Thomas Bee
Encyclopedia
Thomas Bee was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 planter, lawyer, and jurist from Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

. He served as Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina (1779–1780) and was a delegate to the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....

 from 1780 to 1782. He later served as a judge in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of South Carolina...

 from 1790 until his death. His son was Barnard E. Bee, Sr.
Barnard E. Bee, Sr.
Barnard Elliot Bee, Sr. was an early settler and political leader in the Republic of Texas.Barnard Bee was born in Charleston, South Carolina, the son of Thomas Bee who was a delegate to the Continental Congress. He studied law, and served on the staff of his brother-in-law, governor James...

, and his great-grandson was U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 Carlos Bee
Carlos Bee
Carlos Bee was a U.S. Representative from Texas, great-grandson of Thomas Bee.Born in Saltillo, Mexico, where his parents had moved after the collapse of the Confederacy, Bee returned with his parents to San Antonio, Texas, in 1874.He attended the public schools and the Agricultural and Mechanical...

.

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
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...

 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
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...

 in January and February of 1779 before leaving the legislature to serve as Lieutenant Governor of the state. From 1788 to 1790, he was in the South Carolina Senate
South Carolina Senate
The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives...

.

He was nominated by President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

 on June 11, 1790, to a seat vacated by William Drayton
William Drayton
William Drayton was an American politician, banker, and author from Charleston, South Carolina. He was the son of Federal Judge William Drayton, Sr. of South Carolina....

 on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of South Carolina...

. Three days later, Bee was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 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
John Adams judicial appointments
Following is a list of all United States federal judges appointed by President John Adams during his presidency. In total Adams appointed 23 judges, including three Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States , sixteen judges to the United States circuit courts, and four judges to the United...

 as part of President Adams' midnight judges
Midnight Judges
The Midnight Judges Act represented an effort to solve an issue in the U.S. Supreme Court during the early 19th century. There was concern, beginning in 1789, about the system that required the justices of the Supreme Court to “ride circuit” and reiterate decisions made in the appellate level...

, but he declined the office.

External links

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