Wasn't there a jerk named Lynch in Virginia that ran Kangaroo Courts and executed people publicly long ago?

Answer 1

Actually no!
There was a William Lynch, the author of "Lynch's Law", an agreement with the Virginia General Assembly (Virginian state legislature) on September 22, 1782, which allowed Lynch to pursue and punish criminals in Pittsylvania County, without due process of law, because legal proceedings were in practical terms impossible in the area due to the lack of adequate provision of courts.
There is also a Colonel Charles Lynch, a Virginia magistrate and officer on the revolutionary side during the American Revolutionary War, who in any case continued William's practice, as the head of a vigilance committee, an irregular court, trying and sentencing to fining and imprisoning petty criminals and pro- British 'Tories' in his district circa 1782.
In these cases ONLY MINOR punishments were used, mostly corporal punishment, especially flogging. Neither William Lynch nor Charles Lynch ever executed anyone!!!!!
In 1990s a text called the “William Lynch Speech”, alleged to have been written in 1712, was circulated on the internet and attributed to one "William Lynch", apparently living 30 years before the birth of the historical William. This described a plan to "break" and control slaves using intimidation and other methods. Though the speech is regarded by historians as an obvious fake, it has been cited numerous times by Louis Farrakhan.

Answer 2

According to the Oxford English Dictionary the originator of lynch law was Captain William Lynch of Pittsylvania in Virginia. According to A. Ellicott (Life and Letters 1908) "This self created judicial tribunal was first organised in the state of Virginia about the year 1776." Another authority gives the date as 1780.

Although the term is now used to refer to executions, this was not originally the case and punishments awarded were relatively minor.

Answer 3

Yes there was. I don't recall his given name but he led a group of men against the British and if you were known to have assisted,sympathized, or was an actual loyalist he and his mob of men would hunt you down and hang you!
This is where the term "Lynch Mob" came from.