William Salter Blackledge (1793March 21, 1857) was an American slaveholder and politician who served one term as a

U.S. Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

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 ...

between 1821 and 1823.

Biography

Born in

Pitt County, North Carolina Pitt County is a county located in the inner banks (northeastern part) of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 170,243, making it the fourteenth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is ...

the son of

William Blackledge William Blackledge (October 19, 1828) was a Democratic-Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1803 and 1809 and between 1811 and 1813. Born in Craven County, North Carolina, Blackledge was a member of the North Carolina Hous ...

, who would himself become a Congressman from North Carolina, Blackledge moved to

Craven County, North Carolina Craven County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 100,720. Its county seat is New Bern. The county was created in 1705 as Archdale Precinct from the now-extinct Bath County. It was renamed ...

at an early age, eventually settling in

New Bern New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...

. He attended the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

, graduating in 1813.

Family

William married Mary Fonvielle Hatch (daughter of Edmund Hatch and Miriam Simmons) on 26 April 1815 and they had two children, Virginia and Richard. William was a slave owner as was his father.

Congress

Blackledge was elected to the

North Carolina House of Commons The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

in 1820, and soon afterwards was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

to fill the vacancy created by the death of

Jesse Slocumb Jesse Slocumb (August 20, 1780 – December 20, 1820) was a U.S. Congressional Representative from North Carolina. Early life Slocumb was born on a plantation near Dudley in Wayne County, North Carolina on August 20, 1780. He was the son of Rev ...

and was then elected to the 17th U.S. Congress. Blackledge served in Congress from February 7, 1821 to March 3, 1823.

Death and burial

Blackledge died in 1857 in New Bern, where he is buried.Alumni History of the University of North Carolina
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References

External links

1793 births 1857 deaths Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Politicians from New Bern, North Carolina Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina 19th-century American legislators {{US-Congress-stub