Fitzhugh, William

Fitzhugh, William

(1651–1701) lawyer, planter; born in Bedford, England. He came to Virginia about 1670 and became a very successful planter and exporter. Originally trained as a lawyer, he served in the House of Burgesses and prepared (1692) a digest of Virginia's laws. His surviving letters are known by scholars for revealing the business operations of late-17th-century America.