William Richardson Davie (20 June 1756 – 29 November 1820) was the Federalist Governor of North Carolina from 7 December 1798 to 23 November 1799, succeeding Samuel Ashe and preceding Benjamin Williams.
Biography[]
William Richardson Davie was born in Egremont, Cumberland, England in 1756, and his family emigrated to Lancaster, South Carolina in 1764. He studied law in Salisbury, North Carolina and served as a colonel in the Patriot militia during the American Revolutionary War, distinguishing himself at the Battle of Stono Ferry and the Battle of Charlotte. He served in the State House from 1786 to 1798 and as Governor from 1798 to 1799, and he founded the University of North Carolina. He retired to his estate of Tivoli in South Carolina after leaving office, and he died in 1820.