After Governor Tryon left North Carolina to become governor of New York, the Council met on July 1, 1771, and Hasell took over office of the governor until the appointment of Josiah Martin, the last of the British governors. Governor Martin recommended that Hasell be made lieutenant governor in the place of Lieutenant Governor George Mercer, thinking that Mercer was to be appointed governor of Ohio.
This transition occurred after Governor Tryon left North Carolina to become New York's governor, and the Council met on July 1, 1771, for Hasell to assume the office until Josiah Martin was appointed as the final British governor. In his recommendation, Governor Martin suggested that Hasell be made lieutenant governor in place of George Mercer, with the aim of replacing Mercer as the governor of Ohio.