History of Bertie County North Carolina United States of America

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Thomas Blount, representative, was born in Bertie county, N.C., fourth son of Col. Jacob and Barbara (Gray) Blount and a descendant of Thomas Blount, the first ancestor in America, who was born in England, son of Sir Walter Blount, and settled in North Carolina in 1669. Thomas was a brother of William Blount, U.S. senator from Tennessee and a half-brother of Willie Blount, governor of Tennessee, 1809-'15. He received a liberal education, was a member of the North Carolina war congress, a soldier in the continental army, and a prisoner in England in the hands of the British government for several years. He was finally released and returned to North Carolina, settling near Tarborough. He represented the Edgecomb district in the 3d, 4th, and 5th congresses, 1798-'99; the 9th and 10th congresses, 1805-'09, and the 12th congress, 1811-'12. He died in Washington, D.C., in 1812.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William Blount, senator, was born in Bertie county, N.C., March 26, 1749, son of Col. Jacob Blount. He took part in the Battle of Alamance, May 16, 1771, became an officer in the Continental army and was a member of the state assembly at intervals, 1780-'90. He was a delegate to the Continental congress, 1783-'84, and 1786-'87; a framer and signer of the Federal constitution in 1787; a member of the state ratification convention in 1789, and negotiated treaties with the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Indians in 1786. He served as governor of the territory south of the Ohio river and as superintendent of Indian affairs under Washington, 1790-'96. He was president of the Tennessee state constitutional convention in 1796, and took his seat in the U.S. senate, Dec. 5, 1796, on the admission of Tennessee as a state, where he was accused of criminal designs in projecting a conspiracy with Great Britain, seeking to prevent Spain from ceding the territories of West Florida and Louisiana to France. He was expelled from the senate July 8, 1797, pending the trial of his case, which was finally dismissed in 1799. He afterward served as state senator. He was married to Mary Grainger, and their son, William Grainger Blount (1780-1827), was state secretary, 1809-'15, and a representative in Congress, 1815-'19. See "Life and Services of William Blount" by Gen. Marcus J. Wright (1884). He died in Knoxville, Tenn., March 27, 1800.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

James West Clark, representative, was born in Bertie county. N. C., Oct. 15, 1779; son of Christopher and Hannah (Turner) Clark, and grandson of Thomas Turner of Boston, Mass. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey in 1797. He was a delegate to the house of commons of the state of North Carolina, 1802, 1803 and 1811; presidential elector, 1812; state senator, 1813-14; representative in the 14th congress, 1815-17, and chief clerk of the navy department, under John Branch, 1829-31. He died in Tarborough, N. C., in December, 1843.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Charles Hooks, representative, was born in Berrie county, N.C. He was a representative from Duplin county, N.C., in the state legislature, 1802-04; and a state senator, 1810-11. He was a representative in the 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th congresses, 1815-17 and 1819-25. His sister Mary married Ezekiel Slocumb , and became famous for her daring adventure to reach her husband on the battle-field of Moore's Creek, N.C., Feb. 27, 1776. Mr. Hooks subsequently removed to Alabalna, where he died in 1851.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Bertie County North Carolina

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