William Sharpe (December 13, 1742 – July 1, 1818) was a lawyer, politician, American Revolution patriot, and a delegate to the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

from

Rowan County, North Carolina Rowan County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina that was formed in 1753, as part of the British Province of North Carolina. It was originally a vast territory with unlimited western boundaries, but its size was reduced to 524 sq mi ...

, which became

Iredell County Iredell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 186,693. Its county seat is Statesville, and its largest town is Mooresville. The county was formed in 1788, subtracted from Ro ...

in 1788.

Early life

Sharpe was born in Rock Church,

Cecil County, Maryland Cecil County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland at the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,725. The county seat is Elkton. The county was ...

, in 1742. He was the son of Thomas Sharp, Jr, and his wife, Elizabeth, of Maryland. He pursued classical studies and law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Mecklenburg County is a county located in the southwestern region of the state of North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,115,482, making it the second-most populous county in North Carolina (after Wak ...

in 1763. He married Catherine Reese in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina on May 31, 1768. He moved to

in late 1768 or 1769. He lived in the area of Rowan County that became

in 1788.A biographical congressional directory, 1774 to 1903 : The Continental Congress: September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, inclusive. The United States Congress: the First Congress to the Fifty-seventh Congress, March 4, 1903, inclusive. Compiled under authority of Congress by O. M. Enyart
Hathi Trust digital copy
/ref>

Career

William Sharpe was a member of the Fourth Creek Congregation in Rowan County, North Carolina (near what became

Statesville, North Carolina Statesville is a city in and the county seat of Iredell County, North Carolina, United States, and it is part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. Statesville was established in 1789 by an act of the North Carolina Legislature. The population was r ...

in 1789) and created a map of the church members in 1773.''Map of Fourth Creek Congregation'', redell County, North Carolina North Carolina State Archives, Date Published: 1847; Date Depicted: 1773; Creator: Individual, Sharpe, William
Link
/ref> Sharpe was a member of the North Carolina Provincial Congress in 1775. Prior to the onset of the American Revolutionary War, he served on the Rowan County Committee of Safety. During the war, he was an aide to General Griffith Rutherford of the

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

in the Indian campaign in 1776. William was one of four commissioners appointed by Governor Caswell to form a treaty with the Indians in 1777. William served as Colonel commanding the

2nd Rowan County Regiment The 2nd Rowan County Regiment was first established in October 22, 1775 as a local militia in Rowan County in the Province of North-Carolina. This regiment was created from the existing Rowan County Regiment of militia. Its original officers ...

of the North Carolina militia from 1776-1777. When the 2nd Rowan County Regiment became the Burke County Regiment of militia, he served as its commander from 1777 to 1781. (Note there was another Captain William Sharpe, who served in the

Rowan County Regiment The Rowan County Regiment was originally established in about August 1, 1775 as a local militia in Rowan County in the Province of North-Carolina. When the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorized thirty-five existing county militias to be o ...

from 1780 to 1781. The relation to Colonel William Sharpe is not known.) Sharpe served as a delegate to the North Carolina constitutional convention in Halifax in 1776, and helped to frame the first constitution of the State. He was later appointed in 1779 as a delegate to the

, 1779–1781, and elected to the

North Carolina House of Representatives 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 ...

in 1781 and 1782. Sharpe placed the first bill before the legislature of North Carolina to propose a publicly supported university in the state. This bill failed, but was taken up at the next seating of the legislature and was promoted by one of the state's Revolutionary War leaders General

William Richardson Davie William Richardson Davie (June 20, 1756 – November 29, 1820) was a Founding Father of the United States, military officer during the Revolutionary War, and 10th Governor of North Carolina, from 1798–1799. A member of the Federalist Part ...

. It subsequently passed in 1789, creating 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 Sys ...

. He died near

on July 6, 1818 and is interred in Snow Creek Burying Ground.

References

* * , Call number CR970 W56r c. 2 (North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), William Sharpe {{DEFAULTSORT:Sharpe, William Continental Congressmen from North Carolina 18th-century American politicians Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives North Carolina lawyers 1742 births 1818 deaths North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution People from Statesville, North Carolina Members of the North Carolina Provincial Congresses 19th-century American lawyers