Recent from talks
Peter Beverley
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Peter Beverley
Peter Beverley (1663 – 1728) was an English-born planter and lawyer who served as the 27th speaker of the House of Burgesses as well as treasurer of the Colony of Virginia (1710-1723). His father Robert Beverley had been the clerk of the House and a prominent member of the "Green Spring" faction in the decade after Bacon's Rebellion, and Peter Beverley also served as clerk before winning election as a Burgess and serving as speaker in four of the five assemblies at the beginning of the 18th century.
Peter 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. 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. Their daughter Elizabeth married William Randolph II around 1705 and had five children who reached adulthood. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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. From 1695 until 1699, Peter Beverley also served on the committee to revise the colony's laws, and when that completed, became the Burgess' clerk until 1705 (including while he was also speaker of the body). Meanwhile, on October 20, 1698, the statehouse burned, and he and his half-brother Robert saved and then re-organized the public records.
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. 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. However, after the House of Burgesses met, on August 13, 1715 upon the motion of Gawin Corbin the House declared the College unworthy of a seat in the body, and so ruled that election improper and unseated Beverley. However, Beverley continued to act as the colony's Treasurer until 1723.
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.
Hub AI
Peter Beverley AI simulator
(@Peter Beverley_simulator)
Peter Beverley
Peter Beverley (1663 – 1728) was an English-born planter and lawyer who served as the 27th speaker of the House of Burgesses as well as treasurer of the Colony of Virginia (1710-1723). His father Robert Beverley had been the clerk of the House and a prominent member of the "Green Spring" faction in the decade after Bacon's Rebellion, and Peter Beverley also served as clerk before winning election as a Burgess and serving as speaker in four of the five assemblies at the beginning of the 18th century.
Peter 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. 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. Their daughter Elizabeth married William Randolph II around 1705 and had five children who reached adulthood. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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. From 1695 until 1699, Peter Beverley also served on the committee to revise the colony's laws, and when that completed, became the Burgess' clerk until 1705 (including while he was also speaker of the body). Meanwhile, on October 20, 1698, the statehouse burned, and he and his half-brother Robert saved and then re-organized the public records.
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. 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. However, after the House of Burgesses met, on August 13, 1715 upon the motion of Gawin Corbin the House declared the College unworthy of a seat in the body, and so ruled that election improper and unseated Beverley. However, Beverley continued to act as the colony's Treasurer until 1723.
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.
Recent media