He was a native of France, born at Marseilles, 1762. He was a printer and editor, and studied law, in which he became learned and distinguished.
In 1806 and 1807, he was a member of the House of Commons from the borough of New Berne.
He was appointed by Mr. Jefferson, a judge in the Mississippi Territory, and resided at Natchez. So acceptable were his services that on February 1st, 1815, he was appointed one of the supreme court judges of Louisiana, which elevated position he occupied till his death, December 10th, 1846.
He became entirely blind in his later years, but continued to preside with great acceptability, and acknowledged ability. He wrote a history of the State of Louisiana, as also of North Carolina.
The Blount family in North Carolina have been distinguished for more than a century for integrity, enterprise, intelligence and patriotism.
According to a genealogical table, prepared by the late Governor Clark, this family was of English origin, and figured in the reigns of Charles I. (1625,) and Charles II. (1660.) The head of the family was created a Baronet in 1642, as Sir Walter Blount.
He left four sons and four daughters. The younger sons sought their fortunes in America. From them, this family can be clearly traced in distinct lines to the present.
From Sir Walter Blount descended:
I. James; came to North Carolina about 1664, and settled in Craven.
He was a member of the House of Burgesses, and was active in the Culpepper rebellion, which, for a time, held and controlled the province.
From the Rolls Office, in London, I copy a paper directed to the Lords Proprietor, "concerning the rebellion in Carolina, from 1663 to 1687:"
"The rebellion was a
deliberate contrivance, subverting the government, dissolving the parliaments,
imprisoning the lordship's deputies, putting the president of the country in
jail, seizing and carrying away the records, assuming supreme power, convening
assemblies, and last of all, a most horrid and
"Captain Valentine Bird, collector, exported 150,000 pounds of tobacco without paying any dues. On hearing that Eastchurst was coming as governor, and Miller as collector, he took up arms with the rest of the subscribers and opposed Miller on his first landing, and drew his sword.
"George Durant contemned and opposed the governor with a rebel rout.
"Captain James Blount, one of the deputy's assistants, is one of the chief among the insurrectors. I wrote to him and the other burgesses of Chowan precinct. When the sheriff came, he, with one Captain John Vernham, took the sheriff prisoner, and raised forces to oppose the governor."*
* Colonial Documents, London,
15.
Sir Walter Blount's next son was:
II. Thomas; he had five sons. 1st, Thomas, who had five sons: (a) Thomas, who married Elizabeth Reading, distinguished in the Indian wars 1708; (b) James; (c) John; (d) Jacob and (e) Esau, twins.*
* See Williamson's, North
Carolina, I, 202.
III. Thomas (son of Thomas who married Elizabeth Reading,) had four sons: (a) Reading; (b) James, Captain in Second Continental regiment; (c) John; (d) Jacob.
IV. Jacob, son of Thomas, was at battle of Alamance, 1771; a member of the provincial congress, and an officer in the revolutionary war. He married first Barbara Gray, second Mrs. Salter, was the progenitor of the family, had ten children, viz:
I. William, who was born in Craven County, in 1749, married Miss Granger, of Wilmington. Elected member of legislature 1783,-'84; of the continental congress, 1782-'83-'86-'87; in the convention which formed Constitution of the United States, in 1787; appointed governor of
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