John Drayton (1767 - 1822)

Born 22 Jun 1767 in Magnolia Plantation on the Ashley River in St. Andrews Parish near Charleston.

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 27 Nov 1822 at age 55 in Charleston, South Carolina

Preceded by 39th Governor Edward Rutledge 37th Governor Charles Pinckney

John Drayton 40th Governor of South Carolina 1800—1802 and 1808—1810

Succeeded by 41st Governor James Burchill Richardson 43rd Governor Henry Middleton

Biography

John Drayton is Notable.

John Drayton was the son of William Henry Drayton and Dorothy Golightly of Charleston, South Carolina.^[1]

John Drayton (June 22, 1766 – November 27, 1822) was an attorney and politician; he was the 40th Governor of South Carolina on two non-consecutive occasions from 1800 to 1802 and 1808 to 1810. As governor, he was noted for establishing South Carolina College and for extending the vote to all white males. He was later appointed as a United States federal judge.

Drayton was born on Magnolia Plantation on the Ashley River in St. Andrews Parish near Charleston. He was educated at the College of New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War and afterward read law at Inner Temple in London to prepare as an attorney.

He began private practice in Charleston from 1788 to 1794. He resumed from 1796 to 1798. He also served as a warden of the City of Charleston in 1788.

In 1792, Drayton was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives and was a member until 1798, when the General Assembly elected him as the 18th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina. Upon the death of Edward Rutledge on January 23, 1800, Drayton was elected by the General Assembly to become Governor of South Carolina for the remainder of the term. They chose him to serve out a full two-year term in 1800 because of his strong republicanism.

The most important act during Drayton's first full term was the establishment of South Carolina College. Drayton had pushed for a state-funded college immediately when he became governor upon the death of Edward Rutledge, but it was not until after his election that the General Assembly created and provide funds for a college. The location of Columbia near the State House was favored by Drayton because it was a central location that would provide an opportunity at higher education for all white male South Carolinians. In addition, he intended for the future leaders of South Carolina to be educated together in order to quell any divisions between the Lowcountry and the Backcountry. The General Assembly followed the direction of Governor Drayton and appropriated $50,000 to construct the college in Columbia and another 46,000 for the salaries of the faculty.

Upon leaving the governorship in 1802, Drayton returned to Charleston. The General Assembly elected him to the South Carolina Senate in 1805. After three years, the General Assembly elected Drayton for a second two-year term as governor in 1808. Drayton and the General Assembly continued the Republican reforms by expanding the suffrage to all white men, regardless of status or wealth.

After leaving the governorship for a final time, Drayton returned to private practice until 1812. On May 5, 1812, he was nominated by President James Madison to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina vacated by Thomas Bee. Drayton was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 7, 1812, and received his commission the same day, serving on the bench until his death.

A productive writer, Drayton authored several works related to South Carolina: Carolinian Florist A View of South Carolina, as Respects Her Natural and Civil Concerns Memoirs of the American Revolution from its Commencement to the Year 1776.

On November 27, 1822, Drayton died. He was buried in Charleston.

Sources

1. ↑ "South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-J495-ML?cc=1919417&wc=M6N4-FTL%3A210905601%2C211846601 : 21 May 2014), Charleston > Wills, 1793-1800, Vol. 026 > image 22 of 341; citing Department of Archives and History, Columbia. Will of Mary Hyrne.

• Find A Grave Memorial# 33586826
• John Drayton on Wikipedia

• Will Transcript of John Drayton, Archives ID: Series L10125 Volume: 0035 Page: 00146 ignore: 000