John Sampson (North Carolina politician)
John Sampson (1719–1784) was a politician in North Carolina during and after the American Colonial era. After immigrating to the colony from northern Ireland, he settled near Wilmington. He was appointed to local offices, raised a militia to defend against the Spanish Alarm, and served as a Revolutionary War Patriot militia officer. He was an early settler in Duplin County, North Carolina. He served as mayor of Wilmington, North Carolina starting in 1760.
Sampson County, North Carolina is named in honor of him.[1]
Early life
John Sampson was born in 1719 and grew up in northern Ireland, and was likely of Scots-Irish or Border English descent. He immigrated as a youth or young man to the colony of North Carolina in North America in the 1730s or 1740s, settling in the Wilmington, North Carolina area. He appeared to have become established before the Spanish Alarm of 1747.[2] He developed a farm there, and married and had a family.
Military career
The War of the Austrian Succession brought military battle close to Sampson in 1747. He was called upon to raise a militia company of men in New Hanover County to protect against any Spanish raids or invasions from Florida. Spanish forces raided the coastal towns of the Carolinas and Georgia during the period known as the Spanish Alarm, extending into the 1740s.
In 1771, Sampson served as a
There was widespread fighting and civil disobedience: county
Political career
Sampson was appointed as the first
During the administration of Colonial Governor William Tryon, Sampson was a member of his Executive Council. He is believed to have continued in this role after the Halifax Constitution of 1776 was signed and Richard Caswell became Governor of the state.[1][5][6][7][8][9]
Legacy
Sampson's step-son
References
- ^ a b Lemmond, Donald R. (1994). "John Sampson". NCPedia. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- ^ "Historical Registers of Deeds of Duplin County". Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Registers of Deeds of Duplin County". Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ "North Carolina History Project". Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ Connor, R.D.D. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
- ^ Wheeler, John H. (1874). "The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina". Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State House 1778". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- ^ Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Senators 1778". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- ^ Lewis, J.D. "Josiah Martin's Executive Council". Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ "Sampson County History". Retrieved July 12, 2014.