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"Caswell"Family Pages  

Online Book: Caswell Connections: Genealogy of the Friends and Relatives of Richard Caswell

2008 Dig: Caswell Family Cemetery, located on the Caswell State Historic Site, in Kinston. including updates and photographs.

 2000 Dig: Caswell Cemetery at Vernon Hall including updates and photographs.

Governor Richard Caswell Document Collection in the Lenoir County, NC Archives

Bibles * Biographies * Collections * Court Records * Deeds * History * Letters * Military * Newspaper Articles * Obituaries * Wills/Estates

Contributed By Clair Hadley A Caswell Descendant
Clair's personal page contains information on many other families in the area. It can be found at Clair's Webpage.

 

Richard Caswell was the first Governor of the independent state of North Carolina. He was the only one ever to serve for six one year terms, and the only one ever from Lenoir (then Dobbs) County. Caswell was distinguished also among governors of the newly independent states for having directly participated in the Revolutionary battles. While serving in the militia with rank of colonel in 1771, Caswell saw action under Governor Tryon in the Battle of Alamance. Three years later the First Provincial Congress met at New Bern to name delegates to the First Continental Congress, opening in Philadelphia on September 5, 1775. In May 1775, whileenroute to the Continental Congress, Colonel Caswell learned of the April 19th battles at Lexington and Concord. By the time he returned to North Carolina, Colonial Governor Josiah Martin had fled the Royal Palace, Tryon, at New Bern, taking refuge on a British warship at the mouth of Cape Fear River. Military preparations increased throughout North Carolina and Caswell was named commander of the militia in one of the six military districts. Then, at the battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on Feb. 27, 1776, Caswell led some 1,100 Whig troops who ambushed the Tories, upset British invasion plans and made him a hero of the Revolution.                  

     

In 1776, after the Provincial Congress enacted the Halifax Resolves, military preparations escalated and Caswell was promoted to brigadier general of militia. Later he was to command all North Carolina militia and was to join General Horatio Gates in the unsuccessful action against Cornwallis at the battle of Camden. In the meantime, Caswell served as chairman of a group to draft a state constitutuion, which was adopted, following the Declaration of Independence, by the Continental Congress.  General Caswell was chosen and reelected Governor of North Carolina by the general assemblies of 1777, 1778, and 1779. The constitution permitted only three successive terms for governor.  It was in 1777, his first year as constututional governor, that Caswell bought Harmony Hall; according to Dr. Charles Holloman, Caswell occupied Tryon Palace for a brief period, but then moved the government to Kinston, feeling the palace presented too exposed a target for British warships. Caswell was again elected N.C. Governor in 1785 and was re-elected for the full legal limit of three successive terms, serving until 1788. He suffered a fatal paralytic stroke while presiding over the state senate in the general assembly at Fayetteville in the Fall of 1789. He died on 10 Nov. 1789 and is believed to be buried at Kinston in what is now Caswell Memorial Park. The park houses the Caswell museum and Visitors Center Since Caswell left no land or houses and precious momentoes, his wealth having been sorely depleted as a result of the war, only Harmony Hall remains as the restored proof of his courage and service to the State and the Nation.

SOURCES: Harmony Hall LH 08288-6 Lenoir Community College, History of Lenoir County by Charles Holloman

 

 

LIFE STORY

 

"The Story of Governor Richard Caswell of Lenoir: includes NC history and many area families of the Revolutionary period." (This link takes you to the Lenoir Co. NCGenWeb)

 

 

BIBLE RECORDS

Richard CASWELL Jr. Family Bible - Photo copy of the original bible sent to Patty Day by Frances Etheredge. is posted on the Lenoir County NCGenWeb Archives site along with a Transcription of this bible.

 

Dallam CASWELL Bible contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Susan Burgess-Hoffman

 

MCILWEAN Family Bible

 

 

CASSWELL FAMILY TREE

Children of Martin CASWELL

 

Richard CASWELL Sr. Descendants

 

Gov. Richard CASWELL Jr. descendants

 

Early Records of the MACKILWEAN  FAMILY

 

 

WILLS

SOME CLAIMS AGAINST THE ESTATE OF GOV.RICHARD CASWELL

 

DEEDS

DEEDS TRACING PROPERTY OWNED BY GOV. CASWELL AND BROTHERS Martin and Samuel and descendants

LETTERS

1804 Petitions by Dallem Caswell concerning his father's estate New June 5th

 

George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress  results of a search using"CASWELL"

 

George Washington to Richard Caswell, March 28, 1778 on Dobbers

Richard Caswell to George Washington, February 15, 1778 on Dobbers

George Washington to Richard Caswell, December 25, 1777 on Dobbers

Richard Caswell to Thomas Burke, April 20, 1777 on Dobbers

Richard Caswell to George Washington, November 25, 1777, 19th-century transcription

by William B. Sprague, with original docket

George Washington to John Rutledge, April 15, 1780

George Washington to Richard Caswell, et al, January 31, 1777, Circular Letter

George Washington to William Howe, September 19, 1776

George Washington to Richard Caswell, December 25, 1777

George Washington to Richard Caswell, April 7, 1780

George Washington, November 11, 1777, General Orders

George Washington to Richard Caswell, March 28, 1778

George Washington to Weare Meshech, et al, March 26, 1780, Circular Letter on Supplies

George Washington to Continental Congress, June 13, 1777, two same date

George Washington to Alexander Hamilton, March 15, 1791

 

 

 

 

Here are two interesting articles on Gov. Caswell. Other Dobber related articles are linked to the OLD DOBBERS page under  Olde Kinston Gazette.

 

These two links are no longer valid. If anyone has valid links to this article please submit them to Old Dobbers. Who Was Richard Caswell? By Ted Sampley, Olde Kinston Gazette Searching For Richard Caswell's Grave: The Evidence By Ted Sampley Olde Kinston Gazette

 

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