"B" is for Broughton, Thomas (d.1737)

"B" is for Broughton, Thomas (d.1737). Legislator, lieutenant governor. By the 1690s Broughton had immigrated to South Carolina from the West Indies. He quickly became involved in the Indian trade and used his connection as the son-in-law of Governor Nathaniel Johnson to advance his position. Broughton acquired four plantations, including Mulberry on the Cooper River where he built a massive, Jacobean-style brick mansion dubbed “Mulberry Castle.” He was first elected to the Commons House in 1696 and later served as its Speaker. Broughton was also a member of the Grand Council and Commissioner of the Indian Trade. Named lieutenant governor in 1731, upon the death of his brother-in-law, he became acting governor. Thomas Broughton’s brief administration was marked by a renewal of political factionalism, a situation exacerbated by his inept and arrogant actions in office.