SAMPSON COUNTY, NC - BIOGRAPHIES - William Rufus DeVane King ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Biographical Sketch - William Rufus DeVane King Reprinted with permission of the Mount Olive Tribune and cannot be reproduced without permission. Op-ed Tuesday, April 24, 1979 Vice-President of U.S. - Newton Grove Native The only Vice President of the United States from North Carolina was the Honorable William Rufus DeVane King, born near Newton Grove in Sampson County an April 7, 1786. His father was William King, a wealthy planter who served in the North Carolina Legislature and a member of the North Carolina Constitutional Conventions of 1788 and 1789. His mother was Margaret Devane, whose grandfather, a French Huguenot, had migrated to Wilmington in 1735. William King has literally hundreds of kith and kin now living in this section of North Carolina. William R. King received his early education at Grove Academy in Kenansville, and in 1803, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He studied law under Judge William Duffy, and while there became a member of the Masonic Lodge. After receiving his law license, he settled in Clinton; was appointed solicitor for the Wilmington Judicial District, and in 1810, he was elected as a Jeffersonian Democrat to the United States Congress, and served nearly three terms. In 1816, young King went into the diplomatic service, and served for two years as Secretary of Legation at Naples, Italy and in Russia. Between 1815-1830, there was a great migration of North Carolina families to the newly opened territories of Alabama and Mississippi. In 1819, the Honorable William R. King (always a batchelor), his mother and grandmother, two brothers, and five sisters and their families moved to Dallas and Marengo Counties in Alabama. One of his sisters, Margaret King had married John Beck of Faison, and another sister, Tabitha King had married Basil Kornegay of Mount Olive (Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. Holmes now own the old Basil Kornegay plantation near Mount Olive). They sold their lands in North Carolina, and carried their slaves with them. They bought rich farm land in Alabama, and established prosperous plantations. There was a growing demand for cotton on the domestic and foreign markets. William R. King founded the town of Selma, owned a plantation called King's Bend, directly across the Alabama River from Selma. Later be built a home called "Chestnut Hill" in the pine hills near Selma. When he died in 1859, his estate consisted of several plantations and 159 slaves. William R. King was elected to the United States Senate from Alabama in 1819 and served continuously until 1844, and again he served in the Senate from 1848 to 1853. He was Minister to France from 1844-46. He was a champion of States Rights, advocated the War of 1812, favored the Monroe Doctrine, the Purchase of Florida, opposed high tariffs and the Compromise of 1850. He strongly favored the annexation of Texas, and The Mexican Cession of 1848. King served as President Pro-tem of the United States Senate under five vice-presidents, and on the death of President Zachery Taylor in 1850, he became the President of the Senate. He was an authority on rules of order and parliamentary procedure. Sen. Henry Clay once said of him, "He is as serious as an undertaker at a funeral." The Democratic National Convention met in Baltimore in 1852, and Lewis Cass, James Buchanan, and Stephen A. Douglas were all contenders for the presidential nomination, none of whom could get a majority of votes. On the 49th ballot, Franklin Pierce of New Hampshire was nominated as a dark horse candidate. The Honorable William R. King was nominated as candidate for Vice-President on the first ballot. King developed a lung condition and early in 1853 he went to Cuba for his health. Congress passed a special act in order that he might take the oath of office in Cuba, which he did on March 24, 1853. His condition grew worse, he returned to his home near Selma, Alabama, and quietly passed away on April 18, 1853. He is buried along with his brother, John Devane King, in a marble mausoleum in Live Oak Cemetery in Selma, Alabama. William R. King was always proud of being a native of North Carolina, and as long as he lived he kept in touch with friends and relatives in Sampson, Duplin, and Wayne Counties. I have done much research on Vice-President William R. King during the years because I have admired his fine quality of statesmanship. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Guy Potts ___________________________________________________________________