James Kenan (1740–1810) was an American military officer and politician who served as a brigadier general of the

Wilmington District Brigade The Wilmington District Brigade was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1783). This unit was established by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on May 4, 1776, and disbanded at t ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and commander of the North Carolina militia after the war. He was active in North Carolina politics and served ten terms as a state senator.

Pre and during war

James Kenan was born on September 23, 1740, at the family plantation, The Lilacs, in Turkey, Sampson County, North Carolina. His parents were Thomas Kenan, born in Ireland, and Elizabeth (Johnston) Kenan. James Kenan was elected Sheriff of

Duplin County, North Carolina Duplin County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

...

, at age 22., bicententennial edition, sect III, p 1. While serving as Stamp Master of North Carolina he led a company of volunteers to Wilmington to oppose the Stamp Act. He also served as Chairman of the Duplin and Wilmington Committee of Safety. From 1775 to 1783, he served as Colonel over the Duplin County Regiment of the North Carolina militia. In 1781, he was appointed brigadier general (pro tempore) of the

of the

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

militia.

Post war

Kenan served as a member of the state constitutional convention in 1788 and 1789. Kenan also served as chairman on Ratification of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...

in the

Fayetteville Convention The Fayetteville Convention was a meeting by 271 delegates from North Carolina to ratify the US Constitution. Governor Samuel Johnston presided over the convention, which met in Fayetteville, North Carolina, from November 16 to 23, 1789 to debate o ...

and one of the first trustees of the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

. By the time he died he had served ten terms (17771783) as a senator in the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

. He was also appointed as a brigadier general over the North Carolina militia after the Revolutionary War. He belonged to the Masonic Fraternity and was worshipful master of St. John's Lodge No.13 of Duplin County.

Family

Kenan married Sarah Love "Sallie" March 13, 1770, and produced eight children, including his son Thomas S. Kenan. Thomas Kenan served in the North Carolina legislature and three terms as North Carolina representative in the U.S. Congress. Five members of his family would later become sheriff of Duplin County.

Death and honors

James Kenan died on May 23, 1810, in

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

Sampson County, North Carolina Sampson County is the largest county, by land area, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 59,036. Its county seat is Clinton. History Sampson County was established in April 1784 following the American ...

. He was originally buried at his plantation in Turkey, North Carolina. However, he was later reinterred at

Liberty Hall Liberty Hall ( ga, Halla na Saoirse), in Dublin, Ireland, is the headquarters of the Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union (SIPTU). Designed by Desmond Rea O'Kelly, it was completed in 1965. It was for a time the tallest b ...

in Kenansville, North Carolina. Historical marker F-26 was erected in his honor on North Carolina highway 24 about three miles west of Warsaw. In November 2007, he was inducted into the Duplin County Hall of Fame. In 1818 the new county seat of Duplin was named " Kenansville" in his honor. James Kenan High School located in

Warsaw, North Carolina Warsaw is a town in Duplin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,054 at the 2010 census. History The Warsaw Historic District and Joshua James Blanchard House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Geograp ...

, was named after him in 1958.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenan, James 1740 births 1810 deaths North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution North Carolina state senators North Carolina sheriffs

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

People from Duplin County, North Carolina 18th-century American politicians 19th-century American politicians Militia generals in the American Revolution Members of the North Carolina Provincial Congresses