WILLIAM HAYWOOD of the county of Edgecombe was a son of Colonel John Haywood, the above colonist, and his wife, Mary Lovett.

William Haywood's first appearance in public life was in 1760, two years after his father's death. He represented Edgecombe County in a session of the Provincial Assembly at New-Bern in the year just mentioned. From that time until his death, nineteen years later, there was scarcely ever a meeting of the Assembly, either before or during the Revolution, that he did not attend. It was in 1765 that he became colonel of the Provincial forces of North Carolina, in the county of Edgecombe.

When the Revolution came on, Colonel Haywood sided with the American colonies, and the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, which met at Hillsboro in August, 1775, did not fail to avail themselves of his services. The legislative body just mentioned continued its sittings until the 10th of September, and on the day prior to adjournment elected Colonel Haywood a member of the Committee of Safety for the district of Halifax, of which Edgecombe County formed a part. On the same day (September 9th) Haywood was re-elected to the military rank he had held before the war—colonel of North Carolina for the county of Edgecombe. At the same time his brother, Sherwood Haywood, was elected lieutenant-colonel of the Edgecombe regiment, and his only other brother then living, Egbert Haywood, was elected major of the Halifax regiment. Lieutenant-Colonel Sherwood Haywood, above mentioned, should not be confused with a son of Colonel William Haywood, who also bore the name Sherwood, and was one of the earliest settlers in Raleigh. William Haywood retained his rank as colonel until April 22, 1776, when he was succeeded by Exum Lewis.

Colonel Haywood represented Edgecombe County in the Provincial Congress of North Carolina which met at the town of Halifax in April, 1776. In this body he served on several important committees, among them being the committee to settle military and naval accounts, the committee to draft a temporary constitution and the committee to sign paper currency. In the Provincial Congress which met at Halifax in November, 1776, and continued its session until the 23d of the following month, Colonel Haywood again appeared as Edgecombe's representative, and his brother, Major Egbert Haywood, was a member from the county of Halifax, the latter succeeding James Hogun (afterward brigadier-general), who resigned as delegate in order to enter the army. In the Congress last named Colonel Haywood was even more in demand as a committee worker than he had been in the first. He was a member of the Committee on Military Affairs, the Committee on Privileges and Elections (of which he was chairman), the committee to draft a permanent State constitution and bill of rights, the committee to devise means of procuring salt for the colony, the committee to expedite the raising of a force of 5000 militia for the aid of South Carolina, etc.

By an ordinance of the above Congress, adopted on December 20, 1776, Colonel Haywood was elected a member of the Governor's Council, and he was re-elected for several terms, until August 14, 1778, when a successor was elected in consequence of his declining to serve longer. While a member of the Council, Colonel Haywood was a faithful attendant at its meetings, as shown by Governor Caswell's letters, in one of which (July 26, 1777) he complains to Colonel Edward Starkey that when last the Council was ordered to assemble, "Colonel Bonner and Colonel Haywood only attended, waited three days, and then returned to their homes."

The above mentioned Congress, by an ordinance adopted on December 23d, elected Colonel Haywood a justice of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for the county of Edgecombe, and by the same authority his two brothers were honored with like commissions in their respective counties.

In 1779 there were several sessions of the General Assembly of North Carolina. In the one which met at Smithfield, in Johnston County, on May 3d, Colonel Haywood appeared as a member of the House of Commons, and was chairman of the joint committee of both Houses to select bills of a public nature, the immediate passage of which might be deemed necessary. He also served on several committees to consider petitions of prisoners of war, etc. The Smithfield Assembly adjourned its session and met at Halifax on the 18th of October of the same year. Colonel Haywood attended that session also, and acted as chairman of the Committee on Privileges and Elections. The sittings of this Assembly were continued into November, when Colonel Haywood's labors were interrupted by sickness, and he died before the session adjourned.

In March, 1754, Colonel Haywood married Charity Hare, daughter of Moses Hare of Hertford County and a granddaughter of William Speight of Nansemond County, Virginia. By this marriage he left nine children.    His four sons were as follows:

John Haywood (born 1755, died 1827), forty years State treasurer, and the first mayor of Raleigh, for whom Haywood County and the town of Haywood, in North Carolina, are named. His first wife, Sarah Leigh, died without issue, but he left numerous descendants by his second wife, Eliza Eagles Asup Williams.

Sherwood Haywood of Raleigh (born 1762, died 1829), banker and United States commissioner of loans, who married Eleanor Howard Hawkins and left many descendants. In recording his death (October 5, 1829), the Raleigh Register said of Mr. Haywood: "Years may roll away before we see united in the same person so many virtues, so much urbanity and kindness, such unsophisticated manners and such sterling integrity."

William Henry Haywood of Raleigh (born 1770, died 1857), banker and clerk of the United States District Court, who married Ann Shepard and had three children, his only son being United States Senator William H. Haywood, Jr., and his two daughters marrying, respectively, Governors Edward B. Dudley and Charles Manly.

Stephen Haywood of Raleigh (born 1772, died 1824), planter, State senator, etc., who married first Elizabeth Lane, second Delia Hawkins, by both of whom he left descendants, but none now survive who bear his surname.

The above four brothers removed from Edgecombe County and made their homes in Raleigh about the time of the foundation of the city. In addition to these sons Colonel William Haywood of Edgecombe left five daughters, as follows: Elizabeth, who married Captain Henry Irwin Toole of Edgecombe, a veteran of the Revolution; Mary Haywood, who married Ethelred Ruffin of Edgecombe County; Ann, who married Dr. Robert Williams of Pitt County, formerly a surgeon in the Revolution; Jemima, who married Colonel John Whitfield of Lenoir County; and Charity, who married Colonel Josiah Lawrence of Pitt County, but removed to Alabama after the death of her husband.
Marshall De Lancey Haywood.
(Source: Biographical History of North Carolina from Colonial Times to Present, By Samuel A. Ashe, Vol. III, published 1906)

HAYWOOD, William, Revolutionary patriot: b. Edgecombe county, N. C., about 1730; d. there December, 1779. He was the son of John Haywood above, and trod in his father's footsteps as a public official. For nearly a score of years he was a member of the local assembly; also sat in the North Carolina Provincial Congress, and at the council table of the governor. He was active and prominent in all these capacities, and was also in command of militia.
[Source: THE SOUTH in the Building of the Nation Volume XI; Ed.by James Curtis Ballagh, Walter Lynwood Fleming & Southern Historical Publication Society; Publ. 1909; Transcribed and submitted by Andrea Stawski Pack.]