| HIST |
Susannah Bulline is his third wife.
S.C.'s 1st lieutenant governor declared patriot
S.C.'s 1st lieutenant governor declared patriot
Present to help dedicate the grave site of the Honorable Thomas Bee on Jan. 14 were, from left, J. Elliot Summey, senior vice president, Weber USA; Patricia Hobbs, chaplain, Sumter's Home Chapter DAR; Eric Meyer, president, Weber USA; Linda Stokes Hawkins, regent, Sumter's Home Chapter, DAR; Marilyn DeWitt Altman, State Regent SC Society DAR; and Susan Hatfield Saunders, SC DAR Bee Project chairwoman and vice regent, Sumter's Home Chapter, DAR. Weber USA is the property owner of the cemetery.
BY IVY MOORE ivym@theitem.com
Almost two years ago, a neighbor of Susan Hatfield Saunders found an isolated cemetery near Charleston. Knowing her interest in history, particularly that of the American Revolution, Thomas Murphy told Saunders about it, and her interest was whetted. When he told her a marker had "The Hon'ble Thomas Bee" engraved on it, Saunders decided to begin her investigation with him; when she started delving into his story, she said, "I was blown away."
Because of her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution, specifically Sumter's Home Chapter, NSDAR, Saunders had access to plenty of sources, among them the DAR patriot list, people the DAR deems as patriots of the American Revolution. "This man, the Honorable Thomas Bee, had never been recognized by the DAR," she found, "even though he was the first lieutenant governor of the state of South Carolina after the Constitution, he practiced law in Charleston, he was a state representative, a member of the Stamp Act commission, president of the Charleston Library Society, president of the Board of Trustees of the College of Charleston, speaker of the House of Representatives and delegate from South Carolina to the Continental Congress."
In addition, Saunders noted, "He was appointed federal judge by George Washington, his good friend."
Saunders said Bee entertained Washington in his Charleston home.
"When George Washington made his tour of S.C. in 1791, he stayed in Thomas Bee's house at 94 Church Street in downtown Charleston," she said. "It even has a plaque that reads 'George Washington slept here.'"
Bee was born in 1739 and died in 1812.
Also buried in the cemetery are Bee's third wife, Susannah Bulline Bee, and his grandchildren, the children of his son Barnard Elliott Bee Sr.
Saunders found that information fairly quickly. In the two years since, she's discovered even more.
Earlier this month, the research done by Saunders and Sumter's Home, NSDAR (DAR), led to the dedication of the restored graveyard and its surroundings.
"This well exceeded our expectations," she said. "There were so many wonderful surprises."
Among those surprises was the announcement by Weber USA, the company that owns the land around the cemetery, that they plan to mark the site and turn it into a large green space.
"It's exciting that Weber has become such a real conservationist and preservationist company because of Thomas Bee," Saunders said.
"There will be an elementary school next to the cemetery," she said, and Weber plans to mark the foundation of the plantation that was there, where there are also remnants of slave quarters with artifacts.
"Teachers will be able to take their students to the site, and they'll be able to see and touch South Carolina history," she said. "That's very exciting."
Also on the old plantation grounds are the remains of the Best Friend of Charleston train depot. The Best Friend was the first railroad in S.C., Saunders said, adding "It was one of four stops in Charleston."
Markers commemorating the lives of Bee and his family were placed by the Sumter's Home Chapter, DAR; the Sons of the American Revolution, Gen. William Moultrie Chapter; and descendants of Thomas Bee. The S.C. Senate, spearheaded by Sen. Glenn McConnell, declared Jan. 14, 2012, Thomas Bee Day in S.C.
The declaration read, in part: "The members of the South Carolina Senate ... recognize and honor the life of one of South Carolina's most distinguished citizens, the Honorable Thomas Bee, celebrate and acknowledge his significant, patriotic contributions to the successful formation of our state and nation."
At the Jan. 14 dedication, there were around 100 people present; they learned that the small, once abandoned cemetery is now protected by the state. Relatives of Bee, from all over the country, including Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and many other states, were present.
"One direct descendant said he plans to be sure his children and grandchildren know the importance of the blood that runs through their veins," Saunders said. "It's a heritage to be proud of."
Posted in Panorama on Sunday, January 29, 2012
Thomas Bee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2010)
Thomas Bee (1739, Charleston, South Carolina – February 18, 1812, Pendleton, South Carolina) was an American planter, lawyer, and jurist from Charleston, South Carolina. He served as the sixth Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (1779–1780) and was a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1782. He later served as a judge in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina from 1790 until his death. His son was Barnard E. Bee, Sr., and his great-grandson was U.S. Representative Carlos Bee.
Bee attended Oxford University, and then read law in 1761 for admission to the bar. He set up a law practice, but was often called away from it in the name of public service. He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1762 to 1765, and again from 1772 to 1779, 1781 to 1782, and 1786 to 1788. He rose to the level of Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives in January and February 1779 before leaving the legislature to serve as Lieutenant Governor of the state. From 1788 to 1790, he was in the South Carolina Senate.
He was nominated by President George Washington on June 11, 1790, to a seat vacated by William Drayton on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. Three days later, Bee was confirmed by the United States Senate and received his commission. He remained in that office until his death. In 1801, Bee was nominated and confirmed as chief judge of the Fifth Circuit Court as part of President Adams' midnight judges, but he declined the office.
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External links
▪ Thomas Bee at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
▪ Thomas Bee at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
Legal offices
Preceded by
William Drayton
Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
June 14, 1790 – February 18, 1812
Succeeded by
John Drayton
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1739 - 1812 (73 years)
