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Home > Museum Shop > Books > The Correspondence of the Three William Byrds
  The Correspondence of the Three William Byrds
of Westover, Virginia, 1684–1776
Price: $32.50
Sale price: $10.00
Nearly one full century of Virginia history is mirrored in The Correspondence of the Three William Byrds…1684–1776. The letters and other papers of the Westover grandees are transcribed and edited by Marion Tinling, the researcher who unraveled the archaic shorthand employed by William Byrd II in his so-called secret diaries.
The first William Byrd (1652–1704), a highly successful fur trader, patentee of land, and tobacco planter, established the fortunes of his line in Virginia. He was Auditor and Receiver General of the Crown revenues in the colony and served on the Governor's Council. The second William Byrd (1674–1744), after being educated in England, became one of the most commanding figures in the province. Like his father, he served on the Governor's Council, held the office of Receiver General, and was one of the commissioners charged in 1728 with running the Virginia-North Carolina boundary. Grace, wit, and sprightliness characterize his well-known literary compositions, while elegance and style were the hallmarks of his private life. Unhappily, the third William Byrd (1728–1777) dissipated the family fortunes, yet served with honor in the French and Indian War and in time became commander in chief of the Virginia forces. His campaigns in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Pennsylvania are fully documented in these volumes. Mrs. Tinling has also incorporated in the volumes full genealogical details on the Byrd family and its alliances.
Edited by Marion Tinling. Virginia Historical Society Documents Series, Volumes 12 and 13
Two volumes: 859 pages, hardcover, ISBN 0813906695, The University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1977
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