Thomas Broughton (Governor)

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Thomas Broughton (* around 1668 in County Durham , England ; † November 22, 1737 in Berkeley County , in what would later become the US state of South Carolina ) was a colonial governor of the Province of South Carolina .

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Thomas Broughton was a son of Andrew and Ann Overton Broughton. Nothing is known about his youth and school education. He later lived in the West Indies , possibly the Antilles . From there he moved to what was then the English territory of what is now the US state of South Carolina. His presence there can be proven for the first time in 1692, when he took an oath of allegiance to the English royal couple Wilhelm III. and Mary II took off . He married Ann Johnson, a daughter of Colonial Governor Nathaniel Johnson and sister of Robert Johnson . He was the son-in-law and brother-in-law of each colonial governor of South Carolina.

From 1696 Broughton was politically active in South Carolina. He was several times a member of the colonial parliament, whose president (speaker) he was at times. He was also a member of the militia, in which he rose to major general. In addition, Thomas Broughton held several local offices. After the death of Governor Edward Tynte in 1710, he was considered the most promising candidate for his successor. The office was then given to Robert Gibbes with the help of bribes . As a result, there was rivalry between Gibbs and Broughton and their supporters. This led to riot in the colony in the meantime. Gibbes was able to keep his office until the arrival of the new regular governor Charles Craven (March 19, 1712). On the other hand, Broughton was also not free from allegations of bribery. In 1708 he was charged with corruption in connection with the Indian trade, but acquitted. In the years following his defeat at the governor's appointment in 1710, he continued his career in the colony's civil service. He also managed four plantations. Among them was the Mulberry Plantation .

From 1729 Thomas Broughton was Deputy Colonial Governor. After the death of his brother-in-law Robert Johnson, who held the office of colonial governor at the time, Broughton moved up to the highest colonial office due to his position as vice governor. He held this office provisionally between May 1735 and his death on November 22, 1737. During this time there were disputes, particularly because of the Indian trade with the young neighboring colony, the later US state of Georgia .

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personal data
SURNAME Broughton, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British politician, Governor of the Province of South Carolina
DATE OF BIRTH around 1668
PLACE OF BIRTH County Durham , England
DATE OF DEATH November 22, 1737
Place of death Berkeley County , South Carolina