Colonel William Byrd, the first of his name and family in
Virginia; son of John and Grace (Stegge or Stagg) Byrd, London, (of
the family of Brexton, Cheshire, England), was born in 1652, and came
to Virginia, a youth, as the legatee of his uncle, Captain Thomas
Stegge, merchant, landed proprietor and member of the Council. Colonel
Byrd patented large tracts of land including the site of the city of
Richmond; was a man of enterprise and influence; married Mary,
daughter of Colonel Warham Horsemanden, of "Purley, in Essex,
England;" member of the Virginia Council; Receiver General of the
Colony by appointment from December 24, 1687 until his death December
4, 1704, when he was succeeded by his son William (the more
distinguished of the family), born at "Westover," the family seat,
March 10th, 1674; died August 26, 1744, and was buried there. The last
was educated in England; "called to the bar in the Middle Temple,
studied for some time in the Low Countries, visited the Court of
France, and was chosen Fellow of the Royal Society, * * was thrice
appointed public agent to the court and ministry of England, and being
thirty-seven years a member, at last became President of the Council."
His genius is embalmed in our national literature as the author of the
Westover Manuscripts, which contain with other papers, the "History of
the Dividing Line between Virginia and North Carolina as run in 1728-
29;" Colonel Byrd being one of the Commissioners on the part of
Virginia. He was the founder of Richmond, Virginia, which was laid off
by Major William Mayo in April, 1737. He too, like his father, was
much interested in the settlement of Virginia by the immigration of
European Protestants. Drafts of letters of his written during the
period 1735-1740, preserved at the hospitable seat, "Lower Brandon,"
James River (copies of which are in the possession of the editor)
establish his frequent earnest efforts to secure the emigration of
Swiss and German settlers, to whom he offered land, both in Virginia
and North Carolina, on favorable terms. He was deeply interested in
the development of the mineral resources of Virginia, and planted an
extensive vineyard in 1735. He married twice. First, Lucy, daughter of
Colonel Daniel Parke, Governor of the Leeward Islands; secondly, May 9,
1724, "Mrs. Maria Taylor, eldest daughter and coheiress of Thomas
Taylor, of Kensington, England," born November 10th, 1698; died August
25, 1771.

William, the eldest son by the second marriage, born September 6th,
1728; died January 1, 1777, was a member of the Virginia Council; and
in 1756 served as Colonel of the Second Virginia regiment in the
French and Indian war. He was married twice--first, April 10, 1748, to
Elizabeth (born October 13, 1731; died July 14, 1760), daughter of
John Carter,

Source:  Huguenot Settlers in North America and Europe (FTM CD#600)

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