rice hope : history : Harleston

 

John Harleston

active around 1776 - 1810

John married Hanna Child - possible daughter of James Child

House Of Representatives of St. Thomas and St. Denis Parish

On March 26, 1776 a temporary State constitution was adopted by the Second Provincial Congress, whose members from this section have been previously listed. They became the members of the General Assembly. In 1778 the General Assembly adopted a constitution very similar to that of 1776. After ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788, the first constitutional convention with delegates elected by the people met May 10 - June 3, 1790. The Constitution of 1861 made little change, and it was not until the constitution of 1865, after the Confederate War that serious changes were made. From the first General Assembly in 1776 to 1790, most of the same people and their close relatives were elected to office. In the coastal section, the parish remained the election district. In the up-country the names of counties created in 1785 were applied to election districts with some strange names like Liberty District (Marion) and Winton District (Barnwell). The Low-Country lost in representation as the Up-Country increased.

Periods of service are shown below for persons serving in the Ninth through the Forty-Sixth General Assemblies from Jan. 3, 1791 through December 22, 1864 for St. Thomas and St. Denis Parish:

1824-1825 - John Harleston, See Harleston Family, Vol. 3, South Carolina Historical Magazine.

The First and Second Provincial Congress

Old Berkeley County

(St. John's, St. James, Goose Creek, and St. Thomas/St Denis Parishes)

When the break was taking; place between South Carolina leaders and the British government, a General Committee was elected by a general meeting in Charleston to coordinate activities. They set up the mechanics for the election of delegates from all sections of South Carolina, elected by freeholders and payers of taxes of twenty shillings currency (about 65 cents) to consider and act on the recommendation of the Continental Congress and take needed action.
The authority of Lieutenant Governor Bull was lessening and this General Committee was daily becoming more important. When the group of 184 elected delegates met in Charles Town on Jan. 11, 1775, it declared itself to be the Provincial Congress.

The General Committee was becoming the real executive branch of government and the Provincial Congress was emerging as the real legislative body of the "Province in rebellion." The first session met in Charles Town from Jan. 11, 1775 to Jan. 17, 1775 and the second session from June l, 1775 to June 22, 1775.
The following list of members is taken from Vol. 2, Appendix V of McCrady's History of South Carolina with addional names added as found in The Biographical Directory of The South Carolina House of Representatives, Vol. I, Session Lists, 1692-1973.

For St. John's, Berkeley: James Ravenel, Daniel Ravenel, Job Marion, John Frierson, Essqs., Mr. Gabriel Gignillat, Mr. Francis Marion.
For St. Thomas and St. Denis: Jarnes Akin, Isaac Harleston, John Huger, John Moore, William Parker, John Syme, Esqs.
For St. James, Goose Creek: Thomas Smith, Sr., Esq., Colnel Benjamin Singleton, John Parker, Benjamin Smith, John Izarrl, John Wright, Esqs.

The members of the Second Provincial Congress were elected in August of 1775 and met from Nov. 1, 1775 through March 26, 1776. The South Carolina Gazette carried a list of those elected. It was later reprinted in The South Carolina Historical Magazine along with a list of replacements. The Biographical Directory of The South Carolina House of Representatives also carries the list along with replacements, deaths, and other information.
Those serving for St. John's, Berkeley were: Job Marion, Elias Ball, Jr., Capt. Maurice Simons, James Cordes, Jr., John Cordes. Edward Harleston was elected but died before seated. John Harleston was elected to replace Edward but declined, and James Ravenel was elected but declined.
For St. Thomas and St. Denis: Captain Thomas Shubrick, James Akin, John Huger, William Parker, Rev. Robert Smith was elected but did not take his seat and was replaced by Isaac Harleston, John Moore was elected but declined and was replaced by Joseph Fogartie. Isaac Harleston was then a Gaptain.
For St. James, Goose Creek: Thomas Middleton (son of Henry), Col. Benjamin Singleton, John Parker, Captain Benjamin Smith, John Izard, John Wright.
These men from our section shared in the responsibilities of preparing South Carolina to come to the defense of what they conceived to be the rights of Englishmen.

 

 

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