Byrd Ii, William
March 28, 1674
Richmond, Virginia
August 26, 1744
Westover, Virginia
Planter, colonial official, and writer
" . . . like one of the patriarchs, I have my flocks and my herds, my bond-men and bond-women, and every soart [sic] of trade amongst my own servants, so that I live in a kind of independence on every one, but Providence."
William Byrd.
William Byrd II was a wealthy landowner and government official in eighteenth-century Virginia. His success in large part came from inheriting one of the largest fortunes of the time. After receiving a gentleman's education in England, Byrd returned to America with great political and social ambitions. Elected to the Council of Virginia in 1709, he was firmly devoted to the political interests of the colony. He successfully battled Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood, who tried to limit the power of the council. Byrd had a reputation as a carouser (one who engages in loose behavior) and a womanizer. Despite these faults, he worked hard, significantly expanding the Byrd estate and rebuilding the great family mansion at Westover plantation.
Educated in England
William Byrd II was born in 1674 in what is now Richmond, Virginia. His father was William Byrd I, and his mother, Mary, was the daughter of Warham Horsmanden.
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