Warren-Page-Shenandoah County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Biographies.....Byrd, Richard Evelyn ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Alice Warner Brosey http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003503 December 13, 2010, 10:10 pm Source: Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography Author: Lyon Gardiner Tyler Hon. Richard Evelyn Byrd. A lineal descendant of the old Virginia Byrd family of Westover, founded by William Byrd, a successful man of business, Richard Evelyn Byrd. inheriting the strong traits of a distinguished ancestry, has in his own right achieved a success in law and public life that places him among the leading men of his state. The Byrds of Virginia have produced many notable men. The founder, William Byrd. held conspicuous place in the early annals as receiver general of the royal revenues, an office to which he was appointed, December 24, 1687, holding it until his death, December 4, 1704. His son, William (2) Byrd, was born March 28, 1674, died August 26, 1747. and filled more important positions, achieving great distinction. The following is the epitaph upon his tomb at his country seat at Westover in Charles City county. (The ancient lettering only is changed). Being born to one of the amplest fortunes in this country he was sent to England for his education, Where under the care and direction of Sir Robert Southwell And ever favored with his particular instructions He made a happy proficiency in polite and various learnings By means of the same noble friend he was introduced to many of the first persons of the age for knowledge, wit, virtue, birth or high station. And particularly contracted a most intimate and bosom friendship With the learned and illustrious Charles Boyle Earl of Orrery. He was 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. Thus eminently fitted for the service and ornament of the country he was made Receiver General of his Majesty's revenues here, 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 of this Colony. To all this were added a great elegance of taste and life, the well bred gentleman and polite companion, the splendid economist and prudent father of a family, with the constant enemy of all exorbitant power And hearty friend to the Liberties of his Country. In 1728 he was appointed one of the two commissioners to represent Virginia in running the dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina. Of this journey he made a journal which he afterward elaborated into an equivalent of 250 octavo pages. This manuscript, along with the manuscript of an account of a journey which he made four years later to "Eden," a tract of land he had bought in south central Virginia, and a narrative of his progress to the mines of Germanna in 1732, besides others of his papers, are yet preserved. All the Byrd manuscripts were reprinted in the Wynne edition of 1866 and in 1901, "The Dividing Line," "A Journey to Eden" and "A Progress to the Mines," with several of his letters and reports were edited by John Spencer Bassett. A later day William Byrd, great-grandson of the third William Byrd, of Westover, was adjutant general of the state of Texas and served with distinction during the war between the states, attaining the rank of colonel in the confederate army, department of the Lower Mississippi. He was the father of the subject of this sketch. In 1865, after the war closed, Colonel Byrd moved to Winchester, Virginia, and there practiced law. He was a son of Richard Evelyn Byrd, of Clark county, Virginia, also a lawyer, whose middle name, Evelyn, was borne by the maiden who died of a broken heart, not being allowed by her father to marry the man of her choice. Her memory, and that of his grandfather also is perpetuated in the person of Richard Evelyn Byrd, of Winchester, and of Richmond. Richard Evelyn Byrd married Ann Harrison, of Lower Brandon, Virginia, and had sons, George Harrison, William (Colonel) and Alfred H. Colonel William Byrd married Jennie, daughter of John Rivers, of Texas. From an ancestry of such men, lawyers, literattcurs and soldiers, comes Richard Evelyn Byrd of Winchester and Richmond, a true Virginian in all save place of birth. Richard Evelyn Byrd, son of Colonel William and Jennie (Rivers) Byrd, was born in Analin, Texas, August 13, 1860, his father at that time being adjutant general of the state. When five years of age, his parents moved to Winchester, Virginia, where the lad began his education. He prepared at Shenandoah Valley Academy, going thence to the University of Virginia. After completing a classical course at the university, he entered the law department of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, whence he was graduated LL. B. in 1882. He was admitted to the Virginia bar, and at once began the practice of his profession at Winchester. He was in due season admitted to the state and federal courts of the district and was soon firmly established in public esteem as a strong, aggressive, able lawyer. In the year 1884 he was elected commonwealth attorney for Frederick county, an office he ably filled for twenty years. During this period he won high standing as an able, fearless prosecutor and as a learned, upright lawyer. He took an active part in the political battles of the period, was a member of the Democratic State Committee, became one of the well known, progressive and influential men of his state, and was listened to with respect in party councils. In 1906 he was elected a member of the Virginia house of delegates, re-elected in 1908-10-12, and at the beginning of the second term was chosen speaker of the house, and reelected in 1910-12. Becoming a partner of the law firm of O'Flaherty, Fulton & Byrd, of Richmond, when elected to the house of delegates, Mr. Byrd did not feel it necessary to discontinue his residence in Winchester. He was also commissioner of accounts for the circuit court of Frederick county, master commissioner in chancery, and special examiner of records for the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Warren, Page, Shenandoah, and the city of Winchester. As a politician Mr. Byrd is fearless and aggressive, a hard fighter, but one who fights in the open. He is stalwart in his devotion to his party and always bows to the will of the party when expressed through the secular party channels. As a legislator he has favored progressive legislation, while as speaker he won the respect of friends and foes by his fairness and consideration. His public and professional career has been above reproach, and the name of Byrd, honored in Virginia, through three centuries has been worthily upheld by this twentieth century scion. This record of a busy professional and official life would be incomplete did it omit to refer to Mr. Byrd's literary tastes and work. The literary ability of the second William Byrd, of Westover, seems to have bridged the generations and reappeared in his descendant. He has written a great deal editorially for the Virginia papers, and is a lover of the works of Shakespeare, Scott, Dickens and George Eliot and of the Bible. His style is clear, vigorous and concise, his deductions logical and his argument strong. He introduced carefully prepared and worded bills for legislative consideration, and before the Bar Association of Maryland and Virginia has read papers of deep literary and professional value. Just at the height of his physical powers, Mr. Byrd's services to the state are by no means ended, but the years hold for him nothing but even brighter promise of usefulness. Like all the Byrds of earlier generations, he is a member of the Episcopal church. He also holds membership in the Westmoreland. Commonwealth and Country clubs of Richmond. Mr. Byrd married, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, September 15, 1886, E. Bolling Flood, daughter of Major Joel W. Flood, of the Confederate army, and Ella (Faulkner) Flood, his wife, daughter of Hon. C. J. Faulkner, of Martinsburg. Children: Harry Flood, Richard Evelyn, Thomas Bolling Byrd. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/warren/bios/byrd214gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/vafiles/ File size: 8.6 Kb