[Notes on the William Byrd(s) of Westover and others] It has been speculated that Richard Murphy, father of Simon of Surry Co. VA, married Mary Byrd, daughter of William Byrd I. At this time I doubt if Richard Murphy relates to this Byrd family. I challenge anyone to provide one shred of credible proof to the contrary. -Mark Murphy Supposedly, Richard Murphy married Elizabeth Bird 1680 in the Old Dominion.?? The Wm and Thomas Birds of Martins Brandon were owners of land and a mill in the Southside extension of Charles City Co. which was later Prince George Co. If the Widdow Jennings were the same as Hannah Grendon, then we have a connection. Hannah Grendon had no children by Wm Duke, she being too old at the time of marriage. Yet I've got her listed as the mother of Thomas Bird by Wm Bird and the mother of Thomas Jennings, Jr. by Tho., Sr. Hannah Grendon was of some significance, and obviously desireable either in person or property. That would indicate that Wm. Bird had some status and could easily be related to Wm Byrd I. Hannah Grendon, daughter of Thomas Grendon, Sr., married first Thomas Jennings, of London, and had a son, Thomas Jennings, Jr. Her second marriage was to William Bird, of Martin's Brandon (presumably a relative of William Byrd I), and had a son, Thomas Bird, who made his will in Surry County, Va., January 21, 1687, naming a son, Thomas Bird, Jr. After her second husband's death Hannah Grendon (Jennings) Byrd married third (before 1672) William Duke,1 of Charles City County, Va. (later Prince George), and had a daughter, Elizabeth Duke,2 and other children (sic) and after his death (in 1678) she married for the fourth time Capt. William Archer. This William Duke was one of Nathaniel Bacon's ardent supporters. " from Orsi: 1635 in Ireland where two brothers, one Richard Murphy, and the other John Murphy, were grandchildren of another John Murfphy, and before him a John Murphy, and before him another John Murphy, all the way back to 1497 where the first John Murphy shows up in Dublin, Ireland. from other: Nansemond Indian Village and Isle of Wright. Nathaniel Basse. The E was dropped in North Carolina Edward and Mary Tucker, Indian Maiden went to North Carolina to live among the Indians and trade. John Basse brother of Edward married Elizabeth and Indian Maiden. Some people call her Keziah. Not much is said on Edward and Mary Tucker Basse. ====================================== Emanuel Master Murphy Family History that part should be somewhere in the Murphy-L archives Richard Murphy born about 1670, while playing on the shore near his home, was enticed into visiting a large ship. They showed him over the ship as was promised, and broght him on to America, where he was sold for one hundred fifty pounds of Virginia tobacco. He had no money with him and was bought by Col. William Bird, one of the wealthiest men in the English Colonies. Richard Murphy born about 1670, brought to America about 1683, married, about 1700, Mary Byrd who was immediately disinherited. Her family was not permitted to speak to her or to mention her name on penalty of disinheritance. The Genealogy of William Lee I of England and his Descendants Rucker p 16 quoted in Emanuel Masters Murphy 1809-1871 Ancestry, Life, Children 1980 Emanuel Masters Murphy Family Association Chapter 4 ================================================= http://www.talweb.com/redlimey/gene/bird.htm William Bird William Bird was born c1619 in England. He resided in Martins Brandon, Charles City Co., VA and married widow woman Hannah Grendon Jennings. There were only two children: 1. Thomas Bird (m. Mary __?__; 3 children) 2. Elizabeth Bird William Bird died before Sep1672 when Hannah remmarried. Info about burial or immigration is not known. ------------- Hannah Grendon Hannah Grendon was born date unknown in England. She first married Thomas Jennings. After his death she married William Bird. She subsequently married a third and fourth time to William Duke and William Archer (respectively). To my knowledge there were only three children total: child by Thomas Jennings 1. Thomas Jennings (b. London) children by William Bird 2. Thomas Bird (m. Mary __?__; 3 children) 3. Elizabeth Bird (not same as below) ---------------- Elizabeth Bird Elizabeth Bird was born c1600. She married 18Sep1617 at St. Andrew by The Wardrobe, London, ENG to first cousin, Thomas Bird, and they had three known children: 1. William Bird (b. c1619; m. Hannah Grendon Jennings (widow); 1 child) 2. John Byrd (b. 1620; m. Grace Stegge, half-sister to William's wife Hannah; 7 children) 3. Thomas Bird (b. c1621, ENG; d. 12Mar1708/09 Henrico Co., VA) Elizabeth died Dec1678; burial info is unknown. ============= http://www.rootsweb.com/~vabath/bird-2.htm 1672 - William BIRD of Martins Brandon in Charles City, VA, married Hannah (BRENDON) JENNINGS and was deceased by 29 Sept 1672. - Info from Mrs. Thomas Elam of Houston, Texas (1975). =============== http://members.tripod.com/beejay1/pafg142.htm William BYRD [Parents] was born on 17 Jun 1622 in England. He died on 29 Sep 1672 in Charles City, Charles City County, Virginia. He married Hannah GRENDON in 1654 in England. William Bird succeeded Captain Charles Sparrow as the Virginia representative of the London merchants, John Sadler and Thomas Quiney. He arrived in Virginia in 1657 on the ship "Seven Sisters". In 1661, the Charles City court records: Ordered that William Bird rest in the sherriffs custody during pleasure of the Co'rt for his affront given in open Co'rt. Willm Bird upon his his submission and recantacon is released from his imprisonment paying the fees thereof. He was made Justice in the same county that year. Several court cases where he either gave testimony or heard the complaints give vivid glimpses of life in early colonial life: the theft of a hammock and wine from a ship in harbor; a man accused of being an Athicke[atheist] and not believing in the Resurreccion; and a quarrel between neighbors in which a fence is torn down and rootes of tobacco are thrown at a woman. On July 4, 1671, William Bird purchased from Thomas Busby a grist mill and appurtenances at head of Chippokes Creek in Surry, 150 adjoining acres, and another tract of 300 acres adjacent to William Shorte. Another source: Martins Brandon Parish, Charles City County, was changed to Prince George County, not far from Westover on the north bank of the James River. He was a miller. Arrived in Virginia in 1635. He resided in Martins Brandon, Charles City County, Virginia. Prince George Co, Va Colonial Abstracts page ========================= http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~poythress/Wall.html "Att a meeting held at Westov’r Jan’ry the 4th 1661 by the sev’rall vestryes of Cha: Citty Com. "Itt is agreed and concluded amongst the sev’all vestryes of Charles Citty Com that they will entertaine in their sev’rall precincts one minister for this ensuing yeare, and willingly allow him 20 lb of tobbo per head, collected, with caske: And this is agreed and consented to by the unanimous consent of the whole Com in reference to the knowne Lawes of his Ma’tie and our Duties in point of Church Gov’rnment, to wch we have subscribed our hands the Day and yeare above written. Edw Hill James x Ward Thomas Drewe John Cogan [Book 1, Part 2] Anthony Wyatt John Wall Robert Wynne Will’ Bird John Holmwood ffer: Aston Israill Dennes John Drayton Otho Southcott" ======================== http://revolution.3-cities.com/~gjansen/famgli.htm The Bird family can be traced back in England to the time of William the Conqueror. The best known family member in Virginia was William Byrd, who accumulated large landholdings and lived at Westover VA. He surveyed the Virginia - North Carolina border. Our Bird family is descended from his uncle William Bird who came to Virginia somewhat earlier and settled at Martins Brandon in Surry Co VA. William Bird was a London silversmith before emigrating to Virginia. When he died his children became wards of Nevitt Wheeler, who was probably his wifes's brother. Nevitt Wheeler was implicated in Nathaniel Bacon's rebellion and has not been traced further. William Bird married again to Hannah Grendon before his death. William's son Thomas inherited the Surry County estate, and his sons John and William moved south to the Albemarle District of North Carolina. -7 13792 2 William BYRD-6896 b 1610/20 London ENGL son Thomas and Elizabeth BIRD, silversmith, to VA in 1635 or 1654, uncle of William BYRD of Westover VA; d bef 1672 MartinsBrandon, SurryCo VA -7 13792 2-1 m1 abt 1645 ENGL ?______ WHEELER?-6770 b abt 1625 ENGL, sister? of Nevit WHEELER who was guardian of her children; d abt 1646 SurryCo VA -6 6896 1 John BYRD-3448 b abt 1648 MartinsBrandon, SouthwarkParish, SurryCo VA, moved to AlbemarleDist NC aft 1670; d aft 1675 ChowanCo NC -6 6896 1-1 m abt 1670 SurryCo VA Ann ?______-3449 b abt 1650 VA/ENGL, given power of attorney 1675 SurryCo VA; d aft 1675 ChowanCo NC -6 6896 2 William BYRD b abt 1650 SurryCo VA; d aft 1677 PasquotankCo NC -6 6896 3 Thomas BYRD b abt 1653 VA; d bef 4Mar1709 SurryCo VA -6 6896 3-1 m 1674/5 SouthwarkParish VA Mary ?______; d VA -6 6896 3-1-2 she m2 1709 SurryCo VA George NICHOLSON -7 13792 2-2 m2 ENGL Hannah GRENDON b ENGL dau Thomas GRENDON; d VA ============================================== http://www.balcro.com/carol.html William BIRD and Hannah GRENDON Many thanks to Virginia Green for the wonderful additions of Charles City County court records which are a testament to just how human our William was Husband: William Bird LifeNotes: In London, William Bird was the Virginia representative for London merchants John Sadler and Thomas Quiney (Thomas was married to Judith Shakespeare). William Bird and his family lived in Martins Brandon, Charles City Co, VA. William was a Judge and a businessman. He purhased a "a grist mill and appurtenances at head of Chippokes Creek" from Thomas Busby on 7/4/1671, also 150 acres adjoining and .another 300 acres adjacent to William Shorte. From Library of Virginia Land Office Patents and Grants: William Bird, on 6/7/1656, had a patent for 300 acres "Upon the South side of Ward's Creek above John Walls Devidend. From a memo. on the margin of the record, it appears that the patt. was renewed the 13th of Jany 1661. formerly granted to Wm. Havet, Apl. 7, 1653. Book No. 3 pa: 249. 20 Feb. 1657, arrived in Virginia with Capt. Franc Grey, Capt. Otho Southcutt, and Mr James Crewes with some servants, among them Phillip A. Taylor, on the ship "Seven Sisters" commanded by Capt. Abraham Read (564. Charles City, Va. Co. Court Order Bk.1661#) 1656/57. William Byrd of Surry Co, VA is listed in the Surry Co. Deed Books as a creditor in the settlement of the estate of John Westhope, dec. (Surry Co. Deeds 1652-84. by Davis, 67, pg. 44) William also bought 300 acres in Surry Co, VA from Busby. (Thomas Busby was the father of Mary Busby who married Daniel Malone. See the Malone page of his parents Daniel Malone and Susan Florarday.) From the Charles City County Court Order Book, 1661# Page 289: Ordered that William Bird rest in the sherriffs custody during pleasure of the Co'rt for his affront given in open Co'rt. Page 291: Willm Bird upon his his submission and recantacon is released from his imprisonment paying the fees thereof. Page 396: Capt. ffranc Grey Capt Otho Southcott and mr Wm Bird do hereby testifie declare and affirme in Co'rt that they an mr James Crewes w'th some servts among whom was one Phillip a Taylor arrived in Virga in the Shipp seaven sisters comanded by Capt Abraham Read about the 20th day of ffeb'r Anno D'm 1657 Otho Southcott Fran: Grey Will Bird Page 611: The deposicon of Willm Bird exa'ied and sworne saith That being in company w'th Mr Anthony Wyatt the 10th of Ober last there came Mr Caswell to whom Mr Wyatt did chide that he let planters sit at his Cooke rooms doore whereto Mr Caswell repleyed you have stle my hammocks out of my Ship and a bottle of wine, and further saith not. Test: Will Bird # Page 452: Theophilus Beddingfield ... saith ... That being at Church on the Sabbath day after prayer standing in the Church yard, heard Tho: Stevenson talkng with Mr. Bird concerning his difference [ with] George Gibson [ and] saying to Mr. Bird that Gibson should never take take his oath against him for he was an Athicke, so Mr. bird replyed and asked the said Stevenson Tom what pretty word that was, and Stevenson replyed he could not say it so plaine as wee could ... and Stevenson replyed again [ that] he could prove by two sufficient oaths that George Gibson sd there was no Resurreccion [ and] that when our flesh was parted from the bones they should never rise again and yo'r depon't further saith not. Page 453: The deposicion of Herery Tame ... That being at George Gibsons house, Tho: Stevenson came ov'r the sd Gibsons plantable ground betweene his house and the fence and measured the sd grounds and [ Stevenson] threw down the sd Gibsons fence, and goodwife Gibson went to the fence, and Tho: Stevensons wife threw at the sd Gibsons wife to the best of my knowledge Rootes of [ tobacco] and further yo'r depon't knoweth not. Sworne before me signe of Will Bird # Henry x Tame This suit begins with Wyatt complaining that he has been slandered by being called a thief in public. Caswell then explains that Wyatt had been "something in drink more than was convenient at the time". Four more testimonies in the case follow. # Bird has become by this time a Justice and is hearing testimony. This case continues with statements by Bird that the agument between the two women resulted in Mrs. Gibson being struck on her arm with a stick hurled by Mrs. Stevenson. Several more witnesses testified. (# Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Vol. 12 Charles City Court Orders 1661-1664, Beverly Fleet, Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co. 1961) Born: about 1619 in England Married: Died: before 9/1672 in VA Parents: Thomas Bird and Elizabeth Bird. See their Bird page. Wife: Hannah Grendon LifeNotes: The daughter of Col. Thomas and Elizabeth (-?) Grendon of London, Hannah was deeded Virginia property by her father. See her Grendon page. When she married William, she was the widow of Thomas Jennings with a son Thomas Jennings (a merchant, living in London in 1685). After William died, Hannah married twice more; m-3rd: William Duke, m-4th: William Archer. Born: England Married: Died: before 1672 Parents: Col. Thomas Grendon and Elizabeth (-?). See their Grendon page. Their only [? 2 listed] known child was: * Thomas Bird, born about 1651 Surry Co, VA and was not of age when his father died. He inherited his father's grist mill, the building, and the surrounding lands. Married about 1671, Surry Co, VA. Mary (--??). Three daughters: Elizabeth Bird, Mary Bird, and Tabitha Bird. Thomas Bird died 1/1687-8., will proved in Surry Co, VA in 1687. See their page. * Elizabeth Bird ============================== http://www.rootsweb.com/~vadinwid/tucker/wills/pgeorg1.htm _______________ http://www.jimandellen.org/finch/gentfart.html "A Sigh": "Gentlest Air thou breath of Lovers", MS Folger, p. 254. See Annotated Chronology No. 104. The parody, "Upon a Fart" appeared anonymously in 1704 in Poems on Affairs of State, from 1640 to 1704, p. 441: "A F--t" Gentlest Blast of all Concoction, Reverse of high ascending Belch, The only Stink abhor'd by Scotch-men, Belov'd and practis'd by the Welch. Softest Note of inward Griping, Sir Reverence's finest Part: So fine it needs no pains of wiping, Except it be a Brewer's F--t. Swiftest Ease of Cholick Pains, Vapour from a Secret Stench, That's rattled by the unbred Swains, But whisper'd by the Bashful Wench. Shapeless F--t!, we we'er can shew thee, But in that noble Female Sport; In which by burning Blue we know thee, Th'Amusement of the Maids at Court. The poem also appears in The third Part of Miscellany Poems (London: Tonson, 1716), p. 190; it has been found in a notebook owned by William Byrd (n.p.), appears in Yale Osborne MS f.b70, p. 193, and is reprinted in two modern anthologies of early American poetry. See Colonial American Poetry, ed. Kenneth Silverman (New York and London: Hafner Publishing, 1968), pp. 273-274 where it appears after "A Sigh", both of which texts are taken from a manuscript in the University of North Carolina Library. John O'Neile and Cameron Nickels have disputed the attribution to William Byrde; see "Upon the Attribution of 'Upon a Fart'", Early American Literature, 14 (1979), pp. 143- 48 where they give a stemma of the early texts of this parody. It is fascinating to see how quickly Anne's poem caught attention. While I date the poem to 1702-3 because it does not appear in the MS Finch-Hatton and because the first known parody appears in 1704; nonetheless, it should be noted that the author of this parody suggests the original poem was written for the amusement of the maids at court. Thus it could be a very early poem, or could signal the Finch's continual connection with the Stuarts. ______________ http://www.iath.virginia.edu/vcdh/jamestown/masterDW3.html Virginia Land Office. Patent, 1687 April 20, issued to William Byrd for 956 acres of land in Henrico County [now Richmond], Va. Manuscripts Mss11:1 B9963:1 Byrd, William, 1652-1704. Letterbook, 1683/4 January 7-1611 August 3. Manuscripts. Mss5:2 B9965:1 ______________ http://www.lva.lib.va.us/sb/exhibits/treasures/archrec/ar-e6.htm proclamation 1700 making William Byrd temporary charge of Virginia ________________ http://members.tripod.com/~mallen4896/Byrd/Byrd-William.html William Byrd, of "Westover," Charles City Co., VA., born in London, England, died 4 December, 1704, at "Westover." He was the son of John Byrd or Bird, a goldsmith of London, England, and his wife, Grace Stagges. William came to the Colony in 1677, and possessed himself of the estate of his late uncle, Thomas Stagges. He resided first at "Belvedere," Hanover Co., VA., and later at "Westover," on the James. He took a prominent and active part in affairs of Church and State, and was an influential member of the King's Council. He married Mary Horsmanden, born 1652 and died 9 November, 1699, daughter of Col. Warham Horsmanden, of Charles City Co., VA., who later returned to England, and resided at "Parleigh," in Essex Co. Five children: 1. William Byrd, born 28 March, 1664 England. 2. Susan Byrd married John Brayne, of London, England. 3. Ursula Byrd born 9 November, 1681 and died 11 October, 1698. She married Robert Beverley, of James City Co., VA., son of Robert and Mary Keeble Beverley. 4. Mary Byrd, died young. 5. Warham Byrd died young. _________________ http://www.resnet.wm.edu/~rkdone/williambyrdpage.html The story of the Byrd family's influence in Virginia really began with Thomas Stegge, a sea captain who had long been a trader in the southern colonies. While working in the southern colonies, he bought land in Virginia. Upon his death, the captain's son, Thomas Stegge, Junior, inherited his father's American estate located in Henrico County, Virginia. Stegge, Junior, moved from England to Henrico County, becoming a local man of influence. Nearing the end of his life, Stegge, Junior, had no male heirs to inherit his estate.He encouraged his nephew, William Byrd I, to come to Virginia to inherit his land. Byrd I accepted the invitation. At the tender age of eighteen, William Byrd inherited a vast fortune and a prominent social position upon the death of his uncle in 1670. After inheriting his uncle's estate, Byrd I began to establish a new life in Virginia. In 1673, he married Mary Filmer. Together they had five children, including William Byrd II. With the birth of his son, the Byrd family dynasty began. Byrd I's inherited estate consisted of 1800 acres located as an outpost on the Virginia colony's frontier. Its location remained within easy range of Indian raids until the end of the 1600s. While many would fear such close contact with the Indians, Byrd I used his proximity to the indigenous people to his advantage.He began a lucrative trade business with the Indians, which eventually led to him becoming the leading Indian trader in Virginia. Near his plantation estate, Byrd I created the Trading Path. The Trading Path provided a route that fifteen of his employed men followed to trade with Indians as far as South Carolina. Employees of Byrd would travel down the Trading Path with a hundred packhorses to trade colonial goods with the Catawba and Cherokee Indians in exchange for fur and deerskins. Along with establishing a lucrative Indian trade business, William Byrd also exchanged imported goods for tobacco and dealt in the indentured servants and slave trade. Byrd I became the chief owner of a slave ship, which was later captured by the French. In addition, he began a business that traded imported British goods for tobacco products. All of these ventures, made William Byrd I a prominent member of the Henrico County community and a member of the gentry class. In 1676, he became captain in the militia of Henrico County. Four years later he became a colonel and was already serving in the House of Burgesses. The pinnacle of his public career came in 1680 when Governor Culpepper appointed him to the Council, and he would later become president of the body during the later years of his life. While on a visit to England in 1687, he was appointed as Auditor of the Public Accounts of Virginia and receiver general of the colony. These positions were among the only publicly held offices that offered a paid salary. With these positions, Byrd I reported on all the sums of money collected in the colony for the crown. Money largely came from quitrents and taxes on all tobacco exported from Virginia. Since most taxes were paid in the form of tobacco, a practice began where the receiver general would then sell some of this tobacco at then end of each year to members of the council.Byrd I made a handsome profit from this practice. Since 1690, Byrd I had been living in a well-furnished wooden mansion, which he built on his new estate of Westover in Charles City County, Virginia. The location was closer to the center of political life in the colony and safer from potential Indian attacks than his previous home. Byrd I lived at Westover until his death in 1704. While William Byrd I started the family dynasty, William Byrd II added to it. William Byrd II was born on March 28, 1674. At the age of 7, he went to England to receive an education. At the age of 16, he went to Holland to study business. He returned to England in 1690 to get more business training from the firm of Perry and Lane. By 1695, he had been called before the bar. In 1696, Byrd II returned to Virginia.He believed he would be made a member of the House of Burgesses for Henrico County, but in 1697 he returned to England to serve as a representative for the Virginia Assembly to present an address to the Board of Trade. While in England, he also represented Governor Edmund Andros in accusations by James Blair that the governor was hindering the construction of the College of William and Mary.In October 1698, he was appointed an agent for Virginia in London and worked for several years in that capacity until the death of his father. When William Byrd II died on December 4, 1704, Byrd II immediately left London for Virginia. When he arrived to Virginia in August 1705, he earned his father's estate of 26,000 acres. He also followed his father's footsteps by being confirmed by the crown as auditor and receiver general of the Virginia colony. Unfortunately, before he could take his positions, the two jobs were divided. Consequently, he received only the position of receiver general. In addition, Byrd II was also appointed to the council, like his father, in 1708, where he would remain a member until his death. During this time period, Byrd II began starting a family. He married Lucy Parke on May 4, 1706.Unfortunately, Lucy Parke had a terrible temper. According to Byrd II's diary, he complained often about his wife's violent temper. The couple had four children, but only two, his daughters Evelyn and Wilhelmina, would survive into adulthood. The family would not remain in Virginia for long.In the spring of 1715, William Byrd II decided to return to England to try to dispose of Governor Spotswood. Spotswood was trying to change the nature of Byrd II's job as receiver general by changing the manner in which taxes were paid. In addition, Spotswood's efforts to create a company that would monopolize the Indian trade threatened the Byrd family's lucrative enterprise. In August 1715, Byrd II presented a speech to the Board of Trade on behalf of the Virginia Assembly. He asked that quitrents be used toward the colony and not be placed in the English Treasury. His speech proved successful in changing the way the British used the taxes collected in the colony. In addition, he got the law monopolizing Indian trade repealed in 1717. While in England, storms were brewing in Virginia between the governor and the council. The governor claimed he had the right to appoint judges to serve in the court without the assistance of the council members. This angered the council immensely. Spotswood recommended to the crown that any council member that went against Spotswood's policy be removed. The governor further recommended that Byrd II be removed because of his long extent in England. At first, the crown ignored the request for Byrd II's removal; however, Byrd II grew worried when Spotswood recommended his removal again in February 1719.Through some skillful diplomacy, Byrd II promised to return to Virginia and make amends with the governor in exchange for keeping his seat on the council. William Byrd II arrived in Williamsburg in 1720, and he made amends with the governor. Similar to other stints in Virginia, he would not remain in the colony for very long. Byrd II went back to England in 1721 to serve as an agent for the Virginia Assembly in relation to an affair relating to an Indian treaty. He spent several years in England working on various assignments for the colony. At this stage in his life, he was a bachelor.His first wife, Mary, had died in 1716.Byrd II was a very eligible bachelor, and he found his second mate in Maria Taylor. They married in 1724 and returned to Virginia in 1726. By this time, Byrd II had accumulated a number of debts. With his growing family, he sought the honor and profit of higherpolitical offices.His efforts were largely frustrating.In 1727, he was appointed as one of three Virginia commissioners to settle a boundary line between Virginia and North Carolina. During most of the year 1728, he and a party ventured into the westward frontier to establish the dividing line between the two colonies. Byrd II used his salary as one of the commissioners to purchase some of the fertile lands he came into contact with while drawing the line. Among these lands he purchased was the 6,000 acres he named the "Land of Eden." Byrd wrote a book about his experience entitled The History of the Dividing Line. In 1735, Byrd was appointed as one of three crown representative to determine the bounds of the Northern Neck between the Potomac and the Rappahannock Rivers in northern Virginia. Lord Fairfax claimed all these lands, and he appointed a rival commission to survey the disputed lands. The crown commission and the Fairfax commission haughtily disputed one another. Eventually, the crown favored Fairfax's interests. In the meantime, Byrd II decided to rebuild Westover sometime in 1731 or 1732.The construction costs became extremely expensive, and his debts continued to rise.At the beginning of 1736, he thought about selling Westover to relinquish his debts. Instead, he opted to sale off some of his other lands and slaves. In addition, he began advertising for German Swiss immigrants to come to Virginia to settle on his "Land of Eden." Unfortunately, the immigrant's boat wrecked on the voyage to Virginia, and few survived. Byrd II decided to allow Scotch-Irish to settle on the land despite his prejudice for them. Aside from his public career in politics, Byrd II was a diarist, a novelist, a chronicler, and a budding student of science and philosophy. He was the quintessential example of the gentry class. In 1696, he was appointed to the Royal Society, an organization full of the most prominent members of the scientific community. He would remain in constant correspondence with many of the leading scholars who were members of the organization. Byrd II's diary provides one of the best histories of his era. He enjoyed writing immensely. He often wrote poems and literary sketches. Finally,he was a chronicler. He chronicled many events in his three books: The History of the Dividing Line, A Progress to the Mines, and A Journey to the Land of Eden. None of them were ever published during his lifetime. When William Byrd II died on August 26, 1744, he had discharged all his debts and owned some 179,000 acres. His legacy would survive, as many of his children would marry into other prominent families. He helped create one of the most prolific family empires in the history of colonial Virginia. ___________________ http://www.globalseek.net/ToDaY/FeBRUaRY/february27.html 1563 William Byrd is appointed organist at Lincoln Cathedral ___________________ http://www.dailyalmanacs.com/almanac2/july/0704.html In 1623, William Byrd, English composer (Ave verum corpus), dies at 80 _________________ http://www.unicatt.it/website/home/servizi/biblioteca/milano/banchedati/surf2.htm William Byrd (1543-1623) ________________ http://www.coutsfamily.com/news17.htm Bundles 1-2-3 No. Name Rank Acres surveyed 6 Hon. William Byrd, Colonel 1000, June 3, 1771 By Jno Floyd Ass't Fincastle Co. s.s. of Ohio-cor. Wiliam Fleming. Ass'd by M[ary?] Byrd to John Carter Littlepage. Bundle 77 Hon. William Byrd Col. Of the Va. Regt. 1000, June 3, 1774 By James Douglas, Fincastle Co. on waters of Beargrass Creek, which falls into the Ohio at the head of the Falls-McCorkle's land -cor. To John Floyd-cor. To Southall & Charlton. {Copy of clause of Wm. Byrd's will devising to Thomas Byrd, Att. By M. Byrd. Also Cerfication signed by "M. Byrd." Bundles 130-132 211 Col. William Byrd Colonel 1000, No date Certified by William Preston, Jefferson Co. on Bear Grass; cor. McCorkle and Floyd; cor. Southall and Charleton; to Thomas Taylor Byrd, legatee; letters, etc, of M[ary] Byrd, Ex'x, attached Bundles 156-157 570 Hon Wm. Byrd, dec'd Field Off. 1000, Oct 28, 1786 By Ro. Breckenridge, ass't to Alex'r Breckenridge, S.J. C. Jefferson Co. on the Ohio, at mouth of a creek about 12 miles above Salt River, to Mrs. Mary Byrd, Ex'x 565 " " 1000, Oct. 28, 1786 Ro. Reckenridge, Jefferson Co., on the Ohio, adjoin 1,000 acre survey; Pond Creek; To Mrs. Mary Byrd, Ex'x 566 " " " 567 " " " 568 " " 569 " " ___________________ http://www.rootsweb.com/~chalkley/volume_1/or18_234.htm Volume I AUGUSTA COUNTY COURT RECORDS. ORDER BOOK No. XVIII. MARCH 16, 1784. (174) Sarah Welch, widow of John Welch, deceased, proved that John, her late husband, had obtained a certificate under the proclamation of Governor Dinwiddie for 200 acres for services as a Sergeant in the Virginia Regiment commanded by William Byrd, which is since mislaid, and it is certified that Sarah is the only relation and heir of said John in these United States. MARCH 20, 1784. 205) John Bosler and Wm. Murphy returned no inhabitants. ____________________ http://www.csulb.edu/depts/history/ugrad/pflegerS01/s172bpfS1.pdf William & Mary Quarterly 48 (1991) 19-49. Dayton, Cornelia Hughes, "Taking the Trade: Abortion and Gender Relations in an Eighteenth-Century New England Village." Primary: Examination of John Murphy, 1756. Primary transcript due. ...Primary: Virginia Planter William Byrd's Diary, Dec 1740, in "Another Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover" ed. Maude Woodfin (Richmond, 1942) 116-124. _______________________ http://www.raken.com/american_wealth/encyclopedia/profile.asp?code=335 Byrd Family William Byrd II ( 1674-1744 ) of Westover, Charles City Co, Virginia Parents:William Byrd and Mary Horsmanden Married:Lucy Parke, Maria Taylor Children:Evelyn Byrd, Parke Byrd, Anne Byrd, Maria Byrd, Jane Byrd, William Byrd III __________________ http://www.mindspring.com/~baumbach/ppoole/ppoole12.htm Daniel Dean of Halifax to Seth Pettipoole of Halifax, lower side of Hico River, bounded by Grifffens Road, thence along the lines of lands devised by Hon. William Byrd [III?] Esq to Samuel Griffin, thence along his line to a tract of land laid of out of Byrd's tract for John Murfey, Howard Hurst, Pinsons Shoal Branch, Byrd's old line, Ralph Griffen, about 100 acres; signed: Daniel Dean.; wit: George Boyd Jr, Patrick Fitzgerald, Elisha Estes; 20 Mar 1771; recorded: 21 Mar 1771 _________________ http://classweb.uchicago.edu/Civilization/American/Supp135/ByrdDiary.html November 1711 Sister of Byrd II named Custis"My sister Custis and Mrs Dunn went to Queen's Creek..." 19th ...About 2 o'clock my sister Custis sent horses for me and about 3 I rode to make her a visit and found them pretty well and their whole family. About 6 o'clock we went to supper and I ate some roast beef. Then we talked about dividing the land of old Colonel Parke between them and me. Some words were spoken concerning selling some of Colonel Parke's land to pay his debts but my sister would not hear of it. I said my prayers and had good health good thoughts, and good humor, thank God Almighty. ... 20th I rose about 7 o'clock and my brother and I appointed Mr. Bland and Mr. [Keeling] to divide the land of old Colonel Parke and agreed my sister should have the choice I said my prayers and ate boiled milk for breakfast. 26th My sister agreed to divide her grandfather's land without any intervention of [f-r-n]and she also agreed to the sale of some of the land and negroes of her father to pay his debts. About 10 o'clock we took leave and went to Williamsburg but there we did not meet to do business till almost 2 o'clock because we had not enough in town. We read two bills and then went to dinner and I ate chicken pie but was not well after it. In the evening we went to the coffeehouse where I received a letter from Mr. Perry and an account of £5 a hogshead for tobacco. About 9 o'clock I went to my lodgings where I said my prayers and had good health, good thoughts, and good humor, thank God Almighty. _____________________ From William Byrd, The Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1709-1712, eds. Louis B. Wright and Marion Tinling (Richmond, VA: Dietz Press, 1941). more found at http://classweb.uchicago.edu/Civilization/American/Supp135/ByrdDiary.html _______________ http://www.bartleby.com/65/by/ByrdWDad.html Byrd, William, 1652-1704, English planter in colonial Virginia 1652-1704, English planter in early Virginia. He came to America as a youth and took up lands he had inherited on both sides of the James River, including the site that would later be Richmond. In 1691 he moved to "Westover," long famous as the Byrd family home. His landed fortune was increased by his interest in trade, and he served (1703) as president of the Virginia council. Byrd's wealth, culture, and character made him the ideal tidewater aristocrat. He was the father of William Byrd (1674-1744). ___________________ http://www.marist.chi.il.us/~amlit/laurph2.html William Byrd II William Byrd was born on March 28, 1674 in Westover,Virginia. During his childhood he attended Felsted Grammar School in Essex, England. While in London he trained in business from 1690-91 and studied at Middle Temple from 1692-95. Byrd returned to Virginia in 1696 and was immediately elected to the House of Burgesses, Williamsburg for Henrico County. He then represented the Virginia Assembly in London in 1697 and was a colonial agent from 1698-1705. He again returned to Virginia in 1705 and was appointed Receiver-General. In 1706 he married Lucy Parke with whom he two daughters and two sons. Unfortunately for William Lucy ended up dying in 1716. Byrd was a member of the Virginia Council from 1709-44. In 1724 he married again, this time to Maria Taylor. Together they had three daughters and one son. Byrd represented the council against Lieutenant-Governor Spotswood in London between the years 1715 and 1719, and also as an agent from 1721-26. He became president of the council in 1743. He was also the commissioner in the boundary line dispute between Virginia and North Carolina in 1728, which is reported in his History of the Dividing Line. Byrd was also Crown Representative in survey of Northern neck of Virginia from 1735-36. Byrd resided at Westover on the James River and in 1737 he had the city of Richmond laid out on his hands. His library of more than four thousand volumes was reputedly the largest in the English colonies. Aside from all his years as a public official, Byrd was also a planter, lawyer, and what he is most remembered for, being a writer. Unfortunately for Byrd, none of his works were published until long after his death. ------------- http://www.resnet.wm.edu/~smyoos/byrd.html William Byrd II was born on March 28, 1674 in Virginia to William Byrd I, an Indian trader and slave importer. In his youth, Byrd was schooled in England, traveled in The Netherlands, and studied law in London.He was admitted to the bar in 1695, and become a fellow of the Royal Society.William Byrd I died in 1705, after which the younger Byrd decided to go back to Virginia and manage the family estate. As the leader of his newly acquired estate, Byrd allied himself with the most prominent families in Virginia.He became a colonel of the county militia.In 1709, Byrd was given the lifetime appointment of king's councilor.He served in the House of Burgesses and also on the Virginia Council.Between 1715 and 1726, Byrd spent his time in England, acting primarily as the spokesman for the large Virginia planters against Governor Alexander Spotswood. ---------------- http://pantheon.yale.edu/~thomast/essays/sam/sam1.html A second generation colonial settler, Byrd was torn between his father's desire that he become an English gentleman and his own desire to accept his status as a colonial aristocrat. William Byrd II's father, William Byrd I, came to America from England in approximately 1670 and "had the good fortune to arrive in Virginia when the society was just beginning to fix itself."[7] Like many of the settlers who had traveled to America, Byrd I had hopes of improving his station in life. His maternal uncle bequeathed him eighteen hundred acres of the most fertile land in Tidewater Virginia upon which Byrd settled. Although only sixteen, Byrd I began immediately to make a name for himself in the ranks of Colonial Virginia. He befriended Governor William Berkeley, previously a friend of his uncle's, and within a number of years he had become a member of the House of Burgesses. By 1680 Byrd I had been so successful at advancing himself that he was appointed a member of the Council of Virginia by the new governor, Culpeper and was admitted into the Royal Society. The Royal Society was a group of men in England who's members included doctors, scientists, architects, mathematicians and "other curious men with the means to finance the pioneering undertakings of the society."[8] Byrd's fascination with horticulture and botany[9] attracted him to the group, and his residence in America, a land filled with animals and plants not found in England, made him a valuable member. Like many of his contemporaries, he focused his energies on acquiring large plots of land in America. At that time, land was virtually impossible to secure in England for everyone but the gentry, so the availability of vast stretches of land in America, albeit wild land, appealed to Byrd as it did to many British settlers.[10] With an economic and political advantage, Byrd I acquired a great deal more land, which he added to the eighteen hundred acres he already owned.On this land he built up his plantation, Westover, the birthplace and, in his later years, the residence of his son William Byrd II. _____________________ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h283.html William Byrd II was born in Virginia in 1674. At age seven he left for England, where he received a quality education. He returned to Virginia after learning of his father's death. Despite having a general disdain for any type of business -- a view shared by many of his acquaintances back in England, Byrd now had the responsibility of managing his inherited plantation. It was among the scores of large and profitable slave labor camps -- privately owned and sanctioned by the government -- which had sprung into existance in the southern colonies during the preceding generation. Although intelligent and known for his keen wit, Byrd was arrogant, dominant, and insensitive. In Byrd's view, African Americas were property, and he treated his slaves as such. Lacking the least bit of compassion, he even went so far as to play cruel games on his servants, merely for entertainment. His attitudes are evident in his journals, one of which was later published as The Secret Diaries of William Byrd of Westover, 1709-1712. ---------------- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h283t.html William Byrd's (II)diary _ February 8, 1709. I rose at 5 o'clock this morning and read a chapter in Hebrew and 200 verses in Homer's Odyssey. I ate milk for breakfast. I said my prayers. Jenny and Eugene were whipped. Idanced my dance. I read law in the morning and Italian in the afternoon. . . . _ February 22, 1709. I rose at 7 o'clock and read a chapter in Hebrew and 200 verses in Homer'sOdyssey. I said my prayers and ate milk for breakfast. I threatened Anaka with a whipping if she didnot confess the intrigues between Daniel and Nurse, but she prevented by a confession. I chided Nurse severely about it, but she denied, with an impudent face, protesting that Daniel only lay on thebed for the sake of the child. I ate nothing but beef for dinner. . . . _ June 10, 1709. I rose at 5 o'clock this morning but could not read anything because of CaptainKeeling, but I played at billiards with him and won half a crown of him and the Doctor. George B-thbrought home my boy Eugene. . . . In the evening I took a walk about the plantation. Eugene waswhipped for running away and had the [bit] put on him. I said my prayers and had good health, goodthought, and good humor, thanks be to God Almighty. _ September 3, 1709. . . . I read some geometry. We had no court this day. My wife wasindisposed again but not to much purpose. I ate roast chicken for dinner. In the afternoon I beatJenny for throwing water on the couch. . . . _ December 1, 1709. I rose at 4 o'clock and read two chapters in Hebrew and some Greek inCassius. I said my prayers and ate milk for breakfast. I danced my dance. Eugene was whippedagain for pissing in bed and Jenny for concealing it. . . . _ December 3, 1709. I rose at 5 o'clock and read two chapters in Hebrew and some Greek inCassius. I said my prayers and ate milk for breakfast. I danced my dance. Eugene pissed abed again for which I made him drink a pint of piss. I settled some accounts and read some news. . . . _ June 17, 1710. . . .I set my closet right. I ate tongue and chicken for dinner. In the afternoon Icaused L-s-n to be whipped for beating his wife and Jenny was whipped for being his whore. In theevening the sloop came from Appomattox with tobacco. I took a walk about the plantation. I said my prayers and drank some new milk from the cow. . . . _ February 27, 1711. I rose at 6 o'clock and read two chapters in Hebrew and some Greek inLucian. I said my prayers and ate boiled milk for breakfast. I danced my dance and then went to thebrick house to see my people pile the planks and found them all idle for which I threatened themsoundly but did not whip them. . . . In the afternoon Mr. Dunn and I played at billiards. Then wetook a long walk about the plantation and looked over all my business. In the evening my wife andlittle Jenny had a great quarrel in which my wife got the worst but at last by the help of the family Jenny was overcome and soundly wipped. At night I ate some bread and cheese. I said my prayers and had good health, good thoughts, and good humor, thank God Almighty. The Secret Diary of William Byrd of Westover, 1709-1712 , by Louis B. Wright and Marion Tinling, eds., Richmond 1941, Dietz Press --------