Thomas Lynch Jr. (Gonville and Caius) was a South Carolina statesman and one of the youngest signers of the Declaration of Independence. Born in the colonies and then educated at Eton College before attending Cambridge, Lynch stepped into the Continental Congress in 1776, succeeding his father who was incapacitated, and demonstrated unwavering commitment to the cause of American independence. At the close of 1779 he and his wife sailed for the West Indies. The ship disappeared and there is no record of his life after the fateful voyage. Read more.