Thomas Lynch Jr.: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Signer of the United States Declaration of Independence |
{{Short description|Signer of the United States Declaration of Independence (1749–1779)}} |
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{{other people||Thomas Lynch (disambiguation)}} |
{{other people||Thomas Lynch (disambiguation)}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} |
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| name = Thomas Lynch Jr. |
| name = Thomas Lynch Jr. |
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| image = Thomas Lynch Jr..jpg |
| image = Thomas Lynch Jr..jpg |
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| alt = |
| alt = |
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| caption = |
| caption = |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1749|8|5}} |
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1749|8|5}} |
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| birth_place = Georgetown, South Carolina |
| birth_place = [[Georgetown, South Carolina]], [[British America]] |
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| disappeared_date = 1779 |
| disappeared_date = December 17, 1779 |
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| disappeared_place = Atlantic Ocean |
| disappeared_place = [[Atlantic Ocean]] |
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| nationality = |
| nationality = |
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| occupation = Planter |
| occupation = Planter |
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| known_for = Signing the Declaration of Independence |
| known_for = Signing the Declaration of Independence |
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| spouse = Elizabeth Shubrick<ref name="cam"/> |
| spouse = Elizabeth Shubrick<ref name="cam"/> |
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| signature = Thomas Lynch signature.png |
| signature = Thomas Lynch signature.png |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Thomas Lynch Jr.''' (August 5, 1749 – 1779) was a signer of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]] as a representative of [[South Carolina]] and |
'''Thomas Lynch Jr.''' (August 5, 1749 – December 17, 1779) was a signer of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]] as a representative of [[South Carolina]] and a [[Founding Father of the United States]]. [[Thomas Lynch (statesman)|His father Thomas Lynch]] was a member of the [[Continental Congress]] and had signed the 1774 [[Continental Association]]. When he had to step down because of illness, Thomas Lynch Jr. was selected to fill his post. |
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==Early life == |
==Early life == |
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[[File:Coat of Arms of Thomas Lynch, Jr.svg|175px|thumb|left|Coat of arms of Thomas Lynch Jr.]] |
[[File:Coat of Arms of Thomas Lynch, Jr.svg|175px|thumb|left|Coat of arms of Thomas Lynch Jr.]] |
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Lynch Jr. was born at [[Hopsewee]] Plantation in [[Prince George Winyah |
Lynch Jr. was born at [[Hopsewee]] Plantation in [[Prince George Winyah Parish Church|Prince George Parish, Winyah]], in what is now [[Georgetown, South Carolina]]. He was the third child and first son of [[Thomas Lynch (statesman)|Thomas Lynch]] and his wife, Beverly (née Allston) Lynch. He had two older sisters, named Sabina and Esther, who were born in 1747 and 1748, respectively. |
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Their mother was the daughter of Gilliém Marshall Dé'Illiard of [[Iberville Parish]], [[Louisiana]], and his wife. Dé'Illiard's brother George William Dilliard settled in [[Virginia]]. He is credited with changing the Dilliard name to its current anglicized spelling.<ref name=":1"/> |
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Dilliard introduced Beverly Dé'Illiard <!-- Is this right? Where did Allston come from? -->and Thomas Lynch during a ball held at the childhood home of John Drayton Sr., [[Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina)|Magnolia Plantation and Gardens]] in Charleston, South Carolina. Also in attendance were prominent families such as the Middletons, Randolphs, and Rutledge.<ref name=":1"/> |
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Thomas and Beverly Lynch's younger daughter, Aimeé Constance, was born in 1755. She later married [[John Drayton]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |url=http://hopsewee.com/assets/hopsewee-heritage-the-lynch-family.pdf |title=Hopsewee Heritage: The Lynch Family |access-date=2016-11-30}}</ref> |
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Lynch's grandfather was Jonas Lynch from the [[County Galway]] ancestral line. The Lynch family were expelled from Ireland following their defeat in the [[Williamite War in Ireland|Irish wars of William of Orange]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Thomas-Lynch-Jr-signer-of-the-Declaration-of-Independence/6000000009017154201|title=Thomas Lynch, Jr., signer of the "Declaration of Independence"}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Lynch Jr. married Paige Shubrick on May 14, 1772.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2009/09/paige-shubrick-lynch.html|title=paige Lynch: Wife of Declaration Signer Thomas Lynch Jr.|last=MacLean|first=Maggie|date=2009-09-11|website=History of American Women|access-date=2016-11-30}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Lynch Sr. had emigrated from Kent, England, to South Carolina.<ref name=":0" /> He served as a prominent figure in South Carolina politics, which contributed to his descendants' access to higher education and wealth.<ref name="thehistoryjunkie.com">{{Cite news|url=http://thehistoryjunkie.com/thomas-lynch-jr/|title=Thomas Lynch Jr {{!}} Facts, Biography, Death, Accomplishments, Signer|date=2012-05-18|newspaper=The History Junkie|language=en-US|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref> |
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After his father's death from a stroke, his widowed mother married another influential political figure, South Carolina Governor [[William Moultrie]]. His sister Sabina Hope Lynch married James Hamilton; one of their sons was [[James Hamilton Jr.]], who became governor in the state in 1830. |
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[[File:Hopseewee Plantation.jpg|thumb|[[Hopsewee|Hopsewee Plantation]]]] |
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===Education=== |
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Lynch Jr. was schooled at the Indigo Society School in Georgetown, South Carolina. His parents sent him to England for higher studies. He received honors at [[Eton College]] and at [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]].<ref name="cam">{{acad|id=LNC767T|name=Lynch, Thomas}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Lynch Jr. studied law and political philosophy at the [[Middle Temple]] in London. His father admired English education and encouraged him to remain in Great Britain to study law and the principles of the British constitution.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/sc_signers_thomas_lynch.html|title=The Signers of the Declaration of Independence from South Carolina - Thomas Lynch, Jr.|website=www.carolana.com|access-date=2016-11-16}}</ref> |
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After eight years away from America, Lynch Jr. returned to South Carolina in 1772. Although his father had dreamed of his being in law, Lynch Jr. decided to end his pursuit of that profession. |
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===Marriage and family=== |
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| ⚫ | Lynch Jr. married Paige Shubrick on May 14, 1772.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2009/09/paige-shubrick-lynch.html|title=paige Lynch: Wife of Declaration Signer Thomas Lynch Jr.|last=MacLean|first=Maggie|date=2009-09-11|website=History of American Women|access-date=2016-11-30}}</ref> |
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Following their marriage, the couple lived at Peach Tree Plantation, which was located near his homeland plantation.<ref name=":3" /> He enjoyed managing the cultivation of crops at the plantation, which was dependent on the labor of numerous enslaved African Americans. Lynch Jr. remained active in political affairs in his community.<ref name=":3" /> |
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His father died from a stroke in December 1776. His widowed mother later married South Carolina Governor [[William Moultrie]], another influential political figure. |
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His sister Sabina Hope Lynch married James Hamilton, also of the planter class. One of their sons was [[James Hamilton Jr.]], who was elected as governor of South Carolina in 1830. |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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Lynch was elected a member of the Provincial Congress on February 11, 1775. This committee was formed to prepare a plan of government and represent the people of South Carolina. Lynch served alongside [[Charles Cotesworth Pinckney]], [[John Rutledge]], [[Charles Pinckney (governor)|Charles Pinckney]], [[Henry Laurens]], [[Christopher Gadsden]], [[Rawlins Lowndes]], [[Arthur Middleton]], [[Henry Middleton]], [[Thomas Bee]], and [[Thomas Heyward Jr.]] in the Provincial Congress.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=The South Carolina Constitution of 1776|journal=The South Carolina Historical Magazine|volume=77|issue=2}}</ref> This group formed the South Carolina constitution. Many people objected to this document including the Continental Congress. It stood as a temporary constitution as many believed there would be reconciliation with Great Britain.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lipscomb|first=Terry W.|date=1976-01-01|title=The South Carolina Constitution of 1776|jstor=27567384|journal=The South Carolina Historical Magazine|volume=77|issue=2|pages=138–141}}</ref> |
Lynch was elected a member of the Provincial Congress on February 11, 1775. This committee was formed to prepare a plan of government and represent the people of South Carolina. Lynch served alongside [[Charles Cotesworth Pinckney]], [[John Rutledge]], [[Charles Pinckney (governor)|Charles Pinckney]], [[Henry Laurens]], [[Christopher Gadsden]], [[Rawlins Lowndes]], [[Arthur Middleton]], [[Henry Middleton]], [[Thomas Bee]], and [[Thomas Heyward Jr.]] in the Provincial Congress.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=The South Carolina Constitution of 1776|journal=The South Carolina Historical Magazine|volume=77|issue=2}}</ref> This group formed the South Carolina constitution. Many people objected to this document including the Continental Congress. It stood as a temporary constitution as many believed there would be reconciliation with Great Britain.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lipscomb|first=Terry W.|date=1976-01-01|title=The South Carolina Constitution of 1776|jstor=27567384|journal=The South Carolina Historical Magazine|volume=77|issue=2|pages=138–141}}</ref> |
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Lynch became a company commander in the First South Carolina regiment on June 12, 1775. He was commissioned by the Provincial Congress. After being appointed, he gathered men and led a march into Charlestown, South Carolina. Amid the march, he became very sick with a bilious fever which prevented him from continuing.<ref name=":0" /> When he recovered, he was unable to fulfill his position. During his recovery, he received news about his father's declining health.<ref name=":0" /> In hope that he could manage his father's illness, Lynch asked his commanding officer, [[Christopher Gadsden|Colonel Christopher Gadsden]], if he could travel to Philadelphia.<ref name=":0" /> His request was denied |
Lynch became a company commander in the First South Carolina regiment on June 12, 1775. He was commissioned by the Provincial Congress. After being appointed, he gathered men and led a march into Charlestown, South Carolina. Amid the march, he became very sick with a bilious fever which prevented him from continuing.<ref name=":0" /> When he recovered, he was unable to fulfill his position. During his recovery, he received news about his father's declining health.<ref name=":0" /> In hope that he could manage his father's illness, Lynch asked his commanding officer, [[Christopher Gadsden|Colonel Christopher Gadsden]], if he could travel to Philadelphia.<ref name=":0" /> His request was denied at first, but after receiving news of his election to the Continental Congress, he was allowed to travel to his father. |
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On March 23, 1776, the General Assembly of South Carolina named Lynch to the Continental Congress as a sixth delegate.<ref>{{cite book |title=Journal of the Provincial Congress of South Carolina, 1776|page=101}}</ref> Although he was ill, Lynch Jr. traveled to Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Lynch Sr. and Thomas Lynch Jr. were the only father and son to serve in the Continental Congress.<ref name=":0" /> |
On March 23, 1776, the General Assembly of South Carolina named Lynch Jr. to the Continental Congress as a sixth delegate.<ref>{{cite book |title=Journal of the Provincial Congress of South Carolina, 1776|page=101}}</ref> Although he was ill, Lynch Jr. traveled to Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Lynch Sr. and Thomas Lynch Jr. were the only father and son to serve successively in the Continental Congress.<ref name=":0" /> |
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Lynch Jr. was the second youngest delegate in the Continental Congress and filled in his father's place due to illness.<ref name="thehistoryjunkie.com" /> The youngest signer, South Carolinian [[Edward Rutledge]], was younger by three months.<ref>[https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=R000551 ''Congressional Record'']</ref><ref>[https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=L000535 ''Congressional Record'']</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Less than a month after signing the Declaration of Independence, Lynch threatened that South Carolina would secede from the United States |
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| ⚫ | Less than a month after signing the Declaration of Independence, Lynch Jr. threatened that South Carolina would secede from the United States; his threat expressed the interests of his constituents, the elite planter class. "If it is debated, whether their Slaves are their Property, there is an End of the Confederation."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tax Aversion and the Legacy of Slavery|last= Einhorn |first=Robin L.|url=https://press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/194876.html|access-date=2021-06-09|website=press.uchicago.edu|publisher=University of Chicago Press|date=n.d.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=John Adams diary 27, notes on Continental Congress, 13 May - 10 September 1776|url=https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=D27|publisher=Massachusetts History| date=n.d.| access-date=2021-06-09|website=www.masshist.org}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | After signing the Declaration of Independence, an ill Thomas Lynch Jr. set out for home with his ailing father. On the way to South Carolina, his father suffered a second stroke |
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| ⚫ | After signing the Declaration of Independence, an ill Thomas Lynch Jr. set out for home with his ailing father. On the way to South Carolina, his father suffered a second stroke. He died in [[Annapolis, Maryland]], in December 1776.<ref name=":1" /> Thomas Lynch Jr. retired in early 1777.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}<!-- Empty reference <ref name=":2" />--> |
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==Death== |
==Death== |
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Lynch suffered for two more years of illness in South Carolina, where he resided with his wife at Peachtree Plantation on the [[Santee River|South Santee River]]. Friends suggested that he travel to Europe in search for a different atmosphere.<ref name=":1" /> He and his wife sailed for respite on the brigantine ''Polly'' to [[Sint Eustatius|St. Eustatius]] in the [[West Indies]] on December 17, 1779.<ref>Fields, Joseph E. 1960. "A signer and his signatures, or The library of Thomas Lynch, Jr." ''Harvard Library Bulletin'' XIV (2), Spring 1960: 210-252.</ref> The ship is known to have disappeared shortly after. He and his wife were considered to have been lost at sea.<ref name=":3" /> At age 30, Lynch was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence to die. |
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==Family estate== |
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Before dying at sea, he made a will requiring that the heirs of his female relatives change their last name to Lynch in order to inherit his family estate.<ref name=":3" /> His sister, Sabina responded by changing her name. She and her husband owned and managed the Peachtree Plantation until their son was of age.<ref name=":3" /> Their son, John Bowman Lynch and his wife had three male children. Henry C. Lynch died in 1843 (1828-1843). Thomas B. Lynch died in the [[American Civil War]].<ref name=":3" />(1821-1864). James (N.M.) Lynch died in 1887 (1822-1887). Upon the death of Sabina, the estate passed to Lynch's youngest sister Aimeé Constance Dé'Illiard Drayton in accordance with his will that the estate remain in the family. |
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His will required that the heirs of his female relatives change their last name to Lynch in order to inherit a share of his family estate.<ref name=":3" /> At the time of his death, Thomas Lynch Jr. owned three plantations and held more than 250 enslaved African Americans, who were valued as personal property and part of the estate.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} |
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[[File:George Taylor signed autograph manuscript letter.jpg|thumb|The letter signed by Lynch Jr. and [[George Taylor (Pennsylvania politician)|George Taylor]] is dated November 1780, and refers to business in Taylor's trade of ironmongery.]] |
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His sister, Sabina, responded by changing her name and that of her descendants in order to inherit the estate. She and her husband owned and managed Peachtree Plantation until their son was of age.<ref name=":3" /> |
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Their son, John Bowman Lynch, and his wife had three sons. Henry C. Lynch (1828-1843) died before reaching adulthood. Thomas B. Lynch (1821-1864) died in the [[American Civil War]].<ref name=":3" /> James (N.M.) Lynch (1822-1887) lived the longest. |
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After Sabina Lynch died, the family estate passed to her youngest sister, Aimeé Constance Dé'Illiard Drayton. Thomas Lynch Jr. had specified that the estate should remain in the family. |
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==Legacy== |
==Legacy== |
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Lynch's birthplace was the [[Hopsewee|Hopsewee Plantation]]. It is on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and was declared a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1971. |
Lynch's birthplace was the [[Hopsewee|Hopsewee Plantation]]. It is on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and was declared a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1971. |
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In his 1856 book, |
In his 1856 book, ''Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence'', Rev. Charles A Goodrich lauds Lynch "as a man of exalted views and exalted moral worth". Goodrich continues: "In all the relations of life, whether as a husband, a friend, a patriot, or the master of the slave, he appeared conscious of his obligations, and found his pleasure in discharging them."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence|last=Goodrich|first=Rev. Charles|publisher=William Reed &Co.|year=1856|location=New York|pages=443–447}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Autographs by Thomas Lynch Jr. are among the rarest by [[Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence|signers of the Declaration of Independence]]. His time in Congress lasted less than a year, and for much of this time he was in poor health. Only a single letter has survived, along with a few signatures on historical documents.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The American Historical Review 52|last=Kirby|first=Thomas|year=1946|pages=101–103}}</ref> Many of his autographs have scattered, and others were lost in a fire.<ref name="justcollecting.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.justcollecting.com/miscellania/a-rare-declaration-of-independence-thomas-lynch-jrs-autograph-is-for-sale|title=A Rare Declaration Of Independence! Thomas Lynch Jr's Autograph Is For Sale|newspaper=JustCollecting|access-date=2016-11-16}}</ref> Today, Lynch's autograph sells for as much as $250,000.<ref name="justcollecting.com" /> |
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==In popular culture== |
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| ⚫ | Autographs by Thomas Lynch Jr. are among the rarest by [[Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence|signers of the Declaration of Independence]]. His time in Congress lasted less than a year, and much of this time |
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Lynch Jr. is played by Richard Bond in the 1938 film ''[[Declaration of Independence (film)|Declaration of Independence]]''. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea]] |
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* [[Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence]] |
* [[Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence]] |
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* {{cite web|url=http://www.dsdi1776.com/signers-by-state/thomas-lynch-jr/|title=Thomas Lynch Jr. - The Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence|date=11 December 2011}} |
* {{cite web|url=http://www.dsdi1776.com/signers-by-state/thomas-lynch-jr/|title=Thomas Lynch Jr. - The Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence|date=11 December 2011}} |
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{{USDecOfIndSig}}{{Authority control}} |
{{USDecOfIndSig}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Thomas Jr.}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Thomas Jr.}} |
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[[Category:1749 births]] |
[[Category:1749 births]] |
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[[Category:1770s missing person cases]] |
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[[Category:1779 deaths]] |
[[Category:1779 deaths]] |
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[[Category:18th-century American politicians]] |
[[Category:18th-century American politicians]] |
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[[Category:Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]] |
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[[Category:American revolutionaries]] |
[[Category:American revolutionaries]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]] |
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[[Category:American slave owners]] |
[[Category:American slave owners]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Continental Congressmen from South Carolina]] |
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[[Category:Members of the Middle Temple]] |
[[Category:Members of the Middle Temple]] |
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[[Category:People educated at Eton College]] |
[[Category:People educated at Eton College]] |
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[[Category:People from Georgetown, South Carolina]] |
[[Category:People from Georgetown, South Carolina]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:People lost at sea]] |
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[[Category:Founding Fathers of the United States]] |
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Revision as of 15:41, 11 April 2024
Thomas Lynch Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 5, 1749 |
| Disappeared | December 17, 1779 Atlantic Ocean |
| Occupation | Planter |
| Known for | Signing the Declaration of Independence |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Shubrick[1] |
| Signature | |
 | |
Thomas Lynch Jr. (August 5, 1749 – December 17, 1779) was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of South Carolina and a Founding Father of the United States. His father Thomas Lynch was a member of the Continental Congress and had signed the 1774 Continental Association. When he had to step down because of illness, Thomas Lynch Jr. was selected to fill his post.
Early life
Lynch Jr. was born at Hopsewee Plantation in Prince George Parish, Winyah, in what is now Georgetown, South Carolina. He was the third child and first son of Thomas Lynch and his wife, Beverly (née Allston) Lynch. He had two older sisters, named Sabina and Esther, who were born in 1747 and 1748, respectively.
Their mother was the daughter of Gilliém Marshall Dé'Illiard of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, and his wife. Dé'Illiard's brother George William Dilliard settled in Virginia. He is credited with changing the Dilliard name to its current anglicized spelling.[2]
Dilliard introduced Beverly Dé'Illiard and Thomas Lynch during a ball held at the childhood home of John Drayton Sr., Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina. Also in attendance were prominent families such as the Middletons, Randolphs, and Rutledge.[2]
Thomas and Beverly Lynch's younger daughter, Aimeé Constance, was born in 1755. She later married John Drayton.[2]
Lynch's grandfather was Jonas Lynch from the County Galway ancestral line. The Lynch family were expelled from Ireland following their defeat in the Irish wars of William of Orange.[3]
Lynch Sr. had emigrated from Kent, England, to South Carolina.[4] He served as a prominent figure in South Carolina politics, which contributed to his descendants' access to higher education and wealth.[5]
Education
Lynch Jr. was schooled at the Indigo Society School in Georgetown, South Carolina. His parents sent him to England for higher studies. He received honors at Eton College and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.[1]
Lynch Jr. studied law and political philosophy at the Middle Temple in London. His father admired English education and encouraged him to remain in Great Britain to study law and the principles of the British constitution.[4]
After eight years away from America, Lynch Jr. returned to South Carolina in 1772. Although his father had dreamed of his being in law, Lynch Jr. decided to end his pursuit of that profession.
Marriage and family
Lynch Jr. married Paige Shubrick on May 14, 1772.[6]
Following their marriage, the couple lived at Peach Tree Plantation, which was located near his homeland plantation.[6] He enjoyed managing the cultivation of crops at the plantation, which was dependent on the labor of numerous enslaved African Americans. Lynch Jr. remained active in political affairs in his community.[6]
His father died from a stroke in December 1776. His widowed mother later married South Carolina Governor William Moultrie, another influential political figure.
His sister Sabina Hope Lynch married James Hamilton, also of the planter class. One of their sons was James Hamilton Jr., who was elected as governor of South Carolina in 1830.
Career
Lynch was elected a member of the Provincial Congress on February 11, 1775. This committee was formed to prepare a plan of government and represent the people of South Carolina. Lynch served alongside Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, Henry Laurens, Christopher Gadsden, Rawlins Lowndes, Arthur Middleton, Henry Middleton, Thomas Bee, and Thomas Heyward Jr. in the Provincial Congress.[7] This group formed the South Carolina constitution. Many people objected to this document including the Continental Congress. It stood as a temporary constitution as many believed there would be reconciliation with Great Britain.[8]
Lynch became a company commander in the First South Carolina regiment on June 12, 1775. He was commissioned by the Provincial Congress. After being appointed, he gathered men and led a march into Charlestown, South Carolina. Amid the march, he became very sick with a bilious fever which prevented him from continuing.[4] When he recovered, he was unable to fulfill his position. During his recovery, he received news about his father's declining health.[4] In hope that he could manage his father's illness, Lynch asked his commanding officer, Colonel Christopher Gadsden, if he could travel to Philadelphia.[4] His request was denied at first, but after receiving news of his election to the Continental Congress, he was allowed to travel to his father.
On March 23, 1776, the General Assembly of South Carolina named Lynch Jr. to the Continental Congress as a sixth delegate.[9] Although he was ill, Lynch Jr. traveled to Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Lynch Sr. and Thomas Lynch Jr. were the only father and son to serve successively in the Continental Congress.[4]
Lynch Jr. was the second youngest delegate in the Continental Congress and filled in his father's place due to illness.[5] The youngest signer, South Carolinian Edward Rutledge, was younger by three months.[10][11]
Less than a month after signing the Declaration of Independence, Lynch Jr. threatened that South Carolina would secede from the United States; his threat expressed the interests of his constituents, the elite planter class. "If it is debated, whether their Slaves are their Property, there is an End of the Confederation."[12][13]
After signing the Declaration of Independence, an ill Thomas Lynch Jr. set out for home with his ailing father. On the way to South Carolina, his father suffered a second stroke. He died in Annapolis, Maryland, in December 1776.[2] Thomas Lynch Jr. retired in early 1777.[citation needed]
Death
Lynch suffered for two more years of illness in South Carolina, where he resided with his wife at Peachtree Plantation on the South Santee River. Friends suggested that he travel to Europe in search for a different atmosphere.[2] He and his wife sailed for respite on the brigantine Polly to St. Eustatius in the West Indies on December 17, 1779.[14] The ship is known to have disappeared shortly after. He and his wife were considered to have been lost at sea.[6] At age 30, Lynch was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence to die.
Family estate
His will required that the heirs of his female relatives change their last name to Lynch in order to inherit a share of his family estate.[6] At the time of his death, Thomas Lynch Jr. owned three plantations and held more than 250 enslaved African Americans, who were valued as personal property and part of the estate.[citation needed]
His sister, Sabina, responded by changing her name and that of her descendants in order to inherit the estate. She and her husband owned and managed Peachtree Plantation until their son was of age.[6]
Their son, John Bowman Lynch, and his wife had three sons. Henry C. Lynch (1828-1843) died before reaching adulthood. Thomas B. Lynch (1821-1864) died in the American Civil War.[6] James (N.M.) Lynch (1822-1887) lived the longest.
After Sabina Lynch died, the family estate passed to her youngest sister, Aimeé Constance Dé'Illiard Drayton. Thomas Lynch Jr. had specified that the estate should remain in the family.
Legacy
Lynch's birthplace was the Hopsewee Plantation. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971.
In his 1856 book, Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence, Rev. Charles A Goodrich lauds Lynch "as a man of exalted views and exalted moral worth". Goodrich continues: "In all the relations of life, whether as a husband, a friend, a patriot, or the master of the slave, he appeared conscious of his obligations, and found his pleasure in discharging them."[15]
Autographs by Thomas Lynch Jr. are among the rarest by signers of the Declaration of Independence. His time in Congress lasted less than a year, and for much of this time he was in poor health. Only a single letter has survived, along with a few signatures on historical documents.[16] Many of his autographs have scattered, and others were lost in a fire.[17] Today, Lynch's autograph sells for as much as $250,000.[17]
In popular culture
Lynch Jr. is played by Richard Bond in the 1938 film Declaration of Independence.
See also
- List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea
- Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence
References
- ^ a b "Lynch, Thomas (LNC767T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ a b c d e "Hopsewee Heritage: The Lynch Family" (PDF). Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ^ "Thomas Lynch, Jr., signer of the "Declaration of Independence"".
- ^ a b c d e f "The Signers of the Declaration of Independence from South Carolina - Thomas Lynch, Jr". www.carolana.com. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^ a b "Thomas Lynch Jr | Facts, Biography, Death, Accomplishments, Signer". The History Junkie. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g MacLean, Maggie (11 September 2009). "paige Lynch: Wife of Declaration Signer Thomas Lynch Jr". History of American Women. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ^ "The South Carolina Constitution of 1776". The South Carolina Historical Magazine. 77 (2).
- ^ Lipscomb, Terry W. (1 January 1976). "The South Carolina Constitution of 1776". The South Carolina Historical Magazine. 77 (2): 138–141. JSTOR 27567384.
- ^ Journal of the Provincial Congress of South Carolina, 1776. p. 101.
- ^ Congressional Record
- ^ Congressional Record
- ^ Einhorn, Robin L. (n.d.). "Tax Aversion and the Legacy of Slavery". press.uchicago.edu. University of Chicago Press. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ "John Adams diary 27, notes on Continental Congress, 13 May - 10 September 1776". www.masshist.org. Massachusetts History. n.d. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ Fields, Joseph E. 1960. "A signer and his signatures, or The library of Thomas Lynch, Jr." Harvard Library Bulletin XIV (2), Spring 1960: 210-252.
- ^ Goodrich, Rev. Charles (1856). Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence. New York: William Reed &Co. pp. 443–447.
- ^ Kirby, Thomas (1946). The American Historical Review 52. pp. 101–103.
- ^ a b "A Rare Declaration Of Independence! Thomas Lynch Jr's Autograph Is For Sale". JustCollecting. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
External links
- United States Congress. "Thomas Lynch Jr. (id: L000535)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Hopsewee Plantation
- "Signers of the Declaration of Independence: Thomas Lynch Jr".
- "Thomas Lynch Jr. - The Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence". 11 December 2011.
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
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- 1749 births
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- 1779 deaths
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