Francis Brown was not the only one in trouble.

Several pages after his expulsion in colonial records (p. 1088), the same committee that looked into his misconduct made another report.

The committee was apparently appointed to investigate Francis Corbin and Joshua Bodley, who were agents of Earl Granville, in an equivalent to the modern-day registers of deeds.

The head of the committee testified that Corbin and Bodley took money to register land in several cases but did not do so and failed to pay back the would-be buyers. 

Francis Brown was expelled for perjury over a land deal.

According to "The Colonial Records of North Carolina," Volume V, (p. 1057), Brown was expelled from the House on Dec. 5, 1758 for lying to a select committee.

From the records, it appears that Brown told the committee that he paid "thirty odd shillings in Gold" to a Mr. Corbin "Back Quits Rent" on a piece of land. But after interviewing Corbin, the committee determined that Brown had lied.

"It appears, That the Said Francis Brown, through Precipitation and Heat, had Sworn to an untruth in the matter above said," the records read. 

Brown was expelled "as unworthy a seat" and prohibited from holding office in any town or county or any future legislature.