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Please add to, make corrections, etc. to the folowing:
Descendants of William Byrd II
Generation No. 1
1. WILLIAM18 BYRD II (WILLIAM17, JOHN16, THOMAS15, JOHN14, ROBERT13 LE BYRD, HENRY12 LE BIRD, THOMAS11 LE BYRD, JOHN10 LE BIRD, HENRY9, TOMALYN8, JOHN (JOHANES)7 LE BYRD, DAVID6 LE BIRD, HUGH5, DAVID4, RICHARD3, HUGH2, CHARLTON1) was born March 28, 1674 in Williamsburg, Virginia, and died August 26, 1744 in Westover, Virginia. He married (1) LUCY PARKE 1706, daughter of DANIEL PARKE. She died November 21, 1716 in England. He married (2) MARIA MARION TAYLOR 1724, daughter of THOMAS TAYLOR and UNKNOWN. She was born November 10, 1698, and died 1771.
Notes for WILLIAM BYRD II:
Col. William Byrd II, of "Westover", born March 24, 1674, died August 26, 1744.
He also filled the office of Receiver General of the Royal Revenues and was a member of the Royal Council for 37 years and served as its presiding officer.
He was a man of prominence, cultivated tastes, courtly manners, and great wealth.
The first volume of extracts from his personal diary, the original of which is in the
Huntington Library, Huntington Park, Calif., has lately been published, from which quotations showing his intimate association with Col. Henry Duke, of James City County, Va., who served with him in the Royal Council for 12 years,
William Byrd 11 was born In Virginia, March 28, 1674.
There Is some dispute as to the place of his birth.
One writer claims that Byrd was born at Westover, but this to not probable as the estate was not acquired by his father until fourteen years later.
Possibly he was born farther up the river near the Falls of the James where the family resided for many years.
Before he was ten years of age, William Byrd 11 was sent to England to his mother's people for education.
His Grandfather Horsemanden, who lived at Purleigh In Essex, placed the young man under the Instruction of Christopher Glassock.
This tutor made good reports of his progress.
Young Byrd next went to Holland to further his business education.
There he studied until 1690 when he returned to London and became a student of law in thy Middle Temple.
He remained at this place for at least three, and more probably five, years as the latter period was the usual length of time spent there in preparation for law.
At this time Byrd made some valuable friendships.
He formed a contact with Sir Robert SouthwelI when he went to Holland.
While a student at the Inns of Court, Byrd became a boon companion of Benjamin Lynde, later Chief Justfce of Massachusetts.
He also became a Fellow of the Royal Society while In London at this time.
After Byrd's formal education was completed, he returned to Virginia and entered political life.
His tather's Influence made this a comparatively easy task.
Wllliam Byrd II was a member of the Assembly from Henrico County In 1696.
Shortly he returned to England and, In 1698, he was appointed Agent for the Colony by the Virginia Council.
This position was held for four years.
In 1701 he tried to secure the office of Secretary of Virginia, but was unsuccessful as the office went to Jennings, the former Assistant Secretary.
Upon learning of the death of his father In 1704, Byrd returned Immediately to Virginia to look after the estate, as most of It had been beqneathed to him.
He also succeeded In obtaining the two offices of Auditor and Recelver-General held by his father.
Soon the two offices were separated and Byrd retained the position of Receiver-General.
In 1708 he was appointed to the Council and continued to be a member of that body until the time of his death.
n 1710, there came to Virginia a man with whom Byrd was to engage in a long and bitter quarrel.
This was Alexander Spottswood, who came as Lieutenant-Governor under the Earl of Orkney.
The main cause of friction was the fact that Spottswood wished to make the Council body, that had developed great powers and oligarchic tendencies under the preceding govemors, subservient to him as a representative of the Crown.
This the Council did not propose to allow.
They quietly watched their opportunity.
When the Governor was caught at a disadvantage, pressure was exerted by the Council and he was removed.
In the meantime, Spottswood had been quite active in attempting to have both Byrd and Ludwell removed from the Council, but without success.
The antagonism between Byrd and the Governor and the fact that his position as Receiver-GeneraI made it necessary for him to be subservient to the latter, caused him to decide to dispose of that office.
For these reasons he sold the position to James Roscow In 1716 for the sum of live hundred pounds. After Spottswood retired to private life, he and Byrd forgot past dimculties and became good friends. This was shown by the fact that Byrd visited his old antagonist at the time of his journey to the mines In 1732.
Soon after selling his Virginia office, Byrd returned to England where he spent most of the next ten years.
This absence caused a recommendation to be sent to England In 1719 asking for his removal from the Virginia Council.
Byrd circumvented this removal, however, by petitioning to retain his offtee and by returning to Virginia for a short tme.
In 1720, he agaln returned to England and remained there until 1726.
Two years after his return to the Old Dominion, Byrd was selected as the leader of the Virginia Commission to cooperate with a North Carolina Commission for surveying and settling the disputed boundary between the two colonies.
Much friction developed between the two factions as shown by the written accounts of the expeditiom left by Byrd.
In spite of much difficulty and bickering, the Survey was finally completed in November, 1728.
In the meantime, Colonel Byrd continued as a member of the Council and, upon the death of Blair in 1748, he became President of that body.
Like his father, he was not destined to hold this position long as his death occurred the following year.
In private, as well as public life, Colonel Byrd was a man of great activity.
wo years after the death of his father, he married Lucy Parke, daughter of Colonel Daniel Parke, later Governor of the Leeward Islands.
Colonel Byrd's father-in-law was murdered In 1710 and left a large debt upon the property In his possession In Virginia
This property was left to Parke's daughter Frances, wife of John Custis.
They wished to dispose of this inherited property.
Since Byrd did not wish to see it go out of the possession of the family, he took It over and assumed the obligation upon it.
This proved to be a bad bargain for the owner of Westover, as the debt amounted to over nine thousand pounds and kept him in financial difficulty the remainder of his life.
By his marriage with Lucy Parke, Byrd had four children:
Evelyn, born in 1707, died unmarried In 1737;
Parke, born In 1709, died the following year;
Philip William, born In 1712, died the same year;
and Wilhelmina born In 1715, married Thomas Chamberlayne of New Kent County.
When Byrd went to England in 1716, he learned that his stay would be prolonged, so he sent for his wife.
She arrived In England in the summer of 1716, but the trip proved to be unfortunate as Mrs. Byrd contracted smallpox and died In December of that same year.
The two daughters were sent for and remained In England to be educated.
Evelyn became a famous beauty and it was rumored that the Earl of Peterborough wished to marry her. Colonel Byrd objected to this match and Evelyn returned to Virginia where she remained unmarried. Her portrait, by Bridges. it is believed, has been handed down to us.
The second matrimonial venture of Colonel Byrd took place In 1724 when he married Maria, daughter of Thomas Taylor of Kensington, England.
Four children were born to this union:
Ann, born February 5, 1725, married in 1742 to Charles Carter of King George County, Virginia, died In 1757;
Maria, born in 1727, married to Landon Carter of Richmond County, Virginia, In 1743, died the following year;
William, born In 1729;
and Jane, born in 1729, married to John Page of Gloucester County, Virgtnia.
Colonel William Byrd II, like his father, was a man of versatile ability since he was successful In commercial an well in political and cultural activities.
One of these commercial activities was the founding of Richmond in 1783.
He was also extensively engaged In purchasing large tracts of land and endeavoring to settle foreign Protestants thereon.
He was quite successful in acquiring land, for It was estimated that he possessed nearly one hundred and eighty thousand acres at the time of his death.
His efforts to secure settlers were not very successful.
His failure to induce settlers to live upon his land, especially In the case of the Swiss Protestants who settled in South Carolina Instead of Virginia, was a great disappointment to him and no doubt caused some financial loss.
Byrd raised and shipped large quilntitles of tobacco and would, no doubt, have acquired considerable wealth from this activity if It had not been for the fact that the debt assumed upon Colonel Parke's estate consumed most of his profits.
In addition to his other activities, Colonel Byrd was much Interested in copper mining and Iron making. He made a journey Into the interior to investigate these activities and to visit Colonel Spottawood's Iron foundry.
Colonel Byrd found time for cultural pursuits as well an for commercial and political activities.
He built a flne brick house at Westover and collected the finest library and collection of paintings in the colonies.
The library contained nearly four thousand volumes and Byrd at one time employed a librarian.
The proprietor of Westover is also entitled to recognition for his literary activities an his "History of the Dividitto Line", "A Progress to the Mines" , and "A Journey to Eden", are excellent pieces of work.
They were written in a vivid, colorful style and have received high rank In colonial literature.
In these works and his letters, Colonel Byrd displayed a remarkable knowledge of botany and geology. He was truly a versatile and accompushed Virginia gentleman.
William Byrd, II , inherited a fortune and a position as one of the ruling class.
Long years in England, first as a pupil at Felsted Grammer School, and later as a member of the Middle Temple, had given him a taste for classical literature, a legal training, a knowledge of the world of fashion, membership in the Royal Society, and a group of distinguished friends, among them were some of the English nobility.
When he returned to Virginia in 1705 to settle on his estate at Westover, he was already Virginia's most polished and ornamental gentleman.
In 1692 he was first elected to the House of Burgesses.
In 1708, he received an appointment to the all powerful Council of State, and for the rest of his life he was an influential member of that body.
The post of Royal Receiver General of the Royal Revenues, which he held from 1706 to 1716, gave him futher power and augmented his income.
Three times, for long periods, he represented the Colony of Virginia as official agent in London and proved the most urban of Colonial American diplomats.
He was twice married.
His first wife, Lucy Parke.who he wedded in 1706, was the daughter of the dashing but rakish Daniel Parke, then governor of the Leeward Islands.
After a tempestous but not altogether unhappy married life, Lucy died in London in 1716.
She had given Byrd four children of whom only two survived infancy.
One of these was his oldest daughter Evelyn, about whom there has grown up a romantic legend, that her father thwarted her marriage to the old Earl of Peterborough.
The University of North Carolina Letter Books, prove that Evelyn's suitor was a young fortune hunting baronet, in fact, the son of the Earl of Peterborough.
A large oil painting of Evelyn Byrd now hangs in the Governor's Palace at Williamsburg. Another portrait hangs at Brandon, one of.the colonial homes on the James River.
In 1724, Byrd married Maria Taylor, a daughter. of Thomas Taylor, a moderately well to do gentleman of Kensington, England.
A letter to the bride ts mother preserved in the North Carolina Letter Books, suggests that the marriage was an elopement.
Four children were born to Maria Byrd, three daughters and a son, all of whom survived and had families.
William Byrd's residence at Westover, which he rebuilt in brick in 1730, was notable among plantation homes for its furnishings and its surroundings.
It is still considered the most perfect of Georgian architecture in America.
In addition to this estate, he had several other properties notably in the region now occupied by the city of Richmond and on Falling Creek, where he built a dam and operated a still.
On land in his possession, on September 19, 1733, Byrd "laid the foundations of two large cities", Richmond and Petersburg, at the falls of the James and Appomattox Rivers, places natural intended for cities.
At the time of his death he held title to 170,000 acres of land.
More than 100,1000 acres of this vast estate lay in the valley of the Dan River, extending to the North Carolina line, and was of great potential value as new ground for sale and settlement.
His biographers have all called attention to the magnificent library accumullatbd at Westover, the best in America at the time with the exception of Cotton Mather's.
He was a communicant of the Church of England and he attended church regularly,
He carefully recorded his opinion of the sermons, which usually pleased him.
His hospitality was generous and free.
So numerous were the neighbors, friends and chance visitors entertained at Westover that one wondered how their host found time for the courtesies he showed them.
Food was abundant; wine was liberally served; and visitors enjoyed considerable gaiety.
The original Westover Parish Church was located about a quarter mile from the plantation home and legend states that the Byrds had the church moved further away finally because so many people came to eat after church.
The two lots on Church Hill in Richmond on which St. John's Church was built were donated by William Byrd .
In the Virginia Convention of 1775, held in St. John's Church, Patrick Henry made his immortal speech, which ended with, "Give me liberty or give me death".
The font in the church is said to be the one which was used at the baptism of Pocahontas.
Information from the writings of Colonel William Byrd of Westover in Virginia, Esquire, edited by John Spencer Bassett, 1901, New York, Doubleday, Page and Company:
William Byrd, II was born in Virginia, and may have been visited by his grandfather Horsmanden there before he returned to England.
He was sent to live with his grandfather Warham Horsmanden in Purleigh, Essex, before he was ten years old to be educated in England and Europe.
He was educated in the classics, law and business.
He was called to the bar in the Middle Temple. He also studied in Holland.
While his father was known for his business acumen, he was more skilled than his father in moving in society, although still a good businessman.
His library consisted of about 4,000 volumes.
It is cataloged in the Appendix of the above cited book.
It reportedly contains a number of great legal classics.
It was sold in 1778 after his death.
It is thought to be the largest private library in the English colonies at that time.
He was the sole heir of his father's estate, took over his position as auditor, and after much political intervention, was awarded a place as a member of the Council of Virginia.
He built the family mansion, Westover, in 1735.
He inherited 26,231 acres of land from his father.
He managed this well, and added to it considerably.
He became interested in land when he was asked to survey the line between Vitginia and North Carolina, and from this adventure came his first book, "History of the Dividing Line" (see book cited above).
He purchased 20,000 acres of land at the junction of the Dan and Irvine Rivers, and called it the land of Eden.
This became the subject of another of his books, "The Journey to The Land of Eden".
A third book is the Progress to the Mines.
He is thought to be the most prolific American writer before Benjamin Franklin.
Other significant tracts of land he bought includethe forks of the Ronanoke, the bottomlands where the Dan and Staunton Rivers come together, along with the islands of the Roanoke.
In 1742 he also purchased 105.000 acres at the union of the Dan and Hico Rivers.
When he died he owned 179,440 acres of the best land in Virginia.
More about William II
called to the bar of the Middle Temple
Elected Fellow of Royal Society about 1698
Admitted to membership, Council of Virginia on 12 September, 1709
President of Council of Virginia, 1744
Served as auditor after his father died.
Notes for LUCY PARKE:
Died in London of smallpox.
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and LUCY PARKE are:
i. EVELYN BYRD, d. November 13, 1737, Westover.
Notes for EVELYN BYRD:
Evelyn Byrd had two brothers who died before their father went to London in 1715.
She remained in Virginia with her mother and when William relealized he would be in England for a long time, he had her mother bring Evelyn to London. Her mother died of smallpox soon after her arrival in England
Evelyn Byrd was presented at Court. "On meeting Lord Chatham that statesman remarked that he 'no longer wondered why young gentlemen were so fond of going to Virginia to study ornithology since such
beautiful Byrds were there.'
She never married.
She is supposed to have died of a broken heart because her father thwarted her marriage to Charles Mordaunt, the son of the Earl of Peterborough, after he had romantically wooed and won her in England when she was but eighteen.
She is buried about a quarter mile west of the plantation house at the site of the old Westover Parish house.
Several fictional accounts of her romance ahve been written, one of which is "Audry" by Mary Johnson.
Her spirit is said to haunt the mansion at night, and the garden where the sun shines solfly in Indian summer and quiet reigns under the trees.
An oil painting of Evelyn Byrd hangs in one of the parlors at the Govenor's Palace at Williamsburg.
ii. PARKE BYRD, d. July 03, 1710.
iii. PHILIPS WILLIAM BYRD, b. February 23, 1711/12, Virginia; d. December 09, 1712, Virginia.
iv. WILHAMINA BYRD, b. November 06, 1715, King William County, Virginia; m. THOMAS CHAMBERLAYNE OARKE, Bet. 1740 - 1745, King William County, Virginia; b. 1709, King William County, Virginia.
Notes for THOMAS CHAMBERLAYNE OARKE:
of King William County.
For Chamberlayne pedigree, see W. G. Stannard, Beau Monde, March 31, 1894. A bound file is in the Virginia Historical Society
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and MARIA TAYLOR are:
v. ANNE BYRD, b. February 05, 1724/25, London, England; d. September 11, 1757; m. CHARLES CARTER, 1742; b. 1707, of King George County, Virginia; d. 1764.
Notes for ANNE BYRD:
In 1741, Anne's step-cousin, Daniel Custis, asked for her hand in marriage. However, the two fathers could not get together on the amount of her dowry to be paid and the marriage was called off. Daniel later married Martha Dandridge.
Notes for CHARLES CARTER:
of Hamstead, later Cleve.
From this marriage is descended a numerous line.
2. vi. MARIA HORSMANDEN BYRD, b. January 06, 1726/27, England; d. November 29, 1744, Richmond, Virginia.
3. vii. WILLIAM BYRD III, b. September 06, 1728, Westover Parish, Charles City, Virginia; d. January 01, 1777, Westover, Charles County, Virginia.
viii. JANE BYRD, b. October 13, 1729; d. November 29, 1744; m. JOHN PAGE; b. of Gloucester County, Virginia.
Notes for JANE BYRD:
Portrait is at William and Mary College, Virginia
Notes for JOHN PAGE:
of "North End", Mathews County, Virginia
Generation No. 2
2. MARIA HORSMANDEN BYRDwas born January 06, 1726/27 in England, and died November 29, 1744 in Richmond, Virginia. She married LANDON CARTER 1743 in Richmond County, Virginia, son of CHARLES CARTER and UNKNOWN. He was born 1713 in 'Shirley", Vitginia.
Notes for MARIA HORSMANDEN BYRD:
She was his second wife.
Notes for LANDON CARTER:
Colonel.
Of Sabine HallL
Sabine Hall was built by Charles "King" Carter, whose home was "Corotoman".
It was built about 1730 for his son Landon Carter.
He built a home for each of his sons.
At one time Charles Carter owned more than 300,000 acres of land, including the plantation where the present "Carter's Grove" stands.
Sabine Hall is situated on the north ridge of the Rappahannock River Valley facing toward the river some miles away to the southwest.
The sloping ground site of the house has a broad terraced garden which still has its all geometric layout of walks and flower beds.
The well tended garden and the great trees make an incomparable setting for the house.
Sabine was originally a two story brick, square house, with separate dependencies of equal size on each side.
Some changes have been made such as added porches but the house is basically unchanged since its construction.
Children of MARIA BYRD and LANDON CARTER are:
i. MARIA CARTER, m. ROBERT BEVERLY.
Notes for ROBERT BEVERLY:
Of "Blandfield"
ii. JUDITH CARTER, m. REUBEN BEALE.
iii. JOHN CARTER.
Notes for JOHN CARTER:
of "Sudley"
3. WILLIAM BYRD III was born September 06, 1728 in Westover Parish, Charles City, Virginia, and died January 01, 1777 in Westover, Charles County, Virginia. He married (1) ELIZABETH CARTER April 13, 1748, daughter of JOHN CARTER and ELIZABETH HILL. She was born 1731 in Lancaster County, Virginia, and died July 05, 1760 in Candler County, Georgia. He married (2) MARY WILLING January 29, 1761, daughter of CHARLES WILLING and ANNE SHIPPEN. She was born 1740 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died March 30, 1814.
Notes for WILLIAM BYRD III:
William Byrd III was sixteen years of age at the time of his father's death in 1744.
He received his education In England under the care of his uncle, Francis Otway.
No definite knowledge has survived regarding his education although records Indicate that he attended Westminster School and entered the Middle Temple early in 1747.
There he remained about a year.
He returned to Virginia and married Elizabeth Carter In April, 1748.
His gambling habits were probably acquired while at school In England.
Regardless of the source of these habits, thev were followed to such an extent that the estate built up by his father and grandfather was nearly wasted away during his lifetime.
William Byrd III, like his father and grandfather, was Identified with political life In Virginia.
He served a term In the House of Burgesses and In 1754 was appointed to the Council.
The latter position was held for over twenty years.
In military achievement, William Byrd III surpassed his father and grandfather.
In 1753 he and Peter Randolph were commissioned by Governor Dinwiddle to treat with the Catawba and the Cherokee Indians.
hey were successful in this mission and a treaty was made at Catawba Town In 1766. G
General Forbes thought that It was Byrd's efforts with the Cherokees which made possible the retention of their allegiance to the English during the French and Indian War.
In 757 Byrd was commissioned Colonel of the Second Virginia Regiment while Colonel George Washington was In command of the First Regiment.
Colonel Byrd saw service In the northern colonies and Canada and was back In Virginia by 1760.
During that year, he was given command or six hundred men and sent to relieve Fort Loudon on the Tennessee River.
This Fort was besieged by the Cherokees with whom Colonel Byrd had previously made a treaty.
This expedition was unsuccessful, however. as the Fort surrendered in August, 1760, and many of the garrison were massacred by the Indians.
The failure of this expedition caused some dis-satisfaction and Colonel Byrd resigned.
Governor Fauquier thought the resignation was a mistake upon the part of Colonel Byrd due to a misunderstanding.
This practically ended Colonel Byrd's military career.
Later he stated that he was asked to command the Virginia troops against the King at the beginning of the American Revolution but refused.
There is little record of the private life of Colonel William Byrd III.
Evidence shows that he became a celebrated turfman and lmported some famous racing horses into Virginia.
No Indication remains concerning monetary losses in connection with his racing activities, but he did encounter severe financial difficulties and began to dispose of his property to raise money.
In 1765 he sold a tract of twenty-six thousand acres In North Carolina to the Farley Brothers from Antigua.
In 1768 the pressure of his debts became so great that he disposed of much land at Richmond by means of a lottery.
In 1769, his debt to William Jones, a Bristol merchant, amounted to over five thousand pounds and In order to secure money for his creditors, he mortgaged one hundred and fifty slaves and all of the silver plate at Westover.
These debts continued to harass Colonel Byrd up until the time of his death In 1777 and after his demise, ft was with great difficulty that his widow saved the estate at Westover from passing Into the hands of his creditors.
As before stated, Colonel Byrd was married In 1748 to Elizabetb Carter. To this union were born five children:
William, born in 1749. became a lieutenant in an English regiment, and died while traveling In France in 1771;
John Carter, born In 1751, married the widow of William Randolph and died childless:
Thomas Taylor, born in 1762
Elizabeth Hill, born In 1754, married, first, James Farley, second, Reverend John Dunbar, and third, Colonel Henry Skipwith;
and Francis Otway, born in 1756.
Colonel Byrd's first wife died in 1760 and the following year he was married to Mary Willing, of Philadelphia. By this second marriage, there were ten children as follows.
Maria, born In 1761, married John Page;
Ann Willing, born in 1763;
Charles Willing, born in 1766 and died the following year;
Evelyn Taylor, born In 1766, married Benjamin Harrison of the famous Harrison family;
Abby, born In 1767, married Judge William Nelson;
Dorothy, born in 1769 and died the same year;
Charles Willing II, born in 1770, later was United District Judge for Ohio;
Jane, born In 1778, married Carter Harrison;
Richard Willing, born in 1774, member of the Virginia House of Delegates 1804-1806, died in 1915;
and William, born soon after his father's death.
When the American Revolution approached, Colonel William Byrd Ill remained loyal to the King but committed no outward acts to arouse American antagonism.
He refused to command troups against the King and protested his loyalty to England.
As Byrd died In 1777, not long after military operations had become active in Virginla, It was possible for him to remain aloof from the conflict.
Upon the death of Colonel Byrd, his financial difficulties fell upon the shoulders of his wife, Mary Willing Byrd.
During the period of the American Revolution, Mrs. Byrd was under suspicion of being in league with the Brltlsh as Arnold and Cornwallis were frequently at her house.
At one time her papers were seized by the Virginia authorities but she maintained her Innocence.
She lost much property to both the British and the American raiders and was much persecuted by supicious neighbors.
In spite of all these difficulties, she weathered the storm, straightened up her husband'is tangled financial affajrs, and was a resident of Virginia for many years after the Revolution.
Her death occurred In 1814.
The estate at Westover was sold after the death of Mary Willing Byrd and passed Into the hands of WIIIiam Carter who retrained it for four or five years and then sold it to Robert Douthat.
After the latter's death, the estate was purchased by G. E. Harrison of Brandon.
He, In turn, sold It to John Selden, who kept it for several years.
Major A. H. Drewry bought the Westover estate from Selden, and his family retained possession of it until 1901.
At that time It was purchased by Mrs. William MacRamsey who restored and used It for her home.
It passed from her to the family of Mr. Richard Crane.
Two sons of William Byrd III by his first wife achieved some distinction In a military way.
Thomas Taylor Byrd became a major in a regiment raised by Lord Dunmore.
At the time Gwynn's Island was taken by the Virginians, Major Byrd . who was ill, barley escaped capture. Later he was killed at the Batrtle of Germantown on October 4, 1777.
Referred to as Colonel William Byrd of Westover
He was a Loyalist and sided with the British during the Revolution.
William Byrd III followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in services to the public.
He was a member of the Council and served as a Colonel in the French and Indian War.
He was, like his father, fond of cards, and became so addicted to gambling that he left his estate in bad condition when he died in 1777.
He committed suicide by shooting himself through the temple.
William Byrd's first wife, Elizabeth Hill Carter . was a daughter of John Carter of "Shirley."
Notes for ELIZABETH CARTER:
According to same sources Elizabeth Hill Carter was not happy Westover.
She was in love with her husband but could not got along with her mother-in-law, Maria Taylor Byrd. During a prolonged absence of William Byrd on military duty, she took her smaller children and moved to Belvedire a small estate owned by the Byrds near Richmond, where she died July 5, 1760. Her spirit is also said to haunt Westover on occasions.
Notes for MARY WILLING:
Her godfather was Benjamin Franklin
Mary Willing was first cousin of Peggy Shippen, the famous Philadelphia beauty who married Benedict Arnold.
She ruled her house and plantations with great success, and was known far and near for the courtesy and elegance of her hospitality.
The Count Chastellux was struck with her "agreeable countenance and great good sense".
Her will, with most of the facts related to her life, is published in the Virginia Historical Magazine, Volume VI, page 346.
The will contains a list of the Byrd portraits.
Mary Willing Byrd lived at Westover for 30 years after the death of William Byrd.
When she died in 1814 Westover was sold and the money was distributed among the living children,except Francis Otway Byrd, who did not need it because he had already received 6000 acres of land in Ohio for his services in the Revolution.
During the Revolutionary War, the regular correspondence of Mrs. Byrd's family and Benedict Arnold, and the latter's visits to Westover, aroused the suspicion that Mrs. Byrd was sympathetic and perhaps helpful to the British Cause. Nothing was proven, however, except that many of her friends were Tories.
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and ELIZABETH CARTER are:
i. WILLIAM BYRD IV, b. August 02, 1749, Westover, Charles City County, Virginia; d. July 1771, Caen, France.
Notes for WILLIAM BYRD IV:
There was a fire at Westover on the date of his christening.
He was a Lieutenant in the 17th British Regiment and was killed in Caen, France, when he was thrown from a carriage.
ii. JOHN CARTER BYRD, b. January 27, 1750/51, Westover, Charles City County, Virginia; m. MARY PAGE.
Notes for JOHN CARTER BYRD:
Died childless.
Notes for MARY PAGE:
widow of William Randolph of Wilton when she married John Carter Byrd.
4. iii. THOMAS TAYLOR BYRD, SR., b. January 17, 1752, Westover, Virginia; d. August 19, 1821.
iv. ELIZABETH "BETSEY" HILL BYRD, b. November 27, 1754; d. August 20, 1820; m. (1) HENRY SKIPWORTH; m. (2) JOHN DUNBAR; m. (3) JAMES PARKE FARLEY, March 02, 1771.
Notes for HENRY SKIPWORTH:
Colonel.
Notes for JOHN DUNBAR:
a minister
5. v. FRANCIS OTWAY BYRD, b. May 08, 1756; d. September 02, 1800.
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and MARY WILLING are:
6. vi. MARIA HORSEMANDEN BYRD, b. November 27, 1861.
vii. ANNE WILLING BYRD, b. March 25, 1763.
viii. CHARLES WILLING BYRD I, b. April 08, 1765; d. August 1766.
Notes for CHARLES WILLING BYRD I:
Charles Willing Byrd studied law and was admitted to the bar before emigrating to Kentucky in 1794. In the West he acted as agent for Robert Morris who owned large tracts of land In Kentucky. His activities In this new state won favorilble recognltlon. This, together with the distinction of his Virginia ancestrymand the Influence of his mothees relatives. the Willing family of Philadelphia, brought an appointment as Secretary of the Northwest Territory in 1799. Byrd soon showed that he was strongly attached to the Jeffersonian party and opposed Governor St. Clair who was a Federalist. Secretary Byrd acted as Governor wblen St Clair was absent and used this authority to promote the interest of his party. When St. Clair was removed from office by President Jefferson In November, 1802, Byrd was acting Governor until the following March when Dr. Tiffin became Governor of the new State of Ohio. Byrd was then appoinyed by President Jefferson as United States District Judge for the District of Ohio.
7. ix. EVELYN TAYLOR BYRD, b. October 03, 1766.
x. ABIGAL BYRD, b. November 04, 1767; m. WILLIAM NELSON.
Notes for ABIGAL BYRD:
Married her second cousin
Notes for WILLIAM NELSON:
Judge
xi. DOROTHY BYRD, b. February 17, 1769; d. February 24, 1769.
8. xii. CHARLES WILLING BYRD II, b. July 22, 1770; d. Sinking Springs, Highland County, Ohio.
xiii. JANE BYRD, b. January 17, 1773; m. CARTER HARRISON.
9. xiv. RICHARD WILLING BYRD, b. October 07, 1774; d. 1815.
10. xv. WILLIAM BYRD, b. 1777; d. Abt. 1820.
Generation No. 3
4. THOMAS TAYLOR BYRD, SR. was born January 17, 1752 in Westover, Virginia, and died August 19, 1821. He married MARY ARMISTEAD March 13, 1786, daughter of WILLIAM ARMISTEAD. She was born in Hesse, Gloucester County, Virginia.
Notes for THOMAS TAYLOR BYRD, SR.:
In an article published by Dr. William D. Houlette, Des Moines, Iowa, It to stated that Thomas Taylor Byrd was killed In the battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777.
This statement is found to be not true.
The following Is a part of a letter written by William Byrd, of the firm of Harrison, Elliott and Byrd, attorneys at law, New York.
"According to the Byrd pedigree, which in now registered In the College of Arms in London, Thomas Taylor Byrd was the second son of William Byrd III and Elizabeth Hill Carter, his first wife.
He was born at Westover January 7. 1752.
On March 13, 1786, he married Mary Anne Armistead, daughter of William Armistead of Hesse In Gloucester County.
He died at "The Cottage", Clarke County, Virginia, on August 19, 1821.
Six sons and two daughters were bcrn of this marriage.
The eldest son, John Carter Byrd, was killed In the battle of North Point on September 14, 1814.
Francis Otway Byrd and Richard Evelyn Byrd are mentioned In Dr. Houlette's article.
Only one of the other sons reached maturity, Dr. Charles Carter Byrd of "The Cottage".
Thohas Taylor Byrd served throughout the Revolutionary War In the British army.
He rose to the rank of Captain.
He served an aide-de-camp to Colonel Fanning, who afterwards attained the rank of Lieutenant-General in the British army.
This Colonel Flanning belonged to the well known loyalist family of that name in Long Island.
hey were related to the Wickhams from Whom the Virginia Wiickhams are descended.
Some of Thomas Taylor Byrd's letters survive.
Apparently he surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, and went to England with Cornwallis's army.
He remained In London until the latter part of 1785 or the first part of 1786.
The Westover library and most of the household silver and plate were sold In December 1777 or January 1778.
When Thomas Taylor Byrd returned from London in 1785 or 1786 he brought with him a quantity of household silver bearing the London hall mark and the year letter of 1795.
This silver was used at Westover until 1814.
On the death of Mary Willing Byrd it was divided among the children of William Byrd III.
After the death of William Byrd IV at Caen in Normandy. In 1771, Thomas Taylor Byrd became the heir of William Byrd III.
On the latters death In 1777, he inherited the land In ClarkeCounty (then Frederick County) which had been given by "King" Carter to his grand-daughter, Elizabeth Hill Carter Byrd. T
This land was not confiscated.
It was them that be built "The Cottage" after his marriage to Mary Anne Armistead.
There he lived happily until his death In 1821.
His body lies under the mould In the Old Chapel Cemetery.
Thomas Taylor Byrd was a Captain in the British Army under Colonel Fanning during the Revolutionary War, and when he returned to Virginia after the war ended, he could not settle in his native Tidewater, Virginia, because of the high feeling against those who had served the enemy nation during the war.
His uncle, Charles Carter of Shirley, gave him a thousand acres of land on the Eastern shore in Frederick County (now Clarke County) in the Shenandoah Valley.
He built a cottage on this land called "The Cottage Farm".
He married Mary Armistead of Glouster County, Virginia, and eight children were born to this union.
The record of all his children is in the Williamsburg Library.
He moved with his family to Texas and later two of his sons returned east.
Notes for MARY ARMISTEAD:
of "Hesse" in Gloucester County, Virginia
Children of THOMAS BYRD and MARY ARMISTEAD are:
11. i. CHARLES CARTER BYRD, b. 1799; d. 1829.
ii. ELIZABETH BYRD, d. November 16, 1839, Berkley County, West Virginia; m. ELISHA BOYD; b. October 06, 1769.
Notes for ELIZABETH BYRD:
Her Will was proved April 13, 1840, Berkley County, West Virginia. In it she names her sister Maria Nichols, Taylor Byrd, and others
More About ELIZABETH BYRD:
Burial: Old Norbourne Cemetery, Boydville Historical District, Martinsburg, West Virginia
Notes for ELISHA BOYD:
a General.
iii. JOHN CARTER BYRD, d. September 14, 1814, Battle of Norrth Point.
Notes for JOHN CARTER BYRD:
Died in the Battle of North Point in the War of 1812.
12. iv. MARIA CARTER BYRD, b. 1795; d. 1877.
13. v. WILLIAM EBERN BYRD, SR., b. 1773; d. January 29, 1816, Accomack County, Virginia.
14. vi. FRANCIS OTWAY BYRD, b. 1784; d. May 02, 1860.
vii. THOMAS TAYLOR BYRD, JR., b. 1796; d. 1843; m. ANN MCMECHEN.
15. viii. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD, b. December 29, 1800; d. 1872.
5. FRANCIS OTWAY BYRD was born May 08, 1756, and died September 02, 1800. He married ANNE MUNFORD.
Notes for FRANCIS OTWAY BYRD:
It is evident that influence of Francis Otway Byrd, who took the rebel side, was sufficient to enable his family to remain in Virginia after the American Revolution.
Francis Otway Byrd, younger brother of Thomas Taylor Byrd, was an officer In the British Navy.
At the beginning of the American Revolution he resigned and offered his services to America.
In 1775, he was appointed an aide to General Lincoln and two years later was made lieutenant-colonel of the 3d Virginia Continental Dragoons.
Colonel Byrd served throughout the war and afterward became Sheriff of Charles City County. Virginia. He was married to Anne Munford of Mecklenburg County, Virginia.
He died in September, 1800.
He was disinherited by his father because he joined the Continental Army and became an officer on the staff of General Charles Lee.
He later took up lands in Ohio.
Notes for ANNE MUNFORD:
of "Richland"
Children of FRANCIS BYRD and ANNE MUNFORD are:
i. NANCY ELIZABETH BYRD, d. Bet. 1782 - 1884; m. ALEX TOMPKINS.
ii. ABIGAIL BYRD, d. Bet. 1782 - 1884; m. (1) JOHN JACKSON; m. (2) HOWELL DAVIS, 1825.
Notes for HOWELL DAVIS:
Doctor.
iii. ANNE BYRD, m. UNKNOWN WRIGHT.
iv. EVELYN BYRD, m. ROGER A. TOMPKINS.
Notes for ROGER A. TOMPKINS:
of Lynchburg, Virginia
v. LELIA BYRD.
vi. MARIA BYRD, m. DAVIDSON BRADFORD.
Notes for DAVIDSON BRADFORD:
of Lynchburg, Virginia
vii. WILLIAM OTWAY BYRD.
viii. WILLIAM CARTER BYRD.
ix. MARY BYRD.
6. MARIA HORSEMANDEN BYRD was born November 27, 1861. She married JOHN PAGE Bet. 1775 - 1808.
Notes for JOHN PAGE:
of "Pagebrook"
Child of MARIA BYRD and JOHN PAGE is:
i. MARY21 PAGE, m. BENJAMIN HARRISON.
Notes for BENJAMIN HARRISON:
of "Berkley"
BERKLEY
Berkeley has no peer among the James River Plantations as a center of historical interest and as a beautifully restored example of the Mansions that graced Virginia's Golden Age. The land on which it stands was a part of a grant made in 1619 by King James I, to the Berkeley Company and was designated "Berkeley Hundred'. On December 4, 1619, the settlers stepped ashore there and In accordance with the proprietors' instructions that (the day of our ships arrival............ shall be yearly and perpetually kept as a day of Thanksgiving) celebrated the first Thanksgiving more than a year before the Pilgrims arrived in New England. This was but the first of many noted events connected with this property, for it was destined to have close association with men prominent in our nation's history.
It was as the home of the Harrison family that Berkeley achieved its greatness. The early Georgian mansion is said to be the oldest three story brick home In Virginia, was built in 1726 by Benjamin Harrison, a leader In colonial affairs. His wife, Ann Carter, was a daughter of Charles 'King" Carter of Corotman.. Their son, Colonel Benjamin Harrison inherited it.
Member of the Continental Congress, Signer of the Declaration of Independence,
active in the Revolution, and thrice governor of Virginia, this Harrison was himself enough to bring glory to this house. His close friend George Washing ton often was entertained there, and indeed, everv President from Washington to Buchanan enjoyed Berkeley's famous hospitality.
Further prestige came to Berkeley In the next generation through Colonel Harrison's younger son, William Henry. He made his reputation in the Northwest Territory. When he was elected President of the United States, be returned to write his inaugural address at Berkeley, in the room in which he was born. The Harrison family was to produce yet another President In Benjamin, the grandson of William Henry. As the ancestral home of two Presidents, Berkeley has a distinction almost unique, shared only with the Adams house in Mass.
While quartered here with McClellan in the summer of 1862, General Butterfield composed "Taps". At this time the estate was known as Harrison's Landing.
7. EVELYN TAYLOR BYRD was born October 03, 1766. She married BENJAMIN HARRISON. He was born in of Brandon.
Notes for EVELYN TAYLOR BYRD:
Evelyn brought with her from Westover many antiques, portraits, and other things, which are still at Brandon.
Child of EVELYN BYRD and BENJAMIN HARRISON is:
16. i. LUCY HARRISON.
8. CHARLES WILLING BYRD II was born July 22, 1770, and died in Sinking Springs, Highland County, Ohio. He married (1) SARAH MEAD. He married (2) HANNAH UNKNOWN. She was born 1789, and died April 04, 1839.
Notes for CHARLES WILLING BYRD II:
Another son of William Byrd III, by his second wife, became a man of prominence in the Northwest Territory.
Charles Willing Byrd studied law and was admitted to the box before emigrating to Kentucky In 1794.
In the West he acted as agent for Robert Morris who owned large tracts of land in Kentucky.
His activities In this new state won favorable recognition.
This, together with the distinction of his Virginia ancestry and the Influence of his mother's relatives. the Willing family of Philadelphia, brought an appointment as Secretary of the Northwest Territory In 1799. Byrd soon showed that he was strongly attached to the Jeftersontan party and opposed Governor St. Clair who was a Federalist.
Secretary Byrd acted as Governor when St. Clair was absent and used this authority to promote the interest of his party.
When St. Clair was removed from office by President Jefferson in November. 1902, Byrd was acting Governor until the followIng March when Dr. Tiffin became Governor of the new State of Ohio.
Byrd'was then appointed by President Jefferson as United States District Judge for the District of Ohio.
He is mentioned in the will of his mother, Mary Willing Byrd of 'Westover" in 1813.
Child of CHARLES BYRD and SARAH MEAD is:
17. i. SAMUEL O. BYRD, b. 1823; d. April 04, 1869.
9. RICHARD WILLING BYRDwas born October 07, 1774, and died 1815. He married (1) LUCY HARRISON, daughter of BENJAMIN HARRISON and EVELYN BYRD. He married (2) EMILY WILSON.
Notes for RICHARD WILLING BYRD:
A member of the Virginia House of Deligates 1804-1806.
Children of RICHARD BYRD and LUCY HARRISON are:
i. MARY ANNE BYRD, m. RICHARD KENNON.
Notes for RICHARD KENNON:
Doctor - United States Navy
ii. GEORGE BYRD.
iii. CHARLES WILLING BYRD.
Notes for CHARLES WILLING BYRD:
Died in infancy.
iv. ADDISON BYRD, m. UNKNOWN CURTIS.
v. OTWAY BYRD.
10. WILLIAM BYRD was born 1777, and died Abt. 1820. He married SUSAN LEWIS Bef. 1791. She was born Abt. 1772, and died Abt. 1830.
Notes for SUSAN LEWIS:
She was a descendant of Pocahontas
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and SUSAN LEWIS are:
18. i. ADDISON LEWIS21 BYRD, b. Abt. 1791.
ii. MARY W. BYRD, b. Abt. 1792.
iii. JANE O. BYRD, b. Abt. 1794.
iv. SAMUEL P. BYRD, b. Abt. 1795.
v. JOHN LEWIS BYRD, b. Abt. 1796.
vi. REBECCA BYRD, b. Abt. 1798.
vii. THOMAS LEWIS BYRD.
Generation No. 4
11. CHARLES CARTER BYRD was born 1799, and died 1829. He married JANE F. TURNER.
Notes for CHARLES CARTER BYRD:
Doctor
Children of CHARLES BYRD and JANE TURNER are:
i. LUCY BYRD.
ii. THOMAS BYRD.
12. MARIA CARTER BYRD was born 1795, and died 1877. She married PHILIP B. NICHOLAS.
Notes for PHILIP B. NICHOLAS:
Judge
Child of MARIA BYRD and PHILIP NICHOLAS is:
i. ELIZABETH BYRD NICHOLAS.
13. WILLIAM EBERN BYRD, SR. (was born 1773, and died January 29, 1816 in Accomack County, Virginia. He married (1) SALLY BULL Bet. 1787 - 1811. He married (2) CAZIAH HINMAN January 07, 1792.
Notes for WILLIAM EBERN BYRD, SR.:
He settled in Accomack County, Virginia near the Accomack Court House.
He became angry with his father's family and changed the spelling of his name from Byrd to Bird.
His will dated 11 December, 1815, left a 100 acre plantation to his son William.
He lived, died, and was buried on his 100 acres on Old Church Road south 2 miles from the courthouse.
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and SALLY BULL are:
19. i. MARGARET BYRD, b. January 1804; d. July 17, 1887.
ii. ELIZA BELOATE BYRD, b. Abt. 1800; d. July 12, 1870; m. LEVIN S. JAMES, October 21, 1821.
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and CAZIAH HINMAN are:
20. iii. WILLIAM EBERN BYRD, JR., b. 1795, Accomack County, Virginia; d. 1855, Washington, D.C..
iv. SUSAN BYRD, b. 1798; m. RANDAL CHANDLER.
14. FRANCIS OTWAY BYRD was born 1784, and died May 02, 1860. He married ELIZABETH PLEASANTS.
Notes for FRANCIS OTWAY BYRD:
Frances Ot-way Byrd served with distinction at Tripoli under General Eaton In 1905.
During the War of 1812, Byrd served as an oflicer.
His gallant conduct brought a vote of thanks and a present of the sword from the Virginia legislature. Late in life. Francis Byrd removed from Virginia to Baltimore, Maryland, where he died In 1860 at the age of seventy-two.
Children of FRANCIS BYRD and ELIZABETH PLEASANTS are:
i. MARY BYRD, m. SAMUEL WYMAN.
ii. ANN BYRD.
15. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD (was born December 29, 1800, and died 1872. He married ANN HARRISON May 18, 1826, daughter of BENJAMIN HARRISON. She was born 1802, and died 1842.
Notes for RICHARD EVELYN BYRD:
Richard E. Byrd, the youngest son of Thomas Taylor Byrd, was born about 1800 and resided for many years In the Shenandoah Valley. He was a prominent lawyer and represented Frederick County, Virginia in the legislature for several terms. He was also a firm advocate for a system of free schools in Frederick County. A citizens meeting was held in Winchester, Virginia, In December, 1641, and declared in favor of a liberal system of education throughout the state.
Richard E. Byrd was one of three Winchester delegates appointed to an educational convention at Richmond for the purpose of promoting a system of free schools in Virginia. The results were meager but the appointment was of interest and it indicated Byrd's sentiment concerning education. On the eve of the war between the North and South, Byrd was opposed to secession. He did, however, advocate the encouragement of home Industries and the boycotting of Northern goods as a means of influencing the North against any extreme anti-Southern measures.
After Virginia seceded, he stood loyally by the oath of alllegiance to the state which found a place in all the Virginia Constitgutions since 1776. He was appointed Provost Marshal by General Jackson In November, 1861, with the rank of Colonel. Colonel Byrd also served as staff officer to General James H. Carson and to General Gorse. His health failed before the close of the war but his death did not occur. until 1872. He married Anne, daughter of Benjamin Harrison of 'Brandon" in 1826. They had three sons, George, Willliam and Alfred. The latter died while yet a young man. George Byrd went to New York City where he established a large and profitable husiness.
Children of RICHARD BYRD and ANN HARRISON are:
i. ALFRED BYRD.
Notes for ALFRED BYRD:
Died while a young man.
ii. ANNE BYRD.
21. iii. GEORGE HARRISON BYRD, SR., b. June 08, 1827; d. 1910.
22. iv. WILLIAM BYRD, b. 1828; d. 1899, Winchester, Virginia.
16. LUCY HARRISON She married RICHARD WILLING BYRD, son of WILLIAM BYRD and MARY WILLING. He was born October 07, 1774, and died 1815.
Notes for RICHARD WILLING BYRD:
A member of the Virginia House of Deligates 1804-1806.
Children are listed above under (9) Richard Willing Byrd.
17. SAMUEL O. BYRD was born 1823, and died April 04, 1869. He married FRANCES E. UNKNOWN. She was born 1825, and died 1851.
Child of SAMUEL BYRD and FRANCES UNKNOWN is:
i. CHARLES WILLING BYRD, b. 1848; d. May 17, 1849.
18. ADDISON LEWIS BYRD was born Abt. 1791. He married SUSAN COKE.
Children of ADDISON BYRD and SUSAN COKE are:
i. JANE OTWAY BYRD, m. GEORGE W. MCCANDLISH.
Notes for GEORGE W. MCCANDLISH:
of Williamsburg, Virginia.
ii. MARY WILLING BYRD, m. RICHARD COKE.
iii. REBECCA BYRD, m. UNKNOWN NOTTINGHAM.
23. iv. SAMUEL POWELL BYRD, b. 1807; d. 1863.
24. v. WILLIAM BYRD.
Generation No. 5
19. MARGARET BYRD was born January 1804, and died July 17, 1887. She married (1) UNKNOWN HARMAN. She married (2) CHARLES KELLAM February 05, 1821.
Child of MARGARET BYRD and CHARLES KELLAM is:
25. i. WILLIAM E. KELLAM.
20. WILLIAM EBERN BYRD, JR. was born 1795 in Accomack County, Virginia, and died 1855 in Washington, D.C.. He married HESSIE MEARS 1816.
Notes for WILLIAM EBERN BYRD, JR.:
He and his wife were buried in Old Holmeads Cemetery, but the city built on the cemetery and all the dead were removed to Glenwood.
Later, a grandson, William H. West. buried his father, mother, wife, and children in the same plot.
He took away the old Byrd tombstone and in its place erected a tall monument.
In 1827, he moved to Washington,D. C.
He contracted and built the Naval Observatory in Washington.
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and HESSIE MEARS are:
i. ANNE BYRD, b. January 31, 1817, Accomack County, Virginia; d. December 06, 1876; m. JOHN P. WEST, Bet. 1829 - 1850.
26. ii. WILLIAM BYRD, b. 1819, Accomack County, Virginia.
27. iii. EBURN BYRD, b. 1821, Accomack County, Virginia; d. July 30, 1867, Washington, D.C..
28. iv. ABEL JAMES BYRD I, b. January 16, 1825, Accomack County, Virginia; d. February 16, 1885, Accomack County, Virginia.
29. v. JOHN HENRY BYRD, b. 1827, Washington, D.C..
vi. SUSAN BYRD, b. 1829.
vii. MARGARET BYRD, b. 1837, Washington, D.C.; d. Washington, D.C.; m. GEORGE C. HENNING.
21. GEORGE HARRISON BYRD, SR. (was born June 08, 1827, and died 1910. He married LUCY WICKHAM.
Notes for GEORGE HARRISON BYRD, SR.:
He was a merchant in Baltimore during the Civil War. Afterward, he moved to New York where he became the wealthiest of the Byrds of that period.
Children of GEORGE BYRD and LUCY WICKHAM are:
i. ANNE BYRD.
ii. EDMUND WICKHAM BYRD.
iii. MARY WYMAN BYRD.
iv. ALFRED BYRD.
v. GEORGE HARRISON BYRD, JR..
vi. SAMUEL W. BYRD.
vii. WILLIAM BYRD.
viii. LUCY BYRD.
ix. FRANCIS BYRD.
22. WILLIAM BYRD was born 1828, and died 1899 in Winchester, Virginia. He married JANE MERIWEATHER RIVERS. She was born 1839, and died March 24, 1930 in Baltimore, Maryland.
Notes for WILLIAM BYRD:
William Byrd studied law and emigrated to Texas where he engaged in practice at Austin. .He was prominent In politics In 1859 and 1860 and became one of the leading lawyers in Texas. He married Jennie Rivers, a daughter of Judge Rivers of Austin. Their first son, Richard Evelyn Byrd,was born In 1860. William Byrd was an active Breckinridge Democrat and canvassed the state in the summer of 1860, debating with General Sam Houston who supported Bell and Everett. In March, 1861, Governor Clark appointed Byrd as Adjutant-General and Quartermaster-General of Texas. In that position he rendered valuable assistance In raising supplies and organizing troops for the Confederacy. He soon resigned, however, and entered the Confederate service. He was Colonel of a Texas regiment and later served an a staff officer. In 1864 Byrd was active in Louisiana and In the Red River Campaign. After the war, he removed to Winchester. Virginia, to be near his father during the latter's last lingering Illness. Byrd formed a law partnership with Captain ptaln Huck which continued for many years as one of the Important legal firms of Winchester.
He graduated from Virginia Military Institute and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. He moved to Austin, Texas In 1853 to practice law. In 1856 he was Treasurer of the City of Austin.
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and JANE RIVERS are:
i. MARY BYRD.
30. ii. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD, SR., b. August 13, 1860, Austin, Texas; d. October 25, 1925, Richmond, Vifrginia.
iii. MARGARET BYRD.
iv. OTAWAY BYRD.
23. SAMUEL POWELL BYRD was born 1807, and died 1863. He married (1) MARY L. BROOKS. He married (2) CATHERINE CORBIN.
Notes for CATHERINE CORBIN:
a Widow when she married Samuel Powel Byrd
Children of SAMUEL BYRD and CATHERINE CORBIN are:
i. SUSAN LEWIS BYRD, m. UNKNOWN THOMPSON.
31. ii. RICHARD CORBIN BYRD, b. September 09, 1837, White Hall, Gloucester County, Virginai.
24. WILLIAM BYRD He married MARTHA MCKINNEY.
Child of WILLIAM BYRD and MARTHA MCKINNEY is:
i. JANE BYRD, m. UNKNOWN MILLER.
Generation No. 6
25. WILLIAM E. KELLAM
Children of WILLIAM E. KELLAM are:
i. ELIZA BIRD KELLAM.
ii. MARY KELLAM.
26. WILLIAM BYRD (was born 1819 in Accomack County, Virginia. He married VIRGINIA MORROW.
Children of WILLIAM BYRD and VIRGINIA MORROW are:
i. WILLIAM BYRD
He died young.
ii. HENRY BYRD.
27. EBURN BYRD (was born 1821 in Accomack County, Virginia, and died July 30, 1867 in Washington, D.C.. He married (1) ANGELINA BUCKHANAN Bet. 1837 - 1862. He married (2) MARTHA WASHINGTON GLACE Bet. 1838 - 1861.
Children of EBURN BYRD and ANGELINA BUCKHANAN are:
i. WILLIAM DUDLEY "DUD" BYRD, b. Abt. 1850, Washington, D.C..
Notes for WILLIAM DUDLEY "DUD" BYRD:
He may have changed his middle name from Dudley to Douglas.
ii. WILLIAM NEWTON BYRD, b. February 02, 1862, Washington, D.C..
iii. HESTER BYRD, b. Washington, D.C.; m. WILLIAM GARRISON.
28. ABEL JAMES BYRD , Sr. was born January 16, 1825 in Accomack County, Virginia, and died February 16, 1885 in Accomack County, Virginia. He married SARAH ANN MEARS March 17, 1844 in Prince Anne, Maryland.
Children of ABEL BYRD and SARAH MEARS are:
i. JOSEPH WHARTON BYRD.
ii. GEORGIANA H. BYRD, b. Abt. April 21, 1847; d. February 03, 1853.
iii. MARGARET SUSAN BYRD, b. 1849; d. 1922; m. MAYS PHILLIPS, 1879.
iv. JOHN HENRY BYRD, b. July 02, 1853.
v. ELNORA VIRGINIA BYRD.
vi. WILLIAM E. BYRD, b. March 01, 1858.
vii. ABEL JAMES BYRD Jr., b. February 27, 1860; d. May 25, 1927; m. E. CORA MEARS, Bet. 1881 - 1909.
viii. DAISY EUGENA BYRD, b. February 12, 1863.
ix. GEORGE THOMAS BYRD, b. October 23, 1866.
x. ANNIE WEST BYRD, b. July 20, 1869.
29. JOHN HENRY BYRD was born 1827 in Washington, D.C.. He married ANNE POKENHAM.
Children of JOHN BYRD and ANNE POKENHAM are:
i. REBECCA BYRD.
ii. MINNIE BYRD, b. Washington, D.C.; m. SAMUEL WODD.
iii. MARGARET BYRD.
iv. GENNEY BYRD.
v. MAURICE BYRD.
30. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD, SR. was born August 13, 1860 in Austin, Texas, and died October 25, 1925 in Richmond, Vifrginia. He married ELEANOR BOLLING FLOOD September 15, 1886.
Notes for RICHARD EVELYN BYRD, SR.:
Richard E. Byrd, the eldest son of Colonel William Byrd of Texas, attended the Shenandoah Valley Academy. He entered the University of Virginia In 1879 where he remained for two years. In 1882 he entered the University of Maryland and two years later was admitted to the Virginia Bar. The Winchester Times Publishing Company was organized in 1899 with Richard E. Byrd as editor. He was elected comonwealth attorney of Frederick County in 1884, a position that was held for twenty years. He was a member of the House of Delegates from 1906 until 1914 and served an Speaker of the House from 1908 to 1914. He was United States District Attorney for the Western District of Virginia from 1914 until he resigned that position in 1920. He then served an special assistant to the Attorney-General of the United States from June, 1920, until March, 1921. On September 15, 1886, Richard E. Byrd married Miss Rlinor Bolling Fllood, daughter of Major Joel W. FIood, a Confederate officer, and granddaughter of Charles J. Faulkner, Minister to France from 1859 to 1861. Their children are Harry Flood Byrd, Rear-Admiral Richard E. Byrd and Captain Thomas Bolling Byrd.
Notes for ELEANOR BOLLING FLOOD:
She was the granddaughter of Charles J. Faulkner, Minister to France from 1859 to 1861
Children of RICHARD BYRD and ELEANOR FLOOD are:
32. i. HARRY FLOOD BYRD, SR., b. August 10, 1887, Martinsburg, West Virginia; d. October 20, 1966, Berryville, Virginia.
33. ii. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD, JR., b. October 25, 1888, Winchester, Virginia; d. March 11, 1957.
34. iii. THOMAS BOLLING BYRD, b. 1889.
31. RICHARD CORBIN BYRD (was born September 09, 1837 in White Hall, Gloucester County, Virginai. He married ANNE GORDON MARSHALL November 20, 1860. She was born January 21, 1842.
Notes for RICHARD CORBIN BYRD:
Served in the CSA
Children of RICHARD BYRD and ANNE MARSHALL are:
i. SAMUEL POWELL BYRD, b. January 23, 1861.
ii. RICHARD C. BYRD, b. July 29, 1862.
iii. LEWIS W. BYRD, b. March 11, 1866.
iv. MARY B. BYRD, b. January 22, 1868.
v. FANNIE M. BYRD, b. October 15, 1869.
vi. ANNE GORDON BYRD, b. April 04, 1873.
Generation No. 7
32. HARRY FLOOD BYRD, SR. was born August 10, 1887 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and died October 20, 1966 in Berryville, Virginia. He married ANN DOUGLAS BEVERLY October 07, 1913. She died 1964.
Notes for HARRY FLOOD BYRD, SR.:
Harry F. Byrd was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, June 10, 1887, and received his early education In the public schools and Shenandoah Valley Academy, Winchester, Virginia. At the age of 15, he became Identified with the Winchester Star, a newspaper which he later owned and published. He was elected to the Virginia Senate In 1916 and again in 1923, and became a leader in the movement to establish a state highway system In Virginia. Harry F. Byrd was chairman of the Democratic State Committee in 1922 and 1924.
Died at "Rosemont", his estate near Berryville, Virginia.
He was Govenor of Virginia from February, 1, 1926, to February 1, 1930.
He was elected to the United States Senate and served from 1933 until 1965, longer than any other Virginian. He was one of the world's largest apple growers.
Berryville, Virginia - October 20, 1966
"Former U. S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr., the Virginia aristocrat who became a legend in his time in politics of his state and nation, died quietly today at his estate "Rosemont". He was 79."
Notes for ANN DOUGLAS BEVERLY:
She was a descendent of Robert Beverly and Ursula Byrd
Children of HARRY BYRD and ANN BEVERLY are:
35. i. HARRY FLOOD25 BYRD II, b. 1915.
ii. WESTWOOD BYRD, b. 1917; d. March 30, 1952; m. HARRY ROGRS KERN, JR..
Notes for WESTWOOD BYRD:
Divirced from Harry Rogers Kern, Jr., and had no children
36. iii. BEVERLY BYRD, SR., b. 1920.
37. iv. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD, b. 1923.
33. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD, JR.was born October 25, 1888 in Winchester, Virginia, and died March 11, 1957. He married MARIE D. AMES 1915.
Notes for RICHARD EVELYN BYRD, JR.:
Richard Evelyn, brother of Harry Flood Byrd, was born In Wincheater, Virginia, October 25, 1888. His education was received at the Virginia Military Institute, the University of Virginia, and the United States Naval Academy. Byrd married Marte D. Ames In 1916. They had one son and three daughters. He was attached to the naval avation service and was placed In charge of navigation preparation for the first successful Trans-Atlantle flight in 1919. He directed the Navy unit for MacMillan's Artic Expedition in 1926 and fiew to the North Pole the following year. Commander Byrd flew a Fokker tri-motored pbme from New York to the coast of France In June, 1927. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, and was made an offleer of the French Legion of Honor. Many other honors and distinctions were also received. His greatest achievement was an commander of an expedition to the Antaric which culminated in a fdight over the North Pole In November, 1929. The expediuon returned safeiy to America after having made many discoveries of Importance. Thus Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd has upheld the family tradition of courage and leadership manifest by the Byrds In America.
Richard Evelyn Byrd studied at the Shenandoah Valley Academy, Virginia Military Institute, and the University of Virginia.
He entered aviation service after four years at sea. He was an aviator and naval officer. He was the first man to fly over both the North and South Poles.
He made his home in Boston, Mass.
Children of RICHARD BYRD and MARIE AMES are:
i. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD.
Notes for RICHARD EVELYN BYRD:
a retired Naval Officer
ii. ELINOR BOLLING BYRD, m. WILLIAM A. CLARK.
iii. KATHERINE AGNES BYRD, m. ROBERT C. BREGEN.
iv. HELEN BYRD, m. LAWRENCE J. STABLER, JR..
34. THOMAS BOLLING BYRD ( was born 1889. He married (1) MARGARET LEWIS. He married (2) ELIZABETH MILLER.
Notes for THOMAS BOLLING BYRD:
Thomas was brilliant and likeable, but did not seem to want the fame that came to his brothers.
In 1920, he left his law practice in Richmond and moved to Berryville to become a partner in the apple business.
Notes for ELIZABETH MILLER:
Widow of General Billy Mitchell.
Child of THOMAS BYRD and MARGARET LEWIS is:
i. MARGARET LEWIS BYRD.
Generation No. 8
35. HARRY FLOOD BYRD II was born 1915. He married GRETCHEN THOMSON.
Notes for HARRY FLOOD BYRD II:
Was appointed to fill the unexpired term of the U. S. Senate seat held by his father.
Children of HARRY BYRD and GRETCHEN THOMSON are:
i. HARRY FLOOD BYRD III.
ii. THOMAS THOMSON BYRD.
iii. BEVERLY BYRD.
36. BEVERLY BYRD, SR. was born 1920. He married (1) MARTHA ROBINSON. He married (2) SHIRLEY DEANE.
Children of BEVERLY BYRD and MARTHA ROBINSON are:
i. ANN ROBINSON BYRD.
ii. WESTWOOD BEVERLY BYRD.
iii. BRADSHAW BEVERLY BYRD, JR..
37. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD was born 1923. He married HELEN BRADSHAW. She was born in of Mass..
Children of RICHARD BYRD and HELEN BRADSHAW are:
i. RICHARD EVELYN BYRD.
ii. LUCY BYRD.
iii. WILLIAM BENTON BYRD.
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