The younger Robert Beverley ("the historian") was born about 1673. His mother was the daughter of a merchant of Hull and the widow of George Keeble, pioneer settler of Middlesex County. Young Robert was sent to school in England, but just which school is unknown. In 1694, his father's executors paid Micajah Perry (one of the Perrys who often testified before the Board of Trade and Plantations) the sum of forty pounds "for entertaining and accommodating Major Beverley's sons, Harry, John, and Robert". Shortly thereafter, Robert returned to Virginia.
To learn the ways of Virginia law, he became a volunteer scrivener in the office of the Colonial Secretary of State, Christopher Robinson, who had been a friend of his father. He learned quickly, and within months he was petitioning the House of Burgesses for reimbursement in this work. This set a life pattern in which he performed work for the colony and asked for payment. Delays in the receipt of these fees were a lifelong anxiety of his. Very quickly he became the Secretary for the Committee for Public Claims, Clerk of the General Court, Clerk of the Council, and Clerk of the General Assembly.
Robert Beverley inherited a plantation from his father, to which was added six thousand acres, when his younger half-brothers, John and Thomas, died. In this way, he acquired Beverley Park in King and Queen County. He liked to be closer to where things were happening, so he bought a lot in Jamestown and fixed that as his residence. Because he did own property in King and Queen, he obtained the post of Clerk of the County there. In the same year, he was elected to the House of Burgesses from Jamestown. At this time, he was barely twenty-five years old. Jamestown was too poor to pay their representative, so Beverley took legal action and won his case. (In the next session of 1703 to 1705, Jamestown decided not to send a representative.)
In 1697, Robert Beverley married Ursula Byrd, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the first William Byrd. This helped to secure his social position. Ursula had the advantages of an English education, and was more English than Virginian, since she lived twelve of her first sixteen years in England. Sadly, she lived only one year after her marriage and died in giving birth to William, the only heir of Robert Beverley. William attained a prominent role in Virginia politics, and was a successful planter. Robert Beverley never remarried.
Instead, Robert Beverley concentrated on increasing his estate. (He must have turned many a head among the ladies.) He added lands and houses in Elizabeth City. It could hardly have been foreseen, but this was to lead to his political downfall, and to the history of Virginia that he wrote.
His title to an Elizabeth City property was contested and he lost in the Virginia Courts. So he went to England to prosecute an appeal to the Privy Council. He remained for eighteen months and lost the suit; however, he was busy there, as he wrote his history while in London.
(17 Oct 00)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.