WESTOVER PLANTATION (home of William Byrd II)

Colonial plantation on the James River in Charles City, VA. Homestead of the Byrd family. Including William Byrd II, founder of Richmond, Virginia.
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/ vatravels

[@mayammack]

My great great great grandfather was a slave at this plantation crazy how life goes

[@victoriabest11]

I am also a descendant of this family by way of slavery...I actually get chills and feelings of nausea.... Im still finding out news and much of it is disturbing.....

[@jefflawrentz1624]

I visited here in early 2000s. I’m a direct descendant of Anne (Bennett) Bland (Theodoric)whose first husband owned the land before the Byrds acquired it. The Crane family maintains this beautifully. Nice tour, thank you!

[@pagen5219]

Oh, we are prob kin. I am from the Bland's and Randolph's,,,,and recognize Anne's name.

[@jackbyrd381]

Amazing estate. William Byrd the 2nd and so on are on my family tree. You know, this was built by his slaves. So, there is a beautiful aesthetic inspired by British aristocracy and there is a dark side of the imbedded practice of owning people as property whose backs and hands built and maintained this property.

[@Success_1221]

Means we’re related

[@jackbyrd381]

@@Success_1221 must be. I've used Ancestry to trace back this far.

[@K-wd6ow]

My grandmother was a direct descendant of the Byrd's. She grew up in Gloucester, VA and used to spend a lot of time at her grandparent's home, Whitehall Plantation. The small church in Gloucester has many ancestors buried there. I actually have old pics of Whitehall Plantation when my great grandparents first married. Looks nothing like it is now. I've always wanted to see Westover when it was open to the public during gardenf week, but never have. Thanks for showing this.

[@billdavis6978]

I’m sure it costs an arm and a leg to maintain this plantation to the degree they do. I work in home remodeling/restoration and it’s amazing how fast a property can deteriorate in just a couple years. What a beautiful piece of land!

[@pagen5219]

I read some of his diary once, one of the Byrd's. They lived so diff from us and thought so diff,,,,,,,,very diff,

[@LoneStar-mr8jy]

In 3 generations they lost everything including this plantation, wrong side of civil war. My family ancestor.. it is crazy to think my grandma Violet Carpenter Byrd was 1/2 Choctaw was descendent of William Byrd family and she was poor, where family had hid in the woods; hiding from the trail of tears.. she never went to school. Learned to read from a medical university textbook as adult. Married my grandpa who was a missionary.

[@DonnasArizonaAdvenrures]

My ancestor Was William Byrd II, Nice to see where he lived.

[@Success_1221]

Mine too

[@hcaliforniagirl]

I am related to him,he's my great great great Grandfather. I just found out. Thank you for showing this.

[@byrdsjunkgarbageremovalser8044]

Yeah he's my many Great Uncle as well. I went to the Plantation & it was truly something to see & walk around. I did find out while visiting that a Union General took over the house during the Civil War. That's what I was told. William Byrd II was not a nice man lol.. Byrd family roots are very strange

[@hcaliforniagirl]

@@byrdsjunkgarbageremovalser8044 Yes,my Grandma Hughett's maiden name was Byrd...I think there was an affair and her grandfather had other children by his mistress and Byrd's marring Byrd's maybe cousins? Strange indeed,lol

[@bryanvanromburgh981]

@@byrdsjunkgarbageremovalser8044 I’m confused William Byrd II died almost 300 years ago...seems like he would be a bit more removed than a great uncle

[@byrdsjunkgarbageremovalser8044]

What I understand of the changing of Bird to Byrd was cousins had gotten married and changed it to the Byrd spelling. Of course with genealogy it's hear say..

[@byrdsjunkgarbageremovalser8044]

@@bryanvanromburgh981 honestly I'm not 100% how all that works honestly. I'm a part of William 1st bloodline but I'd have to check. Back then there was so many Williams, Thomas, and Benjamin it's hard to keep up with

[@susansurles3776]

The interior is only open during garden week, I believe.

[@Success_1221]

Willam Byrd is one of my great grandfathers and his son William Byrd the II is one of my great uncles.

[@jordanday1196]

He’s my great whatever grandfather as well, one of his great great you get what I mean grandsons had an relationship with another woman that had my last name all of there kids took day instead of bird/byrd. Very cool

[@zarekmoffatt1287]

I’m his grandson as well as is my grandfather super cool!

[@clf8668]

I enjoy this I'm a descendent of Thomas Byrd b.1654 England d.12 Mar 1710 Virginia . My Grandmother Ora Mae Byrd is a direct Descendent to Thomas Byrd brother to Col. William Evelyn Byrd the first and his son William Byrd the second had the house built.

[@snoozeyoulose9416]

Ah. Thomas Byrd of Surry County, VA. Also a direct ancestor.

[@joanpellillo2981]

Awesome tour...

[@joanpellillo2981]

I am so surprised you went in the tunnel... But very cool!!

[@shagloriawashington8707]

Growing up we called this carters grove plantation in all honesty I wish I could go back there to see what it looks like now

[@bryanspindle4455]

Carter's Grove is a completely seperate plantation. It is located near Williamsburg and is no longer open to the public. The style and size of the two houses are very similar.

[@snoozeyoulose9416]

Nice video.

[@crossroadschronicles4647]

Did the spider win?

[@VATravels]

😆

[@aquastar4336]

They always win, Mark..

[@grandmasharon6820]

The music is awful. But everything else is in this video is good.

[@eastcoastartist]

Wow! A hidden tunnel

[@Logan-ns7uj]

the ice house is where the tunnel is or starts

[@wkenz1]

Rude that you would be on the property after advertised closing time. Clearly not a southerner or you'd have better manners.