William Byrd

Byrd, William (1652–1704) and William II (1674–1744), colonial Virginian father and son. The father attained wealth and influence after developing farmlands at Westover, now Richmond, Virginia. The son, like his father, joined the House of Burgesses (1692) and became a member of the Council of State (1709). William II amassed an impressive library and produced diaries and journals that give a detailed picture of aristocratic life in colonial Virginia.