Benjamin Harrison III (1673 – April 10, 1710) was an American politician in the

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...

. He was an early member of the

Harrison family The Harrison family of Virginia is an American family with a history in politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600’s. Their descendants include a Founding Father of the United States, ...

of Virginia, serving as the colony's attorney general, treasurer, and Speaker of the

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia. With the creation of the House of Burgesses in 1642, the General Assembly, which had been established ...

. He was the great grandfather of President

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

and the great-great-great grandfather of President

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

Biography

Harrison was born in 1673, the son of

Benjamin Harrison II The Harrison family of Virginia is an American family with a history in politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600’s. Their descendants include a Founding Father of the United States, ...

and Hannah Churchill. He purchased a portion of land from the land patent of Berkeley Hundred where he raised his family with his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Lewis Burwell II. This location was home to the first official Thanksgiving held on December 4, 1619, and where his son Benjamin Harrison IV began to construct the family's

Berkeley Plantation Berkeley Plantation, one of the first plantations in America, comprises about on the banks of the James River on State Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. Berkeley Plantation was originally called Berkeley Hundred, named after the Berkel ...

in 1726.Virginia, "A Guide to the old Dominion"
p. 631, Retrieved 14 nov 2009. Harrison became the

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

of the

Virginia Colony The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertGilbert (Saunders Family), Sir Humphrey" (hist ...

in 1697 at age 24, serving until 1702 before moving on to the House of Burgesses between 1703–1706, where he was the Speaker in 1705. He became Treasurer of the colony in 1705, serving until his death in 1710. Harrison began to compile the history of the colony shortly before he died, leaving it unfinished."New England Families"
p.2089, Retrieved 14 nov 2009.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Benjamin, III 1673 births 1710 deaths Benjamin, III People from Virginia Speakers of the Virginia House of Burgesses