Charles Willing Byrd
Charles Willing Byrd (July 26, 1770 – August 25, 1828) was an early Ohio political leader and jurist. He served as Secretary of Northwest Territory and as acting Territorial Governor.
Charles Willing Byrd was born on July 26, 1770, in Westover, Charles City County, Virginia to the wealthy and powerful Byrd family of Virginia, founded by William Byrd I, Charles William Byrd's great-grandfather. William Byrd I received a 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) grant on October 27, 1673 on an area of the James River that would later become the site of Richmond, Virginia. Charles' mother made sure that her son received a good education after his father, William Byrd III, committed suicide in January 1777, when Charles was only seven years old.
Charles was sent to live in Philadelphia with his uncle, Thomas Powell, who was a member of the Society of Friends and a professor at The College of William & Mary. He read law under Gouverneur Morris while living in Philadelphia. He was accepted into the bar in 1794 after completing his schooling in Philadelphia.
After being accepted to the bar, Byrd became land agent for Philadelphia financier Robert Morris in Lexington, Kentucky. Morris is most famous for financing the revolution. Byrd served as land agent for Morris from 1794 to 1797, and was responsible for maintaining, selling, and acquiring real estate for Morris.
While in Kentucky, Byrd married Sarah Waters Meade, the daughter of his father's friend Colonel David Meade, on April 6, 1797. Byrd returned to Philadelphia to open a law practice in 1797. In 1799, Charles moved to the Northwest Territory and quickly became involved in government affairs.
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