- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
Thomas Heyward Jr.
Thomas Heyward Jr. was born in St. Luke’s Parish, South Carolina, in 1746. He was educated in law in England and returned to America with strong republican principles. He soon entered public life and became a member of the Provincial Congress of South Carolina.
He was elected to the Continental Congress in 1776, and was present at the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, to which he affixed his signature. He also signed the Articles of Confederation and was active in the defense of Charleston during the Revolutionary War.
Heyward was captured by the British in 1780 and held as a prisoner in St. Augustine, Florida, until exchanged. After the war, he served as a judge and continued to contribute to the civic life of South Carolina.
He died March 6, 1809, in the sixty-third year of his age.
Source:
Lossing, Benson J. The Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1855. Patriot Echoes Archive
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