Thomas Lynch (statesman)

Thomas Lynch (1749-1779) was an American planter, lawyer, and statesman who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress from South Carolina. He was a signatory of the Declaration of Independence, representing the colony.

Lynch was born in Hopsewee, Prince George's Parish, South Carolina. He was educated at Eton College and Cambridge University in England, studying law. Upon returning to South Carolina, he practiced law and became involved in colonial politics.

He was elected to the South Carolina Provincial Congress and later chosen as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1776, replacing his ailing father, Thomas Lynch Sr. His tenure in Congress was relatively short due to his own declining health. He resigned in 1777 and returned to South Carolina.

Lynch and his wife were lost at sea in late 1779 while sailing to St. Eustatius in the West Indies, seeking a warmer climate in hopes of improving his health. He was one of the youngest signatories of the Declaration of Independence. His family's estate was heavily impacted by the Revolutionary War.