Early Life
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.
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