William Evelyn Byrd Jr. (1674 - 1744)

Born 28 Mar 1674 in Belvidere, Henrico County, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Lucy (Parke) Byrd — married 4 May 1706 (to 23 Nov 1716) in Virginia

Husband of Maria (Taylor) Byrd — married 6 May 1724 (to 26 Aug 1744) in Kensington, Middlesex, England

Descendants

Died 26 Aug 1744 at age 70 in Charles City County, Virginia

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Biography

William Byrd Jr. is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

William Byrd Jr. is Notable.

William Byrd Jr. was a Virginia colonist.

William Byrd, II of Westover ^[1]

Origin

William was born on 28 March 1674 at Belvidere, Henrico County, Virginia Colony, a son of William Byrd Mary Horsmanden/Horsmander.^[2]

Younger Years

William was sent for his education to England at the age of seven.^[3] This was a common practice among the wealthy families of Virginia, to board their young sons with a London tutor. William studied the classics and learned languages, then went on to study commerce, letters, and law. He was taught by a leading schoolmaster in Essex, and then matriculated to the Middle Temple. He also studied business as the greatest merchant houses of England and Holland. Finally, he made the traditional tour of Europe, a rite of passage for the high-born gentleman.^[3]

In 1695, William was admitted to the Bar, a rare distinction for his time.^[3] Before long, he was also admitted to the Royal Society.^[3]

Marriages

William married twice.

• He married on May 4, 1706, as his 1st, to Lucy Parke, daughter of Daniel Parke.^[2] The £1,000 dowry promised never materialized.^[2] William and Lucy had four children; two sons died in infancy. Two daughters survived.^[4][2] On November 21, 1716, while she and William were staying at London, Lucy died of smallpox.^[5]

• He married on May 9, 1724, as his 2nd to Maria Taylor.^[2] They had one son and three daughters.^[2]

Children

Surviving children of William and his 1st wife, Lucy:^[4]

1. Evelyn Byrd, b 1707; never married
2. Wilhelmina Byrd, b 1715; m Thomas Chamberlayne

Children of William and his 2nd wife, Maria (incomplete):^[4]

1. Anne Byrd, b 1725, d 1775; m Carter
2. Maria Byrd, b 1727, d 1744; m Carter
3. William Byrd III, b Sep 6, 1728; m April 14, 1748 to Elizabeth Hill Carter
4. Jane Byrd, b 1729, d 1774; m Hon. John Page

Positions and Properties

William was eager to acquire land and agreed to pay Daniel Parke, his father-in-law's debts in exchange for his land. However the debts outweighed the value of any property, so that William continued to pay for the remainder of his life.^[4]

William also was a prolific writer. Some of his works are extant and available online (see See also section).

In 1727, William participated in redrawing the boundary between Virginia and North Carolina. He write about this expedition in his William Byrd's Histories of the Dividing Line Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina. As a result of his exposure to the Norh Carolina wilderness, he purchased large tracts of land in order to sell at a profit to colonists and immigrants.^[4]

William was interested in political office. After his unsuccessful attempts to become governor of both Virginia and Maryland, William opposed Virginia Governor, Alexander Spotswood.^[4] William was a member of the King's Council in Virginia beginning on September 12, 1709^[2] and continuing for thirty-seven years.^[6] In the last year of his life (like his father), William became president of Council,^[4] but never had the satisfaction of serving as such.^[2]

Death and Legacy

William died on 26 Aug 1744 at Westover Plantation, Charles City County, Virginia Colony, where he was buried in the garden.^[2]

Research Notes

William was a member of the Royal Society and President of the Council.

His wife Lucy came from at least as impressive a background as daughter of Daniel Parke, Governor General of the Leeward Islands and formerly aide-de-camp to the Duke of Marlborough. The name Daniel was frequently seen in family rolls, and possibly came first in honor of Daniel Parke.

It is stated, however, that "a few months after Lucy Parke Byrd died, her husband married Maria Taylor, daughter of Thomas Taylor of Kensington, England.

William Byrd II is credited with the founding of the city of Richmond, VA; and his son and heir William Byrd III is accused of having "squandered the family fortune."^[7]

Posting this full text here, possibly a duplicate. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001263530 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015001135741&seq=10

The great American gentleman: William Byrd of Westover in Virginia, his secret diary for the years 1709-1712. Edited by Louis B. Wright and Marion Tinling.

Sources

1. ↑ Byrd, William II - A9673; born 28 March 1674, died 26 August 1744 Charles City Co.; Henrico: 1696-97 (Burgess).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8} Long, Thomas L., & Quitt, M. H., & the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. William Byrd (1674–1744). (2016, January 6). Encyclopedia Virginia.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} "Byrd II, William (1674-1744)." American Eras. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. accessed 23 August 23 2016.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6} Luthern, Allison, (May 2012) "Abstract: the truth of it is, she has her reasons for procreating so fast, Maria Taylor Byrd's Challenges to Patriarchy in Eighteenth-Century Virginia." MA Appalachian State University, Colonial Williamsburg, history.org.
5. ↑ Byrd, William, (1958) The London Diary, 1717-1721, and Other Writings. New York, Oxford University Press, HathiTrust.org accessed 22 August 2016 (Page 26).
6. ↑ (Second Month, (February) 1909) "Colonel William Byrd and the Quakers," Bulletin of Friends' Historical Society of Philadelphia. Friends Historical Association JSTOR.org accessed 22 August 2016 (Vol. 3, No. 1 , pp. 15-17).
7. ↑ Wikipedia:History of Richmond, Virginia.

• Wikipedia:William Byrd II.

See also:

• Byrd, W., Woodfin, M. H., & Tinling, M. (1942). Another Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1739-1741: With letters & literary exercises, 1696-1726. Richmond, VA: Dietz Press.
• Byrd, William, Kevin Berland, Jan Kirsten Gilliam, and Kenneth A. Lockridge. (2001) The Commonplace Book of William Byrd II of Westover. Chapel Hill: Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, Williamsburg, Virginia, by the University of North Carolina Press.
• Byrd, William, (1929) William Byrd's Histories of the Dividing Line Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina. Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission Archive.org accessed 22 August 2016 (Pages ).
• Byrd, William, (1941) The Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1709-1712, edited ... Richmond, VA: The Dietz press, HathiTrust.org accessed 22 August 2016 (Pages ).
• from Jouett Taylor Prisley family history and genealogy:
• Byrd, Lucille C. (1953) History of Byrd (Bird) Family 1652-1953. Old Edgefield District SC Archives.
• Hunter, Jane of St. Anthony ID, correspondence including her research and references.
• McIntosh, Nina T.: notes as granddaughter of Eliza Bird, but born after her grandmother EB died.
• Julien Nègre, “A Straight Line through the Wilderness: Geometry and Geography in William Byrd’s Histories of the Dividing line Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina (1728 sqq)”, Miranda [Online], 6 (2012), Online since 28 June 2012, connection on 15 September 2022. URL: (http://journals.openedition.org/miranda/5698); DOI: (https://doi.org/10.4000/miranda.5698).
• Williamsburg Wineries- Colonial History.
• Stanard, W.G., (1911) Some Emigrants to Virginia ... Richmond, VA: Bell Book & Stationery Co., HathiTrust.org.