William Byrd III
Encyclopedia
William Byrd III was the son of William Byrd II
and the grandson of William Byrd I
. He inherited his family's land in Virginia and continued their planter prestige as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
He chose to fight in the French and Indian War
rather than spend much time in Richmond. In 1756 he was colonel of the 2d Virginia regiment.
William Byrd III had a reputation as a notorious gambler. He initiated what was said to have been the first major horse race in the New World, involving other planters Samuel Ogle
, John Tayloe II
, Francis Thornton, and Benjamin Tasker, Jr.
Byrd III eventually fathered five children by his first wife (Eliza Carter, m. 1748, d. 1760), moved to Annapolis, and fathered ten more by his second wife, Mary Willing, daughter of Charles Willing
of Philadelphia
. After he squandered the Byrd fortune on gambling and bad investments, Byrd III parceled up the family estate and sold its lots in 1768. He also sold the enslaved laborers who had worked at his estate.
Byrd III committed suicide on January 1 or 2, 1777.
The 10 children of his second marriage (to Mary Willing) were: Maria Horsmanden Byrd, Evelyn Taylor Byrd, Charles Willing Byrd (died as child), Abby Byrd, Anne Willing Byrd, William Boyd Byrd, Charles Willing Byrd
, Dorothy Byrd (died as child), Jane Byrd and Richard Willing Byrd.
William Byrd II
Colonel William Byrd II was a planter, slave-owner and author from Charles City County, Virginia. He is considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia.-Biography:...
and the grandson of William Byrd I
William Byrd I
William Byrd I was a native of Shadwell, London, England. His father, John Byrd was a London goldsmith with ancestral roots in Cheshire, England....
. He inherited his family's land in Virginia and continued their planter prestige as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
He chose to fight in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
rather than spend much time in Richmond. In 1756 he was colonel of the 2d Virginia regiment.
William Byrd III had a reputation as a notorious gambler. He initiated what was said to have been the first major horse race in the New World, involving other planters Samuel Ogle
Samuel Ogle
Samuel Ogle was the 16th, 18th and 20th Proprietary Governor of Maryland from 1731 to 1732, 1733 to 1742, and 1746/1747 to 1752.-Background:...
, John Tayloe II
John Tayloe II
Colonel John Tayloe II was arguably the richest plantation owner in Virginia for his generation. He served in public office including the Virginia Council of State...
, Francis Thornton, and Benjamin Tasker, Jr.
Benjamin Tasker, Jr.
Colonel Benjamin Tasker, Jr. was the son of Ann Bladen and Benjamin Tasker, Sr., the Provincial Governor of Maryland from 1752 to 1753....
Byrd III eventually fathered five children by his first wife (Eliza Carter, m. 1748, d. 1760), moved to Annapolis, and fathered ten more by his second wife, Mary Willing, daughter of Charles Willing
Charles Willing
Charles Willing was a successful Philadelphia merchant, trader and politician; twice he served as Mayor of Philadelphia, from 1748 to 1749 and again in 1754.-Family:...
of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. After he squandered the Byrd fortune on gambling and bad investments, Byrd III parceled up the family estate and sold its lots in 1768. He also sold the enslaved laborers who had worked at his estate.
Byrd III committed suicide on January 1 or 2, 1777.
The 10 children of his second marriage (to Mary Willing) were: Maria Horsmanden Byrd, Evelyn Taylor Byrd, Charles Willing Byrd (died as child), Abby Byrd, Anne Willing Byrd, William Boyd Byrd, Charles Willing Byrd
Charles Willing Byrd
Charles Willing Byrd was an early Ohio political leader and jurist. He was the son of Colonel William Byrd III and Mary Willing Byrd...
, Dorothy Byrd (died as child), Jane Byrd and Richard Willing Byrd.