Jones, Willie, 1741-1801

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Willie Jones (May 25, 1741 – June 18, 1801) was an American planter and statesman from Halifax County, North Carolina. He represented North Carolina as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1780.

In 1774, 1775 and 1776, Jones was elected to represent either the county of Halifax or the town of Halifax in the North Carolina Provincial Congress. For a brief time in 1776, as the head of North Carolina's centralized Council of Safety, he was the head of the state's revolutionary government. Richard Caswell took over after being elected as governor.

Thereafter, Jones was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons and the North Carolina Senate. He was elected to the United States Constitutional Convention in 1787 but declined to accept his seat. He led the faction that opposed North Carolina's ratification of the Constitution in 1788 because he feared that the national government would be too powerful.

Among his last public roles was helping to determine the site for the new state capital in 1791, which was named Raleigh. He moved to Raleigh and lived there until his death in 1801. He was buried in an unmarked grave on ground that is now occupied by St. Augustine's College.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
referencedIn Callum, Travis Brodnax. Brodnax and Callum family genealogical sketch, 1945 [manuscript]. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
referencedIn Halifax County Historical Association Papers East Carolina University. J.Y. Joyner Library
creatorOf Jones, Robert, Jr. Papers, 1759-1865. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Jones, Willie, ca. 1741-1801. Letter of Willie Jones, 1781. Library of Congress
referencedIn Cotten, Elizabeth Henderson. Elizabeth Henderson Cotten papers, 1926-1964 (bulk 1950-1964). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
creatorOf Jones, Willie, Delegate to Federal Convention. Autograph letter signed : to Gov. Caswell, 1785 Oct. 28. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Jones, Willie, 1741-1801. Will : Halifax County, N.C., 1801 August. Library of Virginia
referencedIn Jethro Sumner Papers, 1775-1791, (bulk 1781-1782) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection
referencedIn Ernest Haywood Collection of Haywood Family Papers, 1752-1967 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Callum, Travis Brodnax. person
associatedWith Caswell, Richard, 1729-1789, person
associatedWith Cotten, Elizabeth Henderson. person
associatedWith Dearborn, Frederick M. (Frederick Myers), b. 1876 person
associatedWith Emmet, Thomas Addis person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Eton College corporateBody
associatedWith Halifax County Historical Association (Halifax County, N.C.) corporateBody
associatedWith Haywood, Ernest, 1860-1946 person
sibling of Jones, Allen, 1739-1807 person
associatedWith Jones family. family
childOf Jones, Robert, Jr. person
associatedWith Sumner, Jethro, 1733?-1785. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Surry County VA US
Raleigh NC US
Eton ENG GB
Northampton County NC US
Subject
African Americans
Slaves
Occupation
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Planter
State Representative
State Senator
Activity

Person

Birth 1741-05-25

Death 1801-06-18

Male

Britons,

Americans

English

Information

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