Philemon Hawkins II (September 28, 1717 September 10, 1801) was an American planter, military officer and politician who served in 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 during the Revolutionary War.

Early life and political career

Philemon Hawkins II was born on September 28, 1717 in Charles City County, Colony of Virginia. His parents were Philemon Hawkins I and Anne Eleanor Howard. He was initially known as Philemon Hawkins, Jr. His parents were from

Devonshire Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is a ...

in England, and settled in the Colony of Virginia in 1717. His father reportedly descended from

Sir John Hawkins Sir John Hawkins (also spelled Hawkyns) (1532 – 12 November 1595) was a pioneering English naval commander, naval administrator and privateer. He pioneered, and was an early promoter of, English involvement in the Atlantic slave trade. Hawki ...

, the English naval commander, and died in Gloucester County, Virginia in 1725. After his father's death, Philemon Hawkins II moved to Bute County

Province of North Carolina Province of North Carolina was a province of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern Colonies, Southern colonies and one of the Thirteen Colonies, thir ...

in 1735, along with his mother and two siblings, John and Ann. In 1743 he married Delia Martin, daughter of Colonel Zachariah Martin of Mecklenburg County, Virginia. He filled many public positions in Bute County and became the wealthiest man in the county. In 1771 he served as an aide-de-camp to Governor

William Tryon Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...

during the expedition against the

Regulators Regulator may refer to: Technology * Regulator (automatic control), a device that maintains a designated characteristic, as in: ** Battery regulator ** Pressure regulator ** Diving regulator ** Voltage regulator * Regulator (sewer), a control de ...

. He served as a delegate to both North Carolina Provincial Congresses in Halifax in 1776. He served seven terms representing

Granville County Granville County is a county located on the northern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,992. Its county seat is Oxford. Granville County encompasses Oxford, NC Micropolitan Statistical Are ...

in the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

between

1779 Events January–March * January 11 – British troops surrender to the Marathas in Wadgaon, India, and are forced to return all territories acquired since 1773. * January 11 – Ching-Thang Khomba is crowned King of Manip ...

and 1787. In 1782-1783, he was elected to the

North Carolina Council of State The North Carolina Council of State is the collective body of ten elective executive offices in the state government of North Carolina, all of which are established by the state constitution. The Council of State includes the Governor, Lieut ...

by the General Assembly. Philemon and Delia had six children: John Hawkins, Joseph Hawkins,

Benjamin Hawkins Benjamin Hawkins (August 15, 1754June 6, 1816) was an American planter, statesman and a U.S. Indian agent He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a United States Senator from North Carolina, having grown up among the planter elite. ...

, Philemon Hawkins, III, Delia Hawkins, and Ann Hawkins. Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Hawkins and Major John Hawkins served in the Warren County Regiment, along with their father.

Military service

He served in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War: * September 9, 1775: He was appointed by the North Carolina Provincial Congress to serve as a lieutenant colonel in Bute County Regiment in which he served until the regiment was abolished in 1779 * May 3, 1776: The Provincial Congress selected him as a colonel over the 2nd Battalion of Militia. He did not stay with this unit and resigned this commission. * January 30, 1779: He was appointed to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Warren County Regiment, which was created after Bute County and the Bute County Regiment were abolished. He died on September 10, 1801 in Warren County, North Carolina and was buried at the family homestead ( Pleasant Hill/Hawkins House), along with his wife who died in 1794.

References

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hawkins, Philemon, II 1717 births 1801 deaths American slave owners North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution Bute County, North Carolina People from Granville County, North Carolina People from Vance County, North Carolina Members of the North Carolina Provincial Congresses North Carolina Council of State Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives

Early life and political career

Military service

See also

References