History of Halifax, (Halifax County) North Carolina United States of America

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Biographies:

Willis Alston, representative, was born in Halifax county, N.C., son of Capt. John and Ann Hunt (Macon) Alston; grandson of Joseph John and Elizabeth Chancy Alston and of Gideon and Priscilla (Jones) Macon. Willis was elected to the house of commons from Halifax county, 1790-93; state senator 1794-97; a representative in the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th congresses as a war democrat, and served 1803-15. He was a member of the state house of commons, 1819-21, and a representative in the 19th, 20th and 21st congresses, 1825-31. He married Patty Moore, and a second time, May 29, 1817, Sallie Madeline, daughter of Joshua Pott of Smithville, N.C. He died at Halifax, N.C., April 10. 1837.

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

John Sitgreaves, delegate, was born in New Berne, N.C., about 1740. He studied law and began its practice in his native town. He was appointed an officer in the regiment of minutemen of Dobbs county, under Col. Richard Coswell, who defeated the loyalists, under General McDonald, at Moore's Creek, Feb. 27, 1776, known as the "Lexington of the South" and for which Colonel Coswell gained promotion to the rank of major-general. He was also Governor Caswell's aide-de-camp at the battle of Camden, Aug. 16, 1780. He was a delegate from North Carolina to the Continental congress. 1784?85, being in attendance at Trenton, N.J., from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24, 1784, when the government was transferred to New York city. He was a member of the house of commons, 1786?89, and U.S. district judge for North Carolina, 1789?1802. He died at Halifax, N.C., March 4, 1802.

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

John Baptiste Ashe, representative, was born at Rocky Point, N.C., in 1748; son of Samuel Ashe, governor of North Carolina, 1795-'98; and nephew of John Ashe, a Revolutionary soldier. John Baptiste joined the patriot army as a captain at the outbreak of the Revolutionary war and was promoted to the rank of colonel for distinguished services at the battle of Eutaw Springs, Sept. 8, 1781. He was a representative in the North Carolina legislature in 1786; a member of the state senate, 1789-'95; and a delegate to the Continental congress, 1787-'88. He was a representative in the 1st and 2d congresses, 1789-'93, and was elected governor of North Carolina in 1801. He died in Halifax, N.C., Nov. 27, 1802.

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

Willie Jones, delegate, was born in Halifax, N.C., in 1731; son of Robin Jones, agent for Lord Grenville, a lord proprietor of North Carolina. He was educated at Eton, England, and on returning to the colony took up the cause of the patriots. He was president of the North Carolina committee of safety in 1775, and ex officio the first governor of the new state. He was a member of the convention of Dec. 18, 1776, that framed and adopted a state constitution and a delegate to the house of commons of North Carolina, 1776-78. He succeeded his brother Allen as a delegate to the Continental congress, serving 1780-81, and was elected a delegate from North Carolina to the Federal constitutional convention in 1787, but declined to serve, He was a member of the state constitutional convention of July 21, 1788, that decided to postpone action on the Federal constitution, in order to secure amendments favorable to state rights, in which movement he was the leader. He was one of the commissioners appointed by the general assembly of 1791 to locate a state capital and build a state house at an expense not to exceed ?10,000, and in 1792 the commissioners purchased 1000 acres of land and laid out the city of Raleigh on 400 acres of the purchase with streets, ninety-nine and sixty-six feet wide, and the general assembly met in the new state house in 1794. He was married to Mary, daughter of Col. Joseph Montford, of North Carolina, a lady noted for her wit and beauty. Their son, Capt. Willie Jones, became a prominent citizen of North Carolina. It was by the recommendation of Mr. Jones that John Paul, the future naval hero, offered his services to congress, and Paul is said to have adopted the surname Jones because of his admiration for Mrs. Jones. Willie Jones, Sr., died near Raleigh, N.C., in 1801.

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