William Burt

William Mathew Burt (c. 1725 – 27 January 1781) was a British politician and colonial administrator. He owned properties on Saint Kitts and Nevis and served as governor of the British Leeward Islands from 1776 until his death in 1781. He was also member of parliament for Great Marlow from 1761 to 1768.

Early life Burt was born into "an old West Indian family". He was the son of William Pym Burt, chief justice of St. Kitts, and Louisa Mathew, daughter of Sir William Mathew. His great-grandfather arrived in Nevis in 1670 and the family moved to Saint Kitts in about 1725; he would inherit estates on both islands.

In England, Burt had an estate named Maiden Early (also spelled Erlegh or Erleigh) near Reading, Berkshire. He recruited landscape gardener Capability Brown to produce a plan for his gardens in about 1778.