Galway - Dominick Lynch and His Family *********************************************** Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Galway Index Copyright ************************************************ File contributed by: C.L. DOMINICK LYNCH AND HIS FAMILY Compiled from Various Sources Dominick Lynch was a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, New York, as early as 1786; a prominent merchant; was of the firm Lynch & Stoughton, New York. A biographical sketch of Mr. Lynch was published some years ago in the American Catholic Historical Researches. It was written by Richard H. Clarke, LL. D. and treated the subject at great length. According to Dr. Clarke, Mr. Lynch was born in Galway, Ireland, in 1754. He married his cousin, Jane Lynch, a native of Dublin. Shortly after, Dominick and his wife went to reside at Bruges, in Flanders, where he established a commercial house, a branch of his father's in Galway. He amassed a handsome fortune in Bruges and three of his children were born there. While engaged in business in Bruges he became acquainted with Don Thomas Stoughton, a merchant having commercial relations with France and Spain. Eventually, Lynch and Stoughton formed a co-partnership for the purpose of conducting business in Ameica. The articles of co-partnership were dated March 10, 1783; the capital agreed upon was £7,500, of which amount furnished £5,000 and Stoughton £2,500. Stoughton, in pursuance of the agreement, came to New York City and opened the business house of Lynch and Stoughton. Lynch visited London and Galway, and in 1785 sailed for America, reaching New York June 20 of that year. Stoughton was a bachelor, and Mr. and Mrs. Lynch, their three children and a number of servants, went to reside with him. Later, Stoughton was made Spanish consul at New York. Eventually, differences broke out between the partners, the firm was dissolved and each member sued the other. These two suits in chancery, Stoughton vs. Lynch and Lynch vs. Stoughton, were tried before Chancellor Kent and after pending for over twenty years, were finally decided adverse to Lynch. The latter had to pay Stoughton, besides fines and costs, $25,076. After the dissolution of the firm, Lynch retired in affluent circumstances largely on account of the wealth he had amassed in Bruges. It was said of him in New York that "he dispensed a bountiful and refined hospitality." He was an earnest Catholic, gave liberally of his means to forward church work and was one of the representative men who signed the "Catholic Address" to George Washington. It is said of Lynch that upon arriving in New York, in 1785, he brought a large amount of specie with him and the advent of a man with such extensive financial resources created quite a stir. He was at one time offered, for what would today be considered a ridiculously small sum, a farm of twenty acres near City Hall, New York. He declined to buy the property, but with the same amount of money purchased 697 acres near Fort Stanwix on the Mohawk River. Before the year 1800 he had increased his holding there to about 2,000 acres. As early as 1796, he laid this property out in village lots, and called the place Lynchville. Later, he changed the name to Rome, perhaps in honor of the Eternal City. Between the years 1800 and 1820, he built a woolen mill, a cotton factory and a saw-mill at Rome, which place he had founded. It is said that the southeast corner of Fort Stanwix was leveled to make room for a mansion erected by him. In 1797, Dominick purchased an estate in West Chester County, N.Y., bordering Long Island Sound. Here he built a magnificent stone residence after the style of chateaus he had seen in Flanders. This was his home for the remainder of his life. He continued to dispense "munificent hospitality, took a leading part in the social events of the metropolis, and manifested to the end a zealous and active zeal in the growth of the Catholic church in New York." He died in 1825 and his widow in 1849. At his death his children were thirteen in number, i.e. - James, Anastasia, Anthony, Dominick, Alexander, Margaret, Jasper, Jane, Henry, Harriet, Louisa, Edward and William. By the marriage of these children, the family has become allied with many of the old families of New York and Pennsylvania, including the Tillotsons, Shippens, Leas, Laurences, Nortons, Luquers, Pringles, Maitlands, Harveys, Ridgways, etc. James Lynch, the oldest of Dominick's thirteen children, resided in Rome, N.Y., represented Oneida County in the state legislature for several years, and was later a judge for the Court of Sessions and of the Marine, now City, Court, of New York. Dominick Lynch, 2d, at the time of, and after, his father's death became a prominent merchant in New York City. This second Dominick was spoken of as "the most fashionable man in New York." He made quite a reputation as proprietor of Lynch's Chateau Marguaux, Lynch's Sauterne and Lynch's Lucca Oil. It is said of him that he "coined money and spent it with the freedom of a prince," and that he "went into the best society." He resided on Greenwich Street "Opposite the Battery." He died in 1844. He "was a Roman Catholic as his father had been." Dominick Lynch, 3d, grandson of the first Dominick, was a man of good public spirit, an elegant conversationalist and the possessor of musical talent. He became a naval officer, served under Perry in the Mexican war, and was also in the Civil War. He died in 1884. Dominick Lynch, 4th, was a lieutenant in the Fourth U.S. Cavalry, and died some years ago. Speaking of the Lynches and others, Barrett's Old Merchants of New York City says: "These Irish families are the cream of the old families here." Source: Journal Of The American Irish Historical Society. Volume Vii, 1907