The Harrisons were one of the most prominent Virginia families of the 17th and 18th centuries, including two U.S. Presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). During the era of the Jamestowne Colony, members of the Harrison family were leading citizens, including Benjamin Harrison III, who died this day on April 14, 1710 at age 37 at the Berkeley Hundred Plantation on the James River, where he is buried.
In Harrison’s brief life, he served in various government posts: Attorney General, member of the House of Burgesses, and Treasurer of the Colony, to name just a few positions he held. Born in 1673, he took his first government position at age 24 (he was made the Attorney General of the Colony) in 1697, just before the seat of government in Virginia was transferred from Jamestowne to Williamsburg. He became the owner of the Berkeley Hundred Plantation with the help of his father, and thereby acquired over eight thousand acres of land. Interestingly, Berkeley Hundred was the site of the “First Thanksgiving” celebrated at Jamestowne in 1619—predating the Thanksgiving we celebrate today that took place in Plymouth Colony in 1621.
As an aside, we note that Benjamin’s wife was Elizabeth Burwell, whose family was itself of some notoriety. Her father was Lewis Burwell II, who was a leader of the Colony, serving as a member of the Virginia Governor’s Council and as the first Governor of the College of William and Mary.
So today we honor the memory of Benjamin Harrison III, a distinguished member of the one of the most prominent families in the first three centuries of Virginia, who died this day in 1710. His cause of death is unclear, but some believe he had a heart attack following a game of cricket. He apparently lingered for several weeks before succumbing.
