Lucy Burwell Berkeley

Lucy Burwell, born on November 21, 1683, was the daughter of Abigail Smith and Lewis Burwell (1652-c.1710). She was probably born in Gloucester County, Virginia at the Fairfield plantation on Carters Creek. Lewis Burwell's estate was located in Gloucester County on Carters Creek, two miles upstream of Rosewell and later of King's Creek in York County, Virginia. Burwell was a member of the Virginia Governor's Council from 1702 to 1710, the year that he died. ==Francis Nicholson==

At the age of 16, Burwell was "high born and beautiful". He began courting her, during which he visited her and corresponded with her. When Lucy was about eighteen years of age, she and her father declared that Lucy had no interest in marrying Nicholson, he threatened to kill whomever she intended to marry. He became temperamental and was threatening towards the Burwell family and their allies who were among the colony's elite families. Philip Ludwell, a relative and member of the Governor's Council, interceded on her behalf with the governor, with comportment and gentility. Nicholson's behavior, along with his unpopular policies, drove four Burwell relatives and two others to petition Anne, Queen of Great Britain for Nicholson's removal as governor. Titled "Memorial Concerning the Maladministration of Governor Nicholson", it was signed by six councilors John Blair, Benjamin Harrison, Robert Carter, Matthew Page, Philip Ludwell, and John Lightfoot. The document focused on the Governor's acts of "injustice, oppression, and insolence" towards the councilors and "other public abuses", which were not detailed. Several others sent in letters of support for the petition to the Queen. ==Marriage==

Burwell and Edmund Berkeley (ca. 1665–1718), the son of Mary Mann and Edmund Berkeley of Gloucester County, married on December 1, 1703. Lucy and her brothers and sisters married into established families in New Kent, which influenced the politics of Colonial Virginia at that time. It was Edward's second marriage. He was previously married to Mary Mason; they had no children. Lucy and Edmund lived in Petsworth Parish in Gloucester County until 1712 or 1713 and then lived on Barn Elms plantation in Middlesex County, Virginia. They had two sons—Lewis and Edmund–and three daughters—Lucy, Mary and Sarah. Most of the Berkeleys (with this spelling) living in Virginia descended from this couple. ==Death==

Burwell Berkeley died on December 16, 1716, and was buried at Barn Elms in Middlesex County. Edmund Berkeley added an epitaph to her gravestone about their marriage: Edmund died December 15, 1718. ==Notes==