Sharon Tyndale (January 19, 1816 – April 29, 1871) was an American politician and designer who was the Secretary of State of Illinois, from 1865 to 1869.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Tyndale moved to Belleville, Illinois in 1833 and worked in the mercantile business.
[1] In 1867, Tyndale himself requested that the Illinois General Assembly authorize a redesign of the seal, with one key suggestion, that the words of the motto (State Sovereignty, National Union) be reversed (to National Union, State Sovereignty).
His new seal featured a twisted banner, which caused the word "sovereignty" to be upside down, albeit in the order required by the legislature.
[2] Two years after leaving office, Tyndale was assassinated outside his home, in Springfield, Illinois, on April 29, 1871.