Richard Caswell

Richard Caswell
2nd Grand Master of the
Masons of North Carolina
In office
1788–1789
Preceded bySamuel Johnston
Succeeded bySamuel Johnston
1st and 5th Governor of North Carolina
In office
November 12, 1776 – April 20, 1780
Preceded bynone (American Revolution)
(British governor Josiah Martin)
Succeeded byAbner Nash
In office
May 13, 1785 – December 20, 1787
Preceded byAlexander Martin
Succeeded bySamuel Johnston
Personal details
Born(1729-08-03)August 3, 1729
Harford County (present-day Baltimore), Maryland, British America
DiedNovember 10, 1789(1789-11-10) (aged 60)
Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
Resting placeDobbs County (present-day Lenoir County), North Carolina
35°15′59.9″N 77°37′15.1″W / 35.266639°N 77.620861°W / 35.266639; -77.620861
Spouses
Mary Mackilwean
(m. 1752; died 1757)
Sarah Herritage
(m. 1758)
Children11, including William
Signature
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/serviceNorth Carolina Militia
RankMajor General
Commands
Battles/wars

Richard Caswell (August 3, 1729 – November 10, 1789) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the first and fifth governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1776 to 1780 and from 1785 to 1787. He also served as a senior officer of militia in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. As a delegate to the First Continental Congress, he was a signatory of the 1774 Continental Association.