Finding Aid to the John Lynch Collection
Text
JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
JOHN LYNCH (1740–1820) COLLECTION
BOX 1
1-1 Land grant from John & Mary LYNCH, Achilles DOUGLAS &
Ashby JOHNSON for the Friends' Meeting House (1791)
1-2 Petitions from Lynch to the Virginia General assembly seeking
permission to establish the town of Lynchburg (1784 & 1786)
1-3 Land grant of 450 acres of Campbell County lands to Lynch, 23 July
1793
1-4 Letter from Lynch to President George Washington requesting the
building of a school in Lynchburg (1796)
1-5 Deed to the City Cemetery from John & Mary Lynch, 7 March 1806
1-6 Will of John Lynch, Sr. (1820)
1-7 Deeds of John Lynch, Sr. to heirs
1-8 Data on the family of John & Mary BOWLES LYNCH
1-9 Plat drawings of LYNCH property
1-10 Photograph of the grave marker of John Lynch
1-11 Deeds by John & Mary Lynch to Lynchburg
1-12 Lynchburg Mills deeds, etc.
1-13 Speech on J. Lynch, given by Dr. H.D. Brown
1-14 Newspaper clippings concerning John Lynch
1-15 Deed of John & Mary Lynch to Elias Fisher
1-16 Deed of J. & M. Lynch to Sterling Claiborne
1-17 Slave of John C. Lynch ["Bob"] freed
1-18 Lynch v. Lynch chancery suit
1-19 John Lynch miscellany
MS1936
JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
JOHN LYNCH (1740–1820) COLLECTION
JOHN LYNCH (c.1740-1820)
John Lynch was born circa 1740, the son of Irish immigrant Charles Lynch and his
wife, Sarah Clark. He was one of six children, including Colonel Charles Lynch and Sara
Lynch (Terrell). John was described by a neighbor, Louisa Davis, as being very tall and
erect in his adult years. She further notes that he was of fair complexion, clean shaven,
and that his hair was gray.
John was the founder of the town of Lynchburg, which grew up along the James River
at Lynch's Ferry.
Like his mother, John Lynch was an active member of the Society of Friends' South
River Meeting. His marriage to Mary Bowles is recorded in their records, along with
mention of his having served as both clerk and overseer of the meeting. He was the donor
of the land for the meetinghouse and cemetery.
John Lynch died on 31 October 1820, and is buried in the cemetery beside the South
River Meeting House.
SOURCE: Scruggs, Philip Lightfoot. The History of Lynchburg, Virginia, 1748–1946 Lynchburg, VA:
J.P. Bell Co., 1971; p. xv; Hinshaw, William W. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Ann
Arbor, MI: Edwards Brothers, 1950
MS1936
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
JOHN LYNCH (1740–1820) COLLECTION
BOX 1
1-1 Land grant from John & Mary LYNCH, Achilles DOUGLAS &
Ashby JOHNSON for the Friends' Meeting House (1791)
1-2 Petitions from Lynch to the Virginia General assembly seeking
permission to establish the town of Lynchburg (1784 & 1786)
1-3 Land grant of 450 acres of Campbell County lands to Lynch, 23 July
1793
1-4 Letter from Lynch to President George Washington requesting the
building of a school in Lynchburg (1796)
1-5 Deed to the City Cemetery from John & Mary Lynch, 7 March 1806
1-6 Will of John Lynch, Sr. (1820)
1-7 Deeds of John Lynch, Sr. to heirs
1-8 Data on the family of John & Mary BOWLES LYNCH
1-9 Plat drawings of LYNCH property
1-10 Photograph of the grave marker of John Lynch
1-11 Deeds by John & Mary Lynch to Lynchburg
1-12 Lynchburg Mills deeds, etc.
1-13 Speech on J. Lynch, given by Dr. H.D. Brown
1-14 Newspaper clippings concerning John Lynch
1-15 Deed of John & Mary Lynch to Elias Fisher
1-16 Deed of J. & M. Lynch to Sterling Claiborne
1-17 Slave of John C. Lynch ["Bob"] freed
1-18 Lynch v. Lynch chancery suit
1-19 John Lynch miscellany
MS1936
JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
JOHN LYNCH (1740–1820) COLLECTION
JOHN LYNCH (c.1740-1820)
John Lynch was born circa 1740, the son of Irish immigrant Charles Lynch and his
wife, Sarah Clark. He was one of six children, including Colonel Charles Lynch and Sara
Lynch (Terrell). John was described by a neighbor, Louisa Davis, as being very tall and
erect in his adult years. She further notes that he was of fair complexion, clean shaven,
and that his hair was gray.
John was the founder of the town of Lynchburg, which grew up along the James River
at Lynch's Ferry.
Like his mother, John Lynch was an active member of the Society of Friends' South
River Meeting. His marriage to Mary Bowles is recorded in their records, along with
mention of his having served as both clerk and overseer of the meeting. He was the donor
of the land for the meetinghouse and cemetery.
John Lynch died on 31 October 1820, and is buried in the cemetery beside the South
River Meeting House.
SOURCE: Scruggs, Philip Lightfoot. The History of Lynchburg, Virginia, 1748–1946 Lynchburg, VA:
J.P. Bell Co., 1971; p. xv; Hinshaw, William W. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Ann
Arbor, MI: Edwards Brothers, 1950
MS1936
Dublin Core
Title
Finding Aid to the John Lynch Collection
Subject
Finding aids
Lynch, John
Description
Finding aid to the John Lynch Collection held at Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, Virginia. The collection includes land grants, petitions, letters, deeds, plat drawings, photographs, speeches, clippings and other materials related to John Lynch, founder of Lynchburg.
Creator
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)
Publisher
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)
Date
2024
Rights
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.)
Format
pdf
Language
English
Identifier
JMLMS1936FA
Collection
Citation
George M. Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Va.), “Finding Aid to the John Lynch Collection,” Digital Collections, accessed April 27, 2024, https://digitaljones.omeka.net/items/show/677.