 thumb|right|300px|map of the colony of virginia during the pre-revolutionary era. charles lynch (1736-1796) was a virginia planter, politician, and american revolutionary who headed an irregular court in virginia to punish loyalist supporters of the british during the american revolutionary war. the terms "lynching" and "lynch law" are said by some to derive from his name, although this is disputed. ==biography== ===early years=== charles lynch was born in 1736 at an estate known as chestnut hill on the banks of the james river in virginia, a place at which his elder brother would later establish the town of lynchburg.thomas walker page, "the real judge lynch," the atlantic monthly, vol. 88, whole no. 530 (december 1901), pg. 732. lynch's father left his native ireland and emigrated to the english colony of virginia in about 1725 as an indentured servant, called a "redemptioner" in the nomenclature of the day. upon arrival in the new world, lynch was sold to a wealthy planter living in caroline county. lynch remained with the planter for his fixed term of servitude, winning in the process not only his freedom but the hand of his daughter, sarah clark, in marriage. with the financial assistance of the elder clark, the lynches themselves became planters of tobacco on a large scale, farming well over 7,000 acres of virginia land. sometime between charles' birth in 1736 and the middle of the decade, charles' father died, leaving behind his chestnut hill estate to his eldest son, john. his mother joined the quaker religious sect in 1750, bringing her sons with her into that religion. lynch married a fellow quaker, the former anne terrell, on january 12, 1755. with chestnut hill occupied by his brother, the young couple set out to establish their new home on virginia's western frontier on a more distant parcel of land granted to his father by king george ii, in newly established bedford county.page, "the real judge lynch," pg. 733. green level, the lynch estate where the couple would ultimately raise five children, was located at a place marked today by the town of altavista. lynch was instrumental in organizing a quaker meeting in bedford county and raising funds for a building to house it â the first public house of worship in the area.page, "the real judge lynch," pg. 734. lynch served for several years as the clerk of the meeting and as trustee of the group's meeting house. he was also a delegate to the 
1736_births 1796_deaths American_people_of_Irish_descent American_planters American_vigilantes House_of_Burgesses_members People_disowned_by_the_Quakers People_from_Bedford_County,_Virginia People_from_Campbell_County,_Virginia Virginia_State_Senators Virginia_militiamen_in_the_American_Revolution Virginia_state_court_judges