Thomas Hunter was a politician and solider who resided in Chowan County. A supporter of independence, he represented Chowan in the Provincial Congress from 1775 to 1776 and may have also represented Martin County as well. He served as a captain of the Chowan County Regiment, and may have served as a captain of the Martin County Regiment of the North Carolina Militia. Because of Hunter's prominent pro-independence role, James Rawlings, a ringleader in the Gourd Patch Conspiracy, disclosed in a sworn deposition that he and his co-conspirators had planned to assassinate Hunter along with several other leading officials in northeastern North Carolina. Hunter was spared when the plot was discovered, and he was later responsible for collecting oaths of allegiance to the State of North Carolina from many residents of Chowan County.