Thomas Cary who served as the fourth and last Deputy Governor of North-Carolina. He is best known for his role in the revolt known as Cary's Rebellion, between 1708 and 1711, in which he usurped power from then-Deputy Governor William Glover, driving Glover from the province.

Biography

Thomas Cary was born in Buckinghamshire, England, to Walter Cary and Ann Dobson. Eventually, Cary moved to South Carolina, where he became a prominent "merchant and shipowner". In 1707, Cary joined the South Carolina assembly as the representative and speaker. The same year, he also was appointed governor of South Carolina until he was replaced by William Glover. However, he regained the government of the province in October 1708 thanks to support from dissenters. Cary abolished the laws of Glover and replaced officials suspected of being disloyal to the dissidents. He prompted the immigration of new settlers through the reformation of land grant policy. He ended his term in 1711. In this year, when Edward Hyde was appointed the first Governor of the

Province of North-Carolina Province of North Carolina was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monarch of Great Britain was rep ...

(albeit before the Province's official separation from the

Province of South Carolina Province of South Carolina, originally known as Clarendon Province, was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monar ...

), Cary put up resistance to Hyde's new authority, thus causing a revolt in the colony. Cary was eventually defeated and captured in Virginia, and Hyde took office as he had planned. In 1711, Virginia Governor

Alexander Spotswood Alexander Spotswood (12 December 1676 – 7 June 1740) was a British Army officer, explorer and lieutenant governor of Colonial Virginia; he is regarded as one of the most significant historical figures in British North American colonial h ...

sent Cary and his supporters to London to subject them to trial. Cary was released in 1712 without suffering any punishment, "likely due to a lack of clear evidence." In 1713, Cary returned to North Carolina, living in Bath County until his death in July 1718.

References

Deputy governors of North Carolina (1691–1712) 1718 deaths {{UK-gov-bio-stub