Marriage and children
Mary Willing, the second wife of Colonel William Byrd III, became Mary Willing Byrd upon their marriage on January 29, 1761. William's father, William Byrd II, founded Richmond, Virginia and he built the mansion on Westover. The 179,440-acre plantation was inherited by William III in 1744 when he was 19. During the French and Indian War (1754–1763), William led the Second Virginia Regiment. He remained a Tory after fighting for the King during the Frencha and Indian War.
William was first married on April 14, 1748, to Elizabeth Hill Carter, the daughter of John Carter of Shirley Plantation of Charles City County, Virginia. William and Elizabeth had five children,
William, born August 2, 1749, died in France in 1771, when fighting or traveling. A lieutenant of the Seventeenth Regiment in the British Army
John Carter, born January 27, 1751, married Mary Page, the widow of William Randolph of Wilton, they had no children.
Thomas Taylor, born January 17, 1752, married Mary Armstead, daughter of William Armstead of Hesse, Gloucester. A captain, he fought for the British.
Elizabeth Hill, born November 29, 1754, married three times to James Parke Early, Rev. Mr. John Dunbar, and Colonel Henry Skipwith.
Francis Otway, born May 8, 1756, officer for the British Navy until the Revolutionary War when he fought for America, married Anne Mumford.
Elizabeth died on July 5, 1760. Byrd and William first lived in Philadelphia and Byrd became step-mother to William's children with Elizabeth. In 1762, the couple moved to the Westover Plantation, the Byrd estate, in Charles City County, Virginia.
Byrd and William had ten children:
Maria Horsmanden Byrd, born November 26, 1761 in Philadelphia, married John Page of Pagebrook.
Annie, born March 25, 1763 in Westover, unmarried.
Charles Willing Byrd (died as child), born April 8, 1765 or October 8, 1765 in Westover, died August 1766.
Evelyn Taylor Byrd, born October 3, 1766, or October 13, 1766, married Benjamin Harrison of Brandon.
Abigail (Abby) Byrd, born November 4, 1767, married Judge William Nelson.
Dorothy Byrd (died as child), born February 12, 1769 or February 17, 1769, died February 27, 1769.
Charles Willing Byrd, born July 26, 1770, U.S. District Judge of Ohio, married Sarah Meade.
Jane, born January 17, 1773, married Carter Bassett Harrison of Maycox.
Richard Willing, born October 27, 1774, married first Lucy Harrison, daughter of Benjamin Harrison of Brandon and secondly Emily Wilson. Of Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, member of House of Delegates, died October 1815.
William Byrd, married Susan Lewis, daughter of Addison Lewis.
William was a Colonial American military officer at the time of the American Revolution. William struggled in his life. His first marriage was "agony". He was not great in business and management of his finances. He was also troubled by he previous alliance with the King during the French and Indian War. Two of his sons served in the British Army. With the Revolutionary War, "William's friends insulted him, threatened him. His own flesh and blood was fighting against him." William committed suicide on January 1 or 2, 1777, leaving considerable debts. At the time of her husband's death, they had 100 enslaved servants. About 1782, Byrd was 42 and there were four surviving children from William's first marriage who had established their own lives. There were eight surviving children from Byrd and William's marriage that Byrd took care of and ensured that they received a good education.
