Thomas Lynch

Thomas Lynch Jr. was a South Carolina representative who signed the United States Declaration of Independence. The supplied notes place his birth on 5 August 1749 at Hopseewee Plantation in Prince George Parish, Winyah, in present-day Georgetown, South Carolina. They describe his education in South Carolina and England, his 1772 marriage to Elizabeth Shubrick, and his later public role. The record contains a major conflict concerning his death year: the profile lists 1799, while the notes state 1779.

Thomas Lynch Jr. was born on 5 August 1749 at Hopseewee Plantation in Prince George Parish, Winyah, in what is now Georgetown, South Carolina. He was the son of Thomas Lynch and Elizabeth Allston Lynch. His parents had two daughters before his birth, Sabina, born in 1747, and Esther, born in 1748.

The family notes state that the Lynch family originally emigrated from Austria to Kent, England, then moved to Ireland and later to South Carolina. This migration account should be treated as family tradition unless supported by additional records. Thomas Lynch Sr. was described as a prominent figure in South Carolina politics, and the notes attribute Thomas Jr.'s educational opportunities and family wealth in part to his father's position.

Thomas attended the Indigo Society School in Georgetown before being sent to England. According to the supplied notes, he received honors at Eton College and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and later studied law and political philosophy at the Middle Temple in London. His father encouraged him to remain in Great Britain to study law and the principles of the British constitution.

After eight years away from America, Thomas returned to South Carolina in 1772. Although his father had hoped he would pursue the law, Thomas decided not to continue toward a legal profession. On 14 May 1772, he married Elizabeth Shubrick. The notes describe them as high school sweethearts. Following their marriage, they lived at Peach Tree Plantation, near Hopseewee Plantation. He cultivated the land while remaining involved in political discussion within his community.

Thomas Lynch Jr. served as a representative of South Carolina and signed the United States Declaration of Independence. The notes state that his father was unable to sign the Declaration because of illness.

The supplied notes state that Thomas's father died following a stroke. They also state that his widowed mother later married South Carolina Governor William Moultrie. His sister Elizabeth Lynch married James Hamilton, and their son, James Hamilton Jr., became governor of South Carolina in 1830.

The profile gives Thomas Lynch's life dates as 5 August 1749 to 1799. However, the original family-tree notes identify him as Thomas Lynch Jr. and give his death year as 1779. This discrepancy requires resolution from reliable records before a single death date is presented as certain.

Historical context

Thomas Lynch Jr.'s signature on the United States Declaration of Independence placed him among the South Carolina representatives associated with that document. His education in England and later return to South Carolina occurred during a period in which colonial political ties to Great Britain were under increasing strain.

Sources & research

Thomas Lynch Jr., Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Lynch_Jr.