Individual Details
Peter Beverley
(1663 - 1728)
According to Wikipedia:
Peter Beverley (1663–1728) emigrated to the Colony of Virginia where he became a wealthy planter, lawyer, Speaker of the House of Burgesses and Treasurer.[1]
Early and family life[edit]
Beverley was the first of three sons born to Major Robert Beverley, and the only one borne by his first wife, Elizabeth, probably in Kingston upon Hull in Yorkshire, England, since he was christened in the parish of St. Mary Lowgate on May 7, 1663.[2][3] His father emigrated to the Virginia colony after his first wife's death, and remarried. Thus, Peter may have been raised in England with relatives before emigrating to Virginia around the time of his father's second marriage, in March 1666. He also may have been sent back to England for his education.
In 1687, after his father's death, Beverley married Elizabeth Peyton, the daughter of Major Robert Peyton. They had three daughters: Susanna, Elizabeth and Anne.[3] Their daughter Elizabeth married William Randolph II around 1705 and had five children that lived to adulthood.[4][5] Their daughter Susanna, married Sir John Randolph. Their daughter Anne married Henry Whiting, probably the son of the burgess of that name, who last served in 1684.
Career[edit]
By March 1681, Beverley was living in Middlesex County with his father, step-mother and soon his half-siblings. As the firstborn son, Peter Beverley acted as this father's agent in numerous land transactions which built a substantial estate in four counties. Around 1686, Peter Beverley became a licensed lawyer in the colony. Furthermore, although the crown had suspended his father from his public offices, Peter Beverley was appointed Middlesex County's surveyor, which Governor Effingham would later characterized as the county's most lucrative post.[6]
After his father's death, in March 1687 Peter Beverley moved to Gloucester County, where he took possession of the large estate he had inherited on the bank of the Piankatank River in Ware Parish.[7]
Beverley began wielding power in the colony as a whole in 1691, when both Lt. Governor Francis Nicholson and the House of Burgesses elected him as its clerk, the position his father had held for a decade.[8] That became the first of several joint appointments, including as clerk of the General Court and the colony's Secretary (a position he transferred to his half-brother Robert Beverley in October 1693. In 1694, Peter Beverley became Clerk of Gloucester County, a position he continued to hold until 1719 or 1720.[9] From 1695 until 1699, Peter Beverley also served on the committee to revise the colony's laws, and when that ended, became the clerk until 1705. Meanwhile, on October 20, 1698, the statehouse burned, and he and his half-brother Robert saved and then re-organized the public records.[10]
In 1700, voters in Gloucester County elected Peter Beverley as one of their representatives in the House of Burgesses. He won re-election and would serve until 1714.[11] Also, members of the body elected him as its speaker on December 7, 1700 (defeating two other candidates) and he served in that post until replaced by Benjamin Harrison in October 1705. Although no record exists as to whether Harrison defeated Beverley in that contest, Beverley again won election as speaker on October 25, 1710, and continued in that position until the end of the 1714 session. In 1715, he was elected to the House of Burgesses in order to represent the College of William and Mary (on whose Board of Visitors he had long served), rather than nearby Gloucester County.[12] However, after the House of Burgesses met, on August 13, 1715 it declared that election improper and unseated Beverley. However, Beverley continued to act as the colony's Treasurer until 1723.[13]
In March 1716, the William & Mary College board, which appointed surveyors for the colony, appointed Beverley as the colony's deputy surveyor general. The following summer, for about a year, Beverley also served as auditor general of the royal revenue.[14]
In 1718, Governor Alexander Spotswood had many disagreements with members of his Advisory Council, whose members previous governors had appointed and who normally served for the remainder of their lives. Gov. Spotswood proposed to replace four recalcitrant Councilors with Peter Beverley and three other men. However, the appointments required approval of the Board of Trade in London. On April 9, 1719, the Board of Trade approved Peter Beverley's appointment to replace William Byrd (1674-1744), but Byrd petitioned to retain his seat, and the petition was granted. Thus, on May 31, 1720, the Board of Trade instead approved Beverley's appointment to succeed a Councilor who had died, John Smith. Beverley was sworn in on October 31, 1720 and served until his death.[15]
Death and legacy[edit]
Beverley's exact location and date of death were not recorded, although he was present at the Council meeting of December 11, 1728, and Governor William Gooch reported Beverley's death to the Board of Trade on March 26, 1729.[16]
Although Beverley had no sons who reached adulthood, his grandchildren continued to assert important roles in Virginia. His grandson Peyton Randolph, became speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses, chairman of the Virginia Conventions, and the first President of the Continental Congress;[17] his great-grandson Beverley Randolph, became the eighth Governor of Virginia.[4][18] His granddaughter Elizabeth Whiting married John Clayton, a distinguished botanist.
While one of William and John Randolph's brothers (Richard) married a lineal descendant of Pocahontas and later marriages among Randolph cousins linked Randolph descendants to her legacy, Peyton Randolph was not her descendant.
References[edit]
^ John M. Hemphill II and Daphne Gentry, "Peter Beverley" in Dictionary of Virginia Biography (Richmond: Library of Virginia 1998) pp. 469-470
^ Hemphill
^ Jump up to:a b Stanard, W.G. (1895). "Major Robert Beverley and His Descendants". In Bruce, Philip A. (ed.). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. III. Richmond, Virginia: The Virginia Historical Society. pp. 169–170.
^ Jump up to:a b Page, Richard Channing Moore (1893). "Randolph Family". Genealogy of the Page Family in Virginia (2 ed.). New York: Press of the Publishers Printing Co. pp. 249–272.
^ Glenn, Thomas Allen, ed. (1898). "The Randolphs: Randolph Genealogy". Some Colonial Mansions: And Those Who Lived In Them : With Genealogies Of The Various Families Mentioned. Vol. 1. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Henry T. Coates & Company. pp. 430–459.
^ Hemphill
^ Hemphill
^ Cynthia Miller Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly 1619-1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) pp. 50, 52, 53, 54, 56
^ Hemphill
^ Hemphill
^ Leonard, pp. 60, 62, 64, 65, 67
^ Leonard p. 68
^ Hemphill
^ Hemphill
^ Hemphill, p. 470
^ Hemphill, p. 470
^ "Peyton Randolph dies - Oct 22, 1775". HISTORY.com. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
^ Randolph, Robert Isham (1936). The Randolphs of Virginia: A Compilation of the Descendants of William Randolph of Turkey Island and His Wife Mary Isham Of Bermuda Hundred (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
Peter Beverley (1663–1728) emigrated to the Colony of Virginia where he became a wealthy planter, lawyer, Speaker of the House of Burgesses and Treasurer.[1]
Early and family life[edit]
Beverley was the first of three sons born to Major Robert Beverley, and the only one borne by his first wife, Elizabeth, probably in Kingston upon Hull in Yorkshire, England, since he was christened in the parish of St. Mary Lowgate on May 7, 1663.[2][3] His father emigrated to the Virginia colony after his first wife's death, and remarried. Thus, Peter may have been raised in England with relatives before emigrating to Virginia around the time of his father's second marriage, in March 1666. He also may have been sent back to England for his education.
In 1687, after his father's death, Beverley married Elizabeth Peyton, the daughter of Major Robert Peyton. They had three daughters: Susanna, Elizabeth and Anne.[3] Their daughter Elizabeth married William Randolph II around 1705 and had five children that lived to adulthood.[4][5] Their daughter Susanna, married Sir John Randolph. Their daughter Anne married Henry Whiting, probably the son of the burgess of that name, who last served in 1684.
Career[edit]
By March 1681, Beverley was living in Middlesex County with his father, step-mother and soon his half-siblings. As the firstborn son, Peter Beverley acted as this father's agent in numerous land transactions which built a substantial estate in four counties. Around 1686, Peter Beverley became a licensed lawyer in the colony. Furthermore, although the crown had suspended his father from his public offices, Peter Beverley was appointed Middlesex County's surveyor, which Governor Effingham would later characterized as the county's most lucrative post.[6]
After his father's death, in March 1687 Peter Beverley moved to Gloucester County, where he took possession of the large estate he had inherited on the bank of the Piankatank River in Ware Parish.[7]
Beverley began wielding power in the colony as a whole in 1691, when both Lt. Governor Francis Nicholson and the House of Burgesses elected him as its clerk, the position his father had held for a decade.[8] That became the first of several joint appointments, including as clerk of the General Court and the colony's Secretary (a position he transferred to his half-brother Robert Beverley in October 1693. In 1694, Peter Beverley became Clerk of Gloucester County, a position he continued to hold until 1719 or 1720.[9] From 1695 until 1699, Peter Beverley also served on the committee to revise the colony's laws, and when that ended, became the clerk until 1705. Meanwhile, on October 20, 1698, the statehouse burned, and he and his half-brother Robert saved and then re-organized the public records.[10]
In 1700, voters in Gloucester County elected Peter Beverley as one of their representatives in the House of Burgesses. He won re-election and would serve until 1714.[11] Also, members of the body elected him as its speaker on December 7, 1700 (defeating two other candidates) and he served in that post until replaced by Benjamin Harrison in October 1705. Although no record exists as to whether Harrison defeated Beverley in that contest, Beverley again won election as speaker on October 25, 1710, and continued in that position until the end of the 1714 session. In 1715, he was elected to the House of Burgesses in order to represent the College of William and Mary (on whose Board of Visitors he had long served), rather than nearby Gloucester County.[12] However, after the House of Burgesses met, on August 13, 1715 it declared that election improper and unseated Beverley. However, Beverley continued to act as the colony's Treasurer until 1723.[13]
In March 1716, the William & Mary College board, which appointed surveyors for the colony, appointed Beverley as the colony's deputy surveyor general. The following summer, for about a year, Beverley also served as auditor general of the royal revenue.[14]
In 1718, Governor Alexander Spotswood had many disagreements with members of his Advisory Council, whose members previous governors had appointed and who normally served for the remainder of their lives. Gov. Spotswood proposed to replace four recalcitrant Councilors with Peter Beverley and three other men. However, the appointments required approval of the Board of Trade in London. On April 9, 1719, the Board of Trade approved Peter Beverley's appointment to replace William Byrd (1674-1744), but Byrd petitioned to retain his seat, and the petition was granted. Thus, on May 31, 1720, the Board of Trade instead approved Beverley's appointment to succeed a Councilor who had died, John Smith. Beverley was sworn in on October 31, 1720 and served until his death.[15]
Death and legacy[edit]
Beverley's exact location and date of death were not recorded, although he was present at the Council meeting of December 11, 1728, and Governor William Gooch reported Beverley's death to the Board of Trade on March 26, 1729.[16]
Although Beverley had no sons who reached adulthood, his grandchildren continued to assert important roles in Virginia. His grandson Peyton Randolph, became speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses, chairman of the Virginia Conventions, and the first President of the Continental Congress;[17] his great-grandson Beverley Randolph, became the eighth Governor of Virginia.[4][18] His granddaughter Elizabeth Whiting married John Clayton, a distinguished botanist.
While one of William and John Randolph's brothers (Richard) married a lineal descendant of Pocahontas and later marriages among Randolph cousins linked Randolph descendants to her legacy, Peyton Randolph was not her descendant.
References[edit]
^ John M. Hemphill II and Daphne Gentry, "Peter Beverley" in Dictionary of Virginia Biography (Richmond: Library of Virginia 1998) pp. 469-470
^ Hemphill
^ Jump up to:a b Stanard, W.G. (1895). "Major Robert Beverley and His Descendants". In Bruce, Philip A. (ed.). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. Vol. III. Richmond, Virginia: The Virginia Historical Society. pp. 169–170.
^ Jump up to:a b Page, Richard Channing Moore (1893). "Randolph Family". Genealogy of the Page Family in Virginia (2 ed.). New York: Press of the Publishers Printing Co. pp. 249–272.
^ Glenn, Thomas Allen, ed. (1898). "The Randolphs: Randolph Genealogy". Some Colonial Mansions: And Those Who Lived In Them : With Genealogies Of The Various Families Mentioned. Vol. 1. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Henry T. Coates & Company. pp. 430–459.
^ Hemphill
^ Hemphill
^ Cynthia Miller Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly 1619-1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) pp. 50, 52, 53, 54, 56
^ Hemphill
^ Hemphill
^ Leonard, pp. 60, 62, 64, 65, 67
^ Leonard p. 68
^ Hemphill
^ Hemphill
^ Hemphill, p. 470
^ Hemphill, p. 470
^ "Peyton Randolph dies - Oct 22, 1775". HISTORY.com. A&E Television Networks. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
^ Randolph, Robert Isham (1936). The Randolphs of Virginia: A Compilation of the Descendants of William Randolph of Turkey Island and His Wife Mary Isham Of Bermuda Hundred (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
Events
| Birth | 1663 | Kingston On Hull, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom | |||
| Marriage | 1687 | Jamestown, James City, Virginia, British America - Elizabeth Peyton | |||
| Death | 1728 | Virginia, British America |
Families
| Spouse | Elizabeth Peyton (1664 - ) |
| Child | Elizabeth Beverley (1691 - 1723) |
| Father | Robert Beverley (1641 - 1687) |
| Mother | Margaret Boyd (1637 - 1678) |