Thomas Waties (1760-1828) was a native of Georgetown, South Carolina, who rose to prominence as a lawyer and jurist. During the American Revolution, he was captured on a ship and sent first to England, and then to France. In Paris, he met Benjamin Franklin, who helped procure his passage back to South Carolina. In 1780, Waties served as captain under Brigadier General Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox.” His public service included voting as part of the South Carolina Convention to ratify the federal Constitution in 1788.
