Authorised form of name | Byrd; William (1674 - 1744); American colonial diarist |
Dates | 1674 - 1744 |
Nationality | British |
Place of birth | Henrico County, Virginia, British America |
Date of birth | 28 March 1674 |
Place of death | Westover, Virginia, British America |
Date of death | 26 August 1744 |
DatesAndPlaces | Burial: Westover Plantation, Virginia, British America |
Occupation | Colonial planter, diarist, and statesman |
Research field | Natural history |
Activity | Education: Educated in England at Christopher Glasscock's School (1684); Middle Temple (admitted 1692) Career: Travelled to Holland (1690); returned to Virginia (1692); Member of the House of Burgesses (1692); returned to England; called to the Bar (1695); Agent for Virginia in London (1698); returned to Virginia on the death of his father to manage his estates(1704); Receiver General of Virginia (1706); Member of the Council of State (1709); one of the Commissioners to run the dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina (1728); surveyed the bounds of the Northern Neck (1736); President of the Council (1743)
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Membership category | Fellow |
Date of election | 29/04/1696 |
Age at election | 22 |
RSActivity | Royal Society roles: Council: 1697, 1698-1700, 1702 |
Relationships | Parents: William Byrd of Virginia, an Indian trader and importer of enslaved people, and Mary, daughter of Warham Horsmanden, a Royalist refugee. Siblings: Elizabeth Mary Moss; Jane Baugh; Martha Ann Winn; Susan Brayne; John Byrd; Anne Ursula Beverley; Mary Elizabeth Duke and Maurice Warsham Byrd. Spouse: Lucy, daughter of General Daniel Parke; 2) Maria, daughter of Thomas Taylor of Kensington Children: Evelyn Byrd; Elizabeth Dejarnette; Parke Byrd; Philips William Byrd; Wilhelmina Chamberlayne; Ann Gathright; Anne Carter; Maria Taylor Carter (Byrd); Colonel William Evelyn Byrd, III; Jane Page and Unknown Byrd |
PublishedWorks | RCN 31374 RCN R64295 RCN 31372 RCN 31373 RCN 31371 |
OtherInfo | Portrayed colonial life on the southern British plantations. Considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia. During his lifetime he accumulated over 179,000 acres of land and was considered to be vastly wealthy. His nickname was the 'Black Swan', perhaps an allusion to birds that he introduced at Westover Plantation. |
Source | Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DAB; Hunter; MT References: John H Appleby, 'Ginseng and the Royal Society' in NR 1982-83 vol 37 pp 121-145 Notes: MT gives father as William Byrd of the parish of St Katherine Cree, London |
Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/71428126 |
Code | NA8157 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
RefNo | Title | Date |
RBO/7/67 | Account of a black boy who developed white spots on his skin by William Byrd | nd |
CLP/14i/44 | Paper, 'An account of a negro-boy [sic] that is spotted in severall places of his body with white spotts' by Wm [William] Byrd | [1697] |