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.
Following Governor Tryon's departure from North Carolina to become New York's governor, the Council gathered on July 1, 1771, and Hasell took over as acting governor until Josiah Martin was officially appointed as the last British governor. In his recommendation, Governor Martin suggested that Hasell be promoted to lieutenant governor in place of George Mercer, with the goal of replacing Mercer as the governor of Ohio.