Carolina Governors - Richard Kyrle





Richard Kyrle
Governor of Charles Town 1684

Sir Richard Kyrle was commissioned as Governor of Charles Town by the Palatine and the Lords Proprietors on April 29, 1684 but died within a month of taking office - he arrived in the colony in July and died in August of 1684. Richard Kyrle "an Irish gentleman," was named Governor of South Carolina in 1684. During his term there was a considerable influx of Irish settlers. Sir Richard Kyrle, a knight of Ireland, was appointed Governor in 1684, but died six months [?] after his arrival in America. 11 July 1684 - Lords Proprietors of Carolina to Governor Sir Richard Kyrle. Warrant for grant of lands to Thomas Ferguson, who is removing with divers other families from the North of Ireland to Carolina. Signed, Craven, Bath (for Lord Carteret), P. Colleton. 25 July 1684 - Lords Proprietors of Carolina to Governor Sir Richard Kyrle. Warrant for a grant of land to William Thorogood. Signed, Craven, Bath (for Lord Carteret), P. Colleton. Of the colonial governors sent from Britain to the American colonies before the Revolution, and of the provincial governors from that time to 1789, upwards of forty were of Scottish birth or descent. Among them may be mentioned: Joseph Morton (1682), Richard Kirle (1684), James Moore, Jr. (1719), William Campbell (1775), John Rutledge (1779), all of South Carolina. In the short space of four years, from 1682 till 1686, there were no less than five Governors; Joseph Morton, Joseph West, Richard Kirle, Robert Quarry and James Colleton. As you can see, a lot of folks got his last name wrong - wonder how many more variations are out there? So far, I've seen: Kyrle (correct) Kyrie (Osgood) Kirle (Ramsay) Kirk (the Scots claim him, even though he was Irish) Click Here for information on the Executive Council under Governor Richard Kyrle.

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