The lower house of the legislature in colonial Virginia. Representative assembly in colonial Virginia, the first elective governing body in a British colony. It was one division of the legislature established in 1619 by the colonial governor at Jamestown; the other included the governor himself and a council, all appointed by the colonial proprietor (the Virginia Company). Each Virginia settlement was entitled to elect two delegates, or burgesses (citizens of a borough in England). See also London Co
A burgess was a member of a medieval town inhabited by free commoners In contrast, peasants (persons living in the countryside) were attached to the land that was actually owned by the lord of the manor [Chapter 22] [Chapter 84] [II: Chapter 1]
A person who held land called a burgage in a borough The rental for the burgage and land was 12d in 1290 and the burgess may have owned more than one burgage