Richard Clinton (politician)

Richard Clinton (1741-1795) was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, Register of Deeds for Duplin County and prominent citizen of Sampson County.

Richard Clinton is thought to be the step-son of Lieutenant General John Sampson (a member of the council for Josiah Martin) who it is thought to have moved to the Wilmington, North Carolina area around 1736. Lieutenant General John Sampson married Clinton's mother sometime after 1741 when Clinton was born. Around 1762, Clinton's step-father John Sampson built on home on a plantation he purchased near the present day town of Clinton, North Carolina. At this point in history, this area was still a part of Duplin County; however residents had to go many miles east to the nearest courthouse. After the family's move into Duplin County, Richard Clinton became the Register of Deeds for the county from 1773-1883.

After the establishment of the Independent State Government of North Carolina by the Halifax Constitution in 1776, Richard Clinton became one of the earliest members of the North Carolina House of Commons. It was during his tenure in the House of Commons that Clinton was able to secure the passage of a bill that created Sampson County from the western portion of Duplin County. Richard Clinton proposed the name of "Sampson" for the new county in honor of his step-father. In 1784, this new act was passed by the House of Commons and the first courts were ordered to take place at the home of James Myland just west of the current town of Clinton, North Carolina.

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