Date:    Sun, 29 Mar 1998 17:28:02 EST
<br>From:    AAllan  AAllan[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM 
<br>Subject: Re: Lynch
<br>
<br>The exact origin of "lynch" has been unclear.
<br>
<br>Not only the date, but the person for whom "lynch law" was named is in
<br>dispute. You'll find some discussion of this in McDavid's revision of
<br>Mencken's _American Language_ (1963), pp. 130-131.
<br>
<br>The _Dictionary of Americanisms_ has excerpts from a 1780 agreement
<br>establishing what later came to be known as "Lynch's law." It has a 1782
<br>letter using the phrase "Lynchs Law." Then there are the citations Barry
<br>mentioned.
<br>
<br>- Allan Metcalf
<br>
<br>(from Barry Popik:)
<br>LYNCH LAW
<br>
<br>     The RHHDAS has 1835 as the earliest cite and mentions a paper by Mitford
<br>Mathews; the OED has earlier citations and a key paper was written by ALBERT
<br>Matthews.
<br>     In the ILLINOIS ADVOCATE (Vandalia, Ill.) of 1835, "lynch" was cited from
<br>the Boston Daily Advertiser, the Boston Post, and the Boston Statesman.  The
<br>Boston newspapers of October-December 1835 should help us with a mother lode,
<br>but that's a project for a Boston trip of another day.
<br>    AMERICA IN SO MANY WORDS has "lynch law" as the word-of-the-year for 1780.
<br>On page 85, it's written that "lynchings took place in every part of the
<br>country except New England."
<br>