Thomas Heyward Jr.

About

Best remembered as a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of both the Articles of Confederation and the Declaration of Independence, this South Carolina-born political figure also had a twenty-year career as a judge.

Before Fame

After growing up in St. Luke's Parish, South Carolina, he studied law in England.

Trivia

He was imprisoned by British troops during the 1780 Siege of Charleston.

Family Life

His marriage to Elizabeth Matthews resulted in one surviving son, Daniel (five other children passed away in infancy or childhood, and Elizabeth died while giving birth in the early 1780s). His second marriage, to Elizabeth Savage, produced three children: William, Elizabeth, and Thomas.

Associated With

He and Maine-born political leader William Whipple were both signers of the Declaration of Independence.