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Mary Willing Byrd This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedia's deletion policy.
Please see this article's entry on the Votes for Deletion page for voting and discussion on the matter. Please do not remove or deface this notice or blank, merge, or move this article while the discussion is in progress. However, you are welcome to edit this article and improve it. For more information, read the Guide to Votes for Deletion. Mary Willing Byrd (1740-1814) was the second wife of Colonel William Bird III, a colonial American military officer at the time of the American Revolution. After her husband committed suicide, leaving a considerable gambling debt, she managed his plantation in Williamsburg. Since women were not allowed to own property at the time, she had to conduct all business as executrix of his estate. Even though Colonel Byrd was a supporter of independence, Mary Byrd's sympathies were Loyalist. In 1781 she complained privately that, despite paying taxes on her husband's estate, as a woman she was not permitted a voice in the new independent government. External links
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