William Byng

William Byng, estimated to have been born about 1570 or 1571 and to have died in 1619, may have been the younger brother of George and Robert Byng of Wrotham, Kent. Family-tree notes identify a William Binge who arrived in Virginia in 1619 and participated in the Jamestown court, but the proposed identification of that immigrant with the Wrotham man is not established in the supplied material.

William Byng was born about 1570 or 1571, reportedly at Wrotham, Kent, England. A proposed pedigree places him among the children of Robert Byng, Esq., and Frances Hill. In that reconstruction, his siblings included George, John, Francis or Frances, Robert, and Anne. The earlier generations given in the same proposed pedigree are Thomas Byng and Joan Hicks, followed by John Byng and Agnes Spencer of Essex.

The family-tree notes state that George and Robert Byng of Wrotham were involved with the Virginia Company. Robert reportedly corresponded with the Earl of Warwick and Mr. Ferrar, both described in the notes as important figures in Jamestown, then called James Citty. The notes further report that a William Bing, Esq., was interested in the colonization of America.

A William Binge, described as an immigrant of 1619, was reportedly listed as a member of the court at Jamestown and associated with the faction of the Earl of Warwick and Mr. Ferrar. The compiler believed that this Virginia resident was William Byng of Wrotham and therefore a brother of George and Robert. This remains an inference rather than a documented conclusion in the supplied material.

The same notes describe William Binge as an Adventurer rather than a Planter and suggest that he may have been involved in investment or tobacco trading, based on his concern with tobacco patents and his attendance at frequent court meetings. They state that he was once called “Captain,” but caution that there is no material supplied to show that he was in Virginia for military reasons. The suggestion that he personally oversaw family investments, and the explanation that the title of captain reflected age or standing, are expressly presented as speculation.

The family-tree notes also suggest that the surname may have been pronounced with a soft g, as in “Binge,” and observe that cousin Edward Binge and his descendants in England used that spelling. William Byng’s death is given as 1619.

Historical context

The supplied notes place the possible Virginia career of William Binge during the early Jamestown period and connect him with the Virginia Company, tobacco patents, and the Earl of Warwick and Mr. Ferrar. They distinguish an Adventurer, apparently an investor, from a Planter. These details apply to the reported William Binge in Virginia; whether he was the same man as William Byng of Wrotham is uncertain.

Sources & research

Original Family Tree Maker Notes.
Records of the Virginia Company, cited generally in the notes.
[DRC], initials attached to the statement that William Binge was listed as an Adventurer and not a Planter.