I wanted to add a little note about my great-grandmother Sarah Ann Thompson Lynch. I've been told that her nickname was "Money". She was born September 22, 1839 and died April 16, 1930. Sarah was the daughter of William Balum Thompson and Sarah Elizabeth Huff. William Balum Thompson was the son of Patrick Thompson, who came to America from Ireland shortly after the American Revolution.

Jarratt Grief Lynch

Jarratt Grief Lynch, also known as simpy "Grief" was my great-grandfather. He was born June 2, 1811 in Hancock, Georgia. He married Sarah Ann Thompson on August 13, 1868 in Jasper County, Georgia. In an 1850 census, Grief's is listed as being a farmer. He enlisted June 1864, Macon, Georgia in Co. D 5th Georgia Militia.

Grief and Sarah Ann had four children:

1.) William Henry Lynch (Nov. 29, 1869 - August 11, 1955)

2.) Seaborn Grief Lynch (Jan. 19, 1873 - June 20, 1967)

3.) Dixon Fleetwood Lynch (August 21, 1876 - March 29, 1960)

4.) Edwin Clifford Lynch (May 14, 1880 - April 2, 1956)

Jarratt Grief Lynch died on December 26, 1890 and is buried at the old Lynch Homeplace on Clay Road, in Monticello, Georgia.

Jarratt Lynch in Georgia

Jarratt Lynch, son of William Lynch, was born June 6, 1781 in Brunswick County, Virginia. He travelled to Georgia with several of his brothers and other members of the family in the early 1800s. My cousin Bill Lynch believes that he moved to Georgia around 1811. He married Sarah Thomas on May 15, 1807. They lived for a time in Putnam County, Georgia, but eventually purchased land in Jasper County, Georgia in 1823 and were living there at the time of the 1830 census. Jarratt and Sarah had 10 children:

1.) Ephraim Lynch

2.)Mary Lynch

3.) Jarratt Grief Lynch

4.) Rinza Lynch

5.)Fleet Lynch

6.)Zaccheus Lynch

7.)Sackville Lynch

8.)Melvina Lynch

9.)Nancy Lynch

10.)Martha Lynch

In an 1850 census, Jarratt is listed as age 70 and his occupation is given as a carpenter. Also living with him is his wife Sarah (age 66), his son Grief (age 34) and his daughter Martha (age 22).

In an 1860 census we find Jarratt at age 80 with real estate valued at $2000 and personal property worth $8000.

A putnam County, Georgia 1815 tax record shows that Jarratt owned 56 acres in Captain Roper's district.

Jarrratt married a second time to Francis Brandon on December 28, 1862. He died June 26, 1864 in Monticello, Georgia.

William Lynch Sr. and William Lynch Jr.

Although there is no birth record for William Lynch, son of John Lynch, it is likely that he was born around 1715 in Bertie County, North Carolina. Not much is known about his life, except that he married Rachel Steed sometime before 1733. She was the daughter of Francis Steed, who was a neighbor of John Lynch in Brunswick County, Virginia. William shows up first when he serves as proxy to his father on a land deed in 1749. William Lynch Sr. died October 4, 1762 in Brunswick County, Virginia.

His son William Lynch, Jr. was believed to have been born in 1752. It is not believed that William Lynch Sr. and Rachel Steed ever had any other children. As was common in colonial times, William never learned to read or write. During the days of the American Revolution, William Lynch would marry and build a dynasty of Lynches! There is a list of men who served in the Revolutionary War on the wall of the Brunswick County Courthouse, and included is the name of William Lynch. We also find him on the list of "Revolutionary Patriots of Brunswick County, Virginia" that is framed and hangs on the wall of the Register of Deeds Office in Lawrenceville, Virginia. By an act of the Virginia Assembly that was passed on February 9, 1827, William Lynch was excused from paying taxes because he was a "useful and upright citizen".

Perhaps the most astonishing thing about William Lynch Jr. is that he was married 4 times, and father 34 legitimate children. His first wife was Eliza Grief. His second wife's name is not known. His third wife was Nancy Wright. His fourth wife was named Elizabeth, though her surname is not known. Precise birth and death dates are not known for all of his children.

1.)Anselm Lynch
2.)Edgar Lynch
3.) George Lynch
4.) Jones Lynch
5.) Rachel Steed Lynch
6.) Smith Lynch
7.) William Lynch
8.) Adin Lynch
9.) Faith Coleman Lynch
10.) Sion Lynch
11.) Syrach Lynch
12.)Lewis Lynch
13.)Laxton Lynch
14.)Nancy Clack Lynch
15.)Jarratt Lynch
16.) Grief Lynch
17.)Mary Harmon Lynch
18.) Lemuel Lynch
19.) Asbury Lynch
20.) Aggie Barefoot lynch
21.)Thintchum Lynch
22.)Warren G. Lynch
23.) Joseph A. Lynch
24.) Andrew W. Lynch
25.)John Lynch
26.)Edlow Lynch
27.)James H. Lynch
28.) Viney Lynch
29.)Meredith Lynch
30.) Chancey Lynch
31.)Gilbert Lynch
32.) Gray Lynch
33.) Clack Lynch

It is not known if all of his children survived infancy, but infant mortality rates at the time were extremely high.

William Lynch Jr.'s will is dated January 1, 1833 and it is believed he died in 1737.

John Lynch - An Irishman in Virginia

It is not precisely known when John Lynch (my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather) came from Galway, Ireland to America, but most family history researchers agree that it was sometime between 1650 and 1700. All I can say for certain that this important ancestor of mine was one of the first settlers of our great nation. Life in Virginia during colonial times was not easy, but John Lynch obtained land grants and settled in the area that is today Brunswick County. According to the book "The Lynch Mob", John Lynch obtained a patent for 290 acres of land in February of 1723, in Surrey County. Three years later he added another 30 acres. Within another 3 months, his increased his land holdings by another 230 acres. By 1733 John Lynch owned 1,070 acres of land in Brunswick County, Virginia.

But in time he began selling off his land, eventually selling his entire estate. He then moved to Granville County, North Carolina in 1748, though he still traveled back to Virginia on occassion for court proceedings. He lived the remainder of his life in North Carolina with his wife Elizabeth. His will was probated in December 1757. According to his will, John and Elizabeth Lynch had 4 children - Elizabeth, Nellie, John, and William.