William Thompson
Born(1732-02-03)February 3, 1732
County Down, Ireland
DiedNovember 22, 1802(1802-11-22) (aged 70)
Beaufort, North Carolina
Place of burial
Old Burying Ground
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branchNorth Carolina militia
Years of service1775-1779
RankColonel
Commands heldCarteret County Regiment
AwardsBattle of Stono Ferry

William Thompson (February 3, 1732 – November 22, 1802) was the Senator for Carteret County in the North Carolina General Assembly of 1778 and 1779. He was also a colonel and commander of the Carteret County Regiment of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolution.[1][2][3][4]

Life story

William Thompson (also known as William Thomson) was born on February 3, 1732, in County Down, Ireland. He settled in Beaufort, Carteret County, Province of North Carolina in about 1770. He was a naval deputy for the port of Beaufort.[1][2][5]

William was a member of the Carteret County militia in the colonial era and helped North Carolina Governor William Tryon in the War of the Regulation.[1][2][6]

William was a representative from Carteret County to the Colonial General Assembly in 1769, 1770–1771, 1773, 1774, and 1775.[3][7]

William Thompson and his colleague Soloman Shepard (1728–1780) were delegates from Carteret County to the first North Carolina Provincial Congress held in New Bern on August 25, 1774. The same two were delegates to the second Provincial Congress held in New Bern in April of 1775. The British had cut off salt supplies to Carteret County in 1775. William Thompson was on a committee that was exploring production of salt in the county. Prior to this time, the county had been dependent on receiving salt from elsewhere. Of the five delegates to the third Provincial Congress that occurred on August 25, 1775, they were two of the five delegates from Carteret County.[2][8][3]

Revolutionary War

When the Provincial Congress appointed officers for the Carteret County Regiment on September 9, 1775, William Thompson was selected as a colonel and Soloman Shepard as Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment. The regiment was active until the end of the war. The regiment also had several second colonels during its history, Thomas Chadwick, Malachi Bell, and Enoch Ward. His colleague from the Provincial Congress, Soloman Shepard, died in 1780.[1][2]

Senator

William represented Carteret County in the North Carolina State Senate in 1778 and 1779.[7][3]

Death

William Thompson died on November 22, 1802, in Beaufort, North Carolina. He was buried at the Old Burying Ground in Beaufort. He left his estate to the poor and orphans.[1][2][5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lewis, J.D. "The American Revolution in North Carolina, William Thompson". The American Revolution in North Carolina. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Beaufort County History, William Thompson". Beaufort Blogspot. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Connor, Robert Diggs Wimberly, ed. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina Issued by the North Carolina Historical Commission for the Use of Members of the General Assembly Session 1913. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  4. ↑ Lewis, J.D. "Royal Colony of North Carolina, 27th House of Burgesses". Carolana.com. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Kell, Jean Bruyere (1975). Thomas A. Williams (ed.). Carteret County during the American Revolution 1765-1785., a product of the Carteret County Bicentennial Commission
  6. ↑ "Carteret County Regiment (Colonial Period)". North Carolina Digital Collection. State Archives of North Carolina. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  7. 1 2 Wheeler, John H. (1874). The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  8. ↑ "NC Highway Marker, Salt Works". North Carolina Markers.com. Retrieved Apr 2, 2019.
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