“G” is for Guerard, Benjamin (died 1788)

“G” is for Guerard, Benjamin (died 1788). Governor. Benjamin Guerard’s birth date is unknown, but he was baptized in Charleston in 1740. His family sent him to England in 1756 to study law at Lincoln's Inn. He was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1761. During the Revolutionary War, he lent over £20,000 to the state and served in the militia. After Charleston fell to the British in 1780, Guerard and other prominent Charlestonians were held captive on a prison ship. While a prisoner, he attempted to raise funds for the relief of his fellow captives and offered his estate to the British as security. Between 1779 and 1786, he represented St. Helena Parish in the state House of Representatives and in the state Senate. In 1783, Benjamin Guerard was elected governor by the General Assembly.