5th General Assembly of Nova Scotia

The 5th General Assembly of Nova Scotia represented Nova Scotia between May 1770 to 1784, its membership being set in the 1770 Nova Scotia general election.

The 5th General Assembly is known as Nova Scotia's "Long Parliament" as it sat for fourteen years, throughout the length of the rebellion of the thirteen colonies. William Nesbitt was chosen as speaker in 1770. Thomas Cochran became speaker in 1784 after Nesbitt's death.

According to Allison, page 481, in 1774, the composition of His Majesties government in Nova Scotia was:

Governor and Council

Governor – His Excellency Francis Legge
Lieutenant-Governor – The Hon. Michael Francklin

His Majesty's Legislative Council (appointed by the Governor, may or may not be from House):

• Honorable Jonathan Belcher
• Charles Morris
• Honorable Richard Bulkeley
• Joseph Gerrish
• Henry Newton
• Jonathan Binney
• Joseph Gorham
• Arthur Gould
• John Butler

Provincial Officers (appointed by the Governor, may or may not be from House):

• Secretary of the Province – Honourable Richard Bulkeley
• Attorney General – William Nesbitt
• Treasurer – Benjamin Green
• Register – Arthur Goold
• Chief Surveyor of Lands – Charles Morris
• Provost Marshal – John Fenton
• Chief Receiver of His Majesty's Quit Rent – Joseph Woodmass
• Deputy Auditor – John Breynron

Division of Seats

Members of the House of Assembly following the election of 1770

• County of Halifax – William Nesbitt, John Butler, John Newton,^[1] Robert Campbell^[2]
• County of Annapolis – Phineas Lovett,^[3] Joseph Patten^[4]
• County of Lunenburg – A. Hinshelwood,^[5] John Creighton^[6]
• King's County – Winckworth Tonge, H.D. Denson
• County of Cumberland – John Huston,^[7] Joshua Winslow^[8]
• Queen's County – William Smith,^[9] Simeon Perkins
• County of Sunbury – Charles Morris, Jr
• Town of Halifax – Charles Procter,^[10] Thomas Bridge
• Town of Onslow – Joshua Lamb^[11]
• Town of Truro – William Fisher^[12]
• Town of Londonderry – John Morrison^[13]
• Town of Annapolis – O. Wheelock
• Town of Granville – John Harris^[14]
• Town of Lunenberg – Philip Knaut
• Town of Horton – Charles Dickson^[15]
• Town of Cornwallis – Samuel Willoughby^[16]
• Town of Falmouth – Edward York (1771)^[17]
• Town of Newport – Isaac Deschamps
• Town of Cumberland – Jonathan Eddy^[18]
• Town of Sackville – Robert Foster^[19]
• Town of Liverpool – John Doggett^[20]
• Town of Yarmouth – empty^[21]
• Town of Barrington – John Fillis (1772)
• Town of Amherst – William Freeman (1783)
• County of Hants – George Brightman (1783), Benjamin DeWolf (1783)

Notes:

1. unseated for non-attendance; replaced by William Howard South in 1772; South died in 1777 and was replaced by James Browne; Browne left the province and was replaced by John George Pyke in 1779
2. died in 1775; replaced by James Brenton
3. unseated for non-attendance in 1774; replaced by John Hall. Hall unseated for non-attendance in 1776; replaced by Henry Evans. Evans unseated for non-attendance in 1782 and died later that same year; replaced by John Ritchie
4. unseated for non-attendance in 1774; replaced by William Shaw. Shaw seat declared vacant for contempt of House in 1784; not replaced
5. died in 1773; replaced by Otto William Schwartz
6. named to Council; replaced by John Newton in 1775
7. seat declared vacant for non-attendance; replaced by William Scurr in 1775. Scurr unseated for non-attendance in 1776; replaced by Thomas Dickson in 1777
8. seat declared vacant for non-attendance; replaced by Jotham Gay in 1772
9. died in 1779; replaced by Nathaniel Freeman in 1780. Freeman unseated for non-attendance in 1783; replaced by Benajah Collins in 1784.
10. died in 1773; replaced by John Day
11. unseated for non-attendance; replaced by Richard Upham in 1775; Lamb elected again in 1776 but unseated for non-attendance; replaced by Charles Dickson
12. unseated for non-attendance; replaced by Samuel Archibald in 1775
13. unseated for non-attendance in 1772; reelected in 1773; left province in 1777. Replaced by John Cunningham in 1779.
14. died in 1772; replaced by Christopher Prince
15. seat declared vacant for non-attendance in 1776; replaced by Joseph Pierce
16. seat declared vacant for non-attendance in 1776; replaced by John Chipman
17. Isaac Deschamps elected in Falmouth & Newport, choosing to sit for Newport. York unseated for non-attendance; replaced by Jeremiah Northup in 1775.
18. seat declared vacant for non-attendance; replaced by John Allan in 1775. Allan unseated for non-attendance in 1776; replaced by Hezekiah King. King may have never attended a session; replaced by Martin Gay in 1783.
19. may have never taken his seat in the assembly: unseated for non-attendance in 1772; replaced by Samuel Rogers in 1773; Rogers unseated for non-attendance in 1776 and replaced by Robert Foster; Foster left the province around 1782 and was replaced by Richard John Uniacke in 1783
20. died in 1772; replaced by Seth Harding in 1773; Harding unseated for non-attendance and replaced by Thomas Cochran in 1775
21. Malachy Salter elected in 1770; John Crawley elected in 1772 after an appeal but unseated for non-attendance in 1775; replaced by James Monk who left the province and was unseated in 1776; replaced by Richard Cunningham in 1779

References

• David Allison; "History of Nova Scotia", Bowen, Halifax, 1916.
• Journal and votes of the House of Assembly for the province of Nova Scotia (1770)
• Public Archives of Nova Scotia (1984). Elliott, Shirley B, ed. The Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia, 1758–1983: A biographical directory. Province of Nova Scotia. ISBN 0-88871-050-X.

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