The first Council of Safety of the counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex met at Dover on 11 Sep 1775, and chose John McKinly, President, and James Sykes, secretary. The council continued to sit to 16 Sep 1775 inclusively. It is not definitely known how the first members of the Council of Safety received their authority or appointment.
On 20 Oct 1775, the Assembly for the Government of the Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex upon Delaware at a session held at New Castle elected the members of the Council of Safety:
| New Castle: |
Kent: |
Sussex: |
| John McKinly |
William Killen |
John Dagworthy |
| John Evans |
Thomas Rodney |
David Hall |
| James Latimer |
John Haslet |
Jacob Moore |
| Gunning Bedford |
Thomas Collins |
John Wiltbank |
| Richard Cantwell |
Charles Ridgely |
Isaac Bradley |
| Nicholas Van Dyke |
James Sykes |
William Polke |
| George Read |
Thomas Tilton |
John Jones |
The Council met on 8 Jan 1776 and elected John McKinly, President, and John Chew, secretary. The last meeting of the Council as found in the extant minutes is dated 13 Jan 1776.
The Council of Safety of the Delaware State was elected on 7 Nov 1776 at the joint session of the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council held at New Castle:
| New Castle: |
Kent: |
Sussex: |
| James Latimer |
Cæsar Rodney |
David Hall |
| John McKinly |
James Sykes |
Jacob Moore |
| Abraham Robinson |
Thomas Collins |
John Wiltbank |
| John Lea |
John Banning |
John Rodney |
| Nicholas Van Dyke |
Richard Bassett |
James Rench |
The county councils of safety consisting of the elected members apparently held sessions in November-December 1776. The first meeting of the Council of Safety of the State took place at Dover on 9 Dec 1776. John McKinly probably served as its president. The Council sat until January 1777 when the General Assembly reconvened (6 Jan 1777) and elected the first President and Commander-in-Chief of the Delaware State on 12 Feb 1777. |
