James Hunter

Life and Orange County connections

Dated events connected with this person, earliest first. See these 16 dated events in the chronology →

1. 1757 James Hunter holds land on Stinking Quarter and Sandy creeks Hunter, later a leader of the Regulators, had land on these creeks in western Orange by 1757.Search the index · Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 15
2. May 21, 1768 Regulators meeting at George Sally's appoint a committee of eight to petition Governor Tryon Having agreed after the May confrontation to submit their case to the governor, the Regulators met at George Sally's in Orange County, declared their loyalty to King George and named William Moffitt, William Cox, Harmon Cox, John Low, John Marshall, James Hunter, Rednap Howell and George Hendry to gather the complaints into a petition and to implore the governor's pardon in the most submissive manner. People: James HunterDocumenting the American South, Colonial and State Records: Regulators' Advertisement No. 10, minutes of a meeting of the Regulators, May 21, 1768
3. June 20, 1768 James Hunter and Rednap Howell present the Regulators' petition to Tryon at Brunswick The petition, Advertisement Number Nine, carried 474 names, 31 of them written in German. Tryon told the Regulators to give up their name and pay their taxes, but he also warned officers against excess fees and had the lawful fees published. People: James Hunter, William TryonLefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 34
4. August 5, 1768 James Hunter and John Low deliver a Regulator letter to Governor Tryon at Hillsborough Hunter and John Low waited on Governor Tryon at Hillsborough with a letter from the Regulators. Tryon told them he would answer it on August 17, after consulting his Council. People: William TryonSearch the index · Documenting the American South: Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, Journal of William Tryon's journey to Hillsborough (Jun 20 to Oct 2, 1768)
5. September 29, 1768 Grand jury indictments for rout against James Hunter are quashed at the Hillsborough superior court The grand jury returned three indictments for rout naming James Hunter with William Butler, Ninian Hamilton and other Regulators. The court quashed all three for an irregular return and ordered the attorney general to prepare new bills. People: William Butler (Regulator), Richard Henderson, Peter Craven, Maurice Moore, Martin HowardSearch the index · Documenting the American South: Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, Minutes of the Hillsborough District Superior Court (Sep 22 to Oct 1, 1768)
6. October 3, 1768 Tryon pardons the 1768 protesters except thirteen named leaders His proclamation left out men including James Hunter, Herman Husband, Ninian Bell Hamilton and William Payne. People: James Hunter, Peter Craven, Herman HusbandLefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 35
7. March 1769 The March 1769 superior court at Hillsborough hears the Regulators' cases against the officers With no troops in town, many Regulators came to the March 1769 court to prosecute the officers, with little success. Herman Husband was tried and acquitted, James Hunter's case was continued, and Fanning was tried again on the old fee charge and formally convicted. People: Herman Husband, James Hunter, Edmund FanningInternet Archive: Bassett, The Regulators of North Carolina (1765-1771) (1896), p. 182
8. September 22, 1770 James Hunter presents a Regulator petition to Judge Henderson on the first day of the Hillsborough court On Saturday, the first day of the September 1770 Hillsborough superior court, James Hunter presented Judge Richard Henderson with a petition signed by many Regulators. Henderson put off his answer until Monday, the day the Regulators crowded the courtroom and broke up the court. People: Richard HendersonSearch the index · Documenting the American South: Colonial and State Records of North Carolina, Letter from Richard Henderson to William Tryon (Sep 29, 1770)
9. December 20, 1770 The Assembly expels Orange County's member Herman Husband and the Council orders his arrest The House of Assembly resolved that Husband, a principal promoter of the late riots in Orange County and publisher of a seditious letter printed over James Hunter's name, be expelled. The same day the Council unanimously advised his arrest and the Chief Justice issued a warrant; he lay in the New Bern jail until a grand jury found no bill on February 8, 1771. People: Herman Husband, James Hunter, William Tryon, Martin HowardDocumenting the American South, Colonial and State Records: Minutes of the North Carolina Governor's Council, December 20, 1770
10. later 1771 Outlawed Regulator leaders petition Governor Martin for pardon From hiding, some in South Carolina, Jeremiah Field, Ninian Bell Hamilton, Matthew Hamilton, James Hunter, Thomas Welborn, William Butler and John Fruit asked the new governor, Josiah Martin, for pardon. The Assembly asked mercy for all but Husband, Butler and Howell, but Martin waited because Tryon had left the matter to the Crown. People: Josiah Martin, James Hunter, William Butler (Regulator)Internet Archive: Bassett, The Regulators of North Carolina (1765-1771) (1896), p. 207
11. February 1771 Regulators marching on New Bern turn back at Haw River Regulators from Rowan, Orange and Granville gathered under James Hunter to march on New Bern, where Herman Husband was jailed. They broke up at Haw River on hearing that a grand jury had declined to indict him and he had been released on February 8. People: James Hunter, Herman HusbandNash, Hillsboro, Colonial and Revolutionary (1903), p. 21
12. March 15, 1771 A special court at New Bern presents and indicts Husband, Hunter, Butler and Howell for the Hillsborough riot Sitting under Chief Justice Martin Howard with Maurice Moore and Richard Henderson, the special court of oyer and terminer at New Bern received a grand jury presentment against the Regulators who in September last 'broke up that Court' at Hillsborough, and returned indictments for riot against Herman Husband, James Hunter, William Butler and Rednap Howell among others. People: Richard Henderson, Herman Husband, James Hunter, William Butler (Regulator), Maurice Moore, Martin HowardDocumenting the American South, Colonial and State Records: Minutes of the New Bern District Court of Oyer and Terminer, including court docket, March 11 to 16, 1771
13. March 1771 Regulator threats keep the Hillsborough superior court from sitting At the March 1771 term the Hillsborough District superior court recorded that the Regulators led by Herman Husband, James Hunter, Rednap Howell, William Butler and Samuel Devinney, who had broken up the September court, were still threatening judges, lawyers and officers, so none attended. The court was continued to September 1771. People: James Hunter, Herman HusbandSearch the index · Documenting the American South: Colonial and State Records, Minutes of the Hillsborough District Superior Court, March 1771
14. June 9, 1771 Tryon offers 100 pounds and a thousand acres for Husband, Hunter, Howell and Butler, dead or alive Marching back toward Hillsborough, Tryon proclaimed from Bethabara that Herman Husband, James Hunter, Rednap Howell and William Butler stood outlawed and liable to be shot by anyone, and offered one hundred pounds and one thousand acres of land to whoever brought any of them into his or General Waddell's camp. People: William Tryon, Herman Husband, James Hunter, William Butler (Regulator)Documenting the American South, Colonial and State Records: Proclamation by William Tryon concerning a reward for the capture of Regulator leaders, June 9, 1771
15. August 1772 Governor Martin summons the judges to Hillsborough over the cases of the outlawed Regulators After Regulator leaders offered to surrender, Martin called the judges to Hillsborough and asked in writing whether their outlawry could be completed and whether they could still be tried. Writing from Hillsborough on August 30, he told London the troubles had been provoked by extortion from attorneys, clerks and other officers. People: Richard Henderson, Martin Howard, James HunterSearch the index · Documenting the American South (Colonial and State Records): Letter from Josiah Martin to Wills Hill, Marquis of Downshire, August 30, 1772
16. February 1776 Michael Holt turns back from the Loyalist march and later takes the Whig oath Holt took a commission from Governor Martin and started for the Loyalist gathering at Cross Creek, but turned for home with some of his men. After his arrest he was permitted to take the Whig oath of allegiance, as James Hunter later was. People: James Hunter, Josiah MartinSearch the index · Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 44