Died: 1772, South Carolina
Relationship to me: 7th Great-Grandfather
Court records show Thomas Blassingame served on a grand jury as many as eleven times. This is an indication that he was probably a free holder and a respected member of his community. He married a woman named Frances between 1732 and 1735.
However, by 1740, history records that he took a turn for the worse. That year he misbehaved in court and was put in stocks (hinged wooden boards that formed holes through which the head and/or various limbs were inserted and locked together) for one hour.
Two years later, disrespecting the court landed him in the pillory. Unlike stocks which allowed the captive to roam freely (or hide), the pillory was fixed in a public location allowing the community to scorn the offender and throw objects at him such as rotten food or stones. But the pillory was no match for Thomas’ temper. He broke the stocks off and ran away.
The next year, 1743, found Thomas married to a Katherine Carr. After that, Thomas began moving south, first to North Carolina and finally to South Carolina where he died around 1772. He had 5 children including John Blassingame who fought in the American Revolution.
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