William Kendall Jr. (II) (1659–1696) was a planter and politician in the

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia was a British Empire, British colonial settlement in North America from 1606 to 1776. The first effort to create an English settlement in the area was chartered in 1584 and established in 1585; the resulting Roanoke Colo ...

who twice represented Northampton County in the

House of Burgesses The House of Burgesses () was the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly from 1619 to 1776. It existed during the colonial history of the United States in the Colony of Virginia in what was then British America. From 1642 to 1776, the Hou ...

as had his father

Early and family life

Kendall was born in 1659, probably in Northampton County, to Sarah, the second wife of merchant, planter and politician William Kendall.

Career

When his father died in 1686, he became his father's primary heir, although his mother, married sister Mary (the wife of

Hancock Lee Hancock Lee (born 1653 - May 25, 1709) was an American colonial politician. He was a member of the House of Burgesses, a Justice of Northampton County, and a naval officer. Biography Hancock Lee was born to Richard Lee I, Esq., in 1653. He was ...

) and her children also received property. In April 1692, Kendall patented 2,750 acres in nearby Accomack County, also on Virginia's

Eastern Shore Eastern Shore may refer to: * Regions in the Delmarva Peninsula: ** Eastern Shore of Maryland ** Eastern Shore of Virginia * Eastern Shore (Nova Scotia), a region * Eastern Shore (electoral district), a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia ...

. Northampton County voters twice elected Kendall as one of their representatives in the House of Burgesses, first in 1688 (although he failed to win re-election) and again for the 1692-1693 session.Cynthia Miller Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly 1619-1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) pp. 49, 52

Personal life

He married Anne Mason, daughter of Lemuel Mason, also a member of the House of Burgesses. Together they had sons William Kendall III and John Kendall, and three daughters.

Death and legacy

Kendall made his will on January 29, 1695, and it was proved July 28, 1696.

References

House of Burgesses members 1659 births 1696 deaths People from colonial Virginia People from Northampton County, Virginia 17th-century American planters {{Virginia-politician-stub