In April of 1672, Governor Peter Carteret sailed to London to meet with the Lords Proprietors about the problems in Albemarle County and with the Fundamental Constitutions. He never returned. Before he left, he commissioned John Jenkins, President of the Executive Council and Lieutenant-Colonel of the Albemarle militia, a commission endowing him with all of the power of Governor.

On November 10, 1673, the Albemarle General Assembly sent four new Acts to London for the Lords Proprietors to approve. They were:

1) Act to prevent intruding into just claims of land
2) Act for the encouragement of owners of vessels in this county
3) Act to repeal an Act made by the Assembly of April 18, 1672 setting the price of rum
4) Act concerning wild cattle

Click Here to read the details of each of the four Acts named above.

In September of 1675, there was a general election for the Freeholders to elect representatives for a new General Assembly. When that General Assembly met, a faction under Thomas Eastchurch, who had just been elected Speaker of the House, arose that was opposed to President John Jenkins. They charged him with several misdemeanors and imprisoned him.

The General Assembly that met in late 1675 was not a legally constituted assembly, for under the Fundamental Constitutions and the Lords Proprietors' Instructions, a properly constituted assembly included a duly appointed Governor or Deputy Governor and at least three commissioned Lords Proprietors' Deputies. Despite claims to the contrary, the temporary government established by Thomas Eastchurch was a de facto government.

By March of 1676, John Jenkins was released from prison by his followers, and they held their own election. Jenkins again claimed authority of Acting Governor on the basis of this election, yet made no claim to have derived authority from the Lords Proprietors. The previous General Assembly was still in session. Eastchurch sailed to London to discuss things with the Lords Proprietors.

Governor Jenkins dissolved the General Assembly in October of 1676 with armed forces. He also turned out the Palatine's Court that Eastchurch had set up.

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