The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-30
AN OLD COLONIAL DAME
~su LADY WRITES OF HER STEP
eRExr-GRANDDAM.
an. Champions Her Cause and Denies
Certain Old Accusations which
Have Been Recently Revived.

MRS MARY WILLING BYRD, OF
v-rsTOVER.--I am led to make public
.,r,e accounts OF this ancient Colonial
a,noe because an accusation OF a grave
,,,rscter has been lately revived, and
o,thoueh she is orly my step-great-grand-
s,ro I champion her cause. having. as I
,,,nk A perfect reputation in my posses
sion.
The last and third William Byrd. Of
v,es,over. commanded one OF the two
VIRGINIA regiments at Fort Duquesne-
r,rshurc. as IL was called then. and
r,rrnucs 20 be ever since its acquisition
nv Che Crown OF ENGLAND. William Byrd
1.~-c'v bore the expense OF his regiment
aud served two years. During his resi-
f,rro IN Pennsylvania he was thrown
With the Shippon and Willing families.
and after the death Of his first wife.
f.Irahcth HN Carter. daughter Of John
carter. Of Shirley. ESQ. who died at
le,yidcre. near Richmond. the friendship
f Philadelphia terminated IN a marriage
With Mary Willing on the 29th Of Janu-
So l1n Her husband. in the old family
mo writes OF her as "a lady. whose
eminent virtues and ohlicing behavior
ere 'ov OF her husband. servants and
rrsNhors." She was born in Philadel-
tfa September 10. l74c. She died at
Wss.over March. 1914. in the seventy
fourth year Of her age. Or. Franklin
vas her godfather. lie took great in
t.-.>f in her education. often directing
Ne- course Of reading, and sent her books
f-om Europe.
This amiable lady was distinguished
through the ViciSstudes OF a long life
p, an unccasing care to insure the hap
r'ness Of a beloved and afectiouate
flmly. and by the most liberal conduct
and unbounded hospitality TO promote
The interest OF society and the welfare Of
on who came within the sphere Of her
Incidence" Mrs. Byrd's father, Mr.
Charles Willing was a son OF Thomas
Wiling Of Bristol. and his wife was
Anne Harrison. and Il IS curious that
"she was paternally a granddaughter on
tie regicide General Harrison. and ma
ternally the granddaughter OF Dorothy
Novne. herself the daughter OF Simon
Noyne another regicide.'. one or Mrs.
Tyrds brothers. Thomas, is the ancestor
OF the English Binghams. Anne Louisa
bingham marrying LOrd Ashburton, who
negotiated the Ashburton-W Webster treaty.
Another Bingham married Henry Barring.
One sister OF Mary Willing Byrd was
Mrs Tench Francis. Of Philadelphia,
grandmother Of our ambassador 10 Eng
lind. Mr.. Bayard. Her brother Charles
WIS a merchant IN Barbados, and her
t-r-her James Willing was a captain in
'ra Revolutionary war. was taken pris-
or.- nv the British and confined on one
% heir ships. where he endured great
f-Irafions" Her other sisters were Mrs.
samuel Panel and Mrs. Hare Of Lime
Z Trra .rs ~flr
was Dorothy. who. disguised IN a mob
cap and maids dress. ran away and mar
rai Walter Sterling. afterwards Captain
Sir Walter. II IS necessary 10 give these
family details 70 show the environment
~ Mr. Byrd Her eldest living stepson.
Thomas Taylor Byrd. was in the English
army having been sent az five years of
age 20 England 10 y certain Mr. Cart
horse. who had school at Tunbridge
Wells and where he was with his brother,
under the care Of his uncle Colonel Fran
C IS Otway. Of the Horse Guards. Thomas
vas SO young that he was in terror of
q monkey on board the ship that bore
him from Westover 20 England. He was
scarcely ever IN America until nine years
after the Revolution when ne returned
10 Nirginia and married his cousin, Miss
Armisfead and died I'm Clarke county.
"a. lie never bore arms against Nir-
Ginia
Poor Mrs. Byrd during the Revolution
vas prosecuted by friends and foe She
Suffered great rrivations from her ne
groes being enlisted ty the British. being
cut off from her friends in Philadelphia.
and from her resources generally She
was forced 10 cut up the curtains for
frocks for her children and the Innings
for underclothing. on finding the enemy
coming up James river. she sent her
daughters OF to Tuckahoe. as place Of
safety. The cOachman ran off leaving
The young ladies seated in he carriage
ST. the road. They were relieved from
tii3 very unpleasant situation by the
timely appearance Of the oldest son Of
~ Mrs Byrd. Her eldest living stepsOn,
box and drove them 10 their destination.
When WestoYer was occupied by the
British Mrs. Byrd's nursery in the wing
was actually converted into stable for
L0-d Corvallis horses. She was sus-
pected Of giving aid and comfort 10 the
enemy. but made a noble defense Of her
self and I will presently give a list of the
Uropertv destroyed and stolen under Ar
r0ld and others. They would hardly have
used a sympathizer so badly Her broth
er-in-law. Sir Walter Sterling. being I'm
tie English navy, Benedict Arnold having
married her FIRST cousin, a friend and
ire brother of her brOther-in-law. Mr..
Hare. was on a hostile ship in James
river, and people chose 20 assume she
was supplying them with necessaries.
~ the Marquis De CharteIeuX's charming
letter about Westover he speaks Of the
Intimacy Of the Byrds with the officers
under the Comte de Rochambeau, and
they would as allies Of America scarcely
have become intimate with a suspected
household ! have a letter from Comte
q Baskerville written I'm French. 10 Mrs.
Byrd and another from the Chevalier
Igplessis Maudent. I'm broken English,
addressing her as his adopted mother.
Again. referring 10 the letter OF Chartel-
legx. he says Of Mrs. Byrd: Three times
have the English landed at WestOver
under Arnold and CORVALLIS. and al
q llgh their visit cost her dear, her hus
bands former attachment 10 England.
where his eldest son is now serving IN
ne army. and her relationship 10 Ar
i..i whose cousin-german she Is. and
perhaps the jealousy Of her neighbors
have given birth 10 suspicious. She has
been dccused OF completely with the
enemy. and the Government has once
Dlf seals upon her papers and she has
tended herself with firmness. and
u1lrh her affairs be not yet terminated.
80 does not appear as II she was likely 10
. Yer any other inconvenience than that
being disturbed and suspected He
speaks Of the great care she takes OF
tr negroes makes them as happy as
tnr situation will admit. serves them
.rseif On time Of sickness as their doc
tr She has even made some interest
~ discoveries incident 70 them. and dis
covered a very salutary method or treat
ig sort OF putrid fever, which carries