William Byrd II, Date of Birth, Date of Death

William Byrd II

American planter

Date of Birth: 16-Mar-1674

Date of Death: 26-Aug-1744

Profession: lawyer, entomologist, diarist

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

William Byrd II (March 28, 1674 – August 26, 1744) was an American planter and author from Charles City County in colonial Virginia.
He is considered the founder of Richmond, Virginia. Byrd's life showed aspects of both British colonial gentry and an emerging American identity.
His education included the classics, apprenticeship with London global business agents, and legal studies.
He was admitted to the bar and served for years as Virginia Colony's official agent in London where he opposed increasing the power of royal governors.
A member of the Royal Society, he was an early advocate of smallpox inoculation.
In spite – or perhaps because – of his background, Byrd treated the enslaved people in his household appallingly and was a renowned philanderer.
His exploits are captured in his diary, which is notable for its openness on matters of sex. Upon his return to Virginia, Byrd expanded his plantation holdings, was elected to the House of Burgesses, and served on Virginia Governor's Council, also known as Virginia's Council of State (the Upper House of the colonial legislature), from 1709 until his death in 1744.
He commanded county militias and led surveying expeditions along the Virginia-Carolina border and the Northern Neck.
His enterprises included promoting Swiss settlement in mountainous southwest Virginia and iron mining ventures in Germanna and Fredericksburg.