| Pasquotank | data-sort-value="Relfe, Thomas" | Thomas Relfe | |
| Perquimans | data-sort-value="Skinner, William" | William Skinner[20] | |
| Pitt | data-sort-value="Williams, John" | John Williams | |
| Randolph | data-sort-value="Sharpe, Edward" | Edward Sharpe | |
| Richmond | data-sort-value="Harrington, Henry" | Henry William Harrington | |
| Rowan | data-sort-value="Rutherford, Griffith" | Griffith Rutherford | |
| Rutherford | data-sort-value="Miller, James" | James Miller | |
| Sampson | data-sort-value="Clinton, Richard" | Richard Clinton | |
| Sullivan | data-sort-value="z Vacant" | Vacant | |
| Surry | data-sort-value="Armstrong, John" | John Armstrong | |
| Tyrrell | data-sort-value="Warrington, John" | John Warrington | |
| Wake | data-sort-value="Hines, Thomas" | Thomas Hines | |
| Warren | data-sort-value="Macon, John" | John Macon | |
| Washington | data-sort-value="z Vacant" | Vacant | |
| Wayne | data-sort-value="Mooring, Burwell" | Burwell Mooring | |
| Wilkes | data-sort-value="Herndon, Benjamin" | Benjamin Herndon |
The assembly passed the acts concerning:[21]
For additional details on minutes of the assembly and laws, see Legislative Documents.