Surry County VAGenWeb page.

Notes on Surry County's History.


During the Colonial period, Virginia was governed by a Governor, the Governor's Council, and the House of Burgesses. The House of Burgesses was the forerunner of the Virginia General Assembly. The Governor's Council were appointed and acted as the upper house of the legislature as well as the highest court in Virginia. The elected Senate is now the upper house. The lower house was composed of the Burgesses, elected representatives from the shires or counties, roughly equivalent to the Delegates of today.


SURRY COUNTY BURGESSES 1652 - 1693

1652 William Edwards, George Stephens, William Thomas
1653 William Butler, William Edwards
1654-1655 William Batt, James Mason
1656 William Thomas
1657-1658 William Butler, William Cawfield, William Edwards, Thomas Swann
1658/59 William Cawfield, George Jordan, Thomas Warren
1659/60 William Cawfield, William Browne
1663 William Cockerain, Thomas Warren
1666 Lawrence Baker, Thomas Warren
1672 Lawrence Baker
1673 Lawrence Baker, William Browne
1674 Lawrence Baker, George Jordan
1675/6 Lawrence Baker, George Jordan
1676 Robert Canfield, Francis Mason
1676/77 William Browne, Benjamin Harrison
1677 William Browne, Samuel Swann
1679 William Browne, Thomas Swann
1680-82 Benjamin Harrison, Samuel Swann
1684 Arthur Allen, Samuel Swann
1685-86 Arthur Allen, Samuel Swann
1688 Arthur Allen, Samuel Swann
1691-92 Arthur Allen, Francis Mason
1692/3 Francis Clements, Samuel Swann
1693 John Thompson, ---- Swann

Note: These names are taken from lists in H. R. McIlwaine, Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia 1619-1658/59 (Richmond, 1915) 1659/60-1693 (Richmond, 1914).


Updated 5 April 2020. © Eve S. Gregory for VAGenWeb.