Notes on Surry County's History.
During the Colonial period, Virginia was governed by a Governor, the Governor's Council, and the House of Burgesses. The House of Burgesses was the forerunner of the Virginia General Assembly. The Governor's Council were appointed and acted as the upper house of the legislature as well as the highest court in Virginia. The elected Senate is now the upper house. The lower house was composed of the Burgesses, elected representatives from the shires or counties, roughly equivalent to the Delegates of today.
| 1652 | William Edwards, George Stephens, William Thomas |
| 1653 | William Butler, William Edwards |
| 1654-1655 | William Batt, James Mason |
| 1656 | William Thomas |
| 1657-1658 | William Butler, William Cawfield, William Edwards, Thomas Swann |
| 1658/59 | William Cawfield, George Jordan, Thomas Warren |
| 1659/60 | William Cawfield, William Browne |
| 1663 | William Cockerain, Thomas Warren |
| 1666 | Lawrence Baker, Thomas Warren |
| 1672 | Lawrence Baker |
| 1673 | Lawrence Baker, William Browne |
| 1674 | Lawrence Baker, George Jordan |
| 1675/6 | Lawrence Baker, George Jordan |
| 1676 | Robert Canfield, Francis Mason |
| 1676/77 | William Browne, Benjamin Harrison |
| 1677 | William Browne, Samuel Swann |
| 1679 | William Browne, Thomas Swann |
| 1680-82 | Benjamin Harrison, Samuel Swann |
| 1684 | Arthur Allen, Samuel Swann |
| 1685-86 | Arthur Allen, Samuel Swann |
| 1688 | Arthur Allen, Samuel Swann |
| 1691-92 | Arthur Allen, Francis Mason |
| 1692/3 | Francis Clements, Samuel Swann |
| 1693 | John Thompson, ---- Swann |
Note: These names are taken from lists in H. R. McIlwaine, Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia 1619-1658/59 (Richmond, 1915) 1659/60-1693 (Richmond, 1914).
Updated 5 April 2020. © Eve S. Gregory for VAGenWeb.