William Lynch (Lynch law)
- William Lynch (Lynch law)
Captain William Lynch (1742–1820) was a man from Pittsylvania County, Virginia, who claimed to be the source of the terms "lynch law" and "lynching". He is not the William Lynch who allegedly made the William Lynch Speech in 1712, as the date on this apocryphal speech precedes Lynch's birth by thirty years.
Lynch's Law
The term "Lynch's Law" was used as early as 1782 by a prominent Virginian named Charles Lynch to describe his actions in suppressing a suspected Loyalist uprising in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War.[Brent Tarter. "Lynch, Charles". "American National Biography Online", February 2000.] The suspects were given a summary trial at an informal court; sentences handed down included whipping, property seizure, coerced pledges of allegiance, and conscription into the military. Charles Lynch's extralegal actions were retroactively legitimized by the Virginia General Assembly in 1782.]In 1811, Captain William Lynch claimed that the phrase "Lynch's Law", by then famous, actually came from a 1780 compact signed by him and his neighbours in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, to uphold their own brand of law independent of legal authority. The obscurity of the Pittsylvania County compact compared to the well-known actions of Charles Lynch casts doubt on it being the source of the phrase.
What was purported to be the text of the Pittsylvania agreement was later printed in the "Southern Literary Messenger" (2 [May 1836] : 389). However, the Pittsylvania County alliance, if it was formed at all, was so obscure compared to the well-known suppression of the uprising in southwestern Virginia that Charles Lynch's use of the phrase makes it seem most probable that it was derived from his actions, not from William Lynch's.
The compact published in the "Southern Literary Messenger" that proposed William Lynch as the originator of "lynch law" may have been a hoax perpetrated by Edgar Allan Poe. [Christopher Waldrep, "The Many Faces of Judge Lynch: Extralegal Violence and Punishment in America", Macmillan, 2002, p. 21.]
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lynch law — n [after William Lynch (1742–1820), American vigilante]: the punishment of presumed crimes usu. by death without due process of law Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. lynch law … Law dictionary
William Lynch — is a name appearing on more than one page:*William Lynch (Lynch law), (1742–1820), a man who claimed to be the basic cause of the lynch law term.* William F. Lynch, (1801 1865), a captain in the Virginia Navy, who commanded southern forces during … Wikipedia
lynch law — lynch′ law n. the administration of summary punishment, esp. death, upon a presumed offender by a mob • Etymology: 1805–15, after the self instituted tribunals presided over by William Lynch (1742–1820) of Pittsylvania, Va., c1776 … From formal English to slang
William Lynch Speech — NOTOC The William (or Willie) Lynch Speech (or Letter) is an address purportedly delivered by William Lynch to an audience on the bank of the James River in Virginia in 1712 regarding control of slaves within the colony.cite web… … Wikipedia
William Lynch — Loi de Lynch Lynchage en 1774 Un certain William Lynch (1736 1796), « patriote » de Virginie, décida de « réformer » la façon dont la justice était appliquée dans sa région durant les prolégomènes de la guerre d indépendance.… … Wikipédia en Français
lynch law — /ˈlɪntʃ lɔ/ (say linch law) noun the administration of summary punishment, especially death, upon an offender (actual or reputed) by private persons acting in concert without authority of law. {originally Lynch s law; named after Captain William… …
lynch law — noun Etymology: William Lynch died 1820 American vigilante Date: 1811 the punishment of presumed crimes or offenses usually by death without due process of law … New Collegiate Dictionary
lynch law — the administration of summary punishment, esp. death, upon a suspected, accused, or convicted person by a mob acting without legal process or authority. [1805 15, Amer.; after the self instituted tribunals presided over by William Lynch (1742… … Universalium
Lynch — , LYNCH LAW Lynch law is mob law, condemnation without due process as required by the Constitution. The victim of a trial by a vigilante committee was usually given summary execution. Word historians have been perturbed by the history of … Dictionary of eponyms
lynch — (v.) 1835, from earlier Lynch law (1811), likely named after William Lynch (1742 1820) of Pittsylvania, Virginia, who c.1780 led a vigilance committee to keep order there during the Revolution. Other sources trace the name to Charles Lynch (1736… … Etymology dictionary
