Benjamin Harrison III

Benjamin Harrison III (1673 – April 10, 1710) was an American politician in the Colony of Virginia. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia, a prominent family involved in colonial and early American politics. Harrison served in multiple official capacities within the colony, including as attorney general, treasurer, and Speaker of the House of Burgesses.

Harrison was born in 1673 to Benjamin Harrison II (1645–1712) and Hannah Churchill. His paternal grandfather was Benjamin Harrison I (1594–1648). He purchased land from the land patent of Berkeley Hundred, an area associated with the first official Thanksgiving held on December 4, 1619. He established his family residence there with his wife, Elizabeth, who was the daughter of Lewis Burwell II. The location became notable as the site where his son, Benjamin Harrison IV, began constructing Berkeley Plantation in 1726.

In 1697, at the age of 24, Harrison was appointed attorney general of the Virginia Colony. He held this position until 1702. Subsequently, he served as a member of the House of Burgesses from 1703 to 1706. During his term in the House of Burgesses, he was elected Speaker in 1705. In 1705, he also became Treasurer of the colony, a position he maintained until his death in 1710.

Shortly before his death, Harrison began compiling a history of the Virginia colony. However, he did not complete this work prior to his passing on April 10, 1710. His career and family connections link him to two U.S. Presidents: he was the great-grandfather of William Henry Harrison and the great-great-great-grandfather of Benjamin Harrison.

References for his life and career are limited in the provided information, and no specific sources are cited beyond the notice of "References" at the end of the original document.