William Burgess

William Burgess Sr. was born by 1721, possibly in Virginia. He married Susannah __ by 1742. On 20 August 1760 he obtained a Virginia land grant (Patent Book #33, p. 858) of 195 acres on Byrd Creek in Albemarle (later Fluvanna) Co., Virginia, and later tripled his estate. He or his son William signed an indenture on 8 June 1769 with Charles Hudson for a debt of ?60 to David Nowlin on Taylor Creek in Albemarle Co. On 10 September 1772 he purchased 200 acres of land on Great Byrd Creek (adjoining his earlier estate) in Albemarle Co. from John Thurmond. He or his son William signed a petition to the Virginia Legislature from Albemarle Co. in 1777 protesting the poor road conditions there, but moved to Bedford Co., Virginia, shortly thereafter.

William died in 1778 in Bedford Co., Virginia. His will, which was dated 23 April 1778 and probated 27 July 1778 (Bedford Co. Will Book #1, p. 307-08, with inventory dated 15 May 1779), notes four daughters (Isabel, Mary, Frankey, and Betty [i.e., Elizabeth]), and four sons, with his presumed oldest son, Edward, and his widow, Susannah, serving as executors, and identifies three adjoining plots of 200 acres each on Byrd Creek in Fluvanna Co., giving one section to Watt Johnson, ordering that a second farm of 200 acres to be sold, with the proceeds being divided between Edward and John, and giving the third estate to his third son, William Jr., ?being the place where my said son now dwells?; a fourth section of 151 acres in Bedford Co., ?being the place wherein I now dwell,? is given to Susannah, and after her death to his fourth son, Thomas. William had four sons