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George Byrne, Surveyor
b.1695
Facts and Events
Early Land Acquisition in Virginia
Acquisition of Land from Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants:
- F-54: Mr. George Byrn of Prince William Co., 130 acres in Prince William Co. Surv. Mr. John Warner. Adj. Alexander Scurlock, William Thorn, Burn's 116 acre tract, Thomas Renoe. 16 Dec. 1742. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, Gertrude E. Gray, pg. 3].
- F-145: Mr. George Byrn of Prince William Co., 210 acres in Prince William Co. Surv. Mr. John Grant. On Br. Hungry Run of Little River, adj. Edward Feagan, Mary Bevan, Messrs. Scott?, Walker & Short. 14 Dec. 1743. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, Gertrude E. Gray, pg. 8].
- F-229: Mr. George Byrn of Prince William Co., 250 acres in Fairfax Co. Surv. James Genn. On N. Fork of Tuskarora, opposite where John Awbrey lived, adj. John Richardson now George Byrn, Cock & Mercer, Mr. Mason formerly Awbrey. 23 July 1745. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, Gertrude E. Gray, pg. 12].
Records in Virginia
- Northern Neck Land Grants: F-38: Thomas Reno (Renoe) of Prince William Co., 531 acres in said County. Surv. Mr. George Byrn. On Lick Br. of Occuquan adj. Mr. Debutts, Bur Calbert, Henry Halley, John Miles, William Bland, Henry Filkins, George Byrn, William Thorn, Mr. McDebutts. 3 Dec. 1742. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, Gertrude E. Gray, pg. 2].
- Northern Neck Land Grants: F-303: Mrs. Mary Forster of Fairfax Co., 330 acres in said Co. Surv. Mr. George Byrn. On Branches of Tuskarora, adj. where Mr. John Awbrey lived. Major Cocke, Col. John Colvill, John Richardson, now George Byrn's. 12 July 1745. [NB: Omitted being entered according to its Date.] [Index - Mary Foster].
References
- Ancestry.com - Message Boards.
George Byrne came from Ireland early in the 18th century (1720). He belonged to a family that had property and lands in County Kildare and also in Dublin. The final "e" in Byrne may not appear in the earlier spelling of the name. The 1st documentary proof we have of him is in a deed made by the the office of the Lord Proprietor to him for lands in Prince William County, VA for 196 acres, dated 5 Apr 1740. On 20 Jun of the same year this land was transferred to one Dowell and the deed was acknowledged by George Byrne, planter, and his wife Lydia. In 1741 he received a deed from William Fairfax, the agent of Lord T. Fairfax, for 84 acres of land on a branch of Quantico Creek.
The families of the planter element were persons of more education and of more property than the people who had come before them. The planter element began to come into Preston with the opening of the Winchester and Clarksburg road. Some of the names are Browns, Byrnes, Fairfaxes, Hawleys, and Scotts. They had a very important influence upon the development of the county.They brought wagons with them. Thomas Scott and Feliz Scott were appointed commissioners to ascertain the most proper place to hold courts. Peyton Byrne became the Sheriff of Lewis County and his grandson Benjamin W. Byrne became the State Supt. of Schools.
The surveyor George Byrne lived about 3 months after being bitten by a mad dog which leaped upon him as he was riding his horse home from surveying lots for Winchester, VA. He left 2 children, Mollie and Samuel (also a 3rd child, Elizabeth). Mollie Byrne married George Ash and had 8 children. Samuel Byrne married Clary Buckner and had 7 children. Betsy Byrne is spoken of as being very beautiful, decidedly the most handsome in the family, although the Byrnes in general were fine looking people. Mollie married Col. John Fairfax who for several years was overseer of George Washington's negroes ... in 1782 he had 188.
A grant was made in 1743 to George Byrne (Byrn) for 210 acres beginning by a branch of Little River near "The Plains," a property still known as Byrnley. This farm is part of the Fishback and Holtzclaw grant of 1731; on a rise overlooking the Little River Valley and facing the Bull Run Mts., is the house built by George Byrn about 1760 with high columns. One enters a large central hall with a lovely stairway in the rear. The dining room on the right has the kitchen wing behind it which was made by joining the old meat house on to the main building by means of a connecting pantry. On the left of the hall, 2 rooms have been made into a huge reception room with 2 fireplaces and windows at either end. Down a step is the living room which has been added. Byrn is buried at Byrnley where his tombstone may still be read. Above paragraph from "Fauquier County, VA, 1759-1959."
The information above was written by James Edgar Brown, author of "The Brown Family of Prince William County, Virginia" (microfilm # 0908712 from the Salt Lake City Family History Center)
In a letter written by William Eston Randolph Byrne on 19 Mar 1926 to the Honorable Robert Byrne (his cousin) of Bismark, ND, W.E.R. Byrne writes:"The first spelling of the name in this country was Byrn. My father told me that when Major Charles Byrne was made Clerk of Preston County, he ordered the printing of certain blank forms pertaining to his office, in which his name was to be printed. In writing his name for the printer's copy, he made a pen flourish at the end which the printer mistook for an "e," and the blanks were printed accordingly with the name Byrne. In those days it would have been a serious matter, probably entailing long delay, to have the blanks reprinted. Consequently, Major Charles adopted the spelling as in the blanks, and his descendants in this part of the country seem to have done likewise. I have met a few persons who spell their name Byrn, but I do not know that they are of our strain."
http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=1511&p=surnames.byrne
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1. GEORGE BYRNE
George Byrne was born about 1720 in Wicklow, Ireland.  [Note: this is in error]
He married LYDIA STEELE. Land deeded to him in Prince William Co, VA April 5, 1740. In 1752 and 1753 he was engaged in surveying around Winchester.
Was bitten by a mad dog and died soon after reaching home. In 1744 he became guardian of 3 orphan boys, sons of William Brown -- William, John & George. In 1766 lived on Spiller's Neck on Occaquen River.
Children of George and Lydia (Steele) Byrne
2. (1). SAMUEL D. 1793
m.Clarissa Buckner
3. (2). Margaret
m.George Ash
4. (3). Elizabeth d.Dec 29 1783
m.Boliver Buckner
m.William Brown c. 1756.
http://hackerscreek.com/norman/BYRNE/GEORGE.htm
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ancestry.com. Public Member Trees: (Note: not considered a reliable primary source).
- Find A Grave.
George Byrn
Birth: 1700
County Wicklow, Ireland
Death: 1754
Prince William County
Virginia, USA
Birthdate not verified. Possibly 1695.
In 1720, George left Kilkenny, Ireland for Prince William Co., Virginia, where he became the general surveyor who surveyed land in Virginia. He surveyed alongside his apprentice surveyor, George Washington. Both Georges surveyed personal property claims for each other.
In addition to 3 children, he became guardian of 3 orphaned boys, William (#58542532), John and George Brown in June 1746.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=76492304
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