THE GIFT OF _^.2i:r::^lJSA£,34^--..J^...-.J^^ h,..a-iH.&D. m\}k\%^. Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029819715 21 THIRTY SECOND STREET, WEST. EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND. LIFE AND TIMES OF Henry Burt of Springfield AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS. GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL MENTION OF JAMES AND RICHARD BURT OF TAUNTON, MASS. AND THOMAS BURT, M. P., OF ENGLAND. BY HENRY M. BURT of Spring-field. SILAS W. BURT of New York. SPRINGFIELD, MASS.: CLARK W. BRYAN COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1893. ^Z^i^^ Copyright, i8g3. HENRY NI. BURT. Springfield, Mass. -fpcc\f.'^)i^: 4L 1jvat~ €^<^^^ QuAi ' Katljaniel ISurt CONTENTS. Fac Similes of Autographs, . . following title page. Henry, Jonathan and David. The Opening, i-8 Purpose and Scope of the Work, Burt Family Reunion, 9-67 . Invitation to, 9; Hst of persons present at, 11; address of Henry M, Burt, 15; address of Colonel Silas W. Burt, 21; letter from Thomas Burt of England, 31; remaiks of Hon, James M. Burt, 33 ; Captain R. M. Voorhees, 34; Grinnell Burt. 39; Wellington R.Burt, 42; Lou Burt, 47: James M. Burt of Brooklyn, 49; Hon. Thomas E, Benedict, 50; Bradley Benedict Burt. 52: Henry A. Burt, 56; Austin Burt, 61; commitiee on publicaiion, 63 ; the Warwick Burts at the reunion, 64. The Ancestors, 71-230 Henry, Jonathan, David, Nathaniel. Daughters of Henry Burt, .... 231-263 Sarah, wife of (i) Judah Gregory and (2) Henry Wakeley — Abigail, wife of (i) Francis Ball, (2) Benj'^imin Munn and (3) Lieutenant Thomas Stebbins — Elizabeth, wife of (i) Samuel Wright, Jr., and iz) Daniel Dickinsot; — Mary, wife of William Brooks — Hannah, wife of John Bagg— Dorcas, wife of John Stiles — Patience, wife of John Bliss — MbrcYj wife of Judah Wright. French and Indian Wars, .... 264-282 The Fate of Three Brothers— David Burt, captured at Sctienectady— Benjamin Burt, captured at Deerfield — John Burt, killed at Lake Champlain — sons of David of Northampton. Descendants, ....... 289-573 Descendants of Jonathan, 295-321, 562-566, 572-573; of David, 322-486, 550-561, 567; of Nathaniel, 487-498, 54i-S49i 568-57'- The Taunton Burts, ...... 499-53° Descendants of James and Richard— William Austin Burt, Inventor of Solar Compass. contents. Our Distinguished English Cousin, . . 531-54° Sketch of Thomas Burt, M. P., by George Jacob Houyoake, Marie Burt von Moltke, 579 Wife of the Greatest Soldier of our Age. Origin of the Surname Burt, ... 581 Some Traces of it in English Records. Revolutionary and Other Records, . . . 584-605 Massachusetts and New York Burts in the War of Independence— Gleanings from New York State Records as to Sundry Members of the Family. Index, 606-617 MAPS. Home Lots, Wood Lots and Planting Ground of the First Settlers of Springfield. facing title page Town of Northampton, 1831, . . ... between pp. r6o-t Home Lots of Some of the First Settlers of Northampton (by permission of James R. Trumbull), . . ..'... between pp. 184-5 FAC SIMILES. Autographs of Henry, Jonathan and David Burt, followirg title page Record of Death of Hhnry Burt, .... . 91 Records of Birth of Hannah, Dorcas, Patience and Mercy, Daughters of Henry Burt, . . • ^ '5 Record of Hirth of Jonathan Ball, Grandson of Henry Burt, , . 115 List of Townsmen of Springfield, February, 1664, . 122 Continuation of List of Townsmen, 1665-6-7, , . 123 Jonathan Burt's Record of the Burning of Springfield, 1675, . 146 Letter from Benjamin Burt, the Deerfield Captive, to his Son Benjamin, 1:53, 277 THE OPENING. The experiment of self-government, which began on the shores of New England less than three centuries ago, has borne such grand results that interest in the early formative period has in- creased with each succeeding generation, until the desire to know every detail and the history of every struggle connected with the first settlements has given rise to careful study of that character and principle which have had. so much to do with the successful attainments that have fpliowed. Family histor/, though cover- ing in some respects only a limited line of inquiry, has brought to light many interesting facts, while the study of that largeri field of combined effort, which gave direction and infused life and strength into the government of New England, has given to the world a broader knowledge of the foundation upon which it has rested. When we look across the sea to the mother country and behold how slowly she has struggled out of that conservative spirit, which for centuries was the all-controlling and over-mastering element in her character, and how slow she has been to grant larger liberties to her subjects, we turn with honest pride to our own New England and note how she has led the way and evolved out of the dark and contentious past, higher and better conditions for the human race than were known before our ancestors set their high example. Equality of race, equality of manhood, found here a realization then unknown in the European schemes of government. In the Old World the few were born to govern the many. Here the order was reversed, and the founders having regard for justice and equity built not for themselves alone, but for every one who joined with them in upholding a living faith in humanity, and in those civil and rel'igious principles which have since marked every move- ment in the line of progress throughout the world. If we cannot boast of great age, we can turn with a just degree of satisfaction to our achievements. It was not the scholars and the leaders of men in Old England, who came to these shores and 4 THE BURT FAMILY. founded a new order of government in New England. It was the poor in purse and devout in spirit, — a band of men inspired with a living principle, who had felt the iron hand of injustice, which was ready to crush every rising hope and every effort toward the advancement of spiritual and even better material con- ditions. In England of that day, power made right. In New England, duty was law. The two conditions represented the two phases of civilization, — one the old and the other the new. The lib- erty of free expression of opinion, the liberty of judgment and of action, were crushed by brutal force, until here and there through- out England rose a spirit brave enough to put behind him Church and State, Friends and Home, and seek in another country that which had been denied him in the land of his birth. The Pilgrim had opened the way, and out of Puritan ranks came our ancestors, brave and free, — loyal only to themselves and to their convictions of right and duty. When they turned their faces westward, Eng- land had'risen scarcely breast-high in the development of her con- ceptions of human needs. She had been groping for centuries in darkness, and ruling, not by love but by brute force. The convic- tions of our ancestors had been slowly ripening in that exacting school of intolerance, and once within the circle where the rights of all were considered, and where all had equal voice, there came a sense of larger freedom and those higher conceptions of human needs which have since been the guiding and controlling purposes, distinguishing New England from the older countries and the older forms of government. The early settlers of New England came to these shores at the command of the voice within, and it is moral heroism which has been stamped on their characters and made their names dear to their descendants. Their memories in the lapse of time have grown brighter for what they accomplished, and we have aright to invest them with something greater than mere respect. There is a just pride in tracing back the line of descent to those who crossed the ocean in response to a feeling of duty, even if they were nothing more than humble participators in and upholders of the faith for which they came. If they were not scholars and leaders in England, they were here noble in their conceptions of right, and THE BURT FAMILY. 5 showed by their works that self-aggrandizement was not the highest purpose to which a people could devote their lives. Among those who came to New England soon after the great tide of immigration began to set in this direction, was Henry Burt, the ancestor of all who bear that family name who have resided in the Connecticut valley, or who have gone from it. He appears to have been of service to his townsmen and to have done his part with conscientious fidelity. There might not have been anything peculiar in this. Others may have done the same and he may not have been more entitled to public recognition than were they, but by his descendants he is honored, not only as the founder of the family in New England, but as one who led a life of usefulness to others and whose name stands for high moral purpose, strict integrity, and unfaltering devotion to duty. They have not invested his name with unusual acts of heroism; they simply believe that he did his share of work, whether of a public or of a private nature. That his townsmen appointed him to take part in the town govern- ment aiid to discharge certain public religious duties, is evidence of- his character and standing. Beyond these he was evidently a plain, straightforward citizen, working with his hands to support a large family, and doipg all he could to make them useful members of the community. What is known concerning the lives of the early settlers of Springfield indicates that, with few exceptions, every one labored in his own or in his neighbor's fields for the support of the family. There were no drones in this community, and few indeed were they who felt the greed of gain. A more upright and scrupulously honest people can be found in no part of the New England of to-day. To those people promise was law, and their high regard for truth makes them conspicuous when we compare them with some of our own time, who are in the rush for wealth and power. In reviewing the character and the acts of Henry Burt and his sons, I have quoted freely from the records of both Springfield and Northampton, to show the conditions under which the people lived, and while much that is included in this volume is not strictly family history, it throws new light upon the times and illuminates the lives of those who had a part in transforming the great wilderness into a fruitful field. This departure from what has hitherto more 6 THE BURT FAMILY. generally constituted family history, must make this work more acceptable to the descendants of Henry Burt. The writer has realized the difficulties attending attempts to interpret the lives which went out centuries ago, when so little remains to throw light upon their acts now so imperfectly understood. He has tried to keep clear of "traditions" and " probabilities," both of doubtful value when attempting to unravel the thread of events long past. It is no easy task to gather the materials which enter into histori- cal writing and set forth facts in their true relation to the com- munity. An error put into print goes traveling down the ages as exact truth. The records relating to the doings of the first settlers in Spring- field have been so thoroughly searched, there is little room to hope that much additional information can be gained concerning Henry Burt. His residence in Roxbury, the time of his arrival in this country, from whence he came, and where he resided in England, still remain for another to reveal. As yet nothing has been learned to shed light on these incidents in his history. The late Mr. R. H. Burnham, whose genealogy of the Burt family was published in 1892, fell into error in dating back to 1638 the arrival of Henry Burt in Springfield. The fact on which this statement was founded relates to John Burt, of whom nothing farther is known. His name appears in a record at that time, but he was never a resident of Springfield. There is no mention of Henry Burt in the town or court records, as has been stated in the body of this work, earlier than in 1640. While this valley h^s become a noted educational center and schools and colleges have been largely endowed, the first to make a gift in the support of public education in this region was Nathaniel Burt, the youngest son of the founder of the family. He had no example ; there had been no gifts to suggest such an act on his part. His own limited opportunities, his experience in business life, no doubt brought to his mind the importance of better public schools, and his gift of land to Longmeadow for educational pur- poses, was the very first made in this part of New England. At that time, or shortly prior to it, only very few of the residents could write their names when signing public papers. No less than five selectmen made their marks, and among the number was Nathaniel THE 6URT FAMILY. 7 Burt. This need not, however, lessen the respect of his descend- ants for him. He was evidently a man of ability or he would, not have been on the board of selectmen. The fact that he felt the need of better schools and contributed to their support is sufH- cient evidence of the character of the man, to which the town of Longmeadow afterwards made public acknowledgment. This work has grown in size far beyond expectation. The gathering of the material which has entered into it, and the prepara- tion for the press, have occupied a much longer time than was anticipated. In this connection I would state I have been greatly aided by Col. Silas W. Burt of New York, whose rare scholarship, thorough knowledge of what transpired in New England in its early days, and his full appreciation of the character of those who gave it its place in history, will be recognized in many pages of this volume. No one has a higher conception of the character of the founders, and no one in description wields a more graceful pen. I am also indebted to Mr. James R. Trumbull of Northampton for access to the Judd manuscripts and for other important infor- mation found in that part ot the work relating to Northampton. The labor that this work has involved will be better realized when it is known that I have personally examined the town, land, probate and county court records at Springfield and Northampton, covering the first century of the settlements in the Connecticut valley, and have deciphered and copied the extracts herein printed. I have also examined many valuable documents in the Massachu- setts State Archives and in the libraries of the New England Historic Genealogical Society at Boston and the American Anti- quarian Society at Worcester, as well as the State Libraries of Connecticut and New York. The personal sketches of descendants of Henry Burt in the later generations, which fill a large number of pages, have been contributed in most instances by those nearly akin to the subjects of the several articles, and will serve to permanently record the lives of many of the family in greater and lesser spheres of activity. Much matter of a genealogical nature is included in these sketches which has never before appeared in print and will fitly supple- ment the valuable genealogy compiled by the late Mr. Burnham. This department has been under the editorial supervision of Frank THE BURT FAMILY. H. Burt of Newton, Mass., who also furnished the stenographic report of the proceedings at the reunion, and has given much assistance in reading the proofs of the entire book. In the extracts from the ancient records, the original spelling has been followed, as well as the abbreviations so far as practicable. The contractions most frequently occurring are those formed by the use of y for ik, as : y^, the ; y', that; y", them ; and by the omission of one or more letters, as : w'='\ which ; w', what. The genealogical and historical information relating to James and Richard Burt of Taunton, was contributed by Mr. Franklin Pratt of Oakland, Mass. As yet no trace of relationship has been established between Henry Burt of Springfield, and James and Richard Burt of Taunton. The biographical sketch of Thomas Burt, M. P., of England, who has held a seat in the House of Commons since 1874, will be of interest to the Burts on this side of the Atlantic, who have watched his public career. Mr. George Jacob Holyoake pays a well-deserved tribute to this leader in the cause of labor reform. It is not known that Thomas Burt's ancestors were related to ours, but there is reason to believe that they were. That part relating to the reunion of the Burt family, which fol- lows, was printed before there was any expectation of making this volume so elaborate. It contains a few errors which have been corrected in succeeding chapters. Following the title-page are fac-similes of the autographs of Henry Burt and his two eldest sons, Jonathan and David. That of Henry was written October lo,- 1656 ; Jonathan's in 1683, and David's in 1665. In conclusion, I would say that this work, which has been pre- pared under many disconcerting circumstances, has occupied the greater part of a year. It has been my desire to give Henry Burt the ancestor and his children the place they deserve in local history, and to convey to their many descendants a better knowledge of the difficulties which stood in their way when this part of New Eng- land was a wilderness. A closer intimacy with them, as revealed in these scattered records, has given me a high appreciation of their characters and abilities. May their descendants in the years to come exercise the same fidelity to truth and the right. Henry M. Burt. Springfield, Mass., June 7, iSg^. BURT FAMILY REUNION. HENRY BURT, who came from England to Massachusetts about 1638 — possibly at an earlier date — removed, in 1640, from Roxbury, where he had first made his home, to the young settlement of Springfield, on the banks o£ the Connecticut, founded four years earlier by William Pynchon and associates. There Henry Burt spent a useful life and reared a numerous family. His descendants, from that time to the present, have been found in many of the towns of Western Massachusetts, while many more have followed the course of empire toward the setting sun, and helped to found new communities and carry the life and influence of New England into the young States of the West. Two hundred and fifty years after the coming of their ancestor to Springfield, it seemed fitting to certain of the descendants of Henry Burt to commemorate, by a family reunion, the anniversary of the event which had had so great an influence on the destinies of his posterity. Accordingly, the following circular was issued and sent to members of the Burt family in all parts of the country : REUNION OF THE BURT FAMILY. To THE Descendants of Henry Burt: — You are cordially invited to attend a reunion of the descendants of Henry Burt, who came from England to Roxbury and settled in Springfield, Mass., in 1640, to be held in Springfield, October 3d, 1890. The family is now widely scattered throughout New England, the Middle and Western States, and a con- siderable number have signified their intention to be present. It is hoped others will join and help make this a notable gathering in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of our ancestor's settlement in the Connecticut Valley. He was a man of estimable character and made himself useful to the little colony who began with him the first settlement of Springfield. This is the first time .that the anniversary ot our progenitor's coming to Springfield has been observed, or a reunion of the family has taken place, and it is hoped that this occasion will be the means of bringing together those who lO BURT FAMILY REUNION. can trace their relationship back to such a worthy source, and to one who had the courage to bring a large family of young children from the Old World to the New so soon after the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers. Do not fail to be present and bring with you the old and the young, that we may do honor to a highly esteemed and most worthy ancestor. Those signifying acceptance of this invitation will be notified of the more com- plete details of the meeting which will be arranged at a later date. Write on receipt of this to 'jf> HENRY M. BURT, Springfield, Mass. Henry M. Burt, Springfield, Mass. Grinnell Burt, Warwick, N. Y. Daniel Burt, Springfield, Mass. Thomas Burt, Warwick, N. Y. J. Marshall Burt, East Longmeadow, John M. Burt, Warwick, N. Y. Mass. Bradley B. Burt, Oswego, N. Y. Jairus F. Burt, Easthampton, Mass. A.J. Burt, Bellvale, N. Y. Frank H. Burt, Newton, Mass. Franklin N. Burt Ogdensburg, N. Y. Frederick A. Burt, Beachmont, Mass. James M. Burt, Newcomerstown, Ohio. Charles R. Burt, Hartford, Conn. Daniel W. Burt, Van Wert, Ohio. Col. Silas W. Burt, New York. R. W. Burt, Peoria, 111. James Burt, New York. Wellington R. Burt, East Saginaw, Addison M. liuRT, New York. Mich. Dr. Stephen Smith Burt, New York. John Burt, Westminster, Md. , Oliver P. Burt Minneapolis, Minn. Charles S. Burt, Baton Rouge, La. Henry A. Burt, Detroit, Mich. Samuel C. Pomeroy, Washington, D. C. Nathaniel Henry Burt, Leavenworth, Roderick H. Burnham Bloomfield Kan. Conn. Dr. J. Otis Burt, Syracuse, N. Y. Mrs. Z. Burt Goffe, St. Louis, Mich. ^^^ Please make the proposed reunion known to as many as possible. Every one tearing the name of Burt, or who have borne the name before marriage, or who have descended from Henry Burt, are invited to be present. The reunion is more particu- larly intended for the descendants of Henry Burt, but let all come who have interest and the line of descent, if not now known, may be determined at the reunion. The responses to the invitation were numerous and cordial ; and on October 3, 1890, over one hundred and fifty representatives of the name and family of Burt, coming from eleven States and the District of Columbia, embracing in their number members of the seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth generations, assembled at the Massasoit House in Springfield, to join in doing honor to the memory of their common ancestor. The first to arrive were James Madison Burt and his wife, both over eighty years old, of Newcomerstown, Ohio, on the afternoon of October ist. That evening came also Bradley B. Burt of BURT FAMILY REUNION. II Oswego, N. Y., Mrs. Kate Burt Emerson of Plainfield, N. J., Mrs. Susan R. Wiggin and Miss. Anna E. Willson of Philadelphia, Pa. Others followed on the 2d, Henry W. Burt and daughter. Miss Louise L. Burt of Buffalo, N. Y., Mrs. W. R. Burt and Mrs. Robert Boyd of East Saginaw, Mich., and Mirs. Z. Burt Goffe of St. Louis, l^ich., being first arriong the number. After them came Daniel Burt of Van Wert, Ohio, and Capt. R. M. Voorhees and wife of Coshocton, Ohio, to do honor to the memory of the progenitor of the family in America. Later in the evening, at about 9 o'clock, came twenty-eight from Warwick, N. Y., under the leadership of Grinnell Burt, president of the Lehigh and Hudson River Railway Company, in the special Pullman car " Puritan," a name suggestive of the days when our ancestor came to America. Others followed that evening and during the next day, October 3d, swelling the number to upwards of one hundred and sixty, many of whom had never before met. The company gathered in the parlors of the Massasoit House, early in the day, and several hours were pleasantly passed in form- ing new and renewing old acquaintanceships and exchanging family reminiscences. Dinner was served at 2 o'clock. Henry M. Burt of Springfield, representing the eighth generation of the Burt family in this coun- try, presided. The divine blessing was invoked by Rev. John W. Harding of Longmeadow, Mass. The following persons were present : — Henry M. Burt, Springfield, Mass. Mrs. Martha Young, Springfield, Mass. Mrs. Henry M. Burt, " William D. Young, Miss Grace Martin Burt, " M. A. Aiken, " Daniel Burt, " Mrs. E. E. Burt Aiken, " Mrs. Daniel Burt, " Rev. John W. Harding, Longmeadow, Mass. Dr. George S. Burt, '' E. C. Sheldon, West Springfield, Mass. Mrs. Susie F. Burt Cook, " Mrs. E. C. Sheldon, " " Mrs. Helen Burt Harrington, " Will M. Burt. Greenfield, Mass. Marietta Burt Miller, " Mrs. Will M. Burt, J. C. Colton, " Miss Caroline Burt, Westhampton, Mass. Mrs. Nancy A. Burt Colton, " Mrs. Achsah Burt Montague, " Mrs. W. H. Burt, " Mrs. Susan T. Burt Clapp, " Mrs. John A. Wadsworth, " R. Wright Clapp, " Mrs. Richard S, Chamberlain, " Ansel Burt Lyman, Easthampton, Mass. Mrs. Mary A. Burt Smith, " Jairus F. Burt, " Z. W. Smith, " Mrs. Jairus F. Burt, Marcus L. Burt, " Henry A. Burt, Hadley, Mass. Mrs. Marcus L. Burt, " Mrs. Silas Chapin, Hampden, Mass. 12 BURT FAMILY REUNION. Mrs. Asenath Burt Hitchcock, Hampden, Mass. Mrs. Susan J. Gassner, Chicopee Falls, Mass. ^ „ ,, Amos A. Johnson, Chicopee Falls, Mass. Mrs. Maria Hawley, North Hadley, Mass. A. M. Burt, South Hadley Falls, Mass. Mrs. E. C. Burt, Edward M. Burt,East Longmeadow,Mass. Mabel A. Burt, J. Marshall Burt, " Mrs. J. Marshall Burt, Georgiana M. McQueen, " Frederick A. Burt, Beachmont, Mass. Frank H. Burt, Newton, Mass. Mrs. Frank H. Burt, " Frank Allen Burt, . " Philip Hunt Burt, L. N. Clark, Westfield, Mass. Mrs. L. N. Clark. Dean Towne, M. D., Worcester, Mass. Frances L. Warren, " Josephine E. Tyler, Henry A. Burt, Swanton, Vt. Lyman F. Cabot, Weathersfield, Vt. Mrs. Charles W. Newhall, Ascutneyville, Vt. Mrs. W. F. Newhall, Ascutneyville, Vt. Maynard French Burt, Bartonsville, Vt. Frank O. Burt, Stowe, Vt. Charles E. Burt, " Jennie Brown Russell, Windsor, Vt. Mrs. Susan R. Burt Densmore, Nashua, N. H. Alonzo Burt, Walpole, N. H. Charles R. Burt, Hartford, Conn. Mrs. Charles R. Burt, Richard S. Burt, " Lilla M. Burt, " AdaE. Burt, Miss May E. WooUey. " Mrs. Abbie S. Burt Woolley, Lucius Burt, ' " Mrs. Lucius Burt, " Lewis Burt, Suffield, Conn. Mrs. Lewis Burt, " Mrs, Sarah L. Spencer, " Charles F. Burt, Hebron, Conn. Mrs. Franklin Payne, Portland, Conn. Valentine Burt Chamberlain, New Britain, Conn. A. Chamberlain, Meriden, Conn. Grinnell Burt, Warwick. N. Y. Mrs. Grinnell Burt, " Grinnell Burt, Jr., " Howard Pierson Burt, Warwick, N. Y. Miss Jane Burt, Miss Mary H. Burt, Thomas Burt, Miss Lydia Burt, Mrs. Sarah B. Sanford, Miss Mary Burt Sanford, " Miss Emma Sanford, James Everett Sanford, P. E. Sanford, Mrs. Anna B. Sanford, " Mrs Mary Burt Heirick, " John Miller Burt, " Miss Anna Welling Davis, " Mrs. Pauline S. Bradner, ' Isaac N. Baldwin, " John W. VanJevort, " I. W. Litchfield, Mrs. Kate Burt Caldwell, Newburgh, N. Y. A. James Burt, Bellvale, N. Y. Mrs. Gertrude Burt Miller, " Miss Maud Burt, David Roe, Jr., Mrs. David Roe, Jr., " Silas W. Burt, New York City. James Burt, Miss Elizabeth Burt, ' Miss Cordelia Burt Abbey, " Miss Gertrude H. Abbey, " Mrs. Amos Densmore, " Roderick Burt, " Mrs. Roderick Burt, " Miss Helen Burt, " James M. Burt, Brooklyn, N. Y. Mrs. Elizabeth Faye Burt Phelps, " Miss Annie Burt Phelps, " Edward D. Burt, " Thomas E. Benedict, Albany, N. Y. Miss EUzabeth Burt, Schenectady, N. Y. A. L. Burt, Lenox, Madison County, N. Y. Mrs. A. L. Burt, " " Bradley Benedict Burt, Oswego, N. Y. Mrs. John Ould, " Miss Sarah Lovejoy, " Erastus P. Burt, " Henry W. Burt, Buffalo, N. Y. Miss Louise L. Burt, " Franklin N. Burt, Ogdensburg, N. Y. Miss Lizzie Burt, Minetto, N. Y. Hittie A. Burt, " M. B. Dutcher, Carrie Burt Potter, " Fannie Burt Hutton, Lawrenceville, N. Y. Henry C. Burt, Gloversville, N. Y. Mrs. Cordeha Burt Carroll, Tenafiy, N. J. BURT FAMILY REUNION. 13 Morris Burt Carroll, Tenafly, N. J. Mrs. Lydia Burt Stewart, Arlington, N, J. Mrs. Kate Burt Emerson, Plainfield, N. J. Mrs. Susan R. W. Wiggins, Philadelphia, Pa. Miss Anna E. Willson, Philadelphia, Pa. Arthur Burt, Washington, D. C. James M. Burt, Newcomerstown, Ohio. Mrs. Mary Ann Burt, " R. M. Voorhees, Coshocton, Ohio. Mrs. Anna Burt Voorhees,Coshocton,Ohio. Daniel Burt, Van Wert, Ohio. Stanley G. Burt, Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs. Margaret Burt Morris, Urbana, 111. Wellington R. Burt, East Saginaw, Mich. Mrs. Wellington R. Burt, Mrs. Z. Burt Goffe, St. Louis, Mich. Mrs. Robert Boyd, East Saginaw, Mich. Lou Burt, Detroit Mich. Austin Burt, Black River Falls, Wis. Of those who attended the reunion six have since died, as follows : Mrs. Amelia Benedict Ould of Oswego, N. ¥., September 30, 1S91* Augustus James Burt of Bellvale, N. Y., January S, iiig2. Mrs. Susan J. Gassner of Chicopee Falls, Mass., March 16, 1S92. James Burt of New York, July 6, 1892. James Madison Burt of Newcomerstown, Ohio, March 7, 1893. Marcus L. Burt of Springfield, Mass , June 18, 1893. The menu will be found on the next page. o M O U P w a. o pq X CO W U 3 u (0 < o W w cq s o H cri W CO [II _1 < (- Id Id o ? H W <; H H CO o Pi H W W FQ P o Ph Q M X en < u z <; o 00 H H CQ Z w X o Z Q Z w U Q o z Q UJ O z a: C/3 Q H UJ C/5 O o CO tu CQ O H O O Q S Di z z Q w M H H < m ' — ' o O ^ •X. % p-i — p. ~ CA) < u CA) ^ CA) ' < S 00 ADDRESS OF HENRY M. BURT. At the conclusion of the dinner the company was called to order by the chairman of the day, Henry M. Burt, who delivered the following address : Ladies and Gentleman, — Kindred and Friends : — With two and a half centuries of family history in America be- hind us, we meet here to-day to commemorate an important event in the life of our common ancestor, who with pious zeal and heroic courage gathered wife and children about him and with little more than the bare necessaries of life at his command led the way across a trackless sea into the heart of a trackless wilderness to spend the remairiing days of his life here in this then a mere hamlet. Standing here as one of his descendants and sharing with you in admiration for his noble traits of character, I bid you welcome to the old home and the field of his labors. We have come from the hills and vales of New England, from the Middle States and the boundless West to pay our respects to the memory of him whom we can most truly honor. We have come in no spirit of mere hol- iday levity, but we have gathered here in reverence and with pro- found respect for him who faithfully served the community in which he lived to the best of his ability. He was faithful to every trust, and when his life went out there was in this community a sense of personal bereavement among those with whom he had lived. He did not dominate the spirit of the town nor was he what the world calls a great man, but he was honest and earnest, and we do know that his life and his example counted for good citizenship and true manhood, and these alone are the highest tests of real greatness. Henry Burt, whose name we honor to-day, came from England, but the exact date of his landing in this country is not known to most of us, if to any one. The first record we have of him relates to his residence in Roxbury, now a part of Boston. His house was burned, and the General Court in 1639 granted him eight pounds to aid him. The next year — December 24, 1640 — we find' his name in the town records of Springfield, with others, to whom was granted the privilege to seek out a canoe-tree. Subsequently l6 BURT FAMILY REUNION. he was four times elected, with others, as Selectman. By vote of the town he was appointed to read sermons on Sundays in the absence of the minister. He sometimes was appraiser of estates, and he was a witness to the deed of Northampton given by the Indians to Pynchon and Holyoke. The town chose him Clerk of the Writs, an officer who issued summonses and writs of attach- ment in civil suits. He was prominent in the First Church, as were later his son Jonathan and his grandson Henry ; and from that time to the present some of his descendants bearing the name of Burt have been members of that church. He had three sons and eight daughters. With the exception of four of his youngest daughters, who were born in Springfield, there is no. record of the birth of his children. There are no records in Roxbury showing that any of his children were born there, and, so far as I am aware, no one has traced his residence in England, nor have we learned the place from whence he came. Of his three sons, Jonathan lived and died in Springfield. David went to Northampton, and there lived and died. He married, November i8, 1654 or '55, Mary Houlton, a daughter of William Koulton, and they were the first couple married in Northampton. Nathaniel lived in that part of Springfield which is now the town of Longmeadow. These are some of the more important facts of his life and that of his sons. I should like to take up the scattered threads of history and weave them into the story of his life, and I hope some member of the family may yet have the time and patience to do it. Unfortunately for his descendants, there were no newspapers in Springfield 250 years ago to chronicle the more important events of his life and the doings of the community in which he lived. In fact, the first newspaper in America was not established until fifty years after Henry Burt came to Springfield. Our ancestor did not consider his life of sufficient importance to leave any written statement behind him of from whence he came nor of the causes which in- spired him to leave England and emigrate to America. Whether the motive was to find that congenial religious fellowship a few years before denied the Pilgrim Fathers, or whether he came from love of adventure, is not, perhaps, for us to know. As yet we have nothing more substantial to build upon than mere conjecture. With his death, and that of a few succeeding generations closely BURT FAMILY REUNION. 1 7 connected with him, the facts of his life in England perished. The name of Burt is still found in England about as frequently as it is in this country. Macaulay mentions a Captain Burt as the first Englishman to explore Scotland. In former times the Parish reg- isters were about the only records of vital statistics in England, and these were not complete. To search all the Parish registers in England for the birth of our ancestor or of his children would entail a vast amount of labor, but I hope some of us will have the courage to do it. We do not know the relationship Henry Burt bore to the other Burts who must have come to this country about the same time. The name of John Burt is found in the records of Springfield prior to Henry's coming, but as there is no other mention of him, it is presumed that he must have dropped out of the life of the town^ and possibly he was never an actual resident. A John and a Joseph Burt were among the early residents of Windsor, Conn. Hugh Burt, aged 35, Ann Burt, 32, Edward Burt, 8, and Hugh Burt, 15, the last supposed to have been a nephew of the first-named Hugh, sailed from London in the ship Abigail in 1635. They settled in Lynn, and Edward when he grew to manhood married a daughter of Mr. Bunker, who owned Bunker Hill. Edward became town recorder of Charlestown, but his only child was a daughter, and he therefore left no male descendants. James Burt, aged 13, sailed in the Falcon from London, in April, 1635. M is stated that the ship touched at Newport and that James left it. In 1639 he was a resident of Taunton, and it is thought that some, if not all, of the Burts residing in the southeastern part of Massachusetts have sprung from him. This, in brief, is the history of some of the Burts who settled in New England about the time our ancestor came to this country. The town records of Springfield contain this entry : " Henry Burt, y= Clerk of y^ Writs, dyed y« 30th of April 1662, in y^ even- ing and was buried May ist.'' He left no will, but made a state- ment which, on consent of his wife, was accepted in court as such. The Burts, so far as I have known, have generally lived to a good old age, but a descendant of David probably lived to the greatest'age of any member of the family. Mrs. Relief Burt Bod- man, a daughter of Martin Burt of Southampton, Mass., and who IS BURT FAMILY REUNION. was born in that town, died November 22, 1886, in Theresa, N. Y., at the remarkable age of 104 years and nine months. She retained her mental faculties almost to the close of life. She was noted for her strong native sense, and had a vigorous way of making a statement. Honored and beloved, she quietly passed away among the people with whom she had lived from the first settlement of Northern New York. The early settlers of Springfield took home lots, mostly eight rods wide, on which they lived, on the west side of Main street. These lots began on the street a little north of the present railroad location and extended to the South End. Henry Burt's lot was located near what are now Union and Wilcox streets, including the land between the two streets, and extended west to the Connecticut river. His son Jonathan had a lot near the South End, and he afterwards came in possession of the lot assigned to Hugh Parsons, a record of which can now be found at the Court House. Other members of the family will no doubt tell you more fully than I can of the achievements of the descendants of Henry Burt. By far the best historian of the Connecticut valley, and one whose name is honored, was Sylvester Judd of Northampton. His mother was Hannah Burt, a daughter of Samuel Burt of Southampton and a descendant of David of Northampton. Mr. Judd was a thor- oughly conscientious man, a careful and accurate writer, simple in his habits of life, and honored by all who knew him. If I may judge from the letters I have received from widely scattered members of the family, I should say that a Burt charac- teristic is to drive straight to the mark — no long stories are told to state a fact. Directness of purpose and considerable bluntness of speech, calling things by their right names, are evidently family ■ characteristics. I can truly say I have never known' one of the family who did not most thoroughly despise deceit and double dealing. I have found them industrious and saving, but never given to miserly hoarding. I have found them self-respecting and respected in their own communities. They are given to standing for what they hold as right. They are good citizens, law-abiding and thoroughly conscientious. While many of us have come from widely separated homes and represent a great variety of occupations, the Burts originally in BURT FAMILY REUNION. I9 this country were mostly farmers. It has been with no little degree of pride that I have been able to say that my ancestors in direct line from Henry Burt were farmers, and for over two hundred years tillers of the soil in the Connecticut valley, although I must own that I never quite relished the business of farming, and escaped from it at an early age. Our pride of ancestry is not of that kind which reaches after titles. It has sprung from a love of honest and persistent toil, and we honor him who founded the family in America, so soon after the feet of reverent men pressed Plymouth Rock, for what he in his own way accomplished. Not that his achievements were con- spicuous above others, but because his life was earnest and his name has come down to us untarnished. He represented that spirit which dared to brave hardships for an idea, and it was that which made New England the foremost of Commonwealths. This is why we have responded with alacrity to meet here on this occa- sion. There is no significance in the day, but the year starts a thousand inspirations'. If I mistake not your thoughts and, feel- ings, what another has said truly represents what we most believe : We live in deeds, not in years, not breaths ; In feelings, not in fibres on a dial. We count time by heart-throbs. He lives most who thinks most — feels the noblest — acts the best. The historian of the family, reaching back to England in search of history, may find that the Burts had a coat-of-arms. 'If so, it may serve as a clue to clanship, but none of us place any great value upon symbols, unless they represent something greater than family titles. We know how they originated, and that they were more truly symbols of ignorance than of family greatness. If you will turn over the early Indian deeds in New England you will find that the unlettered savage had his coat-of-arms. He could not write his name, so he selected the representation of some animal or fish to stand for himself, and inscribed it on parchment. It was so in England in early days. When the people could not write, like our savages, they took to making symbols as representing the family. Those symbols in later days have been emblazoned to show supposed family superiority. They are baubles, now made by clever Englishmen to sell to purse-proud and title-loving Amer- icans. (Applause.) HENRY BURT AND HIS DESCENfDANTS. The Chairman. — A few months ago I metin Boston for the first time a distinguished member of the family, and after some hesita- tion I ventured to introduce myself and announce that I was about to issue an appeal to the descendants of Henry Burt, asking them to come to Springfield and celebrate the 250th anniversary of- tjie settlement of our ancestor. I asked him, "Will you - come .'' -" "Certainly," was his reply. Like a true member of the family- he has kept his word, and is here with us to-day,' I will say here, that while filling an important office under the national government -in New York city, that of a Naval Officer for theport, of New York, he knew not Democrat, Mugwump, nor Republican. Of the several hundred under him, he scarcely knew the political preferences of a single one. He believed in honest politics and honest and capable men. The only question with him was, " Will you do yoiir duty ? " During the rebellion he held important trusts in the State of New York, and he discharged his duty honestly and' fearlessly. In ad- dition to his usually busy life, he has found time to study family history and he will now address you' relative to the history of Henry Burt and his descendants. I have the honoir of presenting to you Col, Silas W. Burt of New York. (Applause.)-. ADDRESS OF COL. SILAS W. BURT. Kinsmen and Friends : — In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Sebastian says to Viola, " What kin are you to me ? What countryman ? What name ? What parentag^e ? " There needs no such questioning among us here, though we have gathered from many places and were mostly strangers until we met here in friendly greeting. We have assembled because we are akin : Americans of old and honorable lineage, bearing the same name or blood, flowing from a common parentage seated in this ancient town two and a half centuries ago. The mutual attraction thus exhibited is due to that power and solidarity of kinship that are among the first traits of humanity. Such ties of blood and descent were the original motives to society and civili- zation ; they prompted the first steps in that progress that differ- entiated man from the rest of animated creatures. From these potential ties sprang the primitive patriarchal and tribal forms of society and government, and their intrinsic power is no less mani- fest through all the subsequent ages, though in forms varying with the progress and conditions of our race. Neither the vagaries of socialism nor the benignant tendencies of humanitarianism have weakened the force of this fellowship of kin. The phrase " blood is thicker than water," has been the coherent watchword of nations and its intensity, contrary to the rule governing the material world, has been inversely to the mass ; so the sentiment of nationality has been weaker than the sympathetic attraction of consanguinity. While this family pride and union were once deemed the exclu- sive qualities of an aristocracy, yet nowhere and at no epoch have they been more strongly manifested than in our own country to-day. This has been amply expressed in the vast extent of gene- alogical research that has already accumulated here a great litera- 22 BURT FAMILY REUNION. ture of its own — a literature of lineage, in its mass and thorough- ness, without parallel. And where could there be better and more worthy causes for family pride than here ? What achievement in the history of man transcends in grandeur and significance the building up of this great nation, with its millions of freemen, its unprecedented pros- perity and its promises of a future so vast in possibilities that they overtask the most sanguine imagination ? They may well be proud who can claim descent from the worthy men who laid the very foundations of this magnificent empire. The larger indications of this pride and interest are displayed in the many town " centen- nials" and family gatherings within the last twenty-five years, par- ticularly in New England, and in the New England societies organized in the other States of the Union. Without disparagement of the founders of the other original English colonies, it can be fairly claimed that the establishment of the Massachusetts colony was fraught with the greatest signifi- cance to the highest human interests. Virginia and other South- ern colonies originated in the spirit of adventure or in the pursuit of gain ; New York was settled under the auspices of a trading company, as Pennsylvania and Maryland were each through the enterprise of a single proprietor. But the Massachusetts colonists sought a field where they could practically demonstrate their relig- ious and political convictions. The later English historians have appreciated the high character of these immigrants. Says Green : " They were in a great part men of the professional and middle classes, some of them men of large landed estates ; some zealous clergymen like Cotton, Hooker and Roger Williams ; some shrewd London lawyers or young scholars from Oxford and Cambridge. The bulk were God-fearing men from Lincolnshire and the Eastern counties. They desired, in fact, only the best as sharers in their enterprise ; men driven forth from their fatherland not by earthly want or the lust of adventure, but by the fear of God and the zeal for a godly worship." I will add the latest expression on the same point by an Ameri- can writer, John Fiske, the most scholarly and thorough of our historians, who says in his admirable " Beginnings of New Eng- land ": " As regards their social derivation, the settlers of New BURT FAMILY REUNION. 23 England .were homogeneous to a remarkable degree and were drawn ■ front the Sturdiest part of the English stock. In all history there has been no other instance of colonization so exclusively effected by picked men. The cdlonists knew this and were proud of it, as well they might be. It was simple truth that was spoken by William Stoughton, when he said in his election sermon of i588, ' God sifted a whole nation that He might send choice grain into the wilderness.' " One kernel of this choice grain was our ances- tor, Henry Burt, whose memory we are here to-day to honor. I have sought in vain for some knowledge of Henry Burt's origin and life before he came to America. The early settlers generally left no traces of their English residence or connections. It would seem as though in starting a new life in a new country they delib- erately ignored their past as a useless encumbrance, and that the waves of the Atlantic, like those of the fabulous Lethe, were the waters of oblivion. in my researches in English records I have found that the Burts were there an ancient family, their name being derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "beort," signifying '' bright " or " illustrious." The earliest mention of the name I have found is in Bloomfield's great history of Norfolk county, where it is recorded that, in the year 1199, a manor in that county was granted to Sir Hamo de Burt which was alienated by his grandson, Sir Thomas de Burt, in i2gOi I have found records of the Burts in several English coun- tieSj notably in Leicester, Dorset and Surrey, as also in London, and all in honorable connection, but to none of them could 1 trace our ancestor. Before leaving the English branch, I would mention the high character of Thomas Burt, the present member of Parlia- ment for Morpeth, the first laboring man elected to that august body, and concerning whom you will hear more fully from our cousin, Mr. Henry M. Burt. I will add that the wife of the great German marshal, Von Moltke, was an English girl, Mary Burt, whose father, John Burt, had taken the marshal's sister for his second wife. It appears from the early records of Roxbury, Massachusetts, that Henry Burt probably came to America in the ship James in 1635. Of his subsequent career in that town there is no trace until we find in the Colonial records that at a session of the 24 BURT FAMILY REUNION. "Generall Corte," on "The sth day of the 9th Mo. 1639" "The Treasure"' was order-^ to alow 8;^ to Roxberry for Henry Burts losse by fyer." From this it would appear that the only insurance against fire at that time was by an appropriation from the public purse. Prior to this Mr. Burt had become interested in the efforts of his fellow-townsman, Mir. William Pynchon, to establish a set- tlement at Agawam on the Connecticut river. There were at that time many projects for a western migration from Massachusetts Bay and vicinity, to which locations the earliest settlements were confined. This unrest was not akin to the nolnadic mobility of the pioneers in our own Western settlements, who constantly shifted their habitations to keep in advance of the frontier line. It orig- inated in several motives, the main one being the result of the minor theological differences among the colonists, which disposed those of the same creed to seek isolation. It must be borne in mind that these early settlements were quite as theological as po- litical in their constitution, and that homogeneity in religious belief was considered essential in each community. Another induce- ment to these migrations was the superior attractions of these interior lands ; the light, sandy soil to the south of Boston and the rock-ribbed coast to the north could not compare with the great alluvial meadows on the Connecticut, in those qualities of tillage and fertility so engaging to the farmer; and such was the almost universal occupation of the forefathers. These and other mixed motives led to the almost simultaneous settlements at Providence, Rhode Island; New Haven, Wethersfield, Hartford and Windsor, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts ; all by men from the towns of Massachusetts Bay. These several localities will always be notable in our history as the first outposts in that irresistible advance upon our broad domain that has gradually and surely rescued it from primeval wilderness and established the dominion of civilization from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Whatever may have been Mr. Burt's original intentions as to the time of his moving to Agawam, they were suddenly decided by the burning of his Roxbury house, in September, 1639, and soon after that calamity he moved, with all his family, to the new settlement here, where he lived until his BURT FAMILY REUNION. 25 death, in 1662. He immediately took an active part in all the affairs, religious and secular. He was chosen one of the first se- lectmen, an office he held for several years ; he was a member of the divers committees to lay out and allot the lands and " for the ordering of the prudential affairs of the Plantation ; " he was elected "the Clarke of the Writs," an office analagous in its duties to those of our town and county clerks. In 1650, and at other times during a vacancy in the position of minister, he conducted the religious services of the town, receiving therefor a monthly stipend of thirty shillings. It is said that his residence was on what is now Main street, between Union and Wilcox. Of his per- sonal appearance and disposition we have no knowledge, but the several offices he held in town and church indicate his ability as well as the respect and esteem his fellow-townsmen entertained for him in entrusting to his management such important public affairs. Appreciating the fact that the earliest town governments of New England were replete with every good democratic instinct, and con- tained within themselves the fecund and potent germ of all that is best in our political institutions, we may well be proud of the prom- inent part taken . by our ancestor in one of the earliest of these famous nurseries of regulated political freedom. The maiden name of Mr. Burt's wife is unknown, but her Chris- tian name was Eulalia. Of her there is an interesting legend. The Rev. Dr. Ezra Stiles, a noted clergyman, and from 1778 to 1795 the President of Yale College, was directly descended from Henry and Eulalia Burt, through their daughter, Dorcas, who married John Stiles of Windsor. Dr. Stiles prepared in 1764 a genea:logy of his family, in which he says : " There is a tradition in the family that the mother of this Dorcas Burt, before she came over from England, was laid out for dead and put in her coffin, but at her funeral signs of life appeared, and she recovered and came to New England, settled at Springfield, and here in America had nineteen children, ten of whom lived to have children, one of whom was this Dorcas." Like most oral traditions, there are in this some apparent discrepancies ; there can be no doubt but that our ances- tress, Eulalia, was on the point of being buried alive, for such tartling events leave deep and lasting impressions that are trans- 26 BURT FAMILY REUNION. mitted from generation to generation with little variation. It is not true, however, that all of Mrs. Burt's children were born in America, since the eldest one was married here in 1643, at most only eight years after the family left England. Of the nineteen reputed children I can find records of only twelve, being three sons and nine daughters. These children in the order of their birth were : First, Sarah, who married in Springfield, on June 20, 1643, Judah Gregory, and a second time Henry Wakely. Second, Abigail, who married, in 1644, Francis Ball, and second, on April 12, 1649, Captain Benjamin Munn, and third, on De- cember 14, 1676, Lieutenant Thomas Stebbins. (Please do not infer that these respected ladies of our family were bigamists, for in each case of marriage their previous husbands were dead beyond the chance of such a resurrection as their mother happily enjoyed.) Third, Jonathan, who married, October 20, 1651, Elizabeth Lob- dell of Boston. He was an active townsman of Springfield, and the leading deacon of the church. He had four children, and their descendants have been prominent in Springfield affairs. Fourth, Mary, who married, on October 18, 1654, William Brooks, by whom she had nineteen children. These were active in the early history of Deerfield and Northfield. Fifth, Elizabeth, who married, on November 24, 1653, Samuel Wright, Jr. They moved shortly after to Northampton, where he was killed, with seven others, in an Indian onslaught, September 7, 1675. He left eight children, one born ten days after his death. His widow, nine years later, married Nathaniel Dickinson of Hatfield. Sixth, David, who was one of the founders of the town of North- ampton, where, on November 18, 1654, he married Mary Holton. This was the first marriage in Northampton, which fact is senti- mentally treated by Dr. Holland, in his history of Western Massa- chusetts, referring to the trials awaiting the newly married pair and their rude equipment to meet them. I have thought Long- fellow's lines touching the wedding of John Alden are applicable also to this one : "Meanwhile the bridegroom went forth, and stood with the bride in the door-way, Breathing the perfumed air of that bfight and beautiful morning. Touched with autumnal tints, but lonely and sad in the sunshine. Lay extended before them the land of toil and privation." BURT FAMILY REUNION. 27 David had thirteen children, and I am directly descended from him, as are many others here present. Seventh, Dorcas, who married, Octobei 28, 1657, John Stiles of Windsor. There is reason to believe that she was the first of Henry Burt's children born in America. Eighth, Nathaniel, who married, January 15, 1662, Rebecca Sikes, and soon after moved to Longmeadow, where his descend- ants have been always foremost in good works. Ninth, Hannah, who married, on December 24, 1659, John Bagg of Springfield. Tenth, a daughter, the record of whose birth in the town regis- ter is so defaced as to be almost illegible, and who probably died in infancy (1643). Eleventh, Patience, who married, on October 7, 1667, John Bliss of Springfield. Twelfth, Mercy, who married, January 17, 1667, Judah Wright of Springfield, by whom she had nine children. Among her de- scendants were Gen. Ethan Allen of Revolutionary fame and Silas Wright, the distinguished statesman. There is no time now, nor is this a fit occasion to pursue the genealogical record beyond this second generation. In my own desultory researches I have only traced my ancestry in the direct lines, without regard to the collateral branches. I understand that our kinsman, Mr. Roderick Burnham, has prepared a full geneal- ogy of Henry Burt's descendants. Their aggregate number must be large, though a predisposition to daughters in some branches must greatly diminish the number bearing the name of Burt. There has been much good-natured fun over the self-laudation and boastful speeches at the New England Society dinner's ; and Plymouth Rock has been jocosely called a second Blarney Stone. But, in fact, the very object of these societies is the commemoration of the extraordinary and abundant virtues of the Puritan fore- fathers, inherited by their festive descendants ; therefore mutual congratulations and magniloquence are the essential features of these jubilant banquets. So we may be excused if, in this gather- ing to honor the memory of one of these meritorious progenitors, we should indulge in some glorification of the ancestral qualities transmitted by him to us through the chain of intermediate worthies. 28 BURT FAMILY REUNION. It, humanly speaking, is a long period since our ancestor set- tled here ; that event was a century and a half after Columbus' first voyage of discovery — since his settlement two and a half cen- turies have elapsed. What during this long period have been the characteristics of his posterity ? In my estimates of these, I am governed, of course, by my own researches, which, however, have covered quite a broad field. It must be understood that these estimates are the average results, and it is assumed that however widely the Burts have scattered from this original nest on the banks of the broad and placid Connecticut, their characteristics have not changed ; for as George Eliot well says, " breed is stronger than pasture." Physically, the Burts are of medium stature, inclined to spare- ness rather than corpulence; blonde in complexion, and almost invariably blue-eyed ; with great nervous activity and a more than average vitality. The proportion of those living beyond seventy years is very large, while there are many instances of much greater longevity. In moral qualities they have signally illustrated the Puritan traits of their original American ancestor. They have been indus- trious, honest, public-spirited and patriotic, with a strong religious sentiment ; they have also been stubborn, jealous and quick-tem- pered, modified, however, by a strong sense of justice and equity. I think they have inherited in a more than usually high degree that paramount quality of the Puritan, conscientiousness. They have not despised the approbation and esteem of their fellows, but would rather forego these than not stand well in the tribunals of their own consciences. It may be that in some cases this trait has been morbidly excessive, but, this too, is the natural inheritance of their race. That we have met here to-day to vaunt our pedigree and its virtues should not weaken our claim of modesty and re- serve as strong family characteristics. In these days of self-asser- tion the lack of " cheek " may be accounted a serious defect, but I fear that it is a defect in our family " make-up " that we must ac- knowledge, and that it seriously handicaps us in the competition for the material prizes of this life. If there be any one present who desires for himself to deny this special lack, I hope he will not refrain from an open exhibition of^his exuberance in such respect. BURT FAMILY REUNION. 29 In the current discussions regarding the unequal distribution of wealth and the evils that may arise from the strife between the very rich and very poor, the Burts may claim the office of umpires as being personally disinterested. Neither nabobs nor paupers, they have occupied in this respect that golden mean lauded by the poet and philosopher as the best estate. I know of none of the family who have been highly distinguished in literature, art, science or statesmanship, and of none who have been oppressors, traitors, felons or outcasts. They have been good citizens in peace and good soldiers in war, unostentatiously dis- charging their duties towards each other, society and the state. The men and women of our family have been peculiarly fortu- nate in that they have enjoyed " Domestic happiness, thou only bliss That has survived the fall." There have been within my knowledge no divorces, separations, abandonments, discords or contentions over patrimon}', and the absence of these evils indicates the. good fortune of the Burts of both sexes in their marriages and in the issues of them. And here I would remark that the intermarriages of the Burts have been generally with those descended from the same Puritan stock. Per- sonally I have been able to trace my own descent through six generations from thirty-five male ancestors, all of them original immigrants into Massachusetts colony, arriving there, with a single exception, prior to 1638, and that exception less than thirty years later. Doubtless the same purity of Puritan strain is possessed by other branches of the family represented here. In religious faith they have been for the most part Presbyterian and Baptist, and in political affiliations they have shown such a broad eclectic spirit that I should hesitate to denote where the majority rests, particularly as their independence has led many of them into the mugwump fold. In fact, take them all and all, the Burts are a typical New Eng- land family, with all the inherent qualities, good or otherwise, so well represented by their ancestor, Henry, one of the founders of this beautiful and prosperous city. In these days when it is said that the great volume of immigra- tion from abroad within the last century has diluted the good old 3° BURT FAMILY REUNION. Stock and weakened in society and state the beneficent influences of its living representatives, there are many strong motives for those representatives to meet in such a family gathering as this ; to recall to our minds our past history, with its glorious heritage of great deeds and noble purposes ; to quicken within us such vir- tues, good purposes and energies as we have derived from our forbears ; and to mutually devote ourselves to the task of protect- ing their great work as manifested in our social and political fab- rics from the many dangers that threaten them. With such blood in our veins it is not for us to stand aloof, insensible or indifferent to the urgent needs of our country, but as each burning question appeals to us for aid in its proper solution, it is for us to heed the poet's injunction, Do then as your progenitors have done, And by their virtues prove yourself their son I A GREETING FROM ENGLAND. The Chairman. — I had expected the historian of the family, Mr. R. H. Burnham of Bloomfield, Conn., to be here to-day; but a letter received from him yesterday states that he is in too feeble health to come. He wished us all happiness and enjoyment in this occasion, and regretted exceedingly that he could not come. Col. Burt has alluded to Thomas Burt of England, who for six- teen years has held an honored seat in the House of Commons. It was my privilege a little more than two years ago to stand in the lobby of the House of Commons, desiring to gain admittance and hear the speeches on a memorable occasion. I was unable to enter without a card of admission from a member, and looking over the list of members my eye fell upon the name of Thomas Burt. I thought he would have some interest or curiosity in a namesake from the other side of the Atlantic, and I sent in my card, adding the words " of America," to my signature. Shortly he responded ; he greeted me warmly and gave me an order for admission. I went in and heard Gladstone, Balfour, Harcourt, and others, who are prominent in English politics. I have since been proud to call Thomas Burt my friend. I have invited him to come here and be with us to-day, and not being able to be present he has sent me this letter : BOWNESS-ON-WINDERMERE, ) August 21, 1890. ) My Dear Friend — I heartily thank you for the invitation to the reunion of the descendants of Henry Burt. I wish I could join you, but distance and im- portant engagements make that impossible. To all who bear the name of Burt the gathering will be full of interest. As it was the name that gave me the pleas- ure of making your acquaintance, I feel myself a shareholder in the meeting. As regards my own pedigree, I cannot trace it far back. My father's father was, I believe, a Scotchman. The name is not a common one, but it is less rare, I think, in North Britain than in England. Nearly all my father's relatives bearing the name of Burt were coal miners in the counties of Northumberland and Durham. They were without exception poor, equally without exception were they honest, sober, law-abiding folks. Though I cannot establish a claim 32 BURT FAMILY REUNION. to close kinship with your family, my name and your kindness entitle me to send a hearty word of greeting to the Burts who assemble at Springfield on the 3d of October. Thomas Burt, knowing that I felt great interest in English poli- tics, has added this for my information, and I have no doubt it will be of interest to you here : Our parliamentary session ended on Monday, the i8th inst. Its record is not brilliant— probably one of the most barren in our history. The Unionist gov- ernment, so called, is about played out. We meet again in November, and I fully expect that will be the last session of Lord Salisbury's government.* Prob- ably we shall have a general election in the autumn or winter of next year. I shall be surprised if Mr. Gladstone does not get a substantial majority. Then we shall likely have a succession of short governments, with severe conflicts be- tween the House of Commons and the House of Lords, or rather between the nation and that oligarchic assembly. We need not fear the result ; we know how such contests end. With affectionate regards, ever yours, Thomas Burt. Thomas Burt had an humble origin. He was born in a four- roomed house in North Shields, near Newcastle-on-Tyne, and he told me that it was the inspiration of the autobiography of an American slave, Fredericli Douglass, that first gave him an impulse to rise above his then lowly condition. (Applause.) He devoted his time to getting an education in a humble way, and he has risen till to-day he has the respect and confidence of the highest and best men in England, and at the same time he has been true to the men who have placed him where he is. He bears all the mental and physical characteristics of our own family, and I have no doubt that his ancestors were related to our ancestor. I feel proud of him, and I will make this suggestion, that we adopt him as our English cousin. (Applause.) If somebody will second that mo- tion I will be glad to put it. (The motion was seconded by many voices.) It is moved and seconded that Thomas Burt of Newcas- tle-on-Tyne, standing for the constituency of Morpeth, be adopted as our English cousin. I will suggest that you give a rising vote. The motion was unanimously carried. * When this letter was read, the speedy triumph of Home Rule was assured. At this date, (March, 1891,) after the conduct of Painell and the diffeience of opinion in the Irish party, it looks as though Home Rule and the great Liberal party of England had reached the open sea. — Editor. THE BURTS IN OHIO. The Chairman. — Ohio, the New England of the West, has sent her sons and daughters here to-day that they may mingle congrat- ulations with ours, all members of a common family. The gentle- man whom I shall now introduce to you comes here at an advanced age to pledge fidelity and love to the family tree. He has brought his good wife with him, and last April they celebrated in their own home the fifty-sixth anniversary of their wedded life — a longer period than has been enjoyed by any other Burt whom I have ever known or who is here to-day. He has been an important man in his State and neighborhood, having filled for many years places of honor and trust. It gives me pleasure to present to you Hon. James M. Burt of Newcomerstown, Ohio. (Applause.) REMARKS OF HON. JAMES M. BURT. Mr. Chairman : — I am not in any way prepared to make a speech, but my nephew, Capt. Voorhees, has made an extended study of the genealogy of the Burt family, and I know that you will all take a great interest in hearing what he can tell you about the members of the family who have lived in our State, and I trust I may be excused from speaking and that you will hear what he has to say. The Chairman. — Not long since it was said to me that the Burts were a great military family. I entered a doubt. I never knew one who ever put feathers in his cap or was fond of military display. Yet some member of the family has been in every war in this country and always on the right side. I have always found hem pledged to the right that the country might live and prosper. 34 BURT FAMILY REUNION. They have fought not from a love of it but to discharge a duty. I had expected a gallant son of the family from Illinois (Captain R. W. Burt of Peoria), who has been through two wars and com- manded a company with signal ability during the rebellion, but he was unable to come. I will therefore call upon another from Ohio, who, though not a Burt himself, has wisely married into the family. (Applause.) He has taken great interest in this gathering. He was one of the first to enlist in the war of the rebellion from his town, and he continued to the end. He was wounded at Stone's River, and his good wife went to him, and, as he says, saved his life. I present to you Captain R. M. Voorhees of Coshocton, Ohio. (Applause.) REMARKS OF CAPT. R. M. VOORHEES. My Friends : — It has been said, "There is nothing in a name," but I will venture to say that if I were to submit that question here to-day and ask this audience whether there is anything in the Burt name, I would get no such response. And I will venture another thing — when any young lady here goes home, and when a young man comes to ask that the contract they had entered into be con- summated, she will want another clause added, which will be that the name of Burt shall always remain to her. (Applause.) I am exceedingly glad to have the honor of participating in these fitting services. I am glad to be with you, and I never before, perhaps, so fully appreciated the good fortune I met with when I had my lot cast with one of the Burts. (Applause.) And it shall be my purpose now, to briefly show wherein and how we are connected with the ancestor whom it is our pleasure to honor to-day. Daniel Burt, who emigrated from Warwick, N. Y., to Coshocton county, Ohio, in 1837, '^^.s the grandfather of Mrs. Voorhees, and the father of the distinguished gentleman (Judge James M. Burt) who is here from Ohio, and who is, perhaps, the oldest Burt in this audience, he being the fourth son of Daniel Burt, who went to the State of Ohio in 1837, ^" 5 3 bushels of apples. 12 1-2 bushels sour apples. I 6 3 pr stockens at isd. 3 9 I hat. 6 6 9 yds red cotton at 3s 8d, i 13 6 yds canvas 12s 6d, i yd kersy 5s 6d, 18 I hat 9s, I yd 3-4 kersy at 3s iid, 15 II 3 yds lockram, i yd 1-2 greene Say, 13 3 4 yds 1-2 red kersy at 5s 8d, i 5 6 II yds searge at 5s, 2 15 mending a cart, I 10 8 yds red Tammy at 2S lod, i ■y 8 10 yds lace at 4d, 3s silke. + '3 yds 3-4 lockram at 8d, 5 8 4 yds wt fustion at is gd, 7 I knife i2d, 2 M pins 2s 8d, thrid, id, 3 9 8 doz buttons 4d, 3 doz 2s 3d, 9 2 I yd 1-2 hoUand at 4s 8d, 7 3 yds wt cotton at 3s 4d, 10 I M pins. I 4 1-4 ell cambrick. 4 I 2 yds rib. I I yd 3-4 red cotton at 3s 4d, 5 lO 2 yds slay hoUand, from Sister Smith, 5 I qt bottle, 3s 4d, i qt brandy, 3s, 6 4 4 pr stockens at 2s 6d, 10 3 lb Iron in a Copsing, I 8 a glass, I 3 I 1-2 lbs powder. 3 THE BURT FAMILY. 7 s d I pt brandy i8d, 1-2 lb starch, 2 3 Pepper i+d, 1 pt brandy, i M hobs 6 3 yds garty points, 6 I pr stockens, 4s 4d, 2 pr 7s 6d, :: 10 16 12 9 On ye other side is 29 IS 8 all is 46 8 5 To.David Burt Sept. 3, 1652, I cuttle axe 20s I I belt. 6 a fore clasp 4d, 4 I knife i2d, i knife 8d, I 8 I pair stockens 4s 2d, 4 2 In ye other booke is, I 7 3 I knife, 7 Pd your country rate. 2 6 Pd to Sam Marsh [field] tor you, 6 ' 3 8 6 Reed by Symon Sacket, 9 6 Reed by wheat, your ffather, last year. I II 8 Oct. Resting due to mee, 2 11 8 The wheate I had of you last year is set off to other cots [accounts] except 8 bushels 1-4 of wheate not acoted here. Resting due to mee, 174 1653- 1 yd 1-4 canvas, " 8 i- 4 yds 1-4 kersy at 8s gd, 2 i 7 5 yds lockram, 7 6 2 yds 1-2 qr Searge 7s 9 at IS 2 yds 1-2 Gallome, I qt brandy, a little above is Reed by stringing 969 yds fadam "wampam last summer at id a fadam is Reed by David 3 days helping John in the smithery, 2 days reaping, 4s, 1-2 day carting 3s, Reed 96 bushels 1-4 wheate. 46 51 7 14 9 10 3 25 THE BURT FAMILY. March 15, 1653-54. More for several things forgotten to be acoted, £ s d Acoted and there rests due to me, 26 14 4 I pr chil'drens stockens, i 3 1-2 yd holland, 2 4 I blew coifer, 8 I yd 1-2 blew linnen, 3 3 I combe, 10 3 yds cotton dimity at 22d, 5 6 3 yds fillet 4 1-2, II yds lace at 4d, 3 at 8d, 4 3 black hasted knives,* 4 5 1-4 yd scarlt b — . 2 5 I yd 1-2 lockram, 3 I 1-2 yd canvas 3s 3d, 6 3 3 yds canvas, T. Stebbins act, 6 3 holland, 4 3 all is 28 13 March i6, 1653 — 54 posted p. 180. HENRY BURT, DR. March 16, 1653-54. Onacot made up ye i6th of March, 1653-54 there is resting due to me of all acots ye sum of, as appears on page 62, 2! 5 13 5 3 lbs of sugar forgotten before, 3 6 Pd for you to Goodman Drake, 3 3 I lb 1-2 sope, I 9 I knife to David, 8 I sickle, I 4 I pr shoe at 5s 6d, 5 6 August 9th 1654 4 yds kersy at 8s gd, I 15 I yd 1-2 qr blue linnen at 2s 4d, 2 7 2 points id, thimble & Needls, 8 wo'ted bro. thrid i2d. I I pr stockens. I I * It will be noticed that no mention is made of table-forks in these accounts, while there are charges for knives as above. In Pynchon's accoimts with the other settlers, even up to 1700, table-forks are not mentioned. Forks for table use were not introduced into England until 1620, and could not have been in common use in New England until the eighteenth century. Knives were used for cutting meat which was eaten from the fingers of the left hand. It would appear that some progress has been made in the table habits of the people, as in other concerns, since New England was first settled. THE BURT FAMILY. 2 pr stockens, at lyd, i pr i4d, J. s 4 d I yd of lockram, 3 6 3 yds lockram at i8d, 4 6 3-4 yd cambric, 7 6 4 s thrid 4d, i knife /d, i knife i2d, I II 1-2 IVI small pins, 7 2 s yds 1-4 & 1-2 of blanket at 8s 6d, [ I 3 yds greene of shag cotton at 3s 6d, 10 6 I yd 1-2 wt cotton. 5 5 I- 9 yds red shag at 3s yd, [ 12 3 9 laces gd, 1 knife 8d, [ 5 T pr cotton stockens 2s, tape rod 5 2 10 4 yds 1-2, 1-2 qr kersy at ys 4d, 11 II 5 yds of kersy at 5s 4d, I 6 8 I yd 1-4 green Say at 6s 8d, 8 4 I yd 1-2 ff lockram. 4 7 4 yds 1-2 red peniston at 4s 2d, 18 9 4 M pins, I qr paper, 3 9 I yd 1-2 blew linnen. •^ 6 3 laces, I yd 1-2 qr lockram, 2 " I yd callico, I 10 I doz peuter buttons. 9 2 doz silk buttons, I 6 4 doz thrid buttons. 8 3 s silk. 4 cotton rib., 8 I yd 1-2 red cotton 2s iid, 4 3 I yd 1-2 wt cotton at 3s 2d, 4 9 copperis 4d, 2 lb Allum i2d, I 4 a remnant of lockram i2d, 2 yds 3S: 4 I yd red callico. I 10 1-2 ell wt callico, I 3 3 yds fillet. 4 1-2 3 yds Manchester, 4 I pr shoes, 3 4 I pr shoes (8s) 4s gd, i pr (9s) 5s 1 [d, I pr (ids) 5s 8d, 15 5 6 s silke gd, 4 doz buttons 2od, 5 6 pr locks & 2 David — cotton rib. & points, i knife I 6 1-2 yds 1-2 qr shag, 2 3 II yds 1-2 bleu cotton, 4 9 3 lbs shot, 3 vds gart., I 6 3 yds blew cotton at 3s 2d, II I 44 13 THE BURT FAMILY. 103 goodm: BURT. £ •f d 5 lbs sope 5s lod, 2 lbs ginger is 4d 7 6 X knife, 8 4 yds binding, 6 wt fustion & thimble, I I a Gun David had 24s, 1 4 2 yds green shag, 7 4 2 awls, 2 3 qts vinegar. 2 3 2 lbs sugar, is 8d, 2 qts vinegar i8d. 3 1-2 lb sugar, 2 yds 1-2 wostead I 10 : lb sugar, 10 2 lbs sugar, I 8 3 lbs sugar. 2 6 1-2 pint bottle. I 6 To Goodm: ( 3 lbs sugar Chapin's } 2 lbs sugar -> 6 I 6 Note. ^ 2 lbs of starch I I lb ff sugar, I more sugar. I I qt of vinegar, I 6 I 1-2 pepper. I 2 Sept. 15th, , 1655 4 yds 1-4 & 1-2 of kersy, red, at 5 s I I 10 1-2 5 yds of wt cotton at 3s 6d, 17 6 I bunch of wt tape i8d & tape 2d, 1 6 yds Manchester, 9 I M 1-2 pins, 2S, paper 4d, 2 ■ 4 a comb. 10 6 yds cotton rib., I a thimble, 2 1-2 5 8 6 on ye other side is 44 13 6 all is 50 Reed by stringing of wampum, 671 fadam at id, Reed by boards, 159, but I paid for you to Goodman Wilton 7s gd, so it is, Reed by what I allowed you for your exer- cising. I04 THE BURT FAMILY. Sept. 19th, 1655 Acot'ed & rests due to mee, To a hat taken out of Jonathan reckoning, Nut cloves, mace 3s 3d, 3 s. silke 4d, 4 doz buttons, 3 s silke, you pay me for the Training band, Ginger, I lb powder, 1-2 lb pistol bullets, II lbs woole, stockens 13s, red cloth 5s 4d, kersy 32, RecdbyThos Miller 13 bushels i-4of wheate 2 6 4, & by an agreement before Richard Sikes to goe 3 voyadges downe ye falls when I call for it, Tomas Miller acot 2 13 8. Reed by stringing 853 fadam of wampam at id per fadam comes to 3 6 7, butyou owe me for one nayle cotton 6s 3d, being abated it is, . Reed by i day reaping. Reed by 2 days your team, 12s, 3 bushels pease 8s £ s d 44 10 2 I 3 7 3 10 4 8 2 4 2 18 6 3" IS 8 51 8 I 41 5 Of all acots is resting due to me from Henry Burt ye full sum of forty-one pounds five shillings & ninepence, as witness his hand this loth of October, 1656, 41 5 9 Henry Burt.* HENRY BURT, DR. November 23, 1657. To I pr shoes. 6 T yd 1-2 of cotton. 5 a comb. 10 Buttons I doz 13d, silke 3d, I 4 resting on severall things. 10 5 Gallome, 2 1-2 * The signature affixed to this account was in Henry Burt's own handwriting and is the only autograph or specimen of his writing yet discovered. It is reproduced on another page. 4 yds 1-4 kersy at 7s gd, 3 doz buttons 21, silke i5d, thrid buttons, thrid, 7d, Spect. & ' case, IS 1 bunch of tape i8d i bunch red 13d lace 4d, sissors 5d, girdHng3d, wt thrid, 4d, 10 yds of silke lace at 6d is 5s, 3 yds gallome 12s 13 s. silke 2od, 2 yds 1-4 dowla 8s 8d, 1 yd 1-4 of fus- tion 2S 4d, 3 yds kersy i6s 6d, 1 yd 1-4 of packing canvas 21s, hol- land 3s 4d, blew lace, callico, and spoones i5d, pepper i4d, riban 2od, cotton lace, pr buttons & resting dowlas 4s 6d, silk rib., 2 yds 1-2 of gray kersy at 7s gd, I yd of callico 2s 2d, Reed 13 bushels of Pease at 2s 6d, Reed 6 bushels of wheate (formerly), One day mowing last year, Rfccd by what ye Townsmen order me to pay yououtof my rate to ye 1657, 20s & more in full of that rate 2 II o. Reed 20 bushels of wheat. Reed by horse & pt.. Reed by Journey to Hartford with your team for goods, Red by carting 30 bushels to reare house, more 33 bushels, Reed by John Mathews, Reed by carting 36 bushels to ye Longmed- dow. Reed by ye cart rope, Coodman Burt owes me as above He owes in page 181, account made up ye loth of October, 1656, all is THE BURT FAMILY. 105 £ S d 10 7 2 10 8 3 19 S 5 1 7 7 2 I 12 6 I I 2 3 II 3 10 5 12 6 I 12 10 II 10 6 3 3 18 18 6 7 7 2 41 5 9 Io6 THE BURT FAMILY. £ s d Out of which deduct what I have Red from Goodman Burt as above, i8 r8 6 29 14 5 So is due to Mr. Pynchon from Goodm: Burt ye full sum of 29 14 5 Reed by stringing 601 fadams, 3 15 o, of wampum at id. August 13th, 1658. Acot'ed & of all acots to me there is resting due to me this 13th day of August, 1658, ye sum of 25 19 5 HENRY BURT DR. To acot made up in my old booke pa. 226 there is due to me Aug. 13th, 1658, ye sum of 25 19 5 To 5 acres of meddow forgot to be acoted wieh Richard Maund acts at 150 For what is remaining on ye Bill for John Stewart, 2 II o T pr stockens 4s i comb 8d, cotton riban i4d, 5 10 3 yds wt cotton iis iid, i yd red Tammy 28s, I yd 1-2 blew kersy 13s, 2 12 ii pudding pan 2S 6d, lace and silk 7s, green Say 17s, hoUand 26s 5d, 2 13 9 fillet, tape, pencil, pins, needles thimble ft thrid, girdling, &c. a demicastor & band, 1 pr stockens 3s 8d, i pr stockens 3s, 2 knives i6d. Buttons & silke, Nov. 8, '58. resting on several! things, 1-4 & 1-2 Greene Say, 3 lbs AUom, 4 yds of red cotton, I yd 1-4 of 1-2 of red kersy at 5s 8d, 4 yds 1-2 of Tawny kersy at 5s 8d, I yd 1-4 of 1-2 red shag cotton at 4S4d, I yd 1-4 1-2 red shag at 7s 8d & 1-2 ell gallome, for Nathaniel's seate, I pr cards, 22 lbs of cotton woole, I yd of ff stuff, 10 yds cotton rib. 2s fid, 3 yds fillet. II 8 6 6 6 8 I 4 I 7 9 6 2 4 I 9 I 7 10 5 6 10 10 3 8 3 6 3 10 5 L> 10 yds 1-2 of wosted binding 2id, i pee. ve. Say, i6d, I — of ff thrid 2S, 2 qs of paper i4d 1 M Pins i8d sillce, 2 prs womens stockens, 3 yds 1-2 of shag cotton, 1-2 yd cot- ton mancliester, 1 pr stockens Pd for you to Goodm: Wilton, resting on slesy clotli your wife took up 2 lbs sugar, I yd 1-2 of red Searge, shot, i6d, slesy holland & ff thrid 2s gd, 2 s silke 3d, fillet & lace 8d, i qr paper 7d, 7- pr stockens 4s 4d, I pr stockens, 1-2 yd greene Say, is gd, thimble 3d, callico gd, binding 5d, combe 8d, 1-2 lbs powder i5d, I yd & nayle of broadcloth at 20s, I pr cards, 3s 6d, red tape 8J, 1 M pins i8d, I hat. THE BURT FAMILY. 107 £ S d 49 3 I 3 2 I II 8 16 6 2 2 I 6 4 I 4 IS I 4 3 I 3 4 4 2 2 3 10 I 3 I 4 HENRY BURT CR Sept. 16, 1659, By Wm Devins, 2 By Jos. Crowfoote, 3 bushels of wheate, lo By 42 lbs Porke at 3d 1-2 12 By 2 bushels of wheate, 7 22 bushels 1-2 of wheate, 3 18 2 days worke, 4 2 days carting with 6 cattle, 15 more, i day carting, 9 2 hides, 16 I days worke, 2 r Journey to ye foote of ye falls, 10 I Journey morr, 10 20 lbs Butter, 10 •iI08 THE BURT FAMILY. JWarch 14, J661-2. £ J d Acot'ed & rests Due to mee, To Ballance, 39 n 5 a quarter of lb of Annise seed, 7 Nayles, 6 wted browne thrid & 4 Points, I 4 Manchester binding gd, 1 M pins i8d, 2 3 To 2 bushels of salt by S. Chapin's Note, which was never acoted, 9 4 yds &: 1-2 of wt cotton, 3 6 rjSTov. 25, 1662 2 yds 1-2 kersy at 6s, to be paid me. 15 41 3 7 Received pr contra of Widdow Burt, 32 April 20th, 1663 Acted & rests due to bal- lance, 9 3 7 More due to me for ye Rent of ye acre of ground in ye house lot 1 have now bought which acre of ground I let to Widdow Burt for 2 bushels of wheate. She is to pay into my house some time next winter. June 24, 1663. To 4 yds of dowlas ff at 4s pr yd, 16 I qr paper i5d, 3 6 I M pins, I 6 Brought from day booke hither the sum of 3 14 i 13 i» ^November 3, Acoted & rests due to me from J663. Widdow Burt ye full sum of thirteen pounds eighteen shil- lings & eight pence which she engages to pay me most this winter in wheate at 3s 6d pr bushel & some Good Porke at 3d per pound as witness her hand, ye mark of Widdow Ulaliah W Burt. B THE BURT FAMILY. 109* Goodm: Burt, Cr. £ ^ ^ By ye housing and orchad with home lot of 2 acres & 2 acres of meddow & 4 acres of wood lot & I take all as bought in wheate at 3s 6d bushel, 32 o u This 2pth of Aprill, 1663. For his hand to my old booke, it was to be given me in wheate in 3s 6d pr bushel ; considering all my waiting for ye pay in wheate, at ye time would have been as good as money, I am to set off of acot now together 32 pounds which I accordingly have done this 20th of April, 1663. Also she (Widdow Ulaliah Burt) owes me as above for Rent, of 2 bushels of wheate, which she is to pay at my house some time in the winter. fEeb. 1664. Reed this 2 bushels of wheate for Rent. It will be observed that a large share of the items in these ac- counts is wearing apparel or "dry goods." Mr. Burt had eight daughters, and the homespun material was not sufficient in quantity or quality to clothe them. The names of these fabrics are archaic, as "say," white and red "shag,'' "lockram,'' "dimity," etc., while others, such as "tawny kersy," "slay holland," "fustion," "Scots cloth " and others were probably very different materials from those of similar names at present. " Nayles" were sold by tale and cost from sJ^d to is a hundred. It can be imagined how precious were these hand-made nails. There are several items for farming tools and work in the " smith- ery," for the enterprising Pynchon owned the smithy and the grist- mill, too. The items for food are those only for sugar and spices,. and the high cost of these made their use very rare. In the earlier account there is only a single pound of sugar, and this cost is 2d, probably equivalent to a dollar now. So, too, the items for bever- ages are very few; there is a pint of "sack" at lod, and we can fancy how the huge sides of Falstaff would shake in contemplation of this miserable pittance. Besides this there appear only two and no THE BURT FAMILY. a half quarts of brandy, and it is a significant fact that the brandy- cost 3s a quart, and the quart bottle to contain it cost 3s ^d. No doubt this brandy was for medicinal purposes ; and this and the small quantity of drugs, such as " ^Uum," "copperis," "annise- seed" and "worm-seed " indicate the large dependence upon herbs and other domestic remedies. Home-made soft soap was the main supply, but some "sope" for occasional toilet use was pur- chased at a cost of IS 2d per pound — a very high price. Where did Mr. Pynchon get the apples that he sold to his neighbor at 4s a bushel ? Did he own the only apple tree in the settlement — no ! not the only one, but two, for there were sweet and sour apples at different prices ? There is a Bible at 8s and a gun at ^i 2s, with powder and bullets. The credits are even more interesting. Mr. Burt's labor at reaping, etc., was credited at 2s a day and his team at 6s a day, and the labor of his son David in the " smithery " at is 3d. Another item is " by an agreement to goe 3 voyadges down y^ falls when I call for \t," and again by " i journey to y° foote of y'' falls." This probably refers to the falls or rapids of the Connecticut at Wind- sor, below which the river navigation was free. Then "by what I allowed you for your *exercising " is obscure, but undoubtedly re- fers to some military or religious service. Next to wheat the largest credits are "by stringing wampum at id a fadam.'' This wampum has already been described as the original coin of the Indians, made of perforated bits of clam shell strung on strong threads and having a monetary value proportioned by the length of the string * The use of "exercise" in a military sense will loe remembered in Cowper's famous poem of "John Gilpin's Ride," wherein that gallant horseman, who is described as a " train-band captain," commands " Betty " to bring with the bottles of wine, — " My leathern belt likewise, In which I bear my trusty sword When I do exercise." Henry Burt was clerk of the " train-band," and it may be inferred from this entry that he at some time served in Major Pynchon's stead in drilling the volunteers of the colony in their preparation for defense against Indian foes. The use of the same word in a religious sense is common among the early writers of the colonial period, with whom it signified the leading of public worship, including either the offering of prayer or the reading of the Scriptures. This, as heretofore stated, was one of Henry Burt's public duties; but whether the "exercising" for which he is here credited was of spiritual or militant nature is wholly conjectural. THE BURT FAMILY. Ill of these rude beads.* It is not known whether, the trader pro- cured these beads from the Indians ready formed and perforated, or had them made from the shells. It is evident, however, that he had as broad a right of free coinage as the most ardent advocate of unlimited silver dollars could desire. Mr. Burt in the above accounts was credited with 3,094 " fadams," or fathoms, being 18,564 feet, or something more than three and a half miles. The work of stringing these tiny bits of shell was probably done by his daughters and represents many weeks of tedious toil, and we can picture the girls encircling the hearth in the long winter evenings and by the fitful light of the fire, impaling with their bright needles this quaint "coin of the realm. "f There are other curious credits, as : " Rec'd by Journey to Hart- ford with your team for goods, £1 12s,'' which confirms the conjecture that all commerce with the settlement was by the Connecticut river. The total credits for wheat are about 150 bushels at 3s 6d per bushel. Statisticians in the comparison of prices at various historic periods have adopted that of wheat as a standard, and accepting this in the present instance we find that at Springfield, in 1650, a bushel of wheat would buy three and one-half pounds of sugar, or three pounds of soap, or ten and one-half pounds of bullets, or one and three-fourths pounds of gunpowder, or a quart bottle, or a quart and a gill of brandy, or two quarts of sack, or a gallon of vinegar, or a bushel of mixed apples (sweet and sour), or twelve to fourteen pounds of fresh pork, or four pounds of butter, or about two pounds of wool. About two and one-fourth bushels of wheat would buy a Bible, and six and one-fourth bushels would buy a gun. * The New England Indians used as money belts of beads, the white ones being made out of the ends of periwinkle shells, and the black ones from the black parts of clam shells, of which 360 made a belt or string of -wampum^ as they called it, the black beads being counted as twice as much as the white ones ; and the English colonists accepted the wampum in their exchanges with the Indians, regarding a string of white as equiva- lent to five shillings and a string of black as ten shillings, and afterwards made it legal tender for small sums among themselves and even counterfeited it. — Perry^s Introduction to Political Economy. \ Pynchon used the wampum in the purchase of beaver skins from the Indians, having apparently a monopoly of the trade with them. He shipped annually to England six or more hogsheads of these skins, and must have made large profits on them. One year, however, he appends to his invoice entry of several hogsheads so shipped : " These were all captured by the Dutch and lost." 112 THE BURT FAMILY. There is, however^ another standard of comparison that appeals to us more forcibly. Our good ancestor was a toiler, a laborer in the highest and best significance. Patiently and unremittingly he worked with his hands, for his own account or for his neighbors', to support his large family;, we find by these accounts that his wages where he worked for others were 2S per day, and this was the regular rate. It took a day and three-quarters of his labor in reaping wheat to earn a bushel of the grain, and it must be re- membered that there was no " eight hours " sentimentalism rife in those times, and a day's work meant frofti twelve to fourteen hours in the harvest time. By a day's hard work our ancestor could earn from I ^ to 3 lbs. of sugar, according to quality, or 4 lbs. of starch, or the same of alum or ^ bushel of sweet apples or about the same amount of sea salt. It required a day and a quarter's hard work to earn enough to replace a broken " paine of glass," and a day and a half to compass the price of a quart of brandy, or a bushel of sour apples, or a gallon of vinegar, or two bunches of white tape. When we come to wearing apparel and materials for it, their terrible cost in bodily toil becomes even more impressive. Mr. Burt bought for his wife stockings at 4s 2d a pair, and that means over two days of work ; a blue coifer or headdress for her at 5s equals two and a half days of labor ; a pair of shoes required nearly three days, and 3^ yards of kersey at £1 9s 3d was procured by the labor of fifteen days. By this standard the reader can esti- mate the cost of all the various articles charged in the accounts and so realize the heavy burdens borne by this head of a large family, who also bore a conspicuous part in the civic and religious work of the community. The examination of these accounts shows that vassalage of the farmer to the trader that has so often caused discontent, and futile projects to escape it. In our own day we have had the Granger movement and the Farmers' Alliances as protests against this un- fair division of the fruits of the farmers' labor. In those distant days it was accepted without murmur as a part of the established order of things. Mr. Pynchon was so secure in his monopoly that there was no escape. The nearest rival was at Hartford, and at such a distance through the wilderness as to preclude direct traffic THE BURT FAMILY. II3 with the people of Springfield.* Among the entries in his accounts we find such obscure phrases as " Resting and severall things, los 5d," and again the same entry at "9s 6d'" — also "In y^ other booke is ;^i 7s 3d." If these expressions seem dubious there is one phrase at every settlement of the account that is unmistakable in its significance and that is " Resting due to mee," that is to John Pynchon, a certain sum. All the surplus wheat and other products, the labor by self and teams, the stringing of wampum, and other credits, could never relieve our industrious ancestor from debt at the store, and what was true in his case was also the condition of nearly all the other settlers who had accounts with Pynchon. The inven- tory of his estate after his death showed a total indebtedness of ;£'So los, of which ;^4S was due to John Pynchon. Mr. Burt ap- pears to have engaged to pay this debt in wheat at 3 s 6d a bushel. The above account shows this sum as reduced seven months after his death (November 25, 1662) to £41 3s 7d, and on April 20, 1663, '' Widdow Burt " paid ^32 by deeding to Pynchon the home- stead property of eight acres and buildings, which a year before had been appraised in the inventory at ^^'45. It would seem that the trader could fix the price of real estate as of all other property in his dealings. The widow rented an acre of this homestead prop- erty at two bushels of wheat, which " she is to pay into my (Pynchon's) house some time next winter." In giving the widow credit for this £^2 by the surrender of her home, the trader whines thus, " considering all my waiting for y"= pay in wheate, at y^ time would have been as good as money," he generously ac- cepts in formal phrase the surrender of the widow's home. On November 3, 1663, "Widdow Burt" still owed Pynchon ;^i3 os 8d, which she engaged to pay in " wheate and some Good porke," and she did this in time and so paid all of her own and her husband' s debts to him. *In these comments there is no purpose to impute to Mr. Pynchon any conscious cupidity. He was evidently a man well qualified for his business, which was valuable and indispensable to the community, and his course was that of the capitalist and trader who everywhere and always avails himself of the inexorable law of demand and supply. With the power to establish without competition the price of the commodities he bought and sold, he naturally consulted his own interests solely in each and every transaction. Weedon quotes the current price of wheat at Hartford, in 1651, at 5s a bushel and that of sugar at .£3 per cwt, or 6Kd a pound ; these may be compared with Springfield prices at the same date, viz., wheat at 3s 6d and sugar at I4d. 114 'THE BURT FAMILY. These accounts bring us nearer to our ancestor than any other relics of his life that we have. They are pathetic in their revela- tion of his earnest and untiring struggle to rear his large family in comparative comfort. They have a negative as well as positive aspect, since they disclose the frugality that secured so much of subsistence and the other necessities through home labor, and so small a proportional dependence upon supplies from without. All this toil doubtless sapped his strength, for though of a family noted for its general longevity he died at an early age comparatively, and after the marriage and settlement of all his children but two had relieved him in great part of the burden of their support. He was probably about sixty years old at his death, and had a right to look forward to an early relief from debt and many years of com- parative ease. We have seen how his widow took up his burden and cancelled his debts, by the sale of wheat and pork and by other means. In 1665 Pynchon gave her credit for ;^5, for a year's service of her daughter Patience, who thus aided in paying the debts left by her father three years before. In the career of Henry and Eulalia Burt, so far as revealed to us, their descendants have ample cause for admiration and pride. Their industry, integrity, family affection, piety and public spirit are plainly disclosed. In that rude frontier settlement with all its privations they brought up a large family and endowed them with their own good qualities, so that all of them prospered and left a good repute. It is true that they were poor and lived in what was then an obscure wilderness, but " Howe'er it be, it seems to me 'Tis only noble to be good ; Kind hearts are more than coronets. And simple faith than Norman blood." JONATHAN BURT.— I632-I715. Although the Rev. Dr. Ezra Stiles, in his genealogical sketch of his descent from Dorcas Burt, ascribes to her parents nineteen children, there are trustworthy records of only eleven, and these all married and had progeny. There are records of the dates of birth of the youngest four only, and these and the others being given in the order of their respective marriages, their sequence Panic T.m on: ^ d<*^ /^/ /^T V!!!!----- 1 1 6or-n*^ GtTLcm-- /g^« would be as'foUows: Sarah, Abigail, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Mary, David, Nathaniel, Dorcas, Hannah, Patience, and Mercy. The order of birth of the last four, who were born in Springfield, and still on record, was : Hannah, Dorcas, Patience, and Mercy. Mr. Burnham, in his recent genealogy, has given Henry Burt credit for having nine daughters. Others have made a like mistake. Il6 * THE BURT FAMILY. This is an error, so far as is now known, and originated in this- way : The birth of Dorcas was recorded at the top of the page in the record book. Time has worn away part of the leaf, at the left- hand corner of the page, leaving only the letter " s " of the first name, and taking also the number of the month, and the letter "m" in the abbreviation, which was written "mom" for month. As this has occasioned considerable difference of opinion among those who have only carelessly, or not at all, examined the record, the foregoing reproduction, by means of photography, has been given, with the record of the births of the other daughters and that of a grandson, the eldest son of Abigail Burt Ball. It will be noticed that the letter " s " in " Francis " is like the last letter that remains of the given name, here claimed to be Dorcas, and is like that found in other names in the record ending with " s.'' Then, too, there was room in the record, preceding the last name, to write only a very short name ; and besides that, only a very few given names of women end with the letter "s." The record is printed here in the order of birth. That of Dorcas was written at the top of the left-hand and that of Patience at the top of the right- hand page. It has been assumed by Mr. Burnham and others that the daugh- ter whose name was thus effaced died young. There is no record of such death, and the aLithorities were scrupulously exact in re- cording even the births of stillborn children. The only incon- sistency to the theory advanced is the age of Dorcas when married ,• but that is not an unheard-of occurrence, even in the early settle- ment of New England. To carry out his theory, Mr. Burnham had to construct the " probable " age of Dorcas, whose birth he ascribes to 1638. He has also given the daughter whose name he omits, as having been born on April 19, 1643, which may be incorrect, as the date is not known by any one who has examined the record within the last fifty years, as it has long been imperfect, perhaps extending back of that period. In giving the following sketches of these there have been in- corporated many extracts from town records, illustrating the habits and ideas of the times. To those conversant with the records of the General Court of Massachusetts Bay, there will be nothing novel in these illustrations of the capacity for government ex- THE BURT FAMILY. I17 hibited by our ancestors. The public and private acts of that Court present clear evidences of the public spiiit, genius for ad- ministration, and "adaptation of means to ends, that characterize .all American legislation. Many of these laws were based upon English statutes, but the larger part were enacted to meet the novel and extraordinary conditions of the Colony, and in these the pe- culiar ability of the legislators is shown. The promulgation and enforcement of these general laws were by no means the sole function of the town meetings, where were also considered and decided the multifarious local concerns, in which were exhibited the same sound sense and practical administrative capacity. The extracts from the town records will give a clearer comprehension of the life led by Henry Burt and his children than any other means now available. They have been largely drawn from the Spring- field records during the period when Jonathan Burt was prominent in its affairs and from the Northampton records during David Burt's residence there. There are no records in this country showing the exact date of the birth of any of the children, excepting those born in Spring- field. The affidavits of Jonathan and Abigail, still on record in the office of the Register of Deeds in Springfield, and the date given on the tombstone of Nathaniel in the cemetery of Longmeadow, -establish as near as possible the years in which they were born. Jonathan, the eldest of Henry's sons, was the only one of them who continued a resident to his death at Springfield, and his life, -from the date^ of his father's death to that of his own, similarly illustrates the history and progress of the town. In the affidavit ..about the estate of his deceased brother-in-law, dated in February, 1690, he says he was at that time about fifty-eight years of age. Jonathan's first appearance in the records as a witness is in the famous prosecution of Hugh Parsons for witchcraft. The first execution for this crime in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was that of a Mrs. Jones at Boston, in 1648. In the same year another woman was executed at Hartford, Ct. From the first settlement at Springfield, in 1636, there had been more or less excitement :about witchcraft. Suspicion finally fell upon Hugh Parsons, a -sawyer, who had married Mary Lewis, October 22, 1646. In 1649 .Parsons was prosecuted by the Widow Marshfield for a libel uttered 1 18 THE BURT FAMILY. by his wife. The libel consisted in Mrs. Parsons' saying that Good wife Marshfield had bewitched the Rev. Mr. Moxon's chil- dren, and the verdict being against him he was condemned to pay twenty-four bushels of Indian corn and twenty shillings in money; both Parsons and his wife declared that this was owing to false swearing. Parsons' first child was born October 4, 1649, and died within a year. His second child, Joshua, was born October 26, 1650, and soon thereafter the father was charged with witchcraft. The sickness of Mrs. Parsons deprived her of reason, and the course pursued after she was thus afflicted rendered her perma- nently insane. Her child died on March i, 1651, and on the follow- ing May I, Mrs. Parsons was sent to Boston and there irpprisoned. She was indicted, first, for witchcraft, and secondly, for killing her child. She pleaded not guilty of " familiarity with the devil as a witch," and was acquitted on that count, but, pleading guilty of the infanticide, was condemned to be hung. She was ordered to be taken back to Springfield, and there hung. She was so returned, but died in jail before her time of execution had arrived, and the little settlement was thus spared the disgrace of publicly hanging a poor, feeble, and insane woman. A jury had previously convicted her husband, Hugh Parsons, of the crime of witchcraft, by the practice of which, as charged, he had caused his child's death. After the long and tedious prosecution at Springfield, Parsons was sent to Boston, where the testimony was submitted to the General Court, when the previous confession of his wife and the impeachment of some of the witnesses led to his acquittal. He never returned to Springfield. Jonathan Burt's testimony was regarding the place and time when he brought Parsons the news of his son's death. In the ridiculous and senseless testimony in the case, the clear and unimpeach- able testimony of Jonathan and his sister Abigail Munn, contrasts brightly with the statements of some of the other, witnesses. They do not appear to be affected by the prevalent delusion, but confined themselves to facts. Says Drake : " How a man of sense as Mr. Pynchon [the magistrate] is supposed to be, could have sat day after day and listened to it [the testimony], is as astonishing as the matter itself is puerile, absurd and ridiculous." It would seem as if the cool intelligence of the witnesses of the THE BURT FAMILY. II9 Burt family, in this case, spread through the community, as no serious charges of witchcraft were thereafter entertained at Spring- field, though the delusion did not cease in Massachusetts until more than half a century later. On October 20, 1651, Jonathan married Elizabeth Lobdell of Boston. From January, 1661, to June, 1679, he received many original grants of land from the town. His civil offices were as follows : Surveyor of Highways in i652-'55-'57-'6i and '86. Land measurer in i66i-'63. Appraiser of live stock in 1663. Town Clerk in i675-'97-'98-'99 and 1700. Commissioner to examine public accounts in i675-'Si-'86-'g4. " to distribute public lands, 1697. " to lay out highways in 1680. " to address the General Court in 1681. " on County rates for Indian war in 1681. " on ferries in 1697. " to lay out new town of Enfield in 1683. " on taxation in i683-'86. Selectman in i6s7-'58-'76-'79-'8o-'8i-'82-'83-'84-'86-'89-'9i-'92-'96 and '97. These do not comprehend several special designations to render occasional public services, and his career in such duties for over half a century illustrates the progress and incidents in the town's history. LAND TITLES AND CONVEYANCES. Under the head of " Henry Burt,'' above, were given many records of the allotment of the public lands, and as an instance of the legal forms and registry of instruments, the following abstract of a quit-claim deed is given : Know all men by these Presents, That whereas my honored father, Henry Burt of the Town of Springfield, had by the grant of the said Town a parcel of Wet Meadow in breadth eight rods & in Length forty Rod more or Less, & is situated & lying on the East side of the Town in said Springfield and bounded origionally by Samuel Wright sen'r North- erly ; & Southerly by John Harmon, & now in the possession & Improve- ment of John Harmon, his son and as I understand and am satisfied said John Harmon the son gave a valuable consideration for said meadow, There fore upon the consideration premised & other good consideration & for I20 THE BURT FAMILY. the preventing Troubles that may arise in future tymes to sd John Harmon his heirs or assigns as much as lyes in my power, I Jonathan Burt, of Springfield, in West Hampshire in New England, the natural & Eldest son of sd Henry Burt, Doe for myself, my heirs, executors & Administrators Covenant and promise to & with the sd John Harmon that I do relinquish all my provable right, title, interest & claime to the fore- said meadow & Resign, grant & confirm the same to the sd John Harmon, his heirs & assigns for ever & that sd John Harmon, his heirs or assigns shall not be troubled, interrupted or molested in their possession or occu- pancy of sd meadow or by any other person or persons whomsoever known by or under me, or by my means, title or procurement j and in confirma- tion of these presents I the sd Jonathan Burt Doe hereunto set my hand and seal this 20th day of Aug., A. D. i6gi. Jonathan Burt, and his seal affixed in the presence of John Pynchon and John Holyoke, August 21, 1691. Entered this deed and agreement of two acres of meadow more or less from Jonathan Burt to John Harmon. This instrument is one of the many evidences in the Springfield records of the careful system of the conveyance and official record of real estate adopted by the early settlers. What is remarkable is that no such system of record existed in England, and that none has been adopted to this day. These men had a genius for con- structive public administration. The above quit-claim by Jonathan Burt was one of the many measures taken to confirm and quiet titles to land occupied by the several parties before the system of record was devised. Mr. Burt had had some similar difficulty to meet in regard to his own homestead property, which he derived from Hugh Parsons, the defendant in the witchcraft trial above alluded to. The following affidavits are on record as confirming his title : " I Ainderwritten can testify that Jonathan Burt of Springfield, about the tyme I was marryed which was (as I suppose, the Records of the Gierke of the Writts of Springfield will make appear) in the month of November, 1651, did thendwel in the House where he now Inhabits, which house as I have heard did formerly belong to one Hugh Parsons, who formerly did inhabite in Springfield, as witness my hand this seventh of October, 1669. John Allyn. Springfield, October the 7th, 1669. Mr. John Allyn, aged about 38 years deposed to what is written before, me John Pynchon, Assistant. The deposition of Benjamin Cooley, age 52 years or thereabouts. This deponent sayeth upon his knowledge Jonathan Burt of Springfield THE BURT FAMILY. 121 lived in the house and upon the lot that was Hugh Parsons at the tyme Mr. John AUyn of Hartford married Mr. Henry Smith's daugliter of Springfield ; for a day or two after Mr. Allyn was married, I went along with Mr. Allyn to Jonathan Burt's house to give him a visit, so I am clear that he then lived in the house and on the land of Hugh Parsons which still to this day lie continues in, and I always reckoned he had bought it, having so heard and seeing and knowing him peaceably to enjoy it and know nothing contrary yet and further sayeth not. Taken upon oath this 6th of November, 1669. Entered in the county records by Mr. John Holyoke, Recorder." This homestead of Jonathan Burt's was where Broad street now is. During Mr. Burt's active participation in the civil affairs of the town, many important measures of polity were evolved, either by the original action of the townsmen or in obedience to statutes enacted by the General Court sitting at Boston. THE ADMITTED INHABITANT. The "admitted inhabitant" was a freeholder who was able to pay a single " country rate," a tax of ten shillings. He must be vouched for as orthodox in religion and a member of the church in , good standing, twent3'-four years of age, at the head of a family, and a householder, settled within the jurisdiction of the town where he sought to be admitted. To become a freeman, an " admitted inhabitant," he must present his desires to the General Court, asking for admittance to the freedom of the commonwealth, where his request was propounded to the court for acceptance to the freedom of the body politic. Those seeking admission from Springfield were propounded and vouched for as being of the required age, virtuous in their lives, and members of the church, by John Pynchon, who was frequently a member of the General Court. On the next page is a full list of " admitted inhabitants " of Springfield in 1664. This list contains the names of Jonathan and Nathaniel Burt, of Benjamin Munn, Thomas Stebbins, William Brooks, John Bagg and John Bliss, sons-in-law of Henry Burt, his grandson, Jonathan Ball, and his widow, Eulalia Burt, who, with " Widdow M. Bliss," are the only women admitted to this list of " men." Peter Swincke, ^d. pr. acre in Munhan & in y'= divisions 2d per acre." As the lots were always of moderate size there was a large number of lines to be run and boundaries to be marked in each square mile of territorj^. It was a distinguishing charac-- teristic of the New England settlement that only so much land was occupied by each owner as he wanted for actual use and that none was taken for rental or to enjoy a future " unearned increment." The great plantations in Virginia and the vast patents of land in THE BURT FAMILY. 169 New York had no counterpart in Massachusetts. At a later day there were a few speculative purchases of land, but nothing com- parable with the grand estates in New York, some of which be- came the cause of great political disturbance and even of insurrec- tion. This indicates the more democratic spirit that inspired the immigrants to New England, among whom there were many wealthy men, yet none were inclined to introduce in the new •country the English system of tenancy by lease derived from feudal origin. The primary principle was that every man should be the owner in fee simple of enough land for the subsistence of Jiis family and thus moderate holdings were for a long period the universal rule. Another function deputed to Mr. Burt was that of laying out and rectifying the highways and protecting them from encroach- ments ; duties that naturally fell to him as a surveyor. That much labor had been spent at an early period upon these highways and bridges is shown by the following extract from a petition against •customs duties signed by 109 residents of Northampton: Northampton 4th nth Month, 1661. May it please you that whereas there was a law made we are informed the last Session of or Honored Genii Court Respecting laying of Customs •or Trybute upon Corne and other provisions that are brought into severall Fortes within this Colony and this Order as we are all see informed doth not exempt, but reach and bring in our neighboring Plantations below us upon Connecticut River. Whereupon we are informed they are like to doe soe by us allsoe, and some of them doe tell us that they will make us pay for all, and allsoe tell us that if 2d p. bush will not, 4d or 6d shall, and if 2s 6d p. bar. will not 5s shall. Wee know your worships understood that we have not way to Transport our Corne and Provisions but throe them, and we find it very Difficult and Chargable, for it will cost is p. bush to Winsor, and 2d p bush from thence to Hartford, and 6d p. bush from Hartford to Boston. And many times wee are Exposed to warehouse roome : Besides all this wee have binn at very great Charge in laying out and in making and maintaining highways and Bridges, to make them fltt for Traveling and Carting, And if wee should pay Trybute and Customs at Hartford, or elsewhere, in Conecticut Jurisdiction, wee conceive the burthen will be soe heavy that wee feare will cause some Amongst us to bee thinke themselves about speedy re- moving. And Allsoe bee a meanes to retard and hinder the proceeding and goeing on of any Plantation above us. lyo THE BURT FAMILY. This is signed by William Clarke, John Strong, William Holton^ John King, Jonathan Hunt, Medad Pomeroy, David Burt, Joseph Parsons, and others. A similar petition from Hadley was signed by the leading men, as was that of Springfield, including Jonathan and Nathaniel Burt. The main reason for these petitions came from an imposition, or a proposed imposition, of the collection of customs from all coast- wise entries into the port of Boston, whether they came from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York or elsewhere. It created great opposition from the Connecticut river settlements, and was abandoned. In 1685 Mr. Burt was one of the commissioners to rectify the boundary line between Northampton and Springfield and the full record is given below. At a General Court at Boston, May 27, 1685. For as much as it hath been made manifest to this court that there is a mistake or omission in the part of the Committee appointed by this Court, iS of October, 1654, for deciding and setting out the bounds of the Plantation called Northampton, of Incertingthe length of the said Plant tation, from the great River West, nine miles into the woods, they set- out, and was incerted in the Copie of their said Report, given under their hands to the said Towne, as also to the Plantation or Towne of Spring- field, their Neighbors, and is so entered in their respective Towne books. It is therefore ordered that the said clause, " from the great River nine miles into the woods," be added & supplyed in the Records of this Court, of the bounds of said Towne of Northampton. That what is above writt is a true copy of the Generall Courts Grant, and ordered taken out of the Courts Record therewith Compared. Attest. Edward Rawson, Secretary. An Agreement made 28th of April, 16S5, & Presented to the Generall Court as above. We whose names are underwritten being a Committee appointed and Impowered by the Town of Northampton for the setling of the bounds between us and Springfield and in order thereunto wee by agreement with Springfield Committee who are alike Impowered vizt: Major John Pynchon, Samuell Marshfield, Rowland Thomas and Samuel Terrey, wee meet togather by agreement on the day above mentioned. Then and there wee Agreed that the bounds between us and Springfield should come too and be setded at the great Barr of the ffalls; That is above the first great Barr next to Northampton— where we marked a Pyne tree, about forty- THE BURT FAMILY. 17I rodds from the River, on the South side with S P, on the north N H,on the east A, on the west with the Surveyors marke O, from that tree wee agreed to run a west lyne, which accordingly was run two miles & a halfe, & then by agreement wee run a south lyne halfe a mile, marking trees as wee went; from thence the bounds of Northampton was run a west lyne to the end of there bounds (vizt: nine miles from the River;) wee alsoe then agreed that Northampton should have the liberty of fishing at the lower ffalls in Springfield bounds, without any Mollestalion from Spring- field men, and also liberty of what high ways as they may stand in need o£ for transportation to the boating place, below the ffalls, for what they shall have occasion to make use of, for and to this Agreement wee Joyntly consented. Our Request to the Honoured Generall Court is that this our agreement be ratified, & was signed by John King Jonathan Hunt David Burt Med AD POMREY Committee for Northampton. Endorsed. — I under writt doe certify that the committee for Springfield did consent and Agree to the return within written, allowing the privi- leges on the part of Northampton. 4 June 1685. John Pynchon Upon the Certificate above written the Court Judgeth it meet to confirm the Lands and bounds as laid out and returned herein mentioned. Edward Rawson, Secrety. The boundary so surveyed and decided has remained substan- tially unchanged to the present day, so far as it relates to the south- ern limit of Northampton, running westward from the Connecticut river. The northern line of Springfield came to that point on either side of the Connecticut. When West Springfield was set off from Springfield its boundary was on the Connecticut river on the east and on the boundary line of Northampton, on the north. Out of the northern limit of what was a part of Springfield, has. been taken the city of Holyoke ; while out of Northampton, as. originally laid out, have been carved Easthampton, and the greater- portions of Southampton, and Westhampton. This southern line as established by David Burt and others still remains the boun- dary between Holyoke and Northampton. The Springfield Committee reported more in detail concerning the establishment of the boundary line between Springfield and Northampton, and the account, which became a part of the records 172 THE BURT FAMILY. of Springfield, shows that there was a difference of opinion concern- ing the starting point on the Connecticut river. Although in a de- gree thi account is a repetition of the foregoing, the incidents con- nected with the survey are worth preserving; and the whole is given in the following : " April 23, 1685. We, viz : John Pynchon, Esq , Samll Marshfield, RoUand Thomas, & Serjt. Samll Terry, met wth Northampton Men about running the Line or Laying out the bounds betwixt them & us, but then we came not to any Agreement,- & therefore, appointing another meeting, April 28, 1685, ac- cordingly we did meet, viz : John Pynchon, Esq., Samll Marshfield, Rol- and Thomas, Samll Terry, of Springfield, & of Northampton Medad Pumery, John King, David Burt, Jonathan Hunt, & (after some debates) agreed; they not being willing for the place we were at the first Day, no"" that It Should be stated at Stoney Brooke, wch we insisted on, we there- fore, yielded to their Coming Lower, where at a PineTree neer about the upper great Falls, We al agreed at yt Pine Tree ; wch is about forty Rod from the great River West, on wch Pine Tree being fairly marked, S. P., on the South side of it for Springfield, and N. H. for Northampton on the North side of it, & the Surveiors marke O on the West side, & O on the East side of the Tree ; wth A for Accord Tree. And from this Tree toward the great River; a white oake standing ni the line, we marked it wth the Surveiors marke, O West, & O East, & so it runs to the great River, agt a Spruce Tree, Northampton being to have Liberty of a cart -way, or highway throw our Land to the Landing Place below the Falls- Also we agreed they Should have Liberty wth us for fishing at the Lower Falls, & not be excluded or put off from fishing by our Right. And ■upon this we agreed, that from this PineTree, called Accord Tree, the line should run between us & Northampton by our Compasse as it now leades us West, without allowance. And for the variation at over Two miles & one halfe or three miles end, to allow ym Eight Score Rod to the South, wch we are to run wth ym, where they are to take yt line to run of West to the end of their Bounds. This prmised & agreed. We running on West by our. Compasse as aforesd; about fifty Rod west from sd Stated Pine Tree, There is a small Walnut Tree in the Line, wch we marked with the Surveiors marke, O East & O West ; Then further West a decayed white Oake in the line is marked O. O. Then a Red Oake, O. O. & a pine O. O., a black Oake O. O., a smal Walnut Tree, O. O. A Spruce Tree O. O. wch is upon the Top of the Hil or Mount: A black Oake in the Bottom, O. O., over the gutter or Swamp a white Oake O. O., a Pine, O. O., Another Pine O. O., a midling crooked Pine O. O., a Smal Oake marked Miles 2 ; also S. P. & N H set on it. Then on a white oake O. O., upon the side of the Hil a Smal chestnut tree marked only with a knife, bec[ause] the Hatched was Away. Then a Chestnut Tree, by THE BURT FAMILY. 1 73 Northampton Cartway, wch goes up the mountaine, a Pine marked only O. on the South side, as being a litle out of the line, a litle further a Pine Tree O. O. Further West a Pine O. O. & S P & N H. Further, on a Pine Tree on the Point of the Hil marked O. O. East & West; & S. P. wth N H. South & North ; & so downe to the brooke, where Springfield Two Miles & an halfe now ends. Here Turning South Eight score Rods for Northampton, as was agreed for the variation of the Compasse ; We marked Trees In this South line, till we came at the halfe miles end to a f aire white Oake, wch we marked, & set N H on the North side for North- ampton & S. P. South, & so we turned their line West, wch we Left to ym to Run ; & soe we parted Lovingly." Had the boundary line between the two towns been established at Stony Brook, as the Springfield Committee desired, the present city of Holyoke would now possess much of that part of North- ampton which it has been seeking to get through recent legislation, and in which they have not been successful. The Stony Brook to which Pynchon refers, enters the Connecticut above the stone quarry, and almost a half-mile north of the boundary line between Holyoke and Northampton, as established in 1685. It appears to have taken five days to settle the difference of opinion, but then, as now, Northampton was successful. The two committees on running the lines in 1685, "parted lovingly," which is more than can be said of the attacking party of the present day. There was an annual session of the County Court at Northamp- ton and Mr. Burt was occasionally a grand or petit juror. In ad- dition to the suits between individuals, there came before the Court for trial many persons accused of violations of the peculiar laws of that period. Mention has been made of the communistic principle that prevailed in the allotment of lands and in other ways and there was quite as strong a flavor of socialism in the enact- ment of sumptuary laws and of others restraining individual free- dom or fixing the prices of commodities and labor. Some of the laws enacted by the General Court, which Mr. Burt aided as a juror to enforce, were as follows : Act of November 8, 1633, fixed the price of commodities not to exceed the rate of fourpence in a shilling more than the same cost or might be bought for ready money in England — except cheese because of " hazard," and " wyne, oyle, vinegar and strong waters," because of leakage ; violation of this act was punished by forfeiture of the goods. Considering the 174 THE BURT FAMILY. cost of transportation and the risk by sea, this advance of only thirty-three per cent, upon the cost in England, left a profit that could not have been attractive. By an act in October, 1663, all idlers, " espetially comon coasters, vnpfittable fowlers & tobacco takers" were to be punished. On March 4, 1634, it was enacted that until the next harvest Indian corn was not to be sold at above six shillings a bushel, under penalty of forfeiture of the grain or of its value. On September 3, 1634, the use of tobacCo publicly was made a misdemeanor and general sumptuary laws were enacted. Rates for meals and drink charged by tavern- keepers were limited. On October 28, 1636, it was enacted that each town might fix laborers' wages. The weight and price of bread and the price of beer was fixed and the sale of cakes or buns except for burials and weddings was prohibited. Butchers were prohibited from killing calves between November 30 and May i, but they might be killed for home consumption. In 1642 very stringent regulations regarding hides were enacted. A fine of 5 s was imposed for failure to attend church on the Lord's Day. On September 9, 1639, the drinking of healths was prohibitedj and because of the excessive wearing of lace and other superfluities the sale or purchase of lace was prohibited. The prohibition as to the drinking of healths was repealed May 14, 1665. On Octo- ber 7, 1641, because wheat was a staple commodity for export! and exchange for foreign commodities, the sale of bread or cakes made of wheat meal or the use of wheat for malting was prohibited. In 165 1 it was enacted that no persons who had estates not exceeding 200 pounds should wear gold or silver lace, gold or silver buttons, bone lace above 2s per yard, or silk hoods or scarfs upon a penalty of los for each offence. At the court at Northampton in 1676 the jury presented sixty-eight persons, viz., thirty-eight wives and maids and thirty young men, " some for wearing silk and that in a flaunt- ing manner and others for long hair and other extravagancies." In nearly all cases before the court the wearing of silk was recorded as aggravated by its being done in a " flaunting manner," which seems to have been peculiarly offensive to the authorities. The same legislators who showed these narrow and paternal views of the functions of government, enacted wise and salutary laws regarding the official registration of all conveyances and THE BURT FAMILY, 175 mortgages of real estate, of wills, administrations and inventories, the dates of every birth, marriage and death; the encouragement of manufactures and the improvement of the breeds of domestic animals and enactments to preserve the public health, and in fact covering the whole domain of useful legislation as known at that day. On the same page of the statute-book were inscribed sagacious and original laws and others fraught with a narrow intolerance. It is opportune in this connection to quote a document that fairly illustrates the sturdy determination of the Massachusetts people to sustain the principles that led to their emigration from England. After the restoration of the Stuarts in the person of Charles II., in 1660, there was much distrust on the part of the Colonies that the reaction from the Commonwealth would lead to arbitrary measures regarding the government of the Colonies. The King in 1664, sent four Commissioners to the Colonies, whose arrival at Boston caused great excitement and alarm, in some degree manifested by petitions from all the towns to the General Court, probably similar to the following : Northampton, 19 day of April, 1665. To the honrble & much honord Court, assembled at Boston, 3d May, 1665. The humble petition of the Inhabitants of Northampton most humbly sheweth, that being not insensible of the sad frownes of God upon us, & threatenings towards us, manifested both by signe from heaven & earth of his displeasure, having forsaken or first love & forgotten to doe our first workes wch we come unto this land to doe, the Lord having made it of a wilderness a fruitful field to us, wherein we have enjoyed much of the presesnce of God, affording us his owne ordinances, both civill & eclesiastical, in his own way & according to his owne institution, & that for so long a time, & now fearing the subversion thereof, we owning you the fathers of our country, under whose shaddow wee looke for protection under God, our humble request is that you would vouchsafe seriously to weigh & consider the case & state of our country, Churches, plantations, famlyes, & persons, & also the end whereof we & our predecessors have adventured our lives, famelyes & estates to purchase, is it not a quiet & peaceable enjoyment of God in his ordinances, & the advancement of his kingdome of Jesus Christ, without humane traditions or molestation, whereof our most humble request & petition to this honored Court is, that you would be pledged to stand for, confirm & mantayne our former ancient rights, Hbertyes & privledges, both in Church and commonwealth, (wch God himselfe hath bestowed & Christ hath purchased for us,) with- out any variation or altering from his most holy strict rule in his word. 176 THE BURT FAMILY. ^ Thus most humbly craving you to grant our humble request, we heartily desire the father of all merseyes, & giver of all counsell, you to doe what is according to his good will & pleasure, and humbly take leave to leave you to his guidance, and to remayne praying for your peace & prosperty. This was signed by the minister, Eleazar Mather, and eighty- two other citizens, among whom were William Holton, David Burt John King, Samuel Wright and Joseph Baker. Two of the four commissioners sent out by Charles II. arrived in Boston on Saturday evening, July 23, 1664, who ordered the im- mediate assembling of the Governor and Council to receive the letter of instructions from the King. The meeting took place on the following Tuesday, three days after their arrival, and their arbitrary manner and their exacting demands at once aroused the fears of Governor Endicott and his council, and brought shortly afterward letters of protest from the colonists, and among the number was this from Northampton. The patriotic ardor of the entire settlements in Massachusetts was aroused, and Nothampton, like other towns, promptly responded when their "former ancient rights, libertyes & priviledges," were in danger of subversion, — a spirit which characterized the settlement ever afterwards. These commissioners proposed to have a supervision of the laws enacted by the General Court, with power of veto, and to seek out the regicides, Goffe and Whalley, and bring them to punishment for condemning Charles I,, which resulted in his execution. Besides Northampton, Springfield and Hadley, sent petitions to the Gen- eral Court, similar in purport, but the commissioners did not meet with success, and finally returned to England. The settlement at Northampton was scarcely twenty years old when what was known as King Philip's War broke out in Rhode Island, and spread through all the New England colonies. The Massachusetts towns on the Connecticut river were greatly exposed, being on the extreme frontier. In the first year, 1675, a garrison composed mostly of troops from the sea-board towns occupied Northampton. On September 1st, an assault was made upon the little hamlet of Hadley on the opposite bank of the river, where the Indians were repelled after much slaughter, and it was said that this success was achieved by the sudden appearance of one of the regicides. General Goffe, who with Whalley, had been in hiding- THE BURT FAMILY. 1 77 there, and who led the townsmen in a final effort. A large force, composed of troops from about Boston, a portion of which had been at Deerfield, was surprised on September i8 at Muddy Brook, in that town, in the present village of South Deerfield and seventy- one of the troops and teamsters were slain. During this year (1675), 141; men were killed at and above Springfield. On March 14 and 16 in the next year raids were made on Northampton and Hatfield and the colonial authorities proposed that the former settle- ment should be abandoned, but at a meeting held on March 28, the townsmen resolved to abide in their homes at any hazard. In the conflict at Turners Falls on May 19th, thirty-eight whites were slain. So incessant were the forays and alarms that during the twenty months this war continued, the people of Northampton may be said to have been continually under arms. The overthrow of King Philip put an end to hostilities originat- ing with the New England Indians, but the frequent dynastic wars between England and France were actively participated in by the English colonies of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York, on the one side, and the French colony of Canada on the other. In these wars the French availed themselves largely of the aid of their Indian allies. They were known to the English colonists as the " French and Indian wars," and specifically as follows : I. King William's war,. . . . from the year 1689 to 1697 II. Queen Anne's war, .... a a n j^^^ to 1713 III. King George's war, .... n " " 1744 to 1748 IV. The Old French and Indian war, . " " " 1754 to 1763 Thus in the seventy-three years, from 1689 to 1763, active hos- tilities were waged during thirty-six years, or about half the time. These wars were peculiarly harassing; the military training and equipment of the French were conjoined with the craft and savage ferocity of the Indians, and their preparations at a distance, their cove»t marches through the wilderness and their expertness in wood-craft enabled them to fall suddenly and unexpectedly upon the frontier settlements. In 1690, a palisade was built about the village of Northampton and soon after block houses or forts were erected at exposed parts of the town. Indians were almost constantly lurking about the 178 THE BURT FAMILY. town cutting off the men engaged in work in the fields or woods. The most disastrous attacks in force were made, however, upon the settlements at Deerfield and Northfield, both of which places being at times abandoned. It is recorded that on " May 13, 1704, Pascomock Fort [at the north-east end of Mount Tom in Northampton] was taken by the French and Indians, being about 72. They took and captivated y^ whole Garjrison, being about 37 persons. The English pursuing of them caused them to nock all the Captives on the head, save 5 or 6. Three they carried to Canada with them and about 7 of those knocked on the head Recovered, y"^ Rest died. " Capt. John Taylor was killed in the fight and Sam'l Bartlet wounded." This is only a single instance of the almost constant conflicts during those wars, and history has recorded their barbarous fea- tures ; the slaughter of men, women and children, the scalping and other maiming, the sufferings of captivity, the wanton destruc- tions of houses and whole villages. As in our western settlements the Indian savages were accounted as wild beasts to be shot down without question or mercy. In 1703, the Rev. Solomon Stoddard, the minister at Northamp- ton, wrote to the Governor, " The first proposal I make to your Ex- cellency is, that our people may be put in away to hunt Indians as they do bears, we should quickly be sensible of a great advantage thereby. The dogs would be an extreme terror to the Indians^ they [are] not much afraid of us; they know they can take us & leave us ; if they can but get out of gun-shot, they count them- selves in no great danger ; however, so many pursue them they are neither afraid of being discovered or pursued. But these dogs would be such a terror to them that after a little experience it would prevent their coming and men would live more safely in their houses and work more safely in the fields and woods. In case the Indians came near the town the dogs would readily take their track and lead to them. Sometimes we see the track of one or two Indians, but can't follow it, but the dogs would discover it and lead our men directly to their enemies — our men might follow with more safety — they would fol- low their dogs with an undaunted spirit, not fearing a surprise — the dogs would do a great deal of execution on the enemy and catch many an Indian that would be too light of foot for us. THE BURT FAMILY. fjg " If the Indians were as other people are and did manage their war fairly,' after the manner of other nations, it might be looked upon as inhuman to pursue them in such a manner. But they are looked upon as murderers ; they don't appear openly in the field to bid iis battle & they use those cruelly that fall into their hands ; they act like wolves & are to be dealt withal as wolves." Mr. Stoddard's urgent proposal was not approved, but in time the settlers became' experienced in the warfare of Indians and rivaled them in their peculiar wiles. Every family in those perilous days counted many victims, both in those related by blood and marriage. David Burt lost two sons, David and John, and another son Benjamin, and his wife, were carried into captivity ; he also lost three brothers-in-law, Samuel Wright, Thomas Holton and Edward Baker, and several nephews and other relatives. David Burt died at Northampton on September 9, 1690, surviv- ing his mother only about three weeks, who died at Springfield on the 19th of the previous month. While he was not a leader in the town's affairs, having had less to do with the public policy in the gov- ernment of the settlement, than had his older brother, Jonathan, in Springfield, or the younger, Nathaniel, in Longmeadow, he served faithfully in that which came to him, and from the little that can now be gathered from his life, he was respected and beloved, not only by his more immediate relatives, but by his neighbors and townsmen. He appears to have had a larger estate in lands than was left by Jonathan, resulting no doubt from his occupation as a public surveyor, and possibly from larger grants to the settlers than were given to the younger men, sons of the first settlers, at Springfield. The inventory of his estate follows and shows that he had accumu- lated in amount a more than average property for the. times in which he lived : Inventory of the Estate of David Burt. Mary, the Relict of David Burt, of Northampton, deceased, who dyed intestate, presented to this Corte an Inventory of her sd Husbands Estate to which she made oath it was a true Inventory so far as she knew, & if more Estate appeares she will readilie make discovery of it. Power of administration upon the Estate was granted to sd Mary & Henry Burt, l8o THE BURT FAMILY. son to the deceased, who gave in bonds to the sum of ;£7oo for suretie of sd Estate, & to give an account of their administration on sd Estate. Here foUoweth an Inventory of the Estate of David Burt, deceased, talcen August 7, 1690, by John King, Senr, & Joseph Root, &c. To house & Lot it stands upon at 90/, 9 acres of Land in hogs bladder at 36/ ... . .... 126 00 To a lot at middle meadow hill 36/, 2 acres that was home lot 12/, 3 acres farther bottom 18/ 66 00 To 2 acres Serls lot 10/, 4 acres in Venters ffield 20/, 4 acres in Raine bow 24/ . . 54 00 To 4 acres & a qr farther bottom lot 15/ 15s, Lot in Venters ffield, farther bottom Lot 16/ 31 15s To 1 yoke oxen 8/, a younger yoke 7/, 4 cows 12/, one old cow & a yerling 3/, 3° co To cart wheels, boxes, bands, plow irons, Clevy pins sos, Chanes, implements, brass, wooden ware, 6/ . . - 8 los To puter dishes, chanes, chine, gun & sworde & belt, . . 3 09 To a Cart rope, for close & bedding, and some chains at, . 14 15 To wool & Salt 12, form, spinning wheels, 10, Henry's home lot 15, 25 00 To another lot of 4 acres at . 20 00 379 09 Here Followeth an Agreement as to Settlement of said Estate. For ye more ready way of settling the Estate of David Burt, deceased, the widdow, Mary Burt, & her eldest son, Henry Burt, which is at age to act for himself, & the Rest of the children under age, & some of their friends agree as followeth, if the Honor'ble Corte sees cause to confirm it, viz: Henry, the Eldest son, to have a double portion of the land in the meadow, which was his ffathers & Mothers, & soe much uplands as that meadow Land doth give, & his home Lot he lives on, & to give seven pounds towards the daughters portions when they come to age, & soe to have no more out of his ffathers Estate,— the Rest of the Estate to be equallie divided amongst ye Rest ye children — the two daughters to have thirty pounds apiece paid them when they come to age. Seven pounds by Henry, & the Rest by the other sons, which are five. One in captivity, with the french, & if he should not come a gaine, the s'd Henry to have a single share, his with ye Rest of the sons. So if the Rest dye before come to age, to be divided by the same rule when the widdows third is set out to her, then Henry to have his double portion of Land now, & the Rest when his mother's thirds comes to be divided after her decease. There is half an acre of Land in Old Rainbow, next to the great river side, which THE BURT FAMILY. l8l Henry Bought & payed for to his ff ather, while he was alive ; this half ;acre must not come into division with the Rest of ye Land; likewise ye widdows 3ds not to be any part of it taken out of Henry's house lot. We ■doe hereunto set our hands allowed of in Corte, as a settlement of the Estate of David Burt, deceased. Mary X Burt her mark Henry Burt. At a County Court held at Northampton, March 31, 1691, Mary, Telict of David Burt, appeared and gave bonds in the sum of 700 pounds, as administrator of her husband's estate. Mrs. Burt subsequently married Joseph Root of Northampton, -and died in 17 18. Of the three sons of Henry Burt, the immigrant, viz : Jonathan, David and Nathaniel, David's descendants have been the most numerous. In the Burt Genealogy, prepared by Roderick H. Burnham, the descendants of both sexes by the name of Burt, from the three piogenitors, are as follows : Jonathan, 495 ; David, 1,241 ; and Nathaniel 357. Mr. Burnham's record is by no means •complete, but sufficient is shown to know that the descendants of David largely outnumber all of those who have descended from his two brothers. The thirteen children of David and Mary Burt were • 1. David, b. July 14, 1656; killed by being run over by his father's cart, August 30, 1660. 2. Jonathan, b. May i, 1658; d. April 15, 1662. 3. Henry, b. August 20, 1660; m. December 12, 1684, Eliza- •beth, daughter of Alexander Alvord ; she d. May 6, 1687, and he m. (2d) December 9, 1687, Hannah, daughter of Henry Uenslow, •who was the first settler at Windsor Locks, Ct., and was killed by Indians in 1676 ; she died May 3, 1689. Mr. Burt m. (3d) in 1690, Mary * * * and he d. September 26,. 1735. He had two •children by his first wife, one by the second and eight by the third- He spent his whole life in Northampton, and his tombstone is one •of the most ancient in the old graveyard there. 4. Mary, b. March 18, 1663 ; d. November 3, 1666. 5. Sarah, b. May 2, 1665 ; m. May 21, 1688, Robert Porter ;d. May 14, 1689. 162 THE BURT FAMILY. 6. Hannah, b. September 2, 1667 ; d. May 3, 1689, unmarried.. 7. David, b. August 25 1669; he was captured by the Frenchi and Indians at the destruction of Schenectady, N. Y., on February 8, 1690. A separate sketch of his fate will be found elsewhere. 8. Jonathan, b. September 5, 167 1; m. June 2, 1696, Mindwell^^ daughter of Capt. John Taylor, who was killed by the Indians oiv- May 13, 1704, in their attack on Pascomock Fort, as mentioned on another page. Mr. Burt lived in the paternal homestead, where he d. October 15, 1745, and his widow d. November 6, 1761, in her 84th year. They had iive children. 9. Joseph, b. September 26, 1673; ™- April 16, 1702; Sarah^ daughter of John Cowles of Hatfield, to which town Mr. Burt moved and lived until 1719, when he removed to Northfield, where he had purchased a large estate. He took a prominent part in town aff airs- and in the defence of the town against the frequent attacks by the French and Indians, his son Asahel was killed, in his 32d year by the Indians in an attack at Pochaug Hill, on April 15, 1747 Many of Joseph's descendants remained at Northfield, and others- settled in New Hampshire and Vermont. In the French and Indian Wars and in the Revolutionary War many of them took an active part in the field. Mr. Burt d. January 13, 1759, aged 83^ and his widow d. May 21, 1772, aged 91 years. 10. Mary, bap. May 3, 1676 ; m. February 14, 1706, Dr. Thomas Hastings of Hatfield, who was b. at Watertown, Mass., on July i^ 1652, being the son of Deacon Thomas and Margaret (Cheney) Hastings. Dr. Hastings moved to Hatfield, where he was ad- mitted freeman Februarys, 1678; he m. October 10, 1672, Anna Hawkes of Hadley, who d. October 25, 1705. He practiced "physic and chirurgery" in all the towns about Hadley, there be- ing no other physician, even at Northampton, until 1730. He was also a school teacher, and contrary to the otherwise universal rule^ he admitted girls to equal co-education with boys. This was a privilege not otherwise generally granted until a century and a half later. He d. July 23, 1712, and his widow Mary (Burt) m. May 7,. 17 13, Samuel Belden of Hatfield. The Rev. Dr. Thomas S. Hastings, the present President of the Union Theological Semi- nary of New York City, is a descendant of Dr. Thomas Hastings.. THE. BURT FAMILY. 183 11. Rulh, b. April, ** 1677 ; m. December 16, 1710, Nehemiah Allen of Northampton. She d. March,^** 1746. 12. Benjamin, b. November 17, 1680; m. October 19, 1702, Sarah Belden. They were both taken captive by the French and Indians at the destruction of Deerfield on February 29, 1704. A separate sketch of their career is given elsewhere. 13. John, b. April 29, 1682. About the middle of May, 1709, Capt. Benjamin Wright, the famous Indian fighter of Northfield, started up.the Connecticut river at the head of a " war party.'' He , had witn him ten companions, one of whom was John Burt. They had a pocket-compass as a guide through the wilderness and ad- vanced to within forty miles of the French military station at Chambl^, Canada. On their return they met and attacked a party of Indians on the Onion River, in which skirmish John Burt was killed. NORTHAMPTON MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO. The conditions of the lives of our ancestors when ascertainable are' always full of interest, it is not difficult to reconstruct in out- line the times, now over two centuries ago, when David and Mary Burt spent their married life in Noithampton. There are in the records of those days and in the contemporaneous literature ample materials for the purpose. These illustrate the customs, habits and trend of sentiment in all the New England settlements during the latter half of the seventeenth century. Mr. James R. Trumbull of Northampton, who has for many years been engaged in preparing an exhaustive history of Northamp- ••' ton, and has been able to locate the home lots of the early inhabi- .-' tants, has kindly prepared the map printed in connection with this sketch, of that portion of the town most interesting to the de- scendants of our ancestor, Henry Burt, and of his son David. The home lot of David Burt and his brother-in-law, John King, will be seen on the east side of King street. This is where they lived. On the west side of Pleasant street, will be noticed the lot '■^•j'-''"' of their father-in-law, Wiliam Holton, the first deacon of the -,; J A church. The home lots of Samuel Wright, Jr., who married David's sister Elizabeth, will be seen on Bridge street, A portion of this ffji'i property remained in the Wright family more than two hundred 154 THE BLTRC FAMILY. years, up to a very recent date. Beyond the cemetery will be jioticed the lot of James and Judah Wright. Judah married the youngest of Henry Burt's daughters, Mercy Burt. The lot of John Bliss will be noticed on Market street. John Bliss married Patience Burt, the sister next older than Mercy. The dates of each lot refer to the time they were recorded, and the other figures to the number of acres in each lot. The lot of Deacon Samuel Wright, the father of Samuel, Jr., Judah, and James, included that portion which passed into the hands of Asahel Pomeroy in 1799. Alexander Edwards' and John Webb's lots, at a much later period> became the home lot of Governor Caleb Strong. The lot given to Rev. Eleazar Mather, the first minister, is largely occupied with what is now known as Shop Row, the principal business stores of the town. Meeting House Hill, opposite, is where the present First Church, a recent structure, still stands. Near it was located the first church of the town. Joseph Parsons, known by his military title as Cornet Joseph, and Jonathan Hunt, whose lots will be noticed on the map, were occasionally associated with David Burt in public affairs. David Burt's out-lying lands were from a mile to two miles distant from the center of the town. Those not now familiar with Northamp- ton may be interested in knowing that Smith College, one of our famous colleges for young women, is located at the intersection of West and Elm streets, north and west. David Burt's home lot, where he lived and died, passed into the hands of his son Jonathan, and from him to his youngest son, Eleazer Burt, who occupied it till 1771, it having at that time been in the ownership of David and his son and grandson 117 years- Eleazer meeting with business reverses, the home lot and dwelling were sold. In 1777 it was in the ownership of Deacon Ebenezer Hunt, who transferred it to his son Seth. From him it passed to John Bellows, Jr., and from him to Hezekiah Russell, who was the owner of it in 1803. Russell sold it to Wareham Mather, who sold the northwest part to Elisha Butler, in 1809. The house now (1893) owned by Mrs. Emery Wells, and that known as the Deacon James Hibben house just south of it, stand upon the original David Burt home lot. Mention has been made of the beautiful site of Northampton THE BURT FAMILY. 185 ensconced in the great bend of the Connecticut River just before it passes on its way to the sea through the last mountain portal. The settlement was made upon the slightly elevated plateau above the broad meadows that extend along the river. Residences could not be built upon these meadows because they were annually in- undated by the great Spring freshets that enriched them by re- newed alluvial deposits. These floods, bearing great blocks of ice and drift in their swift current, prevented the growth of trees on the lowlands and so spared much of that toil of felling and clear- ing almost universally incidental to the new plantations in America. The meadows bore luxuriant crops of coarse, native grasses that for a while supplied the only stores of fodder that supported the cattle in the long winters ; and when the compact sward was broken by the plough, they were not only readily tillable but also yielded large crops, particularly of the indigenous Indian corn^ which only thrives most luxuriantly in the deep, fat earth of such bottom-lands. The first houses stood upon this plateau of uneven rolling sur- face and on the adjoining hill, just within the edge of the primeval! forest that seemed to stretch interminably to the west, full of mys- teries, some attractive and others charged with direful fancies. Unlike the other settlements the houses were not set along a single street, but as if already aspiring city-wards, there were several streets. Each house stood upon its ample "home lot;" probably at first some were makeshift abodes, reconstructed or replaced later by better structures. Naturally their construction was of wood, the material most plentiful, convenient and easiest wrought. Even in the later period they were mostly of one story, with a steep- roof, giving a spacious attic and withstanding the weight of the deep snows. When built 'with two stories, the roof sloped to- within eight or nine feet of the ground in the rear, a style that was- almost universal to the' end of the next century. The windows, were small and few, not only as reducing the weak points of resist- ance to the cold blasts but also because of the scarcity and high price of glass, for which oiled paper was often substituted. From the roof rose the rude chimney, at first of stacked pieces of wood, daubed inside with clay, later of rough stone masonry, or in some localities of brick, made in the vicinity. These chimneys were so 1 86 THE BURT FAMILY. massive that they seemed to be the principal motive of the ■struc- ture, around which the other parts huddled as if to gain the warmth. The frames of these houses were of oak, and the timber, huge in its proportions, was hewn from the great trees felled near by. Very little sawn lumber was used, as all sawing was at first done by hand in saw pits, and a day's work by the top and pit-sawyer could accomplish only a hundred feet of boards, even when the logs were delivered at the pit hewn and squared. The wages of these sawyers were fixed by law, but at an early period in most towns they were superseded by sawmills worked by water power. At first, sawn lumber on account of its cost was used only for cdoors, windows and their casings. The siding was of boards cleft jfrom straight-grained logs by means of wedges, and our compound ■word " clap-board," is said to be a corruption of " clove-board." 'The floors were of thicker boards, riven in a similar way from such logs as had a clear cleavage, and timber useful for this purpose is ■designated in the old records as "rift timber." The rooms were seldom plastered but were lined or wainscoted -and some ceiled with clove-boards. There was a cellar, laid up with rough, dry masonry, and usually extending under a part of the house only. The roofs were sometimes thatched with straw or aiative grasses, or reeds, and sometimes shingled. The abundance cif excellent materials for shingles soon led to their general use. At the best, these houses of rough boards, that could not be so jointed or fastened as to keep out the air, were too liberally venti- lated in cold weather. It was in some instances usual to face the houses southward, without regard to the street, so as to get the sunny aspect and make a rude sun-dial by a noon mark on" the floor cast on clear days by the shade of the doorpost, as few per- sons owned clocks or watches. In the midst of these domiciles, upon a slight elevation on the north side of what is now Main street, stood the meeting house, quite as rude in appearance and fittings. But if the hamlet structures were not picturesque, their setting was, for on the one side spread the vast woodlands, rich in varied foliage or glistening in the icy clasp of winter, and on the other hand lay the broad meadows through which flowed the placid THE BURT FAMILY. 187 waters of the Connecticut, beyond which rose the huge bulk of the Holyoke range witli its wonderfully serrated sky-line, and further westward Mount Tom, crowned by the rays of the setting sun. Unlike the villages of our day, this inchoate one presented no variety of shops, offices and other business edifices ; it was a simple group of homely dwellings clustered near the plain little meeting- house. About every man in the community was primarily a tiller of the soil, and such special handicraft as he was versed in was pursued in the winter and at such other times as the weather pre- vented field work. In respect to all the necessary trades each isolated community had to be self-sustaining, and each of them, except that of blacksmith. Was carried on in the residence of the tradesman during the earlier period. Upon a summer's day the firstperson appearing upon the streets was the Cow-keeper, a paid official who had charge of the cows, for each of which he received a stated fee, "but dry Cattle and yearlings Shall be half pay." At early dawn even in summer the Cow-keeper saw the column of smoke ascending from each chim- ney, betokening the preparations for breakfast, for these people were toilers and despised the idler and the sluggard. The morning meal dispatched, the " men-folks " repaired to the fields — among them David Burt, — unless some disputed land-line was to be determined or anew allotment of the common lands to be surveyed and divided. The very few horses, the provision for a general care of the kine, and the fact that the swine were allowed to rove the forest as free- booters, reduced the exactions of those " chores" about home that in time became the inexorable daily routine. At a later hour the quiet of the street was broken by the chil- dren on their way to school, for so early as November 28, 1664, the town voted " to give Mr. Cornish six pound towards the schoole & to take the benefit of the scolers provided that he teach six months in the year together.'' In 1666, this provision was much amplified in these terms : " It is agreed & ordered that William Jeanes was hired by the Towne to teach school one year & for his encouragement upon the worke the Town & himself came to this Conclusion & Agreement : For the year he is to have out of the Town stock 10 pounds which the Town promise to pay; 2d, 4d per week for such as are in the primer & other English books ; THE BURT FAMILY. 3d, 6d per week to learn the Accidence, writing, casting acompts ; 4tl'i, In case there be a neglect that they do not come constantly 3 days shall be accounted a week.'' Mr. Burt's own educational opportunities had been scanty, since he left England at an early age and his residence at Roxbury and Springfield in their first settlement deprived him of all means of instruction except the most elementary. He must have rejoiced in the better fortune of his children and in the scope of their educa- tion from the primer through the " Accidence " to casting accounts. There is no mention of a school-house at this date in the early records, and it might have been at the teacher's residence, or the meeting house, that his pupils assembled^ for his guidance in the paths of lore. When the little flock of school children had been safeiy folded the streets resumed their solitary aspect, only broken perhaps by the dignified figure of the minister on his way to some pastoral visit — certainly one of necessity, since the good house- wives were too busy to enjoy even a pious discourse if it were merely desultory. If we had followed the men to the fields, we would find them toiling there, aided by such of their sons as had exhausted the curriculum of Pedagogue Jeanes. The raising of crops was a mat- ter of supreme necessity since they furnished almost the sole means of subsistence in those widely separated plantations. All plough- ing and hauling were done by oxen, and indeed the use of these sturdy and placid animals for all heavy farm work continued throughout New England down to within our memory. In fact, only such tough, powerful beasts could readily drag the heavy wooden ploughs and tear up the stubborn primeval sward or through the tenacious roots and stumps of newly cleared fields. Because of the scarcity and cost of iron the oxen were not shod, and great caution was taken not to subject them to such use as would lame them. It is a fact that in these early breeds of cattle more atten- tion was paid to such points as would insure stout and sound oxen than to such as afliected the dairy. The town owned a selected bull which appears to have had nomadic instincts and so got " in quod," for on July 15, 1664, it is recorded: "Our Towne Bull being im- pounded at Pontius [a hamlet in Hatfield near the Northampton line] the Townsmen did impower John King [David Burt's brother- THE BURT FAMILY. 189 in-law] to replevy him & enter into bond to answer their complaint that impounded him & will bear all charges about it." It is prob- able that the frugal townsmen took care thereafter to restrain this erratic animal. The field culture comprehended wheat, rye, corn, peas and pumpkins ; and after a while sufficient fiax was raised for domestic use. Farm work, after 1674, was not altogether monotonous drudg- ery, being varied by constant watchfulness against Indian forays and by an occasional experience of flying missiles from the woods or by bold onslaughts in force. The farther outlying fields were particularly dangerous, and Mr. Burt had a tract in one of these known as Venturer's Field,* and we can imagine him ploughing the corn there, or, it may be, running a land line elsewhere, ever mindful that within the dark shadows of the neighboring woods * While this gives a truthful picture of the necessity of alertness on the part of the early settlers, after Northampton had fairly begun its more extended operations, further search and comparison with other settlements leads to the belief that the name of Venturer's Field in the Northampton meadows, and which still is in use in defining boundaries within its limits, had its origin from another circumstance. The name " ad- venturer," which the Northampton settlers cut short in pronunciation, as was common at that time, may have come from a custom prevalent in England. The Merchant Adven- turers of London date back to the first colonization of North America. It was certain Merchant Adventurers who fitted out in part the Pilgrims, and also a like company, the colony in which Governor John Winthrop came in 1630, and of which William Pynchon was a member. The Merchant Adventurers was first a company chartered in England by Henry IV., and by successive sovereigns down to Charles I., in 1634, and was put in operation by Antwerp merchants, who carried on hazardous colonization and trading schemes in North America, and hence in common terms they were adventurers, having adventured their fortunes. Venturer's Field in Northampton, which is a part of the meadows adjoining, and to the eastward of the highlands, skirting what is now Bridge Street, might have been the camping ground of those who went up from Springfield to make explorations, and as John Pynchon made the bargain with the Indians, and paid for the lands out of his store, he might have applied the term of Venturer's Field to the locality where he possibly had spent some time before the purchase was concluded. Other fields in the meadows were more remote than this, and therefore, this could not have been more exposed than the others. Other portions of the Northampton meadows were named from conditions apparent at the time of occupancy, like Old and Young Rainbow — ^the shape of the fields, their outer lines sufficiently resembling a rainbow in form to suggest the name. There was also the Nook, Bark Wigwam, where there had probably been a wigwam when first taken possession of. Walnut Tree, and others, which were named by the first occupants, to correspond with the conditions, and which names still remain. Munhan, referred to in the records, near the western end of the old Ox-bow in the Connecticut, has in modern times become Manhan. The river in Easthampton which flows into the old Ox-bow, keeps alive the name of Manhan, which otherwise might become extinct. It is of Indian origin, but its meaning is not generally under- stood at the present time. igo THE BURT FAMILY. there might lurk dusky forms awaiting a chance, in modern phrase- ology, to "lift " his scalp. No doubt his trusty and ancient match- lock gun rested ever near him, since in those perilous days every man carried his arms when abroad, even to the meeting house, and every sound, the sudden cry of startled birds, the groaning of the tree limbs shaken by the wind, or the other varied noises in the forest were causes for alarm. In these peaceful days it is hard to realize the constant strain this apprehension of an ever-pending danger must have been. The dreaded foe was wily, untiring and ruthless, with no consideration for age or sex. David Burt escaped injury himself, but as has been elsewhere shown he lost many near and dear relatives in those barbarous wars. A usual time selected by the crafty savages for an attack was in the harvest-time, when the laden cart was about to turn homeward and the toilers, distracted from their vigilance as they left the leafy ambush behind them, were suddenly assaulted and called to defend the cumbrous cart and its stolid oxen. It may be noted here that the cart was the only vehicle used for transportation ; four-wheeled vehicles were very scarce in the colonies and travel was usually in the saddle, with a pillion for the accompanying woman. These carts, though slow, could be as ruthless as a modern street car, as is shown by the many accidents recorded. On August 30, 1660, as David Burt was bringing home a load of harvested corn, his first born child, David, then four years old, was run over by the cart and killed. To return to the village streets — these were occasionally visited if not enlivened by the neighboring Indians. They were of the Norwottuck branch of the Nipmuck tribes, that were sparsely scat- tered through Central and Western Massachusetts, and were incom- parably inferior to the tribes that inhabited Canada and New York, as also to the Narragansetts of Rhode Island and Connecti- cut. While they did not ally themselves with the hostile Indians who so long devastated the Connecticut valley, they were of slight service in guarding against or repelling those attacks. The whites held them to be a besotted and irreclaimable race, as is indi- cated by many records, among which may be instanced the follow- ing from those of Northampton : April 7, 1664. — At a Town meeting the Indians desired a place to build THE BURT FAMILY. 19I a forte. The Town granted they should p'vided they would attest these articles underwritten. The men that the Town chose to deliver their mind to the Indians were David Wilton, John Lyman and Joseph Parsons. The Town's mind was declared to the, Indians by us, April 13, 1664. The Indians suggested to the Town to have liberty to build a forte on our lands the Town declared on what terms they may make a forte on the land, viz : 1. They shall not break the Sabbath by working or gaming or carrying Burdens or the like. 2. They shall not Powwaw on that place or any where else amongst us. 3. They shall not get Uquors or Cider & drink themselves drunk as so to kill one another, as they have done. 4. They shall not take in other Indians of other places to Seat amongst them, we allow only Nowutague Indians that were the Inhabitants of the place. 5. They shall not break down our fences & let in cattle & Swine but shall go over a stile at one place. 6. The murderers Callowane & Wuttowhan & Pacquallant shall not seat amongst them. 7. They shall not hunt nor kill our Cattle or Sheep or Swine with their Dogs, if they do they shall pay for them. ^ But these Indians were not the only nuisances that infested the streets, for so early as 1664, it was ordered " that if any shall run races with their horses or mares in any street in this town shall! for every offence pay 2s 6d, the one-half to the town, the other half to the Informer." While conceding that racing horses in the public streets would be much more dangerous to life and limb than even the obdurate ox-cart, one cannot but feel some leniency for the offenders in that respect when recalling the almost absolute dearth of recreation and amusement at Northampton at that period. The young vcomen were debarred from paradmg in silk, laces and ornaments, and the young men from ' displaying the paces of their favorite steeds, and so cut off from the public diversions that largely occupy the respective sexes in our modern towns. It is probable also that the village streets were the only practicable courses for "speeding" horses — as also mares. The three princi- pal roads out of Northampton led to Boston, Springfield and West- field ; the first nam.ed was known as the Bay Road, as were all others that led to the Massachusetts Bay, and it joined the Springfield "Bay Road" at Brookfield ; the road to Springfield, perhaps most fre- quently used after it was opened, crossed the river to the Hockanum 192 THE BURT FAMILY. meadows, and thence down by the east bank; the road to West- field was the usual route to and from Windsor and Hartford. At first these roads were rough and difficult, but attention gradually- improved them, and they were the usual routes of transportation, though after 1670, much grain was hauled to the foot of " the Great Falls " (at Holyoke) and thence boated down. The naviga- tion of the Connecticut to some extent was coincident with the settlement of the several towns on its banks. At Northampton the meadows on the east bank, as also the practicable road to Springfield, had to be reached by boats, and for this purpose, and probably for others, too, there were constructed canoes by labori- ously hollowing the trunk of a tree ; these, however, were danger- ous craft, readily capsized, and the loss of many lives by this cause led the General Court to prohibit by law their use for ferries. For the ferrying of carts and cattle, a larger boat was needed, and by the prevalent communistic principle such a boat was constructed by the town of Northampton, and the following regulations, some- what incoherent in part, were established for its care and use : February 27, 1658. An order for making and ordering the boat, made by the Townsmen, Viz : First, that we make choice of Goodman Bartlett for the keeping of the key; if any person or persons have occasion to use the Town boat they shall demand the key of Robert Bartlett. Second, that all such person or persons after they have had the key dehvered to them shall stand to the hazard of the boat till the key be de- livered to the proper keeper appointed by the Town or his assignes. Thirdly, that those that make use of the boat shall not leave it above 30 rods below the lower end of the Island* that is below the Middle Meadow, neither above the lower end of the Island, without the side that is next to the river, under penalty of Two shillings 6d for every such de- fect ; further that they shall lock it to such a place that in an ordinary way it shall be secure from taking away, unless it be unlocked, under penalty of 5s for every such defects. Fourthly, That no person or persons that carry over the boat over the river shall fail to return it there above one hour & half. Further, that if he or they shall keep the key after they have brought * Thi s evidently refers to an island that does not now exist. The island farther up the river, and in front of Mount Holyoke, now known as Shepherd's Island, dates back to 1700, which might easily be mistaken for the one alluded to in these extracts That must have been nearly a mile below, opposite Middle Meadow, and was probably carried away in some spring freshet, as there have been no traces of it within this century. THE BURT FAMILY. 1 93 •over the boat & locked it, above one hour, shall forfeit 2s 6d for every ;such defect. Further, if any one person or persons shall break or lose the oars be- longing to the boat, shall either pay for them or provide as good as they were again. This was evidently a boat designed for business purposes solely, and neither at Northampton nor at any of the other river towns is there a single allusion to any water craft being used for pleasure ■excursions ; in this as in all other directions the Puritan austerity governed. In fact there were scarcely any social diversions unless ■we account as such the Sunday observances and week-day lectures in the meeting-house, where all assembled with devout purposes, ■but doubtless there were many who esteemed these services also :as welcome breaks in the monotonous routine of life. The use of •cards and dice was prohibited by law ; neither theatres nor other public exhibitions existed ; dancing was interdicted as sinful ; musical instruments were so rare as to be unknown in most towns, and the singing-school had not yet become the institution that made it at a later date the principal social gathering in each community. There were no recognized holidays ; Christmas was ignored as savoring . of papacy or prelacy, and Thanksgiving Day was still in the far "future. Weddings were accounted proper occasions for tempered merry-making, and David Burt's union to Mary Helton as ruefully described by Dr. Holland may be taken cum grano salts, as tem- pered by his romantic nature. Marriages were almost invariably sealed by a civil magistrate, and this, in those Puritan days, gave a broader range for festivity than if they had been wholly religious Tites. The records make no mention of honeymoons, wedding trips, receptions, or other post-nuptial observances, but their absence •did not weakeuj^the strength of the knot, since the same records are silent as to divorces or separations. The marriages of widows and also of widowers, unless of advanced age, were common, and there are few instances of confirmed celibacy. In the law passed by the General Court prohibiting the sale of cakes and buns be- cause of a scarcity of wheat, an exception was made of cakes sold 4.01: weddings, which might be taken as an authoritative recognition •of them as festive occasions, were not the same indulgence ex- tended to " burials." 194 THE BURT FAMILY. Funerals were always well attended ; in those isolated settle- ments not only did every one know all his fellow in-dwellers, but even where there was no kinship, their peculiarly close association, in church and other concerns bred a sodality almost as close as a family tie and broken only by positive animosity. It thus became an absolute and also a voluntary duty to attend the last rites around the body of a deceased^member of the community without regard to age, sex or condition. Every death made a visible gap- in the little social organization, and this gave to every funeral a solemnity and personal import that affected all the survivors. A striking picture might be drawn of those funerals in the heart of the great wilderness : the gathering of all the people as mourners- about the simple domicile; the solemn offices of the minister be- side the corpse of one of his little fiock ; his words replete with, grief because he intimately knew the virtues, and the failings, too,, of the departed one — words rising to triumphant faith in the blessed immortality of the believer ; the solemn procession to the graveyard, headed by the minister, followed by four stalwart townsmen, bearing the coffin on a bier, behind whom came the- relatives and then the other mourners, videlicet the residue of the inhabitants. So passing through the streets the somber train reached the graveyard, at first on the hill about the meetinsf-house,, and later (i66i) removed to its long-time location on the present- road to Hadley, known as Bridge street. What a contrast was that forlorn " God's Acre " compared with the well-cared-for cemeteries of to-day, which have a single blemish only in the ostentatious display of human vanity, often exemplified in costly monuments- over mortal remains that would have a better setting with simple tablets for record, surrounded by the greensward, foliage and flowers, themselves emblematic of life and death. The first tomb- stones in the Northampton graveyard were of surface sandtsone, probably from Mt. Tom, and of such a soft nature that they soon^ disintegrated. Such a stone might have been placed over the remains of David Burt, after his death, in 1690. More -durable- stone was subsequently quarried for the purpose, and the stone marking the grave of his son Henry, who died in 1735, is still ex- tant, and its inscription legible. His father was probably buried THE BURT FAMILY. 1 95 near the same location, which is on the eastern side of the yard, about ten rods from the main avenue. To return to the social recreations of those earlier times in Northampton, it is possible that there were some occasions for merriment that the staid and practical recorders of the day ignored. Youth is ever light-hearted and vivacious and no conditions can be so cheerless and repressive as to extinguish wholly its predilection for fun. The elders, too, with their innate sense of humor that they bequeathed so liberally to their posterity in New England, must have enjoyed an occasional relaxation from Puritan gravity ; indeed the peculiar quality of that humor may have originated in the subjection of its expression to Puritan canons of propriety. At least there was in those days a very narrow field for merriment and relaxation from the straight-laced code. Visits from friends and relatives living at a distance were doubt- less very infrequent, since the roads were bad and the dangers on them many. Even communication by letter was almost impractica- ble, as there were no mails and the sole dependence for the carriage of letters was in some chance traveler. So jealous were the townsmen of their own social sufficiency that the following pro-, clamation was published by them in 1672 : " Whereas a great deal of trouble detrimental & charges have been brought upon this town by reason of receiving into the same Foreigners & Strangers. We do, therefore, by this order & by this it is ordered that whosoever in this Town shall bring into it or receive into his family a Foreigner or Stranger or any man from abroad & entertain him in his house above Ten days without Liberty from the Selectmen shall forfeit to the Towne Ten shillings for every week so entertaining him. By order of the Selectmen." It would be interesting to know the immediate causes for this drastic inhibition of hospitality, which resembles the domiciliary visitation and supervision exercised by some modern governments. So far as personal intercourse was concerned, the men had a great advantage over the women; since the latter were mostly confined to their home life, while the former not only came in contact in their daily pursuits but were assembled en masse in their militia musters and town meetings. The musters were in accordance with the military laws of the Colony, which were very severe. There 196 THE BURT FAMILY. was no enforced uniformity in dress required, but every adult and healthy male was obliged to have a musket, match, powder and bullets, under heavy penalties for neglect. Drills were at first held every Saturday, but this was soon changed to once a month; it was, however, unlawful to travel at any time over a mile from the settlements without the above named equipments. Frequent mention has been elsewhere made in this volume to the town-meeting, which might be called the protoplasmic cell of our political organism. Attendance upon these important meetings was an imperative duty of citizenship in Northampton, and in the following order establishing that principle and defining a quorum there is an anticipation of the current proposition of compulsory voting : " Feb. 9, 1658. It was ordered that whoever he be that absents himself from any town meeting, being warned by the Town, or any other being the warner, with orders from the Townsmen, shall pay i2d for every neglect, or whosoever doth depart before the meeting be concluded without leave from the moderator shall pay izd for every such neglect, but for those meetings yearly which the Town are to choose Selectmen and other Town officers, being legally warned, yet to neglect coming for every such defect to pay 2S 6d, unless the delinquent can give some Just cause for the same & the Town so Judge of it, & if there be 13 inhabitants shall make a be- ginning & what they do shall be authentic and others not there shall lose their votes, and also be fined is if they be not at the beginning of the meeting when it is orderly begun." In an assemblage where all had equal privileges and interests there would naturally arise contentions and uproar in the discus- sion of exciting questions, and so the following rules for debate were necessarily enacted : " Northampton, 19th of 12th mo., i65o. At a meeting of the Selectmen, considering that might be for the well ordering of Town meetings, & finding by Experience that Tumults & many speaking at one time in Such Tumultous manner, that it hinders the work in hand, & is dishonorable to God and grevous to many persons, do therefore order whilst any comon business is in hand or under consideration & debate, every man shall apply himself to the comon worke & not to be more speakers than one at a time, lovingly & moderately, upon the Penalty of i2d for every such offence, to be leaved by distress. We intend not to hinder any man to give his advice in any matter, one at a Time." THE BURT FAMILY. I97 This enforcement of order, with the appendage of a special proviso preserving freedom of speech, is a characteristic illustration of the democratic principles of our ancestors. The officials who acted as the trustees of the town lands were known as the Select- men, sometimes as the "Townsmen," and an instance of the cautious limitation of their powers and provision for an audit of their accounts is given in the following : " Feb. 5, 1657. It is voted and agreed that Wm. Houlton, Thos. Wood- ford, Robert Banlett, are chosen for Townsmen for the year ensuing, & that the aforesaid Townsmen shall not dispose of any of the Town's land without the Town's consent. It was then voted & agreed that the old Townsmen shall give up their accounts within a month after the year is expired to the new Townsmen, that all accounts may be perfected & Righteousness maintained, & this is to be done from year to year, viz: Mr. Fitch, Richard Lyman, William Clarke, are to give up their accounts to Joseph Parsons, Samuel Wright, Jr., & William Clarke, & the said Joseph Parsons, Samuel Wright, Jr., and Issac Sheldon, are to give up their accounts to William Helton, Robert Bartlett & Thomas Woodford." Though no mention is made of the place of the Town meetingF, they were probably held in the meeting house, which was the only public edifice. The Puritans did not believe in the consecration of churches for exclusively religious purposes, and in fact all the busi- ness affairs of the church were discussed and decided at the town meetings. Among other such business from time to time : "At a legal Town Meeting, Sept. 18, 1682. The town voted to have a good bell purchased that they might have it for their use to call the Town •together on the Lords days & at other times, and also ordered the Select- men to labour to purchase a good bell that might be heard through the town." " March 15, 1688. At a legal town meeting the Town Impowered Enos Kingsley to Sue for the wheate Sent down by Mr. Stevens to pay for the bell which he pretends was spoiled, & so gives no account for it." "At the same time the Town ordered the Selectmen speedily to raise a rate in money So much as will fully discharge what money is still due for the payment of the bell." The general features of the conduct of public worship have been elsewhere mentioned. The seating of the men on one side of the igo THE BURT FAMILY. meeting house and of the women on the other side universally pre- vailed, and even in this arrangement there were certain rules. In appointing a committee at Northampton in 1664, "for the seating of the meeting house," the following was enjoined upon its mem- bers : " The rules that they are to attend in this worke are these : Age, Estate, Qualifications only resting the Commish[ioned] Officers and Impartiality." There were officials provided with rods wherewithal to admonish inattentive or unruly boys and also to see that no member yielded to somnolent promptings. The sexton usually placed an hour-glass upon the minister's desk when he began his sermon so that the congregation could be assured that not a second's worth of sound doctrine had been abated. The tithing men carefully scanned the assemblage to note absentees, who were fined for every such offence if they could give no valid excuse, and as every person of responsible age in the community was subject to this rule, such absentees were easily detected. In addition to the services on the Lord's Day there were week-day lectures by the minister, but attendance upon these was not com- pulsory. While great deference was paid to the minister his special function was recognized as purely ecclesiastic, and in all secular affairs he had no pre-eminence except such as his personal character and intelligence gave him. The first minister at Northampton was the Rev. Eleazar Mather, son of the Rev. Richard Mather of Dorchester, and uncle of the noted divine and scholar, the Rev. Cotton Mather. At a town meeting on June 7, 1658, " It was agreed by a unanimous consent to desire Mr. Mather to be a minister to them in a way of Trial in dispensing his gifts." On December 20th following, " It was then ordered & agreed at a Town meeting that a rate of a hundred ' pounds shall be levied for the building of a house for the minis- try, the said house to be finished for ;^ioo;" and on January 4, 1659, "It was voted & agreed that there shall be 80 acres of meadow land laid out for the ministry.'' Mr. Mather died in 1669, and his widow married Solomon Stoddard, who succeeded him in 1672, and continued to preach at Northampton until 1729, a pastorate of fifty-seven years. During Mr. Mather's ministry the list of members of the church included David Burt's wife, Mary ; her father and mother, William and Mary Holton ; her THE BURT FAMILY. 1 99 :sister and brother-in-law, Sarah and John King ; also Samuel Wright, Sr., two of whose sons had married sisters of David Burt. The latter's name appears upon the list of members in Mr. Stoddard's ministry, together with those of his son, Henry, and -his brothers-in-law, Jvidah Wright and John Holton. The laws of the Colony enforced .the strict observance of the Lord's Day not only by attendance at public worship, but also in frigid abstention from all labor, amusements or other temporal pur- -suits. These laws applied not only to the inhabitants of the Colony, but equally so to all sojourners within its limits, as is shown by the following Court record : ■" At a County Court held at Northampton, March 27, 1683. The Grand Jury presenting Garret Langsson & Abrham Kep of Albany, Two Dutchmen, to this Countie Courte, for the profaning of the Sabbath by their travelling on the Sabbath day, & through the Towne of Weslfield, -& to Springfield, & this in the time of Publique Worship, & this Corte taking into consideration such scandalous presidents, & that they may bear Testimony agt such gros Prophaneness, for the like provoking sins in ■others, if it may be, God assisting, have adjudged the same Two Dutch- men, Garret Langsson & Abraham Kep, to pay for which ten shillings -a piece to the Countie Treasurie in money, & Samuel Marshfield [of Springfield] stands engaged to the Countie Treasurer the Paymt of the said Ten shillings apiece; further, the Corte orders a writ of execution i;o be put out for the collecting of said fines, which was accordingly done." Having touched upon the general conditions of the community, a closer interest attaches to the home life of David Burt's family as -also that of their neighbors. The character of the dwellings has been mentioned, each standing upon its "home lot," and back of it the rude barn, where were sheltered the cattle in winter, sur- rounded by stacks of wheat, rye and hay. In the little garden- ^atch near the house were grown the common vegetables such as onions, cabbages, turnips and beans ; the potato had not yet ac- d 3 4 2 II 4 I 9 2 4 8 S 2 10 THE BURT FAMILY. supplies were purchased of some storekeeper at Northampton. The following, in addition to charges which were included in his father's accounts, are all that are now found on Pynchon's books : July i6, 1665. I qt bottle 3 yd wt cotton 100 doble Tens I yd calico I lb Powder 1 knife I yd 1-2 kersy 1 yd 1-4 stuff at 8s 1-2 M Pins 8 2 yds 1-2 blanketing 18 I hat I I TOO doble Tens 2 100 of nayles i •» 4 doz of buttons 2s, 4 s silk 2 6 : Bible 6 May 2, 1656. To 4 yds of red cotton at 4s 2d i6 8 1 yd 1-4 of red shagg at 4s 2d 58 2 yds 1-4 red penistone at 4s gd 6 6 2 lbs of starch i 6 Linnen my wife died Cambrick 7 6 A felt hat t 7 1 qt of sack, 2 6 1-2 peck oatmeale 2 6 2 lb ginger 14 Altogether, 883 £ s. d. Received by 48 bushel of wheat at two several times S 8 Resting due 3 100 dobe Tens 2 3 yds 1-2 of red cotton 14 T yd holland 10 8 3 yds Scots cloth at 22d 5 6 T yd 1-2 wt cotton 5 I yd grey kersy 7s 6d 11 n : M Pins i8d, silk 3d, 2 knives i6d 3 3 THE BURT FAMILY. £ s d 7 1 knife 4 yds yellow Tammy at 3s 2d Received 8 bushels wheat, 2Ss Dec. 10, '58. 2 pr stockens 2 10 I 1-2 M. Pins 3 7 396 Received as above in wheate 28s Rests due to me, 2 \ 6 Received of Samuel Marshfield 2 6 Received by what I promise to allow you towards your plowing for mee 3 i So is Resting due to David Burt ye sum of 19 6 I knife 8d, pr stockens is 18 Pd by delivering to your ffather i yd 1-2 gr kersy, i6s yd, I 1-2 3s gd 106 I O Paper 7 Rests due to me, 3 5 Jan. 17, '62, Reed as above. David Burt began life at Northampton with a Bible, and a gun, emblems of faith and self-preservation. There was mingled with his strong religious sentiment much that savored of practical com- mon sense, befitting the times and the environment, and he took up the duties of his new life in full conformity with the conditions that this isolated settlement imposed. If he was not a leader among his fellows the records show that he was a valued citizen, and evidently made the best use of his time and opportunities. As one in a community that was upholding the faith which animated and inspired those who came to New England for greater religious and civil freedom, he was faithful to all its trusts, while his chil- dren promptly responded to every patriotic duty of their times, honoring a household and a parentage in a way that reflected the highest credit upon that which is the foundation of noble purposes and faithful training. The descendants of David and Mary Burt must ever turn with feelings of gratitude to the founders of a family in a simple New England town that had reverence, respect and duty, as the great principles of life, and who were consistent exponents of the highest aspirations. NATHANIEL BURT.— 1636-1 720. The history of Springfield includes the history of Longmeadow, during the first three-quarters of a century after the first settle- ment, and, therefore, the extracts from the Springfield town records illustrating the times in which Henry Burt and his oldest son, Jonathan, lived, have equal application to the period in which Nathaniel Burt, Henry's youngest son, was an active citizen. Al- though Longmeadow was remote from the Main street of Spring- field, upon which were the homelots, the purposes of all its inhabi- tants were one. It was only a few years before Nathaniel's death that Longmeadow became a separate parish, and had a meeting house and a minister, and it was over sixty years after his decease before it had a separate town government. Nathaniel, the third son, might have lived with his parents until his twenty-sixth year, when his father gave him certain lands, which, however, were not formally conveyed to him until after his father's death in April, 1662, as appears by the following instrument : A Coppy of a Deed whereby an Estate is settled upon Nathanill Burt by his ffather, before his death, in the presence of his wife, & Ensigne Cooper & Thomas Gilbert, though the said Burts hand be not hereunto through neglect, nor ye hand of Thomas Gilbert as wit- ness, yet Ensigne Coopers hand and widdow Burt her hand as witnesses her acknowledgment thereof before the Corte at Spring- field, Sept. 30th, 1662, were sett thereunto. These Presents Testify, That Henry Burt of Springfield, deceased, did sometyme in ye end of last winter, towards ye spring, for the settling of some estate upon his son Nathaniell Burt, in the presence of Ensigne Cooper & Thomas Gilbert, and the Widdow Burt, mother to the said Nathaniell, fully conclude & grant with ye consent of the said widdow, that his said son Nathaniell shall have and enjoy as his own proper estate for himself, his heirs & assigns for ever, from the day & tyme first above mentioned, these parcells of land, & other things hereafter mentioned, that is to say, the wett meddowover ye brook on the back side of the Long tJ- 9- ^ y> x'-r' r>^"^i\^ ^ •■■'" y i. :^i ^S^ ;>l*sri' THE BURT FAMILY. 213 meddow, which wett meddow contains nineteen or twenty acres, more or less: Only the said Henry Burt reserving to himself & his wife during their lives liberty to sowe a peck or a half bushel of flax seed, whether they or eyther of them shall see cause in such place of the meddow being or to be broken up, as the said ffather or mother shall like of. Also the lot of eighteen acres more or less lying between ye Lott that was Samuel Wrights, late of Springfield, & the Lott of widdow Harmon, together with half the Lott bought of Goodman Colton, the said Nathaniell paying Goodman Colton for ye purchase of that half Lott, viz flifty shillings in ye spring in ye yeer 1664, & foure pounds in ye spring in ye yeer following, viz 1665, & for the other half of ye Lott the said Nathan- iell Burt is to have ye refusal of it, paying for it at ye most Six pounds for the purchase, which if he pay in the Town where his ffather or mother shall appoynt, he is to have the said Lott wholly with all the buildings & fencing thereupon for himself, his heirs, & assigns, for ever, that i? to say after his said ffather & mothers decease : Also half of ye oxen together with ye carte, plough, yokes, chayne, & all the tackling there- unto belonging. And all the rest of the cattell, except three cowes and three young cattell, which said three cows & three young cattell, and other half of ye oxen, the said Nathaniell Burt is to provide meat for during the life of his parents; the said Nathaniell being to have the improvement of the oxen to himself, only he is to plow & sowe (seed being provided him) & to harrow nine or ten acres of Land in the Lott that was bought of Goodman Lancton, from yeer to yeer, during the life of his parents. Also the said Nathaniell is to cart ye corns of the said nine or ten acres, the hay for the cattell, & fire wood sufficient for their use during their, lives as aforesaid. And the said Nathaniell is to have out of this yeers crops soe much more as will be sufficient for two persons, the next yeer throughout, as also soe much as is sufficient to sowe his Land the same yeer. And in case there should be any difference about the quantity of corne that shall be needful ye foresaid use it should be decided by the two said persons above mentioned, viz: Ensigne Cooper and Thomas Gilbert. And whereas the said Thomas Gilbert is depted this life syncethis'grant, aggreement& condison made by the said Henry Burt, the said Ensigne Cooper & the said Widdow Burt doe here witness that the'said Henry Burt did soe conclude as above said'concerning his estate. And in witness thereunto have been sett their hands this fifteenth day of July, 1662. Also the said Nathaniell Burt doeth covenant this same day to and with his mother that he will perform the engagements & conditions on his part above expressed. Witness his hand The mark Nathaniell of X Burt. 214 THE BURT FaIhILY. To the aforesaid gift doth Thomas Cooper & Ulaly Burt testify as wit- ness their hands. Thomas Cooper. the X mark of Ulaly Burt. Also the said widdo w Burt, notwithstanding the decease of her husband, doth fully & freely agree that all things shall be confirmed to her son Nathaniell Burt, according to ye above mentioned witness, whereof she hath hereunto set her hand the fifteenth of July, 1662. The Mark of X Ulaliah Burt. Witness hereunto, viz to all above aforesaid are W. lliam Janes. Samuel Marshfield. And the said Widdow Burt did before the County Corte, held at Spring- field acknowledge her full & free consent to all that is above & aforesaid. Attest. Elizur Holyoke, Recorder to the Corte. This original grant from his father was twice extended by the town prior to the execution of the above deed, as follows : "Jan. 9, 1662. There is liberty granted to Nathaniel Burt to sett his fence on ye top of ye hil that is on the east side of his meddow which lyes on ye back side of Long Meddow & ye Land soe takes in with his meddow is granted to him for his property." And a little later, by this addition, viz : " Nathaniel Burt hath ye Pond agt his Two lots at Long meddow, granted him, & go up to the Brow of ye hill, if it not already granted him, provided it be no wrong to the Indians, & that he noe way hinder or molest ye Indians in getting or coming to their Pease." By these several grants Nathaniel Burt became one of the first residents in Longmeadow, where he and his descendants were prominent for over two centuries. His first recorded public office appears in the following record, which also gives the three civil divisions of the Springfield plantation : "At a meeting of the Selectmen on ye 2d of March, 1663, being lecture day, they chose viewers of fences of ye Plantation, viz : Robert Ashley & Jonathan Burt for the home Lotts & the meddow before ye towne, & the three corned meddow, & the playne, above 3 corned meddow, & for THE BURT FAMILY. 215 ye fEeilds over the River, viz : Right over the playne called Chickuppe, John Dumbleton & Thomas Miller: & for the Long meddow, John Keepe & Nath. Burt. All whom are to attend the order from the Towne that concerns such ofBce as is in ye booke." Recurring to his land grants the following are given as indicative of his increased needs and of the friendly disposition of the fellow townsmen : Feb. 6, 1664 At another granting of land by the committee chosen by the town — There is granted to Nathaniell Burt ten acres of Wood Land at the East side of his meddow that is on back side ye Long meddow, provided this wood land be so laid out as not to injure any high way that maj be laid out there. Also theres granted to Nathaniel Burt a Long narrow strappett of wett meddow, that lyes long the west side of ye swamp, which by the side or end of his meddow: vzt, soe much of that strappett as lyes over agt his own meddow behind it; & between ye swamp & ye high way. Also there is granted him soe much of that swamp as lye between this strappett of meddow & his other meddow. January 21, 1672. At a meeting of the Selectmen all present except Benj. Cooley. Granted to Nathaniel Burt ten acres of land to ly joining the East end of his other 10 acres on the hill, where he lives, to run from brook to brook, formerly granted to him, provided it prejudice noe high- way that maybe laid out there. Upon this grant he allowes of a highway of I rod & 1-2 wide from the river, to be opened through his upper lott in ye Long meddow on the side of the lott. Also there was granted him a little strippe of land, viz : on land being between a quarter of an acre & a half an acre, lying on the east side of his westt meddow, is on the west of his swamp land behind ye Long meddow, on condition that there be room for a high way six rod when ye small lotts in ye Long meddow have their full proportion. At a meeting of ye Selectmen, all present Jan 31, 1672. There was granted to Nathaniel Burt that his first grant of Land, viz: of 10 acres (not yet measured) where he dwells shall run from brook to brook. Nathaniel Burt hath granted unto him six acres of wett meddow in the great meddow above Pequitt path, provided it belong to this Township, & that it be free for this Towne to dispose of, & that he pay ye Indian purchase if not already pd, & that when be soe much undisposed already. Mr. Burt had married on January 15, 1662, Rebecca, daughter of Richard Sikes of Springfield, and the grant of land by his father was probably anticipatory of that event. Besides the duties of fence-viewer from time to time, and tithing 2l6 THE BURT FAMILY. man, Mr. Burt was felected selectman before he had been made freeman, and therefore was disquahfied by law ; he resigned and his brother Jonathan took his place, as will be seen by the following : Feb. 5th, 1677. Samuel Marshfield, & Japhet Chapin, John Hitchcock, Nathaniel Burt & John Holyoke are chosen Selectmen. July 17, 1678. At a Town meeting it being a ful meeting. It was propounded, that being some scruple made concerning the Selectmens Acts, because the major part of ym are npt freemen according to order, whether the Towne would not rectify ye same. And while it was under consideration, Nathaniel Burt did desire a discharge or released from being accounted a Select man: It being then also declared that his Jonathan Burt [a Freeman] in the first voting, when the vote was told, had the same number of votes that Nathaniel Burt had, though after a second vote Nathaniel Burt had a leading vote, yet now considering he is willing & desirous to be released this Town doe Grant it him, & by a Clear & ful vote do make choice of & appoint Jonathan Burt to be the Select man in his room who was formerly voted for as is afore expressed, That so the acts of the Select men, the major part of tm being freemen, according to sd Law, may with out any scruple be accounted valid. Hereby also the Town doth allow of & Confirm the past acts of the Select men, which they acted for the Town. On February 7, 1681, Mr. Burt was one of "a committee of five men chosen to make just. Equal & impartial valuation of the Townes lands & this to last for seven years.'' The following is the Assessors' valuation of the property of Nathaniel Burt of Longmeadow, made in 1685 . ids y d Housing 10 Home lot 10 acres, 12 Twenty acres of Meadow at Bark Hall 40 Eighteen acres Longmeadow 20 Twenty acres upland at Bark Hall 05 Forty acres more 05 Four acres meddow of Thomas Cooper and six acres and one half at Longmeadow 07 Forty acres of Thomas Cooper near Three Mile brook 10 Ten acres for the pond 01 lo Saw-mill, ten acres below Wheel meadow 02 Four " poles " [Polls] 32 151 10 00 THE BURT FAMILY. 217 The General Court at an early date provided for the assessment and collection of a poll tax. In 1646 it ordered : " That every male inhabitant within this jurisdiction, servant or other, of the age of 16 years, and upward, shall pay yearly into the common treasury the sum of 2od, and so in some proportionable way for all estates, viz : That all and every person that have estates shall pay one penny for every 20 shillings of estate, both for lands and goods; and that every laborer, and handcraftsman, that usually take in summer time above i8d by the day wages, shall pay per annum 3s 4d into the treasury, over & besides the 20 pence before men- tioned, and for all others not herein expressed, as smiths, of all sorts, butchers, bakers, cooks, victuallers, etc., according to their returns and incomings, to be rated proportion ably to the produce of the estates of other men, provided that such as are poor, by sickness, lameness, or other infirmity, which makes them uncapa- ble of such rates, are hereby exempted. Such servants and chil- dren as take no wages, their masters or parents shall pay for them, bat such as take wages shall pay for themselves ; the order for ex- emption of magistrates for £s°°' to abide in force." In Springfield in 1685, there was a value of £8 placed on every poll (unless the individual was infirm, or poor) excepting a few who were following a more than usually lucrative business, and in such cases the valuation of the poll was placed at a higher rate. The poor and infirm were exempt, as they were when the law was first enacted. Nathaniel Burt, when the assessors' valuation was fixed in 1683, had three sons who were liable for a poll tax, and including that and for himself, he paid a rate on four polls based on a valuation of ;£'32. It is of interest in connection with this poll tax to know the rate- established on property at that time (1646) by the General Court, for raising the necessary funds to meet the expenses of the Colony. The act of that date says : " For ye avoyding of all complaints by reason through ye want of one generall way & rule of rateing through out the country. & vt levies here- after may be more easy, equall, & certaine, it is hereby ordered, yt in all public rates that all sorts of cattle shal be valued as hereafter exprest, viz: cows of four year old & upward ^5; heifers & steers betwixt 3 &4 year ould & upward, ^3 ; heifers & steers betwixt 2 & 3 vear ould fifty shillings; & between i & 2 year ould 30 shillings; oxen 4 year ould & up- 2l8 THE BURT FAMILY. ward £6 ; horses & mares 4 year ould & upward £7 ; 3 year ould £$ ; be- twixt 2 &3yearould ^3; yearlins £2 ; sheep above ayear ould 30 shillings; goats above a year ould 8 shillings ; swine above a year ould 20 shillings ; asses above a year ould £2." This rating had much to do with fixing the market value of all live stock in the colony. Mr. Burt's land lay for quite a distance on both sides of the highway, and as he kept this in order himself he was frequently exempted from the highway taxes. All the first residences at Longmeadow were built upon the low- lands, with less discretion than those at Northampton, where the " home lots " had been located upon a plateau above the meadows, so as to be secure from the great freshets that frequently swelled the Connecticut River. The Longmeadow people were not only much annoyed by these floods that seriously interfered with their fences and crops, but finally, in 1695, there occurred a freshet of ■such dimensions that it drove them from their houses. Mr. Burt's residence was then near the site of the present railroad station, and he and his family embarked in a boat and in their hasty efforts to gain the higher ground this was capsized, but luckily all were able to wade to the bank, where they spent a miserable night in the woods. These frequent casualties became at length unendurable and finally action was taken as follows : January 29th, 1702-3. At a town meeting of the Town of Springfield, the Inhabitants of Long medowor the most of them did present a petition to the Town that they would grant them Lottsonthe Hill eastward of Long medow to build on for homelots to the number of Sixty or Eiglity home- lots, & to be of Twenty Rods Bredth & Eighty Rods Length, or that the Town would order those Lots to be moddled so as may be most comfort- able for settling thereon, to which Petition they subscribed their names. January ye 29th, 1702-3. We the Inhabitants of Longmedow in Spring- field do make our Address to this Town of Springfield, as followeth. We would declare our difficult circumstances. 1. Our Living in a General feild we are thereby forced to beat grt charge to make lanes or outlets for or Creatures. 2. By Reasons of floods our lives have been in grt danger, or houseing much damnified, & many of our cattle have been Lost. 3. A Third difficulty (wch we shal mention in the last place) not that we count it a matter of least concern, but because in reason it will be holpt in the last place & that is our Living remote from the public Worship of THE BURT FAMILY. 219 God, as to hearing the word preachd &c. & also our children are thereby deprived of the benefits of Instruction by ye Schoolmaster in the Town. Now for our relief e we do suppose our best way is to move out of the general feild, & build on the hil against Longmedow ; & we have been at the paines to measure what lands we thought might be Convenient to build on, & we do find Land indifferently convenient to build upon for three score or four score Lots, & to be Twenty Rod in breadth, and about eighty rod in length. We therefore do desire the Town to grant us said Lands as horaelots to build on, also that the Town would order those Lands lo be Layd out & modeled in such way & manner as may be most comfort- able for setling thereon. We desire not this, that ye Town by granting this our desire should be broughtinto any snare or inconvenience hereafter, but for our own benefit & comfort & our Posteritys. We subscribe Nathaniel Burt Senr John Colton Thomas Colton Nathanll Burt Jur Eliakim Cooley George Colton Samuel Stebbins Samuel Keep Samuel Bliss 2D Daniel Cooley Nathaniel Bliss Benja Cooley Joseph Cooley. Thereupon the Town did vote Major John Pynchon, Japhet Chapin, Lieut. John Hitchcock, to be a comittee to go upon the place & view the Lands, who are to make return of what they find to the Town. March gth, 1702-3. General Town Meeting. At this meeting the petition of the Inhabitants of Long medow prsented at the Town meeting Jan. 29 1702-3, was considered and it was voted to give them Liberty to build upon the hil Eastward of sd Longmedow. Itwas furthervoted to give the land from Pacowseek to Enfield bounds & from the hil Eastward of the Long medow halfe a mile further Eastwrd into the woods unto the sd Longmedows Inhabitants, & unto such others as a Comittee appointed by the Town shall allow, in al which they shal be ordered & modelled in such way& manner as maybe most comfortable to settle on. Reserving liberty for convenient high ways, And Major John Pynchon, Japhet Chapin & Lt John Hitchock were appointed to be the Comittee to se to the modelling & ordering of those said lands, & the charge of this worke to be born by the Long medow Inhabitants & such others as shall be added to the Longmedow Inhabitants. Luke Hitchcock, Senr, desired his disent hereto be entered. In accordance with this grant the settlement at Longmeadow was removed to the present site of that village, and Mr. Burt's homelot, as also those of his associates, is shown in the accom- panying sketch. 220 THE BURT FAMILY. In the general alarm of an attack by the French and Indian allies in 1708, Mr. Burt was one of the special committee appointed to superintend the fortification of the town and "to order and regu- late the respective (Harrisons. " The broad and liberal character of Mr. Burt is indicated by his several gifts of valuable land for the support of the church and the school at Longmeadow. Instead of devising, as is usual, such gifts by will so that they would only become operative after he no longer had an interest in his estate, he gave these lands during his lifetime. Nearly eighty years after his death these benefactions were recognized by the erection of a monumental tablet at his grave by the town bearing this inscription : Mr. Nathaniel Burt, j A respected and wnrtliy Father of the town I of Longmeadow, was born A. D. 1636, and died Sept. 29, 17-0. This monument is erected to his niemoty by the inhabitants of snid Town as a token of gratitude for donations in land made by him to them for the support of the gospel and public schools. Is. 32. 8.—" The liberal deviseth ]iber.al things and by liberal things shall he stand." Erected by votes of the town, passed 1795 and 1799. THE BURT FAMILY. 22 1 Underneath this monument is a piece of the original gravestone on which is inscribed : " Here lyeth }= body of Nathaniel Burt, who died Sept y' 29, Ano. 1720, aged 84 years." Mr. Burt's wife had died previously, on January 28, 17 12, in the 7rst year of her age. The descendants of Nathaniel Burt have been to the present day foremost in all good works at Longmeadow, and in the other towns and states where they have dwelt. In 17 14 Longmeadow was established as a distinct precinct of Springfield and organized with a complete town government though not erected into a separate township until October 17, 1783. The list of selectmen betwen 1713 and 1803 contains the name of Burt forty-four times. In 1783 all of the three selectmen elected were Burts. Very many of Nathaniel Burt's descendants served honor- ably in the several French and Indian wars and in the Revolution- ary War. The children of Nathaniel and Rebecca Burt were : ist. Nathaniel, b. January i8, 1663, and who married January 21, i6gi, Elizabeth Dumbleton, who died November 3, 1692, leav- ing a daughter Elizabeth, who married Abel Curtis. Mr. Burt m. 2d, Mary, daughter of Charles Ferry, by whom he had five daugh- ters, who never married, and a son, the youngest child, named Nathaniel, of whose patriotic services and tragic death an account will be subsequently given. Mrs. Mary Burt dying June 2, 1739. he m. 3d, March 8, 1740, Widow Mary Crowfoot. Mr. Burt was deacon of the church, selectman, and in 1718, one of the commis- sioners appointed by the General Court to rectify and establish the boundaries of the town of Enfield. He d. July 19, 1749. 2d. Rebecca, b. December 10, 1665 ; m. January 29, 1690, Charles Ferry. She died February 12, 1692. 3d. David, b. May 20, 1668 ; m. June 27, 1706, Martha, daughter of Deacon Thomas Hale, who d. in 1714, leaving five children. Mr. Burt m. 2d, July 15, 1715, Widow Joanna Allen. He d. July s> 1735- 4th. John, b. August 23, 1670; in. December 23, 1697, Mary, daugljter of David Lumbard. He was killed by an accident on 222 THE BURT FAMILY. February 25, 1704, leaving three children. His widow died Octo- ber I, 1759, in the 82d year of her age. Sth. Sarah, b. July 17, 1673 ; d. July 31, 1673. 6th. Sarah, b. April 7, 1675 ; m. February 8, 1693, Nathaniel Horton of Enfield. 7th. Experience, b. January 23, 1667 ; m. February 15, 1705, Thomas Hale of Enfield, by whom she had seven children. She d. September 12, 1719. Sth. Dorcas, b. February 10, 1680; m. February 25, 1703, John Atchinson, by whom she had nine children. She d. October 21, 1770. NATHANIEL BURT'S ACCOUNTS WITH JOHN PYNCHON. Nathaniel Burt, like the others, had store accounts* with John Pynchon. The articles purchased were mostly like those quoted in previous pages, sold to his father and his brother Jonathan. Some of the credits are of greater general interest, showing the nature of his farm products. The town gave a bounty for the kill- ing of wolves, but the Burts do not appear to have spent much time in hunting, as Nathaniel is the only one of the three brothers who received any income from that source. It appears that he killed a wolf in 1664, for which the town allowed him a bounty of IS 3d NATHANIEL BURT, DR. Oct. 6, 1664. To severalls To halfe a fircken sope To I yd 1-2 & nayle of kersey 6s 8d Nov. 28, 1664. To severalls To severalls March 14, 1664 March 24. To I lb of powder 2s 6d ; lb shot 6d lbs. s. d. 12 II H 6 lO 5 S 4 8 .3 *The figures in these accounts are printed as found in Pynclion's book. If the descend- ants of Nathaniel Burt will take the trouble to examine them they will find that Pynchon's education in "casting accounts," was sadly deficient, when compared with present rules. THE BURT FAMILY. 223 lbs. s. d. Jan. 24, 1665. I pr stockens 4 Feb. 14, 1665. To severalls brought from day booke To I sickle, i yd 1-2 yellow tammy To a debt due mee as in mi old Booke before I went to England as p acot there which I brought from thence hither, 33 Reed p Contra ^19 gs 3d Febr. 14, 1665. Acoted and rest due to Ballance To severalls in day Booke To I -lb of Nayls To 1-2 yd silke Druggett To 10 yd peniston June 13, 1667. To widow Burt 3 lbs sugar at 8d p pound To I lb powd, 4 yd Lace widow Burt To salt Feb. 20, 1667. To 3 awl blades, 2 lb shot 6 13 41 15 22 5 9 4 17 II 1 3 3 9 10 2 5 5 28 19 Reed p Contra 14s lbs. s. d. ffeb. 20, 1637 Acotd and rests due to Ballance 28 5 7 To payment on yr contribution to his Majsts fleete 10 Apr 21 1668. To I lb 6d nayles i Apr 29. To 12 lb sugar 8 July 14. To firkin sope i i Aug. 12, 4s 6d Aug. 19, 9s lod 14 4 Dec. 21, 1668. 3 yd 1-2 sley at 4s 6d 15 9 Nov. 24, To severalls 376 Dec. 2d. 71b cotton woole 7 To 625 foote Boardes, 250 ft & 200 all as 1000 & 75 ft 2 8 5 To I lb nayles i 224 THE BURT FAMILY. lbs. S. d. Aug. 1639. To 3 lb sugar 2 May 5. 1659. To i M pins tSd i bunch tape at 2od I pr sissors 6d 3 8 July 5, 1669. To S lb 1-2 cotton woole 8 6 Nov. 12, 1669. 2 knives at 9!, i knife I4d, needles 4d, pins 6d 3 6 2 doz ot thrid buttons 3 To 1-2 bush salt 3 Dec. 10, I 6g. To 5 lb ot lod nayles, & 5 lb 8d nayles 12 I Jan. 18, 1669 70. 4 bush of Indian corn to To a coat, 2 yd wadding Cloth, i lb sugar 18 8 Apr 7, 1670. To pins, paper 7 yd lace 4 -t To I lb nayles 6 Apr 13, 1770, To 58 lb of beife at 2d 9 8 13 lb pork leafe or fat 5d 5 5 Apr 25, 1770. To 5 yd 1-2 qr searge at 6s Sd i 14 •7 To 7 yd linnen, i yd facing, 3 doz buttons, i yd lace 14 3 60 lb Beife 10 6 July 8, 1670. To 2 yd iockram, 2 yd 1-4 linnen II 6 July 13. To 2 yd of sley 9 2 collars I2d, i knife 8d I 8 3-4 yd linen, 3-4 yd tap lace 2 8 To 3 doz buttons 3 Aug 27, 1770. To I yd 1-4 hoUand, at los & 2 yd 1-4 6J 1 I II 47 NATHANIEL BURT, CR. ffeb., 1664. lbs. J. By 30 bush wheat 5 5 By 24 wheat 4 4 Dec. 15, 1665. By pork 637 lbs whereof you pay 19s gd to yr brother Jonathan 6 19 THE BURT FAMILY. By what I am to pay you by ye towne out of ye towne rate to clear so is due to you from me Towne for vr killing wolve By an abattiient I make you By bringing up ^ lihd of sugar fro Hartford IDIscountd p Contra this 14 of ffeb, 1665. By 3 busli wheat at 3s 6d ffeb 20, 1667. I bush of wheat Discotd p Contra ffeb 17, 1657. ■Oct. 17, 1668. By a ra.ire wch Corp. Foote had for Yocham Jan. 1668-9. By pork 530 lbs at 2 i-2d Dec. 2, 1669. By 9'52 lbs pork, half of it to yr mother, to her acot Dec. 10, i66g. no lbs of pork i 2 Jan. 7, 1669-70. By 178 liss pork, of this 20s to .Mr. Glovr, 20s to The Davis By 5 logs & carting '5 225 /is. J'. d. I I 3 2 10 10 19 9 3 ID 6 3 6 14 U 5 5 ID 5 ID 5 -Nov 7, 1C70. Acotd & carried to new Ijooke To I yd & nayle of broadcloth, 17s To Boardes ye last winter 17 29 4 ■ 7 19 18 7 I 9 To 17 slabs at 3d To I iron kettle To I sieth To I pr cards To 2 bars of lead nt i-s p bar 4 5 5 3 3 3 6 6 To I sickl. 2 1672. To a buckskin leather, Indian die To I dperskin 5s, t knife 9 12 5 6 9 July II, 1677. To I qt of turn Oct. II, 1677. I qt of rum I I 8 9 226 THE BURT FAMILY. lbs. Aug. 6. To I vomit I NATHANIEL BURT, CR. Dec. 13, 1670. By 8 hogs 4 lbs whereof is to yr mother so it is II Dec. 22, 1671. By 300 lbs of pork 3 8 9 Dec. 13, 1672. By 1304 lbs of pork at 3s, 2 3-4d 14 18 10 Dec. 18, 1672. By 1271 lbs of pork at 14 II 2 44 II 9 In 168 I Pynchon gave Nathaniel Burt credit for feeding a yoke of cattle in winter, ^5 ; and for summer feeding, £2. Pork was the principal product sold to Mr. Pynchon, and December 13, 1681, Pynchon was owing Nathaniel Burt 4s 8d, which was carried to- new account. LAND GRANTS TO NATHANIEL BURT. The grants of land to Nathaniel Burt, by the town are still on record, and this transcript may serve to give his descendants a better knowledge of how much he received than is contained in previous extracts : At another Meeting of ye Committee Chosen by ye Town for Dispos- ing & Granting of lands Febr 6th, 1644. There's Granted to Nathaniel Burt Ten acres of Woodland at the East end of his Meadow yt is on back side the longmeadow. Provided this woodland be so laid out as not to prejudice any High way yt may be laid out there; And George Colton & Benjamin Cooley are to go with ye Measurer to order in Genii where this wood land shall lye. Also there is Granted to Nathaniel Burt a long narrow Strappet of wet meadow yt lyes along ye west Side of yt Swamp wch is by the Side or End of his meadow, vizt so Much of that Strappet as lyes over agt his own Meadow behind it, & between ye Swamp & ye Highway. Also there is Granted him so Much of that Swamp as lyes between this Strappet of meadow & his other meadow. At a Meetmg of ye Committee appointed by ye Town for Granting out of ye Lands of ye Plantation, January 5th 1665. Nathaniel Burt hath ye THE BURT FAMILY. 227 pond agt his two Lotts in ye Longmeadow Granted him & soup to ye brow of ye Hill, if it be not already Granted him, Provided it be no wrong to ye Indians, &ythe no way hinder or Molest ye Indians in gather- ing or coming to their Pease. At a Meeting of ye Selectmen Janr 8th, 1672. There is Granted to Natlianiel Burt Ten acres of upland to lye joyning to ye East end of his Other 10 acres on ye Hill (where he Lives) formerly Granted unto him to run from Brook to Brook provided it prejudice no Highway yt may be laid out there ; Upon this Grant he allows of a Highway of i rod & 1-2 wide from ye River to ye pond, through his upper lot in ye Longmeadow, vizt on ye Side of ye Lott. Also there's is Granted him a little Strappet of Land vizt low land, being between a quarter of an acre & half an acre lying on ye west Side of his wet meadow, which is on ye west Side of his Swamp land behind ye Longmeadow, on Condition yt there be room for a Highway Six rod wn ye Small lots in ye longmeadow have their full proportion. At a Meeting of ye Selectmen Janr 31, 1672. There is Granted to Natlianiel Burt that his first Grant of land vizt of 10 acres (not as yet Measured) where he Dwells shall run from Brook to Brook. Nathaniel Burt hath Granted unto him Six acres of wet Meadow in the Great Meadow above Pequit path provided it belong to this Township & that it be free for this Town to Dispose of it, & that he pay ye Indian purchase if not already paid, & that yr be so much undisposed already. Nathaniel Burt is by Grant & Deed of Gift from his Father Hrnry Burt Deceased, Possessed of Divers Parcels of Land which are here undt-r expressed. Imprimis, of a Parcel of Meadow Lying on ye back Side of the longmeadow. Containing Nineteen or Twenty acres more or Less ovrr longmeadow Brook, being already Fenced, being in length 58 rod, & in breadth 46 rod & a half, bounded on ye East Side by ye brow of ye Hill, & on ye west by the Highway that goeth over ye Brook, & on ye North by ye Brook & on ye South lay Mr. Pynchons meadow bought of Alex- ander Edwards. Nath Burt hath Sold part of this lot viz five acres more or less, being at ye west end 36 rod & at ye East End 26 rod, to Jonath Burt his Succes- sors forever. Recorded Dec, 1678. In ye Longmeadow 18 acres more or less, being in Breadth 24 rod 34 in length. Extending from ye Great River to ye backer fence, Eastward, bounded North by ye Land late of Samuel Wright, South by ye Land late of John Harraan. Registered Oct. 3, 1662. Granted by the Plantation to Nathaniel Burt Twenty acres of Land by two Grants lying agt his house, & whereupon his House Stands Joyning westerly to his Meadow or low land below the Hill, behind Longmeadow, Breadth from Northerly to Southerly is from Longmeadow Brook to 2i8 THE BURT FAMILY. another little Brook below his House, & in length from the top of the Hill 48 rod Easterly, where it is bounded by Jno Keeps Grant. Registered Jan.. 1674. Also yrs Granted him at twice four acres of Meadow & Swamp In L-ngth 30 rod from ye bridge to Qu. Ma Coltons land, & bounded by the Highway westerly & his own land Easterly. Also there's Granted him forty acres of Land on the North side of Longmeadow Brook, bounded westerly by Qu-Ma-Coltons Meadow, & by a Dingle Easterly Length from North to South 100 rod, breadth from ye Said Meadow to ye Dingle East- erly 80 rod. Registered Jan., 1674. Nathaniel Burt is Possessed by Purchase fro George Colton of Ten acres & a quarter more or less lying in the Longmeadow in the uper field, Breadth 18 rod, & extends in length fro the Great River to ye fence East- ward & was bounded at ye time of ye Purchase by land wch was Joseph Parsons Northerly, & by Land wch was George Lanctons Southerly, & now by Jno Bliss on ye North, & by Jonathan Burt Senior on the South. Registered April T2th, 1680. Nathll Burt is by Grant of the Plantation Possessed of that part of the pond agt the Reer of his lott in the longmeadow given him by his Father, & is of like Breadth with the Said lot, & runs to foot of the hill. Registred apr. 6th, 1682. Nathll Burt is Possessed by the Grant of the Plantation of a Parcel of Lind lying at Bark Hall on the top of the Hill, & is Situate East of his former Grant there, & Contains 10 acres more or less, & is in breadth 20 rod,& is boundedon the Highway North, & is in length Sorod & bounded South & East by the Common, on the South end hath two pines Maiked, & at South East Corner a great Black Oak Marked at head of Dingle & Southwest Corner by a White Oak, & North East by a Small black Oak. Registred apr. 6, 16S2. Nathaniel Burt is by the Grant of the Plantation for himself his Heirs & assigns forever Possessed of Ten acres of land more or less lying a little below wheale meadow Dingle, & lying in two Parcels, That is to say, five acres fro the brow of the Great Hill a little below or Southerly of said Wheele meadow Dingle, having for its North bounds a White Oak tree Marked on the westerly Corner, & then runs Southerly Twenty rod, having the brow of the Hill for the west bound, & Jonathan Burt Junr his five acres on the South. & Extends East forty rod, And a Black Oak Marked on the North East Corner, The Other five acres more or less, lyes South ■ of Said five acres of Jonathan Burt there, which hath Said brow for the west Bounds & Jonathan Burt aforesaid another Parcel of his Land on the South & Extends Eastward as above, viz, 40 rod. THE BURT FAMILY. 229 Nathaniel Burt is by Purchase from Nathll Pritchard Possessed of that part of the pond, at the Reer of the said Nathll Pritchards lot in the Longmeadow, and is of the Same breadth with the said Pritchards lot there & runs from the Reer of his lot 40 rod to the foot of the Hill on the East, bounded North by Jno Harmons Grant, yr Recorded. Jan 28, 1686. Also Nathaniel Burt is by Purchase fro Jno Harmon Possessed of his part of the pond that lyeth at the Reer of his lott in the Longmeadow & is of the Breadth with his lot there, & runs Eastward fro the Reer of sd Harmons lot there to the foot of the Hill. Also sd Nathll Burt is by Grant of the Plantation Possessed of Thirty acres of Land lying on the Hill agt the longmeadow, bounded west by his own land, that lyes East of ye Highway there, commonly Called ye Min- istry land Extending an hundred & Twenty Rods East to a pine Staddle at the Southeast Corner, and a White Oak at the North East Corner & being forty Rods in breadth. Measured Nov. 14, 1709. Nathaniel Burt filled minor town offices, besides being Select- man, and he was frequently a juror in the County Court, holden both at Northampton and Springfield. He evidently acquired considerable property and was an industrious and prosperous citi- zen. The esteem in which he was held is evinced by the public recognition of his worth and benevolence, and his regard for those institutions which tend to the development of the higher faculties show unmistakably the scope and character of the man. He left the stamp of individual worth upon his descendants, who have just cause to revere his name and honor his memory. Longmeadow has retained the early characteristics of its first settlers, probably more so than either of the other towns in which the Burts were among the first inhabitants, and those who go back to the old home will find there much in keeping with the times in which Nathaniel Burt lived. It is now as it was two centuries ago almost purely an agricultural community, except perhaps there is a little more of that leisure which wealth brings ; but it has all the suggestions and environment of conditions that surrounded it in its early history. Nathaniel's service as juryman in the County Court as appears in the record, was more frequent than most of the ether residents 230 THE BURT FAMILY. who were called upon to act in a like capacity. He served at the September term in Springfield in 1678, at the March term at Northampton in 1684, September term in Springfield in 1685, and again in the same place in 1691, at the General Quarter Sessions in September, 1693, and as a member of the Grand Jury in December of the same year. There is abundant evidence that he was regarded as an efficient and capable person, who did his part in the discharge of those public duties which were incumbent upon all good citizens of his time. SARAH BURT.— 1620- * * *. Married, in 1643, Judah Gregory; in 1649, Henry Wakeley. Sarah, born in England, about 1620, was married at Springfield on June 20, 1643, to Judah Gregory, son of Henry Gregor}', an early settler at Springfield, from whence he moved to Norwalk, Ct. After the death of her first husband she married on September 4, 1649, Henry Wakeley, and they moved within a year later to Stratford, Ct., where they were among the first settlers. Their children were James; Deliverance; Jacob; Abigail, born in 1666, and married to John Beardsley ; Patience, who married Timothy Titterton ; Mary and Mercy. One of the daughters married Samuel Gregory, a brother of her mother's first husband. In November, 1659, Mr. Wakeley was appointed by the town to " watch over the youths or any disorderly carriages in the time of public exercises on the Lord's day, or other times, and see that they behave themselves comely and note any disorderly persons by such raps or blows as he in his discretion shall see meet." The dates of the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Wakeley are not known to the writer, but the latter was living in 17 11, being then about ninety years old. The Samuel Gregory above mentioned was from Springfield, Mass., and was at Stratford from 1666 to 1670. He had a house ■near the corner of what are now Fairfield and Park Avenues in Bridgeport. In John Pynchon's account book appears this charge : Henry Wakeley of Stratford, 6th Oct., 1653. £ s a To 6 yds wt cotton i o to Hob Nayles . 34 I knife ... 8 his father pays 142 232 THE BURT FAMILY. He had a small bill of goods in October, 1654, amounting to £1 14s gd ; and on May 25, 1656, he gave Henry Wakeley credit for " a ferkin of sope," amounting to ^i is od ; and this appears- to be the extent of his transactions with Pynchon. A writer in the Memorial History of Hartford County, in the chapter relating to Hartford, says : " Henry Wakeley was in Hartford in 1639. He was one of those inhabitants who received lands 'by consent of the town.' His home lot was on the west side of the road from George Street's to the Great Swamp. March 26, 1650, he was admitted administrator on the estate of his 'wives other husband,' giving bonds of ;^5o with Mr. Blackman of Stratford, for the payment of ^20 to the two children. He removed to Stratford and was a freeman there in i66g. His will is dated July ii,' 1689." It is not certain, from the information which has been obtained, that this is the Henry Wakeley who married Sarah, the widow of Judah Gregory, but it may have been. If it was, she must have had two children by her first husband. The town clerk at Stratford writes that there are no records there showing the birth of Wakeley's children, which indicates that the- Connecticut authorities were not as careful in the preservation o£ records as were those of Massachusetts. ABIGAIL BURT.-I623-I707. Married, in 1644, Francis Ball; in 1649, Benjamin Munn; in 1676, Lieut. Thomas Stebbins. In an affidavit made February 12, 1690, Abigail Burt deposes that she is " aged about 67 years," which indicates that she was born about 1623 in England. She married at Springfield in 1644, Francis Ball, an early settler. In some dispute regarding the title of Mr. Ball to the " homelot & other accommodations in the Town of Springfield," after his decease, his brother-in-law, Jonathan Burt, made an affidavit on February 9, 1690; and among other things deposed : "I find a record thatffrancis Ball paid for the Indian pur- chase of land in Springfield and also parted with some of his homelot to the Town"& was to have had for it Land in the second division ; I also testify that I have helpen ffrancis Ball gather Indian corn in that Lot over the great River ; the s'd ffrancis lived and dyed in the possession of this Land and had fenced & im- proved Land on the Plaine (commonly so called) above End Brook at the three corner meadow ; thatffrancis Ball, it Pleased God to take him away by a sudden death, who Left two sons behind him, Jonathan Ball & Samuel Ball, who I reckon to be true heirs to those Lands ; their father dying Intestate & they being under age I hope will not disinherit them; neither can it be that Benjamin Mun, [who married Ball's widow] had any right or title to any of the Lands as was ffrancis Ball's." Concerning, this homelot which had been originally alloted to John Woodcock and by him transferred to Ball, the latter's widow testified on February 12, 1690, as follows : " Widow Abigail Stebbins, aged about 67 years, testified her first husband ffrancis Ball bought of John Woodcocke alotments in Springfield and paid 5 pounds for his labor and what he done." At the same time Thomas Mirricke, Sen., " one of the Ancient Planters or Settlers at Springfield," further confirmed 234 THE BURT FAMILY. Ball's title to the homelot. This was situated on the south side -of what is now known as Elm street, then termed " the lane," lead- ing to the ferry across the Connecticut. On this property are now situated the Chicopee Bank building, part of the Walker block, the Court Square Theatre, the Hampden County Court-house and the Elm street school house. Mr. Ball was drowned in the Connecti- cut river in October, 1648, and his widow married Benjamin Munn on April 12th, 1649. Francis Ball left two children : Jonathan, born October 6, 1645, and Samuel, born March 16, 1647. The younger must have been at times a thorn in his step-father's side, as appears by the record of the County Court on September 26, 1665, as follows : '' Samuel Ball being presented by the jury to the Corte for abusing his father-in-law,* Benj. Mun, it is found his carriage to his aged father had been very vile & gross in that there being a scuffling between them this summer ; he expressed himself in words to this purpose as by testimony on file appear that he would not respect his father no more than [an] old Indian. And father, he said — a father, there's a father indeed. " The Corte adjudged him to be well whipt on y^ naked body with 20 stripes except he have an estate to pay ffifty shillings as a fyne to the County Treasurer within one month and that without ex- pense to his said father's estate eyther directly or indirectly. He -accepting his punishment by fine his uncles, Jonathan Burt and Nathaniel Burt, acknowledged them bound to see his fyne paid as aforesaid. Also Samuel Ball presented in writing an acknowledge- ment of his miscarriage to his father & in treating the finding of y^ Corte." In those days respect and obedience to parents were stringently enforced and no relaxation shown when the parent was not the natural one. Three years later Samuel Ball reached his majority and in time took an active part in public affairs, being in 1681 one of the town assessors. He died probably early in 1690, for " at a County Corte holden at Northampton on last Tues- day of March, 1690 : Administration was granted to Widow Mary Ball, James Warriner & John Hitchcock, on the estate of Samuel • The distinction between the terms father-in-law and step-father do not obtain so rigidly in England as with us at present. In recent English works the term father-in-law or mother-in-law is used where we would say step-father or step-mother. THE BURT FAMILY. 235 Ball. The widow Abigail Stebbins shal have out of the land her son Samuel Ball did Improve half an acre in the home lot," other lands specified, " also convenient Room in the house, a garden Plot, and a good Room for a Cow or two during her natural life & afterward to Return to Samuel Ball's heirs, except that her son Jonathan Ball is to have al that on the West side of the great River.'' The descendants of Jonathan and Samuel Ball are still living at Springfield and its vicinity. Captain Nathaniel Munn, Abigail Burt's second husband, was one of the early settlers at Hartford, Ct., where in 1637 he was a member of Capt. Mason's company engaged in the Pequot war, and was at the attack on the fort at Groton where several hundred of Indians were slain. Returning to Hartford he received with others, "by the town's courtesie " in 1639, a grant of land on the east side of "Cow Pasture" lane, now known as North Main street. He was the " Viewer of Chimneys & Ladders," the duties of which referred to precautionary measures to prevent fires originating in the thatched roofs then universally used. How long he had resided at Springfield before his marriage to Abigail Burt Ball in 1649, is not known. In 1653 he was fined the sum of 5 shillings " for taking tobacco in his hay-cock."* In 1665, being then " very aged and weak," he was excused from military duty. He died in November, 1675. His children were : 1. Abigail, b. June 28, 1650, who married on December 21, 1672, Thomas Stebbins, son of Lieutenant Thomas Stebbins, who married her widowed mother four years later. Her children were Thomas, b. January 28, 1673-4; Abigail, b. M!ay 27, 1675 ; Benja- min, b. January 23, 1676 ; Hannah, b. December 29, 1677 ; Hannah 2d, b. December 22, 1680 ; Thomas, b. November 13, 1682 ; Sarah, b. April 17, 1686; Mary, b. November i, 1688. 2. John, b. February 8, 1652. He mairried on December 23, 1680, Abigail, daughter of Deacon Benjamin Parsons. He was in the " Falls fight," where he lost horse and equipments. Aid for him was asked of the General Court in 1683, and the statement *A law passed by the General Court on October i, 1633, made idleness a misdemeanor, and the penalties were applicable to " espetially comon wasters unphttable fowlers & tobacco Jakers." This was followed on September 3 of the next year by a law making the use of tobacco publicly a misdemeanor. 236 THE BURT FAMILY. made that "he is under a wasting sickness by reason of a surfeit got at the Falls fight and will decline into an incurable consump- tion." He was an early settler at Westfield where he d. in 1684. 3. Benjamin, b. March 25, 1654-5; settled in Brimfield in 1715. 4. James, b. February 10, 1655-6 ; m. May 28, 1698, Widow Mary (Moody) Panton ; was in the Falls fight in 1676 ; settled in Col- chester, Conn. 5. Nathaniel, b. July 25, 1661. He married March 24, 1689, Sarah, daughter of Japhet Chapin, and was for many years deacon in the First church of Springfield, holding the office until his d&ath on December 31, 1743. His widow died November 23, 1747. Abigail Burt made her third matrimonial venture on December 14, 1676, when she married Lieutenant Thomas Stebbins. He was the son of Rowland Stebbins, who came from Ipswich, England, in 1634, and lived at Roxbury, moving thence to Springfield, where his wife Sarah died October 4, 1649, aged 58 years, and he died at Northampton, December 14, 167 1 (another account says March 7, 1678). His son Thomas, born in 1620, married at Springfield in November, 1645, Hannah Wright, whose brothers, Samuel and Judah Wright, married daughters of Henry Burt. She died October 16, 1660, and fifteen years later he married as above, Abigail, widow of Nathaniel Munn. He was one of the most re- spected men of his day. His daughter Sarah, by his first wife, married January 2, 1672, Samuel Bliss, son of John-and-Patierhee Burt Bliss. Lieutenant Stebbins died September 5, 1683. Abigail Burt, thus widowed a third time, does not appear to have derived much estate from her last two husbands,* since as above mentioned she received in 1690 a life interest in a pa'rt of the property of Samuel Ball, her younger son by her first husband. She died November 23, 1707. GRANTS TO JONATHAN BALL. The following shows the lands owned by grant or by purchase, by the sons of Abigail Burt, Jonathan and Samuel Ball : Att a Meeting for Granting of ye lands of ye Plantation Febr ii, 1666: •"The sons of Lieutenant Thomas Stebbins ag^reed by mutual consent and with full consent of our sister, agree to pay our mother-in-law (Abigail Stebbins) about ;<;3o ; part of which is in hand paid and £,l^ or .£iS which we are to pay her in three years." THE BURT FAMILY. 237 There is Granted to Jonathan Ball yt peice of Land yt lieth between his Land in ye 3d Division & ye Meadow lotts, yet not to prejudice any High- way, & this in Reference to 1 acre & 1-2 yt is Said to be due to his Mother on Some old account, this grant being in Leiu thereof, & to satisfie for it &no Otherwise, & so accepted. Jonathan Ball is by Gift of his Father-in- Law, Benjamin Mun, Possessed of two Parcels of Land on ye west Side of ye Great River, that is to say, 4 acres more or less lying in ye 2d Division; breadth 80 rod. Length Ex- tending from ye Great River 80 rod; bounded South by Obadiah Miller's Land bought of Miles Morgan ; North by Peter Swink's land. Also Eight acres more or less, in ye 3d Division, Breadth 8 rod & 1-2, butting Southerly on ye meadow lotts, & Running thence in Length North- erly 160 rods ; yet not to prejudice Highways. This Land is bounded west by land which was Thomas Stebbins, East by land wch was Ensign Cooper. Registered June 13th 1665. These two Parcels of Land, namely, 4 acres & Eight acres, are by Jonathan Ball sold & fully passed away to Joseph Crowfoot, & to his Heirs & assigns forever. June ye 15th 1665. Jonathan Ball is by Purchase from Joseph Crowfoot Possessed of a Parcel of Land in ye Playne, called Chickobee Plaine, on ye west side of ye Great River, which parcel of Land Contains thirty acres, more or less, and is bounded by the River East, Richard Sikes South, by the fence west & North. Registered June 12th 1665. Jonathan Ball is by Purchase from Joseph Crowfoot Possessed of a Cellar & four acres, more or less, of Land lying between ye two Brooks below ye Playne, called Chickobee Plaine, on ye west Side of ye Great River, bounded by ye River East, Richard Sikes South, Francis Peper west, Robert Ashley North. Registered June 21, 1665. This Bargain of Jonathan Balls Purchase of these two Parcels of Land of Joseph Crowfoots, is by their Mutual Consent made utterly Void, each of them Reassuming yt was formerly their own land again. Feb. 1667. GRANTS TO SAMUEL BALL. Att a Meeting of the Selectmen Feb. 12th, 1671. Granted Samll Ball six acres' of Land, at or neare where the Old Brick kiln was. Provided he come to Dwell in this Town, not to prejudice Highways. Samuel Ball is by Grant of the Plantation Possessed of six acres of Land at or near ye Place where ye Old Brick kiln was, being in Length from ye Eastrly to Westrly 40 rod, breadth Southerly & Northerly 24 rods, bounded South or Southeasterly by Thomas Stebbins Junr. North or Northwesterly by ye Commons. Registered Feb 28, 1672. 238 THE BURT FAMILY. LAND OWNED BY SAMUEL BALL, JUNR. Samuel Ball Junr by Purchase from Mariah Swink, the Relict of Peter Swink, is Possessed of Forty & three acres of Land, more or less, lying on Block Brook, on both sides of said Brook, and is bounded Southerly by John Killum partly, & partly by the Commons, & from the Southern Bounds it runs Northerly 130 rods, to the land of Lazarus Miller, De- ceased, & bounded partly by said Laza. Miller, & partly by the Com- mons, & is of the Breadth of 50 rods, or thereabouts, & westerly & East- erly is bounded by the Commons, having at the four Corners a Walnut tree Marked with S. B. Registered, December 11, 1702. Also said Samuel Ball is Possessed of 10 acres by Grant of ye Planta- tion or Freeholders of Springfield, to Lye at the North end of the above said Purchased Land, & is in Breadth 36 rod, & in Length 44 rods, & is bounded Southerly by his own Land, East by Lazarus Miller, & west by the Commons. Registered March 30th, 1710. GRANTS TO BENJAMIN MUNN. To Abigail Burt's second husband, several pieces were granted by the town. The first mentioned is a description of the piece owned by her first husband, Francis Ball, concerning which, at a later period, it was shown that Munn had no claim to the property, and that it went to the children of Francis Ball : Benjamin Munn by marriage with ye widow Ball, is Possessed of a House lot by ye Grant of ye Plantation, first to John Woodcock, with ye addition, viz ; three acres, more or less, breadth 8 rod, length Extending from ye street fence west, to ye Trayning place, bounded South by Robert Ashley, North by ye way that goes to ye Trayning place, also in ye same line East two acres of wet meadow, more or less, of ye same Breadth, viz 8 rod broad, with a wood lot of four acres, ye same breadth ; length Ex- tending from ye wet meadow So rod Easterly ; bounded North by Thomas Stebbins, South by Robert Ashley. One acre of this wood lot is sold to Rowland Thomas, cS: then ye lying of ye other three acres is turned so that it fronts on the way to the Bay, and runs back Northward 39 rod, breadth is 12 rod, & is bounded by Simon Beaman west, by Thomas Stebbins East. In ye plaine above End Brook Eight acres & half, more or less, breadth i8 rod, length Extending from ye fence to ye Great River 76 rod, Bounded South by Robert Ashley, North by Thomas Stebbins. Over ye Great River, oposit to his Houselot, 4 acres more or less, breadth 8 rod, length Extending from the Riverwest 80 rod, to ye Indians ground, bounded South by Robert Ashley, North by Thomas Stebbins. In ye 2d Division, four acres more or less, breadth 8 rod, length Extend- THE BURT FAMILY. 239- ing from ye Great River west 80 rod, bounded South by Miles Morgan, North by ye Commons. This four acres in 2d Division, & 8 acres in 3d Division, are by Benjamin Munn made over & fully passed away to Jona- than Ball & to his assigns forever. June 6th 1653. In ye 3d Division 8 acres & 1-2, more or less, breadth 8 rod & half,, abutting at ye South end against ye Meadow lotts, & so running in length 160 rod Northward, bounded west by Thomas Stebbins, East by Thomas Cooper. A meadow lot over Agawam River of one acre, breadth three rod, 3. foot & half; it runs from ye River (Besides two rod allowed for a way). 50 rod in length, bounded North west by Richard Sikes, South east by ye Swamp. Also three acres of Meadow over Agawam, which he bought of Thomas Cooper, breadth 6 rod, length 80, bounded by Robert Ashley South East, by John Harmon Nor'west. On ye Mill River four acres of meadow upon ye North branch, bounded by Samuel Chapin South, by ye common North. Also one acre of meadow upon a little Brook that runs into ye East Branch of ye Mill River, bounded by Samll Marshfield North west, by James Bridgman South East. Recorded 28th Febr., 1652. Also by ye Grant of the Plantation to Benjamin Munn, in ye year 1655, of three acres, more or less, of wet meadow and low land, against ye round hill, breadth 6 rods, length 80 rod and upward. Bounded by Mr> John Pynchon South, by Obadiah Miller North. Registered May 30th, 1656. There was granted by the Plantation in ye year 1655, to Benjamin Munn,. an alotment of meadow & upland over against the round hill, vizt: the y i6th lot there. Containing 30 acres, more or less, breadth 6 rod, bounded by Mr. Pynchon on ye South, & Obadiah Miller, North, butting on ye Highway by ye round hill. Registered as above. There is Granted to Benjamin Munn ten acres of land, more or less, between ye Hills & ye playne, above end Brook, bounded on ye west by Capt. Pynchons land 50 rod. Southerly by Francis Peppers land 45 rods, Northerly by John Lambs land 30 rod. Registered, 1669. GRANTS TO BENJAMIN MUNN, JUNR. At a Meeting of the Selectmen August 20, 1672. There's granted to Benjamin Munn, Junr., six acres of land by his brother Ball's Grant, at the Old Brick kiln, to lye all along by his brother's land, there not pre- judicing highways in most convenient places. 240 THE BURT FAMILY. LAND OWNED BY NATHANIEL MUNN. Nathaniel Mun is by Purchase possessed of ten acres of land of Thomas Hancox, of Farmington, lying upon End Brook, commonly called 3 corner meadow brook, on both sides of the Brook, from hill to hill, which was once the land of John Holtum, & in breadth up & Down stream 40 rod ; bounded west or southwest by Joseph Stebbins, East or North East by Samuel Terry. Registered, October i8th, 1684. ELIZABETH BURT. — * * * - 1691. Married, in 1653, Samuel Wright, Jr. ; in 1684, Daniel Dickinson. Elizabeth, b. * * » married November 24, 1653, Samuel Wright, Jr., one of the nine children of Deacon Samuel Wright, who was a companion of Henry Burt in the settlement of Springfield, and a s>qi of Nathaniel Wright of London, England, His daughter Hester m. Samuel Marshfield, a man of note at Springfield ; another, Margaret, m. Thomas Bancroft, and a third, Lydia, m. successively Lawrence Bliss, John Norton, John Lamb and George Colton, all these of Springfield. Deacon Wright's youngest son, Judah, m. Mercy, youngest child of Henry Burt. The deacon re- moved to Northampton in 1655 or 1656, and died there October 17, 1665, "while sleeping in his chair." Samuel Wright, Jr., and his wife, went with his father to Northampton, where he was ser- geant of the military company. He was an " engager " for the set- tlement of Northfield, in 1671, and with seven others was killed in an onslaught of Indians at Squakheag, on September 2, 1675. His widow m. September 26, 1684, Daniel Dickinson of Hatfield. Her children by her first husband were : 1. Samuel, b. October 3, 1654. He was wounded at the time his father was killed, and as late as 1703 still carried the bullet in his thigh, and was granted by the General Court a pension of ^10 per annum for life. He m. January 3, 1678, Sarah, . daughter of John Lyman. He d. November 29, 1734. 2. Joseph, b. June 2, 1657 ; m. November 16, 1679, Ruth, daugh- ter of Isaac Sheldon. 3. Benjamin, b. July 13, 1660; m. March 22, 1681, Thankful, daughter of John Taylor; she d. April 4, 1701, and he m. (2d) July 19, 1701, Mary Barker of Springfield. He began his military career as a corporal of the company in garrison at Northfield. In 1708 242 THE BURT FAMILY. as captain commanding scouting parties he entered upon that activity and persistence as an Indian fighter that made his name famous along the whole frontier. His sagacity, strategic subtlety, vigilance and knowledge of woodcraft enabled him to foil and out- wit the Indians in their own peculiar artifices. He d. in 1743. 4. Ebenezer, b. March 20, 1663; was a deacon and grantee at Northfield in 1682 ; m. September 26, 1684, Elizabeth, daughter of Jedediah Strong. She died February 17, 1691, and he m. (2d) December 19, 1691, Hannah, daughter of Jonathan Hunt of North- ampton. He d. in 1742. 5. Elizabeth, b. July 31, 1666 ; m. September 26, 1684, Thomas Stebbins. It is a remarkable circumstance that on the day of her marriage there was solemnized the second matrimonial union of her mother, while at the same time her brother Ebenezer became the husband of Elizabeth Strong. The triple wedding must have been a memorable occurrence in the society of the little town of Northampton. We may picture to gurselves the central figures of the group, — Elizabeth Burt Wright, the mother, a dignified matron,, but little past middle age ; the son, Ebenezer, a stalwart youth of twenty-one, standing proudly by the side of his fair young bride ; and the daughter Elizabeth, a girl of eighteen, as ready as were her-pioneer parents and grand-parents to do her part in founding a home among the perils of the frontier. Probably no other de- scendants of Henry and Eulalia Burt have ever taken part in a similar event. As a coincidence, it will be noted that each of the three brides was christened Elizabeth ; also that two of the three — the mother and the wife of Ebenezer Wright — died in 1691, only a little more than six years after their marriage. The date of Elizabeth Wright Stebbins's death is not known to the writer. 6. Eliezer, b. October 20, 1668; came to Northfield with his father and served in the French-Indian war. He d. May 12, 1753. 7. Hannah, b. February 27, 167 1. 8. Benoni, b. September 12, 1675, ten days after his father was killed. He settled at Hatfield, and m. Rebecca, daughterof Benja- min Barrett. He d. August 7, 1702, and his widow m. in 1706, Samuel Dickinson. From Joseph, the second son, who remained at Northampton, was descended Silas Wright, the noted statesman, the line being l THE BURT FAMILY. 243 Samuel ist; Samuel 2d; Joseph; Samuel 3d, who d. about 1740; Samuel 4th, resident at Amherst; Silas, b. May 17, 1760; m. Sep- tember 26, 1780, Eleanor, daughter of Isaac Goodale of Amherst; moved in February, 1796, from Amherst to Weybridge, Vt., where he d. May 13, 1843. His fifth son, Silas, was b. at Amherst, May 24, 1795 ; graduated from Middlebury College in 1815 ; m. Septem- ber II, 1833, Clarissa Moody. He held many high offices, among them that of United States Senator, and Governor of New York. He d. August 27, 1847, at his residence in Canton, N. Y. Samuel Wright, Jr., the husband of Elizabeth Burt, received several grants of land in Springfield before removing to North- ampton, as will be seen by the following : LAND GRANTS TO SAMUEL WRIGHT., JR. Samuel Wright Junr., was possessed by ye Grant of ye Plantation of four acres of wet meadow on ye East side of ye longmeadow pond, under ye hills, by a gutter coming out of ye wood, towards ye hither end of ye pond. This four acres of wet meadow is by Samuel Wright sold & fully passed over to Thomas Stebbins, his Heirs and assigns forever. This i8th of February 1655. Also of seven acres of land over Agawam River, lying at ye Reer of Mr. Smiths meadow lot, breadth 14 rod, length 80, bounded by Thomas Mirick west, by John Clarke east. Recorded the 7th of Feb., 1654. This seven acres is by Samuel Wright sold and fully passed away to Anthony Dorchester his Heirs & assigns forever, this zzd of June, 1658. At Northampton there was granted to Samuel Wright, Jr., besides his home lot, two acres in Great Rainbow, three and a half acres at the upper end of Great Rainbow, six acres against Manhan river, six acres in Venturers' Field, fifteen and a half acres in Hog's Bladder, bordering upon David Burt's, and an acre and a half in Pine Plaine. MARY BURT.— * * *- 1689. Married, in 1654, William Brooks. Mary. b. * * * ; m. October 18, 1654, William Brooks, b. in 1610, who came from London, England, to Virginia, in 1635, and is first recorded at Springfield in 1653. He moved to Deerfield in 1686, where he d. October 30, 1688, and his widow d. August 30, 1689. They had sixteen children. 1. Remembrance, b. * * * ; m. January 17, 1674, James Brown of Springfield and Deerfield. 2. William, b. August 18, 1655 ; killed by Indians at Westfield, October 27, 1675. 3. John, b. February 10, 1656-7 ; killed with his brother William. 4. Sarah, b. May 4, 1658; m. July 11, 1678, Jonathan Taylor, Jr. 5. Patience, b. June 5, 1661. 6. Ebenezer, b. December 21, 1662 ; m. * * * Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Daniel Belden of Deerfield, whose daughter Sarah m. Benja- min, son of David Burt. 7. Nathaniel, b. May 9, 1664; m. * * * Mary * * * . He, his wife, and two children, were captured in the attack on Deer- field by De Rouville, in 1703-4, and with his cousin, Benjamin Burt, and wife, were taken to Canada. Nathaniel's wife was mas- sacred on the road and he returned from Canada with Ensign Sheldon, in 1707. The children were never heard from. 8. Abigail, b. January 25, 1665 ; m. December 10, 1685, Samuel Stebbins, a widower. She was a widow in 1720. 9. Joseph, b. October 7, 1667 ; m. December 29, 1698, Lydia, daughter of Isaac Warner ; he was at Deerfield in 1692, and in the meadow fight in 1704; he was resident at Northfield in 1737, where he d. in 1743. THE BURT FAMILY. 245 10. Mercy, b. August 25, 1669 ; m. in 1690, Samuel Carter, and d. in 1701. ^,,11. Benjamin, b. July 25, 1671 ; was a soldier from Springfield in the French and Indian war. 12. Deliverance, a twin son, b. February 28, 1672 ; m. Decem- ber 4, 1708, Mary, widow of John Burt, of Longmeadow, and set- tled at Brimfield. 13. Thankful, a twin daughter, b. February 28, 1672 ; d. early. 14. Jonathan, b. October 13, 1674; was a soldier at Deerfield in 1698, a resident of Springfield in 1701, and of Long Island, N. Y., in 1725. .- 15. Mary, b. July 11, 1677. 16. Thankful, b. September 19, 1679 ; m. in 1699, Josiah Church. LAND GRANTS TO WILLIAM BROOKS. January 30th, 1655. There is Granted to Wm. Brooks a Peice of Land on this Side ye Cold Spring, at ye Reer of Goodm Merricks 2d Division, being about Seven acres, p'vided he Continue 5 years in Town or Else he is to Leave it. March 13, 1660-61. By the Selectmen: There is Granted to William Brooks a Parcel of upland at the higher end of Chickobee Plaine, on ye west Side of ye Great River, on ye back Side of the Plaine, being the Low land under ye Hills, & is to Run from ye Brook on ye North to ye Lotts on ye South, about fourteen or fifteen acres. At a meeting of the Committee Chosen for the Disposing of or Grant- ing out of Lands within this Township, Febr. ist, 1664. There is Granted to William Brooks 3 or 4 acres of Meadow at ye Northerly End of ye Great Pond, on ye back Side of Chickopee Plain if so Much be there after former Grants thereabout are laid out. At a Meeting of ye Selectmen Janr. 14, 1669. Granted to William Brooks forty acres of land on ye west Side & North End of Land wch Tho. Copley hath sold to Jos. Parsons, at ye foot of ye Higher Falls, convenient Highways being Reserved. At a Meeting of the Selectmen Janr. ist, 1671. Granted to William Brooks on ye other Side of the Highway, fro his Houselott at Chickobee, a Little at ye Gate, & going into ye field, 2 or 3 acres of Land, for to build a Barn on upon ye Hill there, provided he Prejudice no Highway there needfull. 246 THE BURT FAMILY. William Brooks is Possessed of a Houselot by a Purchase from John Stebbins, viz : three acres more or less, breadth 18 rods, Length 26 rod, bounded East by Miles Morgan, next by Rowland Thomas, fronting agt the wharfeway. Also Two acres & a half of wet Meadow, more or Less, bounded North by Rowland Thomas, South by Miles Morgan. Also a wood lot four acres, more or Less, breadth 8 rod, length Extend- ing from the wet meadow East 80 rod, bounded as above. These three Parcels are by William Brooks Passed over to Miles Morgan, his Heirs & assigns, forever, March 15, 1653. Over the River, oposit to Hay-place, four acres more or Less, breadth 8 rod, length Extending from the River west 80 rod, bounded North by Rowland Thomas, South by Miles Morgan; this four acres is by William Brooks sold & fully passed away to Joseph Crowfoot & his assigns for- ever, April I, 1658. In the Plaine above End of Brook, Six acres & half, more or Less, breadth 14 rod, length Extending from the East thence to the River 72 rod ; Bounded North by Rowland Thomas, south by Miles Morgan. This six acres & half is by William Brooks sold and fully passed away to John Lamb & to his Heirs & assigns forever, Janr. 27, 1665. In the Plaine over against Chickobee, Twenty acres more or Less breadth 16 rod. Length 102 rod, bounded North by Rowland Thomas, South Miles Morgan, fronting agt ye Great River. This 20 acres is by William Brooks fully passed over to Simon Sackett & his assigns forever, March 15, 1653. Also of Nine acres of Land over Agawam River, at ye Reer of Mr. Smith's & Deacon Wright's Meadow land, being 18 rod broad, & so run- ning Southward 80 rod in Length; bounded by Tho Mirick East, by Tho Stebbins West; this Nine acres is by William Brook sold and fully passed away to Anthony Dorchester, his Heirs & assigns forever, Jan. 20, 1659. Also by Purchase fro. Sam Marshfield of a Homelot of two acres, more or Less, 8 rod broad & 40 rod long. Running west to ye brow of ye Hill, bounded by John Clarke North, by James Osborn South ; this Parcel of two acres & ye four acres over ye River is by William Brooks sold & passed away to James Osborn, his Heirs & assigns forever, Jan. 20, 1659. Also of four acres over ye River, 8 rod broad, & 80 long, bounded by John Stebbins South, by John Clarke North. Recorded, Aug. 6, 1655. THE BURT FAMILY. 247 Also by Purchase fro. John Matthews of four acres, more or Less, a Homelot, breadth 8 rod, length fro. ye East street fence west to ye Great River 80 rod, bounded by Jonathan Taylor South, by Benja. Parsons North. Registered, Feb. 20, 1657. This four acres sold & fully passed away to Elizur Holyoke, his Heirs & assigns forever, March 20, 1664-5. William Brooks is Possessed by ye Grant of ye Plantation of a Peice -of Land on this side of ye Cold Spring, at ye Reer of Goodm' Miricks 2d Division, being about seven acres, more or Less, bounded by ye Reers of the 3d Division Lots on ye South, and by Simon Sackett on the North. This seven acres more or Less is by William Brooks sold to Edward Foster, his Heirs & assigns forever, Nov. 1664. Also Wm Brooks is Possessed of one acre & half of land, more or less, over ye Great River, a little above ye hay place; breadth of it agt ye grt River, is 6 rod, & Runs back from ye River westward 45 rod in length, where it is but 5 rod broad, viz: at ye Reer of it; bounded South by Simon Sackett, North by Tho Miller. Registered, Jan 20, 1659. Also by Purchase from Thomas Miller of i acre & 1-4 Land Lying in ye 2d Division, where Thomas Miller hath 8 acres, being on ye South Side of ye 8 acres, & being 6 rod in Breadth by ye highway by ye River, & 40 rod Long, but 4 rod & 1-2 broad at ye west End yr of. Registered, March 31, 1662. William Brooks is by the Grant of the Plantation Possessed of a Par- cel of Land In the Plaine Called Chickobee Plaine, on ye west Side of ye Great River, wch Parcel of Land Contains Seventy acres, more or Less, & is in Breadth 62 rod, & in Length from ye Lott wch was John Stewarts ye Hill 172 rod, bounded East by Jno Stewart, west by ye Hill, South by Robert Ashley, North by William Morgan. Registered, March 31, 1662. William Brooks is by Purchase from Edward Foster Possessed of Eight acres of Land, more or Less, on the West Side of the Great River, on the South side of the brook which is at the South End of ye Plaine, called Chickobee Plaine, wch Land is bounded by the Great River on ye East, the Hills on the west, the Brook on ye North. Registered, Nov., 1664. The Parcel of Land abovesd of Seventy acres, upon a Second Measur- ing is found to be one acre & half more, viz: 71 acres & 1-2, more or Less, bounded on ye South by Robert Ashley, 190 rod on the North by the Lott yt was William Morgans, 170 rod East by Jno Riley, 63 rod on ye Square, west by ye Hill. Registered, Dec. 28, 1664. 248 THE BURT FAMILY. William Brooks hath Sold to William Hunter 7 acres of ye Eastward end of this land, July 2d, 1664. The Rest of this 71 acres & 1-2 is sold by William Brooks, the Northerly half to Miles Morgan, ye other half to Capt Pynchon, & by ye sd Capt Pynchon Sold again to Eras. Pepper. Eeb., 1666. William Brooks is by the Grant of the Town Possessed for himself, his Heirs & assigns forever, of forty acres of Land Lying on the South side of Agawam River, & on the South side of the way that Leads to West- field, Lying about three miles from Joseph Leonards House, & it is bounded on the Norwest Corner by a White Oak Marked. Marked & so Runneth on Southerly to a Swamp white Oak, & so turneth South East, & there is a White Oak Marked, & so Runneth Northerly, & at the North East Corner hath a Black Oak Marked, & Between all these Corner trees Divers trees are Marked. Registered, Dec. 2, 1686. These 40 acres of Land are by William Brooks given fully to his Son- in-Law, Jonathan Taylor, & his Heirs & assigns forever. Registered, Dec. 2, 1686. William Brooks's large family and store accounts with John Pynchon evidently made progress in the accumulation of property difficult. It was easy to get trusted at Pynchon's store so long as the one desiring credit was possessed of fertile acres ; but the day of reckoning with Pynchon was sure to come. On December 30, 1675, William Brooks sold to Pynchon four parcels of land, amounting to 78 acres, for which he allowed Brooks ^60, and when the accounts were balanced Pynchon was owing Brooks ^8, which was placed to his credit and furnished the basis of another account, and more goods were bought. That he was, ten years later, quite willing to turn his steps towards Deerfield, to begin again where land was cheap, there can be no doubt, but as he lived only two years after going to Deerfield, it is probable that he made little headway in the accumulation of property. HANNAH BURT.— 1641-1680. Married, in 1657, John Bagg. Hannah was the. first of Henry Burt's children born at Spring- field, and the first of whose date of birth we have a record, namely, April 28, 1641. She married on December 24, 1657, John Bagg, who is supposed to have emigrated from Plymouth, England, and at the time of his marriage could not have been long resident at Springfield, since his name does not appear in the town records prior to that event. She died at Springfield on August i, 1680, and her husband on September 5, 1683. Their children were : 1. Hannah, b. September 8, 1658; m. February 3, 1681, Nathan- iel Sikes ; d. May 13, 1740. 2. Mercy, b. November 23, 1660; m. June 26, 16.79, Ebenezer Jones; d. April 7, 1738. 3. Daniel, b. November 10, 1663 ; d. December g, 1663. 4. John, b. March 26, 1665 ; married March 30, 1689, Mercy Thomas (b. May 15, 1671). They had eleven children, from three 'of whom were descended the reputable families of the name, early settlers in West Springfield, where they are still resident. He d. November, 1740. One of his great-grandchildren, Israel Bagg, of Bernardstown, was living there in 1874 at the advanced age of 97 years. 5. Daniel, b. May 12, 1668; * # * 1694, Hannah * * * . They had ten children. He d. # * * 1738. 6. Jonathan, b. November 2, 1670; m, January 7, 1697, Mary Weller. They had nine children. She d. June, 1740, and he Octo- ber 6, 1746. 7. Abigail, b. April 23, 1673. No further record. 8. James, b. September, 1675 ; d. September 18, 1689. 9. Sarah, b. April 2, 1678 ; ra. July 25, 1701, Benoni Atchison ; he 25° THE BURT FAMILY. d. February 28, 1704, and she m. March 30, 1711, Samuel Barnard. 10. Abilene, b. July 25, 1680. No further record. There is not much to be learned of John Bagg in the Springfield records. He settled on the west side of the Connecticut, which became what is now West Springfield. He arrived at a later date than most of the settlers and did not share in the early divis- ions of land. He lived only twenty-three years after his marriage, and therefore did not have time to acquire a large estate. He appears to have been an industrious citizen and his descend- ants are among the most prosperous and intelligent people of recent times. His store accounts with John Pynchon began soon after his mar- riage with Hannah Burt, and the articles purchased were similar to those mentioned in previous accounts. Like others of his day he was much in the employ of Pynchon, and the credits he received for his labor have interest to his many worthy descendants, some of which are given in the following extract : " i day boating hay, 2 shillings ; 5 days getting thatch, los ; 8 days' work about Pyn- chon's house, and 4 days mowing and trimming the orchard, ;^i 6s ; I 1-2 days in reaping, 3s ; i day fetching hay, 2S ; i day getting stones, IS 6d; i day falling timber, 2s; Feb. 10, 1659, by 15 bush- els and one half, and a half peck, Indian corn, £1 19s ; by 4 days work 7s ; by work at Fresh Water Brook, (Enfield) ;^3 53 ; setting up fence, 4s ; 5 days mowing, los; 2 days reaping, 4s; 3 bushels of wheat, los; two thousand of three-feet shingles, at 40s per thousand, £4." His oldest daughter, Hannah, was frequently in the employ of Pynchon's family and thus aided her father in its support. In Pynchon's account book is this entry: "Hannah Bagg came to us July 8, 1675, and stayed about ten weeks. In all she was with us near ten months." The daughters of many of the first settlers served in Pynchon's family. His store of goods which their scant earnings helped to buy was an attraction. In 1665 he leased 20 acres of John Pynchon at Chicopee Plain, on the west side of the Connecticut, for six years, for which he agreed to pay him twenty-three shillings a year for the first three years, and fifty shillings a year for the remainder of the tim.e. It was agreed that at the end of the six years he could have the THE BURT FAMILY. 251 privilege of purchase for ;^i8, to be paid in wheat or pork, "as pork is current at y= merchants; then the land to be his own; otherwise he is to deliver up to me the land at said tyme." It does not appear that he purchased the land ; but be subsequently leased other pieces of Pynchon. John Bagg, Edmund Pingradys and William Brooks leased of the town, in 1668, about forty acres of land in Chicopee Plain, on the west side of the Connecticut, for seven years, for which they were to pay ;^7 10s each year, "one-half in good merchantable wheate, and the other half in Pease & Indian come, all good and merchantable. In case by the mere hand of God's Providence Inevitably blasting theire crop, the land afore let shall yield but little wheat, in such case, if they do Procure 2 or 3 of y' Select- men sometime in July, or y^ beginning of August at furtherest, to view & take notice of such Blast, they shall then be abated of theire Rent such yeare, as y^ Selectmen shall judge meete ; always provided they have planted or Sowne a considearable part of the land, at least halfe, with other graine than wheate; otherwise they shall suffer for theire own Improvidence in putting more to wheate these uncertain yeares." At a later time John Bagg had the misfortune to have his house burned, together with considerable corn, for it appears in the records of the County Court, held at Northampton, March 28, 1682, that Reice Bedortha brought a suit for "surrendry& Restitution of the said house, or the ful value thereof, with Just damages." The case was tried and submitted to the jury, who brought in a verdict in favor of Bagg, leaving Bedortha to pay twenty shillings as costs of court. He had previously paid ten shillings as entry fee, so that goirig to law did not prove to be any more profitable then than it sometimes has in later years. In 1659 the General Court made playing cards a statute offense, and all who played this " unlawful game " were liable to a fine of five shillings. John Bagg was among the unfortuate number who wanted to enjoy a social, but prohibited game, and was summoned into court to answer for it. It appears that his brother-in-law, William Brooks, was the complainant. The account of the trial is taken from John Pynchon's records, as follows : 2^2 THE BURT FAMILY. " At a court held in Springfield, March 20, 1662, before Elizur Holyoke, Samuel Chapin and John Pynchon : Upon ye examination of Thomas Miller, John Scot, Edward Foster, and John Bagg ; also John Henryson and his wife, concerning Theire Playing at that unlawful game of Cards : William Brookes testifying agt them, said that one Night at John Henryson's house he saw Edw. Foster, Thos. Miller, John Bagg, & John Scot, all foure of ym playing at cards, & I staying in the house neere an hour they continued theire playing at Cards all the while. Edw. Foster examined saith. It is true I did Play, but I am but a be- ginner to play at Cards, & further saith, that these 3 before Nominated, viz: John Scot, John Bagg, & Thos. Miller, Played with him at John Henryson's house that Night, wch Wra. Brookes came thither. John Bagg, Thos. Miller, & John Scot, being asked, they doe all acknowledge that they did then Play at Cards at John Henryson's house. John Henryson examined saith : It is true they did Play at Cards at my house, but I did not so well know ye Law agt it, & I was willing to have recreation for ray wife to drive away melancholy; & further, he ac- knowledged Playing at Cards several tymes at his house (though he named not ye persons) 3 or 4 several tymes, he owned, it may be oftener, & said he was willing to do anything when his wife was 111 to make her merry. Martha, the wife of John Henryson, being examined concerning her having of Cards, being they had said yt they had ye cards of her; — she said she had a Pack of Cards that she brought up from Hartford with her, & but ym by her, & let ym have those Cards ; her husband also owned yt he had brought her up a Pack of Cards. John Bagg testified agt Martha, ye wife of John Henryson, yt he had seen her Play at Cards, wch she owned. Whereupon, John Lamb & his wife, Joanna, both of them gave in theire Testimony upon oath, That at a tyme (since they had herd these reports were about Towne,) they asked Goodwife Henryson concerning her Play ing cards; & then she denyed it; & said, moreover, in theire hearing, that she never saw any Cards but once at a Dinnare, & she knew not that they belonged to them; & also she said, that she brought up noe Cards to this Towne, — all which by her former confession, and other persons, appears to be a most gross ly, for it appeared That card playing had bin comonly used at John Henryson's house by his own confession. Thos. Miller, John Bagg, John Scot, & Edw. Foster, are each of them adjudged to pay five shillings, according to Law, for Theire Playing at Cards. Also, John Henryson, is adjudged to Pay Twenty shillings, for that he hath comonly suffered that unlawful game of Cards to be played in his house; And Likewise Martha, his wife, is adjudged to pay five shillings for her play at Cards. And also, to pay Ten shillings for her ly." THE BURT FAMILY. . 253 It does not appear that John Bagg indulged in card playing after this fine was imposed, but he and Thomas Miller subsequently made complaint against John Stewart for card playing, who was fined five shillings. LAND GRANTED TO JOHN BAGG. March 13, 1660-61. There is by the Selectmen Granted to John Bagg, a Parcel of Land Containing Six acres, lying to the Reer of ye 2d Division lots, near the Cold Spring. A lot late of Simon Sackett, lying on the South side of it, & a lot of Obadiah Miller, on ye west, & ye Commons on the North. Also yrs Granted him a Little Narrow Valley on ye North End of his lot, for- his more Convenient passing fro. his lot. There is • Granted to Obadiah Miller six acres of Land lying on ye west side of the Lot, abovsd to John Bagg. At a Meeting of the Selectmen, Jan. 14, 1669. Granted to John Bagg, Twenty acres of Land on ye west Side of ye Great River, beyond Chicko- bee Plaine, next above John Rileys land, Convenient Highways being Re- served, Else to be Laid out afterward. Also Grarited him five acres of Swampy Meadowish land, hemmed in with Hills, which is Lying about 60 rod above Chickobee Plaine fence. At a Meeting of the Selectmen, January 31, 1672. There is Granted to John Bagg 10 acres of Land by his own Land, above Chickobee Plaine, not to prejudice ye Laying out of Highways in most Convenient place. John Bagg is by ye Grant of ye Plantation Possessed of a Parcel of Land Containing Seven acres & a half, rriore or Less, lying at ye Reer of 2d Division lotts, & by ye Cold Spring bottom, on ye Southward, North- ward by Land yet lyes in Common, between it & the fence that Runs fro. the Great River to Agawam River westward, by Obadiah Millers lot; this 7 acres & 1-2 is from East to west 38 rod, & from North to South 42 rod- Also a little Parcel of Land given to him for his Passage from his lot above mentioned, which Parcel of Land contains one acre & 1-2, more or less, & Lyes at ye Easterly side of 'his lot above mentioned & by the Northerly aide of Goodman Muns lot, & having ye high land on ye North- erly side thereof. Registered, March 14, 1661-62. Also by Purchase from Miles Morgan, of Twenty acres of Land more or Less, in Chickobee Plaine, on ye west side of ye Great River, Extend- ing from ye River westward 200 rod, & in Breadth 16 rod, bounded North by Richard Sikes, South by William Brooks. Registered, Aug. 29, 1664. Also by the Grant of ye Plantation of Thirty acres, more or less, of Land lying in a neck of Land, called Askanunsuck, by Agawam River, 254 . THE BURT FAMILY. bounded East by Thomas Day, loo rod west by Agawam River, South by Marked trees 36 rod. North 48 rod by Abel Wright. Registered, May 30, 1665. John Bagg, Senr is by Grant of the Plantation to him, his Heirs, and assigns, forever. Possessed of a Parcel of Land betwixt Goodman Ashleys land and William Brooks, his land, at the Lower End of Chickobee plaine, between the two Brooks, Extending from the High way westerly to that Land bought of William Brooks, Easterly being about 30 rod in Length, and 19 rod in Breadth. Registered, Nov. 7, 1699. John Bagg Senr is by Grant of the Plantation Possessed of 12 acres of Land, to him, his Heirs, & assigns, forever, on the hill westward from his House, It being 57 rods in length and 36 rods in Breadth, Bounded North- erly by a black Oak tree, Marked, the other three corners on White Oak' trees. Registered, Nov. 7th, 1699. John Bagg is by Grant of the Plantation Possessed of 4 acres of Land, to him, his Heirs, and assigns, forever, at the Lower End of None Such Meadow. It being 60 rods in Length, and 11 rods in Breadth; Bounded Northerly on a Black Oak tree, and west on a Black Oak tree, South by White Oak, East on a Maple tree, in the Edge of the Swamp. Registered, Nov. 7th, 1699. DORCAS BURT.— 1643 - * * * • Married, in 1658, John Stiles; in 1713, John Shethar. What is supposed to be the registration of the birtli of Dorcas in the record book is so defaced that only the year is legible. On October 28, 1658, she married John Stiles of Windsor, Conn. His father, John Stiles, aged 35, his wife, Rachel, aged 28, and his sons Henry, aged three years, and John, aged nine months, sailed from London in the ship Christian, March 16, 1634-5, and settled at Windsor. He was accompanied to Windsor by his brother Henry, his sister Joan, and by Francis and Thomas Stiles. It is said that Rachel, the wife of John Stiles, was the first English woman who stepped ashore at Windsor. John and Dorcas Stiles lived at Springfield for four or five years after their marriage, when they moved to Windsor, where he died December 8, 1683. The history of Old Windsor states that she married January 7, 1 7 13, John Shethar at Killingworth, Ct. The town clerk of Kil- ingworth states that the records of that town make no mention of her death. The children of John and Dorcas Stiles were : 1. Sarah, b. September 12, 1661, at Springfield. She m. May i, 1681, Ephraim Bancroft of Windsor, who d. in r727, aged 66. She married, second, Thomas Phillips. 2. Hannah, b. March 23, 1664-5, ^^ Windsor. She m. January 2ij 1687, Samuel Bliss of Springfield, by whom she had Hannah, b. May 1, 1689 ; Sarah, b. July 6, 1692, and d. in 1707 ; Lydia, b. November 24, 1695 ; and Samuel, b. March 29, 1701. Mrs. Hannah Bliss d. December 8, 1704. 3. John, b. December 10, 1665, and m. second, May 7, 1713, Mary Osborn. He settled in that part of Windsor known as Scantic, in East Windsor, and d. in July, 1763. His son, Isaac, by his first wife, b. July 30, 1697, became a minister and preached at North Haven, Conn., for thirty-six years. Isaac's son, Ezra, b- 256 THE BURT FAMILY. December 15, 1727, was graduated at Yale College in 1746; studied theology and was ordained a Congregational minister in June, 1749; was tutor in Yale College, 1749-55, and made many experiments in electricity with an apparatus sent to the college by Dr. Franklin; preached to the Stockbridge Indians in 1750; studied law two years and was admitted to the bar in 1753, and practiced two years at New Haven ; was pastor of a church at Newport, R. I., from 1755 to 1777 ; received the degrees of D.D. and LL.D., and was inaugurated President of Yale College, June 23, 1778, where he also acted as Professor of Divinity after 1780. He was an active patriot in the Revolutionary struggle, a student of several Oriental languages, and carried on scientific and philogical inquiries through correspondence with savants and travelers in remote portions of the earth. He was the author of several books and left his college forty-five bound volumes of manuscripts and letters. He d. May 12, 1795. 4. Ephraim, b. about 1670, m. in 1694, Abigail Neal of West- field, Mass. He lived there and subsequently at Springfield, and d. about r755. 5. Thomas, b. about 1673 ; m. Bethiah Hanmer of Scituate, Plymouth county, Mass., and d. about 1740, leaving no children. John Stiles of Windsor, and his son John Stiles, Jr., both had store accounts with John Pynchon, and both met their obligations to Pynchon by serving in various capacities. John, the husband of Dorcas Burt, under date of August 12, 1658, was indebted to him to the amount of ;^5 14s 6d. Against this Pynchon gave him credit as follows : " By getting thatch for my Barne over y^ River, about 17 or 18 days, & pressing Cider i 1-2 day, £2 9s; received from Goodman Colton 14s ; by work in y= wood, 4 days in y'' seller> and I day digging clay, i6s; from Charles Ferry, 21s 6d ; by Indian come, £2 i6s 6d." PATIENCE BURT.— 1645-1732. Married, in 1667, John Bliss. Patience Burt was born at Springfield on August 18, 1645. I"^' the sketch of her father it has been told how, after her father's death, she went into domestic service to aid her widowed mother in the payment of the debts of her father. She married on October 7, 1667, John Bliss, born at Hartford, Ct., in 1640. He was the son of Thomas and Margaret Bliss who came from England to Braintree, Mass., and subsequently moved to Hartford, being among the earliest settlers there. This Thomas Bliss was the son of Thomas Bliss of Belstone Parish, Devonshire, England. He (the former) had ten children, six of whom were born before his immigration, and he died at Hartford in 1640, the year in which his youngest child, John, was born. Soon afterwards Mrs. Bliss with most of her children moved to Springfield, and her homelot was near what is now Margaret street in that city, named in memory of this notable, capable and efficient woman. In John Pynchon's account book is this entry : "Nov. 12, i663' John Bliss debtor for y^ land at Longmeadow on what I sold him, viz : y' Land I bought of Lawrence Bliss (John's brother), 15 acres, & 4 or 5 acres, for all you wgre to give £i\ los. whereof I have received £\\, & you are still to pay me ^10 103 inwheate at 3S,6d per bushel. It should have been paid this year ; the whole w* John Bliss now owes me is ^^"14." It appears by subsequent tran- sactions that John Bliss was more successful in getting out of debt to Pynchon than were many of the others who contracted store bills or bought land of him. In the amounts credited to Bliss at various times by Pynchon it will be seen how the money was earned : "Oct. 9, 1666. By 2 heifers from Capt. Baker, ;^5 ; by a Journey to the Bay (Boston) meeting my wife, ^i los; by a Journey with your team to y'= foot of y= falls 9s ; by fetching Mary 258 THE BURT FAMILY. Pynchon (John Pynchon's daughter) from Hartford, 8s ; by i Journey to Hartford yourself & horse, carrying my wife, 8s ; by 173 pounds of pork at 3d, £2 3s 3d, by one black steer, 4 years old & I brindle steer 2 years old, both £^ ; by 10 bushels of wheate ;^i iSS. I agreed with John Bliss to winter my steers that is with him, & he promises to winter them for 12s, as well as his own cat- tle." In 1673 is this item : " By your allowance for troopiiig in 1672, 3s 6d." This was an allowance according to the law of the colony, for his discharge of military duty as a member of a cavalry company. John Bliss, several years after his marriage, was a resident of Northampton, but finally he returned to Springfield and lived in that part of the town which is now Longmeadow. He was prob- ably attracted to Northampton on account of his sister Mary, the wife of Joseph Parsons, going there to live. He was granted land in Northampton before the grants in Springfield were made to him, his first piece being the homelot on Market street, next north of that granted to his brother-in-law, Joseph Parsons. He died in Springfield September 10, 1702, and his widow died October 25, 1732, in her 88th year. Unless her sister Dorcas outlived her, of whose death no record has as yet been found, she was the last survivor of her father's children. The children of John and Patience Bliss were i 1. A child b. September 8, 1668 ; d. two days later. 2. John, b. September 7, 1669; m. January 11, 1693, Anna, daughter of Samuel Terry. He went to Enfield and afterwards to Lebanon, Conn., where he d. in 1747. 3. Nathaniel, b. January 26, 1671 ; m. February 3, 1697, Mary Wright. They removed to Enfield and thence to Lebanon, Conn., where he d. in 1751. 4. Thomas, b. October 29, 1673; m. May 27, 1714, Mary Ma- cronny (or McRanney), b. November 2, i6go. They had four children and he d. August 12, 1758, and his widow March 30, 1761. 5. Joseph, b. * * * 1676, and d. March i, 1754, unmarried. 6. Hannah, b. November 16, 1678; m. May 4, 1705, Henry Wright of Chicopee. She d. * * * 1760. 7. Henry, b, August 15, 1681 ; d. November 30, 1684. 8. Ebenezer, b. * * * 1683; m. July 23, 1723, Joanna Lamb, THE BURT FAMILY. 259 b. June * * * 1695. They had eight children. He d. November 4, 1761, and she May i8, 1768. SPRINGFIELD GRANTS TO JOHN BLISS. Att a Meeting of ye Committee for Granting out of ye Lands belonging to ye Plantation, Febr ist, 1665. John Bliss hath the Pond agt his land in Longmeadow Granted him, provided ye Indians be not wronged of their Pease. Att a Meeting of the Committee for Granting ye Lands of ye Plantation undisposed of, February 11, 1666. There is Granted to John Bliss four acres of Meadow, Some what be- yond his Six acres, formerly Granted, Provided it be there to be had after that George Colton and Benjamin Cooleys be Measured out. John Bliss is by ye Grant of ye Plantation Possessed of four acres, more or Less, of Wet Meadow, at ye meadows called Watchuett, bounded Northerly by Samll BUss 40 rod, South by Marked trees. Easterly by ye upland 16 rod. Registered, May 19, 1666. Also John Bliss is by Purchase from Anthony Dorchester Possessed of five acres of Land in ye Longmeadow, in ye upper field. Breadth 11 rod & half, & in Length Extending from the East fence to the said five acres be made up. Bounded Northby Widow BHss, South by George Colton, and many other relatives. 6. Ebenezer, b. September * * * 1679; rn. * * * Mary* * * . He lived at Northampton and was in the " Meadow Fight " in 1704. 7. Thoma<, b. April 8, 1682. THE BURT FAMILY. 263 8. Patience, b. April i8, 1684; m. # * * John Stebbins of Springfield. 9. Nathaniel, b. May 5, 1688. He lived at Deerfield, where he d. November 17, 1711. Judah Wright received several grants of land in addition to his homelot on Bridge street, indicated on the map of Northampton which accompanies the biographical sketch of David Burt, on an earlier page of this volume. THE CAPTURE OF DAVID BURT At the Destruction of Schenectady in 1690. David Burt, the seventh child of David Burt of Northampton, was the first of his father's family to experience the horrors of that French and Indian warfare, which had been conceived, and was subsequently carried on from the remote settlements of Canada, in a most horrible and barbarous manner, and which made life in all the frontier settlements insecure and uncertain through many suc- ceeding years. In looking backward over the world's progress, and noting what has transpired in the past as the forerunner of a higher con- ception of civilization, there is no human history more thrilling and romantic than that of Scotland before its union with England, and when the borderland was the theatre of almost constant raids, re- prisals, and bloodshed. Scott, the famous " Wizard of the North," has chronicled in his legendary tales many of these forays which were apparently without just cause, and always conducted with a brutal disregard for property and life. They were, however, the" nurseries of that military spirit and ardor, that, after the union in 1603, first found expression in the Civil War, and afterwards made the soldiers of the British Empire almost invincible, while the tra- ditions of doughty deeds, rapine and slaughter are now cherished by great and proud families as the woof of glory their ancestors wove into the historic fabric. The early annals of the English colonies in America are quite as full of romance and horrors, of bloody contests and self-sacrifices, of brave deeds, fortitude and death. It is not creditable to the good instincts of progressive civilization that by far the greater part of these borderland tragedies originated, not in the brutality of the savage Indian tribes, but in the fierce hostilities and rivalries of the French and English colonists. It is still more sad to know THE BURT FAMILY. 265 that even these hostilities were not attributable to the voluntary ani- mosities of the colonists, but originated in the contests of the distant mother-countries. Nothing illustrates the utter barbarity of war more than the fact that mere dynastic antagonisms between England and France caused the slaughter and misery of innocent persons three thousand miles away who had no more part or interest in the distant discords than if they had occurred in "far Cathay." One peculiarity of these " French Wars " in the colonial annals was the employment by the French of Indian allies, who brought to warfare new horrors and barbarities, while the few invasions upon Canadian soil were made by the English colonists unaided by such alliances. This union of the armament and military acts of the French soldiers with the wiles and ferocity of the Hurons destroyed every vestige of the honorable restraint that controlled warfare in Europe. The French officer at Fontenoy, who courte- ously took off his hat and cried to the opposing English ranks " Please fire firsl", Messieurs," was the cotemporary compatriot of St. Hel^ne and Rouville, who attacked at midnight sleeping villages on our borders and permitted their Indian allies to mutilate and slay without regard to age or sex. The first of the four French wars was known as " King William's War," and originated in the declaration of war against France by the English government in May, 1689, soon after the establishment of the Prince of Orange on the throne. This declaration excited great alarm in the American colonies, still distracted by the change of dynasties in the mother country. The province of New York was also in a very disorganized state, caused by the usurpation of its government by Jacob Leisler. The city of Albany had acknowl- edged the lawful accession to the throne of William and Mary but refused to recognise Leisler's authority. Great concern was felt along the whole frontier regarding probable invasions from Canada, par- ticularly by the natural military highway afforded by Lakes Cham- plain and George and the Hudson river, the remarkable strategic advantages of which were henceforth appreciated, so that down to Burgoyne's surrender this highway was the scene of almost con- tinual warfare. The Albanians attempted to form a league with the famous Five Nations against their hereditary foes, the Hurons or Iroquois, and unwilling to ask Leister for aid made an appeal to 266 THE BURT FAMILY. the New England colonies. This was responded to by the raising- of a company of volunteer infantry, mostly recruited in the Con- necticut valley towns and commanded by Captain Jonathan Bull* of Hartford. David Burt, son of David and Mary Burt of North- ampton, Mass., enlisted in this company. Though only twenty years old he was not unfamiliar with Indian warfare, having in his early youth lost three uncles and three cousins in King Philip's War. Captain Bull collected his company of hardy young colonists at Hartford, who marched through the intervening wilderness to Albany, where they arrived on Saturday, November 25, 1689, and reported to the authorities there for further orders. The little hamlet of Schenectady was then the frontier settlement in New York and much apprehension was felt concerning its safety. It was decided to reinforce it with a part of Captain Bull's company, and on Wednesday, the 29th, Lieutenant Enos Talmage was de- tached and "marched with 24 men to Shinnectady to keepe y"=' Post as it was agreed upon." Young David Burt was in this de- tachment which reached its destination the next day. The people at Schenectady did not share the apprehensions of their friends at Albany. There had as yet been no cruel experience of fierce forays- and the heavy snows and rigor of winter seemed a sufficient de- fense. The worthy Dutchmen treated their unexpected garrison with great hospitality. The soldiers were quartered about the vil- lage and enjoyed rare and unwonted delights in the new and strange viands, the olekooks, roilichers, butter-milk-pop, and other delect- able dishes prepared by the good house-wives. Despite the im- pediment of diverse languages there were doubtless many innocent flirtations on the part of the coy Dutch maidens and their English defenders. So in quiet and confidence passed the wintry days of December and the holiday season came when the good Santa Claus did not fail to fill the burly stockings of his young votaries and perchance bestowed some memento on the soldier beneath the same roof-tree. As the days began to lengthen, the Mohawk scouts along the Mohawk and Upper Hudson valleys reported no hostile indications, and it seemed to both villagers and soldiers that the *This is probably the Captain Jonathan Bull whom Governor Andres ordered to- Northfieldin November, i6SS, with his company of sixty men to strengthen the garrisorb there. THE BURT FAMILY. 267 alarm felt at Albany had been groundless. Of course no one could have anticipated the wonderful endurance shown by the French in their winter expeditions. In spite of the inclement and severe weather the Canadians resolved upon active hostilities, and Lemoine de Sainte Heldne, assisted by D'Aillebout de Mantet, gathered a party at Montreal, composed of one hundred and fourteen Frenchmen, eighty Indians from the Sault, and sixteen Algonquins. These on January 17, 1690, started on their expedition, traveling with snow-shoes over the frozen surface of Lake Champlain, and through the woods where the snow was four to six feet deep. In addition to their arms and accoutrements, the party carried provisions for three weeks' use, and thus heavily laden traversed the wind-swept lakes and the rugged, snow-bound forests, reaching the vicinity of Sche- nectady at eleven o'clock, on the evening of February 8th. The invading party had escaped all observation en route ; proba- bly the Mohawk scouts, incredulous of the ability of the palefaces to make such a march in mid-winter, had relaxed their vigilance, or had been outwitted by the cunning Hurons. The soldiers, too, had neglected their night-watch, so no warning came, "And silence on that village lay, So slept Pompeii, tower and hall, Ere the quick earthquake swallowed all, Undreaming of the fiery fate Which made its dwellings desolate." It had been the intention of the leaders not to make the attack until sometime after midnight, when there might be more assur- ance of deep sleep and heedlessness, but such was the intense coldness of the weather and the impatience of the long-suffering men, that they could not be restrained, and they entered the town at once. It is needless to say that the attack was a complete sur- prise ; the soldiers quartered in the several houses could not rally, and within two hours sixty persons had been slain, the village fired and all but five houses consumed. After taking a few hours' rest the Frenchmen and Indians began their retreat with twenty-seven prisoners, " men and boys " — all of the other sex being slain as un- able to make the long march — and with fifty horses laden with plunder. 2 68 THE BURT FAMILY. In the official " Lyst of y= Persons w"^'' y= French & their Indians have taken Prisoners at Skinnectady & caried to Canida y^ 9th day of February, 1689-90, " appear "John Webb, a soldier belonging to Capt. Bui], . . . i David Burt, belonging to ye same Compie, . . . . t " So sudden and unexpected was this raid, and so prompt and rapid the retreat, that the enemy was beyond successful pursuit before the people at Albany could be aroused by the few survivors who at the first alarm had escaped to the cover of the forest. The attacking party on their return encountered even more terrible hardships than in their advance. Hampered by prisoners, and the horses impeded by deep snow, the progress was slower. Nineteen of the party perished by hunger and the others were only saved from a like fate by slaughtering the horses. It was some time before David's family at Northampton heard of the destruction of Schenectady, and of his captivity. As days and months passed he did not return. " But long they looked, and feared and wept Within his distant home. And dreamed and started as they slept, For joy that he had come. Long, long they looked, but never spied His welcome face again." No tidings from, or of him, ever came, and whether he perished on the march, or after reaching Canada, is not known. In 1692 five of the captives returned to Schenectady, but David's family never heard of this, and if they had, probably could not have com- municated with the rescued men ; and so an impenetrable mystery . obscures his fate. The massacre at Schenectady aroused great indignation and sym- pathy throughout the English colonies. It was the first in a series of similar incursions attended by the same wily surprises and fear- ful atrocities, the next one being the complete destruction of Deerfield, Mass., thirteen years later, when David's younger brother Benjamin, and his wife, with many others, were captured and taken to Canada, where they could learn nothing of his own fate. For THE BURT FAMILY. 269 seventy-four succeeding years, says a recent writer, " no mother hushed her babe to its night's rest in any frontier village of New York or New England, with the least assurance that it would not be snatched from her arms and murdered before morning." When the writer was a boy of seven years, attending the Albany Academy, and studying " Peter Parley's History,'' the account of; and the rude woodcut illustrating the destruction of Schenectady, made deep and ineffaceable impression on his mind. When, in later years, he spent most of his college life in the same old town of Schenectady, he recalled these impressions, but without the knowl- edge that a Burt of his own line had been one of the victims in that horrid first act in the French-Indian wars that harrassed the colonies for three-quarters of a century. This knowledge may prove as iiovel and interesting to others of the family. In closing, the writer desires to express his obligations for many of the above facts to his old college professor, the late Jonathan Pearson, who in his " History of the Schenectady Patent," (Pub. Albany, 1883) gives the original official documents touching the affair of 1689-90. BENJAMIN BURT.— 1680-1759. The Deerfield Massacre— Capture of Himself, Wife and Others — Their Winter March to Canada. Benjamin Burfwas the twelfth child of David and Mary Holton Burt; he was born at Northampton, Mass., on November 17, 1680. During his childhood the borderland along the Connecticut valley was the theatre of Indian forays and massacres. When eight years old his brother David, a soldier on duty at Schenectady, N. Y., was taken prisoner on the dreadful night of February 9, 1690, when that town was destroyed by the French and Indians, and was never again heard of, as stated in the previous sketch. Hav- ing added to his occupation as farmer the additional craft of black- smith, Benjamin moved in 170 1 to Deerfield, the outpost settle- ment of Massachusetts. Here, on October 19, 1702, he married Sarah, daughter of Daniel Belden, who had greatly suffered in his family by Indian outrages. Deerfield is beautifully situated near the confluence of the valleys of the Deerfield and Connecticut rivers, and contains a large area of that alluvial soil so attractive to early settlers. It is surrounded by a picturesque region of hills and vales, but its location at the union of river valleys from the north, west and east made it easily accessible to hostile approach from those directions. Tnese con- ditions and its extreme frontier position had attracted to it as a strategic point the savage enemy in the "King Philip" and the French wars. In 1703, its exposed site led to its fortification by a palisade of tree trunks entirely surrounding it, and to its protection by a garrison. In January, 1704, an expedition was formed at Montreal, Canada, under the command of Major Hertel de Rouville, for a foray upon Deerfield. The party consisted of two hundred Frenchmen and THE BURT FAMILY. 27 I ■one hundred and forty-two Indians, and Major de Rouville had for subaltern officers his two brothers. The foray upon Schenectady fourteen years earlier was almost exactly repeated. The invaders made a forced march through the wilderness and suffered terribly ifrom the intense cold. When they reached the vicinity of their ■destination there were four feet of snow on the ground and the ■crust on it was sufficiently strong to bear the weight of men, while the drifts had made easy inclined paths to the top of the palisade that encircled the devoted village. 'The sole sentinel on duty; depending upon the mid-winter rigor as a sufficient defense, had been unfaithful to his trust and sought shelter from the icy blasts, when just before daybreak on February 29, the assault was ordered ■upon the undefended and unsuspicious town. A general attack was simultaneously made by the invaders scattered throughout the settlement. The unfortunate inhabitants, wakened from slumber and pleasant dreams by the frightful warwhoops of the savages, •were massacred or disabled as they ran afrighted from their assaulted homesj to which incendiary torches were applied to illu- mine the awful scene. Whittier's description of the destruction of Pentucket, four years later, by De Rouville, who met his death there, is equally applicable to the earlier tragedy : " A yell the dead might wake to hear Swelled on the night air, far and clear, — Then smote the Indian tomahawk On crashing door and shattering lock, — Then rang the rifle shot, — and then The shrill death-scream of stricken men, — Sank the red axe in woman's brain, And childhood's cry arose in vain, — Bursting through roof and window came, Red, fast and fierce, the kindled flame ; And blended fire and moonlight glared On still dead men and weapons bared." As in other such raids the Frenchmen failed to restrain their barbarous allies, and the imagination can but faintly conceive the terror and frenzy that overwhelmed the homely people of that quiet hamlet when they realized in the mingling light of flame and dawn that they were in the hands of their ruthless foe. What a 272 THE BURT FAMILY. commentary upon the utter barbarism of war was the misery of these ill-fated people, caused by the quarrels of two monarchs three thousand miles distant. Very few of the unfortunate people escaped to the adjacent forest, and such of the others as were not slaughtered at sight were gathered in the open space near the little church ; and among these were Benjamin Burt and his wife, who had escaped death only to witness the destruction of their home. Less than eight years earlier, in a sudden raid upon her fathers house, Mrs. Burt liad seen her mother, two brothers and infant sister killed by the Indians, and another brother desperately wounded, while she escaped by hiding in the attic, and her father, a brother and a sister were taken captive to Canada, whence they did not return for two years- Her father's fate was the best that could now befall her, as she and the other wretched survivors clung together in scanty attire, alternately chilled by the winter's cold or scorched by the heat of their blazing homes, as they tearfully countedthe slain by their absence, mingled their lamentations over the loss of loved ones, and saw all their treasure turning to ashes, while a dreadful uncertainty obscured their own fate. In their midst their revered pastor, the Rev. John Williams, addressed prayers for divine assistance and support, which were interrupted by th€ orders to march, as the forlorn cap- tives were driven from the village, while its conflagration still con- tinued. The number of prisoners was one hundred and twelve, and among them were Mrs. Burt's step-mother, Mrs. Hepzibah Belden, and Mr. Burt's cousin, Nathaniel Brooks, with his wife and two children. The prisoners were first taken to the "west mountain" north of the late village, and on the same afternoon started on their terrible journey to Canada. Their route was up the valley of the Con- necticut, and the deep snows and rugged character of the wilderness made their progress as slow as it was painful ; on March 3 they had gone only thirty miles on their way and advance after that date was even slower. The condition and sufferings of these unfortu- nate creatures cannot be adequately described ; in the few brief agonizing minutes of the attack they had neither forethought nor time to make the least preparation for such a fearful journev - poorly clad and shod, the rocks, bushes and brambles soon rent THE BURT FAMILY. 273 their scanty garments and when sodden with the penetrating melted snow their power to resist the icy blasts was almost exhausted. At night when the exertion of motion no longer stimulated their blood they could only save their vital warmth by lying close together in the snow, a feebly palpitating mass of misery. There was the further privation of insufficient food, the Indians always depending for subsistence on their forays upon the hap-hazard wild game that fell in their way. Of course the captives received the minimum share of such poor food as they had and that of a quality repugnant to the weaker ones. The women and children naturally suffered the most from the unintermitting fatigue and deficient food, and when they lagged or were disabled they were immediately slain by the impatient and ruthless savages. The wife* of Pastor Williams was the first victim, having given out early in the march, and was tomahawked in the presence of her afflicted husband and children. The next victim was Mrs. Belden, the step-mother of Mrs, Burt, then nearly sixty years old, and who met the fate that about ten^ years earlier had overtaken her three daughters at Hatfield, where they were tomahawked by the Indians. Altogether there were thus slain on this sad journey nineteen captives, most of them being pregnant women. Some of these poor creatures, when they felt that their powers of endurance were nearly exhausted, calmly prepared for death by seeking the consolation of prayer with Mr. Williams, who gives in his journal a pathetic account of the resignation and heroism of these brave souls about to part from their tortured, worn-out bodies. " I saw in the naked forest Our scattered remnant cast, A screen of shivering branches Between them and the blast; The snow was falling 'round them, The dying fell as fast."t On this direful march none endured more than Mrs. Burt ; when she started upon it she was in the eighth month of her first preg- nancy,.and despite the solicitous aid of her husband could scarcely *Mrs. Williams was, before marriage, Eunice Mather, daughter of Rev. Eleazar Mather, the first minister in Northampton. to liver Wendell Holmes. 274 THE BURT FAMILY. ihave borne the burdens, rigors, privations and horrors of those twenty-five woeful days, had she not been sustained by her youth and extraordinary powers of endurance. The writer has often in fancy depicted to himself this ancestress, subjected in her early wifehood to that direful ordeal ; the days of unmitigated misery in the deep snows of the bleak and trackless wilderness ; the piercing cold ; the sore, aching, frost-bitten limbs ; the ever gnaw- ing hunger ; the slaughter of her step-mother and of the many women burdened like herself; of the long nights haunted by the -vague dread of the morrow with all its known and unknowable terrors. Was it with joy or dread that she felt within her the throbs of her unborn child ? When the party reached Coos in Vermont (near the present site of Newbury on the Connecticut) it was entirely destitute of pro- visions and two of the captives died hereof sheer starvation. The hunters having succeeded in getting some game, the dreary march was resumed, until on March 25 the party reached Chamble> about eighteen miles northeast of Montreal. Here, on April 14, Mrs. Burt was delivered of her first child, a son named Christopher. Subsequently the captives were distributed among the Indians and French and put to various services, the larger portion of them being employed in the convent and Jesuit academy near Montreal, Mr. Burt and his wife being among these. Strong efforts were made to convert them to the Roman Catholic faith and these Mr. Wil- liams subsequently denounced in earnest phrase in his rare and famous book, "The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion." The destruction of Deerfield excited great interest and sympathy throughout New England. Among the recent publications of the Massachusetts Historical Society is the diary of Mr. Samuel Sewall. He writes at Boston on March 6, 1704: " We are extreamly grieved to hear that Fifty Seven persons were kill'd and Ninety Captivated out of the little Town of Deerfield. The very worthy Minister, Mr. John Williams, and his wife, are among the Captives. How they will be able to travel to Canada in the very deep Snow and terrible Cold since Tuesday Night last when they were Taken ; -would make a hard Heart bleed to think of. We know not yet the Particulars or manner of the Tragedy." Ensign John Sheldon of Deerfield made four expeditions to THE BURT FAMILY. 275 Canada to redeem his fellow- townsmen, and finally on May 30, 1706, left Quebec with over forty of them, among whom were Mr. Burt, his wife and child. They went down the St. Lawrence and thence by sea to Boston, where they arrived on August 2d. On the voyage Mrs. Burt bore her second child, a son who was named " Seaborn," 4 w H H » o a w w |-< o o > ►a H < 278 THE BURT FAMILY. Burt (shall at any time before the full Termination of four years from May the Ninth, 1712) have a Mind to remove from them, he shall not give^ grant, bargain, sell. Directly nor Indirectly make any Alienation of said Right of Land Granted to him, but to such a person as shall be found capable to carry on the work of a Blacksmith among them. And further the said Burt doth hereby promise and Oblige himself faithfully to use his- utmost endeavour to settle a Blacksmith on said Right, if he shall incline to remove from them after his continuance among them ye term of years above said. The above said ye original Draught of said act. Richard Olmstead, Town Clerk. Recorded, November 28, 1712. Per me, John Copp, Recorder. Mr. Burt died at Ridgefield, Connecticut, on May 20, 1759, leav- ing five sons and three daughters. One of the former, Daniel, who made a permanent settlement at Warwick, N. Y., the next year (1760), was the founder of the large family of Burts at that place. There has been preserved, and is now in the possession of John M. Burt of Warwick, a letter written by Benjamin Burt, the Deerfield captive, to his son Benjamin, in Warwick, in reference to assisting another son, Christopher, who did not have a prosperous life. It was the same Christopher whose birth occurred while his parents were in captivity, and shortly after their terrible mid- winter march to Canada. The letter has been reproduced for these pages, to show the handwriting and the character of the father, and his interest in his first-born son, who came into life under such distressing circumstances, and which does not appear to have lessened in his declining years. The pre-natal influences upon the child, which must have colored his whole life, no doubt had much to do in unsettling what otherwise might have been a ptosperous and stable riareer. JOHN BURT.— 1682.-1709. [Killed by the Indians in a Skirmish Near Lake Champlain.J Of the several intercolonial wars known as the French and Indian wars, that waged from 1702 to 17 13 was the longest and most harassing. It was termed " Queen Anne's War," and from its inception until terminated by the treaty of Utrecht, there was scarcely an engagement that in importance could be called a battle. Several expeditions to invade Canada by the way of Lake Cham- plain or by sea were contemplated and in some cases extensive preparations were made, but through failure of expected co-opera- tion by the English government, or other causes, none of them were carried out. It really consisted of a series of frontier raids, what would now be termed guerilla warfare, fraught with such awful surprises and destruction of villages as those of Deerfield, in 1704, and of Pentucket on the Merrimack, in 1708, and with an almost continual foray of small parties which cut off and slaughtered settlers working in the fields or on the road, or attacked isolated dwellings and killed the inmates without regard to sex or age. This barbarous system of warfare was at length imitated by the colon- ists and many of them became versed in all the Indian wiles and savage practices, even to that of scalping the fallen foes. As the raids had been generally made in force in the wmter, the General Court of Massachusetts on March 14, 1704, ordered 400 snow- shoes and as many moccasins for the use of those engaged on the frontier. One of the most distinguished of the leaders in making reprisals upon the French and their Indian allies was Benjamin Wright of Deerfield, a grandson of Henry Burt. His father, Sergeant Samuel Wright, had been killed by the Indians on September 2, 1675, when Benjamin was fifteen years old. This tragedy seems to- 280 THE BURT FAMILY. have made a profound impression on his mind and during the remainder of his life he lost no opportunity to wreak, vengeance upon those whom he evidently deemed hereditary foes. He once said that if he took a papoose he would dash out its brains, for " nits will be lice." Such is the demoralizing effect of war, sug- gesting an exact retaliation for every barbarity. Early in May, 1709, Captain Wright organized a war party for an expedition to Canada. His companions were : Lieutenant John Wells, Jonathan Hoyt, JabezOlmstead, John Burt, Timothy Childs, Ebenezer Severance, John Strong, Joseph Root, Joseph Wait and Thomas McCreeney. John Burt was the thirteenth and youngest child of David and Mary Burt of Northampton, where he was born on April 29, 1682. He was a first cousin of Captain Wright. With a pocket compass as a guide through the unfamiliar wilder- ness, they followed up the valley of the Connecticut, to the mouth of the White river and then up that stream to its source, crossing the intervening mountain valley to the head waters of the French or Onion river, now called the Winooski, and followed this down to its outlet into Lake Champlain. Passing up the lake they ad- vanced to within forty miles of Chambld in Canada, whither five years earlier John Burt's brother, Benjamin, and his wife had been carried as captives. Upon their return by the lake on May 20, they espied two canoes with Indians in them, upon whom they fired, killing four as they believed, though they secured but one scalp. (The French account says they killed two.) They captured one of the canoes with its arms and provisions. The next day they seized and destroyed five canoes. On their way up the French or Onion river, they met and attacked a party of Indians, and as they believed killed four, (the French account says they killed one.) In this skirmish, Lieutenant Wells and John Burt were killed and John Strong wounded, though able to be brought home. Upon the return of the party the following unique affidavit was made : " We whose names are underwritten being upon the Great Lake towards Canada on the 20th of this instant being; in a fight with the enemy come this way toward New England; in which fight we judge we killed four of the enemy and one special we got and scalped him, which scalp we now present and show to yourselves at this present time and do hereby testify THE BURT FAMILY. 2»I that the scalp was of our Indian enemy killed in fight as aforesaid; to which we subscribe this 28th day of May, 1709. Yr humble servants, Benj. Wright, Jona. Hoyt, Jabez Olmstead, John Strong. Sworn to before me : They also declare that they are very certain that they killed 4 as above and that on French river they killed 4 more, making 8 in all. This they affirm to me. Small Partrigg. On June 10 of the same year, the General Court voted a bounty of ;£'i2 to Captain Wright and £6 to each of the other survivors of the expedition. There has been recently discovered a curious account of the skirmish in which John Burt was lost. Mr. Bernard C. Steiner of the Pratt Library, Baltimore, Md., contributes to The Magazine of American History for September, 1892, an article entitled: "An Early Combat in Vermont." He says : " An old Greek Grammar in my possession originally belonged to the Rev. Stephen Williams, the son of the Rev. John Williams of Deerfield, Mass., who wrote 'The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion.'" The Rev. Stephen Williams was carried captive to Canada with his father and 'returned from Canada the 21st day of November, in the year of our Lord 1705,' as he himself states on the fly-leaf.* On two of the blank leaves at the beginning of the book is an account of a skirmish with the Indians in 1709, which I have never seen in print. It is in Mr. Williams's handwriting. * * * * Mr. Will- iams's account is as follows : " On the 26th of May, 1709, came in Captain Benjamin Wright, Henry Wright, John Strong, John Olmstead, Jonathan Hoit, Timothy Chit , Thomas Regan, Epraim , and Joseph , from the lake, who had made an attack upon eight Indians towards the east side of the Lake, who recken they killed four and wounded a fifth, so ye boat paddled away. When they were coming home upon the french river they saw a canoe with four Indians in it, shot upon it and killed two right out, wounded the other two, one of which jumpt out of the canoe which they *The Rev. Stephen Williams was subsequently settled at Longmeadow, Mass., where he married for his second wife, Sarah, widow of Lieutenant Nathaniel Burt, killed in battle at Lake George, on September 8, 1755. 282 THE BURT FAMILY. killed as he was going upoa the bank on the other side, but they started up an Englishman, which they had padle the canoe to ym, but the wounded Indian yt was in the canoe paddled the other way and the Eng- lishman towards them, so yt they fell down the stream and got to neither shore. They bid this Englishman take up an hatchet and knock him on the head. He took up a hatchet in order to do it, but the Indians took hold of it and got it away from him. They struggled and turned the canoe over. This Englishman was carried down the stream thirty or forty rods, so yt four men ran to help him, but two of them which made some stop to shoot at the Indian ytwas turned out of the canoe with the Englishmen the other two ran yet lower & help this man out, but a company of Indains yt were below came upon these two men, kiled one, namely John Wells ; the other two they shot with shot, but wound is not dangerous, the said captive (i. e. the one hitherto called 'the Englishman') took the said Wells his gun, but they were all quickly put to flight, the said captive they quickly lost. They lost one John Burt, as they fled." Thus perished the second of the sons of David Burt of North- ampton, in those dreary wars, the first one, David, being lost at Schenectady in 1690. The captivity of a third son, Benjamin, has been elsewhere narrated. The account given by the party itself is valuable testimony that the whites resorted to " scalping,'' and other savage devices. The rough account that Mr. Williams jotted down on the fly-leaves of his grammar is very interesting, though somewhat incoherent. It was evidently taken down hurriedly from the oral recountal of the scenes by one of the par- ticipants in them and gives a lively picture of the "rough and tumble " vicissitudes of those frontier encounters that illustrate the earliest stages in the development of human warfare. There were no discipline, tactics, or preconcerted plans — the enemy was unexpectedly overtaken and the main point was, by any and all means, to slay as many of them as possible and then to secure as many scalps as substantial and incontrovertible tokens of victory. Captain Wright and his comrades viewed the Indians much as an enthusiastic sportsman does quails or other game, killed them with as little compunction and delighted in bringing home a bag full of — scalps. HENRY BURT.— 1660-1735. Henry Burt, the eldest son of David Burt of Northampton, who lived to rear a family, was, with his mother, administrator of his father's estate, and received the largest portion. He lived and died in Northampton, where he reared a large family. He was three times married, but there are no living descendants of the first two marriages. He was born in Northampton, August 20, 1660, and first married Elizabeth Alvord in 1684. By her he had two children : 1. Joseph, b. December i, 1685. 2. Elizabeth, b. May 2, 1687, d. young. The eldest child, Joseph, married but had no children. The mother d. May 6, 1687, and her husband married for his second wife Hannah Denslow of Windsor, December 9, 1687, and she d. in 1689, leaving one son : I. Samuel, who d. young. Henry Burt's third wife was Mary, but her family name is not known to her descendants. There were eight children by this marriage. They were : 1. David, b. July 17, 1691, who lived in Northampton. 2. Ebenezer, b. February 21, 1693, who lived in Northampton. 3. Mary, b. August 24, 1694, d. young. 4. Mary, b. October 9, 1695, m. Preserved Marshall. 5. Thomas, b. December 26, 1697, lived in Northampton. 6. Hannah, b. August i, 1700, m. Ebenezer Miller. 7. Elizabeth, b. March 31, 1702, d. young. 8. Noah, b. August 17, 1707, d. February 26, 1726. The father, Henry Burt, died September 26, 1735. One of the witnesses to his will, which is still on file at the Probate Office in Northampton, was Col. Seth Pomeroy, who won distinction as an officer in the Revolution. It was Henry Burt's desire that his son 284 THE BURT FAMILY.. Noah should receive an education, and he made a provision in his will for that purpose. The executors were his sons David, Ebenezer and Thomas. To his wife he gave the use of one-third of the real estate, to Joseph, ;^3o, to each of his daughters a similar amount,, and to his sons who were the executors of his estate, an equal amount in the distribution of all his landed property. In his will he said : " To my son Noah, my will is, that he should be brought up to Learning, viz : Liberal education out of my estate, and that my executors buy him a sufficient compendery of books, for his learning, & his books to be his portion." The will was made during his son's boyhood, and the father undertook to carry out in his own lifetime the purpose he had therein declared, and so caused Noah to be fitted for college. But his plans were doomed to end in sorrow and disappointment, for Noah died at the age of 18, probably while pursuing his college course. The father never altered his will, however, and when he died, nine years later, the unavailing provision for his youngest child's educa- tion went upon the records as a token of the father's tender regard for his son's improvement, and there it remains as evidence of the importance attached to intellectual culture by our pioneer ancestry even in their days of hardship and peril. JONATHAN BURT.— 1671-1745. Jonathan Burt, the second son of David Burt of Northampton, that grew to manhood, married Mindwell Taylor, June 2, 1696. They had five children and he d. October 15, 1745, aged 74 years. The children were : 1. Jonathan, b. July, 1697, who d. unmarried, December 3, 1786, aged 89 years. 2. Eleazar, b. January 30, 1699, d. January 14, 1704. 3. Mindwell, b. November 22, 1700, m. Josiah King 1724. 4. Lydia, date of birth not known, m. Azariah Beach in 1730. 5. Eleazar, b. December 29, 1717, m. Abigail Baker, June 3, 1762. He lived in Northampton, and d. February 28, 1787, aged 69 years. The children of Eleazar, the son, were : Edward, b. July 16; 1763, who lived in Northampton and left one son, who died in New Orleans ; Mindwell, b. December 26, 1764, and m. Elisha Babcock ; Elizabeth, b. August i, 1766, who m. Simeon Bartlett, Jr., in 1792 ; Jonathan, b. July 31, 1768, and d. unmarried, February 10, 1809 ; Andrew, baptized January 25, 1771, removed to Cincinnati, where he left children, whose descendants are among the prominent citizens of the place; Abigail, baptized February 10, 1774, and m. George Clapp, Jr., in 1794. Jonathan's son Jonathan bought the property known in recent years as the Asahel Wood house, at the lower end of Pleasant street, in Northampton, in 1722, and he left it by will to the children of his brother, Eleazar, viz: Edward, Mindwell, Elizabeth; Jonathan, Andrew and Abigail. Edward bought the interest of the other heirs, and there have since been seven different owners of this property. JOSEPH BURT.— 1673-1759. Joseph, the ninth child of David Burt of Northampton, and the third son to rear a family, spent the greater part of his life at Northfield. He was born September 26, 1673, and m. Sarah Cowles, ■daughter of John Cowles of Hatfield, April 16, 1702. He d. at Northfield, June 19, 1759, and his wife May 21, 1772, aged 91 years. Joseph was a cordwainer by trade and after his marriage lived in Hat- field, until 1717, when he became one of the first settlers of North- field. He led a busy life, filling many town offices, engaging in Indian warfare, and going with his company on the Crown Point expedition. He accumulated a large property for his times and continued up to his death a prominent and useful citizen. His children were : 1. Sarah, b. March 25, 1703. 2. Esther, b. January 9, 1704, m. December 14, 1722, Benjamin Knight. 3. Mary, b. Februarys, 1706, d. November 26, 1722. 4. John, b. August 26, 1709, d. December i, 1759. 5. Eleazer, b. 17 11. He was living in Northfield in 1762. 6. Miriam, b. September 2, 1713. 7. Asahel, b. August 31, 1715, d. April 15, 1747, — slain by the Indians. 8. Aaron, b. September 17, 1717, m. Miriam Elmer, d. 1792. JOSEPH hurt's will. The will of Joseph Burt, given below, is on file at the Probate OSice in Northampton : IN the name of God Amen, The first day of January, Anno Dom. 1754. I, Joseph Burt, of Northfield, in the County of Hampshire, & Provience of the Massachusetts Bay, &c. Freeholder, Being far advanced in years THE BURT FAMILY. 287 but yet of perfect mind & memory, thanks be given to God ; But calling to mind the mortality of my body, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die. Do make and ordain this my last will and testament. That is to say, principally and first of all, I give & recommend my Soul into the hands of God that gave it, & my body I recommend to the earth, to be Buried in a decent Christian burial, at the discretion of my executors, nothing doubting but at the general Resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God. And as touching such wordly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give. Demise, & Dispose of the same, in the following manner & form, viz: Imps. I give and bequeath to my loving wife & to my son John, the use and improvement of all my estate During their natural lifes. Item. I give & bequeath to my daughter Sarah Elgar, Six pounds, to be paid by my executor in three months after my decease. Item. I give to my daughter Miriam Allen, Twenty shillings, to be paid in three months after my deceased as afforesaid. Item. I give to my daughter, Mary Wire, Twenty shillings, to be paid at the time & manner aforesaid. Item. I give & bequeath to my Grandsons Simeon & Benjamin Knight & to my grand daughter Hannah Wright, five shillings each, & to my grand daughter Esther Cole, a Bible, at the time & manner abovesaid. Item. I Give to my son Aaron all my housen, buildings & lands, (ex- cepting a lot of land in upper Island meadow, or Ashuelot Daught, so called) together with all my moveable estate, to be his, & his heirs after the deceased of my wife & my son John. Item. I give to my Grandson Joseph Burt, five shillings at my decease, & to my Grandsons Benj. & Enos Burt, eight pounds each, to be paid by my executor when they arrive to the age of twenty-one years, & to my grandson Reuben Burt, a lot of land in Island meadows, adjoining to a lot of land that was in the possession of my son Asahel, in his life time, and also a weaven loom, to be his when he arrives to the age of twenty-one years. Item. I will & order that if either of my Grandsons, the sons of Asahel Burt, die before they come to the age of twenty-one years, then the other surviving breatheren shall have & divide the deceased part or portion of the estate amongst themselves in equal, proportions. Item. I constitute and appoint my son Aaron Burt, my executor of this my last will and testament, and I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and annul! all and every other former Wills, Testaments, Legacies and Be- queaths, & Executors, by me in any ways before Named, Willed and Be- queathed, Ratifying and confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament. 288 THE BURT FAMILY. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & Seal the day and year above written. Joseph Burt, Seal. Signed, Sealed, Published, prinounced and declaired by the said Joseph Burt as his last will & testament before us the subscribers. Nehemiah Wright, Seth Field, Eliphaz Wright. AT a court of probate holden at Northampton, within & for the county of Hampshire, on the second Tuesday of February, being the 8th day of said month. An. Dom. 1757, I Timothy Dwight, Esq., Judge of Probate Court : Thef oregoing will was presented for probate by the executor therein named, & Seth Field, Esq., & Eliphas Wright, two of the witnesses to the same, personally appearing, made oath that they saw Joseph Burt, the testator, sign & seal & heard him pronounced & declared the same to be his last will & testament, & that he was of sound mind & memory when he did it, & that they with Nehemiah Wright, all signed as witnesses to the same in presence of the Testator, & of each other, wherefore it is ratified, approved, & confirmed, as the last Will & Testament of Sd. deceased. Timothy Dwight. Feby. 8th, 1757, Sworn to by Seth Field, Esq., & Ehphaz Wright in Corn- form, & they saw the other sign. DESCENDANTS. DESCENDANTS OF LATER TIMES. The family name of Burt has been gradually disappearing in the Connecticut valley towns, within the last century. Deaths and removals have largely changed the drift of influence, and new blood has taken the place of the old ; and yet, there are still some of the descendants left, where their ancestors spent useful lives. The descendants of Henry Burt, who bear the family name, are no 'longer numerous in Springfield, Longmeadow, and Northampton. Especially is this true of Northampton and Longmeadow, where there were large families prior and subsequent to the Revolu- tionary period. In Longmeadow, where the descendants of Na- thaniel Burt were for many years prominent, the name has almost entirely disappeared, — not more than two or three families remaining. At Northampton there is only one person by the name of Burt upon the voting list, and he was not born in New England. At Southampton, Hatfield, Deerfield and Northfield, where there were Burts, descendants of David, among the first settlers, not a single one remains. Of the sons of David Burt, Henry and Jonathan remained in Northampton, and some of their descend- ants went to Southampton, to Pittsfield, to Central, Northern and Western New York, and Ohio. David Burt's son, Joseph, went to Hatfield, and thence to Northfield. At the latter place he lived and died, and his descendants settled in Walpole, N. H., and in various towns in Central and Northern Vermont, and a few in Northern New York. Some have gone farther west, where they became prominent and useful citizens. Benjamin Burt, David's youngest son, who lived to rear a family, and who, with his wife, "was captured by the Indians at the burning of Deerfield and taken to Canada, lived to rear a large family at Ridgefield, Conn. Some of his sons went to Orange county. New York, whence have gone representatives of the family to the Chemung valley, Oswego, 292 THE BURT FAMILY. Ohio, and the West. Other branches of the family, representatives- of Jonathan and Nathaniel, have scattered over a wide area of country, reaching from the New England States to the Pacific coast. The Burts, evidently, have had pioneer blood in their veins, and have helped in their own way to found communities and states. Not many have occupied exalted positions, but they have done their share towards making the communities in which they lived, intelligent, prosperous and contented. Good citizenship has evi- dently been with them the guiding purpose. Hitherto, we have not generally been given to attaching much weight to heredity as a factor in the founding of institutions and states. The favorite belief has been that in the race for life, in this- democratic country, all have an equal chance, andean reach equal attainments. While this is excellent in theory, do we not find it confronted with the fact in nature, that like produces like ? Our poets, philosophers, and statesmen, are not born of low and sensual parentage. Are great intellects and high moral purposes endowed by some unknown and mysterious influence ? Or is there, in some earlier thread of the family line, ability by inheritance, as well as by acquirement, to create and exemplify a great purpose which, in subsequent generations, has found existence and expression ? High motives, correct living, and personal application are at the- bottom of every material and intellectual success, whatever may be the environment at first ; and while we are, and must ever be, largely the creators of our fortunes and character, there is still, back of our own existence, a power and an influence which helps to give direction to our thoughts and actions. " As ye sow, so shall ye reap," is true to-day, as when it had utterance two thousand years ago. Noble living leaves a rich inheritance, and the parent will ever live in the children and grandchildren, and his influence upon the unborn may go still further down the line, and in some degree direct the thoughts and actions of the generations that are to follow where he has led. If there was any doubt concerning the stature, physical charac- teristics, and mental capacities of the ancestor, Henry Burt, in the minds of his descendants before they met in any great num- bers, there could have been none after the reunion at Springfield, in October, 1890. The marked resemblance of those whose lines had THE BURT FAMILY. 293 been separated for more than two centuries, to those coming from another branch of the family, was plainly noticeable. Seldom have so many gathered at one place, as did on that occasion, who bore unmistakably the appearance of having had a common parentage. The descendants of Henry Burt, in stature, are mostly between five feet seven inches, and five feet nine inches. They have light blue eyes, light complexions, large ears, standing out from the head, a prominent nose, inclined to Roman, deep set -eyes and arching eyebrows, high cheek bones, and a tapering face, all of which are evidently physical characteristics of the family. These marked features have been maintained for over two centu- ries, and while peculiarities may be to some extent modified by marriage into other families, the law of descent, appears to be largely controlled in the male line. While the descendants of Henry Burt have generally light hair and complexions, the descend- ants of Richard and James, the founders of the Taunton branchy have dark hair, square features, and a more solid frame, — plainly noticeable when brought in comparison with the descendants of Henry Burt of Springfield. Life is not sufficiently long to trace heredity by living examples, in more than three or four generations. If there had been pho- tographers or portrait painters among us two hundred years ago, we should have had reliable aids in tracing family characteristics. The faces of the living may not have general interest, outside of immediate family relatives, at the present time ; but when the circle widens, and time grows dim with multiplying years, those of to-day ■will become in some measure, founders of the family, and will have still greater interest to those studying the influences of heredity, and family relationship. With a view to illustrate a type, and to establish what seems to the writer to be a fact, for the benefit of future generations who maybe interested "in this subject, invitations were extended to the descendants of Henry Burt to add their portraits to this volume. Not so many have responded as was desired, but enough have contributed to show that the family trait has been largely maintained in the various branches, and show. ing unmistakably a common parentage. The sketches of individual members that follow, do not cover the aspirations or the attainments of the entire family. Such as have 294 THE BURT FAMILY. been within reach will be found in the following pages of this book. Other lives may have been as useful, and more devoted, who do not appear here, and if such are neglected, the fault has not been with the one who has projected this volume. Scattered as the family is, over a wide extent of country, and, until within a few years, comparatively unknown to the writer, it has been difficult to gather the materials relating to many of the living, and of some of those who have passed away, and no one will regret more than he^ if some are omitted who are entitled to mention. DESCENDANTS OF JONATHAN BURT. WELLINGTON R. BURT. [Eighth Generation ; Luther', Luther'*, Joseph^, Joseph*, Henry^, Jonathan^, Henryi.] Wellington R. Burt, (son of Luther,) was born in Pike, Genesee County, N. Y., in the year 1831. In 1838 his parents removed to the one-year-old state of Michigan, the then far West, with only its forty miles of railroad running from Detroit to Ypsilanti ; sixty miles farther west they settled on a new farm in Concord. Ever since that event he has been closely identified with the growth and progress of the great Peninsular state. His parents were poor, but had what was the great treasure of our forefathers — patience, pluck, and perseverance ; and these qualities he largely inherited. Five years later his father died, and he at once grasped the idea that he had far greater responsibilities than other boys of his age. His tall, slender frame gave him the appearance of more years and was of great advantage to him. At the age of twenty-two he visited Australia and South America, which in those days was considered an undertaking little short of the marvelous. He returned home satisfied to stay, having gained a large experience, and with his small capital went to Northern Michigan and located three hundred and sixty acres of government land in the wilderness, and began making a farm. His inclinations, however, never led him in that direction. His gifts were emphati- cally those of a business man, — prompt, acute, clear-minded, with an eye for arranging all perplexities. The lumbering interests had just begun to develop in Gratiot County, and the rush for government land had been so great and the resources so small, that in 1857 the state had to furnish pro- 2g6 THE BURT FAMILY. visions, and send them in on wagons. Then Mr. Burt went to Greenville, a distance of fifty miles, bought wheat, drew it in, and sold it to the people, taking pine logs and work in return, thereby ■doing a great kindness to a suffering people in a new country, who iiad plenty of pine logs, but no bread. In 1858 he determined to seek larger fields; and accordingly loca- ted in East Saginaw where he has since resided. With the advan- tages of his early education, together with his strong will and aggress- iveness, his honorable dealing and commanding figure, he was never slow to ever find ways and means to put into effect his resolve to enter into what he desired. He built a large mill and salt block on the Saginaw river, eight miles below the city, at Melbourne, where he soon became a large manufacturer of lumber and salt, buying large tracts of pine land, employing hundreds of men, and apply- ing himself closely to business, with a large corps of assistants. It soon led him into the shipping business and an interest in vessels. In 1877 the mill burned, with a loss of $300,000. The firm then purchased the New York mill and salt block, which he operated for a year or two, when he disposed of his interest. Mr. Burt then owned mills at Grand Marias, Lake Superior, a planing mill and lumber yard in Buffalo, extensive tracts of pine land in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and a ranch in Texas. But of later years he has concentrated his affairs nearer his home ; he has interested himself in railroads, and has been president of the salt association since its organization, until 1891. He visited Eng. land in 1889 in the interest of the association. He is president of the First National Bank, and was appointed by the governor as state commissioner of the World's Columbian Exposition, but de- clined to act. He has always been a zealous leader in his political party. In 1888 he ran for governor, and was defeated by a small majority. In 1892 he was elected state senator by a thousand majority, in a Republican district. He has been twice married, and has two sons and four daughters. His sons are now at Cornell University, where the oldest graduates in June, 1893. Mr. Burt thoroughly enjoys his beautiful home, and entertains his friends right royally. THE BURT FAMILY. 297 As indicating Mr. Burt's vigorous and pointed expression of his views on the great political questions of the times, we quote from a speech delivered by him in the campaign of 1892, in which, after speaking of the report of President Arthur's tariff commission, he says : ' ' When I went down to Washington to give my views before the Senate, I found these men as determined as ever to reduce the tariff ; but soon after I saw hordes of the representatives of the manufacturing establish- ments in Pennsylvania and from the New England States, all demanding that the tariff should be maintained as it was. In speaking to one of these gentlemen, I said : 'The West will not longer stand this high tariff. They will defeat us at the coming election.' He replied : ' We will fairly cover the West with speakers. We will throw plenty of money into the campaign, for we must maintain this tariff as long as possible,' and this was the reason why the reduction recommended was not passed. This shows you that the Republican party was not always committed to the high tariff, notwithstanding that speakers will stand upon public plat- forms and declare that they were. The manufacturing states had grown so strong, and these men went to their congressmen and said : ' You are elected here to protect our interests.' Our men from the West were weak-kneed enough, and the first we knew, there was a combination formed and they got men enough obliged to withstand the demands for reduction. Here is what Senator Sherman said in 1882 : ' The sooner we have the tariff reduced the better it will be for all industries.' Senator Morrill, of Vermont, said it was a mistake to insist upon the extreme rates imposed during the war. One of the noblest men that eversat in Congress declared it impolitic to insist upon this war tariff at the time when I was in Wash- ington. After this commission made their report they had the power to stifle legislation and we got no reduction, unless you call the McKinley bill a reduction. I have said that we did not have any reduction. I will correct that. After it was settled that there was to be no reduction — I am ashamed to repeat it before honest men — after the struggle was over, in comes the Standard Oil Company and says : ' We want our lumber and our tin free, because we are shipping this out in large quantities.' Don't you know that the bill was passed granting them a rebate of the tariff paid on imported lumber ? And I blush that the American Congress and the men who were there at that time granted this to the Standard Oil Company, and it remains a blot on the statute books of this country. [Cheers and great applause.] They had that passed, and I want to say to you that while I am an intense American and believe in this country, I saw a time when the American flag did not look so good to me. Shortly after this I went down to Oswego ; I got up early one morning ; I saw a little fishing boat. It was loaded with lumber as high as it could be, and I said to the owner of the little boat : ' Where did you get that 298 THE BURT FAMILY. lumber? ' He was lame in one foot, and as he hobbled around he replied : ' I brought this little lot over from Canada, where I obtained it very cheap and the freight did not cost me anything, and I am going to build me a little house.' I saw him going to the custom house to pay $35 of duty upon his lumber. I said to him, as there were two other barges there that carried half a million each with the American' flag at the masthead: 'What does this man pay.'' He replied: 'Oh, that belongs to the Standard Oil Company. They don't pay a cent.' Well, I looked up again at the American flag ; it didn't look so bright when I considered that this nation allows a great corporation to bring in their wants free, while it taxed this poor man and he was forced to pay duty on his lumber. I say, from that time to this I became disgusted with the Republican party and with the class controlling it. The Republican party had been the greatest party of the world. No party had done better. They settled the war, but when it came to fighting taxation and stopping this class legislation, where do we find this grand old party? One particular man came in and asked, for his protection, his importations substantially free. An American Congress passed it. How logical was it ? When Armour and his crowd took it into their heads that they would not pay a duty upon salt or tin. Congress passed a bill granting a rebate of 90 per cent, of the duty they had to pay on imported tin and salt. Do you suppose that that bill was the reduction the Ameri- can people had been asking for ? You hear a great deal about tin. Every- body is willing to pay a tariff for an infant industry. But don't you know that the Standard Oil Company and Armour and his crowd had a bill passed at the same time this bill for the protection of the tin industry was passed, so that they drew 90 per cent, rebate of all duties they pay to be drawn from the treasury, and now through that act one-half million dollars has been drawn out by these men ? No wonder that they are satis- fied with the high tariff. You take the salt used by the dairymen of the country. Did they get their salt free ? No, it was simply these great monopolists. They may say as an excuse that they were shipping these goods out of the country. Well, now, here is the point I want you to keep in your minds: That if the foreigner paid the duty as they say, why, in the name of common sense, as long as Armour and the Standard Oil Company don't pay it, why make them a present of neariy two million of dollars? I was with the Republican party when they had to give up their old issues. The manufacturers had got the upper hand. As one of them told me in Washington at that time ; ' We must maintain this tariff as long as we can, if it is necessary to cover the entire West with able speakers.' The Democratic party takes for its issue lower taxation. There is no free trade party. Every man knows that by the principles upon which this government was founded, it is impossible to take the duties off. All we ask is to have it put down so that there will be just enough revenue to support the government economically administered." EBENEZER BURT. [Eighth Generation ; Luther', Luther", Joseph'', Joseph*. Henry's, Jonathan^, Henryi.] Ebenezer Burt, (second son of Luther Burt), lives at Concord, Mich., on a beautiful farm comprising some two hundred acres, situated one mile from the great Michigan Central Railroad. It was never a heavy timbered land, but what is termed burr oak openings, of a very rich soil. A part of it consists of the old homestead, where he has lived from childhood. Where the trees fold their green arms 'round, The trees, a century old : And the wind goes chanting through them. And the sunbeams drop their gold; And the brook through the meadow runs, With its cool, shady bower; Where we angled for the sunfish, And whiled away the hour ; But gone is the deep, broad fire-place. Where the back-log burned bright, — At its side, the corner cupboard, Incased with curtains white. On the other, the rocking chair, Where mother used to sit; And we listened, as she sang So softly, while she knit. It was a long double log-house ; An unpretending affair. But grandeur, that kings might covet. Was the wealth of love found there. No traces of a new country are left, and the wealth there cen- tered in large farms, excels anything I have ever seen in the East. 1 visited there last June. Mr. Burt had a hundred acres of wheat, nearly all in one body. It was a beautiful sight to see the golden heads swept by the gentle breeze, waving in the sunlight, while the click of the reaper was heard in the distance. One week later 300 THE BURT FAMILY. eight men were stacking the sheaves, and a little later the steam thresher comes, and the wheat is in the granary, ready for market. It is not unusual to see three or four steam threshers within a short distance. Mr. Burt also keeps large flocks of sheep, that graze on the land which is not seeded as soon as the wheat is off. The work is all done with machinery and by hired help. He never was a strong man ; in fact, in his boyhood it was hard to decide what to do for or with him ; his delicate skin would burn at the least glimmer of sunshine. At fourteen years of age he went into a printing office, but could not endure the confinement, and after a few months returned home. Then, in the first rush of the early California days, when it took longer and more money to get there than now, he with two of his companions, started for that Eldorado ■with elated expectations of picking up gold by handfuls. They started by the way of New York and the water route. On arriving in New York and going to secure their passage, they found that none of them had sufficient money to purchase tickets. Of course for three spirited, very young men, it was a great dilemma in which to find themselves. Mr. Burt quickly saw the only way out of it, which was to divide his money equally between the others, which he did, only saving enough to enable him to return home, also his clothes that had been prepared for California wear. They shook hands and parted, his companions boarding the vessel, and he re- turning home, where his friends were rejoiced that the adventure was cut so short. He is a quiet, domestic man, and loves his home and friends intensely ; has a happy, jolly disposition, is strictly temperate in all things, never used tobacco in any form, and is honored by all for his uprightness and integrity. While he is quite a politician, as every good American should be, he never cares to enter the tur- bulent stream of politics for office of any kind. He has been mar- ried twice. The first wife was Hester Bently, daughter of the Rev. Mr. Bently, by whom he has three daughters ; the youngest gradu- ates from the Normal School at Ypsilanti, in June next ; the others are married. By the second wife he has one daughter. In the cemetery three miles distant, rises a beautiful monument, dedicated to wife, father and mother, two sisters, and a brother, z. B. G. March, 1893. EBENEZER BURT.— 1737-1825. [Fifth Generation; Lieutenant Jonathan*, Deacon Henry^, Deacon Jonathan^ Henryi.] Ebenezer Burt was born July lo, 1737, in Deerfield. He came from good parentage ; his father was a military man, and his other paternal ancestors were pillars of the church as well as leading men in civic affairs. His mother was Bridget, daughter of Dr. John Barnard of Hadley, granddaughter of Captain Aaron Cook of Hadley, great-granddaughter of William Westwood, one of the wealthiest men of Hadley, and great-granddaughter of Elder John Strong, the noted worthy of Northampton. Lieutenant Jonathan died in 1752 at the age of forty-five, leaving his son, Ebenezer, then about fifteen years of age, in charge of an uncle in Deerfield, with whom he lived till of age. It is said that he adopted the trade of a weaver. He married in 1762 Abigail Bartlett, by whom he had twelve children, viz : Jonathan, who d. young ; Elizabeth, m. Abiather Joy of Guilford ; Abigail, m. (ist) Mr. Dinsmore, and (2d) Zebulon Butler; Jonathan, m. Bath- sheba Woodward and settled in Guilford (they have descendants in Phelps, Newark, (ieneva. Auburn and other towns in New York); Ebenezer, m. Sally Crittenden of Conway and settled in Seneca, N. Y.; Susanna, m. Lewis Joy of Guilford ; Sarah, m. David Wells of Deerfield ; Enos d. young ; Clara, m. Abijah Stearns of Conway ; Sophia, m. James Newhall of Conway; Charissa, b. January 26, 1783, m. January 23, 1806, Roswell Doolittle of Townsend, Vt., then a newly settled. town. They have descendants in Massachu- setts, Vermont, Illinois and Oregon. One of their grandsons, O. P. Allen, pharmacist and bookseller, resides in Palmer, Mass. Enos, the second of the name, m. Merry Atherton and settled in Leyden, Mass. They have descendants in Bernardston and Brattleboro. Ebenezer Burl's first wife died in 1785 ; he married for his second 302 THE BURT FAMILY. wife, Widow Paine, born Anna Barbara Cramar, of Deerfield, by whom he had one daughter, Catherine, who married Thomas Crosby of Brattleboro, whose daughter Elizabeth married Rev. James Her- rick, late of West Brattleboro. They served as missionaries in the Madura Mission some thirty-seven years. In 1815 Ebenezer Burt the elder removed to Brattleboro, in which vicinity he spent the closing years of his life in serene tranquility. He died at the home of his son, Jonathan, in Guilford, June 5, 1825, at the ripe age of eighty-eight, and was interred in the Brattleboro cemetery. His life may not have been a very eventful one, as the world counts these things, but if a life of well repaid industry, unblemished honor, and devout Christian usefulness count for anything, then his life was a grand success, for he sustained all these qualities during his long and happy life, leaving a name honored and re- spected as a rich legacy to his posterity, so that in extreme old age, when the final summons came, he " Gave His body to that pleasant country's earth, And his pure soul unto his captain Christ, Under whose colors he had fought so long." O. P. Allen. ASA BURT.-I737-I774. [Fifth Generation; James*, Henrys, Jonathan^, Henryi.] Asa ]5urt of Granville, Hampden County, Mass., one of the ancestors of the brothers. Friend H. and Orlo Burt, whose histories follow this, was. accidentally killed while felling a tree in the forest, January 28, 1774- The story of the sad event might not have been preserved but for the obituary poem, thirty-four verses in length, written by a colored preacher. Rev. Lemuel Haines, who thus rehearses the doleful story : A POEM, Occasioned by the sudden death of Mr. Asa Burt, of Gran- ville, Mass., who was mortally wounded by felling a tree, on the 28th of January, 1774, in the 37th year of his age ; and expired in a few hours after he received the wound. BY REV. LEMUEL HAINES, (Colored.) Awake my drowsy muse within, Attend with awe profound ; Wilt thou be loth for to begin The awful theme to sound ? ***** What awful news was that we heard ? O ! 'twas a dreadful day ! When death so suddenly appear'd, And took a friend away. He went into the verdant wood, As business did him call ; A tow'ring tree that by him stood, He did attempt to fall. The tree he cut, and to prevent, All harm, he backward fled, When lo ! a cruel limb was sent, Which lit upon his head ! No help from man could he obtain, All earthly helps were fled ; Elixir blood like trickling rain Ran from his wounded head. At length the awful news was heard, And help did quickly come : His weeping friends straitway appe.ar'd And brought him to his home. All means was us'd forto revive To former health again, And keep the dying man alive, But means were all in vain. Before the evening shades were drew. Death stopp'd his vital breath, His body fell a victim to The hands of potent death. ***** Methinks I hear him loving say : " Farewell my parents kind, "My loving Wife, I must away " And leave you all behind. 304 THE BURT FAMILY. " Farewell my children that appear " Clad with juvenile charms ; " Not long ago your Father dear, " Could clasp you in his arms. " My neighbors which I often saw, '* Who lay so near my heart, "Death's ancient unrelenting law. " Constrains me to depart " * * # * # Do not I see an angel bright, Clad with seraphic charms. Conduct him to the realms of light From all opposing harms ? Does fancy aid my vulgar song ? Or do 1 see him there, Clothed in garments white and long All beautiful and fair. Hark ! hear him sing that lovely song, And with his kindred join, Assisting the triumphant throng In concerts all divine. But O ! what bitter groans I hear. Like Rachel much distressed, Lamenting for a husband dear. With heavy grief oppress'd. Madam, O ! let thy tears sufifice. Nor murmur at the rod, With humble cheerfulness arise, And bless the name of God. At first, afflictions may seem hard, And penetrate severe, Yet they will proHt afterward, To those that faithful are. * * * ¥ # Walk cheerful on in wisdom's way?^ That when thou com'st to die, Thou may beliold thy husband's face. To all eternity. Heaven won't admit a single sigh, Nor feel a twinging pain : Death's empire shall in ruin lie. And never rise again. Asa Burt's wife was Ruth Hubbard, and he left four young chil- dren, all of whom lived' to an advanced age. FRIEND H. BURT. FRIEND H. BURT.— 1808-1889. [Seventh Generation; Caleb'^, Asa!*, James*., Henry'*, Jonathan^, Henryi.] Friend Humphrey Burt was born at Tolland, Mass., January 8, 1808. Having served an apprenticeship in the leather business in the New York " Swamjp," he built a tannery at New Boston, Mass., in the year 1840, which he ran till 1845, wlien it was destroyed by fire with all the stock. Rebuilding this tannery, he continued in the business of tanning and currying till 1848, when he sold out to Mr. Hull. In 1849, ^^^ company with his brother, Orlo Burt, he migrated to what was then called the West, and built at Beach Pond, Pa., a tannery, very large for those days. After running this for two years, they sold it and bought another near Lanesboro, Pa., which they operated for some three years, when they again sold out, and Orlo Burt returned to Massachusetts. Friend H. Burt then built an extensive tannery at Lanesboro ; this he sold to William Tremain & Co., when he bought the tannery of J. S. Cor- bett at Corbettsville, N. Y., and greatly enlarged it. Here his tan- nery was again destroyed by fire, together with his dwelling and everything in it. He immediately rebuilt, and during the war, while still operating the tannery at Corbettsville, he bought a tan- nery at Brookdale, Pa., in company with Henry C. Knight. Dur- ing the year 1865 he sold both those tanneries, and in 1866, in company with his son Frank, he went to Mannington, W. Va., where they purchased an oak leather tannery. Two years after- wards the Mannington tannery was burned to the ground. It was at once rebuilt, and he continued in the business under the firm name of F. H. Burt & Son for twenty-one years, till 1887, when the sons Caleb and William P. Burt were admitted, and the busi- 3o6 THE BURT FAMILY. ness is continued under the name of F. H. Burt& Sons to this day. Friend H. Burt died July 23, 1889, after an illness of six days, aged about 82 years. Few men have suffered the reverses that he did and still kept their heads above water. The panic of 1857, the fires, floods and failures encountered, together with the seasons of losing markets, constitute a series of disasters seldom experienced in the life of one man. His indomitable energy, ability and unflinching integrity were retained to the last, and his family are left in comfortable cir- cumstances, proud of the honorable record of husband and father. Mr. Burt was raised a Democrat, but with the slavery agitation he became a Free Soiler and was elected to the Massachusetts Legislature as such, being representative from Sandisfield in 1842. After moving to New York State he was active in the organization of the Republican party, and in i860 was elected to the New York Legislature. In 1884 he became an ardent advocate of the Pro- hibition party, together with his whole family, and he died strong in the faith that this great government will yet get out of the liquor business, and the monstrous curse of the nation will be put away. He was married to Miss Maria Hodges of Great Barrington, Mass., in the year 1840, and she survives him. Their nine children, all grown to manhood and womanhood, are all living, except Calvin, who was killed in the War of the Rebellion in front of Richmond, Va., in 1864. Mr. Burt was a member of the Presbyterian church for some thirty-five years and a ruling elder in it, at Corbettsville, and also at Mannington. He was noted for his excellent judgment and sound practical common sense, for emphatic utterances, positive positions and an indomitable perseverance for the right. He was public spirited and always identified with measures for the better- ment of his fellows and the community in which he lived. 'He was liberal with his money, energetic in his business, frank in con- versation, and his word was as good as any bond ever written. ORLO BURT.— 1810-1882. [Seventh Generation; Caleb^, Asa^ James*, Henry^, Jonathan^, Henryi.] Orlo Burt, the sixth and youngest son of Caleb and Anne Merry Burt, was born in Tolland, Hampden County, Mass., December 8, 1810. Early in his childhood days the family removed to New Bos- ton in the town of Sandisfield, Mass., where an older brother was engaged in tanning ; a trade that all the six brothers learned and fol- lowed at some part of their lives. In 1849, with his brother Friend H., he rem.oved to Wayne County, Pennsylvania, where they built a large tannery ; they afterwards purchased another tannery near Lanesboro, Susquehanna County, Pa. In 1852, they having sold their interest, Orlo returned with his family to the old home and continued in the leather and tanning business there until 1872, when he removed to Stamford, Conn. From early life he took an active part in town affairs, and was often appealed to for counsel and advice, the people relying upon his judgment and earnest desire for the public interests. He was firm in his convictions and a fearless advocate of what he deemed just and right. In the affairs of the church he took an active part and was considered one of its main pillars ; for more than twenty- five years he served as deacon of the Baptist church in Sandisfield. In politics he early espoused the anti-slavery cause, and when the Republican party was organized was among the first delegates to the county and state conventions. In 1859 he represented the town in the legislature, and the following year was elected state senator for the South Berkshire district and was re-elected again in 186 1. He was a warm and persistent supporter of the national 3o8 THE BURT FAMILY. government during the War for the Union, and gave his time and meank to its support. He was the first internal revenue assessor appointed for the tenth Massachusetts district and held the position four years. Early in life he married Harriet Crane, daughter of Silas Crane, of Sandisfield. His home was a happy one, and his friends were always made welcome by his genial and warm-hearted manner. He died at Mannington, W. Va., August 24, 1882, while on a visit to his brother Friend H., and was buried at Stamford, Conn , with his wife, who died the year before. ORIGIN OF BURT SHOES. [By Descendants in the Eighth Generation ; James^ Caleb", Asa^ James*, Henry^, Jonathan^, Henryi.] The name of Burt has been so widely known in connection with the manufacture of shoes, that a history of its beginning in that industry, and the character of the man who established a reputa- tion for honest and reliable work, may be a matter of interest to those interested in the history of the family of Burt. The writer of this — a grandson of Caleb Burt, of Sandisfield, Mass., — has been unable to learn much of the history of his ancestors from records in possession of the family. From records and researches made by Mr. Burnham and others, we trace our family lineage from the emigrant ancestor Henry, through his son. Deacon Jonathan, his grandson Henry, and his great-grandson James — who settled in Granville, Mass. Asa, the eldest son of James Burt, following the course of emigration westward, removed to Tolland, Mass., the next township west of Granville, probably taking up new lands, clearing it of forest and making a home for himself and family. He was accidentally killed, by the falling of a tree, at the age of thirty-seven, leaving a widow and four children. Caleb, the eldest, remained in Tolland for several years, looking after the farm and having the oversight of the family, and where he was married and most of his children were born. Early in the century he removed to Sandisfield, Mass. He was a man of sterl- ing integrity and possessed of much religious zeal. One of his grandchildren has written of him : " He was a missionary to his own people, when his years of hardest toil were over, and he drove about the country, reading his Bible as he drove, stopping at every house, ostensibly to sell Bibles, leaving them whether bought or not." He was a man of considerable push, and ready for any new enterprise. The manufacture, or tanning of leather, was a new in- dustry in that locality ; and he with his two sons, Calvin and James, embarked in that business. James, in the course of a few years, removed to Hartford, Ct., and established a commission house for 310 THE BURT FAMILY. the sale of the leather tanned in Sandisfield, adding to the busi- ness later on, the manufacture of boots and shoes. In 1846 the business was removed to New York City, and conducted b}' his three sons, Edwin C, James M., and John W., in much the same manner as in Hartford, up to the year 1861. During this period shoes of fineness were only made to measure. The only shoes ready for sale were coarse, heavy and unshapely, made mostly in one width, and without-much regard to good fitting qualities. The family trait of love of excellence found ready play, when in 1862, the demand for shoes far excelled the supply. These young men, led by the eldest brother, Edwin C:, began to produce in quantities, for sale everywhere, such shoes as had only been obtainable before from custom shops, and inade single handed by the most skillful cordwainer. The factory and wholesale depart- ment were in New York City. The motto in the establishment was: "Use the best." The cutting room was placarded with: " Cut none but perfect uppers," and throughout every department, thoroughness and care was insisted on, every detail in the process of manufacture was carefully looked after. The result was the production of a superior article, which found satisfactory acknowl- edgment in an increasing demand, and when put in competition at the World's Fair at Vienna, at Paris, and at our own Centennial, received the highest award." " As good as Burt's," was the argu- ment of competition. Edward D. Burt, son of Calvin, in 1865, established a retail store in Brooklyn, and was the link that kept the energy of the factory in touch with the real and varying wants of the people. The persistance in producing only the best, and the success with which it met, stimulated the emulation and invention of others, and set in motion many processes and inventions that have contributed largely to the wonderful development of the manufacture of shoes all over the land. It was the " room at the top " idea, with character behind all that they attempted, that made these men excel — that made Burt the standard by which good shoes have been judged the past thirty years ; and it was their love of what was good and true, that has left to younger generations a name of honor, and an example of good living. DANIEL R. BURT.— 1804-1884. [Eighth Generation; Oliver', Elami^, John^ Captain John*, Johns, Jonathan^, Henryi.] Daniel Raymond Burt was born in Florida, Montgomery county, N. Y., February 29, 1804. His father, Oliver Burt, was born in Springfield, Mass., October 13, 1773. His mother, Wealthy Ray- mond, was born in Stockbridge, and was a descendant of an ancient family in England. His education consisted of twelve months' at- tendance at a common school on the frontier in Western New York ; the rest of his instruction was obtained in the workshop and in the field. From 1820 his business was that of farming, milling and manufacturing, up to 1880, when he retired from active business. September i, 183 1, he married Lydia Ashley, of Claremont, N. H. After her death he married Mrs. M. T. Ennor, a native of Vermont. He resided in Livingston county, N. Y., till May i, 1827, when he removed to Ontario, Can. October 10, 1830, he moved to Tecumseh, Mich., where he remained till 1835, in which year he located 2,000 acres of land in Grant County, Wisconsin, then in the Territory of Iowa, the present location of Lancaster. July i, 1835, he with his family settled at Waterloo, Grant county, and* built mills there the same year, eight miles from any'settlement. He opened roads to Cassville, eleven miles ; to Potosi, eight miles ; to Beetown, eight miles, and to Hurricane Corner, six miles, and was also at large expense for the construction of bridges. He re- sided in Grant county twenty-three years after the first settlement and was engaged in farming, milling and manufacturing. He paid taxes in Wisconsin every year, from the organization of Wisconsin as a territory, up to his death. At one time he owned 5!°°° acres of land in the state. He built in the state two saw mills, two flouring mills and two woolen mills, and in Iowa, under a contract with the government, he built a flouring mill and a saw mill. In 312 THE BURT FAMILY. 1856 he began the manufacturing of agricultural implements at East Dubuque (Dunleith) and after building up a successful busi- ness he transferred it to his son, Charles S. Burt. He died sud- denly January 7, 1884, at Wenona, III., while waiting for a train, on his way home from Streator. In 1840 Mr. Burt was elected as a representative from Grant county to the territorial House of Representatives for two years. In 1847 he was again elected to the same position and served in that capacity till the close of the territorial government. He was many years a member of the Grant county board. In 1846 he was elected a representative from that county to the Constitutional convention which framed the state government. Daniel Burt was a true pioneer, endured many hardships of life in the West and was active in developing the resources of the coun- try. His life was a busy and useful one and he lived to enjoy the fruits of his own toil. He was a man of great energy of character, and in his pioneer life he traveled over forests and prairies at all seasons of the year and at all hours. Twice he was lost in snow storms. In December, 1840, he walked from Fort Atkinson to Prairie du Chien, a distance of fifty miles, through snow eleven inches deep without the least sign of a track ; and on the same day, after riding from Prairie du Chien to Patch's, walked over Blake's Prairie ten miles more after eight o'clock, and on the same night rode home on horseback, a further distance of eight miles. December 27, 1835, he walked from where Savanna now stands to Rock Island, seventy-two miles, and forded many streams where -the water reached his vest pockets. There was not a house the whole distance. Mr. Burt's only brother, Silas, went West in 1832 and shared with him the hardships of pioneer life. CHARLES S. BURT. CHARLES SILAS BURT. [Ninth Generatiox ; Daniel Rs., Oliver', Elam" John,^ Captain John*, John**, Jonathan'^, Henryi.] Charles Silas Burt, son of the pioneer, Daniel Raymond Burt, was born May ii, 1838, at Waterloo (now Burton), Grant county. Wis., at that time Northwest Territory. His early life was passed in the wilderness. " Until eight years of age," he writes, " I had for playmates Winnebago, Chippewa and Menomonee Indian boys and girls. In boyhood I was obliged to milk from four to six cows, with the thermometer at zero to 25° below, and until twelve years of age I had to go a mile to a log school house with slab benches and shake roof." From the primitive school of the frontier he went to Platteville (Wis.) Academy, where he continued his education until 1855, after which he studied for a year at Bell's Commercial College, Chicago. At nineteen years of age he entered business with his father at Dunleith, 111., manufacturing reapers and mowers, shingle machines etc. He was elected mayor of Dunleith at the age of twenty-five, and at thirty-five he was chosen to represent the tenth Illinois senatorial district, serving two years. In 1875 he organized the Novelty Iron Works at Dubuque, la., consolidating the old business with that of the new company, of which he was president for twelve years. In 1885 he went south by reason of impaired health, and settling at Baton Rouge, La., he organized the Burton Lumber Company, May 11, 1885, becoming president of the company. Mr. Burt married, September 11, 1861, Marianna Blanchard of Concord, N. H., daughter of Charles P. Blanchard. They have had four children: Angelo Raymond Burt, b. August i, 1863, 314 THE BURT FAMILY. secretary and treasurer of the Burton Lumber Company of Baton Rouge ; Frank Ashley Burt, b. April 24, i856, superintendent of lighthouses for the Pacific coast ; Florence B., b. July 22, 1867, d. October 24, 1867 ; Claudine Belle, b. February 16, 1869, d. Nov- ember 28, 1891. Angelo Raymond Burt has a son, Elmore Blanch- ard Burt, b. October 17, 189 1. Mr. Charles S. Burt, besides his connection with the Burton Lumber Company, is president of the C. S. Burt Company, Limited, at New Orleans, and his son is secretary and treasurer of the same company. Both now reside in New Orleans. Roccena M. Burt, Mr. Burt's only sister, married C. A. Beck, of Chicago, general manager of the Illinois Central Railroad. THE WILBRAHAM BURTS. [Deacon Roderick', Deacon Moses," Moses, Jr.,'' Moses, Sr.*, Henry^, Jonathan^ Henrys.] Moses Burt (b. May ii, 1709) removed in 1733 from Spring- field to Wilbraham, and bought a farm of Mary Day, the same that for more than one hundred and fifty years remained in the Burt family, upon which a stone house now stands, the only one on Wilbraham street. In 1734, he married Hannah Warriner of Wilbraham. He is spoken of as " an industrious weaver and reed maker,'' and is supposed to have followed that occupation in con- nection with agriculture, as in 177 1, we find comparatively few acres under culture, while the yearly revenue was greater than that of many of his neighbors. His name was prominent in town and "precinct" affairs — for the home of his adoption was not independent of Springfield till some twenty years later. Four chil- dren blessed his home, — two'daughters and two sons ; one, Gideon, was among the number who, in 1775, responded to the Lexington alarm, and as we find his bill for the two days' absence from home amounts to but seven shillings, we may justly infer that he was a temperance man. Later he was made sergeant, as was his father before him. In 1787, Gideon was chosen deacon for life of the Congregational church in Wilbraham. He married Eunice Merrick, and had a large family. His brother Moses was the one to remain on the home farm and succeeded his father, who died at seventy-seven years of age, "full of honor and of years." The three, father and two sons, were among the hundred and twenty- five patriotic Wilbraham men who signed the non-consumption pledge, previous to the historic "Boston Tea Party." 3l6 THE BURT FAMILY. MOSES BURT, JR. Moses Burt, Jr., as we find him recorded, — but if we say Moses 2"^, it may aid us, — son of Moses and Hannah (Warriner) Burt, lived at the old homestead with his young wife Esther (Ely), caring for the parents and the place, their three young children making music and sunshine in the cloudy days, — if there ever came such to lovely Wilbraham. Of his history we find little save what comes to us all — "born, married, died," and in his case, at the age of forty-seven he "fell asleep," leaving his only son, Moses 3"*, a lad of but fourteen ; and upon him devolved the duty and privilege of caring for his widowed mother till her death at the ripe old age of eighty-two, leaving a blight and blessed memory to the surviv- ing grandchildren ; " Grandma's room " being the place in all the house most sought for, and her bed the softest and best for the little folks' afternoon naps. Oh, these blessed Grandmas I DEACOX MOSES BURT. Moses 3"^ — " Capt. Burt," as he was for years called in Wilbra- ham— was later known as " Deacon Burt," as in 1822, he was chosen life deacon of the church in which his faiher and grand- father had long worshiped, his grandmother, Hannah (Warriner) Burt, uniting the year after its formation in 1746. He served in that capacity more than fifty years, or as long as he remained in town. The old homestead, with its many and varied additions and attractions, was the " home " still, where, Deacon Burt lived — tilling the acres not only, but also opening a stone quarry upon the place, which extended far up toward the mountain top, the extia laborers adding to domestic care within doors, for in those days every one boarded and lodged their " help," which must be abundant without, while within, duties often devolved upon the "house mother," and her buxom daughters, if she was thus blessed, as happily in this case. Deacon Moses, or Moses 3'', was fortunate in securing for a life companion, one who was for more than forty years a " helpmate " indeed — " Pretty Sally Robbins," as she was called. As the ability to increase domestic comforts became his, he showed his progress- iveness by being the first in his neighborhood to bring running water into his house, and to introduce a cooking stove, an almost un- THE BURT FAMILY. 317 heard of thing in that vicinity in those days ; also one of the first in town to own a covered carriage, with which his wife and he made trips to Unadilla, N. Y., where his only sister resided — Mrs. James Maxwell, — and in the same manner, years later, visited his two married daughters, for iron horses were not plenty in those days, yet maidens did marry and were given in marriage to men from the " far West " — even New York State ! Serving his town in various capacities, he was in 1816 sent to represent that district at Boston, a duty which no doubt was faith- fully done, as later each of his sons was sent in the same manner. " Burt blood" tells, find it where you will, — faithful and honest, be the duties large or small. But his children and grandchildren were filling the old house too full, and he pulled down and built anew, or rather, did the " pulling down " alter the new was habitable, erecting in 1832 the present stone house on Wilbiaham street, a substantial two-story structure, with piazzas, now occupied and owned by James Merrick, son of an old neighbor and townsman. Of his eight children, but four reached mature life, two sons and two daughters ; the latter married brothers, Alfred and Henry Isham of South Wilbraham. They removed to Rutland, N._Y., where their descendants still dwell.* Of the sons, the elder, Henry, married Caroline Pinneyof Somers, Ct.,and resided for years in Wilbraham ; 'later for years in Illinois, where he adopted two orphan boys, never having children of his own. Later still he removed to Amhersr, Mass., where one of the boys graduated. Henry was a farmer, then grocer for years, but in 1870 was sent to the Legislature at Boston, when, he sold his interest in business and never again actively engaged in mercantile pursuits, but with his delightful wife made life not only pleasant but truly beautiful for more than one orphaned maiden, and their home a resting place full of kindly sympathies for teach- ers and professors in their college life ; nor did their efforts rest here, but to the tired and disabled nurse or servant girl, their home became as the "House Beautiful,'' and the Master's gracious Words, "As ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," could well have been spoken unto them. *Sarah Burt, b. September 12, iSoo ; m. (i,) Alfred Isham, June 17, 1824; (2,) William Sill ; he d. June iJs, 1884. Louisa Burt, b. March 8, 1S07; m. Henry Isham, January 23, 1835 ; d. August 3, 1884- 3l8 THE BURT FAMILY. But they " rest from their labors," the wife dying in 1884, and in 1889 he was laid beside her in the old cemetery at Wilbraham> among his kindred. His second wife, Cora (Porter) Burt, is still living. DEACON RODERICK BURT. The youngest son, Roderick, b. February 7, 1817, was the one to remain at home, after graduating at Wilbraham Academy at nineteen. He ploughed and sowed, he reaped and mowed, but much to his disgust ; farm life was not congenial ; but if a farmer he must be, he would do all he could to make it beautiful, so with other lads of his age, he organized what was then almost if not quite unknown, a "village improvement society." The delightful shady streets of Wilbraham are the result. This youth in his teens thought vastly more of music than of the plough and threshing machine, and became the happy possessor of a flute, which so grated upon the ears of his father, that the good deacon would banish it and him to the attic ; but persever- ance being one of his boyish virtues, and music a passion with him, before he was seventeen, he became leader of the village choir, with his father one of his singers, and held that position for twenty- one years. Later he became a pupil of Lowell Mason in Boston and taught vocal music winters, in surrounding towns, both in Mas- sachusetts and Connecticut. At twenty-one he married Mariette Bestor, of Somers, Ct. (Sep- tember 12, 1837) bringing his bride to the old homestead, as had his father and grandfather before him, and for forty-one years a more perfectly happy union is seldom found in this transitory world of ours, four children blessing their home. At the age of thirty- one he left farming and went into trade in his native village. In the course of the first twenty-five years of his mature life, he held many offices in church and town, offices being postmaster, town clerk, chairman of the school committee, justice of the peace, teacher of district and singing schools, guardian of orphans, administrator of estates, etc., etc. In 1858 he was sent 10 the Legislature, when Governor Banks was in the chair of state and during the eventful term when Judge Loring was removed for his THE BURT FAMILY. 319 action in the return of Burns, the fugitive slave ; and it is well worth quite a journey to hear him relate incidents of that memora- ble occasion. He was ever active in all church work. " Sitting by my mother's knee," he has said, " during the Saturday night prayer meetings held weekly in our large kitchen, I think I drank in the spirit of the gospel before I was old enough to understand its requirements ; " and perhaps this gave him the " willing mind " for church work. As chairman of the building committee when a new edifice was being planned, he could not rest till his entreaties had gained con- sent of the other members for a " prayer meeting " room, but when finished, there was nothing left with which to furnish it. Nothing daunted, he gave his private note for the same, and immediately set about giving "old folks' concerts" to raise the necessary funds, his own little daughter being one of the singers ; and the results fully compensated him for the endeavor. The room was occupied for " sunrise prayer meetings," the following winter, and among the first converts were his own daughter and that of the only other member of the committee who did not oppose the idea of a "prayer meeting" room. In 1858, being offered by the New York and Erie Railroad Com- pany the position of purchasing agent of supplies for the building of the first tunnel through Bergen Hill, N. J., he sold his store and all other Wilbraham property, moving his family to Jersey City. He was also engaged for a time in the improvement of real estate belonging to New York parties in Newark, where he built sixteen houses in one summer. After two years of life in Jersey City he concluded it was not the place in which he cared to bring up a family of children, and returned to New England, locating in Spring- field, where he engaged in the book trade on Main street, near Court Square. For many years his store was headquarters for clergymen, Sunday school superintendents and teachers, for all the country round, and one of his pleasantest business memories, is the corner devoted to Sunday school library books, and the band of faithful ones who came to seek food for the youthful minds under their care. He was closely identified with Sunday School work in the First Church, for many, many years, having a Bible class of ladies, to whom he became greatly attached, and it may be 320 THE BURT FAMILY. inferred that the regard was mutual, from the testimonials in his possession. He was on the committee when the change was made from the old square pews to their present style, and for sixteen j'ears served as deacon in that church. Here his father died at the age of ninety-six and was taken to Wilbraham to rest beside his fathers and children, a goodly number. His second wife, Mrs. Betsey (Sessions) Flynt, had preceded him some fifteen years, and during this time he had lived with his son Roderick, in Springfield. Of Roderick's three children who lived to maturity, the eldest daughter, Sarah Robbins, married in 1863, Charles W. Clark of Wilbraham, who died in East Orange, N. J., March i^, 1889; she was married second, on March 23, 1890, to Rev. F. B. Pullan, pastor of the Third Congregational Church, San Francisco. The next daughter, Mary Foot, married Charles A. Burnham, April 25, 1866, and during her brief married life lived in Norwich, Ct. Mrs. Burnham died September 25, 1871, and her husband has been dead some years. Mr. Burt's only surviving son, Arthur Sey- mour, b. August 25, 1848, m. November 23, 1869, Alice A. Rice of Springfield, where they now live, he being clerk for a manufactur- ing company at Holyoke. He is the father of three children. The oldest, Mary Foot, b. October 6, 1871, for several years has been stenographer and typewriter in a lawyer's office in New York. The son, Roderick Henry, b. November 5, 1873, is learning to manu- facture wallets, and it is hoped he will succeed in putting upon the market one that will hold cash! Grace Marie, b. September ig, 1875, is in a millinery shop in Springfield; all busy with hand and brain. But we are hastening too fast. In 1878 (March 3) the beloved wife and fond mother " rested from her labors," the Master calling her to higher service above. Since 1884 Roderick Burt has lived in New York with his second wife, Mary E. (Goodell) Burt, (to whom he was married January 15, 1879), ^"d is President of the Wilsonia Magnetic Appliance Company at 821 Broadway, corner 1 2th street. Having seen twenty-five years of church work in Wilbraham and another quarter century in Springfield, upon going to New York he united with the Fourteenth Street Presbyterian Church, of which THE BURT FAMILY. 32 1 Rev. W. T. McEwen is pastor, on the first Sabbath of May, 1885, just fifty years from his first public profession. He was at once chosen deacon and after serving as cliairman of that board for two years was elected Elder, and is still serving in that capacity 1893. DESCENDANTS OF DAVID BURT. JAMES BURT.— 1760-1852. [In the Fifth Generation; Daniel*, Benjamin^, David^, Henryi.]' James Burt was the youngest child of Daniel and Hannah (Bene- dict) Burt. His father was the son of Benjamin Burt, who after his return from captivity in Canada in 1706 moved to Connecticut, finally settling at Ridgeiield where he died in 1759. Daniel moved to Warwick, Orange county, N. Y., in 1746 and after a short residence returned to Ridgefield, but in the year after his father's death he moved again to Warwick, making a permanent home there. Here James was born on October 25, 1760. When the Revolutionary war began he was only fifteen years old, but a year or so later he- became the lieutenant of a company in Colonel Hathorn's regiment. Orange county was a part of the debateable territory where there was a constant conflict between the patriots and the native Tories. Lieutenant Burt took an active part in the operations in this field, and he was one of those engaged in building Fort Putnam, the picturesque ruins of which overlook the academic structures at West Point. Because of his youthful military service and his long life he was among the last surviving male pensioners of the great conflict that ended in our national independence. Among the outlawed patriots driven out of Long Island after their defeat in the important battle there on August 27, 1776, was- Captain Benjamin Coe of Newtown. He was the descendant of Robert Coe, who came to Watertown, Mass., in May, 1634, was subsequently one of the founders of the towns of Wethersfield and Stamford, Conn., and finally moved in 1644 to Hempstead,. L. L He became active in political affairs, was a magistrate,.. THE BURT FAMILY. 323. and was delegate to the first political assembly in the present limits of the state of New York, being called by Director General Stuyvesant to convene at New Amsterdam (now New York City) on November 26, 1653. The action of this convention quieted for a period the disputes between the English settlers and the Dutch government, in which Robert Coe and his indomitable son. Captain John, were leaders on the English side. After the cession of the colony to England, Robert Coe was appointed high sheriff of the " West Riding of Yorkshire," which comprehended all of Long Island and a part of Westchester county, a position subsequently held by his son. Captain John. Captain Benjamin Coe was accompanied in his flight by his daughter, Abigail, and his father-in-law, the Rev. Simon Horton. Captain Coe was a widower, and his only brother, Lieutenant Jona- than Coe, captured after the battle of Long Island, died from pri- vation and neglect in one of the infamous English military prisons. Captain Coe sought refuge at Warwick, and James Burt made the acquaintance of the daughter, which ripened into an engagement that a tradition says was not agreeable to her father, who had other views. However, as he was during the entire period of the war a. member of the state assembly and attended its many sessions held, at divers places because of military vicissitudes, the lovers had matters much their own way, and at the close of the war were mar- ried on August 15, 1783, at Captain Coe's homestead at Newtown,, which he recovered from confiscation by the English government.* In the early settlement at Warwick, the educational advantages were very meager, and even these were greatly interrupted by the fluctuating conditions of the war. That in spite of such disad- vantages Mr. Burt became an important political force is an evidence of his inherent ability and strength of character. From early life he took an active interest in all public affairs and in 1797 was elected to represent his county in the state assembly, meeting there among other notable men, Aaron Burr and De Witt Clinton, who made with him their first entrance into legislative office. He *NoTE. — Mr. Coe was appointed in 1793 the first Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Kings County, and served thirteen years. He was a member of the State As- sembly in 1804, 1805 and 1S06, during which period his son-in-law, James Burt, was a. State Senator. 324 THE BURT FAMILY. was subsequently re-elected eight times to the assembl)', serving in the several sessions of 1798, 1799, 1800, 1802, 1803, 1816, 1820, 1821 and 1822. He was also a member of the state senate in the years 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, 1810, 1823, 1824, 1825 and 1826. He was thus a legislator for twenty years, taking an influential part in the formative period of state political history. In the party divisions of Federalists and Republicans Mr. Burt -acted with the latter ; all of his instincts were strongly democratic and he always sustamed policies giving as large an exercise of popular will as was practicable. He was active in all measures for the improvement of roads and in those leading to the construction of the Erie Canal and in the laws abolishing negro slavery in the state. In 1803 he refused to obey the mandate of his party caucus in regard to the nomination for United States Senator and with others succeeded in securing the election of Theodoras Bailey. In 1804 he supported Aaron Burr's candidacy for the governorship. In 182 1 in the discussion of the bill providing for a convention to amend the state constitution, he moved an amendment that the question of a " Convention," or " No Convention," be submitted to the people. In 1822 he was nominated for the speakership but was defeated by a combination. He was elected in 1823 a member of the first senate organized under the new constitution. In 1824 a bill was introduced providing for the direct election of Presiden- tial electors by the people instead of their election by the legisla- ture as had been the method theretofore. Upon a motion to post- pone the consideration of this bill, seventeen senators voted in the affirmative and fourteen in the negative, Mr. Burt being among the latter. Says Jenkins in his Political History: "The conduct of the majorit)' of the senate in refusing to pass an electoral law in compliance with the general sentiment prevailing among the people naturally excited a deep feeling of indignation." Mr. Burt's legislative speeches were characterized by their point, simplicity, logic and frequent pungency of expression. He was indefatigable in committee work and very frequently called to the chair in committee of the whole. Ex-President Van Buren, who was a fellow member of the senate with Mr. Burt, told the writer that the latter's speeches and reports were always attentively con- THE BURT FAMILY. 325 sidered by his colleagues because of their compactness, cogency and good judgment. In the quadrilateral contest for the presidency in 1824, Mr. Burt ardently supported John Quincy Adams, whom he greatly admired, and in the reconstruction of parties arising out of that contest, h& was a member of that organization that finally became known as the Whig party, which survived him only a year. In 1800, when quite new to public life, he had made such an im- pression upon his legislative colleagues that he was elected one of the twelve presidential electors from New York, all of whom cast their votes for Mr. Jefferson, the successful candidate. Says the late Thurlow Weed in his autobiography : " At the Whig State Convention that met at Utica in the latter part of September (1840) * * * a popular electoral ticket was nominated headed by the venerable James Burt of Orange, with Pierre Van Cortlandt of Westchester, Archibald Mclntyre of Albany, Gideon Lee, formerly mayor of New York, then of Ontario, B. Davis Noxon of Onondaga and Peter B. Porter of Niagara," among his forty-one associates. This ticket was successful and Mr. Burt was elected president of the electoral college which cast all its votes for Gen- eral William Henry Harrison. In this respect Mr. Burt's career was unique, since no other per- son has retained his political importance, so as to be twice a presi- dential elector with an intervening period of forty years. In another respect his experience was remarkable, since at the time of his first service as a constitutional agent in the selection of a president of the United States, New York was allotted only twelve electors, and in his second service it had forty-two ; he was thus a member of the smallest and of the largest body that will ever rep- resent New York in that capacity. There seems no prospect that while the present constitutional method survives, the relative im- portance of New York will rise above or fall below those figures. It is also remarkable that in 1840 his 30ungest son, Thomas M. Burt, was publishing at Albany a campaign paper, entitled "The Rough Hewer," supporting the Democratic candidate, Martin Van Buren, and so opposing his own father's election. This however led to no personal estrangement. In addition to these high honors Mr. Burt held minor ones. Dur- 326 THE BURT FAMILY. ing a large part of his aciive life he held a commission as justice of the peace, for which he was well qualified by his remarkable grasp of the principles of the common law and by his keen sense of justice and equity. He was also the general executor, trustee and crunselor for a large district. At his homestead, inherited from his father (and still in the family), he dispensed a warm hospi- tality and no suppliant, however miserable or forlorn, was refused shelter, food and other assistance. Pure and devout in his daily life, upright and conscientious in all his dealings, scrupulous and assiduous in his public duties, he was remarkably affectionate and tender in his family relations. James Burt was a grand type of the men who after the close of our Revolutionary struggle devoted themselves to the repair of the social and political structures devastated by the long war, and who sought to fortify them by such sound measures and legislation as would demonstrate the superior stability and value of democratic institutions. His earlier political associates, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, George and De Witt Clinton, Edward P.Livingston and Daniel D. Tompkins held him in high esteem ; later he enjoyed the friendly regard of Martin Van Buren, Ambrose and John C. Spencer, Silas Wright, William L. Marcy and William H. Seward ; and he even lived to be venerated and consulted by the succeeding generation of those prominent in state affairs. He died at his residence in Warwick in his ninety-second year, ■on March 17, 1852, having retained all his faculties to the last. THOMAS M. BURT.— 1800-1873. tiN THE Sixth Generation; James^ Daniel*, Benjamin^ David^, Henryi.] Thomas Montanyfe Burt, the youngest child of James and Abigail (Coe) Burt, was born at Warwick, N. Y., on January 8, iSoo. He was educated in the Warwick common school and the academy in the neighboring village of Florida, founded by Judge Samuel S. Seward, father of the statesman, William H. Seward. Upon reaching his majority in 182 1, Mr. Burt made a trip to St. Louis, Mo., in expectation of obtaining a position in a bank about to be founded there, but this project failing, he floated down the Mississippi in a flat-boat. Stopping in Tennessee for three months to replenish his purse by school teaching, he resumed his voyage by flat-boat to New Orleans whence he returned to New York by sea. This was an adventurous trip in those days when the great western domain was comparatively unsettled. After divers employments Mr. Burt was in 1825 appointed the deputy clerk of the New York State Senate, of which his father was an influential member, and held the place for four years. In 1829 he served under Silas Wright, the State Comptroller, and be- came confirmed in a belief he had some time entertained that the politico-economical policy of the Democratic party, as also its doc- trine of the restricted functions of government, were sound. He thus became politically alienated from his own father, who had joined the Whig party at its formation in 1826, and this political difference continued during their lives. He also formed a close personal friendship with Mr. Wright that was never broken ; neither of them knew that they were related in blood, Mr. Wright being descended from Mercy Burt, youngest daughter of Henry, the founder of the family in America. On May 22, 1829, Mr. Burt married Lydia, 3-28 THE BURT FAMILY. daughter of Sherebiah Butts of South Hadley, Mass., and their first child, a son, b. April 25, 1830, was named Silas Wright. In 1830 Mr. Burt became one of the proprietors of the Albany Argus, a daily paper that was the organ of the famous " Albany Regency," probably the most influential political combination ever formed in our country. In 1840 he sold his interest in the Argus and published on his own account a nine-months' campaign paper, styled the Rough Hewer, in support of the re-election of President Van Buren, and thus- opposing the election of Mr. Burt's own father who headed the Whig electoral ticket, which was successful, as was also the candidate of that party, General William Henry Harrison. In 1842 Mr. Burt moved his residence to Kinderhook, N. Y., and the next year was induced by his friend, Azariah C. Flagg, the State Comptroller, to superintend the reorganization of the state banks under what was known as the " Free Banking Law," the es- sential features of which were subsequently copied in our National Banking Law. He was thus practically the first superintendent of state banks, a position afterwards established as head of a distinct department. Although reluctant to serve after the official term of his friend, Flagg, expired on December 31, 1847, he was induced to remain awhile by the latter's successor, Millard Fillmore, but resigned when Mr. Fillmore was elected Vice President in Novem- ber, 1848. Mr. Burt had for many years been deeply impressed by the arrogance of the "slave power" in our politics and by the subserviency of both great parties to that power. He was a dele- gate to the Buffalo convention that in 1848 nominated Martin Van Buren and Charles Francis Adams as Free-soil candidates. The same sentiment sank deeper in his mind with the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the Fugitive Slave law and Kansas-Nebraska outrages and he joined heartily in the organization of the Republi- can party in 1855 to oppose the extension of slavery. In February, 1861, the New York Legislature appropriated $50,- 000 to aid the Kansas farmers, distressed by the failure of their crops through drought the previous year, and Mr. Burt was com^ missioned to make the expenditures for their benefit. Returning fri m this congenial task at the outbreak of the rebellion he was engaged by Governor Morgan to audit the accounts for expenses THE BURT FAMILY. 329 in raising volunteers. His ardent desire to be Inore actively en- gaged in suppressing a rebellion so causeless and abhorrent was satisfied by his appointment by President Lincoln as a paymaster, with the rank of major in the volunteer armies on September 5, 1861. He served at Washington and in the armies of the Potomac and the South and gave great satisfaction to his superiors by his prompt movements and close business methods. As soon as the war ended in April, 1865, he resigned and returned to his home at Kinderhook, where he remained until invited in 1867, to accept a position in the Internal Revenue service at New York, empowered to accept or reject all bonds given by distillers and dealers in taxable spirits con&erning which there had been great scandals and losses of revenue. Mr. Burt's well known integrity was an ample assurance that such corruptions and thefts would cease in spite of the great wealth of the conspirators against the revenue and their unscrupulous methods. After correcting these abuses he again returned home in the latter part of 1868, and declining further public employment he remained there in retirement until his death on May 14, 1873. Mr. Burt was a man singularly free from pretence or arrogance, of an amiable disposition and deep rehgious sentiment, being a devout member of the Baptist church for over thirty-five years. He had a very large and intimate acquaintance with the prominent public men of his day who esteemed him highly. He fulfilled all his duties, social, domestic, public, secular and religious, with a conscientious determination and patient endeavor. At his funeral, the Rev. Dr. Collier applied to him the character of Job: "That man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil." His good repute and their recollection of his virtues have been the precious heritage of his children. His widow survived him until July i, 1880. SILAS WRIGHT BURT. [In the Seventh Generation; Thomas M.'', James^, Daniel*, Benjamin'', David-^, Henrys.] Silas Wright Burt, the son of Thomas M. and Lydia (Butts) Burt and grandson of the Hon. James Burt of Warwick, N. Y., was born at Alban}-, N. Y., on April 25, 1830. Was educated at the Albany and Kinderhook Academies and at Union College, where he was graduated in the class of 1849. Is a member of the Chi Psi and Phi Beta Kappa societies. Pursued the profession of a civil engi- neer in New York, Canada, Ohio and Indiana. From 1856 to i860 engaged in iron smelting at West Stockbridge, Mass. In i860 made a trip to the Rocky Mountains in anticipation of the building of a Pacific railroad which was delayed by the troubled political conditions of that year. In May, 186 1, entered the military service of the State of New York, and on April 25, 1862, was commissioned by Governor E. D. Morgan as Assistant Inspector General on his staff with the rank of colonel, and as such was engaged in the raising, organization and equipment of all troops sent from the state. Retained the same position under Governors Horatio Sey- mour and Reuben E. Fenton, resigning on January 2, i86g. On May i, 1869, was appointed Deputy Naval Officer of the port of New York ; on May 15, 1870, promoted to be Special Deputy. Held on his own motion the first competitive examination in the United States Civil Service in March, 187 1. Under the Civil Ser- vice Rules, approved by President Grant, was on September i made chairman of the Board of Examiners at New York. On June I, 1873, was promoted to the new position of Comptroller in the Naval Office. On July 17, 1878, appointed by President Hayes to be Naval Officer of the port, vice Alonzo B. Cornell, and con- firmed in that place by the Senate February 4, 1879. Under the orders of the President took charge of the revival of the Civil THE BURT FAMILY. 33 1 Service rules suspended in March, 1875. Upon expiration of term, was nominated by President Arthur, as the first Chief Examiner of the United States Civil Service, but declining such place left the Naval Office March 15, 1883. Appointed on May 30, 1883, first Chief Examiner of the Civil Service of the State of New York, serving as such until appointed on July i, 1885, by President Cleveland to his former position as Naval Officer of the port of New York and confirmed as such by the Senate on May 21, 1886, to serve for four years, but removed by President Harrison for partisan reasons only on October i, 1889. Has been prominently identified with all movements toward the reform of the Civil Ser- vice — national, state and municipal — and toward ballot reform. JAMES BURT.— 1836-1892. £In the Seventh Generation; Thomas M.^, James^, Daniel'', Benjamin^, David^, Henryi.] Among the first members of the family whom the projector of the gathering at Springfield, on October 3, 1890, consulted regard- ing the successful prospects of such an undertaking, was the late James Burt of New York City. He was an enthusiastic advocate of that notable assemblage, where many of his kindred saw him for the first and last time. He was the son of the late Major Thomas M. and Lydia B. Burt and was born at Albany, N. Y., August 15, 1836, and was named for his grandfather, the Hon. James Burt of Warwick, N. Y. He •died very suddenly at his residence in New York City, on the even- ing of July 6, 1892. He was educated at the Kinderhook Academy and Union Col- ilege, and was engaged in various pursuits until an early period in the War for the Union, when he entered the service of the United States Pay Department, being precluded from more active military duties by certain physical disabilities. He subsequently entered the military service of the State of New York, and was Assistant 'Commissary General of Ordinance, with the rank of Colonel, when he retired from that service in March, i86g. In December of that year he was appointed an Assistant Appraiser of the Port of New York, a position he resigned in August, 1874, to undertake certain business concerns in which he was engaged at the time of his death. Such is a brief outline of the business career of one who was in all respects a worthy representative of the Burt family, in its best traits and highest moral attainment. Cheerful in disposition, sweet-tempered, affectionate and faithful, he abounded in sincerity, integrity of thought and purpose, con- scientious devotion to duty and charity. Having naturally a deep THE BURT FAMILY. 333 religious sentiment he became in early manhood a devout Christian, and freely gave his time and means to the building up of the church and to ministrations among the poor and forlorn. There is not space here to narrate the many good works of religion and charity in which he was zealous and foremost. He was actively interested in many of the political and social re- forms of his day, particularly those relating to the Civil Service, the exercise of the suffrage, municipal government, and the inter- relations of capital and labor. He was a member of the Church and the Grolier clubs, the purposes of which enlisted his warm sympathies, but he was essentially domestic in taste and habits, and found his highest happiness and contentment in his own home. Of a very affectionate disposition, he was a good son, a faithful husband, a tender father, a stanch brother, a true friend, and a worthy citizen ; and so in the full fruition of his many virtues James Burt died : " Uprooted is our mountain oak. Not by Time's softly warning stroke With pauses of relenting pity stayed, But ere a root seemed sapt, a bough decayed, From sudden ambush by a whirlwind caught. And in his broad maturity betrayed." GRINNELL BURT. [Seventh Generation; Benjamin", JAMES^ Daniel*, Benjamin^, David^, Henry^.] Of the many descendants of Henry Burt, none have been more actively engaged in business enterprises than Grinnell Burt of War- wick, Orange county, N. Y. His father, Benjamin Burt, was a son of James Burt, who was notably one of the most prominent men associated with the political and business affairs of Orange county, N. Y. Grinnell Burt was born in the village of Bellvale, Novem- ber 7, 1822. He received his early education at the public school in his native village. At the age of fifteen, his father and mother both being dead, he emigrated to the state of Ohio, where he remained several years, returning to Bellvale in 1841. With a natural aptitude, and a mind that quickly grasped all opportunities for the development of the resources of the country, he became interested in railroad projects, a field for which he was eminently fitted. Meanwhile, his love of the law prompted a course of reading and study, which, as subsequent events proved, was of great value to those with whom he became associated as their representative in the corporate interests committed to his charge. In fact, he developed so fully the necessary qualifications of a successful lawyer and advocate that his friends in the legal fraternity urged him to make application for admission to the bar, and make the practice of law his profession. His inclination to engage in other pursuits led him to abandon the law and all other projects, that he might devote himself more especially to the organization and management of railroads, the development of which was then comparatively in its infancy. As early as 1852, he became identified with the building of a railroad from New- GRINNELL BURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 335 burg, on the Hudson river, to the Delaware river, south of the Delaware Water Gap. A company was organized for that purpose, and the engineers located the line. The project had many prominent advocates, both in New York and New Jersey, notably Jeffrey Wisner, James Burt, Edward L. Welling, Abram S. Hewitt, Governor Daniel Haines, Colonel Samuel Fowler, Colonel Edsall and others. Owing to the want of proper support, the project was abandoned. In 1859, with others, Mr. Burt organized the Warwick Valley Railroad, extending from Greycourt, on the Erie Railroad, to War- wick, N. Y. In 1878, he organized the Wawayanda Railroad, ex- tending the latter road to McAfee, N. J. In 1881 and 1882, the road was built from McAfee to Belvidere, on the Delaware river, under the charter of the Bequest and Wallkill Railroad. In 1882, these various roads were consolidated under the corporate name of Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad. Mr. Burt has been both president and general manager of the above lines, in their separate or consolidated capacity, from 1859 to 1893, being, perhaps, at this writing, the oldest railroad president in the State of New York con- tinuously in service. During the years that he was engaged in gradually building through this line, connecting the Lehigh coal iield and the New England States, he took an active part in the projection and manage- ment of other important railroad developments. In 1867-68, he built the Middletown, Unionville, and Water Gap Railroad (now forming a part of the line of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad). In 1875, the road becoming financially embarrassed, Mr. Burt was elected president and by his sagacious management brought it out of its chaotic condition and placed it on a sound footing. In 1878-79, with General James H. Negley, of Bittsburgh, Pa., and others, he projected and built forty miles of the Pittsburgh and Western Railroad (now a part of the Baltimore and Ohio system), during which time, he was superintendent of construction and operation. From 1883 and 1885 he was president of the Cincin- nati, Van Wert and Michigan Railroad (now known as the Cincin- nati, Jackson and Mackinaw). Under his administration this road was extended about one hundred miles. 336 THE BURT FAMILY. He was one of the reorganization committee of the Toledo and Ohio Central, which is generally conceded to have been one of the most successful reorganizations of a bankrupt company ever effected. Mr. Burt was a director of this company for three years after. He was also one of the committee to reorganize the New Jersey Mid- land, now the New York, Susquehanna and Western. He was for several years a director and subsequently president of the Kanawha and Ohio Railroad, serving until the reorganization in March, 1890. In 1875 he was appointed by Governor Samuel J. Tilden one of the three commissioners to remove obstructions from the Delaware river, for which an appropriation bad been made. During the dis- charge of this duty, as a result of practical methods, Mr. Burt and. Governor Tilden became fast friends. The commission served without pay, and after their work was thoroughly done, a balance remained in their hands, which was deposited in the state treasury, a result so unusual in the expenditure of public money that it ex- cited no little comment. Two years later, at the solicitation of Governor Tilden, who was heavily interested, Mr. Burt assumed the management of the New York and Greenwood Lake Railroad, it being the purpose of Mr. Tilden and other capitalists concerned to extend this line to Albany via the Wallkill Valley. The project, however, miscarried, and the road was sold to the New York, Lake Erie and Western. Mr. Burt has been identified with various projects for bridging the Hudson, notably the Storm King, Poughkeepsie and Peekskill bridges, and since the completion of the Poughkeepsie bridge the Lehigh and Hudson River Railroad has been connected with the bridge lines by the Orange County Railroad, which is operated by the Lehigh and Hudson. In 1874 Mr. Burt was appointed by Governor Dix a trustee of the Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital, serving many years as a member of the executive and building committees, and for several years past has been president of the institution, — one of the most successful in the state. Since he settled in the village of Warwick, his name has been so closely associated with public affairs that a sketch of his life would necessarily comprise a history of the village and surroundings for the past forty years. He was one of .the founders of the First THE BURT FAMILY. 337 National Bank of Warwick, and is its vice-president. With one or two otliers, lie procured the incorporation of the village, under a special charter, and was one of the water commissioners to build the reservoir supplj'ing the village with water. In educational mat- ters he has always taken a great interest ; was one of the incorpo- rators of the Warwick Institute, and for thirty-two consecutive years a member of the board of education. In politics, as in railroad affairs, he has never allowed tempting aspirations or suggestions to alter the course prompted by his own convictions. His independence in political matters is well known, in fact, he might be characterized as an original " Mugwump.'' In early life he was a Democrat, and voted with the party until the formation of the Republican party, when, realizing that the Demo- crats had become too intimately associated with the extension of slavery, the natural sequence was that he should cast his lot with the new organization and he earnestly supported the Republican party in all its measures up to 1872. At that period, seemingly, to his mind, its mission was accomplished, and he again resumed his association with the Democratic party, they best representing a public policy that would contribute best to the welfare of the masses . Having great repugnance to anything that might be deemed machine politics, he, as a matter of course, was one of the first to protest against what has been characterized Governor David B. Hill's "snap convention." He was sent as a delegate to Chicago to assist in promoting the nomination of Grover Cleveland for President, which mission was successful, and the nominee endorsed by the people. Possessed of a robust physique, a strong will, an independent nature and an aggressive spirit, Grinnell Burt has achieved suc- cess where men of more pliant mould would have failed. His rugged honesty of purpose has never been questioned, even when most bitterly assailed by those whose opinions or interest he opposed. Mr. Burt has been a close observer of men and affairs, and his opinions as a rule are based upon a keen analysis of merit. He has never been a follower, but is always original in thought and action. As a public speaker he has a remarkable faculty for direct and pointed argument, while his ready wit and ofttimes bril- 33S THE BURT FAMILY. liant sallies make him a favorite with all classes. Many of his telling epigrams and witticisms are by-words among his fellow townsmen, which is perhaps as great a compliment as one could ask. Socially he is one of the most interesting of men. With a mind stored with the gleanings of a busy life, his conversation teems with reminiscences of the past, particularly of prominent men and measures, while his fund of anecdote is inexhaustible. No one loves a good story better or can tell one with greater zest than he. He has always been a favorite among the employes of the roads that he has managed, and his fairness and impartiality is perhaps the reason that no strike has ever occurred on any of the lines which he has operated. In 1850, Mr. Burt married Miss Jane S. Van Duzer, daughter of Isaac Van Duzer, of Warwick, a woman of charming presence, intelligence and refinement. Their married life was a happy one. Mrs. Burt died in 187 1, leaving four daughters, two of whom are married. In 1886, he married Miss Louise Pierson, daughter of Samuel V. Pierson, of Middletown, N. Y., a lady of rare personal worth and a great favorite with a wide circle of friends, possessing all those womanly qualities that win the esteem of those with whom she is associated. This union has added to the family circle two sons. Mr. Burt passes his leisure hours at home with his interesting family and his well-stocked library. Besides other matters that engage his attention, he is especially interested in the study of geological and mineralogical subjects, having made a fine collec- tion of minerals which now adorn the shelves of his cabinet. In conclusion, it is very proper to say that Grinnell Burt is a representative of that type peculiar to America — emphatically a self-made man. THOMAS BURT. [In the Seventh Generation; Benjamin^ James^ Daniel*, Ben- JAMIN^, DAVID^, HeNRYI.] Thomas Burt was born in Bellvale, in the town of Warwick, N. Y., January 5, 182 1. After the death of his parents he resided the next five years in Albany, and in Central Ohio, with his relatives. In 1841 he returned to his native place, and was engaged in farm- ing and in lumbering for the succeeding twenty-five years. He then moved to the village of Warwick, and engaged in trade and in farming. In 1875 he organized the Warwick Savings Bank, of which he has since been secretary and treasurer, and as such has had care of that institution up to the present time. For many years he was a member of the board of education and of the water commissioners, the latter providing for a supply of water for the town. He has also been for many years secretary and treasurer of the Cemetery Association. No one exemplifies in his life the characteristics of the ancestors, more than Thomas Burt ; thoroughness in whatever he undertakes, and strict fidelity to every responsibility are guiding purposes. During his residence in his native town he has held many positions of trust and responsibility. He has no taste for public office, nor has he been bound by party ties, but has cast his vote and influence along with the Anti-Slavery, Free Soil, and Republican lines. Within recent years he has been entirely independent in conviction, and has upheld Democracy when civil service and other reform measures were at issue. He was educated in the common schools, excepting one year at the Albany Academy. PHOEBE BURT BENEDICT.— 1817-1890. [Seventh Generation; Benjamin Burt", Jahes^ Daniel*, Benja- min'^, David^, HENRyl.] Phoebe Burt Benedict is distinguislied in the Burt history as the parent of the largest number of children of any representative of the family except Henry Burt (i), whose offspring numbered nineteen.* She was the mother of sixteen children, (ten sons and six daughters), and at the date of her death, September 21, 1890, left fourteen children, twenty-seven grandchildren, and seven great- grandchildren as living descendants in the direct line, the latter being of the tenth generation from Henry Burt (i). Except two robust and patriotic sans, who laid down their lives in the Union cause in 1862 and 1863, all of her children survived her, and all were grown to manhood and womanhood. She was born at Bellvale, Orange county, N. Y., July 17, 1817, and was the third daughter of Elizabeth Ketchum and Benjamin Burt, and one of a family of thirteen children, seven of whom survive her. She was married February 26, 1835, when less than eighteen years of age, to William Lewis Benedict, only son of Martha Wood and William Benedict. Early in the following spring she removed a distance of three miles from her birthplace to the home of her husband, near Warwick, N. Y., and there, as the wife of one who combined the occupations of farmer, teacher, public official, and minister of the Gospel, she spent her happy and industrious life, and her spirit passed away in the room in which thirteen of her children had been born. *The editor believes that it may be said without qualification that Mrs. Benedict is entitled to the distinction of being the parent of the largest number of children of any member of the Burt family in America, excepting Henry Bnrt's daughter Mary, who had the same number of children, since (as elsewhere stated in this volume) the tradition as to Henry's children numbering nineteen is not confirmed by the records. MRS. PHOFJiE BURT BENF.IJICT. THE BURT FAMILY. 34I It is needless to say that the strongest physical and moral quali- ties were combined in such a rare example of motherhood. She was of full height, with an erect, graceful figure, regular and clear cut features, abundant dark hair, which became a beautiful silver- gray in her latter years, light blue eyes, and a clear and ordinarily colorless complexion. In her youth she was deemed more than usually attractive in form and features, and in her age she drew attention everywhere by her distinguished appearance. Her life was thoroughly domestic ; she was a loving wife and devoted mother — cheerful, active and zealous in the highest degree. Her individuality, however, was strongly marked ; and she possessed certain distinctive intellectual traits, one of the chief of which was an unswerving and somewhat austere faith in the Divine power. Indeed, her character was strongly religious, and she adhered with unshaken loyalty to the old school Baptist communion, which had been the faith of her forefathers ; but no one ever possessed greater charity for the opinions of others. Her social nature was also strongly developed. Her sympathies were naturally warm and generous, and her nature vivacious and buoyant. She delighted in hospitality, and was never happier than when surrounded by numer- ous guests. Amid duties the most engrossing, she always found time to cultivate the ties of friendship and to visit among her many friends and numerous relatives. She always manifested pride in her large family, which she ruled wisely, firmly, and with a clear purpose to promote the highest good of each and every member of it, without favoritism towards any. She retained, during a married life of forty-eight years, the devoted love and unfaltering confidence of her husband, and she survived him for eight years, with gradually failing health. Her life was devoted to the duties which her large family imposed upon her. As her children grew up and were married and moved away, her love and care followed them, and she was always with them in sickness and sorrow to aid and comfort. Her grandchildren shared her love and care almost as much as her own children had done. During the week preceding her death, her tenderest in- terest was manifested in the marriage of a grandson and the birth of a great-grandson. Such a life needs no panygeric save grateful love and tender 342 THE BURT FAMILY. remembrance from those who felt its power. Its guiding objects were duty, religion and happiness ! Within such a sphere, no life could have been more generous, devoted and successful. Her two sons deceased were Captain Charles E. Benedict of the 173rd Regiment, N. Y. V., and Corporal Francis A. Benedict of the 124th Regiment, N. Y. V. Her surviving children are : Hon. Thomas E. Benedict of EUenville, N. Y.; James Burt Benedict of Chamberlin, Dakota; Gilbert H. Benedict of EUenville, N. Y. ; Howard M. Benedict of Nashville, Tenn.; William W. Benedict of Newburgh, N. Y.; Frederick L. Benedict of Jersey City; Louis R. Benedict of EUenville, N. Y.; Clarence E. Benedict of New York city ; Mrs. Eliza B. Hornby of New York city ; Mrs. Clara Baird of Paterson, N. J.; Misses Alraira Benedict, Fanny H. Bene- dict and Mabel Benedict of Warwick, N. Y.; and Mrs. Elizabeth Lamb of Pittsburg, Pa. THOMAS E. BENEDICT. [Eighth Generation; Phoebe Burt Benedict', Benjamin Burt", James^ Daniel*, Benjamin^, David^, Henry^.] Thomas Edsall Benedict, son of Phoebe Burt Benedict, daughter of Benjamin Burt (6,) was born at Warwick, N. Y., April 3, 1839. His father, William L. Benedict, was seventh in descent from Thomas Benedict, who settled at Jamaica, N. Y., in 1638, and who was a member of the Representative Convention from that town in March, 1665, held at Hempstead under authority of the English governor of New York. Mr. Benedict received an academic education, and at the age of nineteen engaged in teaching, followed by a term as a railroad ticket agent and bookkeeper in an iron works. In 1870, associated with his brother, he founded the Ellenville (N. Y.) Press, as a Democratic weekly newspaper, and conducted it successfully for a term of fourteen years, making it a business and political suc- cess in the community in which it was located. In 1879 ^^^ was elected to the assembly by the Democrats of the third district of Ulster county, and was nominated and elected for the three suc- ceeding years. As a mem.ber of the assembly he served with great satisfaction to his constituents and the state at large. He served three years on the important committee of ways and means; was chairman of the railroad committee, and was a member of several important investigating committees. He was a candidate for the office of speaker of the assembly in 1883, but failed to receive the nomination by one vote in the Democratic caucus. Following the adjournment of the Legislature of that year, he lost his wife by a sudden illness, which affliction determined his retirement from legislative work. In the fall of 1883 he was per- manent chairman of the Democratic state convention at Buffalo, and in January following he was oiifered the position of deputy state comptroller, by the comptroller-elect, which position he ac- 344 THE BURT FAMILY. cepted. In August, 1886, President Cleveland offered him without solicitation the position of public printer at Washington, which posi- tion was accepted with reluctance. In May, 1889, President Harri- son removed him from that office, for reasons that were purely politi- cal. In January, 1890, he was offered the position of deputy secretary of state at Albany, which position he accepted and now fills. As pub- lic printer, Mr. Benedict instituted business reforms and improved methods which resulted in a large increase of public work at reduced cost to the government, while also benefiting the government em- ployes in increased earnings and comforts. Upon Mr. Cleveland's retirement from the Presidency, he thanked Mr. Benedict for the work he had accomplished as public printer, saying : " You have accomplished as much in favor of good governmental methods as has been accomplished by any officer during my term of administra- tion, if not more." State Comptroller Chapin in his annual report for 1887 referred to Mr. Benedict's career as deputy comptroller in these words : " Mr. Benedict's energy, capacity and high sense of duty had won for him a wide and enviable reputation as an administrative officer. His personal qualities secured the respect and earnest re- gard of his associates within this department. Wherever honest, warm-hearted manhood is appreciated he will find friends ; wher- ever ideal uprightness and painstaking application are needed there will be work for him to do." Mr. Benedict's family consists of a daughter, Mrs. George K. French of Washington, D. C, and a son, Frederick S. Benedict, aged eleven years, who resides with his uncle, G. H. Benedict. AUGUSTUS JAMES BURT— 1 826- 1892. [Seventh Generatiox; Stephen A.«, James", Daniel', Benjamin-', David'^, Henry'.] Augustus James, son of Stephen A. Burt and Paulina Fairfield, was born in Bellvale, N. Y., October 7, 1826, and after the usual period at the village school became a clerk in the store which his father had established in 1815. Bellvale was then one of the most important trading centers in the town of Warwick, and here he developed methodical business habits, and with them rare execu- tive ability which would have found proper scope in the manage- ment of large enterprises. Mr. Burt's whole life was one of loyal devotion to the interests intrusted to him by his father, and his native village, of which he became the central figure. He was instrumental in establishing a star route post office there in 1846, and was postmaster until the time of his death. He was one of the incorporators of the Warwick Savings Bank, and was an officer of it for many years. Mr. Burt was a close observer of events and a devoted student of human nature. His was a philosophical and critical mind, and his estimate of his fellows was usually correct. At times he was sarcastic, but a kind heart and a generous nature always prompted him to heal rather than open a wound. He was a gifted writer with a fund of expression that seemed inexhaustible. This faculty was the more remarkable because it was not developed until after middle life when in his leisure moments he became a contributor to the press, and the articles from his pen were characteristic of his fertile and original mind. Although he had retired from ■ active business life, his sudden death, January 8, 1892, was a severe loss to the community of which he had become an integral and almost an indispensable factor. He was much interested in the family reunion, and was among those who went to Springfield from Warwick. 346 THE BURT FAMILY. He married October 19, 1853, Ann Elizabeth Wilson, d. April 18, 1867. Their children were : Ada Paulina, b. December 28, 1854 ; d. July 7, 1855. Edward Fairfield, b. November 11, 1856; d. December 13, 1873. James Wilson, b. June 23, 1858; m. May 26, 1880, Mary Vreeland ; d. Feb- ruary iS, 188S. Children: Bessie Paulina, b. July 15, 1882 ; Nellie Pearl, b. December 17, 1885; d. February 23, 1887. Mary, b. April 19, i860; m. October 16, 1883, David B. Roe of Chester, N. Y. Gertrude, b. July 16, 1863; m. April 28, 18S5, Daniel Jessup Miller, b. Octo- ber 28, i860 ; he d. October 17, 1887. Maud, b. September 26, 1864. Stephen Augustus, b. February 13, i856; m. June 4, 1888, Carie L. DeHart- ington, of Brooklyn, b. February iS, 1866. Libbie, b. April 6, 1867 ; d. October 5, 1868. Paul, b, April 6, 1867, d. August 26, 1867. DANIEL BURT (1740-23) AND DESCENDANTS. [Fifth Generation; Daniel*, Benjamin", David^, Henry'.] Daniel Burt, Jr., b. at Ridgefield, Conn., October 20, 1740, in 1801 was a resident of Warwick, Orange county, N. Y., and during that summer, or early fall of that year, went to Canada, on horse- back, and at Kingston sold his horse, purchased a canoe and came with it to Oswego. His object in part was to explore the then western country and find a place where he could locate. He was so impressed with the location and its natural advantages that he determined to locate there, provided he could purchase certain real estate owned by Mr. Van Rensselaer of Albany. On his way home he stopped in Albany and purchased of Mr. Van Rensselaer Lot No. I in the West Oswego Village tract, and also the whole of Military Lot No. 7, containing about 460 acres, all of which is now within the corporate limits of the city of Oswego. At that time there were only five men and their families residing in Oswego. In the summer of 1802 he sent his son Bradner to erect a sawmill on the northeasterly corner of Lot No. 7 on the river, which was the first mill erected within the present limits of the city of Oswego. In the spring of 1803 he left Warwick with his effects, came up the Hudson river in a sloop to Albany ; thence by land to Schenec- tady ; thence up the Mohawk river by batteaux to the carrying place west of Rome ; thence by land to the navigable waters of Wood creek, down that stream to Oneida lake, down Oneida lake to Oneida river, down that river to Oswego river ; and thence down that river to Oswego by batteaux (which at that time was the only water communication between Schenectady and Oswego), arriving there in June of that year. There came with him his wife and sons, Joel, Bradner, George W., James and Benjamin, all unmarried. Soon after his arrival he 348 THE BURT FAMILY. erected a dwelling on Lot No. i, and gave to his five sous, as above, nearly the whole of Military Lot No. 7, dividing it into five equal parts, on which they severally located, improved as farms and erected dwellings thereon. In 1804 another son, William, came and purchased land in the town of Scriba, three miles east of Oswego, and about a mile in width from west to east. The re- maining son, Daniel, moved from Warwick with his family in 1837 to Newcomerstown, O. The only daughter, Margaret, married Thaddeus Scott of Ridgefield, Conn., and subsequently moved to Oswego with their family and settled on a farm, now in this city. Two of the sons are now living on farms in the town of Oswego, near this city. August I, 1803, Joel Burt was appointed the first collector of the port of Oswego, his commission being signed by Thomas Jefferson as President and James Madison as Secretary of State, and held that office until June 11, 1811. October 7, 1806, he was also ap- pointed the first postmaster at Oswego, and held the office until January 24, 1815. He also held the license to keep the ferry a_t Oswego. William Burt was the first justice of the peace of the town of Scriba, also one of the deacons of the First Baptist church in Oswego on its organization, and held the office until his death. George W. Burt was a trustee of the village of Oswego, and for a number of years was an overseer of the poor. Daniel Burt as well as his descendants have been highly respected citizens. The village of Oswego was incorporated March 14, 1828, and the city March 24, 1848. The city now (1892) has a population of about 25,000, and the best harbor on Lake Ontario ; a state normal school . that ranks high, and a fine educational system under the direc- tion of a board of education ; many fine churches ; public water- works ; a paid fire department ; electric lights and an electric street railroad, also Fort Ontario and a garrison. The Oswego river fur- nishes one of the best water powers in the state. The city has the largest starch factory, largest shade cloth factories and the largest box factory in the world, besides large iron industries, knitting and yarn mills, indurated fiber works, five malt houses, breweries and other manufacturing establishments of various kinds; receives large quantities of lumber, has three coal trestles, and ships large quantities of coal ; has three lines of railroads direct to the city of THE BURT' FAMILY. 349 New-York, also roads north and west, and with the canal and lake has excellept shipping facilities. The city is beautifully located, has many fine residences, and is one of the healthiest cities in the state and a very desirable place of residence. b. b. b. [Tlie following additional details concerning the posterity of Daniel Burt are furnished by Miss Helen Burt of Minetto, N. Y., and New York City.] Daniel Burt and Martha Bradnerwere married January 25, 1770. They moved from Warwick, Orange county, N. Y., to Oswego, N. Y., in 1802. Daniel Burt died in Oswego, July 5, 1823, in his 84th year. Daniel Burt, and Martha, his wife, had seven sons and one daughter, all born in Warwick, who were : William Burt, b. March 25, 1771, d. at Scriba, N. Y., January 19, 1848. Joel Burt, b. December 22, 1773, d. at Oswego, January 8, 1837. Daniel Burt, b. September 7, 1776, d. at Newcomerstown, O., February 9, 1846. Margaret Burt, b. September 25, 1778, d. at Oswego, March 21, 1864. Calvin Bradner Burt, b. January 18, 1782, d. at Oswego, January 18, 1871. George W. Burt, b. October 5, 1784, d. at Oswego, January 12, 1865. James Burt, twin, b. November 18, 1790, d. at Hannibal, near Oswego, N. Y., February 17, 1855. Benjamin Burt, twin, b. November i8, 1790, d. at Minetto, May 5, 1873. William Burt of Scriba, N. Y., oldest son of Daniel Burt, m. Catherine Robinson and had eleven children : Margaret, Sarah, Eliza, John, Daniel, James, William, Harvey, Grace Ann, Caroline and Calvin. Joel Burt m. Almira Brace and had ten children : Thomas J., Cecilia, Samuel Williams, Electa K., Emily, Anna /'.,* Almira, Elizur B., Henry and Fhcebe Ann. Daniel Burt m. Sally Foght and had nine children, whose names are given elsewhere in this volume. Margaret m. Thaddeus Scott ; children : Daniel, Benjamin, Maria, Martha, Mary, Amanda, Eliza, Joel. Calvin Bradner Burt m.Mehitable Baker and had three children : Sobieski, Leroy and Ann. * Those whose names are in italics are living at time of writing. 35° THE BURT FAMILY. George W. Burt m. Amelia Benedict ; children : Norman, Brad- ley B., Erastus Park, and Margaret. James Burt, by first wife, had two children, Julia and Charlotte. By second Avife, Pheba Coe, had Mary L., Grover C, James, Washington, Anna P., Amelia V., Charles Frank, Marmont E., George H. Benjamin Burt, by first wife, Maria Robinson, had Hannah M. and Mary ; by second wife, Lendamine G. Starrett, had Helen, Benjamin, Alice, Martha, Emma, Dallas S., Frederick T., Ahbie and Lizzie. It is interesting to trace back and find the pioneer spirit in this branch of the Burt family. Daniel Burt, born in Warwick, moved to Oswego in 1802, it being then an unbroken wilderness. In 1803 he, with sons, erected the first frame house in Oswego ; which was the home of the Burt family, and at that time was regarded to be as fine a residence as there was west of Albany. The popu.ation of Oswego then numbered twenty-five inhabitants with five houses. In 1804 the first school house was built, by his son, Bradner Burt, which was used as the first court house, school house and church. When missionary clergymen visited the place, their pres- ence was signaled by the blowing of a tin horn, which could be heard by the people. James and Benjamin Burt, sons of Daniel, had pensions for services in the war of 18 12. Grover C. Burt, son of the above James Burt and grandson of Daniel, was one of the pioneers in Mankato, Minn. He was colonel of the company which was obliged to guard and execute the leaders of the Indian massacre, who were condemned to death at Mankato. Dallas Burt, son of Benjamin Burt, above, was the first settler in the township of Coon Creek, Minn. He built a log house on the land he had taken up. A party of roughs came at night to kill him and " jump the claim ; " fortunately he was away, but they burned his house. He and his brother Frederick were the first settlers in what is now Russell, Lyon county, Minn. COPY OF PAPER WRITTEN BY BENJAMIN BURT. The following was written by Benjamin Burt, son of Daniel Burt, in regard to his pension, earned in the war of 1812, at Oswego, THE BURT FAMILY. 351 before his second wife was born, who is still living and draws the' pension : " Sirs : — I communicate to you by putting to paper the incidents that occurred with me at Oswego, in the year 1812. I was plowing for corn ; had to leave it (no corn was raise that season) and attend to moving our most valuable things out of the way of the English, who drew in before the town and began to fire balls and grape shot. I took the team and carried my mother up by the Oswego River four miles, now called Minetto. I then returned to Oswego in company with a boy about eighteen years of age ; I was twenty-two. We could hear the guns, and 1 told the boy I should" go and join our artillery. We went together, within about three-quarters of a mile of Oswego ; the road then ran on the bank of the river, — now a canal. The balls and grape fell in the river like hailstones, and cut the limbs and leaves of brushwood and trees. We ran all the way to our battery and joined our men. We found our mortar was not heavy enough, therefore went down to the dock and drew up a 32-pounder, and showered them so that they shortly hoisted their anchors and bid us good bye. I will now tell you further that I went with a team to Sackett's Harbor with baggage. Next, I went on express night and day, without sleep, as there had been a great flood. The road was un- usually bad. I had to press a horse into service at Smith's mills. One hundred and sixty dragoons started for Oswego, and I then took rest and started for home. I did very well, till I got this side of Salmon River. The water had run over the road; being of clay bottom, the dragoons had made such a deep clay mortar-bed that my horse would get stuck. Once I had to get off in the mud, knee-deep, and with difficulty get him out, although a good horse. General Adams would always call on me, or my brother James for expressing, as horses were scarce in Oswego at that time, telling me I should be cleared from duty in action. I always told him I did not want to be cleared, but would go and do my duty, as I was well equipped. I was called on to go to Baldwinsville, about thirty miles south of Oswego. I started at 6 P. M. When I got in the pine woods, I could only find my way by the blazed trees, when the lightning flashed. I at last got as far as Judge Mooney's and 352 THE BURT FAMILY. Stopped to refresh myself and horse ; then went on to Baldwinsville and delivered my papers; got my breakfast and returned home. They said there were i^Soo troops started for Oswego, although some went no farther than Fulton. My brother and I crossed the river, and saw the dead and wounded in hospital. One in particular I remember, with his jaw shot off; they said would have to be bled to death. Then we went northeast of the fort and visited the English mounds of dead, — some with their clothes in sight, some with faces bare. My brother fainted. A few of the English came as far as our house, but my father guarded it with his gun. Benjamin Burt." In the time of the great speculation in 1837, Benjamin Burt sold the water power in Oswego, belonging to him, called the Varrick Canal, and bought the mills and water power four miles up the river, at what is now Minetto, and conducted a large lumbering business there, where he also resided. When the place grew to need a name, a meeting was called and it was unanimously voted that it should be named Burtsville for Benjamin, but he objected, as he predicted greater things for it than a '' ville." Then he and another old settler named it after an Indian girl, Minetto, who was burned at the stake there by the Indians for loving a white man. In the early days of Oswego nearly every farm on the river road from Minetto to Oswego was owned by a Burt or a descendant. Of Benjamin Burt's daughters four have gained distinction in art and literature. Helen and Martha, besides following the work of their profession, have given instruction in art in some of the best schools in New York City, New Orleans, Troy and Saratoga, introducing their method of teaching perspective dra\ving from the object. Both have exhibited in the Academy in New York, and else- where, and received diplomas for their paintings exhibited at the Centennial. Martha died February 19, 1889, cutting short what would have been a brilliant career in her chosen profession. Helen, who studied art in Europe, as well as in this country, is pur- THE BURT FAMILY. 353 suing her art work in New York, and has recently finished a book on perspective drawing. Emma, now deceased, and Lizzie, have been writers of note in their special lines. Emma was a poet and writer of stories for children, characterized by a high, pure Chris- tian tone. Lizzie has written mostly verses and stories adapted to the taste of young people, and a collection of her contributions to periodical literature, and that of her sister, Emma, are to be published in a volume. BRADLEY BENEDICT BURT. [Sevexth Generation' ; George W.", Daniel^, Daniel*, Benjamin^, David^, Henryi.] Bradley Benedict Burt, born in the (then) town of Hannibal, county of Onondaga, now city of Oswego, county of Oswego and State of New York, November 19, 18 14, was the second son and child of George W. and Amelia (Benedict) Burt. On his mother's side he was descended from Thomas Benedict, who emigrated from England in 1634 or '35. He was educated in the common and select schools of his native place, and commenced reading law in the office of (George) Fisher & (William F.) Allen, March, 1833, at Oswego. About a year thereafter that firm was dissolved and the firm of (Abraham P.) Grant & (William F.) Allen formed. Mr. Burt continued with them until May i, 1836, and entered the office of (Charles P.) Kirkland & (William J.) Bacon, at Utica. He remained with them until July 14, 1837, when he was admitted to practice as an attorney in the supreme court, and July 15, 1837, admitted to practice as solicitor in the court of chancery ; Jan- uary 15, 1841, as counselor of the supreme court; January 10, 1841, as counselor in the court of chancery ; August 30, 1837, as attorney, proctor and solicitor in the United States district court for the northern district of New York ; July 21, 1842, as counselor and advocate in the district court, and as attorney, proctor, solicitor, counselor and advocate in the circuit court of the United States for the northern district of New York; June 25, 1844, admitted to practice as attorney and counselor in the superior court of the city of New York and in the court of common pleas in the city and county of New York. After admission to the bar in July, 1837, Mr. Burt returned to Oswego and commenced practice alone. March i, 1840, he BRADLEY B. BURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 355 entered into partnership with Grant & Allen, under the firm name of Grant, Allen & Burc. He remained with them one year, and in October, 1841, accepted an offer to go to Utica and close up the business of the mercantile firm of Williams & Hollister, in con- nection with other law business. He remained there until May i, 1844, when he removed to the city of New York and formed a partnership with a brother-in-law, the late William Curtis Noyes. He remained there until May i, 1847, and returned to Oswego, where he has been in active practice to this time (March, 1893). June 21, 1843, ^^- Burt married Artemesia Noyes, a daughter of George and Martha Curtis Noyes, and a descendant of the Rev. James Noyes, who emigrated to this country in or about 1634, and settled at Newbury (now Newburyport), Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Burt have three sons : Henry D. W. Burt, residing in the city of New York ; George Noyes Burt, a graduate of Columbia College Law School, in May, 1868, and in practice in Oswego since that time ; and William Bradley Burt, residing in New York. Their daughter, Martha Noyes Burt, married Lauriston L. Stone, residing in Rochester, N. Y. Mr. Burt has had a taste for tracing his ancestry to the emigrants and studying the contemporaneous history of this country and its progress, making it a hobby and diversion from professional labors. Among the positions he has worthily filled are the following : In 1863, supervisor of the ist and 3d Wards of the city of Oswego. In 1876, appointed fire commissioner ; served nine years, being chairman of the board during the whole period. In 1877, appointed member of the council of the Oswego fire depart- ment (has a fund for the relief of firemen and their families), and president thereof since that time. A member of the New York State Bar Association, he has. been for many years a member of the executive committee and several years the chairman thereof; also a member of the committee on legal biography a number of years. He is a corresponding member of the Oneida Historical Society, of Utica, N. Y., and an honorary member of the Roches- ter Historical Society. On the organization of The Pioneer As- sociation of Central New York, he was elected a vice-president and has served continuously since. He took an active part in the organization of the Old Settlers' Association, of Oswego County 3S6 THE BURT FAMILY. and was elected its president, serving in that capacity for eight years, and one year as president pro tern. [From the Oswego Times, November 19, 1891 ] His Seventy-seventh Birthday. As our estimable citizen, B. B. Burt, Esq., walked by the Times building this afternoon on his way to his law office in the Grant block, any one might well have supposed, so far as his quick and vigorous step was concerned, that it is his 27th, instead of his 77th birthday that he celebrates to-day. Mr. Burt was born in this city, and has lived here, with a trifling exception, ever since. He is a fine example of what an Oswego birthright and residence offer in the way of longevity and unimpaired physical and mental powers. ERASTUS PARK HURT. ERASTUS PARK BURT. [Sevekth Generation ; George W.«, Daniel^ Daniel*, Benjamin^, David^, Henryi.] Erastus Park Burt, the subject of this sketch, was born Novem- ber 7, 1816, in what now constitutes the city of Oswego, N. Y. At the age of sixteen he was employed as clerk in his father's dry goods store. In 1838 he opened a dry goods and house furnishing store, continuing in business for forty years ; and held the office of city treasurer of the city of Oswego during the years 1850, 1852, 1859, i86oj 1861 and 1863. Mr. Burt cast his first vote in 1836 for Whig Presidential electors to elect William Henry Harrison President of the United States, with continuous Whig and Republican vote for the fifteenth time in 1892, for Benjamin Harrison electors for President and Whitelaw Reid, Vice-President of the United States. Mr. Burt was interested in 1861, 1862 and 1863 in procuring volunteers during the War of the Rebellion, and assisted in raising men for the 147th Regiment, New York State Volunteers. He turned his carpet and house furnishing store into a recruiting station at great detriment to his business by suspending sales of goods for months. Mr. Burt accepted the appointment in 1864 from Governor Horatio Seymour of recruiting agent and proceeded to Norfolk, Va., where he opened an office to help fill the full quota of recruits for Oswego, Madison and Chenatjgo counties without receiving any remuneration for such services. Mr. Burt was largely interested in the Ontario Iron Works Roll- ing Mill at Oswego. For the last twenty-five years (1893) E. P. Burt has been a mem- ber of Aeonian Lodge No. 679 F. & A. M. of Oswego. At the organization of the Second National Bank of Oswego, in 358 THE BURT FAMILY. 1864, Mr. Burt was the largest stockholder and a director. For years the bank paid large dividends to its stockholders until 187 1, when its prosperity largely decreased. The directors employed Mr. Burt as an expert accountant to ex- amine the books of the bank and the transactions of the cashier and teller. He was then appointed cashier, and finding the bank in a dilapidated condition from the reckless and bad management of its former casliier and teller, with a largely impaired capital, re- solved to restore the bank as a dividend-paying institution. His efforts resulted at the end of twenty months in earning $32,500 over and above all expenses for management and taxes of the bank, making up more than the loss sustained to the capital stock of $120,000. Mr. Burt has had a continuous residence in Oswego, N. Y., from his birth, November 7, i8i6, to the present time (February, 1893), having resided more years in Oswego than any living resident, and has outlived all his old business competitors. He is now enjoying good health. The following is the family record of Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Burt : Erastus Park Burt, son of George Washington Burt and Amelia Bene- dict Burt, b. at Oswego, N. Y., November 7, i8i6. Jane Goldine Cramp, daughter of James and Sarah S. Cramp, b. at Otford, Kent, England, November 14, 1817. Erastus P. Burt and Jane G. Cramp were married at Oswego, N. Y., June 8, 1841, by Rev. John McCarty. CHILDREN : Gertrude Amelia, b. March 26, 1842. George Washington, b. November 18, 1843, d. August 6, 1883. Elizabeth Cramp, b. March 21, 1846, m. Richard C. Day, February 16, 1863. Frederick William, b. March 26, 1848, d. September 13, 1849. Harriette Cramp, b. September 19, 1855. Charles Edward, b. June 29, 1862, m. Emma I. Whitbread, June 14, 1888. Emma Imogine Whitbread, b. in Oswego, N. Y., November 10, 1859. Richard Charles Day, b. July 4, 1840, d. September 26, 1S83. CHILDREN OF ELIZABETH C. BURT AND RICHARD C. DAY. Gertrude Burt Day, b. November 4, 1865, d. October 28, 1873. Jane Golding Day, b. March 5, 1868, m. William Dismore, May 4, 1892. THE BURT FAMILY. 359 [From the Oswego Daily Times, Saturday, June 6, 1891.] Fifty Years Married. Monday, June 8, Mr. and Mrs. Erastus P. Burt, well-known people of this city, will celebrate the fiftieth' anniversary of their marriage, which occurred on the 8th day of June, 1841. The ceremony took place at the residence of James Cramp, the father of the bride, on East Second street, near where the Ames Iron Works are now situated, which was a locality then inhabited by many of the best known people of Oswego, and was performed by Rev. John McCarty, then the popular rector of Christ church, who subsequently became a Chaplain in the army. So interesting an event of a gentleman who has resided in Oswego all his life and now celebrates his half-century anniversary of wedded life deserves something more than a mere mention. Jane G. Cramp, the Oswego bride of fifty years ago, was the daughter of James Cramp, an English gentleman, for many years a well-known and much-respected business man of Oswego. She was born in Otford, Kent, England, in 1817, and when a child resided in London. She, with' her father and family, sailed for New York in 1829, and arrived there after what was then called a re- markably short passage of twenty-one days, on the ship Mary Lord, Captain Wilson. After a short residence in New York, her father and family removed to Utica, subsequently to Cleveland, Oswego county, and then to a farm on Oswego river, east side, six miles south of this place, then called the Cole farm, now known as the Littlefield place, then coming to the village of Oswego. Mr. Cramp was first in the employment of Bronson & Crocker, and then became an extensive leather merchant and died about the year 1854. He was an active member and vestryman of Christ church for many years. Mrs. Burt is a sister of the venerable Mrs. James Brown, of the east side, now in her 83d year, the widow of the late James Brown, formerly a well-known and prominent lawyer of Oswego, who was at one time surrogate, who died in England in 1857, where he had gone on business and is buried there, his wife being with him at the time. James Brown was one of the most prominent of the abolition party at that time, and was an active manager of the famous 360 THE BURT FAMILY. " Underground railroad " of that day. Mrs. William Foster, wife of ex-Senator Foster, of Cleveland, Oswego county, was also a sister of Mrs. Burt. Erastus Park Burt, son of George W. and Amelia B. Burt, was born in Oswego in 1816, and is now the oldest continuous resident now living in this city. His brother B. B. Burt, Esq., is his senior, but has resided elsewhere during a portion of his life. Erastus P. Burt was born in 1816, the year that Oswego county was organized from portions of Onondaga and Oneida counties, and is, therefore, of the same age as Oswego county. He was twelve years old when Oswego became a village and is thirty-two years older than the city of his residence, and has never resided elsewhere. Mr. Burt commenced his mercantile career as clerk for his father and brother for several years, and commenced business himself as a dry goods merchant in 1838, in a store located where Fitzgibbons' boiler works are now. All the mercantile business of the place was then north of Cayuga street. In about the year 1856, he removed to the store where Mr. Freundlich is now located, in which place he did businessfor aboutfifteen years. In all, Erastus P. Burt was a prosperous dry goods merchant in this city for over forty years. During all of his married life Mr. Burt has occupied but three different residences. After boarding a few months he resided for about three years on West Third street, north of Schuyler, and then removed to No. 67 West Cayuga, which he owned and occu- pied thirty-nine years, removing to his present residence, No. 84 West Cayuga street, some eight years ago. During all these years Mr. Butt has been an active citizen, feel- ing a deep interest in all that pertains to the prosperity of the city. He was six years treasurer of the city, a director in the Second National Bank and two years cashier, and he walks our streets to-day as hale and hearty as any man among us. The people of Oswego, young and old, most heartily congratulate both Mr. and Mrs. Burt upon the most auspicious fiftieth year of their wedded life. The Times begs to add its most hearty con- gratulations. MRS. AMELIA BENEDICT OULD. [In the Eighth Generation; Margaret A. Burt B.undy', George W. Burt"', Daniel^, Daniel*, Benjamin^, David^, Henryi.] Mrs. Ould, with her daughter, Miss Sarah M. Lovejoy, attended the reunion in Springfield, October 3, 1890, and also went to Northampton and Deerfield, the home of her early ancestors, David, and his son, Benjamin Burt. She was the oldest daughter of Margaret A. Burt and of her husband, Philo Bundy, of Oswego, N. Y. The Oswego Times in a notice of her said : " The death of Mrs. Amelia Benedict Ould, wife of John Ould ■of this city, took place at their residence on DoUoway Hill, on Seneca street, last evening (Sept. 30, 189 1), at half past five o'clock. Mrs. Ould was the daughter of Philo and Margaret Bundy of this city and the granddaughter of the late George W. Burt and the niece of B. B. Burt and E. P. Burt. In 1868 she married Samuel M. Lovejoy of Boston, and removed to Cambridgeport, Mass., where two daughters were born, Margaret C, and Sarah M. Lovejoy. In 1886 Mrs, Lovejoy married John Ould of this city, where she has since resided. For over eighteen months Mrs. Ould has been ill, and her condition has been such as to alarm her friends for several months, and her death was not unexpected. She was an estimable lady, admirable in her home and social life and one who endeared herself to the large circle of friends gathered around her during her long residence in Oswego. Inter- ment at Cambridge, Mass." JAMES MADISON BURT.— 1810-1893- [Sevexth Generation; Daniel^ Daniel^ Daniel'', Benjamin,^- David^, Henryi.] Thelast survivor of the children of Daniel Burt (sixth generation),, was Judge James Madison Burt of Newcomerstown, O., who passed away March 7, 1893, at the ripe age of eighty-two Many of those who attended the Burt reunion at Springfield, will remember the venerable gentleman, a typical Burt, both in facial and personal characteristics and brimming over with enthusiasm and cordiality. He was accompanied by his devoted wife, with whom he had then- passed over fifty-six happy wedded years. Judge Burt was born at Warwick, N. Y., December 11, 1810,. and married, April 15, 1834, Mary Ann.Bradner, born December 20, 1813. Like his father and brothers, Mr. Burt soon joined the westward tide of migration, and on November 9, 1836, he settled in Bedford, Coshocton county, O. In April, 1837, he bought a, farm in Lafayette, a neighboring township, and there made his home, for forty-one years, conducting extensive farming opera- tions, enjoying the honor and respect of his neighbors, and rearing a family of twelve children. He soon attained prominence in pub- lic affairs, and held many important offices. He served as justice of the peace for many years; was chosen a member of the Ohio House of Representatives in 1848, serving two terms; was asso- ciate judge from 1850 until the office was abolished, by the adoption of the new constitution ; member of the state board of equalization 1859-60; state senator, 1865 and 187 1. He secured the establish- ment of the first post office at West Lafayette in 1839, and in 1854 he built upon his farm the first steam sawmill in the township,, which was operated for twenty-one years. In 1878,' Judge Burt removed with his wife from Lafayette to Newcomerstown, where he uassed the remainder of his life. Mrs. Burt survives him, and JAMES MADISON BURT. MRS. ;ames madisox isurt. THE BURT FAMILY. 363 their loving children are James B. Burt and Mrs. James B. Rodgers of Lafayette, L. Philip Burt of Coshocton, and William Burt of Dennison. Judge Burt's character and the position he held in the hearts of the people of his county are justly set forth in the follow- ing obituary tribute of a Coshocton newspaper : "The death of Judge James M. Burt, which occurred at his residence in Newcomerstown at an early hour last Tuesday morn- ing, was not unexpected, but it will be so universally regretted that the announcement will cause a shock throughout the county, where for so many years he was a revered and honored resident! A quarter of a century ago, Judge Burt was a potent factor in the public affairs of this county. One of the leading and most pros- perous farmers of this section of the state and a man famed for his integrity and ability, his counsel was at all times in demand and his opinions commanded respect. He had been frequently called to serve the public in official station, and on every occasion his service was manly, straightforward and sincere. His public, like- wise his private life, will forever be pointed to with pride by his family and friends. Judge Burt was a Democrat unswerving in his fealty, but he was a true patriot first. He was an upright man and an honor to any community. The loss of such a citizen is a public loss, and a cause of general regret." DANIEL W. BURT.— 1816-1892. [Seventh Generation; Daniel^, Daniel^, Daniel*, Benjamin^, David^ Henryi.] Daniel W. Burt was the youngest of the six sons of Daniel Burt of Warwick, whose children and grandchildren have been so widely scattered over the West. He was born at Warwick, De- cember II, 1816, and married Catherine Creter, January g, 1842. The following obituary from the Van Wert (O.) Daily Bulletin of February 4, 1892, relates the principal events of his life : " Another old citizen of Van Wert has passed to his reward. Mr. Daniel W. Burt passed peacefully away last night at midnight, surrounded by his sorrowing family. The funeral will be held at the house Friday afternoon at two o'clock and the burial will be at Woodland. Daniel W. Burt was born at Warwick, Orange county, N. Y., December 11, 1816. He bought several thousand acres of land in the north part of Van Wert county in 1848, but did not come here to make his home until the early summer of 185 1. After a resi- dence here of but a few years, he removed to Champaign county, 111., and lived there two years. Thence he went to Eastern Ohio, but returned to Van Wert in 1859 and has had a continuous resi- dence there ever since. The brick house in which he died was built in i860. Mr. Burt's life has been passed in quietude. He never sought office, butduring the Greeley campaign in 1868, he was induced to run for county commissioner on the Democratic ticket. He was defeated, but none regretted his defeat less than himself. Three sons and three daughters now mourn their last earthly parent, the mother having died a few years ago. Mr. Burt's death was hastened, if not directly caused, by a cancer of the face from which he has suffered for twelve years. An honorable citizen has gone, and as such he will be mourned by a large circle of acquaintances." WASHINGTON BURT AND SONS. [Washington Burt', Danieli^, Danie'^^, Daniel*, Benjamin^, David^, Henryi.] Washington Burt was born August 3, 1813, at Warwick, Orange county, N. Y. When nineteen years of age he left his home in New York State to seek his fortune in what was then considered the far West, locating at Coshocton, Coshocton'county, O., October 19, 1832, where in that year he bought an unimproved farm within a mile of the town of Coshocton, a part of which now constitutes the beautiful fair grounds in that county. He lived for thirty-three years on this farm, where his ten children were born. On the 26th day of September, 1839, he was married to Miss Georgie Fisk of Coshocton, who still, at this date (1890), survives him. Ten children were born unto them, — three sons and seven daughters ; they, and twenty-eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, survive him at the above date. He died March 13, 1888, aged 74 years, 7 months and 10 days. In April, 1865, he moved from Coshocton county, purchased and located on a farm of over three hundred acres of very choice and valuable land near the village of Worthington, Franklin county, O., and twelve miles from Columbus, the capital of the state. He always devoted his time and energies to agricultural pursuits and stock raising. His character and life were cast in no ordinary mould ; and his marked individuality gave him prominence in any community where he was known. He was always kind and considerate to the laboring class ; and whenever those who were honestly seeking employment applied to him for work or assistance they were never turned away dis- appointed. He gave no encouragement to indolence, and any one who was unwilling to make proper exertions for an honest living found no favor at his hands. Although having decided opinions on 366 THE BURT FAMILY. all public and political questions, he was never a partisan ; his judg- ment and conclusions were formed from his convictions of the right ; the best man rather than party controlled his actions and re- ceived his support. Charles Washington Burt, oldest son of Washington and Georgie Fisk Burt, was born February 23, 1845, at Coshocton, O. He entered the United States gunboat service at the age of eighteen, with the gunboat Moose, on the lower Ohio, the Cum- berland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. He took part in many engagements on these waters. At the end of his service he at- tended the Commercial college at Pittsburgh (Duff's), graduating in the winter of 1866. In 1872, he went to the West and engaged in the cattle business in Kansas, buying his cattle in Texas and ■driving them across the Indian Territory to his ranch in that state. He often had trouble with his droves by having them stampeded by the Indians ; on several occasions he lost his entire drove as a result of these attacks. On the 4th of July, 1875, ^^ ""^^^ married to Adia Richmond of Kansas. She frequently accompanied her husband on his trips into Texas for cattle, and was perhaps the first white woman who ever made the journey across the territory. He has been very successful in his cattle dealing. At this time (1890) he with four others have a ranch of 100,000 acres of land leased from the Ponca Indians. He is a man highly respected by all who know him, and is one of the most successful and popular ranchmen in that part of the country. He is known all through that part of the West as Colonel Burt, the Stockman. He is of medium stature, five feet ten inches in height, and weighing 175 pounds; fair com- plexion, blue eyes and light hair. He is a characteristic Burt. He has four daughters and one son. He resides at Arkansas City, Cowley county, Kan. George Washington Burt, second son of Washington and Georgie Fisk Burt, was born April 12, 1855, at Coshocton, O. He is a farmer and resides at Eureka, Greenwood county, Kan., owning 640 acres of valuable and well-improved land near the vil- lage of Eureka. He was married January 5, 1878, to Ida M. Case of Worthington, Ohio. He has four children living and one dead. He is a large man, about six feet in height, weighing 185 pounds- dark complexion, dark hair and eyes. THE BURT FAMILY. 367 Allen Daniel Burt, third son of Washington and Georgie Fisk Burt, was born April 9, 1857. He is a farmer, residing at Eureka, Greenwood county, Kan , and owning 360 acres of valuable land near that village. He was married December 30, 1887, to Miss Nora Case of Elmwood, Franklin county, O. They have ■one child. Mr. Burt is of medium stature, weighing about 165 pounds ; dark complexion, hair and eyes. CAPTAIN RICHARD M. VOORHEES AND GEORGIANNA BURT VOORHEES. [GEORGIANNA BURT VOORHEES^, WASHINGTON BURT^, DANIEL", Daniel^, Daniel*, Benjamin!*, David^, Henry^.] Richard Marion Voorhees, youngest son of Jacob and Elizabeth Gaskill Voorhees, was born October 6, 1838, at Newmarket (now Scio), Harrison county, O. After the completion of an academic course of study, he read law and was admitted to the bar of Ohio, July 6, i860, locating the same month for the practice of his profession at Coshocton, O., where he is still actively engaged in in the practice of the law. He was one of the first men to volunteer from Coshocton county in the three-months' service in the war of 1861. Reserved with his company (Company A, 16th Ohio Volunteer Infantry) during the term of enlistment in the campaign of West Virginia. After the muster-out of the three-months' men, he re-enlisted as a private soldier in Company F, 65th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, on the 28th of October, 186 1. He was promoted to first lieutenant of said com- pany, November 6, 1861, and captain of the same company, Novem- ber 30, 1861. With his company and -regiment he participated in the battles of Shiloh or Pittsburgh Landing, siege of Corinth, Perrysville and Stone's River. 'He was severely wounded in the latter engagement on the 31st of December, 1862, while engaged in the thickest of the fight. Being disabled from active service by reason of his wound, he was transferred to the veteran reserve corps, and commissioned by the President of the United States a captain in that corps, which position he held until November 18, 1S65, when he resigned and returned to his home at Coshocton, O., where he has resided ever since, engaged in the practice of law. He was married on the 27th of November, 1862, to Georgianna THE BURT FAMILY. 369 Burt, daughter of Washington and Georgia (Fisli) Burt. They have three children, two sons and one daughter : Campbell Marion, Burt Fisk and Georgianna. Captain Voorhees was elected prosecuting attorney of Coshocton county, O., in the fall of 1868, and re-elected in 1872. He was ad- mitted to practice in the United States district and circuit court of Ohio, at Cleveland, in 1875. He is a man of splendid physique, six feet two and one-half inches in height and weighing 200 pounds. He and his wife attended the Burt reunion held at Springfield, Mass., October 3, 1890, in honor of the ancestor of Mrs. Voorhees, ' Henry Burt. The remarks of Captain Voorhees on that occasion appear on page 34 of this volume. Georgianna Burt Voorhees, second daughter of Washington and Georgie Fisk Burt, was born January 27, 1843, ^^ Coshocton, O. Her father, Washington Burt, was the fifth son of Daniel and Sallie Foght Burt. Mrs. Voorhees' mother was the daughter of Jonathan and Susan WilHams Fisk. Her maternal grandmother, Susan Williams, was a descendant of Roger Williams, one of the founders of the colony of Rhode Island. Mrs. Voorhees is of medium size, fair or blonde complexion, blue eyes, regular and symmetrical face and figure. November 27, 1862, she was married to Captain Richard M. Voorhees, then in the military service of the United States in the War of the RebeUion. At the battle of Stone's River, on the 31st day of December, 1862, her husband was severely wounded.' On receiving the sad news, although only nineteen years of age, she setoff at once for the battlefield, which she reached in a few days after the close of the battle, and before the killed were buried. She was exposed to many hardships and dangers while passing through Kentucky and Tennessee in order to reach the battlefield. The rebel General Morgan, a few days prior to her going, had de- stroyed the railroad between Louisville and Nashville ; and all along the route there were bands of guerillas marauding the country for plunder. She reached the battlefield in safety and found her husband in the field hospital, prostrated from a severe and dangerous wound. She remained with her husband on the field until he was able to be removed to his home at Coshocton. After the most careful nursing by his young and devoted wife the .370 THE BURT FAMILY, captain was restored to health, and returned to the army in the spring of 1863. In the summer of 1863, Mrs. Voorhees joined her husband at Louisville, Ky., where he was on post duty, remain- ing with him until he left the service in 1865. Captain and Mrs. Voorhees's oldest son, Campbell M. Voorhees, has been admitted to the bar of Ohio and graduated in June, 1893, from the law school of the Michigan University at Ann Harbor, with the degree of LL.B., and is the member of the law firm of Voorhees, Gillman & Voorhees, of Columbus, O. Their second son, Burt Fisk Voorhees, will graduate from the law school of the Ohio State University at Columbus, in June, 1894, with the degree of LL.B. ELLEN BURT TAYLOR. '.[Eighth Generation; Washington', Daniel', Daniel^ Daniel*, Benjamin^, David^ Henry^.] Ellen Burt, eldest daughter of Washington and Georgianna Fisk Burt, was born in Coshocton, Ohio, July 25, 1840. She remained with her parents until her twentieth year, when she married Hiram A. Taylor, September 20, i860. They have had born to them one son and four daughters : Elsworth Burt, b. July 17, 1861 ; d. August 30, 1863. Anna May, b. November 15, 1864. Amy Beall, b. September 25, i866. Ada K., b. March 25, 1874; d. March 28, 1874. Nellie Burt, b. May 15, 1878. Hiram A. Taylor, born in Manchester, England, September 20, C838, came to America with his parents July 4, 1844, and settled in Coshocton, Ohio. His occupation was engineering and mechanics. He enlisted in Company E, 51st O. V. I., September 20, 1861, for three years. The regiment was assigned to the fourth division, third brigade, fourth army corps. Army of the Cumber- land, under the command of Don Carlos Buell, and was with the same company until March 4, 1864, and acted as second sergeant. On account of injuries received in line of duty, he was transferred to Company I, nineteenth regiment, V. R. C, under Captain F. M. H. Kendrick, and was stationed at Washington, D. C, from April •9 to August 20, 1864. He was discharged at Elmira, N. Y., Octo- ber 3, 1864, by reason of expiration of term of service. He returned to Coshocton, Ohio, and remained there until October 17, 1884, when he removed to Du Bois, Pa., where he is engaged in the manufacture of lumber, with the firms Heidrick, Taylor & Weber, and Taylor & McDonalds. RICHARD W. BURT. [Eighth Generation; Foght', Daniel^, Daniel^, Daniel*, Benja- MiN^, David^, Henryi.] Richard Welling Burt was born in Warwick, Orange county, N. Y., April 23, 1823. His parents were Foght Burt and Elizabeth (Welling) Burt, Warwick being their birthplace also. The whole- family of Daniel Burt, consisting of six brothers and three sisters, of whom Foght Burt was the eldest, removed to Coshocton, O., within the years from 1832 to 1837, and all settled on farms; their aged father and mother came also and settled near them. The sub- ject of this sketch is the oldest of more than sixty grandchildren and is now nearly seventy years old. His early years were spent in clearing off a timber land farm, and his opportunities for obtaining an education were limited to a common school during a few of thp winter months. Much reading winter evenings at home led him to acquire a somewhat literary taste, and he early indulged in com- posing songs for Fourth of July celebrations and political campaigns. Soon after becoming of age he taught school in his own neighbor- hood, and when the Mexican war broke out, he enlisted and served as a private one year, but his regiment was stationed at Matamoras most of the time and took part in no battles. While in Mexico he was the regular weekly correspondent of his home newspaper. Soon after his return he married Malona Evans. He engaged in farming, but in 1852 he commenced the publication of a newspaper in Coshocton, which he named "The Progressive Age," in politics Free Soil and afterward Republican. After three years he sold his paper and engaged in the coal business in Newark, O. When the rebellion broke out and the call came for three-year enlistments- he enlisted in the 76th Ohio, and helped to recruit Company G, and was elected second lieutenant of the company. After the battle of Arkansas Port, in which he had command of his company, he was THE BURT FAMILY. 373 promoted to first lieutenant and assigned to Company I of the same regiment. Wtien the regiment re-enlisted in January, 1864, he was promoted to captain and given command of Company H of the same regiment, and served in that rank until July 15, 1865, when the regiment was mustered out. He had nearly all of his teeth shot out and a ball hole through his tongue at the battle of Resaca, and was left in the field hospital at that place, but joined his regi- ment in time to take part in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain. His first experience in battle was at Fort Donaldson, and he engaged in about thirty battles, sieges and skirtnishes with the enemy during the war- He was the weekly correspondent of the Newark North American during the war. He wrote quite a large number of in- spiring war songs, 1 the most popular of which was "Sherman and his Boys in Blue,'' written in the residence of Mayor Arnold at Savannah, Ga., after Sherman's march to the sea, and "General Logan and the Fifteenth Army Corps," written by the light of a burning log heap when marching through South Carolina. After the close of the war he was honored with the commission of brevet major, signed by the President and Secretary of War. Captain Burt settled in Peoria, 111., when the war closed and engaged in the grocery business, in which he continued nine years. In 1875 he was appointed internal revenue storekeeper, in which capacity he served ten years. For the last five years he has been engaged in the manufacture of toilet soap, made from the Yucca plant that grows in New Mexico, in which he has a widely extended trade, and is known as " Burt's Soap Tree Toilet Soap." Captain Burt's first wife died a few days after they had celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of their wedding. Their oldest son ■died when seven years old, and one son and two daughters are living. He married Mrs. Betsey M. Colton, July 13, 1876. Captain Burt is politically a Republican and religiously a Univer- salist, and very earnest in his convictions of truth and duty. He was chosen at the annual meeting commander of the Bryner Post, C A. R. of Peoria. THE BURT ANNIVERSARY. In old Massachusetts, at Springfield, they say. At the Massasoit House, on an October day. Hurts an hundred and fifty, young, middle aged, old. Sat down to a sunvptuous dinner, I'm told. 374 THE BURT FAMILY. And the yarns they spun when eating that dinner Made laughter run riot by saint and by sinner; They ate and they laughed, and they laughed and they ate, Until each had demolished the pile on his plate Of turkey and chicken and quail upon toast, Boston baked beans, pork, veal, and beef roast. Oyster soup, oysters raw, and Yankee mince pies And other good things the Burt family prize. Whether coffee and tea washed these good things all down. Or drinks that make jolly, to me is not known, For 1 could not be there, I was here in Peoria, Where much whiskey is made — but I must to my story ; But jolly they were let it be as it will, And no one complained of not getting his fill. Whether New England rum or hard cider they drank, Their spirits were up, and 'tis said never sank. The dinner disposed of, the tables were cleared ; All things being ready, the speakers appeared, And with wit and eloquence told of old times That can't be described in these rambling rhymes, — How one Henry Burt, in the long time ago. Years two hundred and fifty, the tradition says so. Came over from England, across the great sea. To help make Columbia the land of the Free, To help plant the seed of a glorious Nation, — Themes such as this inspired each Burt oration ; How from small beginnings such grand things come; Where once were wild forests is now a sweet home; Where wild Indians roved and dread beasts of prey. Before civilization they all pass away; No sign of the past in the present we see, But the grand wheels of progress from sea unto sea; Where the good Pilgrims landed upon a bleak shore The white sails nf commerce pass by evermore, And what to make possible these men endured. To what grand results to us have enured ; A Nation the grandest the world will ever see. The land of the brave and the home of the Free. And thus the Burts talked, and thus the Burts sang. Till Massasoit's halls with their eloquence rang. And the joy of that meeting, no one can know it, From the Editor's pen or the song of the poet. Two centuries past and half of another Since Henry Burt came, and now come together THE BURT FAMILY. 375. His descendants by hundreds to commemorate him, And to say in their minds it never shall dim, And thousands of Burts all over this land Will ever remember the Burt meeting grand. Now this is my vision of that Burt meeting, And to all the Burts I send these words greeting. RANSOM K. BURT. [Seventh Gexeration; Asa^, Benjamin^, Benjamin*, Benjamin^, David^, Henry^.] Ransom K. Burt of Haddam, Kan., was born near Elmira, Chemung county, N. Y., May 17, 1833. He was a son of Asa Burt and grandson of Benjamin Burt (fifth generation), who settled in the Chemung valley after the close of the Revolution. Benja- min Burt was a son of Benjamin Burt of Warwick, N. Y., and a grandson of Benjamin, the Deerfield captive, and was born at War- wick, March 7, 1750, m. Johanna Parshall in 1775, and migrated before the Revolutionary war to the Wyoming valley in Penn- sylvania. There, with his courageous wife, he underwent the hardships of frontier life and the perils of warfare, as had his ancestors in New England. One of their sons, it is said, was born in a fort, where the parents had taken refuge from the dangers that beset their pioneer home. After the terrible massacre, which has attached such tragic associations to the very name of Wyoming in history and literature, they turned from the melancholy place to seek a home in the Chemung valley. There they lived for many years, a family of nine children growing up around them. Benja- min Burt died May 10, 1826 ; his widow survived him until March 20, 1850. Many of their posterity still reside in the Chemung valley ; others are scattered far and wide. Asa Burt, son of Benjamin and Johanna, and father of Ransom K., was born at Chemung, July 20, 1790, m. Clarissa Moore in 1817, and died August 29, 1872, having reared a large family. Ransom K. Burt, son of Asa, went from Chemung to Kansas in 1856, and took part in the events of those troublous times, which ended in making Kansas a free state. He m. October 4, 1859, Sarah Harden of Elmira, N. Y., born April 20, 1839 ; they had one son, Benjamin, who died in 1863. Mr. Burt has been success- THE BURT FAMILY. 377- fully engaged for many years in the leather and harness business, and took the first premium on leather that was ever awarded in the state of Kansas. " I was a strong Republican," writes Mr. Burt, " until after the great Rebellion. Having become convinced that the party were in the wrong and were not doing justice to the masses, I left them and became an active Greenbacker, and have advocated the principles of that party ever since, voting for their nominees for President, and standing firmly by those principles until I have seen them proudly triumph in Kansas. I have been something of an inventor, having received six patents upon useful articles. In religion I have always been liberal, believing more in science than in fiction. " I have met many Burts, and have never found one yet but I could trace back to the old stock. My father's aunt, I have heard him say, was General Israel Putnam's second wife." ASAHEL BURT.— 1715-1747. [Fourth Generation; Joseph^ David^, Henry.'] Asahel Burt, son of Joseph, born August 31, 1715 ; married Severance; killed by the Indians in Northfield, Mass., with Nathan- iel Dickinson, April 15, 1747, while driving the cows home from the meadow. CHILDREN OF ASAHEL BURT*— FIFTH GENERATION: 1. Joseph, b. December 17, 1738; d. September 21, 1821. ■z. Benjamin, b. May 10, 1740; d. June 10, 1835. 3. Reuben, b. January 11, 1742; d. December 9, 1756. 4. Susannah, b. March 11, 1744; d. Novembers, 1754. 5. Enos, b. September 4, 1745. JOSEPH BURT AND DESCENDANTS. Joseph Burt (5), son of Asahel (4), was born December 17, 1738, at Northfield, Mass., married Mary Burt, who died about 1777 ; married for second wife, a Mrs. Howe, who was Miss Warner before her first marriage. He settled in Westmoreland, N. H., at what time is not known to the writer, but it was undoubtedly pre- vious to 1775, as among the town officers elected at a meeting held March 5, 1775, being the first list of town officers of Westmore- land of which there is a record, his name appears as moderator. He was a farmer, a man of influence, and greatly respected in his day. For the last two or three years of his life he resided in Shel- don, Vt., with his son, Augustus Burt, where he died September 21, 182 1, at the age of nearly eighty-three years. As his more active business life was passed without this state, the writer knows only by tradition of the various positions of trust which he held. THE BURT FAMILY. 379 , CHILDREN OF JOSEPH BURT^ — SIXTH GENERATION: 1. Joseph, b. 1767. 2. Asahel, b. 1774. 3. Ruth, b. 1776. 4. Augustus, b. January 30, 1781 ; d. April 15, 1870. 5. Scammel, b. May 3, 1783. 6. Rodolphus, b. 1785. 7. Gratia, b. January 16, 1787. Of Joseph, Asahel and Ruth, the writer is unable to state any particulars as to their residence, lives, or the time of their respec- tive deaths. Hon. Augustus Burt, the fourth son of Joseph (5), was born in Westmoreland, N. H., January 30, 1781 ; he acquired a thorough education, and was principal of an academy for some years ; achieved an enviable reputation as a teacher, but chose the law as his profession ; was admitted in Franklin county as an attorney in the county and supreme courts of Vermont, and at an early day settled in Sheldon, Franklin county, Vt., where he for many years, and with marked ability, followed his chosen profession. He commanded and had the respect, confidence and esteem of all with whom he had to do, either professionally, socially or in a business way. He was several times elected state's attorney for Franklin county; was a judge of the Franklin county court for many years ; was one of the council of censors, a body consisting of thirteen members, required at that time by the constitution to hi elected once every seven years. He also held various other posi- tions of trust, public and private, the duties of which he discharged with ability and with inviolable fidelity. He married Maria San- derson, who died April 10, 1822. To them six children were born ; and October 19, 1824, he married Mary Lafferty, by whom he had two children. Theirs was a happy wedded life of twenty-nine years, she proving herself an excellent wife, and mother to the six children by the first wife, as well as her own. She died October 28, 1853. At the age of seventy. Judge Burt retired from pro- fessional work, and devoted the remainder of his life largely to social intercourse, and to reading ; retaining to the last to a most remarkable degree the possession of his faculties and his interest 380 THE BURT FAMILY. in all that concerned the welfare of the family, town, state and nation. He died on the isth day of April, 1870, aged a little over eighty-nine years. CHILDREN OF AUGUSTUS BURT^ — SEVENTH GENERATION. CHILDREN OF FIRST WIFE. 1. Lucretia S., b. December 4, 1809. 2. Gratia, b. July 14, 1811. 3. Eliza F., b. September 22, 1814. 4. Augustus Sanderson, b. December 26, i8i6. 5. Lucy Maria, b. July 11, 1819. 6. Joseph Warner, b. April 3, 1822. CHILDREN OF SECOND WIFE. 7. James Stewart, b. September 11, 1825. 8. Henry Adams, b. February lo, 1828. Of the children of Augustus Burt, Lucretia S., the oldest, Eliza F., Augustus Sanderson, Lucy Maria and Henry Adams are living at this writing (February, 1893). Lucretia married A. F. Saxton, who died in 1857. They had no children and she was never remarried. Though now over eighty-three years of age, she is a regular attendant at church, and is frequently seen on the streets of Chicago, where she resides with her brother, A. S. Burt, and sister Eliza. For years she has been in the habit of making occa- sional visits to her old Vermont home. Gratia married A. Wilson, a farmer in Highgate, Vt. They both died many years ago, leaving one child, Maria. Maria Wilson mar- ried Henderson Rice and lived on the old Wilson home farm in Highgate, Vt,, where two children were born to them. She died several years ago. Her children are still living. They are Maria Rice, who married Leroy Mitchell, (they have no children), and Burt Rice, who is a young farmer ; he married a Miss Breemer and has one child. Returning to the children of Augustus Burt (6), Eliza F. married James N. Davidson, a successful merchant in Chicago, who, after acquiring a competence, retired from active business life and lived in Elgin several years before his death, which occurred many years ago. They had no children. THE BURT FAMILY. 38 1 Augustus Sanderson Burt married Eliza Curtis, who died in November, 1869. They never had any children. Leaving his Vermont home in Sheldon, when a young man, he went West to grow up with the country. For a few years he farmed it in Illinois, making frequent trips to Chicago, where he sold his own and his neighbors' wheat. Destined for a more active life, he soon settled in Chicago after having made several overland trips in a " Prairie schooner " to Pike's Peak and other then far distant points. His business career in Chicago has been an active and successful one. For many years he was one of the Directors of the Board of Trade and one of the heaviest operators on 'Change, at the Chamber of Commerce. At one time he was one of the members of the firm of Burt, Hutchinson & Snow, then the largest pork packers in the world. He retired from business life about fifteen years ago, and with. his sisters, Lucretia and Eliza, resides at 666 West. Monroe street, Chicago. Those three, Augustus S., aged 76, Eliza F., aged 78, and Lucretia, aged 83 years, are in the enjoyment of fair health in the World's Fair City. None of them ever had any children. Lucy Maria, the fifth child of Augustus Burt, married John David Lookinland, M. D., May 15, 1843, a physician of good stand- ing and in active practice until his death in February, 1858. She lived at Highgate, Vt., from her marriage until November, iSgi, when she moved to Swanton, Vt., where she has since resided. She had six children, only one of them now living, John A., who resides with her and is unmarried. Joseph Warner, the sixth child of Augustus, never married. He was for several years the successful principal of the academy at Georgia, Vt. Those who were his pupils, to this day often speak of him as a model teacher, friend and gentleman. He died sud- denly April 3, 1849. James Stewart Burt, the seventh child of the seventh genera- tion, was born September 11, 1825, in Sheldon, Vt. He entered the University of Vermont at Burlington, but left college the latter part of his junior year, and immediately began the study of law in the office of his father. He was admitted as an attorney and coun- 382 THE BURT FAMILY. selor in 1850. His office and liome continued to be in Sheldon with his father till some time in 1854 or '55, when he removed to St. Albans, Vt., where he formed a copartnership with Hon. Asa O. Aldis, then of St. Albans, late of Washington, D. C, a most ac- complished lawyer and gentleman, and of great learning and emi- nence in his profession. Mr. Aldis was elected a justice of the supreme court of Vermont in October, 1857, and at once retired from professional practice. Mr. Burt continued in the practice of law at St. Albans until his death, December 26, 1863. Even before his admission to the bar, in assisting his father in the trial and argument of cases, he acquired an enviable reputation for great ability, legal acumen and impressiveness as a speaker, which repu- tation was fully sustained and increased to his death. No member of the bar could more clearly or forcibly discuss a legal proposition before the court. Before a jury, by his readiness and impressive- ness of speech, his unfailing wit and humor, and his sarcasm when- ever occasion required it, coupled with his ability and clearness in the discussion of questions of law or fact, he was almost irresist- ible. He left no children. Henry A. Burt, the eighth child of Augustus Burt, was born in Sheldon, Vt., February 10, 1828 ; graduated at the University of Vermont in 1849 ; was principal of the Franklin county grammar school at St. Albans, Vt., for two terms, which position he resigned on account of poor health. He then studied law in the office of his father and brother and was admitted an attorney in December, 1852. He married Olive Lyman, daughter of Daniel and Harriet Hawley Lyman of Jericho, Vt., and settled in Fairfield, Vt., in December, 1852. In October, 1856, he removed to Swanton, Vt., where he has ever since resided and followed the practice of law. He was state's attorney in 1860-1-2. He has been a member of the Vermont legislature five different years — three times as the representative of the town of Swanton, and twice as a senator from Franklin county. In March, 1892, he was elected president of the flourishing village of Swanton. On recommendation of Hon. H. Henry Powers, M. C, he has been appointed a member of the " World's Fair Congress," to be held at Chicago, in the department of " Government," which department opens August 7, 1893. He was at one time United States customs officer for the port of Swan- THE BURT FAMILY. 383 ton, and was tendered a reappointment by a succeeding adminis- tration, but was obliged to refuse the same on account of his pro- fessional duties. When a young man, he was several times elected to the office of superintendent of schools, and has also been justice of the peace ; but for many years he has invariably declined all nominations to office which would interfere with his professional duties, and has never been a seeker .after office. He enjoys a lucrative practice in the state and federal courts, having been for years extensively engaged, particularly in railroad and bank litiga- tion. He is greatly beloved by family and friends, and commands the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. CHILDREN OF HENRY ADAMS BURX' AND OLIVE LYMAN BURT — KIGHTH GENERATION. 1. Henry A. Burt, Jr., b. Fairfield, Vt., September i6, 1853. i. Mary Harriet, b. Fairfield, Vt., July 4, 1855; d. December 27, 1S86. 3. Ellen Cornelia, b. Swanton, Vt., December 21, 1862. Henry A. Burt, Jr., fitted for college at the Union Graded School of Swanton, Vt., and at the Underbill Academy under Oscar Atwood, a noted teacher and scholar, and graduated at Norwich University ; studied law with his father and was admitted to the bar of the Franklin county court as an attorney, September, 1876, and was afterwards made a master-in-chancery. He remained in the office with his father until the fall of 1880, when he went West and followed civil engineering. His headquarters were with the Burlington & Missouri railroad at Omaha, Neb., but most of the time he was with surveying parties locating and building new lines in Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. He returned to Swanton, Vt., in 1882, where he has since resided. He is the junior member of the law firm of Burt & Burt. In connection with his office work he established an insurance branch in 1885. He represents seveial of the largest insurance companies and does a large fire insurance business. He is "also " outside agent" for the Canadian Pacific railway and looks after passenger traffic for their lines. He has been town superintendent of public schools of Swanton several years, a justice of the peace, and is clerk of the village of Swanton. He is married, and has one daughter. Amy Maud Burt, a gradu- 384 THE BURT FAMILY. ate of the Union Graded School of S wanton. She has been teacher of the grammar school department for nearly two yedrs. Mr. Burt's wife was Mary Ella Barker of Northfield, Vt. Mary Harriet, the second child of Henry Adams Burt, re- ceived a liberal education at the Swanton school, at St. Agnes' Hall, Bellows Falls, Vt., and at Professor L. Pollen's Ladies' School at Burlington. She was also a teacher at the last two mentioned schools and at Chateaugay, N. Y. She was an accomplished musician and had a large circle of warm friends. She married Wallace E. Tobin, July 3, 1884, and with her husband lived at Alburgh Springs, Vt., (where he was engaged in mercantile busi- ness), until her death, December 27, 1886. She left a little one, Lyman Burt Tobin, born December 25, 1886 — a constant reminder in his looks and ways of the sweetness and purity of his mother. Ellen Cornelia, third child of Henry Adams Burt, received a liberal education at the Swanton school and at Abbot Academy, Andover, Mass. She was a teacher in the Swanton Graded School three years. She married, June 25, 1889, Rev. Edward S. Stone, a graduate of the University of Vermont in 1885 and of the Gen- eral Theological Seminary, New York, in 1889. He is now the rector of St. Matthews' Episcopal church at Enosburgh Falls, Vt, where they have lived ever since their marriage. Gratia (6), daughter of Joseph Burt (5), born in Westmoreland, N. H., January 6, 1786, married Rev. Fifield Holt, a graduate of Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt., class of 1810, a Congrega- tional minister, who settled in Maine, where he served his church faithfully and acceptably until his death, which occurred about the year 1834. Of more than ordinary ability and culture, she was earnest and untiring in good works, and a faithful, devoted and wise mother. She died at the age of ninety years. children of fifield and gratia BURT HOLT ; (SEVENTH GEN- ERATION). Augustus Fifield Holt, born August 16, 1816, was for many years a prominent and successful teacher, an accomplished gentle- man of rare attainments and an earnest and faithful worker in the THE BURT FAMILY. 385 cause of religion and education. As a member of the Maine leg- islature, he contributed largely to the educational interests of the State. Gratia Holt married Mr. Berry and lives in Maine. Mary Holt, born October 27, 182 1, married B. E. Messer, teacher; died at her home in Washington, D. C, April 11, 1892. Elizabeth Holt, born June 5, 1825, graduated at Mount Holyoke Seminary, taught with her brother Augustus F. at Elmira, N. Y., married William Babbitt, and lives in Chicago. Joseph Burt Holt, born June 16, 1828, was liberally educated ; for many years a prominent teacher, now lives in Hammonton, N. J. The character and lives of each of the five children of Gratia Burt Holt are her sufficient and best tribute. Of the children of the 8th generation, grandchildren of Gratia (6) the writer has had the privilege of a personal acquaint- ance with only Frank Holt, son of Augustus F., and with the children of Mrs. Babbitt, (EHzabeth 7th). Frank Holt settled in Gage county. Neb., in 1869, was a leading member of the legislature ; and on the day of his death in the fall of 1890, was re-elected clerk of the district court of Gage county, by a majority of 1,200. His widow and children reside in Beatrice, Neb. 0£ the children of Mrs. Babbitt, George received a liberal education, studied law and is now connected with a Chicago paper; Edward lives in St. Louis ; Grace and Ella are teachers ; all are highly educated and useful members of society. The writer had the pleasure of meeting Mary Burt Holt, only child of Joseph Burt Holt, at the time of her graduation in Chicago. Edmund Clarence Messer, son of Mary Holt Messer, is an artist, teacher, musician and poet, and lives in Washington, D. C. BENJAMIN BURT. Hon. Benjamin Burt, second son of Asahel Burt (4), was born at Northfield, Mass., May 10, 1740. He married for his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Deacon Samuel Root, and for his second wife, Mary , who died December 18, 1831, aged 91. From he records it appears that he represented the town of Westmin- ster in 1781, 1786, 1796, 1797 and 1798 until November i, when he resigned to take a seat as a member of the governor's council, 386 THE BURT FAMILY. having been elected to that position on the 29th day of October by the joint ballot of both houses. October 11, 1799, he was again elected as councilor, but October 16, 1799, he addressed a letter to the governor and council, declining to take his seat on account of age and infirmity; but he was again elected a councilor in October, 1800, and on page 278 of Vol. 4 of "Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont," under date of October 30, 1800, appears this minute : " The Honorable Benjamin Burt, elected a member of Council by the joint ballot of both houses, appeared in the council chamber, declared his acceptance of the appointment, and after taking the oath prescribed by law, was admitted to a seat." He was also a judge of the Windham county court in 1781 and from 1786 to 1803, making about eighteen years that he served in that capacity. In 1792 he was a member of the council of censors. He died at Bellows Falls, Vt., June 10, 1835, aged 95 years and one month. A great-grandson, Benjamin H. Burt of Rutland, Vt., furnishes the following additional information concerning him : " My great-grandfather, Benjamin Burt, went to Westminster to reside about 1760. He was the first to build a saw and gristmill at Saxton's river. A large tract of land was purchased by him at Bellows Falls, and the present beautiful Burt meadow belonged to him. He was a member of the first legislature of Vermont, and in 1774 he was commissioned an officer by George III. He was in the expedition to Ticonderoga and Crown Point in 1759." Of the descendants of Benjamin Burt (5) the writer personally knows but two, — James H. Williams of Bellows Falls, Vt., and Benjamin H. Burt of Rutland, Vt., both great-grandsons. Mr. Williams has represented the town of Rockingham, of which the village of Bellows Falls is a part, in the Vermont legislature. He is president of the National Bank of Bellows Falls, and treasurer of the Bellows Falls Savings Institution. CHARLES BURT. Charles Burt, son of Leonard, and grandson of Benjamin, mentioned in the preceding, was from 1830 to i860 a merchant at Rutland, Vt. He was born at Bellows Falls in 1791 and died THE BURT FAMILY. 387 April 10, i860. He was a great reader and one of the most intel- ligent men in his community. He had a remarkable memory and was well informed on all the important events of his time. He reared a large family, each one of whom at the age of eighteen was put to business and worked until twenty-one. He had ten children, viz. : Charles Fay, Henry and Helen (who were twins), George, Mary, Jane, James, Margaret L., William and Benjamin Hercules. He was a powerful man, six feet high, and weighed 200 pounds. Of his children, Charles went to New York, Henry to New Orleans; Helen married J. C. Dexter, who was the first sheriff of San Francisco in 1849. George left Rutland in 1840 and went to New York and then to St. Augustine, Fla., where he is still living. He was mayor of that ancient city after the war. Mary married Minor Hilliard and reared ten children. Jane married Charles C. Hapgood of Bellows Falls. James went to New York, thence to Savannah, where he engaged in the dry goods business, from the.re to Galveston, Tex., and thence to Palatka, Fla., where he was agent for the Bank of Charlestonj Charleston, S. C. He afterward engaged in the real estate business and he laid out and named nearly all the streets in Palatka. He married late in life an adopted daughter of John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, and has ten children. William went to New York and thence to Chicago, where he has been in business. Benjamin Hercules, the youngest of the family, was kept at home. He was a clerk from 1847 to 1850, when he joined his father in general merchandise in Rutland. In 1860 he bought his father's interest, who died that year, and he has since been engaged in the dry goods business. AARON BURT.— 1792-1848. [Sixth Generation; Aaron", Aaron*, Joseph'', David^ HenryI.] Aaron Burt, third of that name in succession, was born August 12, 1792, in Westmoreland, N. H., the youngest of the five children of Aaron Burt (born at Northfield, Mass.), and Namoni Temple. He was a lineal descendant of Henry of Springfield, through David of Northampton. During his boyhood the family removed to Marlboro, Vt., from which place, at the age of eighteen, he started out in search of fortune, and after many vicissitudes, found himself, in the spring of 1812, at Dover, Dutchess county, N. Y. From here he had occasion to visit New York city, and thither he journeyed on horse- back, in 1813, putting up at the famous "Bull's Head Tavern," which, though it stood on the site of the present " Thalia Theatre," formerly the " Old Bowery," was then quite out of town. While in New York, he visited the celebrated brig " Argus," (captor of nineteen British vessels), and saw also the brave frigate " United States," coming into port with the British frigate " Macedonian," as a prize. In the following spring he resumed his westward journey, intend- ing to go to Ohio, but stopping at Oneida to visit a sister who resided there he began to think of making his home in New York State ; and after several excursions for observation, he gave up the idea of going to Ohio, and settled in the town of Manlius, Onondaga county. Here on the 4th of March, 1815, he married Lucy Burke, who bore him four sons and two daughters ; and secondly he married Eleanor Ross Otis, who bore him two sons. Meantime, by dint of great industry and perseverance, coupled with considerable practical skill, he accumulated sufficient means, by building many much needed mills in various parts of the county. AARON BURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 389 to purchase a farm near Fayetteville, where he resided for fourteen years. During this period he represented his district for three sessions in the State legislature at Albany, becoming intimate with, among other distinguished men, Martin VanBuren and Henry Seymour, after each of whom he named a son. Early in the history of the Erie canal he was appointed one of its superintendents, and held that position, on the middle section, for many years. Meantime he removed his family to Syracuse, where he had acquired important interests, and became identified with the early history and growth of the place. He became the owner of large tracts of land in and about Syracuse, much of which he parcelled into building lots and sold so as to encourage the growth of the place. The house in which he lived stands upon a hill overlooking the city from thd east, surrounded by lawns and stately trees of maple, and is an imposing old landmark. Including almost the entire block facing Genesee street, between Walnut and Chestnut streets, the grounds comprised an orchard, a grapery, a large vegetable and a beautiful flower garden. His son Oliver bought the place and in 1869 it was divided and sold. He took an active part in the construction of the railway between Syracuse and Utica, having resigned from the canal to become commissioner to build the railroad, and the whole line was built under his im- mediate supervision. The necessities of his early life having deprived him of a liberal education, he supplied the deficiency, as far as possible, by a well- selected and careful course of reading. He sent three of his sons to Union College and one to Harvard ; while to his daughters he gave the best education that the times could afford ; both were graduates of the celebrated Troy Female Seminary. In appearance he was tall, dignified and commanding, yet affable, and possessed of a fine sympathetic nature ; and by his uniform kindness, uprightness and public spirit, gained the lasting respect and regard of his fellow townsmen. It was during his service as railroad commissioner that his health broke down, never again to be restored. His last few years were mainly a struggle for life. He spent three or four winters in Florida, and died at Jacksonville on the 9th of April, 1848, in his 56th year. On receipt of the news at Syracuse the " Daily Journal " issued 39° THE BURT FAMILY. an " Extra," a copy of which is appended to this sketch as evidence of the esteem in which he was held by his fellow citizens : Daily Journal. EXTRA. SYRACUSE, THURSDAY, APRIL 20, '48- Syracuse, April 20, 1848. News was received this morning that the remains of the late Aaron Burt, an old and highly respected citizen of this place, will arrive in the evening train of cars from the East. It is, doubtless, known to most of our citizens that Mr. Burt has spent some time at the south in search of health, which is the only reason why his voice has not been- heard of late in council with others for the welfare of this community as has been the case since the first settlement of the place. Out of re- spect to his memory and in acknowledgment of his valuable services in promoting the prosperity of Syracuse, as well as out of re- gard for his many virtues as a man, it is pro- posed by several of our citizens, that his friends and acquaintances meet at the Depot on the arrival of the cars and form a proces- sion to escort the body to such place as may be designated at that time. We hope to see a large number present to pay this tribute of respect to one whose pri- vate worth has richly merited such a quiet, yet significant testimony to the excellence of his character as a citizen and neighbor. Short as the notice was, a great many of the prominent citizens attended at the train ; and tlie subsequent funeral was the largest ever given, up to that time, in Syracuse to a private citizen. Well might his children inscribe on his tombstone, as they did, Vir Virtute ac Fide antiqua. ADDISON M. BURT. ADDISON M. BURT. [Seventh Generation ; Aaron", Aaron^, Aaron*, Joseph^, David", HenryI.] Addison Millington Burt, oldest son of Aaron of Westmoreland, and lineally descended, in the seventh generation, from Henry of Springfield, was born of Lucy, first wife of his father, June i, 1817, near Fayetteville, N. Y. His education commenced at the local district school, was continued at Cazenovia Seminary, and at select schools in Fayetteville and Syracuse, his father having meantime changed his residence to the latter place. In the spring of 1833, with his brother Martin, he was placed at the Utica Gymnasium, a high school for boys, where Charles Bartlett was principal and George F. Comstock, subsequently so highly distinguished as a jurist, was a teacher. Here he remained about two years. He was a diligent student, and at one time (on the 22d of February, 1834) gained great popularity with his schoolmates by delivering an original oration, required by the principal as the price of a holiday. On the 9th of January, 1835, the school was destroyed by fire, and he returned to Syracuse, accompanied by Mr. Comstock, under whose direction he and his brother continued their studies in prepa- tion for college. In due time he entered Union College and was graduated in 1837. He studied law at Syracuse in the office of Wilkinson & Outwater, was licensed to practice in the fall of 1840, and the next spring removed to New York. On the 9th of September, 1844, he married Eliza Gardenier, widow of James Dunn and daughter of Barent Gardenier, who, early in the century, was an eminent member of the New York bar. She died May 16, 1891, leaving no surviving children. After thirteen years practice in New York, he relinquished his profession to engage in the construction of the Albemarle and Chesapeake canal. It was mainly by his exertions and influence that the syn- 392 THE BURT FAMILY. dicate of capitalists was formed for the accomplishment of that work. Subsequently he identified himself with a manufacturing enterprise established by Northern men at Richmond, Va., which had got into successful operation, when the civil war compelled him to abandon it, leaving the whole plant to destruction and loss. His next undertaking was the manufacture of arms under contracts with the United States government. This business occupied him during the years of the war. He succeeded in delivering upwards of twenty thousand muskets ; but the financial result was disastrous, owing chiefly to inexperience on the one part and beaurocratic hostility to private contracts on the other. Since then, with the exception of five years in Europe, accompanied by his wife, he has resided in New York ; but since her death, is without permanent habitation. One of his addresses is care of his nephew. Dr. Stephen Smith Burt, 37 West Thirty-second street. MARTIN VAN BUREN BURT. MARTIN VAN BUREN BURT.— 1819-1851. [Seventh Generation ; Aaron", Aaron^, Aaron*, Joseph', David'', Henryi.] Martin Van Buren Burt, second son of Aaron and Lucy, was born near Fayetteville, N. Y., October i6, 1819. His schooling was in all respects the same as that of his brother Addison, except that his academic experience was at Homer instead of Cazenovia. He was graduated at Union College in 1838 ; studied law at Syra- cuse ; was in due time admitted to the bar, and joined his brother in New York, with the intention of remaining as his partner. But the failing health of, his father recalled him to Syracuse, where he spent his few remaining years chiefly in care of his father's estate and business, which left him little or no time for his profession. Moreover, bis own health soon failed. In the hope of benefit he spent a winter in the South; and he made a voyage on a sailing vessel round Cape Horn, spending a year on the Pacific coast and returning via the Isthmus of Panama, which then had no railway. But all efforts to stay the disease proved vain, and he died of con- sumption at Syracuse on the 9th of May, 1851, in his thirty- second year. OLIVER T. BURT.— 1824-1887. [Seventh Generation; AARONf^, Aaron^ Aaron*, Joseph^ David^, Henry!.] Oliver T. Burt, of Syracuse, N. Y., the third son of Aaron Burt, was born in Fayetteville, N. Y., September ig, 1824. His mother was Lucy Burke, born in Floyd, Oneida county, 1797. Follow- ing his brothers Addison M. Burt and Martin Van Buren he entered Union College and was graduated in 1844. The respect and affec- tion with which he is remembered by his classmates, among whom was ex-Governor Rice of Massachusetts, is but a just tribute to his •exceptionally fine character. He spent the last year of his college course, by special permission, at the Rennsalaer Polytechnic Insti- tute of Troy, N. Y., and in the study of geology and the collection of specimens with his friend Professor Oren Root, at Hamilton College, where incidently he established a chapter of the Psi Upsilon Society. For a short time after leaving college he occupied him- self in teaching Greek and Latin at the Syracuse Academy, when ex-President Andrew D. White of Cornell University was one of his pupils, and though soon deeply immersed in business affairs and the care of his father's estate, he retained his love for reading and study to the end of his life. On January 12, 1848, he married Rebecca Johnston, born Feb- ruary 22, 1826, of Scotch-Irish extraction, a woman of great worth and rare beauty, who bore him six children, namely : Lucy Eleanor, born February 12, 1849, died January 27, 1850 ; Stephen Smith, born November i, 1850 ; Ella Rosa, born June 7, 1852, died February 17, 1872 ; Florence May, born November 13, 1857, married (ist) Selden Spencer, and (2d) Thomas Brewster ; Mabel Olivia, born November I, i860, married Irving Dunlap ; and Howard, born July 5, 1862. The name of Oliver Burt, like that of his father, is prominently OLIVER T. BURT. MRS. OLIVER T. BURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 395 associated with the social life and the development of the city of Syracuse. He was president of the Central City Bank and of the Onondaga Solar Salt Company, vice-president of the Ontario Steamboat Company, and was engaged in many other important business enterprises. He never entered political life. He was domestic in his tastes, a man of liberal mind, high principle, and of a peculiarly tender, sympathetic and unselfish nature, with much of the manner of the old-school gentleman ; a true lover of his fellow men, in deep sympathy with the poor and the unfortunate. In his early youth, while endeavoring to rescue a small boy from the clutches of a bully, he received a cruel blow upon his head, which injury caused him trouble all his life, and finally, with innumerable business perplexities and additional ill health, it brought him to a frame of mind where death seemed to him the only relief, and he died December 3, 1887, in the sixty-third year of his age. A man charitable in its widest sense, and a Christian without cant, who scorned all meanness and hypocrisy. AARON BURT, JR.— 1832-1857. [Seventh Generation; Aaron'*, Aaron^, Aaron^ Joseph^, David% Henry!.] Aaron Burt, Junior, the fourth son of Aaron of Westmoreland, N. H., was born at Syracuse, N. Y., October 21, 1832. With the intention of his entering the Sophomore class of Union College, he was sent to the Collegiate Institute at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and later to a well-known preparatory school in Sandwich, Mass. As he grew older, however, he developed a preference for a life of business, and, in consequence, left school for his native place ; and he soon after engaged in the business of forwarding grain in Buffalo, N. Y. While in Buffalo he was threatened with serious disease of the lungs, and for a change of climate removed to Chicago, where he continued his former line of business. Not- withstanding the change his health continued to fail, and ultimately acute tuberculosis was developed. No sooner was his condition known at home than his devoted mother, leaving behind her house- hold cares, proceeded to Chicago, where she watched with him and cared for him night and day, until the end came, and he died in that city June 11, 1857. Thus ended a life fraught with promise of success. His courage, energy and integrity, combined with a naturally affectionate dis- position, made friends of all about him, and though his short life was devoid of marked incident, he is still lovingly remembered, and his memory often recalled by his old acquaintances, his family, and friends. j. o. b. ,,<■ AARON BURT, JK. UR. JOHN OTIS J-IURT. DR. JOHN OTIS BURT. [Seventh Generation; Aaron", Aaron^ Aaron*, Joseph'', D'avid^, Henry^.] John Otis Burt was born at Syracuse, N. Y., April 27, 1835, the son of Aaron Burt and Eleanor Otis. After the usual preparation, he entered Harvard University, and graduated with the class of 1858. The same year he made a voyage up the Mediterranean in the " Lindsay," carrying live-oak timber for the Austrian Navy, and, after the usual routine of European travel, returned home, and commenced the study of medicine at Cambridge, Mass., in the school founded by Jeffries Wyman, at the same time attending lectures in the Harvard Miedical School. In i860, he entered the College of Physicians- and Surgeons of New York, and was still a student when, in 1861, the whole country was aroused by the attack on Fort Sumter. He enlisted in the 9th New York regiment — "for the war," but there was much delay in fitting out the regiment, and in June he determined, if possible, to enter the medical corps of the Navy. Having passed the usual examination, though yet an undergraduate, he received a commission from President Lincoln, as an assistant surgeon in the regular service. He was ordered immediately to the frigate " Colorado,'' of Admiral Farragut's squadron, then at Fort Pickens, Fla. At the battle with the forts, below New Orleans, as the "Colorado" was unable to enter the Southwest Pass, on account of her great draught of water, he was ordered to the temporary hospital, where all the wounded at that battle were received, and after- wards accompanied those totally disabled as far as Mobile, on their way north. When the frigate came home for repairs, he was ordered to the Mississippi Squadron, to join the flagship " East- port," but soon after to the iron-clad " Cairo," Captain T. O. Selfridge. In December, 1862, while attempting to reach the rear 398 THE BURT FAMILY. of Vicksburg through the Yazoo river, the " Cairo " was struck by an anchored torpedo, and blown almost out of water ; she sank within ten minutes, with clouds of scalding steam rising from the fires. This is worthy of notice, as being the first effective employ- ment of the torpedo in war (although they had been tried without success in the Crimean war), and it was the small beginning of our present fine torpedo service. Thence Dr. Burt was ordered to the gunboat " Canestoga." During the siege of Vicksburg, he was with the " Naval Battery," formed of heavy guns from the fleet, manned by sailors who did effective service on shore. In the autumn after the surrender of Vicksburg, he received a shore leave of Admiral Porter, and soon after resigned from the Navy, having been exclusively on " sea service " until that time. Then, having resumed his interrupted medical studies, he married Helen N. Moulton of Marcy, N. Y., and sailed for Europe, to visit the cele- brated hospitals of Paris and Vienna, and on returning home, graduated in New York city. He has since been practicing medicine, though with several in- terruptions, in Syracuse, N. Y. For some five years he was one of the visiting physicians of St. Joseph's Hospital ; has served as physician to the board of health, and was connected with the medi- cal department of Syracuse University for seven years (1872- 1879), being at first Assistant Professor of Chemistry (when he established the present laboratory), and later Professor of Materia Medica. In 1873, his wife died, after a few days' illness of typhoid pneumonia, leaving three children : Arthur Temple, b. Paris, France, 1864; Aaron Moulton, b. Syracuse, N. Y., 1866; John Otis, Jr., b. Syracuse, N. Y., 1869. Dr. Burt's present address is No. 1206 Bellevue avenue, Syracuse, N. Y. HENRV SEYMOUK liURT. HENRY SEYMOUR BURT.— 1837-1885. [Seventh Generation ; Aaron", Aaron^ Aaron*, Joseph^, David^, Henry^.] Henry Seymour Burt, youngest child of Aaron Burt and Eleanor Otis, was born in Syracuse, N. Y., April 5, 1837. As a child, he accompanied his parents to Florida (where his father was obliged to reside to escape the severity of the Northern winters), and was sent to school near Augusta, Ga. Returning north, he became a pupil of the Academy at Vernon, N. Y., but preferring a more active life he left this school and engaged in business in Syracuse with his brother, Oliver T. About the year 1859 he married Miss Dora Cutts, niece of Major Heron of Syracuse, but suffered her loss by death in the following year as a result of childbirth. Their child, named Harry Gordon, died also within a few months. His home in Syracuse thus sadly broken up, he went to Cleveland, Ohio, and was in that city when the country was aroused by the attack upon Fort Sumter. For some time after this, his family heard little of him, and the following sketch of his services during the war is taken from the records of the War Department, preserved at Washington : " Henry S. Burt was mustered in as 2d Lieutenant Company G, 63d Ohio Volunteers, October 13, 1861, and was appointed ist Lieutenant in same company, December 20, 1861. He was as- signed to duty as acting aid-de-camp on the staff of Brigadier General Schuyler Hamilton, commanding 2d Division Army of the Mississippi, March 8, 1862 ; as acting assistant Inspector General on the staff of Major General Rosecrans, and ^subsequently) of Major General George H. Thomas, Department of the Cumber- land March 28, 1863 ; and as acting aid-de-camp on staff of Major General D. S. Stanley, commanding 4th Army Corps, June 400 THE BURT FAMILY. IS, 1865. He was honorably discharged, as ist Lieutenant 63d Ohio Volunteers, to date July 8, 1865." In this year (1865) after a faithful service in the army, he returned to Syracuse, and recommenced a business life, although he was offered a commission in the regular army. In 1870 he married Mrs. Henry Kingsley, the widow of a comrade, and resided thence- forth in his native city. They had no children. His life in the army had a marked effect on his physical health, and intimate friends noticed that he was entirely changed in appearance after his return. In the year 1884, he began to suffer from chronic Bright's disease, and growing slowly but surely worse at home, he went to New York city, under the care of his nephew. Dr. S. S. Burt. No treatment, however, could suffice to restore his health, and he lingered until December 2f, 1885, when he died of uraemia. Per- sonally, he was one of the most generous and unselfish of men, and, in his younger days, was with justice a general favorite. Though unsuccessful in business in his later years, his many good qualities of heart and mind endeared him to his family; while the record of his long and faithful service in the War of the Rebellion entitles him to an honorable place among those who hastened to the defence of the country in the time of her utmost need. J. o. B. DR. STEPHEN S. BURT. DR. STEPHEN SMITH BURT. [Eighth Generation ; Oliver T.', Aaron", Aaron^, Aaron*, Joseph^*, David'^, Henryi.] , Stephen Smith Burt, physician, was born November i, 1850, in Oneida, N. Y. He is the ?on of Oliver T. Burt of Syracuse, and grandson of Aaron Burt, one of the founders of Syracuse and otherwise identified with the early history of Central New York. His mother was of Scotch-Irish parentage, the adopted daughter of Stephen and Rosa Van Cortlandt Smith, and is well known in the social life of Syracuse, where she is admired as much for her noble qualities as she was, in her youth, for her remarkable beauty. Dr. Burt attended, among other schools, the Eagleswood Military Academy of New Jersey, and the Edwards Place School of Stock- bridge, Mass. He spent two years at Cornell University, where he was one of the founders of the Cornell Chapter of the Kappa Alpha Society. In 1870, he left college, owing to pecuniary misfortunes of his father. Later he began the study of medicine and was graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York in 1875, with the distinction in his class of valedictorian. After six months post-graduate study he was admitted to the Roosevelt Hospital, where he served the allotted time upon the house staff, and was graduated in 1877. He began the practice of medicine in New York and was immediately appointed United States Pension Examiner, which position he held, as president of the Board, for eight years. He is a member of the State and the County Medical Societies and of the New York Academy of Medi- cine. In 1884 and 1885 he was Professor of Thoracic Diseases at the University of Vermont, and he has been a teacher in the New York Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital since 1882, and Professor of Physical Diagnosis and Clinical Medicine since 1884. 402 THE BURT FAMILY. The honorary degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon Dr. Burt in 1890 by Yale University. He crossed the continent in 1886 in the car "Pickwick," visiting Oregon and Washington ; and again in 189 1 in the car " lolanthe " visiting San Diego and San Francisco, pubHshing a pamphlet in 1892 named " A Flying Trip by Rail from New York to California." He is the author of a text-book entitled, " Exploration of the Chest in Health and Disease," published in 1889, and of a number of pamphlets upon medical topics, among which are : "Views on the Prevention and Treatment of Typhoid Fever," 1889 ; " Some of the Limitations of Medicine," 1889 ; " Pulmonary Consumption in the Light of Modern Research," 1890; " Bacteri- ology and Preventive Medicine," 1891 ; and "The Ethics of Ex- perimentation upon Living Animals," 1891. HOWAKO TOWNSEND 1iURT. HOWARD TOWNSEND BURT. [Eighth Generation ; Oliver T.', Aaron", Aaron'', Aaron*, Joseph^, David'^, Henryi.] Howard Townsend Burt, born in Syracuse, July 5, 1862, is the younger son of Oliver T. and Rebecca J. Burt. He received his early education at West Newton, Mass., and in Syracuse. He did not go to college. While quite young he evinced a decided taste for mechanical engineering, and finally entered the Straight Line Engine Company in Syracuse, under the direction of Professor Sweet, where he remained several years. Here he studied and practiced mechanical draughting and also served a thorough apprenticeship in the construction shop. During this experience he developed a faculty for invention in various mechanical ways that proved of considerable importance. He next turned his at- tention to electrical engineering and spent some time in the works of the Edison Electric Company. At first, rather disinclined to books, he devoted his entire time to practical work, but later he industriously studied the writings of eminent engineers. Although still young he has occupied and filled with credit positions of great responsibility in the calling which he" has chosen. Modest and retiring almost to a fault, he nevertheless gains the entire confi- dence of those with whom he is associated, and is universally spoken of as a man peculiarly gifted in all that pertains to his profession. In 1885 he married Aletha Ashfield of Syracuse, and they have two children, both daughters. Howard Burt was deprived of many early advantages by the misfortunes which overcame his father, but he has a fine nature and an upright character, and the enthusiasm of genius for mechanical pursuits that promises a bright future in the wide field now opening in electrical engineering. FLORENCE MAY BURT BREWSTER. [Eighth Generation; Oliver T.', Aaron^, Aaron^, Aaron*, Joseph^, David^, Henryi.] Florence May Burt, daughter of Oliver T. and Rebecca J. Burt, was born in Syracuse, November 13, 1857. She attended school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Rochester, at Mrs. James Fowler's in Westfield, Mass., at Carroll Park in Brooklyn, and at Howland School, Union Springs, N. Y. As a young woman she took a prominent position in Syracuse society, and received much attention. She is said to strikingly resemble her paternal grand- father. Remarkably endowed by nature, and thoroughly cultivated, she was early sought in matrimony. In 1877 she was married to Israel Selden Spencer, Jr., son of Judge Israel S. Spencer of Syra- cuse, a former student of Yale University, and a lawyer by pro- fession. Their only child, Harriet Bennett Spencer, was born in 1878. Owing to the failing health of her husband they went in 1881 to Mentone in the south of France, but as there was no im- provement they started for home, and in January, 1882, Mr. Spen- cer died of consumption in Paris. About the year 1883 Mrs. Spencer visited the Feltons at Menlo Park in California. Mr. Charles Felton, who afterwards became United States Senator from California, owed his start in life, in 1849, to Oliver T. Burt, the father of Mrs. Spencer; and this obli- gation he not only fully acknowledged, but more than amply repaid in after years when the wheels of fortune had been reversed. In 1889 Mrs. Spencer was married to Thomas Townsend Brewster of Syracuse, a lineal descendant of William Brewster, the Pilgrim. Their child, a son, named Burt Boynton Brewster, born in 1891 in Brussels, Belgium, is the twelfth generation of Brewsters in this country. Mrs. Brewster remained three years in Belgium, super- intending the education of her daughter, Harriet Spencer, who spent part of the time at Hanau, near Frankfort-on-the-Main in Germany. MRS. FLORENCE MAY BURT BREWSTER. •v MRS. MABEL BURT DUNLAP, MABEL BURT DUNLAP. [Eighth Generation ; Oliver TJ, Aaron^, Aaron^, Aaron*, Joseph^ David^, Henry^.] Mabel Burt, youngest daughter of Oliver T. and Rebecca J. Burt, was born November i, 1859, in Syracuse. She was educated at Granger Place School in Canandaigua, N. Y., and at schools in Rochester and Syracuse. She resembles her mother, not only in her appearance but in the sweetness of her disposition. Owing to her many attractive qualities she immediately became a favorite in the social life of Syracuse, where her mother held from her youth a similar position. A natural, as well as a cultivated musician, an expert horsewoman, a clever conversationalist, Mabel Burt justly deserves the devotion and admiration which she never fails to inspire. In 1883 she was married to Irving H. Dunlap, son of a well-known physician of Syracuse. They started out to begin their married life upon a sheep ranch in the wilds of Western Kansas. Reared among the comforts and refinements of an Eastern home, this life in Kansas proved a somewhat trying ex- perience. Between the isolation, the torrid heat, the rattlesnakes and the ever-impending cyclone, sheep raising became something akin to reaping the whirlwind. Consequently they moved to Chicago and thence after a time returned to Syracuse. Here in 1887 their son, Herbert Dunlap, was born. As treasurer of the Sanderson Brothers Steel Works, Mr. Dunlap remained in Syracuse for a number of years, and his wife took a prominent part in the social life of her former home. What is more, she devoted herself to the intelligent education of her son, and proved herself a faith- ful and loving daughter during the early years of her mother's lonely and trying widowhood. In 1893 Mr. Dunlap was appointed agent for the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company at West Superior, Wis., and thither with his wife and child has migrated. JONATHAN BURT. [Fifth Generation; Aaron*, Joseph^, David^, Henryi.] Jonathan Burt, one of the elder sons of Aaron (4), was born at Northfield, Mass., September 3, 1742. He married Thankful Dean, at Windsor, Vt., August 31, 1767 ; she was born June i, 1742, at Plainfield, Conn., and died December 22, 1794. He had seven sons and three daughters; eight of his ten children married. He died at Windsor, December 24, 1825, aged 83. Jonathan Burt wrote tlie following record of his recollections of Indian tragedies that he witnessed in childhood, and it was found recently among the papers of one of his grandsons, the late Charles Burt of Waterbury, Vt., and is furnished for publication by another grandson. Dr. Dean Towne of Worcester : "Windsor, Vt., April 23, 1810. I, Jonathan Burt, am this day sixty-seven years, seven months and nine days old, I having an impression on my mind since the reformation be- gan in Windsor, to rite some brief account of my Life and experience. I was Born in the town of Northfield, Massachusetts, in the year 1742, September 3, old stile. My father's name was Aaron Burt, son of Joseph Burt, one of the first settlers in Northfield, and mother's name was Miriam Elmor, Daughter of Hezekiah Elmor, one of the first settlers in Northfield, and as God has givenme andretained a strong memory, I can well remember events that took place whin I was But very young. The first I will menshon is my uncle Asahel Burt, and Nathaniel Dickerson, who was killed By the Indians, in 1747, April 15, old style. I then Being four years, seven months and twelve days old, well remember the alarm. My mother and aunt with their children ran up to the fort towards the enemy. A solger came running with all his mite and saith, ' don't go this way, for God's-sake.' However, when they Broat in my Uncle and Dickerson, I ran out of doors to see them, and did see tliem Lying on my uncles mare, which was not hurt. They were killed Like two ded sheep, with their heads hanging down on one side, and feet on the other, of the mare, with thear scalps taken of their heads. It was almost dark then ; they THE BURT FAMILY. 407 carried them into Mr. Averl's room, within the pickets. Laid them on the floor, side by side, and the Blood soon ran from each of their Bodyes, almost acrost the floor. The next thing to menshon — in 1748; in June, Aaron Belding at sunrise who was returning from working, thear Lay'd Indians Behind the Board fence, one and a half rods from the path. Seven Indians, all fired at once, made a rideal of his Body ; he ran four rods fell down dead, they upon him in a minute, within 30 or 40 rods of his Brother's house, where he Lived. His Brother and others see the Indians, taking of his scalp fired at the Indians, but they soon went off into the woods. These three men have I seen with their garments soaked in Blood." Incidents in the life of my grandfather, Jonathan Burt, related to me by my mother, Sarah Burt Towne. Jonathan Burt lived in a block fort most of the time until seven years old. His father, Aaron Burt, moved to Westmoreland, N. H., where he kept a tavern. Captain William Dean and family, from Plainfield, Conn., in the month of December, 1766, stopped there for entertainment over night. Their only daughter. Thankful, was one of them, and Jonathan gallantly assisted her from the saddle (as they were all on horseback), and went into the kitchen and told his sister that "his wife had come." This proved true, as they were married at Windsor, Vt., August 31, 1767, being the first couple married in that place. Although reared in all the luxuries of those days, she proved a most excellent helpmeet in leading a pioneer's life. On^ the occasion of her family's visit at Jonathan's father's tavern, the prospective wife was unable to proceed on her journey and staid there a week, when her brother returned for her with the sad news that her mother had died the morning after their arrival at their new home at Windsor, Vt., December 22, 1766, this being the first death in that town. Jonathan bought a farm at West Windsor and built the first , framed house in that place. He lived there until his death, which occurred December 24, 1825, at the age of 83. When Royalston was burned by the Indians he was called out to start at II o'clock at night. The provisions were cooked, saddlebags filled, queue cut close to his head to save his scalp, and before day- light he was on the road, accompanied by his oldest son David, 408 THE BURT FAMILY. fourteen years old, riding behind him to take the horse back. The Indians had fled when they reached the devastated town. Jonathan Burt was very industrious and was just in all his deal- ings, giving in all his accounts the minutest details of every dollar spent or received. He was zealous in his religious belief, without bigotry, entertaining the Methodist ministers at his hospitable home — where Lorenzo Dow often found a warm welcome — when by others it was considered heresy to do so. His oldest daughter, Sarah Burt(Towne) when only sixteen years of age, made a journey from Windsor, Vt, to Westmoreland, N. H., finding her way. by marked trees, to visit relatives in the latter place. His son David, when only nine years of age, would go to Charlestown, N. H., twenty-five miles from home, to get their grain ground. He would put two bags on one horse and lead another with a similar load, finding his way by the aid of marked trees. The trip occupied two days. Such a journey, undertaken by a lad so young, is a strik- ing illustration of the great courage which these pioneers and their children possessed. Josephine E. Tyler. SARAH BURT TOWNE. Sarah (6), daughter of Jonathan (5), born October 2, 1775 ; married Benjamin Towne at Windsor, Vt., May 28, 1802 ; died January 19, 1849, aged 74. They had ten children . (1) Orinda, (2) Sarah, (3) Mary, (4) Nahum, (5) Dean, (6) Benjamin, (7) William, (8 and 9) twins, and (10) Emily. children of benjamin and sarah burt towne; (seventh generation). Orinda, born at Windsor, Vt., January 20, 1803 ; married Dr. Oliver Russ, June 12, 1823, removed to Jacksonburg (now Jackson), Mich., 1831 ; she died March 15, 1875, aged 72. Their children were : Sarah Ann, b. September 26, 1824; m. July 27, 1843, Samuel K. Hibbard; he died * * * ; she married (2) » * * Corwin. She had one child' Walter Hibbard. THE BURT- FAMILY. 409- Emily M., b. February 2, 1827; m. John Y. Collar, September 17, 1854; she d. November 7, 1887, at Streator, 111. They had four children: Frank, b. May 31, 1855; Cornelia, b. January 30, 1857; m. * » * Drake; Dan, b. August 3, 1861 ; and Mary, b. February 12, 1864 ; she married G. A. Bunnell. Lucretia M., b. July 9, 1831 ; m. November 11, 1850, Isaac Sharpsteen; had one daughter, d. young. Benjamin F. T., b. September 21, 1833; m. April 16, 1863, Mary Dillon;. he d. February 12, 1885. Albert Dean, b. December i, 1835. Mary Jane, b. July 7, 1838. Cornelia S., b. November 22, 1840; d. May 18, 1855. Sarah, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Burt Towne, born at Windsor, Vt,, November 26, 1804; married Leonard Quimby of Thetford, Vt , March 28, 1826. She died August 29, i860. They had ten children : Susan M., b, September 14, 1827; m. Edward Brown of Windsor, Vt; she d. September 15, 1863. They had three children: Sarah Isa, b.. * * * ; m. S. W. Bridge; Jennie Adld C, b. # * * ; m. Russell; John L., b. « * * . Laurett, b. July 19, 1829; m. G. H. Haven. She d. March 21, 1856. William Carlos, b. October 29, 1831 ; m. * * * ; d. February 3, 1865. Benjamin Lyndall, b. November 8, 1833; d. September 7, 1859. Mariette, b. October 25, 1835 ; d. March 9, 1836. Adelaide U., b. June i, 1837 ; d. April 28, 1855. Albert Dean, b. July i, 1840; m. Hattie Quimby; he d. at Witchita, Kan., * « » 1887. They had three children : Clara, George and Rosa. Mary Elizabeth, b. June 16, 1843; m.C.D.Imrie. He d.- November, 1892. They have two children, Frank and Delia. Reside at Palestine, Tex. Frank A., b. August 24, 1847 ; m. Emma M. Sprout of Worcester, Mass., August 22, 1872. They have two children: Winifred and Goldyl. Henry R., b. September 28, 1850; d. December 2, 1868. Mary, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Burt Towne, born April 7, 1807 ; married Dr. B. O. Tyler, December 8, 1824. Lo- cated at South Woodstock, Vt., and after some years removed to Montpelier, Vt.; she died June 26, 1851; he died May 21, 1878. They had six children : Orlando Towne, b. January 26, 1826; ri. April 26, 1826. Cprnelia E., b. July 26, 1829; m. December 2, 1848, Horace Piatt of Fitch- burg, Mass.; she d. September 27. 1878; he d. December 21, 1882. They had two children: Mary Ell.i and Alvaro Horace. She was 410 THE BURT FAMILY. b. April 14, 1850; m. Charles G. Hubbard of San Antonio, Tex., August 14, 1S83. They have one child, b. September 8, 1S87, named Mabel Charlotte. Alvaro H., b. July iS, 1852 ; m. Alice V. Merrill, November 17, 1873. Frances L., b. April 23, 1S31 ; m. Lorenzo D. Warren of Hollis, Me., July II, 1859. Have one son, Charles Eugene, b. June 19, 1864. Alvaro M., b. June 21, 1834; m. November 25, 1875, Lucy E. Lufkin of Portland, Me. They have two children, Dean Olcott, b. October 4, 1876 and Ferdinand Leonard, b. February, 2, 1882. Josephine E., b. October 16, 1S37; m. September 25, 1877, S. W. Robinson of Portland, Me. Eugene C, b, March 5, 184.7; ™- October 16, 1873, Celia Conant of Port- land, Me. Nahum, son of Benjamin and Sarah Burt Towne, born January ■9, 1808; died May 7, 1809. Dean, son of Benjamin and Sarah Burt Towne, born February 7, 1810, at Windsor, Vt.; married ist Sarah D. Sibley, January 9, 1851 ; she died March 29, 185 1 ; he married 2d Mrs. Samaria E. Orvis of Alstead, N. H., October 29, 1863 ; she died at Worcester, Mass., January 30, 1887, aged 66 years, 6 months and 12 days. Benjamin, Jr., born September 5,1812; married Hannah Picket of Detroit, Mich., October 20, 1834. They had three children ; two died young; George C, born April 6, 1841 ; married Sarah C. . Sons : George C., born April 6, 1869 ; Benjamin, born 1870. Ben- jamin, Jr's, wife and child died at Houston, Tex., 1841. William, born April 9, 1815 ; married Abigail Eaton of Corinth, Vt., June 3, 1844; removed to Tompkins, Mich., died February 16, 1863. They had five children. Norton F., b. February 25, 1S45. J. M.Eaton, b. January 15, 1847 ; d. January 4, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tenn., on a march with General Sherman's army south to the sea. Sarah E., b. September 15, 1848; d. May 3, 1849. . Ella J., b. July 9, 185 1. Id, I M., b. June 14, 1857 ; d. August 31, iS68. Kmily M., daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Burt Towne, born February 5, 1820; married Samuel S. Ellis, February 19, 1839. 1 hty had five children : Ellen Eliza, b. April 21, 1840; m. Tyler A. Lamson, December 25, 1862. They had four children: (i) William G., b. June 7, 1864; m. Cora E. THE BURT FAMILY. 41I Merrill, June i, 1886. They have three children: Richard D., b. April 15, 1887 ; Nelson Tyler, b. June 4, 1889, and Ruth Ellen, b. April 13, 1891. (2) Frank E., b. July 23, 1866; m. Hattie Luther, November 8, 1892. (3) Lottie Ellen, b. September 9, 1872. (4) Emily J., b. February 8, 1876. William Towne Ellis, b. August 19, 1842 ; m. Lizzie E. Smith of Lebanon, N. H.., March 3, 1857. They had three children: George W., b. Sep- tember 17, 1869; Walter, b. December lo, 1872; d. March 4, 1878, aged 5 years, 2 months and 22 days ; Ellen Ellis, b. » # * ; d. young. Orinda Towne, b. July 10, 1846 ; m. Frank J. Morse of Belchertown, Mass., June 16, 1869. They have three children : Cora E., b. December 1 7, 1870 ; Walter D. E., b. August 22, 1872 ; and Eva Ellen, b. October 19, 1878. Sarah Zerene, b. May 8, 1849; m. A. Vernon Newton of Worcester, Mass., January, 1867. They have two children : Edmund V., b. March 2, 187^, and Edith V., b. November 7, 1876. Dean Samuel Ellis, b. August 28, 1856; m. Isabel Warner of Worcester, Mass., October 31, 1887. They have two children: Ruth, b. December 17, 1889, and Ralph Emerson, b. November 16, 1891. MARY BURT CABOT. , Mary, daughter of Jonathan and Thankful Dean Burt, born June II, 1780 ; married George Cabot, December ii, 1807 ; died August 11,1854. They had eight children. CHILDREN OF GEORGE AND MARY BURT CABOT. Mary, b. May 23, 1809; d. May 29, 1832. Gratia Burt, b. August 14, 1810; d. October 19, 1890. Betsey N., b. January 26, 1812 ; d. March 8, 1846. George, b. September 30, 1814; d. October 20, 1818. Dean, b. February 8, 1816; m. Mary Ward, May 29, 1838, who died April 23, 1856. They had two daughters : Lucretia and Hattie. He married (2) Mrs. Irene A. Wood, December 28, 1857. Lyman F., b. March 31, 1818; m. Lydia R. Dean, January 26, 1S46. No children. Harriet, b. February 23, 1820 ; m. Peter Eaton, Jr., October 22, 1844. She died May 9, 1856. They had four children. George Dwight, b. March 10, 1822 ; m. Charlotte M. Marcy, January 25, 1849 ; d. February 18, 1889. They had five children. CHILDREN OF GEORGE D. AND CHARLOTTE M. CABOT. Addie R., b. May 7, 1850; m. Charles T. Washburn ; d. March 22, 1883. Charles D., b. July 26, 1853; m. A. F. Washburn. 412 THE BURT FAMILY. George S., b. June 19, 1857; m. F. M. Lothrop, June 15, 1872. Lyman F., b. June 6, 1864; m. Florence S. Hemenway, October 22, 1889. Frank L., b. February 15, 1866. CHILDREN OF DEAN AND MARY WARD CABOT. Mary L., b. September 30, 1841 ; m. James Howland, September 30, 1861. She died October 30, 1884. Hattie E., b. October 15, 1850; m. H. T. Dennis, October 7, 1869. Henry W., son of Dean and Irene Wood Cabot, b. July 10, 1859. DEAN TOWNE, M. D. [Seventh Generation; Sarah Burt Towne", Jonathan^ Aaron*, Joseph^, David^ Henry^.] Dean Towne, M. D., son of Benjamin and Sarah Burt Towne (who was daughter of Jonathan Burt), was born at Windsor, Vt., February 7, 1810. After leaving the district school he attended the academy at Thetford, Vt., and Kimball Union Academy at Meriden, N. H. He commenced the study of medicine with Prof. Willard Parker, Prof. David Palmer and Dr. B. O. Tyler ; attended lectures at Dartmouth (N. H.), Woodstock and Castleton (Vt.) medical schools ; graduated from the latter with the class, November 23, 1833. He practiced medicine at Windsor and Hart- land, Vt., about twelve years. •In 1844 he went to Shrewsbur}', Mass., and there practiced his profession for six years. He moved to Worcester in .1850, where he continues to practice. He married Sally D. Sibley, daughter of Hon. Francis Sibley of Oxford, January 9, 1851. She died March 29, 1851. He married (2d) Mrs. Samaria E. T. Orvis of Alstead, N.'H., October 29, 1863. She died January 30, 1887. < • DR. DEAN TOWNE. ENOS liUKT. ENOS BURT. [Seventh Generation; Jonathan', Jonathan?, Aaron^ Joseph^, David^, Henryi.] Enos Burt was born at Windsor, Vt., living there until manhood. In 1825 he married Lucy Ann Osgood. One child was born to them while they lived in Vermont. In 1827, they, in company with others, started on a twelve-days' journey in midwinter, with ox teams and one horse, for the unbroken wilds of New York, where, in Lawrence, St. Lawrence county, he selected himself a farm of one hundred acres, built a log house and cleared the land, work- ing on the farm through the day and in his shoe and harness shop at night. Later on he added another hundred acres to his farm, where they lived and died, she in 1885, and he in 1888. He was strongly attached to his children who were settled near him. Living and dead, his descendants number eight children, nineteen grand- children and nineteen great-grandchildren, and they all knew that a warm welcome awaited them at " grandpa's house.'' DR. JOSEPH A. BURT. [Seventh Generation ; Nathan', Jonathan^ Aaron*, Joseph^, David^, Henryi.] Dr. Joseph A. Burt of St. Charles, Minn., son of Nathan Burt, was born at Bartonsville, Vt., March 21, 1823. He married Lucy C. Thatcher, November 2, 1844. The following are the children born to them : William Alden, b. October 25, 1846; d. February 27, 1849. Willie Talbot, b. January 12, 1852 ; m. Jane Aultland. Charles Preston, b. July 10, 1854. Howard Kent Kane, b. February 3, 1857 ; d. March 29, 1865. Terah J. Patchen, b. September 9, 1859; m. Nettie Bliss. Weston Fremont, b. June 6, 1862 ; m. Rose Young. Lillian May, b. October 23, 1864 ; m. W. H. Gilraour. Lucy Maud, b. November 24, 1867; m. George Campbell. Ida Imogene, b. October 17, 1869. DESCENDANTS OF DEAN BURT.— 1782-1841. [Dean Burt", Joxathan^, Aaron', Joseph', David', Henry^] Dean Burt, the youngest but one of the ten children of Jonathan and Thankful DeanBurt, was born March 22, 1782, and died August 4, 1841. He married Francis Church, March 13, 181 1 ; she was born March 27, 1787, and survived her husband until August 24, 1867. Their children were : Jonathan D., b. June 24, 1S12 ; d. June 30, 1812. Sarah F., b. August 24, 1813; d. September 7, 1814. Frankhn N., b. May 11, 1815. Benjamin Towne, b. July 2, 1817 ; d. July 7, 1890. Charles Sheldon, b. November 15, 1819. Lydia Caird, b. March 22, 1822. Elihu Church, b. May 13, 1823. James Caird, b. February 24, 1828; d. February 7, 1832. Franklin Norton Burt of Ogdensburg, N. Y., oldest surviv- ing son of Dean Burt, born May 11, 1815, married January 25, 1841, Olivia Angelina Swan, who was born August 29, 1818. Their children are : Frances S., b. September 4, 1843; ro- February 20, 1862, Robert E. Gordon, d. March 13, 1867. Celestina J., b. July 7, 1845; m. June 18, 1872, Ralph Hardy. Their daugh- ter, Louise Frances, was b. December 3, 1875. Lyman D., b. July 29, 1848; m. June 6, 1871, Mary E. Murphy. Egbert N., b. June 3, 1854 ; m. August 26, Annie M. Smith. Frederick A., b. January 5, 1S57 ; m. May 19, 1881, Janette Cuthbert. Henry C, b. December 26, i860. THE BURT FAMILY. 415, The children of Lyman Dean and Mary Ellen (Murphy) Burt are : Jennie F., b. May 14, 1872; d. April i, 1885. Grace A., b. May 7, 1874. Frank E., b. March 5, 1876; d. October 30, 1883. Wallace E., b. March 23, 1880. Mary A., b. December 5, i883. The children of Egbert Norton and Annie Maria (Smith) Burt are : George S., b. October 13, 1877. Charles B., July 26, 1879. Alice O., b. July 12, 1882. The children of Frederick Alfred and Janette (Cuthbert) Burt are : William F., b. March 11, 1882. Harry E., b. February 7, 1884. Stuart D.,b. March 13, 1886. James D., b. August 1, 1888. Benjamin Towne Burt of Ox Bow, N. Y., son of Dean Burt^ born July 2, 1817, died July 7, 1890. He married March 11, 1847, Abigail W. Taylor, b. July 28, 1825. Their only child was Charles E. Burt, b. June 30, 1850, died August 30, 1855. Charles Sheldon Burt of Grand Rapids, Mich., son of Dean Burt, born November 15, 1819. He married (i) January 4, 1841, Sarah Elizabeth Calhoun, born November 4, 1822, died May 15,. 1850. He married (2), Mary Thornton, born April 5, 1823. Chil- dren by first wife : Charles Calhoun Burt, b. July 22, 1843; d. September 17, 1S63. Mary Elizabeth Burt, b. February 15, 1845. James Caird Burt, b. December 5, 1849. Children of Charles Sheldon Burt by second wife : William Sheldon Burt, b. August i, 1854. Benjamin Franklin Burt, b. July 31, 1853 ; d. January 10, 1862. Edwin Waterman Burt, b. January 24, 1858; d. January 6, 1862. Sarah Jane Burt, b. March 11, i860; d. January 15, 1862. Anna Frances Burt, b. July 12, 1862. .416 THE BURT FAMILY. James Caird Burt of Dayton, O., son of Charles Sheldon Burt, born December 5, 1849, married April 15, 1873, Kate Weston, 'born October 28, 1853. Children : Hattie Burt, b. May 28, 1S78; d. June 29, 1888. Benjamin Franklin Burt, b. September 12, 1885. William Sheldon Burt of Watertown, N. Y., son of Charles Sheldon Burt, born August i, 1854, married September 10, 1878, Annie P. Conley, born February 25, 1853, died November 24, 1885. Children : Annie Frances Burt, b. July 23, 1879; d. January 22, 1886. James Sheldon Burt, b. October 11, 1882 ; d. January 25, 188-. William Sheldon Burt married (2) August 22, 1888, Christie McLeod, b. March 13, 1861. Lydia Caird Burt of Theresa, N. Y., daughter of Dean Burt, born March 22, 1822, married October 30, 18151, William Z. Barr, born July 31, 1827. Children : Selecta Jane Barr, residence Utica, N. Y., b. July 10, 1853. Mary Olivia Barr, residence Theresa, N. Y., born October 21, 1856. Benjamin Franklin Barr, b. July 5, 1853. William Z. Barr, Jr., b. January 14, 1S67. Benjamin Franklin Barr of Dexter, N. Y., son of Lydia and William Z. Barr, born July 5, 1863, married December 24, 1884, Carrie E. Wicks, born August i, 1867. Children : Lydia Alice Barr, b. March 3, i885. Hobart Benjamin Barr, b. March 30, 1887. Florence Mary Barr, b. January 22, 1S90. William Z. Barr, Jr., of Theresa, N. Y., son of Lydia and William Y. Barr, born January 14, 1867, married February 28, 1888, Nettie M. Westwood, b. July 12, 1867. They have one child, William Z. JBarr, 3d, born March 16, 1889. THE WALPOLE BURTS. [Descendants of Aaron*, Joseph^, David^, Henrys.] The following concerning the branch of the family that settled at Walpole was contributed by Alonzo Burt and the late Dr. B. W. Porter. The former has been zealous in the work of gathering facts relative to the family and in increasing an interest in the pub- lication of this book. The latter gave him hearty cooperation, and the last letter he wrote was to the editor of this volume, only a few hours previous to his death. Aaron Burt (fourth generation), son of Joseph, was born in Hatfield, September 17, 1717 ; died in 1792. He settled in North- field and married Miriam Elmer, daughter of Hezekiah Elmer, one of the first settlers of Northfield. The records of the town show that Aaron Burt at one time held a large estate in Northfield. In 1765 he built the first gristmill in Northfield, at Lover's Falls, now Glens Falls. Alex Norton and Aaron Burt owned a house ther.e. The house built by Joseph Burt, father of Aaron, was painted red. The Bu<-ts had a store just north of this house, which was a noted place of business; people went down the Connecticut river in boats and canoes from as far north as Charlestown, N. H., to Aaron Burt's store and mill to trade. The Burt family living in Walpole, N. H., have in their possession some of Aaron's account books used by him in the store. We have one in our house at this time, in which we find accounts against the first settlers of Wal- pole — Major Bellows, Colonel Benjamin Bellows and others. The books are more than E30 years old, and clearly prove that Aaron Burt was an excellent penman, and knew how to keep his books in a perfect manner. Aaron Burt was on the committee to build the first meeting 41 8 THE BURT FAMILY. house in Northfield. He furnished four gallons of West India rum, at eight shillings per gallon, and sold the lock for the meeting house. May 30, 1764, the year it was completed. The fort was begun in the winter of 1743-4 and completed about the 25th of May following. Aaron Burt furnished 430 pounds of nails at fifteen pence per pound. Joseph Burt gave a mortgage on his red house to Johonnet of Boston in 1757, about the time of his death, and it was redeemed in 1765 by Aaron, who lived there the rest of his days. FIFTH GENERATION^. CHILDREN OF AARON BURT. David, b. April i, 1741. Jonathan, b. September 3, 1742; m. Thankful Dean. He removed to Walpole, N. H. 3. Sarah, b. February 26, 1744; d. August 9, 1745. 4. Mary, b. November 11, 1746; d. July 13, 1747. 5. Mary, b. June 21, 1748. 6. Hannah, b. November 9, 1750; m. Samuel Wier; d. March 31, 1795, at Westmoreland, N. H. Ruth, b. June 21, 1753 ; m. Nathaniel Fisk, April 21, 1772. Asahel, b. April 21, 1755 ; settled early in Kirby, Vt. 9 and 10. Twins, Moses and Aaron, b. February 14, 1759. [See sketch of Moses.] Aaron^ lived in Westmoreland, N. H., m. Naomi Temple, 1782; d. February 23, 1792. [He was the father of six children, the youngest of whom was Aaron'', a sketch of whom is given on another page.— Ed.] 11. Miriam, b. November 15, 1761. 12. John, b. February 12,1764; m. Susan Fairbank, February 16, 17S2. She d. May 15, 1789, aged 28 years. Aaron Burt is said to have had fifteen children ; five died young, and ten grew to maturity and manied. Moses Burt (fifth generation), son of Aaron Burt, was born in Northfield, Mass., February 14, 1759. He married, in 1783, Sub- mittey Ross, who was born 1766, and died September 12, 1828. He died October 29, 1843. Moses was a twin brother of Aaron. He was born ten hours before his brother, and they were marked with very different physi- THE BURT FAMILY. 419. cal characteristics ; while Moses had light hair and blue eyes,. Aaron had red hair and black eyes. Moses lived with his father and worked for him in the several departments of business in which his father was engaged, until he was about twenty years of age.. Having a little disagreement with him in religious sentiments — his father was a Shaker, a disciple of Ann Lee — he left his em- ploy, went up the Connecticut river, and settled in Walpole, N. H., in 1775. He purchased what was known as the Chandler meadow, in company with Samuel Wier, who married Moses' sister Hannah^ who was born November g, 1750, died March 31, 1795, and is buried in Westmoreland, N. H. It is current tradition that his parents were not willing that Wier should marry Hannah, and forbade his presence in their family, but Wier persisted in carry- ing out his plans, and stole her out of the chamber window, and. went up the river and settled in Walpole. Wier and Moses Burt bought jointly a very large tract of meadow land (which to-day constitutes several of the best farms in Walpole), from the State of New Hampshire, I suppose, as confiscated land of a Tory, who left the country during the war of the Revolution. When peace, was proclaimed, the heirs of the Tory came to Walpole and set up a claim to the lands. But Burt and Wier went into litigation to see who should hold the estate. The case was in the courts for twenty years and was at last decided against them. This lawsuit was a great task imposed upon Moses' mental powers, and a heavy tax upon his purse. After this perplexing case was ended he con- fined his farming skill to his other lands, not included in the con- fiscated purchase, and made an elegant farm, now known as the Burt homestead. Moses Burt was one of the old Revolutionary patriots. On August 16, 1777, was fought the battle of Bennington, which decided the fate of Burgoyne. During the day the booming of cannon was dis- tinctly heard on the hills and in the valleys of Walpole. He with other men was harvesting wheat in his fields, when they heard the reports of cannon reverberating from mountain to mountain and echoing among the valleys. This kindled a flame of patriotism in their natures, and he and his men started immediately for the seat of war. He enlisted in the army for three months, and went to Ticonderoga, expecting to have a battle on the next day after their 42 THE BURT FAMILY. arrival ; but owing to Stark's victory at Bennington, the fighting ceased, and he returned home. He was soon drafted to serve nine months more, but he tired o£ tlie soldier's life and hired a man to take his place, paying him by letting him have a fine brindle cow. Moses was a pioneer farmer, of sterling habits of industry, and integrity, and commanded the respect and commendation of the entire community in which he lived. He nevertheless possessed some very marked traits of character. In his last declining years, when the weakening hand of age had touched both body and mind, he used to tell daily the little incidents of his early life, to those who visited him. The grandchildren who were born and reared under the same roof can, in memory, see the old gentleman in his second childhood, seated in his armchair before a blazing wood fire, his fair, happy face lighted with smiles, as he sat with smoking pipe in hand, re- counted incidents in his early life and sang the songs of long ago. He often told how he was engaged to be married to a girl whose father was in good circumstances ; but it happened that there was to be a dancing party to which she wanted to go, but being "tired" and feeling no desire to dance, he refused to go, so that it broke the engagement. As he left he told her there were as good fish in the sea as ever were caught. He soon gained the favor of a fair young woman who proved a congenial companion. When the first lady love knew that her discarded lover was to wed a poor girl, she said she should like to see how the bride would be dressed. Moses, hearing of this, bought for the wedding dress six yards of chintz at one dollar per yard. He said he was proud of his tall, fair bride when dressed in this gown, and after the inarriage ceremony he took pains to walk past the first girl's father's house, that she might see how finely his bride was dressed. Wasn't that true Burt grit ? He often told how he went up to old " Ti " to whip Burgoyne, and that he heard the guns at Bennington, when he was getting in liis last load of wheat. He always said the first bloodshed in the Revolution was just over the river in Westminster, Vt., a little above his farm. About the year 1830, he with his two unmarried daughters went in an old-fashioned wagon — one of the first ever used in town — to Stockholm, N. Y., to visit a daughter and her THE BURT FAMILY. 42 1 family living there; they were a week performing the journey, — very different from the transportation of to-day. Then the slow- moving coach carried the tardy letters to the friend, who had to pay twenty-five cents postage when received. While stopping at his daughter's, he attended the funeral of a neighbor's child, and he became disgusted with what the officiating clergyman said. He often told it in this way : " The minister bore down pretty hard on the father of the child, telling him the child's death was caused by his getting in hay on Sun- day. After he got through with his discourse, I being a stranger there, he came to me and asked where I came from. I told him from Walpole, N. H. The next question was, ' What church do you belong to ? ' I told him, in the beginning of the Revolution I set out to be a free man, and of course I never joined a church, for if I had, and had not lived up to all their superstitious notions, they would have called me up and given me what is called a ' church mauling.' He left me without any more questions." In his religious sentiments he was liberal, an extensive reader, a close, deep investigator, and firm and strong in his conclusions. He was in those times a confirmed Restorationist. In his politics, he was always a staunch Democrat of the Jeffersonian and Jack- soniah type. SIXTH GENERATION. CHILDREN OF MOSES BURT. I. RoxANA, born April 8, 1784; married William Blanchard and had ten children. Moses and William, Jr., settled in New York state and raised up families. Sally, the oldest, died at about twenty years of age, between 1825 and 1830. Roxana, the second daughter, married George McNeil ; she had two children, both of whom died young. The third daughter married Tlieron Adams, She had four children ; all died young. The fourth daughter. Martha, married George McNeil, being his second wife. She had two children ; both died young. The fifth daughter, Sophronia, married Hiram Bretton, April 5, 1843. They had one child, now married and living in Springfield, Vt. Sophronia died in 1846. 42 2 THE BURT FAMILY. The sixth daughter, Nancy, married Hiram Hall, and has several ■children. The seventh daughter, Lorena, died in infancy. II. Abiathar, born September lo, 1776, died at Westmoreland, N. H., October 11, 1875. He married, in 1805, Mehitable Turner of Mansfield, Conn,, born November 28, 1788; died October 8, 1864. They had eleven children. III. Ross, third child of Moses Burt, born 1788 ; died 1806. IV. Moses, Jr., born 1790; died 1796. V. Luther, born i'Lugust 8, 1792; died November i, 1866; married in t8ii, Irene, daughter of Hugh and Cynthia Dunsher ■of Walpole. She was born July g, 1795 ; died March 2, 1877. They had eight children, Luther lived on the homestead all his life, and ministered to his aged parents and several maiden sisters until they passed on before him "to the beyond." He was one of Walpole's model farmers, and by industry, economy and good judgment, he accumulated a large property. VI. Submit, sixth child of Moses Burt, born March 14, 1794; died July 19, 1873 ; married James Wier, and bad three children : Sarah W., born July 15, 1823; married Lewis Wilbur, and had two children, Fred and Frank, both of whom have families ; they all live in Stockholm, N. Y. Eliza S.,born December 13, 1824; died April 19, 1849; married Nelson H. Van Duesen, and had one child, Edward, killed on the cars. Hannah B., born September 25, 1826 ; died April 18, 1891. She had two children : Stella, born July 27, 1852, and Ella, born December 31, 1856, both of whom are unmarried and are living in Walpole, N. H. VII. Hannah, born June 24, 1797 ; died December 15, 1849, unmarried. None knew her but to love her, Nor named her but to praise. VIII. SoPHRONiA, born Augusts, 1799; died Septemher29, 1841 LUTHER BURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 423 ■unmarried, a victim to that dreadful disease carcinoma. Slie pos- sessed a mind marked with strong intelligence, force and symmetry. IX. Charlotte, born October ii, 1801 ; died February, 1833. She married Levi Reed, and had four children : Charlotte E., born January 22, 1825 ; married a cousin, Andrew J. Burt, and had two children. Levi J., born May 27, 1827, and Benjamin B., born, May 26, 1829. Lucy, bom April 24, 1831 ; died December, 1868 ; married H. N.Shaw; had four children : George, .born March i, 1854; Silena, torn December 21, 1852; Ida E., born April 28, 1856; married Waldo Burt, a cousin. Adda, born February 23, 1863 ; married Albert Graves, and has no children. X. Sophia, born 1804; died October 7, 1829; unmarried. She was the youngest of Moses Burt's children. Her mother died a short time before her, with consumption, of a long, tedious course, and Sophia was also a victim of that fatal scourge to human life. She was a beautiful young woman, the pet of the household, but when the bloom of womanhood had just put its seal upon her fair young cheeks and the brigjit sun of hope and gladness shone upon her future life, she left her home and loving friends and passed over the border line, into the better land, where loving ones shall meet in joy, and never part in sorrow. SEVENTH GENERATION. CHILDREN OF ABIATHAR BURT. 1. Lavonia, born October 14, 1806 ; married Beriah Short. They had no children. She died at Bethel, Vt., March 22, 189 1. 2. Philenal born September i, 1808; died July 8, 1889; married Reuben Brooks, August 13, 1839. She had five children : Mary E., born May 26, 1842, living in Bethel, Vt. Helen E., born August 31, 1845; died September 9, 1886; married Aaron J. Davis, June 23, 1881. They had no children. Walter M., born September 25, 1847, living at Bethel, Vt. Jennie E., born March 26, 1850 ; married Lewis S. Bird, March 25, 1872. Children : L. Blanche, born' September 19, 1873; Jessie M., born February 26, 1875; Robert B., born July 25, 1886 ; all are living in Bethel, Vt. 424 THE BURT FAMILY. 3. Mary M., born June 6, 1810; died 1870; married Harrison Abbot of Lee, Mass., and settled in Nelson, Portage county, Ohio. She had three children : Caroline, who married Prichard and died some years after, leaving one child ; Sophia, who married Clark ; and Isodene, who married Adams. The families of the daughters all live in Portage county. 4. Abiathar 2"^, born 18 12 ; died 1814. 5. Eleazer Turner, born March 4, 1814 ; married Mary A. Brooks, April 12, 1840. His wife and child died in 1842. He then went west to Illinois, where he married Laura Packingham. They had five children — three daughters and two sons. He lives in Lassell county, 111. 6. Eliza, born April, 1815. Died young. 7. Mary Adeline, born August 18, 1817 ; married Ansel Burbank, April 12, 1840. She had five children : Mary E., born August 17, 1841 ; married Nelson H. Wallace, April 14, 1861. They have had three children: Nettie M., born August 25, 1866; married Oliver N. Barrows, March 9, 1886; Minnie N., born October 3, 1870; infant son, April 22, 1879. Infant son, born and died April, 1843. Julia M., born February 19, 1845 ; married Albion Spicer, Feb- ruary 24, 1869; died April 14, 1874. Ira C, born July 20, 1850; died March 10, 1851. Dana E., born March 27, 1856. 8. Ursula Sophia, born August 13, 1820; died October, 1883; married Alonzo Brooks and had seven children. The eldest, Elbert F., lives in Galesburg, III, and has a family. Ida Mira married Monroe Kendall, lives in Bethel, Vt., and has three chil- dren, Jennie, Kate, Frank, all living in Bethel. Harriet married Charles Coy and has two sons, Bertie and Robert. They live in St. Paul, Minn. George A. is married, lives in Galesburg, 111., and has a family. The fifth and sixth children, Emma and a boy, died young. The youngest of the seven, Emma, married Elmer Spaulding, and lives in Crawford, Neb. 9. Submit N., born January 10, 1822 ; married Joseph Graham, December 11, 1842. She has had nine children : THE BURT FAMILY. 425 Ellen M. and Helen S., twins, born December 19, 1846. Helen died January 2, 1847. George K., born June 9, 1850; married in 1884; lives in Aurora, 111. Mary Jane, born December 5, 1853 ; married Charles Blackley. They have two children and live in Waterbury, Conn. Emma A., born August 17, 1856; married Edward Temple, and has three children. They live in Woodstock, Vt. Julia A., born October 27, 1857 ; married Fred E. Gilson. They have one child, Harland F., and live in Hartland, Vt. Laura A., born July 14, 1859 ! married George Jenney. They live in Hartland, Vt. Guy E., born December 22, 1862 ; married June 18, 1890; lives in Hartland, Vt. William H., born May 3, 1871 ; lives in Hartland, Vt. 10. Harriet A., born March 12, 1824; married December 29, 1867, Earl Cushman, who was born December 14, 1810, and died July 25, 1883, at Noirthport, L. I. 11. Eunice Caroline, born October 10, 1827 ; died November 22, 1889; married March 19, 1849, Dr. Alden B. Smith, who died August 23, 1887. She had four children : Infant son, born and died April i, 185 1. Frank E., born October 19, 1857; died January 2, 1871, of hydrophobia. Flora A., born November 2, 1859 i '^^^'^ August 17, i860. Charlie A., born March 24, 1863 ; died July 25, 1863. CHILDREN OF LUTHER BURT. I. Levi Burt, born in Walpole, N. H., May 12, 1812 ; married Mary, daughter of Benjamin H. and Elizabeth Floyd of Walpole, September 25, 1833. He settled in Walpole, one mile east of the old Burt homestead, on the new road leading from Walpole to Keene, March 4, 1837. In early life he was actively engaged in the cultivation of fruit, and many orchards of apples, pears and small fruits through the state will testify to his good skill and judg- ment. He has now a very large apple and pear orchard of many varieties, all in bearing condition, also a great variety of grapes 426 THE BURT FAMILY. and small fruits. During the building of the Cheshire railroad he employed a number of men in the manufacture of boots and shoes, which were disposed of amongst the men employed in build- ing the road. He is positive and eccentric in his character, but is strictly honest in his financial dealings. Children of Levi Burt. Theron, born June 10, 1836 ; died November 6, 1863 ; married Mary Collins, March 3, 1863. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade. Alonzo, born June 10, 1838 ; married April 13, 1867, Martha Ellen Cole, daughter of Heber and Pruda Cole of Westmoreland, N. H. They have had one child, which died young. Mr. Burt's early life was spent on a farm. From 1863 to 1886 he was for the most of the time in the hotel business, being clerk, manager and proprietor ot some of the leading hotels in New England. In 1886 he went on the road as traveling salesman for M. E. Shattuck 5z: Co., with whom he still remains. From early boyhood he has been a great lover of the rod and gun, and probably has caught more brook trout and shot more partridges and woodcock on the wing than any other man in Cheshire county. Mary Jane, born May 6, 1844; married January 14, 1864, George Clark, son of Deacon John Clarency Clark of Keene, N. H. He died February 3, 1891, at South Framingham, Mass. Mary Jane married (second) October 18, 1891, Henry T. Granier. By her first husband she had three children : George Willey, born at Keene, July 25, 1864; killed by cars at Clinton, Mass., Decem- ber 29, 1887 ; Walter Alonzo, born at Bellows Falls, Vt., February 5, 1868, and Jennie Bell, born at Rutland, Vt., December 31, 1869. 2. Mary Irene, born December 14, 1814 ; married Nelson Wilbur of Westmoreland, N. H., February 14, 1833. M""- Wilbur died April 17, 1874, very suddenly, of heart disease, while on a call upon one of his neighbors. At the time of his death he was represen- tative-elect to the General Court from that town. They had eight children. ALONZO BURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 427 Children of Nelson and Mary Irene {Burt) Wilbur. Curtis B., born January 9, 1834; married Rhoda Titus, January 1, 1856. They have two children : Ellen G., born August 29, 1859; married Otis Hall, January 28, 1878, and has one child, Fred W., born November 2, 1880; Edward, born September 6, 1866. Rowena M,, born June i, 1836 ; married November, 1862, Charles P. Townsend. They have three children : The eldest, Cora E., was born April 16, 1862 ; married Lewis A. White, November 20, 1883, and has four children: Max A., born February 22, 1884; Eva L., born November 2, 1887 ; Rhoda A., born May 7, 1889, and J. Merte, born November 14, 1890. Emma E., second child of Rowena, was born September 25, 1870, and Mary J., the third child, born October 18, 1868. They are all living in Richfield, Ohio. Emily J., born November 22, 1838; married Timothy Moriarty, October 20, 1861. She has one child, Bessie, who married Walter Welley, December 3, 1879. They have two children, Morton G., born March 25, 1882, and Irena A., born March 15, 1888. Warren N., born October 5, 1842 ; married Nellie M. Hendrix, September 19, 1867. He has three children : Willie W., born September 18, 1869 ; Nellie M., born June 22, 1872, and Flora Bell, born March 7, 1886. Frank S., born November 29, 1851; married Ida M. Knight, October 2, 1879. He has two children : Harvey K., born May 23, 1883, and Arthur W., born January 8, 1885. Laura E., born June 16, 1854 ; married Herbert N. Hall, Novem- ber 9, 1876. She has five children ; Dares D., born August 8,1877 ; Homer v., born January 17, 1879; Susie B., born September 23, 1880; Mabel W., born September 15, 1882, and Ada B., born July 14, 1890. Jennie A., born June 26, 1856. Died young. Fred L., born April 23, 1859; married Estelle F. Sargent, March 14, 1883. He has three children : Raymond S., born April 19, 1884; Bermin M., born July 2, 1886, and Margie E., born Novem- ber 21, 1888. 3. Curtis D., born January, 1817 ; died October 11, 182 1. 4. Laura M., born March 31, 1820; married October 27, 1847, 428 THE BURT FAMILY. Winslow B. Porter, M. D., who was born November 21, 1823, and died November 3, 189 1. She has had five children. Children of Dr. Winslow B. and Laura M. (Burt) Porter. Walter Florian, born July 11, 1848; died September23, 1850. Flora Rosella, born August 29, 185 1 ; died September 2, 1855. Mary Rowena, born December, 1853 ; married May 15, 1878, John G. Shedd, born July 20, 1850. She has two children: Laura Abbie, born April 8, 1879, '^'^^ Helen May, born May 3, 1884. They live in Chicago. Mr. Shedd has been with Marshall Field & Co., in the mercantile business, for the last twenty years, and is at the head of several of their most important departments. Wallace Forrester, born December 28, 1857 ; died August 13, 1859. Warren Winslow, born September 27, i860; married September 6, 1883, Carrie Perry, born December 9, 1863. He has one child, Rena Carrie, born April i, 1886. They live in Walpole, N. H., where he is in the mercantile business with Mr. Perry, his father- in-law. 5. Amasa, born December 28, 1822 ; married Elizabeth Streeter of Chesterfield, N. H., November 17, 1845. They have three children. Children of Amasa Burt. Monroe S., born September 30, 1846 ; married Deborah A. J. Valentine, June 6, 1877. He has six children : Charles M., born June 22, 1878 ; Amasa J., born August 3, 1879 ! Edgar V., born April 5, 1881 ; Jessie E., born March 31, 1883; Earl C, born February 10, 1886, and Ethel E., born September 6, 1890. Willis B., born April 17, 185 1 ; married Kittle A. Wood, April 18, 1877. They have five children: Henry W., born March 2, 1878; Frank A., born May 24, 1880; Ella E., born November 6, 1882 ; Willis W., born November 30, 1884, and Alden B., born April 5, 1886. May Lizzie, born September 16, 1854 ; married H. Sanford Ketchum, June 4, 1879. They have one child, Hiram P., born October 31, 1882. (;E()K(,E liUKT. HENRY BURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 429 These children were all born in Northport, L. I., and are living there still. 6. George, born March 6, 1825 ; died August 20, 1853. After he became of age, he followed the business of peddling dry goods, and being a good salesman he accumulated an amount sufficient to give him a start in the world. He went west, to Lawrence, Kansas, about the year i860, where he dealt in real estate and en- gaged in mercantile business, and in a very short time made a handsome property. On August 20, 1863, a band of brigands, under the famous Quantrell, made a raid into Kansas and sacked and burned the city of Lawrence, where George was located, and he, with many others, fell a victim to their bloody hands. He was first robbed of what money he had about him, and when he sup- posed they had left, he stepped out of his house upon the sidewalk, when a straggling, drunken outlaw rode to him and- deliberately shot him through his lungs. He died in a short time, but told a friend where he had buried a large sum of money. He was a lov- ing brother, an obedient son, a true friend and a worthy citizen, and had he been spared to develop with the state he had adopted, .he would eventually have been an honor and a promoter of its best interests. 7. Henry, born July 22, 1827 ; died June i, 1891. He was the home boy and cared for the parents until they both passed over the silent river. He was one of the town's trustworthy citizens, and filled the most important local offices, being first selectman for several years, and representing the town two terms in the General Court, with honor and distinction. He was a bachelor farmer of the best type, and noted for his quiet and modest disposition ; and by his mature and positive judgment, he gained the highest respect and confidence of the whole town, irrespective of party principles. He was always a fearless, staunch Democrat, in its broadest mean- ing and national significance. 8. Andrew J., born September 17, 1830; died February 14, 1854; married Charlotte Reed and had two children : Waldo A., born January 8) 1852 ; married Ida E. Shaw, July 4, 1874, and has one child, Roy S., born November i, 1878. Edna J., born November 10, 1853 ; married Dr. Henry Ingham, November 10, 1890. 430 THE BURT FAMILY. Dr. W. B. Porter, who was interested in this work, died suddenly on Tuesday, November 3, 1891, from a stroke of apoplexy. He lived from 1847 to 1875 in Alstead, and during this period his well-known form was daily seen driving over the hills and through the valleys of the two counties, almost without rest. Wherever sickness required skill. Dr. Porter's kind face and more kindly voice were nearly always seen and heard. In 1875, desiring to obtain more leisure, he retired from active practice and removed with his family to Walpole, and he represented the town one term in the State Legislature. DAVID BURT.— 1691-1754. [Fourth Generation; Henry^, David'-*, Henryi.] David Burt, son of Henry o£ Northampton, was the eldest of his children by the third wife. He lived and died in Northampton. His wife was Sarah, daughter of Nathaniel and Grace Martin Phelps, whom he married December i6, 1714. He was born July 17, 1791, and died May 27, 1754. His wife was born May 8, 1695, and died January 11, 1768. Her mother, Grace Martin, was a woman of remarkable courage, and her name has been familiar to her many descendants through several generations. She was resolute and determined, traits of character that have' endeared her to many of her numerous descendants. She was born in England, where she was engaged to be married. Her lover proving false, she set out alone for America. Having friends in Hadley, she went there to live, and not long afterwards married Nathaniel Phelps of Northampton. She had much more courage than her husband, who appears to have taken the world as it was, and made the best of it. One of her descendants who remembered her, related the following many years ago to Sylvester Judd : " One day on going to the barn she found that, through some neglect, one of the oxen had gone to the top of the haymow, where he stood looking down upon her from over the great beam as she entered. She ran immediately into the house, exclaiming as she went, 'A world for a man ! A world for a man ! ' In her latter days she talked much about Old England and had a strong desire to visit it, but she was too old to make such a long journey, and died, as she had lived, away from her relatives and early friends." The children of David and Sarah Phelps Burt were : Samuel, b. September 15, 1715; m. June 19, 1740, Hannah King of North- ampton; d. November 7, 1799. Elkanah, b. December 19, 1717 ; m. Deceinber 7, 1758, Mrs. Esther Clapp ; d. November 18, 1786. Sarah, b. * * * ; m. Noah Baker. David, b. * * * ; m. 1723, Ann Wright ; d. December 17, 1793. SAMUEL BURT.— 1715-1799. [Fifth Generation; David*, Henry', David^, Henry'.] Samuel Burt was the first of his family to move from Northamp- ton to the western part of the town, which subsequently became Southampton. He first made the settlement there in 1735, but owing to the Indian troubles he moved back to Northampton in 1746. Subsequently he returned to Southampton and lived there during the remainder of his life. He was born September 15, 1715, and married Hannah King of Northampton, June 19, 1740. He died November 7, 1799. His wife was born October 30, 1717, and died May 31, 1792. She was a descendant of John King, who was a brother-in-law of David Burt, Samuel's great-grandfather, one of the first settlers of Northampton. Sylvester Judd, in an interview with his Aunt Charity Pomeroy, wife of Samuel Burt, Jr., under date of August 22, 1833, has pre- served to his descendants some of his leading traits of character : " Grandfather Burt, Aunt Charity says, was an active man, of sound judgment and discretion. He was rather short in stature, had small but sharp, blue eyes, and a Roman nose. He intended to do right and seldom paddled back or made any apology for his conduct. He was an influential man in the town, and she rec- ollects the Pomeroys complaining before she was married about ' Old Burt ' carrying the people with him at town meetings; He had in his later years sciatica in the back and could not labor much. He was much employed in town affairs notwithstanding his infirmi- ties. He walked several miles to meeting because he could not ride, and entered the meeting house, bent over, leaning upon his long staff. After some years he took a pair of wheels and had thills attached to them, making a cart in which he rode, seated in a chair which was fastened to it. He went to meeting in South- THE BURT FAMILY. 433 ampton and to Northampton. In Northampton this singular vehicle attracted attention, and Dr. Hunt and he frequently used to pass jokes concerning it. His infirmities increased with his age, but his mind remained clear to the last. After he was disabled his house was burned, but he kept perfectly cool, got out of his chair, pushed it before him to the barn, and thus escaped. "Joseph King of Northampton was a great friend of his and used to go out and see him. The next morning after his last visit they went out hunting in the woods about three miles west of the house. They separated and were to meet at noon. About noon grandfather saw some object moving in the bushes, and thought it was a bear. He fired and went to see what he had killed. To his horror he saw it was a man lying on his face. He turned him over and found it was his friend King with a bullet hole in his head. He was so shocked that he never fired a gun after that, nor did he go hunting again. "Grandmother Burt was a courageous woman, and was blunt in her remarks. She frequently complained of the Burts for delay in the fore part of the day, but she said they always made it up in the latter part. 'Time,' she said, 'would always bring up a Burt." Her children, all except one son, Martin, looked like her. He had a Roman nose, like his father." The children of Samuel Burt were : Esther, baptised April 5, 1741 ; m. Noah Sheldon. Sarah, baptised July 10, 1743; m. Aaron Strong, and second Ebenezer Sheldon. Martin, baptised November 10, 1745 ; m. January 14, Dorcas Clark of Northampton. Jerusha, baptised September — , 1748; m. William Dady. Martha, 175 1 ; m. Rufus Lyman. Hannah, b. April 2, 1754; m. Sylvester Judd, father of Sylvester Judd, author of the " History of Hadley." Samuel, b. May 22, 1759 ; m. Charity Pomeroy. MARTIN BURT— 1745-1803. [Sixth Generation; Samuel^ David', Henry", David^, Henryi.] Martin Burt, the oldest son of the preceding, lived in South- ampton. He married Dorcas Clark, a daughter of Timothy Clark of Northampton, who descended from one of the first settlers of that town. She was a woman of great force of character. He died June 6, 1803, in his 58th year. She was born January 22, 1751, and died October 18, 1825. Their children were : Dorcas, b. October 4, 1773; m. April 6, 1799, Samuel Pomeroy; d. April IS. 1855- Martin, b. August 25, 1775; m. January 22, 1800, Philomela Robinson; d. October 22, 1847. Relief, b. November i, 1777 ; d. September 16, 1781. , Caroline, b. August 22, 1779; m. January 26, 1810, Spencer Clapp; d. November 18, 1851. Relief, b. February 22, 1782; m. January 26, 1810, Sylvester Bodman; d. November 22, 1886. Luther, b. November 8, 1785; d. February 10, 1797. Salome, b. November 27, 1787; m. February 20, 1816, Jared Searle; d. November 14, 1863. Orpha, b. July 24, 1790; m. December 3, 1817, Jeremiah Lyman; d. April 5, 1867. Franklin, b. June 30, 1792; m. October 24, 1821, Felicia Searl; d. July 5, 1852. King, b. November 29, 1794; d. April 16, 1803. Sophronia, b. October 25, 1798; d. September i, 1802. SAMUEL BURT.— 1759-1822. [Sixth Generation; Samuel^, David*, Henry^ David^, HenryI.] Samuel Burt, second son of the preceding Samuel, lived in Southampton. He married Charity Pomeroy, and they had six sons and five daughters. He was a deacon in the church at Southamp- ton and three of his sons became ministers, Sylvester, Federal^ and Jairus. He died June 7, 1822, and his wife November 22, 1838. Their children were : Sylvester, b. September 30, 1780; m. September 17, 1806, Anna Hatch, and second, May 18, 1824, Amanda Nash. He d. January 10, 1836. Esther, b. November 17, 1781 ; m. October 9, 1801,'John Rust; d. April i8, 1852. Charity, b. November 23, 1783; m. October 18, 1810, Asa Lyman; d. De- cember 31, 1832. Samuel, b. July 25, 1785; m. December 19, 1806, Sarah Everett; d. Feb- ruary 28, 1809. Oliver P., b. June 11, 1787 ; m. January 21, 1808, Thankful Clark ; d. Janu- ary 17, 1864. Federal, b. March 27, 1789; m. July 28, 1819, Mary Pickering; d. February 9, 1828. Dorothy, b. January 22, 1791 ; m. November 26, 1818, Spencer Bridgman; d. May 18, 1859. Hannah, b. January 15, 1793; m. May 4, 1837, Wooster Avery. Jairus, b. March 16, 1795 ; m. July 9, 1816, Electa Carpenter, and second, January 24, 1827, Betsey Carrol Ward; d. January 15, 1869. Warham, b. December 19, 1796; m. June 25, 1823, Sarah Chapman, and second. May 25, 1836, Elbertine Leavenworth; d. December 22, 1863. Persis, b. August 27, 1798; m. June 7, 1838, Isaac Bronson; d. March 24, i8S7- MARTIN BURT.— 1775-1847. [Seventh Generation; Martin", Samuel^, David*, Henry", David-^, Henry^.] Martin Burt, son of Martin, and grandson of Samuel Burt of Southampton, Mass., was born in Southampton, August ^5' 1775- In 182 1 he exchanged his farm in Southampton for about six hundred acres of heavily wooded lands in Franklin township, Portage county, O. This was a part of the Western Reserve granted to Connecticut as a compensation for its claims of boundary west of its present state line. This township was purchased in 1798 by Aaron Olmstead of Hartford, Conn., for 12^ cents an acre. Martin Burt gave five dollars an acre for what he obtained, and after disposing of a part of it he cleared 160 acres, on which he erected a comfortable house, where he spent his remaining days, dying October 22, 1847. When he re- moved with his family, wife and six children, there was inadequate public conveyance, and they set out with their own teams, five horses and two wagons, to make the journey. They left Southamp- ton on the 4th of July, 182 1, and reached their destination on the 5th of August. They carried their own provisions, stopping at some farmhouse by the way to bake and replenish, when the supply ran low. He settled on lots thirty-four and thirty-five, part of which was at the south end of Lake Brady. He early identified himself with the little Presbyterian church, and contributed liberally for its support, doing his share and more, if it was necessary. He gave $500 towards the first church edifice of the Presbyterian denomina- tion built in Franklin ; and also contributed towards establishing the Western Reserve College at Hudson, O., for which he had a scholarship at his disposal. He was a man of splendid physique, with great firmness and integrity of character. There was no con- cealment in his nature. He had no secrets to cover. He was out- spoken and all knew what to depend upon. He was interested in all reforms and was quite in advance of the times, never failing to THE BURT FAMILY. 437 take a firm stand for the right. His pastor selected the text for his funeral discourse, which fully illustrated his character, " I have fought the good fight." He married January 22, 1800, Philomela Robinson, who was born March 8, 1777, and died November 30, 1857. Their children were : Luther, b. September 28, 1801 ; d. September 24, 1802. Martin L., b. July 4, 1804; d. September 25, i8o6. Warren, b. August 5, 1806 ; m. November 30, 1828, Lydia ShurtlifE. Martin, b. December 6, 1808; m. November 22, 1832, Susan Elliot. Horace, b. January 14, 1811; m. October 28, 1837, Sarah Moore; d. May 10, 1850. Dorcas Clark, b. October 12, 1813 ; m. October 14, 1854; Selah ShurtlifE. He died February 23, 1861. She married (2) Rodney Wing of Portage county, O., and died March 12, 1885. Philomela, b. January 28, 1816; ra. April 4, 1848, Robert G. Mahan, who died January 12, 1853. She married (2) December 29, 1862, A. B. F. Ormsby. He was born May 10, 1805; d. January 20, 1870. Electa, b. March 29, i8i8; m. January i, 1845, Samuel Wales, b. January 17, 1818; d. November 23, 1889. She resides at River Falls, Wis. Their children are : Sherlock Burt, b. October 3, 1845 ; Augusta Theresa, b. July 28, 1847 ; Adeline Lamira, b. January 29, 1850 ; Alice Cornelia, b. December 22, 1855 ; d. March 30, 1861. WARREN BURT. Warren Burt, eldest son of Martin Burt, resides at Kent, O., formerly Franklin, on his father's old place, and is now (1893) in his eighty-seventh year. His wife, Lydia Shurtliff, was born in Massachiisetts, April 24, 1810, and died March 4, 1886. Their children were : Louisa L., b. March 4, 1831 ; m. August 18, 1849, James G. Wallace. He was born September 23, 1818; d. August 26, 1854. She married (2) Thomas M. Sawyer; resides at Cleveland, O. Selah W.,b.June 15, 1835; m. August 10, 1859, Sarah A. Stowe, b. August 10, 1842; d. April 29, 1862; m. (2) May 24, 1863, Susan A. Stratton. Child by first wife, Bertie C, b. April 28, 1862 ; d. October 16, 1862. By second wife, Cora M., b. May 22, 1866; m. September 28, 1887, Frank C. Green. 438 THE BURT FAMILY. MARTIN BURT. Martin Burt, in tlie eighth generation, and second son of the preceding Martin Burt, was born December 6, 1808 ; married November 22, 1832, Susan Eliot. She was born February 2, 1813, in Hampden, Geauga county, O., and was a descendant of John Eliot, the missionary among the Indians. She died May 2, 1876. He was thirteen years old when he removed with his father from Southampton to Franklin. In 1853 he moved to Oberlin, where he resided until 1862, when he moved to Kipton, O. In 1888 he re- moved to Stony Creek, Sussex county, Va., where he still lives. His children are : Harriet Cornelia, b. September 29, 1833, in Franklin. Removed to Oberlin with her father's family in 1853. Graduated from Oberlin College in 1856; taught in Syracuse, N. Y., from 1869 to 1876. After the death of her mother, resided with her father until he removed, in 1888, to Virginia, occasionally leaving home to teach. Since 1887 has been teaching in the Union schools of Vermillion, O., where she now resides. Susan Averill, b. June 28, 1835; m. April 23, i860, Edwin C. Rust; d. August 24, 1891. He was born February 3, 1836. Their children are : Carrie H., b. September g, 1862; John Burt, b. July 28, 1S69; Addle Averill, b. July 14, 1873; Albert M,, b. November 18, 1875. Residence,. Vermillion, O. Joanna Aurena, b. September i, 1838 ; m. December 6, 18S1, John Marbur- ger. He was born in Hamburg, Pa., June 4, 1836; d. April 21, 1S91. She resides at Canton, O. ■Chester Elliot, b. July 29, 1841. Orlando Sylvester, b. June 4, 1844 ; m. December 27, 1875, Sarah Millhouse. Marietta Rebecca, b. December g, 1846; d. January 14, 1869. Ella Emmarine, b. January 5, 1852; d. October i, 1880. Adelaide Philomela, b. April 18, 1854; d. September 18, 1874. ORLANDO S. BURT. Orlando S. Burt, son of the preceding Martin Burt, in the ninth generation, resides at Stony Creek, Va. He was born June 4, 1844 ;. married December 27, 1875, Sarah F. Millhouse, who was born March 19, 1853, at Lancaster, N. Y. Their children are : Willard B., b. October 28, 1876. Louise, b. August 19, 1878; d. February 8, 1879. Ella Mabel, b. July 5, 1880. Martin S., b. July 30, 1882. Albert J., b. December 25, 1884. FRANKLIN BURT.— 1792-1852. [Seventh Generation; Martin", Samuel^, David'', Henry', David^, Henryi.] Franklin Burt, the youngest son of Martin Burt wlio lived to rear a family, and grandson of Samuel, one of the first settlers in Southampton, resided on the old homestead in Southampton until after the death of his parents. He was born June 30, 1792, and married October 24, 1821, Felicia Searl. She was born September 14, 1800. They moved to Otisco, N. Y., in 1828. Their two oldest children were born in Southampton and the two youngest in Otisco. When a young man he enlisted in Captain Strong's company of Northampton, in the last war with England, and went to Boston. He was exempt by reason of physical ina- bility, but he preferred to serve, although his mother desired to furnish a substitute. When there was no longer danger of attack on Boston, I?e returned home with his company. He died in South- ampton, while on a visit to his relatives, July 5, 1852. His wife died at Chittenango, N. Y., while residing with her daughter, July 22, 1876. Their children were : Mary Strong, b. September 8, 1822 ; m. January 31, 1845, Ebenezer W. Day of Northampton, Mass. They removed in 1854 to Chittenango, N. Y., where they now reside. Their children: George Newton, b. March 4, 1847; d. January 10, 18S5; Helen, b. June 23, i?59; Harriet E.,b. May 8, 1866. Luther King, b. July 21, 1825; m. Octobers, 1850, Marietta Rowland. Henry Martyn, b. September 13, 1831; m. January 9, 1861, Frances A. Hunt of Northampton, Mass. Deloss Clark, b. April 20, 1838. He went to Illinois to reside in 1859, and soon after the War of the Rebellion broke out enlisted at Sterling in Company A, 34th Illinois regiment, commanded by Col. Kirk. His regiment marched through Kentucky and Tennessee and was prominent in the batde of Pittsburgh Landing, where he acted as aid to his colonel \*ho commanded a brigade during the long engagement. Subsequently while his company was encamped at Battle Creek, in Tennessee, he died, August 6, 1862, of quinsy. LUTHER K. BURT.— 1825-1870. [Eighth Generation ; Franklin', Martin'', Samuel^ David*, Henry", David^, Henry^.] Luther K. Burt, the oldest son of Franklin Burt, resided in Otisco, and died there April 29, 1870. His wife. Marietta Row- land, whom he married October 2, 1850, died August 18, 1871. Their children are : Alida Z., b. October 11, 1S51 ; m. December 23, 1873, Mason Carr. They reside in Tully, N. Y., and have one son, Milo J., b. December 23, 1874. Franklin S., b. April 5, 1853; m. April 15, 1878, Cora E. Longstreet. Nellie A., b. April 20, 1856. FRANKLIN S. BURT. Franklin S. Burt, son of Luther K. Burt, was born in Otisco, N. Y., April 5, 1853. After the death of his parents he resided several years with his uncle, Henry M. Burt, at Springfield, Mass. April 15, 1878, he married Cora E. Longstreet, daughter of Cor- nelius H. Longstreet of Onondaga, N. Y., who was born February 27, 1856. They moved to Gibbon, Neb., where they now reside Their children are : Cora Marietta, b. June 25, 18S1. Lorena Longstreet, b. March 4, 1S90; d. June 24, 1890. Luther Longstreet, b, March 22, 1S93. MRS. RELIEF BURT BODMAN.— 1782-1886. Lived to the Remarkable Age of 104 Years and Nine Months. Mrs. Relief Burt Bodman, daughter of Martin Burt of Southamp- ton, Mass., in the seventh generation, (Martin^, Samuel^, David*, Henry**, David^, Henry i-',) attained the greatest age, so far as it is known to the writer, of any of the descendants of Henry- Burt, the immigrant. She was born in Southampton, Febru- ary 22, 1782, and died at Theresa, Jefferson county, N. Y., Novem- ber 22, 1886, age 104 years and nine months. She married Sylvester Bodman of Williamsburg, Mass., February 10, 1810, where she resided eleven years, and where five children were born to her. Her husband had been connected with his brothers in the management of a woolen mill and in farming ; but having bought a tract of land in what is now the town of Theresa, near the falls in Indian river, where there was abundant water power, and having in mind the establishing of a business similar to that in which he had an interest in Massachusetts, he removed thither in 1820. Like other emigrants of that time, the family set out for the new home with their own wagon, drawn by a yoke of cattle, and a single horse. When within about twenty miles of their destination the wagon broke down, and Mrs. Bodman and the two younger children rode the horse the remainder of the distance. The route was through the woods, designated by marked trees, but in time the journey's end was reached, and life begun anew in a log house, in the midst of a great wilderness. Nothing discouraged them, and in time there were improvements to more fully accord with the condition they had left behin d in Massachusetts. They were also the pioneers in establishing the church and the school, those institutions which 442 THE BURT FAMILY. had made their New England ancestry distinctive, and here they lived and prospered to the end of their lives. Mr. Bodman died at Theresa, October 14, i860. Mrs. Bodman in her younger days taught school in Otisco, N. Y., soon after its first settlement, and knew by personal observation the deprivations of pioneer life before she went to Northern New York to live. She was a woman of uncommon force of character, and while she could state her opinions plainly, she left no sting behind with those who knew her characteristics. That which was practical and useful commended itself to her judgment. Even in her advanced years she was never looking backward, but always kept her face towards the rising sun. That which was of greatest moment was always the most interesting. She cared more to know who were to fill responsible places in local and national affairs, in her day, than to mourn over the degeneracy of the times, and to hold that all the great and good men had died. It was the living and active present that concerned her most, with a warm sympathy for those who had been beaten in the race. Every one, in her mind, had some good qualities which entitled him to a fair degree of consideration. In repartee she was without equal in her town and neighborhood, and in conversation, or in church gatherings, she could state her convictions with remarkable force, leaving no room for argument. One of her pastors, who had lost his wife, went to consult her about the propriety of marrying one of the ladies of his flock. Listening to all he had to say, she replied : " You must remember that you will have to take such as you can get." At an evening meeting, where there had been much desultory remark, and neither point nor edification, she rose and said : " It appears to me that there is a good deal of valuable time running to waste." It is needless to add that this was the end of the meeting. She was an original and a lovely character. Her mind remained un- clouded almost to the last of her long life, although her eyesight failed her some time before the end came, but even that did not prevent her from making the best of whatever occurred, and en- joying her friends and neighbors. She followed the progress of the Union army all through the War of the Rebellion, remaining up late at night to read the accounts of the various battles, and rejoicing in its victories. THE BURT FAMILY. 443 When she had completed a hundi'ed years of her life, the event was observed with a public gathering in the village church, which was attended by many relatives and townspeople, who recognized the value of her long and devoted life, to all that was good and up- lifting in the community. She was the third child of her father's family of eleven children, all of whom she survived. The " stone house on the hill " was always a favorite place to visit, with her many relatives, and they always had a warm and hearty greeting. One of her daughters, in a private letter to the editor of this volume, in referring to her, said : "In the autumn of 182 1, we moved to the town of Alexandria, now Theresa. My mother bravely endured many hardships and privations. I remember of her going through the woods by marked trees to welcome or to help . some neighbor. She was always ready to visit the sick and dying, and she had a wonderful faculty to make the best of everything whatever happened. She could cut and make garments for her family and for her neighbors, out of materials that others would think of no value. She had great executive ability, with plans for every day, and nothing but sickness prevented their being carried out. For many years she, with the help of her children, manufactured the clothing for the family, so that her sons and daughters had the pleasure of feeling that they were always well dressed. Her charity was of that kind which ' thinketh no evil,' and she was always ready to vindicate the course of those who had none to answer." Children of Sylvester and Relief Burt Bodman, all of whom, ex- cept the youngest, were born in Williamsburg, Mass. : Miranda, b. November 11, 1810. Martin Luther, b. May 26, 1812 ; d. August 26, 1813. Martin, b. June 6, 1814 ; m. May 13, 1857, Ann E. Morse ; d. July — 1886. Sophronia, b. July i, i8ig; m. November 27, 1851, David J. Wager. Sylvester, b, December 25, 1819; m. November n, 1850, Susan Beardsley. Atwood, b. January 27, 1823; m. July i, 1858, Fannie Chrystler. SYLVESTER JUDD.— 1789-1860. Author of the History of Hadley— Descendant of David Burt. Sylvester Judd of Northampton was an esteemed man and a valued historian, and his " History of Hadley," long since out of print, is regarded as standard authority concerning the important events which have relation to the early times, within the region that was first settled along the banks of the Connecticut river, as well as in Hadley itself. Mr. Judd was born in Westhampton, Mass., April 23, 1789, and died in Northampton, April 18, i860. He was in the seventh gene- ration from Henry Burt, the line of descent being : Hannah'', SamueP, David*, Henry'', David^, and Henry^- His mother, Hannah Burt, was a daughter of Samuel Burt of Southampton, Mass., formerly a part of Northampton. Miss Arethusa Hall, a sister-in-law of Mr. Judd, who wrote the life of his son Sylvester, the author of " Margaret," a story of New England life, said : " Mr. Judd's mother, Hannah Burt, was a woman having peculiarities which are often termed odd, and which left the im- press in some degree on the son." Mr. Judd was certainly in many respects a true representative of his mother's ancestry. He was thoroughly democratic in all his tastes, disliked shams, and in a most unostentatious manner stood firmly for whatever he believed promoted intelligence, strict honesty, and high moral principle. As publisher of the Hampshire Gazette at Northampton, he refused to insert advertisements of church fairs whenever there was any game of chance to be offered, even as an amusement, believing that even such promoted the spirit of gambling. He was a most indefatigable collector of facts in all the towns from Hartford to the most northerly limit of Massachusetts. He gathered a great amount of material from the records. He made extracts from wills, copied the births, deaths, and marriages, deeds, and every THE BURT FAMILY. 445 record that concerned important votes, grants of lands, and state boundaries, from Hartford, Conn., to Deerfield, Mass. In short, scarcely a fact of any importance escaped his attention. He filled upwards of fifty volumes, which, since his death, were purchased by Mr. James R. Trumbull and Mr. George W. Hubbard of North- ampton. When Mr. Hubbard died he left his interest in them to the Forbes Library of Northampton, to which institution they will ultimately go. It was Mr. Judd's intention to write a history of Northampton, but he failed to do so, no doubt believing that he was not prepared, until he began to experience the feebleness of increas- ing age. He was, however, late in life, persuaded to write a history of Hadley, which, although not quite finished at his death, is pre- eminently superior to any town history that has been published in New England. Mr. Judd purchased the Hampshire Gazette in March, 1822, and published it until 1834, when he sold the paper, owing to the ex- treme partisan character of the politics of that time. In closing his connection with the paper he wrote : • " The truth is I have be- come too skeptical in politics to be the conductor of a public press. I have but little confidence in politics, parties, and politicians. I dislike high Whigism and high Jacksonianism, and cannot go with either.'' He was evidently a Mugwump, slightly in advance of his time. After the sale of his paper he devoted his time to antiqua- rian researches. In 1842 and 1843 he was employed by the state of Connecticut to arrange and index valuable documents relating to the early times in that state. He was made an honorary mem- ber of the Connecticut and Massachusetts Historical Societies and of the American Antiquarian Society. Miss Hall, in the preface to the " History of Hadley," gave a most deserved tribute to his character, and brief mention of some of his leading traits, from which is made the following extract : " Did space allow, it would be pleasant to delineate in full the personal character of Mr. Judd. And first it is obvious to remark that he was eminently a self-made man, having relied very little upon others for his knowledge or opinions. He was also a pro- gressive man, never wedded to the old, because it had been estab- lished by authority in some former period, but ever ready to believe that the whole truth might yet not have been found out, and not 446 THE BURT FAMILY. frightened lest new discoveries should conflict with received opin- ions. In this spirit, the efforts at reform in education and morals met with cordial sympatliy from him. While religion, consisting of duties to God and man, was always a cardinal element of his being, he was no dogmatist, and willingly accorded to all the right of private judgment. A strong sense of justice and truth pervaded his whole nature, and led him often to err on the side of right, rather than run any hazard on the side of wrong. In business transactions he was so lenient to creditors as to lose much that was justly his due, and in bargains of buying and selling he was quite as careful of the interests of others as of his own. * * * * He was cheerful in temperament, and remarkably genial in social inter- course, being a cherished companion for the young, as well as for the more advanced. Although little demonstrative in the inner feelings of his heart, his affections were deep and tender as those of woman, and the ties existing between him and his family were too strong for death to sever." SAMUEL C. POMBROY.— 1816-1891. [Eighth Generation; Dorcas Burt PoMEROYf, Martin", Samuel^, David*, Henry^, David^, HenryI.] Samuel Clark Pomeroy, for twelve years a United States Sena- tor from Kansas, was born in Southampton, Mass., January 3, 1816. He was the son of Samuel Pomeroy, who married Dorcas Burt of Southampton. His mother was the eldest child of Martin Burt, who lived in the west part of Southampton. The latter was a son of Samuel Burt,^ and grandson of David Burt* (born July 17 1691), who married Sarah Phelps, a daughter of Nathaniel and Grace Martin Phelps of Northampton. The subject of this sketch was a grandson of Martin Burt of Southampton, who married Dorcas Clark, a daughter of Timothy Clark of Northampton, January 14, 1773. Martin Burt died at the early age of 57, in the year 1803. Dorcas Burt, his eldest child, was born October 4, 1773. She married Samuel Pomeroy, April 6, 1799, and settled in the north part of Southampton. Samuel Pomeroy, the father of Samuel Clark Pomeroy, was a son of Elijah Pomeroy, who was a son of Caleb. This Caleb Pomeroy married Thankful Phelps, who was a daughter of Grace Martin, heretofore named. Caleb Pomeroy, who was the son of Samuel, who was a son of the first Caleb Pomeroy, who was a son of Eltweed Pomeroy, from whom some of the Northampton Pomeroys descended. Eltweed emigrated from Devonshire, England, and settled in Dorchester, Mass., about the year 1635. Hon. Samuel C. Pomeroy was the youngest of seven children, all of whom lived to be heads of families, and four of them survived until 1 89 1. Mr. Pomeroy's early life was upon his father's farm, enjoying the advantages of the common public schools until he was sixteen years old, then he attended the Sheldon Academy of his native town, after that the Academy at Shelburne Falls, and the Fellenberg School at Greenfield, Mass. He entered Amherst 448 THE BURT FAMILY. College with the class of 1835, but did not long pursue his course, as he was obliged to teach school for his support. In 1837 he went to Onondaga county, N. Y., and there engaged in teach- ing and in mercantile pursuits until 1840, when he removed to South Butler, Wayne county, N. Y. Here he engaged in the political canvass of that year, as he had before, in aiding in the election of Hon. William H. Seward to be the governor of the State. Mr. Seward recognized his services, and Mr. Pomeroy enjoyed his esteem later in life, and until Governor Seward's death. In 1841, Mr. Pomeroy, with only five other men, organized the first Free Soil party in the county where he lived. In 1842, at the earnest request of his father, then an old man, he removed to his native town of Southampton, where he took care of his parents until their death, which occurred at the age of over eighty years. In his native town he held some local offices, until he organized the Free Soil party there ; he then became the candidate of his party for the Legislature, and at the first election received only nine votes. But he continued the candidate of that party for nine years, then he was elected over both the Whig and Democratic nominees to the Legislature of 1852, at the same election at which George S. Boutwell was chosen governor. In that Legislature he aided in forming the coalition with the Democrats, which secured the election of Hon. N. P. Banks as Speaker of the House, and sent Hon. Charles Sumner to the Senate of the United States. While the Kansas-Nebraska bill was pending in Congress, the Legislature of Massachusetts incorporated the New England Emi- gration Company. When that corporation organized, Mr. Pomeroy was choben its financial agent. And on the 27th day of August, 1854, he left his small and poor farm to conduct a party of settlers to Kansas. In this he was associated with Governor Robinson and Hon. C. H. Branscom. This party left Boston the last week of August and reached Kansas City, Mo., the first week in September. Here they left the muddy Missouri river and took up their line of march for the territory, which was in some parts open for settlement. After ten days' marching, with some two hundred men and women, they reached the first good place for a set- tlement, and there camped. Then and there was selected the town site of Lawrence, named in honor of Amos A. Lawrence of Boston THE BURT FAMILY. 449 who had aided the enterprise. Then followed other parties, and soon was selected the site for Topeka, the capital, and then other towns farther up the Kansas valley. But Lawrence became the headquarters of the Free State men during the four-years' struggle of border war. Mr. Pomeroy, for the Emigrant Aid Company, erected several sawmills for the settlers, built the Free State Hotel at Lawrence, and afterwards saw it destroyed by a pro-slavery mob, led on by Hon. David R. Atchison, of the United States Senate. During these struggles for the freedom of Kansas, Mr. Pome- roy did his duty, sometimes as a leader, sometimes as a private, sometimes free, sometimes imprisoned, with varying successes and defeats, until the cause triumphed in 1857, and he saw himself afterwards elected one of the first senators from the new state. But before this event, Mr. Pomeroy had removed to Atchison, where he was elected the first mayor, (was twice chosen,) and secured the pro-slavery sheet called the Squatter Sovereign from the cele- brated Stringfellow, and made it ,a Free State paper and ran up a Free State flag. During the memorable drouth of i860, he was, in the autumn of that year, general agent of the relief committee, and in the fol- lowingwinter and spring received and disbursed over half a million dollars' worth of provisions, clothing and seeds, all the donation of eastern friends, and this kept over fifteen thousand people supplied with the necessaries of life, enabling them to stay on their lands and prosper the coming season. Mr. Pomeroy was sent to the Convention at Philadelphia in 1856, which nominated General Fremont, and was a delegate, in i860, to the Chicago Convention which nominated Mr. Lincoln. In 1861, during the month of March, the first State Legislature of Kansas met, and James H. Lane and Samuel C. Pomeroy were chosen the first senators from the new state. Thus it was but seven years from the plow to the senate. Mr. Pomeroy reached Washington, as senator-elect, on Saturday, April 13, 1861, memorable as the day that Fort Sumter surrendered and civil war was inaugurated. On the following Monday he was with Mr. Lincoln when he issued his first call for 75,000 state troops, and on the very next day he enlisted as z. private in an organization called the " Frontier Guards," for the protection of the city, and 4SO THE BURT FAMILY. as guard at the White House. In this way he and his comrades did duty, day and night, until they welcomed the troops from Massachusetts and New York, and Washington was safe. Upon the 4th day of July, when the 37th Congress met at the first session called by Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Pomeroy was sworn into office, drew the long term of six years, and took the seat lately vacated by Jefferson Davis. From that seat, the title of the first bill he mtroduced was : " A Bill to Suppress the Slaveholders' Rebellion." Mr. Pomeroy served as senator twelve years, which included all the years of the war, and those not less trying, of reconstruction. Thus lie saw "a nation born in a day," a race emancipated and enfranchised. This had been the dream of his life, and to see it had been the height of his early ambitions. Upon the 5 th day of March, toward the close of a long debate in the Senate, Mr. Pomeroy advocated Universal Suffrage and impartial for all the citizens of this Republic, as the following ex- tract from his published speech will show. He said . " Let us not take counsel of our fears, but of our hopes ; not of our enemies, but of our friends ; by all the memories which cluster about the pathway in which we have been led ; by all the sacrifices of blood and tears of the conflict ; by all the hopes of a freed country, and a disenthralled race, yea ! as a legacy to mankind, let us now secure a free Representative Republic, based upon impartial suf- frage, and that human equality made clear in the Declaration of Independence. To this entertainment let us invite our country- men of all nationalities, committing our work, when accomplished, to the verdict of posterity and the blessing of Almighty God." During his later years he resided in Washington, free from politi- cal ambitions, and engaged, among other pursuits, in promoting the interests of several eleemosynary institutions for the progress and elevation of the colored people. He was one of the founders of Howard University, and always one of its board of managers. Living thus unostentatiously, and in domestic tranquillity, he enjoyed the rest due to a most active and laborious life, " with malice toward none, with good will to all." He died at Whitinsville, Mass., August 27, 1891. As a patriot, he was earnest; as a man, genial, generous and just. A RETROSPECT. By a Descendant in the Eighth Generation of Henry Burt AND IN THE SEVENTH OF DAVID OF NORTHAMPTON. In the southern part of Onondaga county, in Central New York, terminates the Alleghany range of mountains, the backbone of the middle section of the state, which extends through Pennsylvania in a line nearly due north into Central New York, stopping short as it reaches the borders of the valley which slopes towards Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence. The towns of Lafayette, Pompey, Otisco, and Spafford, in the southern tier of towns of Onondaga, were covered at the period of their settlement with a heavy growth of beach, birch and maple. The center of this group, Otisco, is sixteen hundred feet above the sea level. Shortly after the open- ing of the present century there was a land-craze in some parts of New England. Speculation in what was then western wildlands stimulated the imagination of not a few who saw visions of quickly earned wealth looming up before them. The spirit and love of ad- venture, with promise of large pecuniary returns, turned the thoughts of the young people of New England towards newly settled localities. A young man, Chauncey Rust, a resident of Southampton, Mass., — a part of the old town of Northampton — like the pioneers of old, pushed into the wilderness and began a settlement in Otisco. His occasional returns to Southampton in winter, with venison for the Boston market, and his glowing ac- counts of the fertility of the soil, excited the interest of the stalwart young farmers of his native town, until there was something like an exodus out of Hampshire county into this new land of milk and honey. Courageous young men married and went into the wilder- ness to found new homes. Some who were a little older and had families, disposed of their small possessions and joined in the throng that had turned westward, until finally the little, obscure and hardly settled town of Otisco, which crowned the summit of the mountain range, became another New England settlement, with all 452 THE BURT FAMILY. the characteristics of the people who first settled the Connecticut valley. As with their ancestors, the church and the school stood forth as the guiding light of the founders. In 1828 my father, Franklin Burt, my mother, a sister and a brother, set out from their old home in Southampton, in a one-horse wagon, to make another home in Otisco. Being the youngest of the family, my father, who remained on the old homestead until his mother (his father had died many years before) had lived the allotted period and passed onward to her reward, sold the paternal acres in the unattractive part of Southampton, and turned towards the new region which promised better returns for his labor. His older and only brother had gone, in 1821, with his family to the Western Reserve in Ohio. A sister, with her husband and family, had left the same year for the unsubdued regions of Northern New York. It was a period of general moving to the newer and yet uncultivated lands farther westward. Southampton, to the young and active, although not a century old, appeared to them as a worn- out town. Cheap lands had greater attractiveness, and, it was thought, ofiEered the possibilities of better returns for hard and honest toil. There was, however, another side, which those pioneers had not fully considered. If there were cheap lands, there were also cheap prices and much hard work for those who had planted themselves in the new wilderness. There were trees to be felled and burned before the deep, rich earth yielded support to the husbandman. The lot of the Otisco pioneer was not shorn of any of the hard- ship incident to every new settlement where forests must be cleared. The woodman's axe slowly but steadily cut its way and opened new farms for cultivation, so that in the year of my birth (183 1), and later, in the earliest of my recollections, it had, to my young eyes, the characteristics of an old, settled country. Nothing could have been more intensely New England than the general influence of its society, church and school. New England habits were uppermost, and New England names were found in every hamlet and school district. There were families bearing the name of Clark, Searle, Strong, Burt, Loomis, Cowles, Frisbie, Pomeroy, King, Wilkins, Everett, Spaulding, Bardwell, Rust, Baker, Gaylord, Gladden, Dewey, Lyon, Clapp, Judd, Barker, Dady, Merriman, Daniels, THE BURT FAMILY. 4S3 and others, and many of these had been residents of Southampton. A few had come from Easthampton, Westhampton and Plainfield, and several from Connecticut, but it was the spirit of Southampton which gave tone and touch to everything where faith was strong and work never ending. The meeting house, standing at what is known as Otisco Center, was the common meeting place, not only to worship, but to ex- change news from the old home and to talk over neighborhood and town affairs. Some of the old ladies and a few elderly men took their luncheons to the good Widow Searle's on Sunday noons, to eat them and discuss family and domestic affairs. The boys who had reached up to the dignity of young manhood, and a few of their elders, met in the horse-sheds on summer Sunday noons, after the Sunday-school exercises were over, and talked over the pros- pects of the coming crops, and what wheat, barley and oats would probably be worth after harvest. The meeting house, in its white paint, looked precisely like the country meeting houses of New England. Inside were the old-fashioned square pews and the high pulpit, and the faithful and earnest minister, holding up the stern Calvinistic faith of the fathers. The broad aisle had all the suggestiveness of other churches in more recent times. The own- ers of the largest number of acres, men of sterling character and leaders, sat in the best pews, with a kind of fatherly feeling for those who had seats nearer the door. The deep, rich tones of the bell were frequently heard in distant parts of the town, and there wag the nine o'clock bell of New England, to give notice that the hour for retiring had come. Occasionally during week days there came the solemn and prolonged notes, as the bell tolled the age of some departed inhabitant, proclaiming to the townspeople that one of their number had reached the end of his or her life. The minister, in the Sunday service, always preached straight at some far-away, distant sin. The Pope and the devil always came in for a share of his intellectual castigation. There were very few modern sins in that community in those days, unless it was when the young people were slightly inclined to fun and frolic, sure to be repressed and reproved. Congregationalism reached that far distant settlement in the slightly changed form of Presby- terianism, and there was considerable religious austerity, but there 454 THE BURT FAMILY. was also a good deal of true humanity. The men of character and standing commanded respect, and there was little or no prejudice as to color or race, except, perhaps, that those stern New England- ers did not look with quite as much favor upon those who were of Dutch extraction. The Rev. Samuel Ward, the darkest-hued negro I ever saw, and both eloquent and able, occasionally occupied the pulpit, and there were only a few who felt that it was wrong for a colored man to stand in their pastor's place. Patriotic impulses always ran high in the town, and those plain people ever had warm hearts for every cause which concerned human life. The Fourth of July celebrations kindled anew those impulses which touched their ancestors so quickly a half-century before. The two or three gray-haired veterans of the Revolution, who rode in the procession, and the martial music, awakened and , strengthened my first interest in the country's early struggles for liberty. The story of Concord, Lexington and Bunker Hill, which the incidents called up, were sufficient to give intense interest in the little I had previously learned of the great events in American history, and the first books I read related to the Revolutionary struggle. Then, too, there was the army blanket under which I had slept, bearing my father's initials, which he had carried in Captain Strong's company of Northampton, when it went to the defense of Boston, in the war of 1812. Under it I had dreamed of "Red Coats" and sanguinary battles, and glorious victories over the British. These little incidents in childhood served to give a per- sonal interest in the few remaining brave defenders of the nation's home and honor, and of those principles which were the warp and woof of a nation's fabric, which had been woven in hardship and blood. The school was none the less important than the church, in this little settlement, and the first which I attended was in a small, un- pretentious structure, which, like its early New England prototype, stood at the fork of the roads, without paint or ornament. That admirable picture of school days by Whittier brings fresh to my memory my own school days of more than half a century ago, for there — THE BURT FAMILY. 455 Still sits the school-house by the road, A ragged beggar sunning; Around it still the sumachs grow, And blackberry vines are running. Within, the master's desk is seen, Deep scarred by raps oiBcial ; The warping floor, the battered seats, The jack-knife's carved initial ; The charcoal frescos on its wall ; Its door's worn sill, betraying The feet that, creeping slow to school, Went storming out to playing. Around the school-room, on two sides and across one end, was a sloping board to take the place of a desk. In front of this was a single row of seats, made of inverted slabs. If the pupils were studying, it was expected that they would face the center of the room, but could lean back against the edge of the desk. If taking a lesson in penmanship, they could face the wall. From twenty to twenty-five pupils made up the general attendance in winter, while there was a less number in summer. As to the instruction given, it rarely went beyond the simplest rudiments. A few of the "grown up " scholars had glimpses of algebra, and still more rarely had lessons in grammar, neither of which was considered necessary for a boy who was to plow, plant, and hoe, through life ; nor to the girl whose aspirations were not expected to rise above household drudgery. Three months in winter, and the same in summer, con- stituted the school year. At twelve the boys were supposed to be too old to spend their summers in school. There was work on the farm to be done, and their fathers needed their help. In winter they returned to school again, but barely more than kept alive from year to year the little knowledge that they had gained previous to entering upon farm work. At sixteen, school days were over, and then came hard and exacting work upon the farm, year in and year out. The teacher was usually a young woman, and about as well qualified to give instruction as were some of her eldest pupils. She " boarded 'round," at the homes of her pupils. Her compen- sation, beyond her board, seldom exceeded a dollar a week, and. sometimes not over seventy-five cents. No teacher in any school 4S6 THE BURT FAMILY. that I ever attended received over a dollar and a half a week. New York in those days was far behind New England in educa- tional methods, and there were no free schools. The teacher's salary was apportioned to the parents of the pupils according to the number of days their children attended school. There was, at a later period, in the district where I lived, considerable progress, and a few years after my first recollection a new school-house was built. It was painted red and had the more modern seats and desks. Some years ago, on making a visit to the old home, I found that the heads of the older families had either died or had moved to other localities. Their places on the old homesteads had been taken by hard-working and thrifty Germans, who bad come over to begin what was to them a new and better life. But that little, old red school-house of other days had been painted yellow, to accord more closely with that color which had been familiar to those reared in homes on the other side of the Atlantic. However much it reminded the Teuton of his fatherland, who ever knew of a boy or girl of New England parentage going to school in a yellow school-house .' While the country districts had no graded schools, there was now and then an academy standing alone on some hilltop, as a ray of higher light to young and aspiring men and women. It is a fact worth}' of note that the young men and women who attended the academy reached far higher attainments and became more useful in their generation, than those who had only had the advantages of a common district school. This was particularly true of Pompey, the next town east of Otisco, and from its academy graduated many able and useful men, who made reputations far beyond the borders of New York, and filled offices of honor and trust in state and national governments. As to the library, that poor boy's col- lege, it stood on a par with the district school. In our own dis- trict library there might have been a dozen or two of books, and those were of no great merit. At the center of the town there was, however, a small town library of perhaps fifty volumes. Un- less Watt's hymns can be so considered, I never saw a volume of poems until after I went to New England. This library, however, did contain a few books on the American Revolution, and the events coincident with it in the development of this country. To one THE BURT FAMILY. 457 famishing for a larger knowledge of the world, and of what had concerned the country, this small collection of books was like an oasis in the desert. However dear one's childhood home is, and however strong one's attachment to paternal acres, and to the woods, the hills, and the vales, familiar to boyhood, there must ever come a time for depar- ture. Farming, however desirable, and in its best aspects ennobling, was to me, with its lack of that intelligent direction which is com- mon in these later days, a wearisome drudgery. Plowing and plant- ing in the spring, haying in mid-summer, to be followed by the autumnal harvest, with only a few variations, such as driving the cows afield, and returning them at night to the yard where they were to be milked and cared for, was indeed a dull round of monotony, relieved only by the necessity of going to the post office, and to mill and to meeting. There always seemed an undefinable something better looming up in the far-off future, but when or where it was to come, I could not foretell. At last it came unex- pectedly. My sister, who had gone to reside in New England, saw an advertisement in the Hampshire Gazette, published in North- ampton, which read : " Wanted, a boy to learn the printing busi- ness." A letter came from her announcing the opportunity. My father felt hardly willing that I should leave home, but after much deliberation my mother said, " I think he'd better go," and that settled it. It was early on the morning of July 12, 1847, that the farm wagon was driven up by my brother, and away I went towards Syracuse, the nearest railroad station, accompanied by him and my mother. Never did the hills, and the woods, and the fields, look so dear, and the thoughts of the pleasant years that had been spent under the. old roof-tree came rushing into mind ; and however much I had desired another field of work, never before had I fully realized what going away from home meant, and whether it might be for good or for ill. On the way to Syracuse, we stopped to see some old friends at Onondaga, and there I bade my mother good- bye, and late in the afternoon rode to Syracuse, which was then a village of less than ten thousand inhabitants, only a tenth part of its present population. This was to be my first railroad ride. The train from Buffalo was late, and it was ten o'clock before it left for Albany. At that time there was no line of railroad west of Buffalo, 4S8 THE BURT FAMILY. and only a few miles in operation in any state west of New York. Tlie old strap-rail was still in use on what is now the New York Central railroad. It was hardly possible for the trains to make more than fifteen miles an hour with safety, but in compliance with an act of the New York Legislature, improvements were being made, and the old rail was being taken up and replaced with the T rail, substantially the pattern in present use, though having not half the weight. The T rail had been laid from Albany to Fonda, and was continued at a later period through to Buffalo. The fare from Syracuse to Albany was six dollars, more than double the present rate. It took the train, on which I had my first ride, twelve hours to go from Syracuse to Albany, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. The fastest trains of the present time require a little more than three hours in going between the two places. I reached Albany too late for the morning train for Springfield, and from rnid-forenoon till nearly night I sat on the banks of the Hudson river, watching the passing of steamers and other craft going up and down the stream. It was not only a new but a strange sight, bringing before me for the first time a glimpse of the world's activities. At five in the afternoon I took the train at Greenbush for Springfield, and arriving there too late for the Northampton train, in company with a passenger whom I had met, went to a cheap lodging house on what was then Railroad Row, a little west of the Massasoit House, where I had a twenty-five-cent lodging, and a twenty-five-cent breakfast the next morning; and to a boy fresh from the country that seemed an enormous sum. At eight o'clock the next morning I was on my way to Northampton, stop- ping first at my sister's in that part of Northampton now known as Smith's Ferry. A week later (July 21) I began my apprenticeship in the office of the Hampshire Gazette. It was indeed a new ex- perience, with a still lingering look backward towards the old farm that I had so recently left. The weekly newspapers had not then been supplanted by more frequent issues, and the Hampshire Gazette in those days was a great power in moulding political opinion in the county. Its editor was William A. Hawley, who, like most editors of that day, had reached his place through the usual experience in the printing office. He was an uncompromising Whig, and his readers, who saw no other newspaper, were, like THE BURT FAMILY. 459 himself, intensely Whig. The Gazette and the protective doctrines of Henry Clay were, to the readers in Hampshire county, one and inseparable, and this old and respected newspaper stood in family esteem next to the Bible. The defeat of Henry Clay in 1844 was a disappointment to the editor and his readers, and when Zachary Taylor, four years later, was elected to succeed James K. Polk, they saw in it the hand of Providence, until he was removed by death a few months later. Every satisfaction is quite apt to have its misfortune, and Mr. Hawley's and that of his Whig readers began when the inaugural was delivered. Arrangements had been made to have an advance copy brought by special messenger from Springfield Monday night, to Northampton, that the regular issue of the paper might take place early Tuesday afternoon. The ap- prentices were at the office long before daylight, as soon as the message was received. Before noon it was in type, and the paper went to press at the usual hour. The post riders came in early to get the paper to circulate, as soon as possible, among those who were anxiously waiting for it. After their orders were supplied, Mr. Hawley, elated over what seemed to him the good sense of the message, and that the wicked Democrats had been utterly demol- ished, went into the street to congratulate his friends and to receive congratulations on having printed so promptly such an excellent mes- sage. It was not long, however, before he came tearing back into the office in a rage. On opening the door there came this emphatic ex- clamation : " Stop that press ! Stop that press ! " In reviewing the condition of the country, old Zach had announced, with evident satisfaction, that the United States was " at peace with all the world, and the rest of mankind." "Take out 'the rest of man- kind,' " exclaimed the excited editor, interjecting as an apology the query, " Dosen't that nincompoop know more than that ? " While it was a vexatious time to the editor, it was an extremely funny occur- rence for the apprentice boys, who enjoyed seeing "the old man," as we sometimes irreverently called him, stirred to the deepest depths in politics. Northampton in those days was a typical New England town, conservative in the extreme in political and religious thought, and a Democrat had about as good a chance of getting into heaven, according to Whig opinion, as a camel had to go through the eye of a needle. 460 THE BURT FAMILY. Northampton, in 1847, had little more than 4,000 inhabitants, and one railroad, and that the Connecticut River, extending only from Springfield to Greenfield. There were only two trains daily each way between the two places. Easthampton was just beginning to make preparations to build a button factory. Holyoke, midway between Northampton and Springfield, did not exist. 'J'he Hadley Falls Company had just begun to build its first dam across the Connecticut, and the railroad station was known as Ireland. Springfield was only a straggling country village, with a population but little larger than that of Northampton. While there has since been no sudden and forced growth, the area within and adja- cent to these places has a hundred thousand more populatiori than it had a half century ago, while the manufacturing products extend into the millions. The growth of the valley towns between Springfield and Greenfield has been greater during the last fifty years than during the entire period of their previous existence. After four years of service in the Gazette office I entered the book and job printing office in Northampton of J. & L. Metcalf, with the view of getting better instruction in that branch of the- printing business. It was the understanding with every boy who learned the printer's trade in the office of the Gazette that he should remain until he was twenty-one, and it was expected that I would give a like service. For that service, the same that was paid to other apprentices, I was to have thirty dollars and board for the first year, and an increase of five dollars each subsequent year. The fourth year I received forty-five dollars. I had been offered a place in the book and job printing office, where I could have more thorough instruction in that branch of the art, and the com- pensation of one hundred and twenty-five dollars and board. I asked to be released from the obligation to remain with my first employer, and offered to pay him such a sum as he might deem sufficient compensation for his loss in releasing me from my agree- ment to remain until I was of age. With reluctance he gave con- sent to my leaving his employment, and I paid him for my year of unexpired time, seventy-five dollars, so that, in addition to what I had in board, I actually received from my first employer only seventy- five dollars for my four years of service ; and yet I did not regard it in the light of a hardship, for I had received much instruction that THE BURT FAMILY. 461 was of value, and what was still better, had learned self-reliance. At the close of nine years of hard work in Northampton, desir- ing to see something of the western country, I left, in 1856, for Beloit, Wis., where I secured employment in the office of the Beloit Journal, whose editor was formerly from New England, but previously unknown to me. It was in the Fremont campaign, and the different methods in election campaign meetings struck me at that time as being somewhat peculiar. Cadwallader C. Washburn was the Republican candidate for member of Congress from that district, and the late Senator Carpenter was the principal campaign speaker on the Democratic side. It was a little shocking to a New England boy's notions of propriety to hear each candidate who was stumping his district in his own behalf, say in closing, " In casting your votes, I trust that you will not forget your humble servant." In comparison with New England towns, Beloit looked crude and unfinished, and then, there were no hills, while the prairie stretched away beyond vision. The landscape was not pleasing, and my first week in Beloit was not an unalloyed pleasure. On the train from Chicago to Belvidere, my seat companion was the delegate in Con- gress from Nebraska, the Hon. Bird B. Chapman. I was an ardent Republican, and he a Democrat, and yet before separating he offered me a position in his printing office in Omaha, conditioned upon his finding a vacancy on his arrival home. In December the proposition was renewed, and I left for Nebraska late on a Satur- day afternoon, with the view of spending Sunday in Chicago with my former employer, Mr. Hawley of Northampton, who had given up his business there and gone to Chicago to reside. Monday morning I left Chicago for Omaha, by the way of Rock Island. A severe storm had prevailed the previous day, and the progress of the train was slow. I should have reached Iowa City that night, but owing to the storm I was obliged to stop at Davenport. Iowa City, the terminus of the railroad, was only forty miles from that place, but owing to the deep snow, it took all day to reach the town, which was the starting point of the stages across the state to Coun- cil Bluffs. The stage fare at that time was twenty dollars to the Missouri river, and the trip was usually made in four days. The next day after leaving Iowa City a heavy snowstorm prevailed, and as there were no sleighs in use east of Des Moines, we lumbered 462 THE BURT FAMILY. slowly along in a Concord coach. A part of the second day out, and the following night, were spent in a rude board cabin, in the midst of a wide prairie, where an old man and his son had come from the West Indies, the autumn before, to make a home on this wind-swept plain. Our stage had been stalled in a snowdrift, and was abandoned. The driver and a few of the passengers went on, riding the horses to Westfield, while the others sta3'ed in the cabin until after the blizzard had subsided. This simple and rude struct- ure swayed and creaked in the blast, but it withstood the gale, and the next day we were able to resume our journey. There was not a single stage station on the entire route across the state that we did not stop at to get a meal or spend the night. We were ten days in making the trip, where four was the schedule time. On Christmas day, late in the afternoon, our stage emerged from the bluffs that skirt the Missouri river, and we came out upon the wide bottom lands a few miles south of Council Bluffs. Across the river, standing upon a plateau, was the young city of Omaha, with its unfinished capitol building rising from the eminence slightly to the westward. Remaining in Council Bluffs over night, and bidding good-bye to my fellow-passengers, who were going farther north, I crossed the Missouri river on the ice, and at once began work in the office of the Nebraskian, the oldest newspaper in the territory. At that time Omaha could not have had over five hun- dred inhabitants, and there were probably not ten thousand within, what now comprises the state of Nebraska. Farnham street was its principal avenue, on which were nearly all the business places and some of the dwellings. The Nebraskian was issued weekl)% and was the only paper in the town. Its chief aim was to keep its proprietor in Congress, and uphold the budding greatness of Omaha, in neither of which was it entirely successful. New towns and new schemes for personal advancement were the order of the day. That which was new and surprising was always of the greatest moment. The next spring an office companion and myself joined a party of city boomers, who proposed to establish another city on the banks of the Missouri river, farther north, in Burt county, so named after Governor Francis Burt of South Carolina, the first territorial governor of Nebraska, who died a month after reaching the territory. We were to carry the surveyor's chain while the THE BURT FAMILY. 463 town was being laid out, and, after that, were to publish a weekly newspaper. On reaching the place where the city was to be located, the unusually high water of that spring had almost completely sub- merged the town site, but the owners said that no such freshet had been known before, and none would probably be again. This new town was to be known as Central City, and was to be located op- posite the terminus of a proposed railroad across the state on the forty-second parallel, for which a land-grant had been obtained. The financial panic in the East cut off emigration, and population ceased to flow into the territory, and consequently there was a scarcity of rnoney. Before the town site was surveyed, the town lot speculators abandoned the project of a newspaper, and I turned backward from carrying the surveyor's chain, to the printing office at Omaha. Not long afterwards I learned that a printer was wanted in the office of the Bellevue Gazette, ten miles south of Omaha, to which place I immediately went and secured a position. Belle- vue was finely located, on a high bluff overlooking the Missouri and the Platte valley. It was the seat of the Presbyterian mission, and some of the missionaries had turned speculators, alihough they didn't seem to quite understand the art of turning population to the town, as did the more unscrupulous world's people, and Bellevue had for two years been struggling between the sharp com- petition of Omaha on the north and Nebraska City on the south. Governor Burt made Bellevue his home on his arrival in the terri- tory, and it was his intention to locate the capital at this place. His death cut that project short. T. B. Cumming was the territorial secretary, and became acting governor on the' death of Governor Burt. Omaha was then a stirring and active community, and the projectors of that town saw their opportunity. They gave Cum- ming one hundred and twenty-five town lots and thirty-five hundred dollars in cash to locate the capital at Omaha. I took charge of the mechanical department of the newspaper, and with the aid of a single printer did most of the work of the office. I had not been there long before the editor went off on a prolonged spree> and back to his former Ohio home. The editorial duties, as well as the supervision of the mechanical part of the office, then came to me, and here began my first editorial experience. When I met Mr. Chapman, the owner of the Nebraskian, in the railway train out 464 THE HURT FAMILY. of Chicago, he remarked that Nebraska newspapers ought to pub- lish information concerning some of the advantages of the territory, that eastern people might learn more about it, and thus attract immigration. He expressed a desire to have me contribute all facts relative to Omaha, and the territory, to his newspaper when- ever such came under my observation and I had opportunity. The editor of the Nebraskian, however, feeling that he alone should write every paragraph that appeared in the newspaper, I did not follow Mr. Chapman's suggestion while connected with his office, but when I went to Bellevue I soon had opportunity to put in practice the hint that I had received, and in a short time the Bellevue Gazette had more local and territorial news than any other paper piiblished in Nebraska. This almost accidental remark of Mr. Chapman's turned my attention towards the legitimate field and purpose of all newspapers, and determined my subsequent business career. After I had spent over a year at Bellevue, the territory beginning to feel the need of a larger tide of immigration, and money becom- ing scarce, many were leaving for more lucrative places. Nebraska was at a complete standstill, and fully shared in the business reaction that had begun in the East in 1857. Having my curiosity concerning the West completely satisfied, and desiring to return to New England to sfetile, I turned my face eastward late in 1858. The disheartened people at every landing place on the Missouri river, who came down to see the boat as we touched on our way to St. Louis, told of the poverty and despair that was uppermost in every settlement in both Nebraska and Kansas, and I can still see the faces of those ague-stricken people, who were without sufficient means to return to their eastern homes. The press and printing material of the Bellevue Gazette, in which I had an interest, was sold in 1859, ^"^ taken to what is now Denver, and upon it was printed the Rocky Mountain News, the first newspaper established in Colorado. I went immediately back to Northampton, and a few months later entered the office of the Springfield Republican, as local and New England editor, where I remained a year, until I began the publication of the Northampton Free Press. That paper I success- fully published five years, and only left it for what then appeared THE BURT FAMILY. 465 to be a more promising business field. The Holyoke Transcript, the New England Homestead, and Among the Clouds, the last of which is published daily on the summit of Mount Washington dur- ing the summer months, are newspapers of my creation. In looking backward over many busy years, with simply mere financial success in view, I would say to others, as no one ever said to me, first seek a center of activity, where there is a possibility of growth, and ther6 remain till you have won the field. Few realize when beginning business that acquaintance is even better than capital. When I left the old home as a boy, there went with me a feeling that I could not shake off, that I had a mission to fulfill. What that mission was, I have never discovered. Was it to be instrumental in reuniting a scattered family, and, to some extent, increase the iove of ancestry, and to give them a larger knowledge of early New England life ? If this was my mission, then I can pass on- ward with the belief that my life has not been entirely in vain. In this retrospect of youthful days, it is with some pleasure that I can recall the fact that the place of my nativity was a well- ordered community. Otisco was without a lawyer or a police officer. There were no bolts or bars and no one locked their doors at night. A theft of any kind was seldom committed within the town. There was no liquor-selling and very little intoxication. Its distinguishing characteristic was love of law and order. It had no noted citizen, — every one seemed to reach a common level. It was the birthplace of , Willis and Louis Gaylord Clark; the former a poet of some note in his day, and the latter the editor of the Knickerbocker Magazine. With these exceptions, the town was without distinguished sons to shed luster on a plain, but most upright community. Henry M. Burt. HENRY M. BURT. [Eighth Generation; Franklin', Martin^, SAMUEL^ David*, Henry", David^, Henryi.] Henry M. Burt, born in Otisco, N. Y., September 13, 183 1, re- sided with his father, who was a farmer, until nearly sixteen years of age, when he went to Northampton, Mass , to learn the printing business, where he resided from 1847 to 1869, with the exception of two years in the West, and a year each in Springfield, Mass., and in Brattleboro, Vt. In 1869 he removed from Northampton to Springfield, where he now resides. He began the publication of the Northampton Free Press in i860, after having served about a year as assistant editor of the Springfield Republican, where he had charge of the local. New England and telegraphic news depart- ments. He founded the Holyoke Transcript in 1863, with the assist ance of Charles H. Lyman, who had been in his employ for several years ; the New England Homestead as a monthly agricultural paper at Northampton in 1867, and the weekly edition of the same paper at Springfield in 1868, which he published until 1878, selling it at that time to what has since become the Phelps Publishing Com- pany. In 1877 he established the summer newspaper known as Among the Clouds, published daily during the White Mountain sea- son on the summit of Mount Washington, about 6,300 feet above sea-level, of which he is still the editor and proprietor. For several years he published in Springfield the Sunday Telegram, made up largely of the miscellaneous matter contained in the New England Homestead, and it was then the only Sunday newspaper in New England, outside of Boston. On January.9, 1861, he married Frapc:es Ann Hunt, the eldest of the children of Seth and Juliet (Briggs) Hunt, then of North- ampton. Her father, Seth Hunt, now (June, 1893,) nearly 79 years old, has been in the treasury department of the Connecticut HEXRY M. BURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 467 River railroad nearly a half century, — first as its only accountant in that department, from the winter of i843-'44 to the latter part of 1858, when he was chosen treasurer, and a few years later, clerk of the corporation, both of which ofi&ces he still holds. Mrs. Burt^s ancestor on her father's side was Deacon Jonathan Hunt, one of the first settlers of Northampton, who was occasionally as- sociated with David Burt in the public business of Northampton. The study of ancestral relationship has revealed to Mr. and Mrs. Burt the interesting fact that they are both descendants in direct line and in the same generation, of Deacon William Holton, and that they are also both descendants of John King, David Burt's brother- in-law. Mrs. Burt's great-great-grandfather, Deacon Ebenezer Hunt, married Elizabeth King, the youngest daughter of William King, who was the second son of John King. Mr. Burt's great- grandfather, Samuel Burt, married Hannah King, the daughter of Samuel King, and the granddaughter of Samuel King, who was the fourth son of John King. David Burt, Henry M. Burt's North- ampton ancestor, married Mary Flolton, daughter of Deacon William Holton, November i8, 1654, or '55, and John King married Sarah, daughter of Deacon William Holton-, November 18, 1656. David and Mary Burt were the first Northampton couple married in that town and John and Sarah King the second, thus connecting all of them with an interesting historical event in that ancient and most delightful town. Among the other early ancestors of Mrs. Henry M. Burt on her father's side are two of the early colonial governors of Massachusetts, Simon Bradstreet and Thomas Dudley, and John Cotton, the first minister of Boston. On her mother's side she is a descendant of Captain Jeremiah Stiles of Keene, N. H., who served with distinction at Bunker Hill. Henry M. Burt cast his first vote for the Whig presidential can- didate, General Winfield Scott, at Northampton in 1852, the last Whig candidate for president. He would have voted for John C. Fremont, the first candidate of the Republican party, had he not changed his residence in the summer of 1856, by leaving North- ampton for the West. He voted for Abraham Lincoln in i860, and for every Republican candidate for president since that time. In January, 1888, he went to England, and while there wrote a series of letters on the political and economic conditions of the country, 468 THE BURT FAMILY. which were published in the Springfield Union. He visited the principal industrial centers, and many places of historic interest which have close relation to the first Massachusetts towns in the Connecticut valley, and among them the parish of Springfield in Essex from which William Pynchon came, and where he was one of the wardens in the church (still standing) in 1624, and North- ampton, that ancient place of renown, where the forces under King Charles 11 met a portion of Cromwell's army and suffered defeat. He had also the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Thomas Burt, M. P., and of George Jacob.Holyoake, the able Enghsh writer, lecturer and thinker, who has so graphically told the early personal history of Mr. Burt for this volume, which is printed in a subsequent chapter, and which shows that even in an old country like England, where practices and opinions run centuries deep, they can be influ- enced and even reformed by the humblest citizen, if that citizen has knowledge, persistence, and unswerving honesty of purpose in the discharge of such public duties as have been committed to him. The children of Henry M. and Frances A. (Hunt) Burt are : Frank Hunt Burt, b. in Northampton, November 9, i86r ; m. Susie Frances Allen, October 27, 1884. George Mansfield. Burt, D. in Brattleboro, Vt., November 23, 1865; d. In Northampton, February 11, 1868. Grace Martin Burt, b in Springfield, April 20, 1870, Henry Martyn Burt, b. in Springfield, September 7, 1874 ; d. in Horthamp- ton, August 19, 1879. FRANK HUNT BURT. Frank Hunt Burt (ninth generation), son of Henry M. and Frances A. (Hunt) Burt, was born at Northampton, Mass., Novem- ber 9, 1861. He graduated from the Springfield high school in 1878, and was engaged in journalism for several years. During the sessions of the Massachusetts Legislature of i88i-'82 he served as private secretary to Hon. Charles J. Nbyes, speaker of the House of Representatives. In 1885 he opened an office in Boston as a professional stenographer, and in 1886 was appointed official stenographer of the Superior Court for Plymouth county. In 1887 THE BURT FAMILY. 469 his duties were increased by appointment to a like position for the county of Norfolk, and he continues to hold the office for both counties at the present time (1893). Both in his official position and in other courts he has reported many important cases, and has been engaged in most of the capital trials in the state for several years past. He was one of the original members of the New Eng- land Shorthand Reporters' Association (organized in 1890), and has been from the beginning its recording secretary. He has re- sided since 1881 at Newton, Mass., where he was married, October 27, 1884, to Susie Frances, daughter of John and Emma (Slater) Allen. They have two children : Frank Allen, born December 26, 1885, and Philip Hunt, born September 24, 1887. In 189 1 Mr. and Mrs. Burt visited Europe, traveling in Great Britain and on the continent. GRACE MARTIN BURT. Grace Martin Burt, daughter of Henry M. and Frances A. (Hunt) Burt, was born at Springfield, Mass., April 20, 1870. Her name was given in honor of her ancestress in the seventh genera- tion, Grace Martin Phelps, of whom mention has previously been made. She received her preparatory education at Springfield and Newton^ and graduated at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass., 1892 (seminary course), completing the college course and graduating with the degree of B. S. in 1893. SOME OF THE EARLY SOUTHAMPTON BURTS. [Descendants of David Burt of Northampton.] S. L. T. Wright, in a communication printed in the Easihamp- ion News, May 12, 1893, refers to the Burts who were among the first settlers in Southampton, Mass., and to some of the descend- ants, which has an interest to those who are now widely separated, and are remote from the town where their more immediate ances- tors lived. He says : "Samuel Burt, who was born in 1715 and died in 1799, has many descendants scattered throughout Hampshire county, and the burning of the old Burt house, now known as the Stephen Searle house, April i, 1893, has reminded me that a sketch of the old homestead might be read with interest at this time. " Samuel Burt was one of the earliest settlers of Southampton and came from Northampton, according to Rev. B. B. Edwards, some- where from 1733 to 1737, inclusive. Family tradition, more exact, places the date at 1 736, or about the time that he became of legal age. " Doubtless some little time was required to clear a piece of ground and erect a cabin, but about 1740 Mr. Burt married Miss Hannah King of Northampton, and the young couple commenced house- keeping in their wilderness home. The primeval forest stretched away for miles to the north and west, as yet untouched by the ax of pioneer. They had one neighbor, Elias Lyman, who had at that time a clearing on the farm now occupied by James Dalton; no other neighbors nearer, or much nearer, than the center of the town. Bears and other wild beasts were plenty. " Not far from the year 1745, Joseph King, a relative of Mrs. Burt and an intimate friend of the family, went hunting with Mr. Burt on Bungay mountain ; arrived at the hunting ground, the two friends agreed to separate and go in different directions. About noon Mr. THE BURT FAMILY. 471 King, so family tradition states, stopped by the side of a log to eat his dinner, and while thus engaged Mr. Burt came up at some little distance from the log on the other side, and catching a glimpse of Mr. King's dog, fired at it, supposing it to be a wild beast. At the instant of firing, Mr. King, who had not been seen by Mr. Burt, changed his position in such a way as to receive the bullet in his brain and was instantly killed. This was, I think, the first death of a white person that occurred in the west part of Southampton. Mr. Burt was so overwhelmed by the accident that he never used a gun again. "May 9, 1748, about noon, Noah Pixley was shot and killed by Indians not far from where the house of Frank Williams now stands ; the firing alarmed the men in the center of the town and they started out in pursuit of the Indians, who fled up the path to the house of Samuel Burt, where they stopped long enough to search the house, but did not find the family. They, however, threw the cooking utensils into the well and left without doing further damage. Mr. Burt was quite prominent in town affairs and besides holding nu- merous other town offices was selectman in 1754, '57, '58, '61, '64, '66 and '68. He was precinct treasurer for two years. " Mr. Burt died November 7, 1799, aged 84. Mrs. Hannah (King) Burt died May 31, 1792, aged 74. Samuel Burt had seven chil- dren : Esther, Sarah, Martin, Jerusha, Martha, Hannah and Samuel, Jr. The Burts were patriotic ; no Torys there. Sarah Burt mar- ried Aaron Strong of Southampton, who joined the Continental army and was killed by a cannon ball at Saratoga, October 16, 1777, at the time of Burgoyne's surrender. He left a widow and several children. His youngest child was born after his death. W. V. and O. H. Strong, of Southampton, are his great-grandsons. "October 16, 1777, Mrs. Strong is said to have been engaged in her usual business when she suddenly exclaimed, " My husband is killed ! " So sure was she of his death that she went into mourn- ing without waiting for news. When the; news of his death arrived it was found, so the story runs, that he was killed at the exact time that his wife said he was. " Martin Burt entered the army and was with Mr. Strong when he was killed and attended to his burial. Mr. Burt returned to his home, and died in 1803, aged 57. He was the grandfather of Editor 472 THE BURT FAMILY. Henry M. Burt, Hon. S. C, Pomeroy and Deacon Ansel B. Lyman of Easthampton. Jerusha Burt married William Dady, who was a soldier in the Northern army and died of smallpox at Ticonderoga, in 1776, leaving a widow and four children. He was the first settler on the farm owned by Joel Clark, in the west part of South- ampton. Hannah Burt married Sylvester Judd, son of Rev. Jonathan Judd of Southampton, in 1774, and was the mother of Sylvester Judd, Jr., Hampshire county's most learned antiquarian. Sylvester Judd was among the earliest settlers of Westhampton and was the first to locate on the homestead now occupied by Elihu P. Bartlett. He was a man of extraordinary mental ability and was a trusted leader among men during the stormy period from 1775 to 1820 ; he was representative to the General Court at Boston for sixteen years, and once received the rare compliment of an unani- mous election. He died September 19, 1832, aged 79. His wife died January 27, 182 1, aged 66. " Samuel Burt, Jr., remained with his parents at the old home- stead ; married Charity Pomeroy, daughter of Captain Abner Pomeroy of Southampton, in 1780, and had eleven children. Three of these children, Sylvester, Federal and Jairus, were clergymen. " Samuel Burt, Jr., was chosen deacon of the church in South- ampton in 1801, and was always afterward known as Deacon Burt. He died at the old homestead June 7, 1822, aged 63. The next owner of the Burt homestead was Warham Burt, son of Dea- con Burt, who resided here until December, 1840, when he sold the place, which had been occupied by the Burt family for over a century, to Israel Searle, who bought it for his son, Stephen E. Searle, the present owner. Samuel Burt had seven children and fifty- six grandchildren, and just here the genealogical tree bursts forth into such a wilderness of shoots that it fairly beggars description. I am myself one of the descendants. " The house to which Samuel Burt took his bride about 1740, was, according to Rev. B. B. Edwards, a cabin containing but one room ; at a later period a more commodious house was built. About 1797, or shortly before the death of Samuel Burt, Sr., this house was burned. When the alarm was given, neighbors hastened to render all the assistance possible. Among the first to arrive at the house was Israel Searle, who, seeing a chest which appeared worth sav- THE BURT FAMILY. 473 ing, seized it, carried it across the road and set it down. After the fire some one remarked that that was a very heavy chest for one man to lift, and Mr. Searle again tried to lift it and found that he could not do it. The neighbors must have worked with almost superhuman energy, for a shed, one end of which was connected with the house, was in part sawed off and saved, and remained standing until burned, April i, 1893. At the time of this fire, insurance was un- known, so the neighbors clubbed together and built, in about two weeks, the large, two-story house, which has been a landmark for over ninety years. While the house was being built the Burt family lived in the school-house which stood at that time on the corner some twenty-five rods north of the Burt homestead. The house thus hastily constructed was rather better than the average houses of that date. Here Samuel Burt died at a good old age, having seen what was an unbroken forest become a country neighborhood, far more prosperous than the same neighborhood is at present. On this farm Deacon Burt raised good crops because he had a boy praying in every lot, and from this home went out three young men who entered the Christian ministry, and one more who was a dea- con, and was said to be 'good enough to make three deacons.' " To this home Warham Burt brought his bride, Sally Chapman, in 1823, and here she died in 1834. So far as I can learn, no death occurred in this house from the death of Mrs. Burt, in 1834, until the death of Mrs. Stephen E. Searle, in December, 1891. " In closing I wish to say that, while gladly acknowledging my indebtedness to all who have kindly aided me in antiquarian re- search, I wish particularly to mention Mrs. Relief Bodman, who, at the great age of 100 years, sent me many facts of interest which she remembered. Martin Burt, alreadymentioned, married Dorcas Clark of Northampton, about 1772, and located on the farm now occupied by Frank Fisher, where he cleared away the forest and made a pioneer home. Here Relief, the fifth in his family of eleven children, was born February 22, 17^2. In 1810, Relief Burt and Sylvester Bodman of Williamsburg were married, and in 1821 they removed to Theresa, N. Y., making the journey with an ox team, and being among the earliest settlers of that town. Mrs. Bodman was the last survivor of the original members of the first church organized at Theresa, and her centennial birthday was celebrated 474 I'HE BURT FAMILY. at the church by an address in her honor. She was present and in good health, and enjoyed the occasion very much. Her mind and memory were good, but she was blind during the last years of her life. She died November 22, 1886, aged 104 years, g months." Mr. Wright has recalled in the foregoing some family history connected with the Revolution, that had been forgotten by some of the descendants of those who took an active part. The men who served in the Revolutionary war from Hampshire county were called out as occasion demanded, and not many of them were in active service longer than a few weeks or months at a time. When the British under General Burgoyne swept down from the North and encamped near Saratoga, our patriotic ancestors hastened to reinforce General Gates who was in command of the American forces. Southampton and the neighboring towns responded im- mediately. The Southampton company was organized and chose •officers on Septem.ber 20, 1777. Lemuel Pomeroy was captain, and Samuel Rust and Ebenezer Sheldon were lieutenants. Lieutenant-Colonel May of Chesterfield was in command of the regiment, and Israel Chapin was major. Among others from Southampton who went to reinforce General Gates, were Martin Burt and Aaron Strong ; the latter had married Martin's sister, Sarah Burt. The regiment marched to Stillwater and Saratoga. It was among those who crossed Schuyler's Creek in a fog, when the men found themselves directly under British guns. They got under the bank and then recrossed and fell back out of danger. David Strong, as recorded by Sylvester Judd in his historical manuscripts, said he never saw men so full of fight as all were in the last battle with Burgoyne. When marched from the lines, they went with a quick and lively step, eager for action. When Burgoyne retreated beyond Schuyler's Creek, the American troops followed right on. The road presented a distressing spectacle. There were dead horses, carts and camp equipage strewed along the entire route. Aaron Strong was killed a little before the surrender, the i6th of September, on what is known as Bemis's Heights, by a random THE BURT FAMILY. 475 shot. He was on the south side of Schuyler's Creek. Before this Jonathan Warner was wounded on the backside of his shoulder by a ball. He exclaimed when hit, " The rascals have shot me in the back." This grieved him, fearing no doubt that his friends might think he was running from the enemy. Martin Burt, after the surrender, returned with his company to Southampton, having first attended to the burial of his brother-in-law. His large family of young children prevented him from long service at a single time in the army, but when he could not leave he sent a man in his place, paying him eight dollars a month, the same as was paid to farm help at that time. Neither Martin Burt nor his brother Samuel had so much to do with public affairs in the town as their father Samuel ; but they were highly esteemed. Samuel, Jr., was a religious man and during his lifetime was a leader in the church. .Martin, who often served the town as juryman in the courts at Northampton, was noted for good judgment and sound practical sense, and his conclusions had influence with those who served with him. He lacked the showy qualities of his brother, but in some other respects he was regarded as his superior. GENERAL DAVID BURT.— 1791-1848. [Seventh Generation ; Elisha^, David^, David*, Henry^, David^, Henryi.] General David Burt was born in Northampton, Mass., May 2, 1791. He settled in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1815, engaged in business and established a large trade. In 1830 he married Harriet R. Whiting, who was born in Danbury, Conn., July 12, 1809. An active and enterprising citizen, he was highly esteemed by the community, and three times served in the Legislature. He gained his title of general in the' state militia, and rendered valuable ser- vice in perfecting their organization and discipline. He was com- missioned brigadier-general, December 15, 1830, of the New York State militia, and given command of the 47th brigade. His com- mission bears the signatures of Lieutenant-Governor E. T. Throop, and Assistant Adjutant-General Webster. When the so-called " patriot war " opened along the Canadian frontier. General Burt found plenty to do in the discharge of his duty as the command- ing officer of his brigade. Samuel M. Welch, in his very enter- taining book, " Recollections of Buffalo," in alluding to the event, says : " General Burt was in command of the brigade of Erie county. On the third day subsequent to the destruction of the Caroline, over two thousand of these militia men and volunteers came vol- untarily marching into town without waiting for orders. They were 'mostly farmers of Erie county; patriotically ready at a moment's notice to come unsubpcenaed to right the wrongs of their injured country, like the minute men of Concord and Lex- ington. They came provided only with improvised knapsacks containing a couple of days' rations; some with old flintlock muskets and belts provided by the State and deposited with them as enrolled militia men long before ; others with only a pitchfork or flail. They were bound for Canada direct. General Burt was taken by surprise when the officers in charge of these men reported to him for duty. It was several hours before he could provide GEN. DAVID HURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 477 them with suitable quarters for barracks. They were finally marched to the old Rathbun warehouse at the foot of Mechanic street on the canal where they were quartered, General Burt assuming com- mand over them. As soon as the mails could reach Albany and Washington by stages or mounted express, (no railroads or tele- graphs then except the ' Telegraph Stage Line,' ) General Winfield Scott, then Chief of the United States Army, and William L. Marcy, the Governor of the State of New York, came here to as- sume the direction of affairs." There was no fighting and the embattled farmers, after the ex- citement had subsided, returned to their homes, and the " patriot war " was over. On the arrival of General Scott, Mrs. Burt ex- tended the hospitality of her mansion to him as she always did when he visited Buffalo. General Burt had original traits of character and an independent way of doing whatever he undertook. Mr. Welch relates an incident in the general's business career, which has a humorous aspect : " This, for many years, was the store of General David Burt, the brigadier in command of the militia here during the ' patriot war,' so-called, but more properly the Canadian rebellion. General Burt did considerable business in this store, in a mixed assortment of goods much like the old-fashioned country store, where you could usually find second-hand pulpits if they were in demand. His business was of an erratical character. He was a constant attendant and reliable buyer at all auctions. He delighted to attend the sales of failed merchants' stocks. This was particularly remarked during the crashing times of '37, when these sales were so common and frequent here, that a noted auctioneer named Fitch, a resident of Ontario county, was engaged here several months, going from store to store, selling out the stock of the failed mer- chants. Of course this changed the occupants of the business houses along Main street, and this will account for any discrep- ancies in my record of Main street at the time of which I am writing. On one of these occasions was being sold the stock of a wholesale dry goods house, Messrs. Dexter & Masters. This firm made purchases largely in original imported packages. At that time the articles of hooks and eyes for ladies' dresses were put up 478 THE BURT FAMILY. in small paper boxes containing a dozen pair, and these boxes in other larger boxes, containing a dozen dozen boxes, or great gross ; the sizes marked on each package as three, four or five. In this stock, when being sold, were the contents of several large cases of these hooks and eyes. A large sample package of one number was shown, when the auctioneer. Fitch, offered a package of one num- . ber with the privilege of as many more of the same number as the buyer might wish at so much j5er small box, containing a dozen pair. The bidding was spirited, and they were struck down to General Burt at four cents per small box or dozen pair ; at that time the retail price was sixpence per box. When asked how many he would take, he said, ' all.' ' What, all ? ' ' Yes, all ! ' They then offered another number with the same privilege. When General Burt said impatiently, ' Didn't I say I would take all ? ' then Fitch said, ' Put them all down to Burt.' Then the clerk produced a package of still another number ; the General seemed quite indignant and said, ' Didn't I tell you I would take all ? ' ' What, take all the numbers ? ' ' Yes, yes ! all the hooks and eyes you have in the store.' 'All right,' said Fitch, "^put them all down to the General.' After the sale, when they were sent to Burt's store, there was an entire dray load, and the bill was some- what startling to the General ; over fourteen hundred dollars for such an article ! When he came to remonstrate, they convinced him that he himself made the sale imperative, and he had to stand to his bargain, which he did ; but years afterwards, when his stock was sold, many of those hooks and eyes were found in his attic. In the later years of General Burt's mercantile life, he still con- tinued this propensity for attending auction sales. He was almost always to be found at the regular trade sales of the old firm of Plimpton & Welch. Plimpton used to remark that all he needed to make a good morning's sale was the presence of General Burt and General Bennett Riley, and a bale of batting standing on end to make a competition." General Burt, who had the respect and the esteem of his towns- men, had a successful business career. He died August 9, 1848, much lamented by the people of Buffalo. His widow died December 5, 1885. HENRY W. BURT. HENRY WHITING BURT. [Eighth Generation; General David'', Elisha", David^ David*, Henry^ David^, Henryi.] Henry Whiting Burt, son of General David and Harriet R. (Whiting) Burt, was born June 29, 1836, at Buffalo, N. Y., in the homestead on Niagara Square, which has since been remodeled and is now the Buffalo High School. It was the handsomest house in the town at that time, surrounded by extensive grounds and lofty elms. General Scott and staff were entertained there at different times. Mrs. Burt was identified with numerous charities and en- tertained on a magnificent scale. Henry Whiting Burt received his education at Mr. Ferguson's school at Lockport, N. Y. At an early age he entered the banking house of Mr. Alanson Robinson, where he remained for many years, until the firm was removed to New York, and Mr. Burt succeeded to the business, refusing munifi- cent offers to enter the banking house of Robinson, Cox & Co., in Wall street. During the panic of 1873, the firm of H. W. Burt & Co. became involved and was obliged to suspend, but settled with their creditors, dollar for dollar, making one of the most honor- able settlements ever known in Buffalo. In the next few years Mr. Burt traveled extensively, on business, in the West and South, also in Europe. In 1882 he was offered the position of cashier and general manager of the German-American Bank of Buffalo, a position he still holds with fidelity and honor. He is now a director of the same institution, as well as cashier. Mr. Burt has been for several years identified with one of the finest charities in Buffalo, the Homeopathic Hospital, to which he has contributed liberally in addition to his efficient work as treasurer and member of the board of trustees. As a man, Mr. Burt has always been noted for his straightforward dealing and sound common sense in everything 480 THE BURT FAMILY. he undertakes, and for his high social position. He married, June II, 1862, Charlotte Louise Lathrop, eldest daughter of Septimius Lathrop, a well-known commission merchant of Buffalo. They have three children : Frederick Northrop Burt, Robinson Burt, and Louise Lathrop Burt. Mr. Frederick N. Burt has a large printing establishment in Buffalo, and is doing most successful work as a printer of druggists' boxes and labels. He is one of the few print- ers in the United States who make a specialty of this kind of work. Mrs. Henry Burt is a lady who, for many years, has devoted her life to unostentatious deeds of charity. On his mother's side, Mr. Burt is descended also from Puritan ancestors. Her grandfather, Frederick Jones Whiting of Danbury, Conn., was lieutenant of the Second Light Dragoons, and at the end of the Revolutionary war became a member of the Order of Cincinnatus. His original certificate, bearing the signature of Gen- erals Knox and Washington, has descended to Mr. Burt through his mother, there being no male relative alive in her branch of the Whiting family. It is dated at Mount Vernon, December 11, 1785. Lossing, says, " This order was founded at Baron Steuben's head- quarters near Peekskill, at the Verplank house, several officers being present, among them Lieutenant Whiting." Lieutenant Whiting married a descendant of one of the settlers of Danbury, Conn., Rachel Starr, great-granddaughter of Captain Josiah Starr. Mrs. Whiting's family were deeply identified with the history of Danbury, in military and civil affairs. It was her father, Major Daniel Starr, who lost his life at the time of the burning of Dan- bury, in 1777. He was about to ride in pursuit of the enemy, when he was fired upon, receiving fatal wounds. Upon the division of his large estate, some valuable silverware was given to his daughter, who in turn gave it to her son, Henry Starr Whiting. Upon the division of his property his daughter, Harriet Whiting Burt, received many valuable heirlooms, which are still cherished by her children for their invaluable association with the trying times when her ancestors were helping to establish the Independence of the United Colonies. SONS OF DR. JOHN OTIS BURT. [Eighth Generation; John Otis', Aaron^ Aaron^ AaronMoseph^ David^, Henryi.] ARTHUR TEMPLE BURT. Arthur Temple Burt was born in Paris, at No. i, Rue du Dauphin, December 17, 1864, while his parents were residing in that city. His mother was Helen, daughter of Dr. Franklin Moulton of Oneida county, N. Y., whose father, Solomon Moulton, was a soldier of the Revolution, whose bravery was recognized at the battle of Long Island. After the usual school course in Syracuse, he evinced no taste for a higher education, but, on the contrary, a strong pre- dilection for out-of-door life and labor. When scarcely fourteen, he had sketched a plan and list of all the articles required for a farm, and rather than continue longer at school, he engaged to work upon a farm in the neighborhood. He became a practical farmer, and on coming of age, bought a farm two miles east of Syracuse, in the town of Dewitt. He married Emma, daughter of Harry and Lucy Hunt, and has a family of three children : Helen Lucy, b. May 10, 1886. Ethel Blanche, b. August 30, 1889. Harry Otis, b. April 23, 1893. His address is Onondaga Milk Association, Syracuse, N. Y. AARON moulton BURT. Aaron Moulton Burt was born in Syracuse^ N. Y., May i, 1866. He was educated in the public and private schools of his native city, and ultimately at the Allen School in West Newton, Mass. On returning to Syracuse he learned the drug business, having been for several years with Kenyon & Potter, wholesale dealers, and with other firms ; but becoming dissatisfied with the confined and monotonous life, he left home for the West, and while in Colo- rado he determined to devote himself to civil engineering, an occu- pation offering great attractions to ambitious and adventurous young men in the West. Beginning at the foot of the ladder, he gradually became proficient in the science and practice of engi- neering, and has since been constantly engaged upon railroads 482 THE BURT FAMILY. under construction in Colorado and the neighboring mountain states. Some five years since he became connected with the Northern Pacific Railroad, and has remained in the service of that company. In the year 1892 he was in the employment of the new railway through the Adirondacks of Northern New York, but on the completion of this work he returned to the Northern Pacific, as division engineer. His address is room 358, Grand Central Passenger Station, Chicago, 111. JOHN OTIS BURT, JR. John Otis Burt, Jr., was born in Syracuse, N. Y., May 17, i86g. Having finished the usual school course, and being yet too young to engage in ordinary business, he obtained a place as cadet in the school-ship "St. Mary's," belonging to New York city, in which boys are taught navigation and seamanship, and fitted to become officers in the merchant marine. He made two voyages in the " St. Mary's '' and returned with two prizes — the second Bronze Medal for excellence in navigation, etc., and the standard " Bowditch," foV proficiency in other departments. For the sake of further practical experience, he shipped for a long voyage to the East Indies andBurmah. On returning home after a prosperous voyage, when almost within sight of Sandy Hook light, the ship was struck by a terrific westerly gale, with snow and sleet. Driven far out to sea, they became totally disabled, but providentially reached the Bermudas, though in a sinking condition. Many of the crew were helpless with frozen limbs, and all were wholly exhausted from constant labor and anxiety. After this trying experience, the young sailor had less fancy for a sea life, and the prospects of promotion seemed very distant. He determined to join his elder brother in the West, and entered the same line of business (civil engineering), in which he has had satisfactory success. For several years past he has been in the fertile Pecos valley of New Mexico, engaged in the construction of the irrigating canals which have made the former desert luxuriant with vegetation. At leisure intervals, he has written several descriptive articles based upon his East India and other voyages, which have been published and illustrated by a Denver magazine. His address is at present Eddy, New Mexico. DESCENDANTS OF DAVID'S SON JONATHAN. [Eleazer', Jonathan', David^, Henry^] David Burt's second son, (who lived to marry), Jonatiian Burt, had five children, four of whom married, — Jonathan, Mindwell, Lydia and Eleazer. The other died young. The eldest, Jona- than, died childless in his ninetieth year. The youngest son who reared a family was Eleazer. He married Abigail Baker in 1762, who was the daughter of Edward Baker. Eleazer was a merchant in Northampton, and articles from his store are still in possession of some of his descendants. He was also a wheel and chair-maker and a painter. He had a shop on the homestead of his paternal grandfather, David Burt, on King street. His children were Edward, Mindwell, Elizabeth, Jonathan, Andrew and Abigail. He died at Northampton in 1787, aged sixty-nine years. In the fifth generation, children of Eleazer Burt, the eldest, Edward Burt, born July 16, 1768, married in 1797, Grace Hyde Draper, and he died November 9, 1815. Mindwell Burt, born December 26, 1764, married ElishaBabcock, who was bridge tender on the old New Haven and Northampton canal. They had nine children, only one of whom survives, Susannah, who married Joel Clark of Southampton. John F. Babcock, a well-known journalist of New Brunswick, N. J., is a grandson of Mindwell Burt. Elizabeth Burt, born August i, 1766, married March 12, 1793, Simeon Bartlett of Williamsburg, some of whose descendants are still living there, one of whom is Mrs. Joshua Crosby. Jonathan Burt, born July 31, 1768, died, unmarried, February n, 1817. Andrew Burt", son of Eleazer, settled in Cincinnati in 1795, and it is said made the first saddle manufactured in that place. He 484 THE BURT FAMILY. was born in January, 1771, and married February 4, 1807, Sarah Gano, a daughter of General Gano of Providence, R. I., who was sent to Cincinnati by President Monroe to hold the fort, then on the frontier. Their children were Andrew Gano Burt, John G. Burt and Catherine Burt. Andrew married Sarah Thompson, and they had seven children. The eldest, Juliet Burt, is the wife of Dr. O. D. Norton, who was born in Westhampton, Mass. The second is Pitts H. Burt of Cincinnati, who married Kate W. Thomson. His son, Stanley G. Burt, graduated from Yale in the class of '92. Their other children are : Winifred, Juliet and Hilda. The second son of Andrew G. Burt is Colonel Andrew S. Burt, colonel of the seventh regiment, now stationed at Fort Missoula, Montana. He has two sons and a daughter. His eldest son, Andrew Gano, is in business in Chicago, 111., and is married and has one child, a son. Colonel Burt's daughter, Edith S., mar- ried an officer in the army, Lieutenant Henry G. Trout, and the youngest son, Reynolds J., is a cadet at West Point. Colonel Burt married September 13, 1862, Elizabeth J. Reynolds. Sally G. Burt, fourth child of Andrew G. Burt, married William Robert- son of Cincinnati and has a son and daughter. Cicily, the fifth child of Andrew G. Burt, married James H. Sibley of Cincinnati. They have a son and daughter. Kate, sixth child of Andrew G. Burt, married William Haskell, and resides at Wheeling, W. Va. They have two sons. Henrietta, the seventh child of Andrew G. Burt, married Rev. E. Holley, and they reside in Troy, N. Y. They have a daughter and two sons. Dr. O. G. Norton, who married the eldest child of Andrew Gano Burt, lived with Dr. Gridley in Southampton, and afterwards studied medicine with Dr. Daniel Thompson and Dr. Benjamin Barrett in Northampton. Dr. J. G. Holland was a fellow student. He removed to Cincinnati in October, 1846, where he has since re- sided. He has two sons and a daughter. One son is a surgeon in the U. S. Navy and now on the cruiser Petrel, in China. His daughter is famous as a singer who has delighted New England and other audiences under the stage name of Madam Nordica. Andrew G. Burt, the father of Pitts H. and Col. Andrew S. Burt, was in every sense a gentleman — courtly, elegant, reserved. He was a great lover of art and at one time had a very fine gallery of THE BURT FAMILY. 485 paintings. His sons have decided literary taste and have con- tributed to periodical literature in the brief intervals of leisure which have come to them in the course of business and other duties. Stanley G. Burt, who has just finished his course at Yale, supplements his college work with practical experience at the Rockwood potteries, where he will master that most important business interest. Abigail Burt, the youngest daughter of Eleazer Burt, and sister of Andrew Burt who moved from Northampton to Cincinnati, married George Clapp. They had four children. Two of them, Andrew and Sally T., died unmarried. Mary M. married Loammi Hall arid lived for a while on Staten Island, and later in Southamp- ton. Only one of their children survives, Mrs. Austin Ware of Pasadena, Cal. Louisa A. became the wife of Asahel Wood, and most of their married life was spent in Northampton. Of eight children four are living, viz. : Austin C. Wood of Syracuse, N. Y., C. Delano Wood of Brooklyn, N. Y., A. Frank Wood of Jackson- ville, Fla., and Mrs. L. N. Clark of Westfield, Mass. LOU BURT. [Descended from a Pennsylvania Family of Burts.] Lou Burt was born in Cardington, Morrow county, O., in 1852, and is a son of Merritt Burt, who was afterward a prominent wholesale jeweler of Cleveland, O., and is still living, the proprie- tor of the Acme Hotel at Jacksonville, Fla. Lou Burt was edu- cated at Hiram, O.; married in Cleveland in 1873 ; opened a whole- sale jewelry house in Detroit, Mich., in 1882, in which he is still engaged. He is prominent in politics, and has been twice elected alderman to represent the fourth ward of Detroit. He is an officer in Detroit Commandery, Knights Templar ; Potentate of Moslem Temple, Mj'Stic Shrine, and president of the far-famed Rushmere Club, located at St. Clair Flats, the most extensive shooting and fishing club in the West, and of which he was one of the organizers. Mr. Burt has not yet been able to trace his ancestry back to Henry Burt, who settled in Springfield in 1640. His grandfather, Ebenezer Burt, and his grandfather's brother, William Burt, moved from Washington county, Pa., to New Denmark, Columbiana county, O., in or about 1815. The grandfather died suddenly, while hunt- ing, in 1821. A history of Morrow county states that an ancestor of a supposed distant relative of this family, was born in Fayette county. Pa., and that in the early part of the seventeenth century three brothers came to America, two of whom engaged in the iron business in Pennsylvania. On the breaking out of the Revolution they sold their interest in the works. If this statement is correct and Mr. Lou Burt belongs to this line, of which it is not certain, then he is not a descendant of Henry Burt of Springfield. Some of the Warwick Burts migrated into the Wyoming valley, and there is a- possibility that he may have descended from some one of that line, proof of which is still lacking. LOU BUltT. DESCENDANTS OF NATHANIEL BURT. LIEUT. NATHANIEL BURT.— 1711-1755. Lieutenant Burt was the grandson of Nathaniel Burt, the son of Henry Burt, founder of the family in America. He was the youngest child of Deacon Nathaniel Burt by his second wife, Mary Ferry, and was born in Longmeadow on May 4, 17 11. He married on January 11, 1739, Sarah, daughter of David Chapin of Chicopee, Mass., by whom he had six children, the two youngest of whom died in infancy. In the second year of what was known as the " Old French and Indian war," which began in 1754 and continued to 1763, an expe- dition against the French post at Crown Point, on the west shore of Lake Champlain, was organized, under Sir William Johnson of New York. A force of about three thousand men, composed largely of New England troops, were rendezvoused at Albany, N. Y., among them a Massachusetts regiment, commanded by Colonel Ephraim Williams, whose lieutenant colonel was Seth Pomeroy, a gunsmith of Northampton, who had been in active service at Louis- bourg. Nathaniel Burt was lieutenant of a company in this regi- ment, commanded by Captain Luke Hitchcock.* Johnson with a larger part of his command advanced to the head of Lake George, where he established his headquarters at Fort Lyman. Colonel Williams with his regiment and two hundred Mohawk Indians un- der their chief, Hendricks, had marched to within three miles of Fort Lyman and encamped in the forest. On September 8 (1755), at eight o'clock in the morning. Colonel Williams broke camp on his way to join Johnson, and having marched a short distance, halted for the rest of the detachment to come up. These move- ments had been secretly observed by the enemy, who, under com- mand of General Dieskan, had come up the narrow inlet of Lake * A part of Lieutenant Burt's military outfit was a great coat, a scarlet camlet double- breasted jack-coat, a German serge waist-coat, a striped Holland shirt, a pair of leather breeches, a felt hat, brass sleeve-buckles, a hatchet and other camp equipage. THE HURT FAMILY. Champlain, and had, in their customary crafty manner, devised a surprise. The halt gave opportunity for further preparation by the French and their Indian allies. When the march was resumed, the veteran Hendricks thought he observed some suspicious indications, but the entire force pressed forward through the woods, when a single gun was fired from the bushes that environed the road, and from the thickets on the left blazed out a steady fire and the men fell by scores. The Mohawk chief at the head of his two hundred braves fell and was bayonetted on the spot. Colonel Williams see- ing rising ground on his right made for it, calling upon his men to follow, but as he climbed the slope, guns flashed from the bushes and a shot through the brain laid him low. The men in the rear pressed forward to support their comrades, when a hot fire was suddenly opened on them from the forest along their right flank. Then there was a panic ; some fled outright and the whole column recoiled. They ran now because the rear and all the force of the enemy rushed upon it, shouting and screeching. There was a moment of total confusion, but a part of the regiment rallied and covered the retreat to near the late camp. So ended the fray long known in New England fireside story as the " bloody morning scout." In addition to Colonel Williams there were slain many of his subordinate ofificers, and among them Lieutenant Burt. Rein- forcements coming up from Fort Lyman, the engagement was renewed and continued to evening, ending in the defeat of the French and the capture of General Dieskan severely wounded. The bodies of the slain, according to tradition, were thrown into the pool which to this day bears the name of Bloody Pond. Those who wish to read more of this engagement and of the whole war, will find the tale graphically narrated in Francis Parkman^s " Mont- calm and Wolfe " (Vol. I, Chap. IX), from which the above has been extracted. While in camp at Albany, Colonel Williams ex- ecuted a will providing for the founding of the college bearing his name at Williamstown, Mass. Within a few years a monument to his memory has been erected upon the spot where he fell, in full view from the picturesque road between Fort Edward and Cald- well, Lake George. The Rev. Stephen Williams, a relative of Colonel Williams and the minister of the Longmeadow church, was chaplain of the regi- THE BURT FAMILY. 489 ment, and sent home the intelligence of- the death of his deacon. His missive reached the town as the people were assembled on Sunday for the afternocai services, and was communicated to them in the church. The stricken widow was carried out in a dead faint and general consternation and grief filled the hearts of all, for Lieutenant Burt was the most prominent citizen and was respected by all. This was well illustrated by the epitaph upon his tombstone : " How art thou fallen in the midst of battle ; O very pleasant hast thou been. In memory of Lieutenant Nathaniel Burt, Who was slain in the memorable battle near Lake George, September 8, 1755, when his Colonel and other brave officers fell — yet a signal victory was obtained over the enemy. Mr. Nathaniel Burt was a deacon of this church, an exemplary christian, a man of public spirit and a good soldier, well beloved at home and in ye army. A concern for pure religion caused his going into ye military service. He died in his 45th year. 2 Chron. xxxv : 25. ' And Jeremiah lamented over Josiah.' " Mr. Burt's widow married September 17, 1767, the Rev. Dr. Stephen Williams, who had been the chaplain of her husband's regiment and for a long period the minister ot the Longmeadow church. He was the son of the Rev. John Williams of Deerfield, Mass., who with his family was captured by the French when that village was destroyed on February 29, 1704, and carried to Canada. There his sister Eunice was adopted by the Indians and, becoming a Roman Catholic through the assiduous proslyting of the priests, married an Indian. At the earnest solicitation of her brother she, accompained by some of her Indian relatives, visited him at Longmeadow, but no affectionate importunity could prevail upon her to abandon her husband or creed, and after a short sojourn she returned to Canada. She was the grandmother of the Rev. Eleazer Williams, who some forty years ago was believed by many to be the Dauphin or son of Louis XVI of France, beheaded by the revolutionists in 1793. REUBEN BURT.— 1761-1860. Sixth Generation; Reuben^, John*, John^, Nathaniel^, Henryi.] iReuben Burt, the last surviving soldier of the Revolutionary war, in Hampden county, Mass., was born at Brimfield, Mass., October 9, 1 76 1, and was living at Ludlow at the time the struggle of the colo- nies for independence began. When the news came of the battle of Lexington, he started at once with several of his townsmen, going first to Boston. His first military service was rendered in 1777, when he volunteered and was sent with others to garrison Fort Ticonderoga, then under the command of Gen. St. Clair. The garrison then consisted of 3,000 men. In August of that year, " General Burgoyne, with one of the best appointed armies that ever marched under the banner and cross of St. George, numbering 7,000 men, came down upon them from Canada and invested and laid siege to the fort. St. Clair was forced, after much fighting, to abandon the fort, and retreated towards Whitehall and lower Vermont, losing baggage, military stores, 120 pieces of artillery and some prisoners in his retreat." Reuben Burt was the last man to leave the fort when it was evacuated, staying behind his com- rades and spiking the cannon with rat-tail files. His term of enlistment being completed, he returned home after the Ticonderoga campaign. In 1778, upon a call from General Washington for 5,000 militia from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, to attack Newport, then occupied by the British, he was drafted for six months, and proceeding to Rhode Island, was present at the attack on Newport. The attack was not successful, owing to astorm scattering the French fleet under D'Estaing, which was to cooperate with the land forces, and after considerable loss on the part of the Americans, the project was abandoned. Mr. Burt's period, of service again expiring, he returned home. THE BURT FAMILY. 49 1 He next enlisted as a regular for three years in the Continental army, and during most of the period was stationed on the West- chester lines, extending from West Point by White Plains to the Sound. In the course of his service he was a participant in many minor engagements and bloody skirmishes. At one time a party of nineteen, of which he was one, was attacked by a superior force of British, and before relief came from the American lines, sixteen of his companions in arms were slain, and he helped to bury them all in one grave. He was then promoted to the rank of sergeant in the Continental army. He was wounded several times and carried British lead with him to his grave. His grandson, Mr. Dexter Johnson of Springfield, states that he once asked him what he did with his musket. The veteran replied that on the way home he and several others threw their guns into the North river. His military service over, Eeuben Burt returned home and set- tled down to farming, carrying on also the blacksmith's trade. He married. May 3, 1786, Bathsheba Wright, by whom he had nine children : Lucy, Bathsheba, Levi, Percis, Reuben, William, Lavinia, Reuben 2d, Asenath. Mrs. Burt died July 22, 1854, just five days after her ninetieth birthday. Mr. Burt died at Chicopee Falls, Mass., (where he spent the latter portion of his life), August 8, i860, at the age of ninety-eight years and ten months. He was buried with military honors, the Springfield City Guards, under command of Lieutenant G. A. Fuller, acting as escort and guard of honor, while a large number of citizens joined in the last tribute to the aged veteran. " The services were conducted by Rev. R. K. Bellamy," says a newspaper account of the funeral; "the dis- course was able and appropriate, and was listened to with great at- tention. At the close of the service the procession marched to the cemetery with muffled drums, and the escort fired three rounds over the grave. Thus passed from earth the last of those in our midst whose eyes had rested on Washington, and who in the service of his country obeyed his orders of command." Mr. Burt did not entirely abandon military pursuits with the close of the War of Independence, but rendered useful service at a later day in the state militia. His commission as a lieutenant, signed by Governor Caleb Strong in 1804, is in the possession of his grandson. CAPT. LEVI BURT. [Seventh Generation; REUBEN^ Reuben^ John*, John", Nathaniel^, HenryI.] Levi Burt was born in Brimfield, Mass., March 23, 1792. He was a son of Reuben Burt, a grandson of Reuben, great-grandson of John, great-great-grandson of John, great-great-great-grandson of Nathaniel, and great-great-great-great-grandson of Henry and EulaHa Burt, the original colonists from whom nearly all the Burt family in America trace their descent. Hence he came in direct line from the old colonial blood, that has been so vital to the growth of New England. His life was a varied one, though confined principally to the small limits of a New England town. Of his early days we have scant record, but soon after his mar- riage he settled in Belchertown, Mass., where his life was active and a central figure of the community wherein he lived. In politics he was a whig, and the life and soul of his party in his town ; no public gathering of a political sort was complete without an earnest speech from him. He actively served the communtity as selectman, school committeeman, etc., and in various trades, among them those of painter, carriage maker, carpenter and blacksmith ; in fact, he was general utility man to the town. His musical taste was pronounced and his violin playing locally celebrated. By a combination of his skillful handicraft and his musical talent, he constructed several violins, one of which is now owned by his son, A. L. Burt of New York, and bears the date 1853. It has been praised by competent critics for its tone and power, and has been compared favorably with even the products of the famous old violin makers whose works are almost priceless. But while a vioHnist of no mean skill, it was as a drummer that he was famous throughout Central Massachusetts. He was without THE BURT FAMILY. 493 a rival in this special field and was justly proud of his accom- plishment. Although he was captain of the militia company in Belchertown for twenty years, when General Lafayette passed through the town, during his tour of the country, Captain Burt gave the command of the company, " The Federals," over to another officer, in order that he might escort the General and lead the procession with his bass drum. He was introduced to Lafayette as the " finest drummer in America," and as " a whole drum corps in himself." The visit of Lafayette was a great event to Belcher- town, and the Captain was a prominent figure, a fact of which he never ceased to be proud. In marching past the Captain's house, the procession halted, and Lafayette, taking the Captain's infant son in his arms, named him Loman Lafayette. Captain Burt was a man of large nature, wide interests and tastes ; his position in the town was a dignified one, and his natural ability made him a leader in the life of the place. The same sturdy stuff that made his father Reuben a revolutionary hero, made Levi a fearless and upright citizen, honored in his home for himself and his opinions, and widely known in this section for his political energy, and his special musical skill. He was married three times. His first wife was Miss Sallie Eno of Somers, Conn., who died in 1818, one year after their marriage. She left one son. His second wife was Miss Susan Johnson of Chicopee Falls, Mass., by whom he had seven children. His third wife was Miss Viley Randall of Belchertown, Mass., who bore him six children. Captain Burt died January 26, i860, at his home in Belcher- town. His funeral was attended by citizens of all classes, who were present in large numbers to pay their last tribute of respect to one who had been so conspicuous a figure in the life of the town, and so closely identified with all its social and business interests. ALBERT L. BURT. [Eighth Generation; Levi', Reuben", Reuben^, John*, John^, Nathaniel^, Henry^] Albert Levi Burt, son of Captain Levi Burt, and grandson of Reuben Burt, the last survivor in Hampden county, Mass., of the Revolution, and whose striking history is referred to at length else- where in this volume, was born in Belchertown, Hampshire county, Mass., in 1843. He was one of a family of fourteen children, a comparatively small assortment for a New England family of fifty years ago. Hampshire county is not by any means the garden of the tarth ; its lean farms have long since been squeezed of what little juice they once possessed, and the Burt homestead was a stern school in which to learn the science of life. Four months in the winter there were sessions in the little district school a mile from the home, but the rest of the year the farm itself was the alpha and omega of educational opportunities. We are accustomed to consider the district school as one of our titles to greatness as a nation, and one of the foundations of our national life; but the self-discipline and training of the barren life on many a farm, has had far more to do wiih the development of these qualities, which we consider typical in a New Englander. Captain Burt died when Albert was seventeen, and the family was scattered. Young Burt, thrown upon his own resources, left his home to begin life. He went to Amherst and found employ- ment as a clerk in a general country store, at the munificent salary of fifty dollars a year and his board. Two years later found him seeking a larger opportunity in Hartford, Conn,, where for several years he was employed in various ways and finally as a traveling salesman for a publishing house, covering a large territory east of the Mississippi river. Though he was probably not aware ALBERT L, BURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 495 of it at the time, it was this employment which influenced his future work, and turned his attention in the direction wherein he has made a worthy name. Finally we find him settled in New York with a well-defined plan of operation. His knowledge of the book trade had caused him to realize the demand for works of standard value at a price far cheaper than heretofore attained. He saw that there was a great public almost entirely debarred from the most necessary educa- tional helps by reason of their price. There was a need on the literary, artistic and household sides of many homes, which was not supplied. His entire capital was $900, the savings of years of hard and poorly paid work. He unhesitatingly ventured the entire sum in setting the type of his first book. It took the whole amount and he had nothing left for paper, printing or binding. This state of things did not discourage him ; he obtained paper on credit, printing and binding were arranged for on the same terms, and the book was completed for the market. His confidence in himself and his scheme was supreme. He did not question the results. His shrewdness and his pluck were amply rewarded, for he can claim what few publishers can, that he has printed over a quarter of a million copies of his first book. This first book, " The National Standard Dictionary," was quickly followed by a " Standard Encyclopedia," several books devoted to household art, and many others, until his list to-day is a formidable collection of worthy works in the various departments of history, science, fiction, travel, poetry, etc. Among other publications was a series of novels by American authors, a notable idea in these days, when our autkors are offered little chance for a hearing, because of a mass of pirated literature which most publishers of popular fiction prefer to serve to the public. The dealings of Mr. Burt with American authors have always been of the greatest encouragement and mutual satisfaction, and profit has invariably resulted. But, after all, the important thing that Mr. Burt has done has been to put standard literature of all kinds into a form and shape which allows it to reach the hands of the poorest. No small part of the good has been in showing the way to others, for Mr. Burt 496 THE BURT FAMILY. has had many imitators, who have carried out his views in similar publications. But to him belongs the credit of the originator, and it is not claiming too much to argue for him one of the most im- portant popular educational influences of the time. He has shown that cheapness is not necessarily trashiness or vulgarity, or worse, as it used to be. When he is called to account for his stewardship, and a publisher's responsibility to a community is a serious one, he need not be afraid to throw aside the curtains of his well-filled shelves. Mr. Burt is tall and slender, with that same look of self-repres- sion and self-denial which is so common a New England char- acteristic. He is a studious man, as befits his profession. He is a tireless worker, and, despite his friends' advice, persists in over- taxing his strength. He is gentle and kindly, loyal and lovable to his friends, social in his tastes, but the company must be warmed by his own charming fireside and moved by the spirit of congenial comradeship. It takes a good deal to get a New England man warmed up, but he is a whole furnace when he is once started. Mr. Burt's family is a delightful one. His wife is a daughter of the Hon. Andrew Prentice of Hebron, Conn., a most accomplished and beautiful woman, whose life is centered in her home and her three sons. They live in a beautiful home on one of the principal avenues in Brooklyn, N. Y., where the breathing spaces of lawn, on either side the handsome houses, speak of ample wealth and cultivated tastes. H. C. Faulkner. New York, April 2, i8gi. RECOLLECTIONS OF SOME LONGIWEADOW BSrTS. The four Nathaniel Burts in direct descent, representing the second, third, fourth and fifth generations, who lived in Long- meadow, indicate the esteem in which the name was held by the family, and the votes of the town which caused the erection of tablets to the memory of two of them, a desire to perpetuate their memories. The third Nathaniel Burt married Sarah Chapin of Chicopee, January ii, 1739, and the fourth and last of the male line in direct and unbroken descent, bearing the name of Nathaniel, married Experience Chapin, a daughter of Noah and Mary Wright Chapin of Somers, Conn., who was a daughter of Sergeant Judah Wright and Mary Hoyt of Deerfield. This Judah Wright was taken cap- tive by the Indians, with Mrs. Hoyt and her daughter. He had desired to marry Mary Hoyt before, but the mother did not approve of the match. His devotion to her during their captivity softened her heart, and on their release they were married. A brass kettle that was used in brewing beer at the time of the burning of the house in that attack on Deerfield was partially preserved. It wa^ found among the ruins after the captives returned. Experience, the widow of the last Nathaniel, left it in her will to the Deerfield family, and Mrs. Champney has told its interesting history in a pleasing story. The last Nathaniel Burt, and his wife Experience Chapin, had seven daughters, but no sons, all of whom married and reared families, one of them, Sylvia, Daniel Lombard, who was a leading man of his time and for many years postmaster at Springfield. Rev. Dr. Stephen Williams, who married the widow of Lieuten- ant Nathaniel Burt, after he was killed at Lake George, was the father of Ensign Samuel Williams, who had previously married her daughter Lucy. Their daughter Sarah was the second wife of " Parson Storrs," as he was familiarly called. A great-granddaughter of Lieutenant Nathaniel Burt, Eunice Lombard Edwards, well remembered Dr. Williams's sister Eunice, who remained in captivity and married an Indian, when she came with her children on a visit to Longmeadow, one of whom was the 498 THE BURT FAMILY. so-called " Dauphin." Lieutenant Burt's King James Bible, printed in 1740, is now in possession of Nathaniel Burt Davis, a young lad living at Cambridge, who is in the sixth generation from Lieuten- ant Nathaniel. This Bible has descended through two other grand- sons, each bearing the name of Nathaniel, and it is prized as a precious heirloom of a patriotic grandsire. The last Nathaniel Burt was taken as a hostage during " Shays' Rebellion," and carried to West Springfield. He was a large, heavy man and he made his captors carry him by force and put him in the wagon, when they took him prisoner. It is also said that he was at times afflicted with epileptic fits, but was never afterwards subjected to them, but one of his captors was, however, tormented with them during his lifetime. The leader, Alpheus Colton, wrote an humble and heartfelt apology to Nathaniel Burt, for the part he took in his capture, under date of January 30, 1787, acknowl- edging that he had " acted the part of a fool," but pleaded that he was a " hasty youth." " My design," he wrote, " in taking you was to exchange you for William Russell, as T told when I took you. but as soon as I got to West Springfield I felt a sorrow within, The next morning I went to Luke Day to get him to write your brother to make an exchange for William Russell, but his answer was ' No.' I repent of what I have done. It causes bitter repentings And sincere sorrow, and I pray you to overlook it if it be possible. * * * I humbly ask pardon from you and your whole family." The Longmeadow Burts, the descendants of Nathaniel, have all been patriotic men, ever ready to serve their country in the hour of peril. In every war for the defense of the principles on which this country was founded, there have been some of them foremost in the discharge of a duty. Among others in recent times was General Oliver Edwards, in the seventh generation from Nathaniel Burt, who went into the War of the Rebellion as adjutant and retired as Brevet-Major General. He served in the Army of the Potomac, and his relatives used to say of him, that " it was the Burt blood " which stirred him to patriotic duty. The Longmeadow burying ground must always be holy ground to those who have at least five great-grandfathers in direct succession resting there to remember. These incidents and the village itself, — beautiful and peaceful, — makes one's heart young with the memories of " Auld Lang Syne." THE TAUNTON BURTS. RICHARD AND JAMES BURT OF TAUNTON, MASS. AND SOME OF THEIR DESCENDANTS. BY FRANKLIN PRATT. The compiler of these notes is well aware of their incomplete- ness ; but as no genealogy of this branch of the Burt family has yet appeared in print, he takes advantage of the publication of this work, to supply a brief record of some of its earlier members, hop- ing that this partial account may be the basis of a complete geneal- ogy of the Taunton and Berkley Burts, sometime in the future. Most of the heads of families mentioned were farmers and iron workers, and all were sometime residents of Taunton, or Berkley, which, until 1735, was part of Taunton. Among the early settlers of Taunton were Richard and James Burt. Richard appears as one of the forty-six first purchasers in 1639, while James is first mentioned as surveyor of roads in 1645 ; but neither of them is on the military list of August, 1643. Various reasons for the latter fact may be surmised, but the most probable would seem to be that Richard was dead or disabled by sickness, and that James had not yet arrived. Mr. Savage, in his " Genealogical Dictionary," gives " James, probably son of Rich- ard," but we have sufficient reason for regarding them as brothers. The Plymouth Court Records give the following, October 26, 1647 : "The Courte ordereth, upon pet'con of Richard Burt the sonne of Richard Burt deceased, late of Taunton, that y= said Richard Burt shall mak choyse of his owne gardian ; & whearas he makes choyse of his vncle James Burt, to be guardian vnto him & to Hue w"' him during his minority, the Court app'ues of his choyse& confermes the same." SOO THE TAUNTON BURTS. We find Richard Burt among the 758 persons in Barbadoes, owning ten acres or more of land in 1638. We also find that James Burt, aged 13, sailed from London for Barbadoes in the Falcon, Thomas Irish master, April 14, 1635. Mr. Savage says that James Burt was in Newport in 1639. Whether these were the Taunton men we do not know, but it is not improbable that they came to New England by way of Barbadoes, as we know that many came to this country that way. In the British State papers, Colonial Calendar, suhdivision, America an{^ tAe West Indies, 1661- '68, §1657, it is stated that 1,200 persons who had formerly been proprietors or tradesmen had gone from Barbadoes to New England, between the years 1643 and 1647. Many others had gone from St. Christophers. — Ibid, §1212. In view of the interest now taken in family history, and of the investigations being made in England, as well as in this country, we may expect additional light upon the lives and actions of our first settlers, and hope that the time and manner in which Richard and James Burt left the place of their nativity and became resi- dents of Taunton, may clearly appear. JAMES BURT. James Burt, although not an original proprietor of Taunton, was here quite early, and was appointed surveyor of roads in March, 1645 ; also in 1654. He took the oath of fidelity in 1657, but does not appear to have been admitted as a freeman. He proba- bly was not wholly in accord with the prevailing religious opinions here, for we find that in 1648 or '49 he received a power of attor- ney from Francis Doughty, the minister, who was compelled to go away from Taunton for opposing the formation of the first church here, and for other misdemeanors. Mr. Doughty probably regarded James Burt as being more friendly to him than some others, and therefore authorized him to convey the land he owned here. It is also significant that several generations of James Burt's descend- ants were staunch adherents of the church of England. His home lands were on the westerly side of the Taunton river, and appear to have been the premises he purchased of Thomas Bray- man, which were the occasion of a singular lawsuit recorded in Plymouth Court Records, vol. 7, p. 74; October 4, 1655 : THE TAUNTON BURTS. 50I " James Burt complained against Thomas Brayman in an action of treaspas on the case, to the damage of fifty pound, for molesting and hindering him from imploying of an house and land bought of said Brayman. The jury find for the plaintife, and give him his bargaine, and thirty shillings dammage, and the cost of the suite, which comes to J. d. It. for witnesses, ■ 13 6 It. for the jury, Clark and Marshall, 9 o Judgment was graunted according to the verdict.'' These premises were at " Sandy Hill," and were described in 1681 as being "down below Mr. Brown's brook, on the southwest side of the cartway going to Thomas Lincoln's house, called Thomas Lincoln's cartway," now known as Highland street, and doubtless could be located at the present time. In the division of land in 1659, James Burt claimed upon his own -rights, and under the peculiar rule of " two acres to the lot, two acres to the head, and two acres to the shilling," he was entitled to and doubt-, less received thirty-eight acres, he having six heads in his family and paying twelve shillings rates or taxes. In 1668, he was one of the proprietors of the Taunton North Purchase, comprising the present towns of Easton, Mansfield and the larger part of Norton ; and of the South Purchase in 1672, consisting of the present town of Dighton. Of James Burt's domestic relations, our information is quite limited. From the Plymouth records we learn that Anna, wife of James Burt, died August 17, 1665, and we are unable to state anything further about her. The oldest son was James, born prob^ly in 1659. He also had a son Thomas, and a daughter Rachel, who married December 8, 1686, Aaron Knap of Taunton, and a daughter Hannah, who married Hathaway. The date of his death is unknown, but his will, a copy of which is given herewith, was presented at Court March 2, 1680, (O. S.) The place of his burial is probably, like that of many others of the first settlers, an unmarked grave in the old " Neck o'Land " bury- ing ground. WILL OF JAMES BURT. The Last Will and Testament of James Burt, Senr., exhibited to the Court held att Plymouth, in New England, the 2ond of March, Anno 502 THE TAUNTON BURTS. Dom. 1680, on the oath of John Smith of Taunton ; whoe alsoe testifyed before the Court on his oath that Samuell Smith, deceased, was another witness to the truth of this will. I being aged and taken sick, yett haveing my perfect memory, doe make my will as followeth; first, I comitt my soul to the Lord whoe gave it, and my body to the earth, to be decently buried ; and as for my outward estate I dispose of it as followeth : Item. — I give to my eldest son James my dwelling house and my house lott; and thirty-eight acrees of land; lying below the brook called Mr. Brownes brook, on the southwestsyde of the cart way goeing to Thomas Lincolns house, called Thom is Lincolns cartway, and a peece of land lying by the Three iVIile River, below the lower falls in a place called the Nutt Plaine, being about seaven acrees and an half; and I give to my son James my best bed and bedding and bedsteed ; Item. — I give unto my son Thomas my share of the last purchase below three mile River, and my meddow above Sapegegansett River, by the mouth of that river, being about one acree; and my meddow above three mile River on the southeast side of the Great River, with six acrees of land lying by it, and six acrees of plaine and three acrees of swamp lying little above the head of the six acrees, which lyeth by the meddow first mentioned, eastward, and half my share in the Iron works : I give to my son Thomas Item.^I give to my daughter Hannah one heiffer of yeer and vantage, Ridon white cullored, and half my household stuff. Item,— I give the other half of my household stuff to my daughter Rachell, and half my share in the Iron workes, and two cowes and one heiffer, of a yeer and vantage, and twenty-two acrees of land and meddow, lying by the three mile river at the place by the name of the twenty acree division ; and a peece of land lying between Peter Pitts, his land, and Thomas Harveye's meddow; called by the name of Thomas Mashes, being about ten acrees, all which I give to my daughter Rachell, and one bed and bedding. Iteai.— I give to my daughter Hannahs child, Jacob Hathwey,my share in the land called the North Purchase. Item.— I give to my son James my horse and one calf, and half my share in the undivided towne rights. Item.— I give to my son Thomas one calf and half my share in the un- divided towne rights, and all that I have heer given to my children I give to them and their heirs forever. Item.— I have made choise of Joseph Wilbore and Samuell Smith, to be overseers and to divide equally my household stuff, between my daugh- ter Hannah and my daughter Rhachell. James Burt, His X mark and seal. Signed and sealed in the presence of us, James Smith, John Smith. THE TAUNTON BURTS. 503 Plymouth, Mass., Mch. 23, 1893. The foregoing is a true copy from Plymoutli Colony Records, Vol 4, of Wills, Part i. Page 76, depositedin Plymouth County Registry of Deeds. Attest: Wm. S. Danforth, Reg. of Deeds. James^ Burt (James^,) was born about 1659 ; married September 2, 1685. Mary Thayer, daughter of Nathaniel Thayer of Taunton. Their children were : Sons: James^, b. 1686; lived on Highland street; d. March 29, 1774, in 88th year. Thomas^, b. 1689; d. March 29, 1774, in Ssthyear; (d. same day as older brother James). Nathaniel^ b. September, 1692 ; d. November 12, 1765, in 74th year. William^, b. 169- ; d. March 9, 1783; called the aged. — Godfrey Rec. Daughters : Mary, b. 1696; d. unmarried March 3, 1751, aged 55 years. Mehitabel, b. ; m. Babcock. Tabitha, b. ; m. Sprague. Abigail, b. Charity, b. James^ was one of the largest land owners in Taunton. His home farm at Sandy Hill was located on both sides of the great river, and each of his sons was settled on a farm of one hundred acres, or more. He had extensive tracts of meadow and swamp lands in various parts of the town, and salt marsh and other lands in adjoining towns. His will is dated July 5, 1733, and gives to his wife one half the income of the home farm for life ; to each of the three older sons, "all that tract of land whereon he now dwells both North and South ; " to his youngest son, William, one-half of the home farm, with the reversion of the other half, and the bal- ance of the estate not otherwise disposed of ; to " cusen William French, i cow ; " to each daughter £\o " in any good specie money excepted." He died June 10, 1743, age according to the gravestone " abovt " 84 years, and was buried in the Plain Ceme- tery. His wife doubtless was buried beside him, but the headstone of her grave is missing and the date of her death has not been ascertained. Thomas^ (James^) born ; died ; was of Swansea in 1690 and 1694, and of Dighton in 1717 ; married Jemima, daughter of William Phillips. 504 THE TAUNTON HURTS. James^ (James^ James\) born 1686 ; died March 29, 1774, in 88th year ; wife Mary died June 7, 1772, in her 82d year. Lived on High- land street on land conveyed to him by his father in 1716. Will dated March 29, 1773, mentions son James* as " only son." Daughters : Mercy* Burt, single woman. Molly* Gushee. wife of Ephraim Woodward. wife of Seekel. James' and his wife were buried in the Plain Cemetery. Thomas'' (James^ James\) born 1689 ; was among the first settlers on the Segregansett river, where a large tract of land was given him by his father.* His house was located on Burt street, which takes its name from the family. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel Axtell of Dighton, and granddaughter of Elder William Prattt of South Carolina. Their children were : Sons: Thomas*, b. 1733 ; d. July 28, 1800; known as " Long Thomas.'' Daniel*, b. 1735 ; d. October 5, 1802. Henry*, b. 1736; d. March 18, 1810. William*, removed to Bennington, Vt. Peter*, b. September 3, 1741 ; d. September 4, 1750. Daughter : Jemima, ; m. Abel Crane. Thomas^ died March 29, 1774, in his 85th year; wife Elizabeth died July 15, 1772, and they were buried in the Oakland Cemetery. * Previous to his settlement at Segregansett, his father, James?, had conveyed to him by deed of gift dated February 28, 1714-15— " half that lot of land in Taunton that was formerly ye lot and homestead of my father James Burt, of sd Taunton, deceased, on which my old Dwelling house now pulled down did stand, namely that half part of my fathers lot that lyes adjoining William Drakes land, and bounded on the easterly end by the path that is between this lot and ye Great River, and is to run northerly till it meet with other of William Drake at the head of a onely a path between them," and one other tract of land in Taunton containing by estimation eleven acres. April 27, 1726, Thomas Burt releases the deed of gift, "on the other side," "of h'^use orchard meadow " &c to his father, seemingly in exchange for, land at Segregansett. The foregoing deed enables us to locate the homestead of James Burt, senior ; and we think, indicates that " Thomas Lincoln's cartway," now Highland street, extended east- erly to the river. t WilUam Pratt was born 'in Weymouth in 1659 ; married Elizabeth Baker of Dor- chester in 1680, and had a daughter. Thankful, born Oct, +, 16S3. In 1695 he went with the church of Dorchester, under the leadership of Rev. John Lord, to South Carolina. In 1697 he was ordained ruling elder. " May 12, 1702, my daughter Thankful married Daniel Axtell." A few years later, both families returned to New Engjjand. Elder William Pratt died in Easton Jan. 13, 1713. ^ Daniel Axtell finally settled in Dighton (now Berk- ley) . He had ten children, of whom Elizabeth, who married Thomas Burt, was the eldest. THE TAUNTON BURTS. 505 Nathaniel' (James^, JainesS) born September, 1692; died November 12, 1765. He settled on Glebe street, about one mile west of the Three Mile river, at the head of Brushy plain. This section was then called Newton. The first grant of forty acres to James Burt^, in this locality, was laid out February 20, 1699 or 1700, and in 1714, land was laid out to him " Joining to his own land where his son Nathaniel's frame stands." This "frame "house was standing within the memory of many people now living, and was torn down by Mr. Allen B. Burt, about 1854. On this homestead is a place known as the "Anchor Forge," where Nathaniel Burt and his sons Abraham, Jacob and David, carried on general blacksmithing, and the making of anchors, water power being obtained from a small stream which runs through the farm. It is evident from the amount of " slag " thereabouts that an attempt was made to smelt iron ore. In his will, dated 1763, Nathaniel Burt gave his homestead to the above-named three sons, and it was held by them in common until August 20, 1783, when it was divided between Jacob and David, each receiving, by estimation, one hundred acres. Nathaniel Burt was a prominent supporter of the " Old England way of worship of God," and was one of the first wardens of the Church of St. Thomas, near the Three Mile river, which, although projected in 1728, was erected about 1738. He married Constant, daughter of Thomas Lincoln, gr. senior ; she was born 1696, died November 24, 1777. Their children were: Sons: Nathaniel*, oldest son, went to Mendham, Morris county, N. J., and appears to have had sons Nathaniel and Jacob. Abraham*, probably died at Canaan, Conn., unmarried. Isaac*, b. 1726; d. August 27, 1807. Jacob*, b. 173- ; removed to Canaan, Conn., about 1796, and probably died there. Thomas*, b. May 29, 1720 ; d. in Taunton, January 3, i8oi. David*, b. September 13, 1741 ; d. June 9, 1829. Daughters : Constant*, b. 1728 ; m. ist Captain Richard Cobb, 2d Benjamin King of Raynham. She died in Taunton, October 12, 1810, and is buried in the churchyard. Tabitha*, b. 1730 ; d. October 7, 1736, and is buried in Oakland Cemetery. Tabitha*, b. subsequent to October 7, 1736; m. (Elkanah ?) Tisdale. 506 THE TAUNTON HURTS. NathanieP was buried in the old St. Thomas churchyard near the Three Mile river, and on his gravestone is inscribed " He v(fas one of the first erectors of y" Church of St. Thomas in Taunton." His wife's stone gives her name as " Constance,'' but there is abundant evidence that " Constant " was her correct name. William^ (James^, James^) was the youngest son of James^-; inherited his father's homestead on Taunton river; he died March 9, 1783 ; was called " the aged " ; probably left no direct heirs, for in 1785 his nephews claimed rights in his estate. Thomas* (Thomas^ James^, James^,) born 1733 ; died July 28, 1800; lived on Burt street near where "y<= upper Bristol road or narrow passage " crosses the Segregansett river. This land was granted to James^ grandfather of Thomas*, November 10, 1702, in the following terms : "Granted to James Burt the remainder of his sixty acre division upon the easterly side of the Segittegansett river where the path leadeth over that goeth from Bristoll to Augustine Cobb's." This was the farm where the late Leonard Burt lived and died. Thomas* was a man of unusual size and strength, and was significantly called " Long Thomas," to distin- guish him from others of the same name. He married first, Molly Tisdale, who died October 5, 1774, in her 30th year; second, Zilpha Haskins, who survived him and died February 11, 1818, in her s8th year. His children were : Molly^ b. October 5', 1774; d. April 17, 1775. Thomas^, b. February 20, 1779. Molly^ b. May 28, 1780. Peter^, b. March 15, 1782 ; d. March 10, 1858. EzeraP (or Ezekial), b. June 18, 1784. Joseph^, b. June 11, 1786. Ebenezer^, b. July 15, 1788. Zilpha", b. October 4, 1790. Sibbil°, b. September 5, 1792. Thomas* and his two wives were buried in the Oakland Ceme- tery. Daniel* (Thomas", James'^ James\) born 1735; died October 5, 1802. He lived at his father's homestead on Burt street, which now (1893) forms part of the estate of the late George Walker, Esq.; wife Bettey, born 1738, died December 14, 182 1. Their children were : THE TAUNTON BURTS. 507 Son; Daniel^, ; went to New York and afterward to Ohio. Daughters : ThankfuP, b. 1765; m. Doctor George Walker; she died December i8, 1837. Betsey^, b. 1767 ; d. June 15, 1833, unmarried; was called " Tall Betty." His will is dated February 5, 1802 ; bequests are made to wife whose name is not given, and three children above mentioned ; brother Henry appointed executor. Henry* (Thomas^, James^, James\) born 1736 ; died March i8, 1810. He lived on Tremont street, near Rehoboth line; was a man of marked characteristics, prominent in public affairs and did considerable business in the Probate Courts. He married Sarah, daughter of Samuel Haskins, and had : Sons: SamueP, m. Olive, daughter of George Lincoln ; went to Westmore- land, N. H. Henry", m. Short; went to Westmoreland, N. H. Rufus^, b. 1764; d. September 23, 1839; a son^, b. ; d. October 16, 1878. Daughters : Elizabeth", married Benjamin Strobridge; went to Westmoreland, N. H. Sarah", b. May 25, 1766; d. July 8, 1861, aged 95 years, i month, 14 days ; was unmarried. Henry* and wife Sarah who died March 9, 1826, aged 88, were buried in the Oakland Cemetery ; son Rufus and daughter Sarah were also buried there. William*, (Thomas', James^, James\) is said to have gone to Bennington, Vt. ; married Ruth Robinson, and had sons, Job, William and Luther, who were baptized September i6, 1787. Isaac* (NathanieP, James^, James\) was born 1726; died August 27, 1807 ; married Marcy Codding ; lived on Glebe street, at a place once jocularly called " the City," the house standing on the north- erly side of the street, a little eastward of the house lately occupied by Damon A. Bullock. His children were : Isaac^ only son, b. November 10, 1755; d. December 11, 1822; andthree daughters, one m. Barney ; another m. Robinson. Isaac*, and wife Marcy who died September 4, 1808, were proba- bly buried in unmarked graves in the Oakland Cemetery. 508 THE TAUNTON BURTS. Jacob^ (NathanieP, Janies^ James\) born 173- ; married Janu- ary II, 1758, Betty, daughter of Nathaniel Cobb of Attleboro. He built a house at the " Anchor Forge " on his father's homestead about the time of his marriage, and appears to have lived there until about 1796. In 1783, August 20, this property was set off to him as his share in the homestead, comprising, by estimation, one hundred acres. April 19, 1796, he conveyed sixty acres more or less to David Witherell, and styled himself of Canaan, Litchfield county. Conn. This homestead, which includes the " Anchor Forge," is situated on Glebe street about one mile westerly from the Three Mile river. The forge and dwelling house stood about a quarter of a mile north or northwest from the street. These premises were owned by the late Dr. H. B. Wheelwright. In the absence of records and family papers, we can only conjecture the extent and prosperity of the work carried on here, but traditions of the social standing of the family, and the fact that the dwelling house was of superior character and finish, and that a number of relatives and neighbors of the family were employed there, indicate a considerable degree of prosperity. Jacob Burt was a churchman, and prominent in the affairs of the old St. Thomas Church, and he and wife Betty were sponsors for many of the children baptized there. His family record is brief. Their children were : Son: Abraham^, known as " Young Abraham." Daughters : Ruth^, baptized May 24, 1761. Tabatha", baptized April 12, 1764; m. Abiatha Hodges. Additional family history can probably be learned at Canaan, Conn. Thomas* (NathanieP, James^ James^,) b. May 29, 1720 ; died January 3, 1801 ; married December 7, 1758, Abigail Stephens of Dighton. Their children were : Son: John^, and perhaps other sons. ( A son died May, ij6!).— Godfrey Rec) Daughters: Ruths, . ui. Mason Eddy. Catharine'', ; m. Elkanah Tisdale. Polly^, ; m. Amos Rounds. THE TAUNTON BURTS. 509 For reasons easily conjectured he was usually called " Short Thomas." He was a churchman and was buried in the Church of England Yard. David* (NathanieP, James^, James\) was born September 13, 1741 ; died June 9, 1829; married Roby Clemens; born Septem- ber 2, 1753 ; died September i, 1842. Their children were : David^ b. 1782; d. February 7, 1843 ; lived in Salem, Mass. Nathaniel^, b. May 20, 1783; m. Betsey, daughter of Job Briggs; he d. June 3, 1855; she d. October 14, 1870, aged 86; had no children. James", b. August 2, 1785 ; d. October 20, 1828. Ruth", b. April c, 1780; d. May i, 1S69; unmarried, a Chalcedony^ (so recorded), b. 1789 ; m. Shapley ; d. July 28, 1841 David* was the youngest child of NathanieP, and at least twenty- five years younger than his brother Nathaniel. He went to sea in early life, and afterwards worked at Needham, Mass., making anchors, and also worked many years at the " Anchor Forge " with his brothers. He lived many years at his father's homestead on Glebe street, which with one hundred acres of land was set off to him in the division of August 20, 1783. He afterwards sold his estate and removed to Tremont street about half a mile west of Oakland, where he died. He was short of stature, but very en- thusiastic about " trip hammers " and heavy iron work. He was an earnest churchman, and was the last warden of the old St. Thomas Church. He and his wife were buried in the old church- yard near the Three Mile river. David' (David*, Nathaniel, James^, James^,) born 1782; died February 7, 1843 ; married Hawes. Their children were : David W."", b. March 10, 1813; d. March 12, 1884; unmarried. Sarah H.*', b. September, 1817; d. January, 1870; unmarried. David' and all his family died at Salem, Mass. James' (David*, NathanieP, James^, James\) born August 2, 1785 ; died October 20, 1828 ; married Florilla, daughter of Elisha and Hannah (Dean) Hall; she was born 1792 ; died October 16, 1847. Their children were : James D.", b. May 4, 1813 ; d. December 3, 1885 ; unmarried. Nathaniel B.^ b. October 12, 1817; d. May 14, 1870. Florilla H.^ b. November 3, 1814 ; m. Noah A. Pratt. Mary E.", b. July 8, 1821 ; d. September 6, 1838. 5IO THE TAUNTON BURTS. He was known as James Burt 2d. He and his wife were buried in the Oakland Cemetery. Peter^ (Thomas*, Thomas'*, James^, James-',) was born March 15, 1782 ; died March 10, 1858 ; married Lydia, daughter of Ebenezer Walker; she was born January 29, 1786 ; died December 23,1867. Their children were : Peter", b. December 7, 1807 ; d. June 6, 1883; m. Laura Taylor. Henry^, b. July 24, iSio; d. December 23, 1830. Leonard*^, b. February 15, 1814 ; d. August 4, 1888 ; m. Nancy (Adams) Churchill; no children. Benjamin", b. June 20, i8i6; d. March 2, 1888; m. ist Harriet F. Standish, 2d Elizabeth Warren. John", b. June 14, 1822 ; d. March 20, 1892 ; unmarried. ISAAC^ (Isaac*, Nathaniel^, James'-^, James-',) born November 10, 1755 ; died December 11, 1822 ; married Molly, daughter of Deacon Nathaniel Briggs ; she w^s born February 7, 1758. Their chil- dren were : Lydia", b. May 9, 1775 ; d. February 2, 1861 ; m. Seth Pratt. Polly", b. October 13, 1778; d. in Rehoboth ; unmarried. Allen", b. December 13, 1780; d. September 3, 1854; m. Clarissa Barney. Tabitha", b. February 12, 1782; d. October 10, 1858; m. Deacon James Bliss of Rehoboth. Lurana", b. March 27, 1786; d. December 24, 1865; m. Joseph Dunbar. Royal", b. July 10, 1788 ; d. Januarj' 28, 1862 : unmarried. Simeon", b. November 14, 1790; d. in Providence, R. L Sylvester", b. November 30, 1793; d. August 23, 1869; m. Spinney. Thomas^ (Thomas*, Thomas'', James''', James\) born February 20, 1779; died in Berkley. Will dated August 30, 1837; mentions wife Prudence. Sons: Thomas", Daniel", John 0.", and Silas S." Daughters: Louisa", wife of Ebenezer Macomber. Emmeline", wife of John C. Crane. Salina". Thomas and Daniel appointed executors. RuFUS* (Henry*, Thomas", James'^ James^) born 1764; died September 23, 1839; married Matilda Lincoln, who died Novem- ber 18, 1850, in her 85th year. Their children were : THE TAUNTON BURTS. SH Sons : Thomas^, b. 1792 ; d. 1881 ; m. Elizabeth Harvey, b. 1792 ; d. 1870. Leonard^, b. April 25, 1798; d. January 8, 1863 ; m. Maiieta , b. 1803; d. 1884. Daniel'', b. 1803 ; d. December 13, 1857 ; wife Eliza A. d, November 26, 1884, aged 75. Rufus^, ; went to sea, d. on voyage to Japan. Mace^, ; d. young. Daughters : Matildas, ; m. Philip Short of Attleboro. Narcissa^, b. June 5, 1806 ; d. March 8, 1870 ; m. John Pratt. Rufus' lived in Rehoboth, near Taunton line. He and wife Matilda and the three sons first named were buried in the Oakland Cemetery. Nathaniel B.^ (James^ David^ NathanieP, James^, James\) born October 12, 1817; died May 14, 1870; married Diana P. Lucas of Quincy ; she died September 28, 1890. Their children were : Emma', d. in infancy. Anna E.', b. 1852 ; d. May, — 1873. Nathaniel H.', b. 1858. Nathaniel B. Burt was educated at the Bristol Academy, and taught school in Taunton several years. About 1845 or '46, he was employed as messenger by Witherell & Go's Express, and in about a year became a member of the company, and was an expressman on the Old Colony and Cape Cod railroad until his death. He was energetic and capable. One of his friends once said, in the hearing of the writer, that he was " the smartest business man ever raised in the west part of Taunton." He made considerable money and lost some; was worth about $75,000 when he died. He lived generously, spent freely, and died early. He lived many years at Hyannis (Barnstable), Mass., died and was buried there. Allen* (Isaac^ Isaac*, NathanieP, James^ James^) born Decem- ber 13, 1780; died September 3, 1854; married Clarissa Barney and had three sons and two daughters. Their children were : Bildad', b. June 7, 1807; d. July 22, 1877 ; m. Roxana De an. Edwin', ; went to Connecticut. AllenB.',b. September 5,1816; d. Januarys, 1889; m. ist Almaria Arnold, and 2d P. Maria Morse. Clarissa', b. March 18, 1809; d. February 13, 1861 ; m. Cyrus Leonard, Harriet', b. ; d. ; m. Bradford Washburn. 512 THE TAUNTON BURTS. Allen'*, and wife Clarissa who died June 30, 1855, were buried in the Oakland Cemetery. Simeon** (Isaac^ Isaac^ NathanieP, James^ James\) was born November 14, 1790; married ist Esther Sisson of Westport, and 2d Bathsheba (Luscomb) Wilbur of Taunton. Their children were : Sons ; George', b. ; d. Leander', b. ; d. in the civil war. Zelotes', b. ; d. October, i88g. Andrew', b. Daughters ; Marys b. ; m. John P. Merrick. He d. January, 1890. She d. several years previous. They lived in New Bedford. Jane", b. ; m. Lee and went west. Emily", b. Simeon'' lived many years in Providence, R. I., and died there. RICHARD BURT. Richard Burt was one of the first purchasers, some of whom came from Dorchester, in the Massachusetts Colony and settled at Cohan- net in Plymouth Colony, about the year 1639.* He was the owner of eight shares in this company, and was doubtless accompanied by his family, but he has left only a few leaves for a biography. We may be reasonably sure that he and his son Richard, born in 1629, were living in this place March 3, 1639-40, when the Plymouth Court passed the brief order, " That Cohannet shall be called Taunton." Of his family we can state nothing further, and of him- self, only that he took the oath of fidelity, and that he died previous to October 26, 1647, at which time his minor son Richard made choice of a guardian. Richard- (Richard^) born 1629, died in September or October, 1685. He was one of the number who had taken the oath of fidelity in 1657 ; was a surveyor of highways in 1658; was consta- ble in 1667 ; was a freeman in 1670 ; was a proprietor of the North * The year 1637 is the commonly accepted date of the settlement of Cohannet ; but there are reasons for thinking that a few of the first comers commenced a settlement in another place in 1637, but united with the larger body ot settlers upon their arrival at Cohannet in 1638 or 1639. It is expected that Rev, S. H. Emery, D. D., in his forthcoming History of Taunton will throw some light upon this question. THE TAUNTON BURTS. 513 Purchase in 1668, and of the South Purchase in 1672 ; was chair- man of committee of twelve that laid out the highway from the " Ware " to Assonet Neck, nth of May, 1672. He had a " whome lott " at the weir, but his dwelling house and farm were on the easterly side of the Taunton river, in what is now Berkley, described as being between the " Ware " and " the farms." He must have abandoned his farm in 1675, as did the other inhabit- ants along the river, when the Indian war broke out, and this perhaps is the reason that he had a home at the weir. In the division of land in 1659, he drew 46 acres, paying i8s 2d rates and having four heads in his family. His wife's name was Charity, and his children's names are given in the Proprietors' Records, as follows : Abil^, b. December 5, 1657. Mary^, b. about May 15, 1661. Richard^, b. about June 21, 1663. Joseph^, b. about May 15, 1666. Ebenezer^, b. about May 15, 1669. John^, b. about August 21, 1671. Ephraim^, b. February 27, 1674. Abigail^, b. January 28, 1676. His will, of which an abstract is here given, does not mention his son John. It is dated September 7, 1685, and was proved October 29 of the same year. His widow Charity died June 3, 17 1 1, aged 76, and was buried at Neck o'Land. He was probably buried at the same place, but no stone marks the spot. The last will and testament of Richard Burt, aged 56 years, or thereabouts, being sick and weak but yet being in his right senses, and having his perfect memory, upon this 7th day of September, 1685, doth will as followeth : Item. — I give to my eldest son Able a certain tract of land lying on the east side of Taunton River, extending from the said river eastward unto the highway, which goeth down to the farms, and betwixt the land of James Walker and the land of Thomas Buit; this I give to him the said Able Burt and to his heirs forever; also I give to my son Able Burt half my purchase right to him and to his heirs forever. Item. — I give to my son Richard my house and all my land adjoining to the same, lying and being betwixt the Great River and the highway that goeth down to the farms, to him the said Richard and to his heirs for- ever, only my beloved wife shall enjoy the said house and land during her 514 THE TAUNTON BURTS. lifetime ; also I give to my son Richard my division of salt meadow lying at a place called lowsey cove, to him and to his heirs forever. Item. — I give to my son Joseph a piece of land and meadow, the meadow called by the name of Apes' meadow, lying on the east side of the old Island Path, meadow and land adjoining to it about twenty acres, together with a division of land lying upon a plain at the southwest corner of the aforesaid land, on the east side of the old Island Path, containing about 16 acres; this I give to my son Joseph and to his heirs forever; also my other half purchase right I give to my sons Richard and Joseph and to their heirs forever. Item. — I give to my son Ebenezer my whome lott at the ware, together with my Rumford division of upland and meadow, to him and to his heirs forever. Item. — I give to my sons Joseph and Ephraim my North Purchase, to be equally divided betwixt them, to them and to their heirs forever. Item. — I give to my daughter Mary my South Purchase, being the 14th lot to her the said Mary and to her heirs forever. Item. — I give to my daughter Abigail ten pound to be paid to her at her marriage day. I make my beloved wife my sole executrix. Richard Burt. Witnesses, John Hall, Joseph French. Oct. the 29, 1685, John Hall and James Leonard, Jr., appeared before the Court and made oath that they saw Richard Burt sign the will. Charity Burt presented the inventory of her husband. ( John Hall, Inventory by ] Joseph French, ( Peter Walker. Abel** (Richard^, Richard^) born December 5, 1657 ; died June 1711 ; married June 26, 1685, Grace, daughter of Henry Andrews of Taunton. She died September 19, 1709, aged 43. Their chil- dren were : Seth*, oldest son, born 16S6; d. 1761. Abels Joseph*, Josiah*, and Jotham*, and daughters Priscilla*, and Miriam^ were all under age in 1711. AbeF -was a prominent man in public affairs and engaged in many kinds of business. He owned a sawmill and a tannery. One of his undertakings is indicated by the following grant: December 11, 1685, "The town granted to Abel Burt six acres of swamp, of which three acres were in lieu of three acres formerly granted to his father, and the other three acres the town doth give THE TAUNTON BURTS. 5 15 to the said Abel Burt in way of gratification, in the consideration of his loss in his bargain about plastering the meeting-house." In 1696 we find him engaged in laying out and making a plan of the "Bear Swamp."' In 1703 he, with his brother Ephraira, Samuel Bradford and John Tisdale, purchased of Maj. William Bradford of Plymouth, a large tract of land known as the " Bradford Claim,"* for the sum of £^0. Although their title was disputed by the pro- prietors of Taunton, they seem to have substantially maintained their rights. He was a Deputy Sheriff, and was involved in a controversy at law with Capt. Thomas Coramf, a shipbuilder on the Taunton river. The paucity of the records makes it difiicult to arrive at a satisfactory understanding of these suits at law. In several cases tried before Justice Thomas Leonard, and in the Inferior Court of Common Pleas, judgments were given against Captain Coram, but on an appeal authorized by the General Court of the Province, March 12, 1701, two suits of Thomas Coram vs. Abel Burt, Deputy Sheriff, for trespass, came up for trial at the July term of the Superior Court in 1701. One of these suits was "barred." Apparently upon the other suit Coram recovered judgment against Burf, and levied upon his farm, taking about fifty-nine acres. December 28, 1703, Captain Coram conveyed this land to the vestrymen of the Church of England in Boston, subject to a peculiar condition. " Provided always .... that if ever here- * The Bradford Claim extended from Norton to Swansea, and was bounded on the east by Taunton and Dighton, and on the west by Rehoboth. t Captain Coram, born at Lyme-Regis, Dorsetshire, Eng , in i66S, was a shipbuilder in Boston, 1693-1699, and in Taunton (now Dighton) from 1699 to 1703. He afterwards re- turned to England and was a purveyor to the Royal Navy, and an adviser to the Lords of Trade, in colonial matters. In 1739, after some years of effort, he obtained a charter of incorporation for the Foundling Hospital in London. In 1742 he procured and sent to the Churches of England in this country a large number of books, some for use in the churches, and others for distribution among the members, one of which is now in posses- sion of the writer. He was a man of broad and generous impulses, but an intense church- man, and, like many others of his time, had little consideration for dissenters. The Burts, Abel, John and Ephraim, and the Walkers and PhiUipses who furnished him with ship-timber and supplies, were men of means and of strong characters, and were deter- mined to have their dues. The clashing between the two parties cu^inated in at least one personal encounter, together with fourteen law-suits. Captain Coram left a character- istic account of the wrongs and injustice he suffered at the hands of the " generation of vipers," a copy of which has been obtained by Bishop William F. Perry, the historian of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Also see sketch of Captain Coram in a paper read before the Old Colony Historical Society, by Hon, Charles A. Reed, April 7, 1S79, and published in No. 2 of the Society's Collections. 5l6 THE TAUNTON BURTS. after the inhabitants of the town of Taunton above said should be more civilized than they now are, and if they should incline to have a Church of England built among them," the vestrymen were authorized to convey part or the whole of this land for a church or a school in connection therewith. Probably Abel Burt and his son Seth, to whom he gave by will all his real estate, continued to improve this land for about fifty years. By deed dated November 22, 1753, Seth Burt conveyed to Stephen Burt sixty-five acres of land with a dwelling house thereon, built by said Stephen, which must have included the fifty-nine acres which Thomas Coram conveyed to the vestrymen of King's Chapel, in 1703. The vestrymen brought suit by writ of entry against Stephen Burt in 1754, but the case was settled by their suffering a recovery against them, and giving a quit-claim deed, upon the pay- ment of ;^ioo current money by Stephen Burt. This deed was dated September 26, 1754, and conveys " y' before described land and its appurtenances y^ same in his actual possession now being." The ^100 was, by vote of the vestrymen, devoted to the rebuilding of King's Chapel, Boston. Captain Coram died in London in 1751, and was buried beneath the chapel of the Foundling Hospital which he founded. The board-room is ornamented by paintings of cele- brated artists, and among them are three by Hogarth, — a full life-size portrait of Captain Coram, painted in 1740, "Moses before Pharaoh's Daughter," and "The March to Finchly." Of one of them Hogarth wrote : " The portrait which I painted with most pleasure, in which I particularly wished to excel, was that of Captain Coram for the Foundling Hospital." The portrait printed in connection with this sketch is after this painting. The will of Abel Burt is dated May 31, 17 11, and was proved June 30, of the same year. It gives to his sons Abel, Joseph, Josiah and Jotham, ;^2 5 each, and to daughters Priscilla and Miriam, ;^2o each, and allows the executor five years' time to pay them after they come of age. " As to my children that are small and under age, my son Seth is to take care and provide for them." " My sister Mary is to have the privilege to live in the great room in the east end of the house." Son Seth is made sole executor, and is given all lands, stock, movables, rights, etc., and is to pay all debts and legacies. After a Fainting by Hogarth. CAPTAIN THOMAS CORAM. 5l8 THE TAUNTON HURTS. £ S. f Leather and Hides, 4 19 Items in Inventory \ A Saw Mill, 8 o ( That tract of land purchased of Maj. Bradford, 5 o Richard^ (Richard^, Richard^) born "about" June 21, 1663; married ist February 18, i68s-'86, Eunice Leonard; married 2d Margaret . He sold the homestead given him by his father, to his brother Abel, by deed dated May 29, 1703, subject to the life interest of his mother. Charity Burt, and was at this time of Newtown in Queens county, on perhaps Nassau (?) Island. Joseph^ (Richard^, Richard-',) born "about" May 15, 1666. His estate was administered upon by his brother Abel in 1699, when it appeared that, " Whereas Joseph Burt of Taunton went a voyage to sea and hath not been heard of for the space of about four years." He owned fifty acres of land on Macomber's brook, with a house thereon, and twenty acres near Assonet river. JOHN^ (Richard^, Richard^) born " about^' August 21, 1671; died ; married . Their children were : Sons: Richard*, m. Sarah, daughter of Abel Burt. 1 John', d. early, leaving two daughters. Charity and Abigail. • Daughters: Sarah*, m. Joseph Dean. Margaret*, m. George Townsend. Abigail*, m. William Thayer, Jr. Dorothy*, m. Nathaniel Walker. *, m. Abiel Atwood. Hannah*, "a non compos." His will was dated August 15, 1752, "in the advanced years of my age,^' and proved June 29, 1767. Ebenezer^ (Richard^, Richard^) born "about" May 15, 1669; died May 29, 1724; married 1st Lydia Tappan, who died June 7, 1718; married 2d February 27, 1723-24, Mary Pettis. Their children were : Sons: Ebenezer*, b. ; d. September 2, 1769. Jonathan*, b. ; m. May 24, 1739, Rachel Briggs. Bartholomew*, b. September 19, 1717 ; killed in French and Indian war. Ephraim*, he or his nephew of the same name d. October 30, 1773. — Norton Record. THE TAUNTON BURTS. 519 Daughters : Lydia*, b. ; m. Cooper. Bethiah*, b. ; m. Capron. Mary*. Submit, b. November 23, 1724 ; (a posthumous child). Administration was granted at Bristol, July 26, 1724, to Mary Burt, widow, and Ebenezer Burt, son of Ebenezer Burt, late of Norton, deceased. In an account allowed July 24, 1726, the widow prays for allowance of her " charges of lying in with a posthumous child after death of y= father." The following extract of a division deed dated December i, 1738, gives some family history, and also indicates certain changes in names, which time has wrought. " Ebenezer Burt & Jonathan Burt of Norton, yeomen, & Bartholemy Burt of Dedham, Cordwiner, (all three being children of Ebenezer & Lidea Burt,) late of Norton, we being joint tenants of a tract of land in Norton where our said father built a house and dwelt, it being the tract of land which our hon^ grandfather Bartholemy Tippeng of Taunton, dec'd, gave to our said mother, and we said Ebenezer, Jonathan & Bartholemy, having bought our brother Ephraim Burt's right in said land, and our sisters Lidea Coopers & Bethiah Caprons and Mary Burts right in s'^ tract,'' agree, etc. Ebenezer^ was one of the early settlers of Norton, and was buried in the " Common " cemetery. Ephraim^ (Richard^, Richard\) born February 27, 1674; died November 5, 1704. He married and had a daughter Phebe*, married Samuel Pearce. He with his brother Abel and two others, purchased the "Bradford Claim" in 1703. These four agreed to admit Samuel Danforth into partnership upon pay- ment of £4. 2S 6d, and the agreement was drawn up in writing, but the signing and sealing thereof was prevented by the sudden death of Ephraim Burt. In the subsequent confirmation of this partner- ship, the rights of his daughter Phebe and of an unborn child were fully recognized.* He was buried in the Neck o'Land burying ground, aged 31, according to the gravestone. Abel^ (AbeP, Richard^ Richard^) born 1692 ; died November 16, 1766 ; married Sarah, daughter of Thomas Briggs of Taunton. Their children were : *In the division of a part of the Bradford Claim, March lo, 1734, Samuel Pearce and wife Phebe, in right of said wife, appear as the owners of the 2d lot. 520 THE TAUNTON BURTS. Sons: Abels. George", b. 1727 ; d. January 8, 1804. Abner^. Daughters: Sarah^, m. Richard Burt. Phebe^, m. Lincoln. His will, dated September 10, 1766, gives "all my real estate in Berkley " and five acres of land in Taunton, to his son Abner, and makes him sole executor. He was known as Lieutenant Abel Burt, and was buried at Neck o'Land. Ebenezer* (Ebenezer^, Richard^, Richard^) of Norton, born ; died September 2, 1769, aged 57 or 67 years; married March 12, 1734-35, Naomi (Campbell) Acors ; she was born November i, 1727 ; died February 26, 1794. Their children were: Sons: EbenezerS, b. January 14, 1736-7 ; m. December 30, 1762, Abigail Bassett. Moses^, b. April 29, 1740; d. May 18, 1740 (twin). Ephraim^, b. January 16 (or June 16), 1741-2. Joseph^, b. April 24, 1746. Daughters : MarcyS, b. February 10, 1735-6 ; d. February 26, 1796. Mary*, b. April 29, 1740 (twin) ; m. Bassett. Naomi*, b. February 27, 1743-4; " hung herself July 7, 180S." Sarah*, b. March 6, 1751. Ebenezer* was buried in the " Common " cemetery, with head- stone scarcely legible. Bartholomew* (Ebenezer^, Richard^ Richard\) of Norton, born September 19, 1717 ; married Abigail . Their children were : Sons: Jonathan*, b. November 16, 1743. William*, b. June 28, 1745 ; d. November 17, 1832, aged 87 years. David*, b. November 16, 1747 ; d. December 7, 1748. Benjamin*, b. June 14, 1752. John*, b. August 7, 1757. David*, b. July 11, 1759. Daughter: Lydia*, b. August 28, 1749. The inscription on the gravestone of a grandson of our subject. THE TAUNTON BURTS. 521 who bore the same name, states that he, Bartholomew*, was " killed in the French war." It is evident that the French and Indian war (1756-1763) must have been the one in which he lost his life. William'^ (Bartholomew*, Ebenezer^ Richard^, Richard^) of Nor- ton, born June 28, 1745 ; married January ii, 1770, Prudence Lin- coln, born April 7, 1754, daughter of Elkanah and Lydia Lincoln. There children were : William'', b. December 10, 1775. Ebenezer^, b. September 16, 1779. Lincoln^, b. June 25, 1781 ; d. July 16, 1797. Benjamin", b. January 17, 1784; d. June 18, 1787. Bartholomew^, b. March 30, 1786; m. Betsey Woodward; d. July 4, 1846. Daniel^ b. January 4, 1781. Prudence", b. January 29, 1771. Olive", b. April 23, 1773; m. December 22, 1808, Beriah Willis; d. Nov- ember 26, 1 82 1. Abigail", b. September 18, 1778; d. March 8, 1852, aged 52 years. — Aorton Record. Martha", b. February 26, 1789. Polly", b. August 22, 1793. William^ was a justice of the peace, and a prominent man ; he died November 17, 1832, aged 87 years. George^ (Lieutenant Abel*, AbeP, Richard^, Richard\) born 1727; died January 8, 1804, in 78th year; married Susanna, daughter of Nathaniel Lincoln of Taunton ; she died October 2, 1818. Their children were : George", b. ; d. May 24, 1794, leaving heirs. John", b. ; d. previous to 1804, leaving heirs. Alvin", b. May 15, 1761 ; m. Wealthy Austin ; b. February 14, 1763; was in Petersham, Mass., in 1792; d. at Taunton July 19, 1841. Samuel", b. ; d. February 25, 1800; his wife d. October 22, 1797. Susanna", ; m. William Cobb. Sarah", b. July 1752; m. Enos Lincoln October 29, 1771 ; d. at Petersham, Mass., October 22, 1825. He was b. September 17,1747; d. May 6, 1819. Tamar", ; m. George Cobb. He settled on the easterly side of Norton avenue in Taunton, about 1757, on part of the farm of his grandfather, Thomas Briggs, having bought the rights of two of his mother's sisters. His will dated January 6, 1804, gives %\ to each of the above-named chil- 522 THE TAUNTON BURTS. dren, or to their heirs, and all the rest of his estate to wile Susanna. He was buried in the Oakland Cemetery. Abnef<= (Lieutenant Abel*, Abel^ Richard^, Richard\) of Berk- ley^ b. ; d. ; married Mary Dean. Their children were : Sons: Abner«, b. ; d. ; had two wives; m. second, January 2, 1793, Mary, widow of David Dean of Taunton; she was b. 1761; d. July II, 1836. He was Adjutant Third Regiment from 1795 to i8io. David*. Abel». Darius''. Shadrack*. Dean*, b. 1779; m. May 29, 1806, Polly Crane of Berkley; d. May 24, 1856; she died December 25, 1855, aged 77 years. He was Deputy Sheriff many years. Daughters: Sarah*. Tryphena*. Diadema*. Priscilla*, m. Wetherell. His will, dated September 9, 1805, and proved January 2, 182 1, gives " all my homestead farm and buildings, and all my woodland in Berkley and in Taunton to sons David and Abel." Rev. Ebenezer^ (Ebenezer*^, Ebenezer*, Ebenezer", Richard^, Richard^) was born in Norton, Mass., March 9, 1766. He joined the old Baptist church in 1780. August 29, 1794, he was licensed to preach by the Baptist church of Dighion, and preached in this vicinity until November 2, 1796, when he removed to Hardwick, and gathered a society in the southwest part of that town, where he was ordained as an evangelist June 20, 1797, standing upon a great rock. A church was organized in 1806, and he was installed the pastor and remained until November, 1846, when he preached his half-century sermon. From July, 1845, ^^ 185 1, he resided at Ware village, from thence he removed to Athol village, where he says, " I am suffered to live yet." He preached occasionally after he was ninety years old. Whole number of sermons about 4,975. He married November 19, 1789, Lucy Stacy of Taunton, and they had seven children. He died November 25, 1861, aged 95 years, 8 months, i6 days, and was buried beside his wife at Hardwick. WILLIAM AUSTIN BURT. WILLIAM AUSTIN BURT— 1792-1 8 5 8. [Taunton Line, Seventh Generation; William Austin'', Alvin', George*, Lieut. Abel*, Abel^, Richard^, Richard^.] Inventor of the Solar Compass — Pioneer in Michigan — Discoverer of the Mineral Wealth of the Peninsular State. William Austin Burt was born on Wednesday, June 13, 1792, at Petersham, Worcester county, Mass. His father was Alvin Burt and his mother's maiden name was Wealthy Austin. They either moved from Taunton to Petersham, or their parents did so, as Taunton was the point where the Burts and Austins settled on coming to the New World from England about 1634. Scotch and English blood mingled in the veins of the subject of this sketch. When he was about six years of age, his parents moved from Petersham to Montgomery county, N. Y. In the. midst of un- cleared lands and sparse settlements, the new home became one of hardships and privation. The boy William grew apace, physically and mentally, developing innate longings for knowledge and me- chanical aptitudes. He learned before this home was abandoned for another farther west, how to work, how to apply himself and to know the meaning of self-help. He attended a distant school six weeks, and never afterward had any other educational advantages than such as a decided and determined person will seek and make use of, along life's rugged way, whenever and wherever he may. It chanced that one, Thomas Brown, in earlier years a teacher in some college in Scotland, settled in Montgomery county, near Alvin Burt's. He soon noticed the bright and eager lad, and be- came interested in the development of his active and studious mind. He had books which he loaned the boy, and in the com- prehension of which he generously instructed him. When about twelve years of age, William contrived a convenient book-holder, 524 THE TAUNTON HURTS. by means of which he carried on his reading and studies while engaged in making shingles. This was a youthful illustration of a lifetime relish for study and avidity for knowledge and of his con- scientious discharge of duty, as well as of that inventive faculty which has made his name familiar to the civil engineering world. In these earlier years and in a home unblessed by affluence, many evenings found him studying and reading, by the blaze of pine knots in the great fireplace, the mathematical and scientific books of Mr. Brown. And now the family moved to Erie county, N. Y., not far from Buffalo. William was a youth of seventeen, having the skill of a man with tools. This fact led to ready employ- ment. Having arrived at man's estate and accumulated some means, he married, on July 4, 18 13, Phoebe Cole, daughter of John Cole, a prominent and influential citizen of Erie county. The young couple settled in Wales, about twenty miles from Buffalo. During the war of 1812, young Burt served for sixty days in the New York militia, and was in the invading army that crossed over into Canada. In the spring of 1814, he served for a second time of sixty days, being stationed at Buffalo. About this time he had some unfavorable mercantile experience in partnership with his father-in-law. It was at a time when goods were transported by wagon from Albany, and when common prints retailed in Buffalo at fifty cents per yard, and when a yard of poor factory cloth cost the labor of chopping two cords of wood. He abandoned this business and resumed mechanical work, in com- pany with a brother-in-law, John Allen. They engaged in the building of flouring and sawmills. Mr. Burt was honored by his neighbors with the offices of justice of peace, town clerk and school inspector, and in 1818 received appointment as postmaster. He had a strong desire to see and know something of the far West. In the year 1817 he made a trip, by all the then known means of travel — on foot, by canoe, on horseback, by sailing vessel — going via Chautauqua lake, Alleghany river, Pittsburgh, Marietta, O., Vincennes, Ind., to St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. He returned to Vincennes and from there his route led through Fort Harrison, Fort Wayne, Fort Defiance, Fort Meigs, the M:aumee, Detroit and over Lake Erie to Buffalo. The trip was accomplished in eighty-one days, more time than is required now for a journey ■IHE TAUNTON BURTS. 525 around the world. He kept an exceedingly interesting journal of the trip. At Marietta, O., he found iron selling for ^12 per 100 pounds. From Fort Harrison to Massas-souce town, a large Indian village, the distance was one hundred and forty miles. In this distance, no white man was met. The Indians were found to be friendly. In 1822 he made a second trip, this time to Michigan Territory, in search of a new home for his family. He had letters of intro- duction from prominent men in Buffalo, to General Lewis Cass and General Woodbridge of Detroit. A warm and lasting friendship afterwards sprang up between General Cass and himself. While in the territory, he constructed several mills. Later in the season he came upon the land, described as the southwest quarter of Section 31, in the present township of Washington, in Macomb county, which he purchased, and the deed for which bears date November 27, 1822, and the signature of James Monroe, president. After this purchase, he returned to his home in New York, going on foot through Canada, a journey of eight days. He spent most of the year 1823 in Michigan Territory, in building operations. In May, 1824, he moved his family to Michigan, but did not get into his new log house until late in the fall of that year. In the fall of 1826, he was elected a member of the territorial legislature or council. In the season of 1828 he contracted to build a mill at Dexter. His tools, himself and a neighbor, also a barrel of good whisky, were taken by wagon across the country. The whisky is mentioned as indicating the esteem in which even good Christian men held that beverage in those days. It was for use at the mill raising, imparting, as supposed, good will and hearti- ness for the work in hand. Mr. Burt himself was a temperance man, however, in the matter of drinking, as in all else. While at Dexter, there occurred an incident worthy of note. Mr. Burt was a Free Mason. The mysterious disappearance of William Morgan about that time led to much discussion of the principles and practices of Masonry. By some means, a public discussion was brought about between Judge Dexter and Mr. Burt, in the school-house. Judge Dexter had recently apostatized from the fraternity. In his speech, Mr. Burt made a palpable hit when, in referring to this, he appealed to the audience to determine, if they 526 THE TAUNTON EURTS. could, " at what time it was when he (Dexter) was the honest man : Was it when he voluntarily took an obligation to abide by and sus- tain the order, or was it when he violated that obligation and de- nounced it ? " From this moment he had the audience with him. He was the first master of the Stony Creek Lodge, the third lodge organized in Michigan Territory. In 183 1 Mr. Burt was elected surveyor for Macomb county, serv- ing three years in that capacity. Meantime Governor Porter ap- pointed him district surveyor. On January 14, 1833, he was ap- pointed postmaster of Mount Vernon post office, kept at his own residence, which office he retained for many years. On April 23, 1833, he was appointed Associate Judge, from which circumstance he was ever after called " Judge " Burt. On Novem- ber 23, 1833, while engaged in the construction of a mill near Mount Clemens, he received the appointment of United States deputy surveyor. From this time, until retirement from active work, about the year 185 1, he devoted all his energies to the public land survey. This was an object he had long sought and for which he was thoroughly qualified. His first work in this line was in subdividing several townships to the westward of the present village of Lex- ington, Mich. In 1834 he made survey of a railroad line from De- troit to Ypsilanti — so far as known — the first line surveyed in th e territory for that purpose. In September following, he and one of his sons entered upon a three-months' survey for a railroad from Detroit to the mouth of the St. Joseph river. Next followed a large contract for public land surveys in the vicinity of Milwaukee, Wis. Under date of October 8, 1834, M. T. Williams, Surveyor Gen- eral of the Northwest Territory, wrote to Senator Lucius Lyon, as follows : " Your friend, Mr. Burt, proves to be an excellent sur- veyor ; for a first contract, he has returned the most satisfactory work I have yet met with." In all his public surveys he had as assistants one or more of his sons, John, Alvin, Austin, Wells and William, all of whom became, under his efficient instruction, skilled surveyors. He employed also other young men, sons of his neigh- bors, some of whom gained enviable reputations as land surveyors. He inspired them all with the same energy, skill and precision which characterized himself. It is frequently remarked on the part of later surveyors, with what accuracy all his surveys and those of THE TAUNTON BURTS. 527 his sons and protegees were accomplished. It is only recently, that one of the professors of civil engineering in the University of Wisconsin was heard to say that as a civil engineer William A. Burt stood at the head. April 4, 1838, he was appointed commissioner of interval improve- ments. Many Utopian schemes failed of attempted realization during his incumbency of this office, because of his practical methods of considering them. His extensive correspondence while holding this office led to his invention of a typewriter, the first thing of the kind in this country. Its work was finely done, but too slow of execution ; in any event, too far ahead of the times for general or profitable adoption. The model was burned when the Patent office was destroyed by fire, but cuts of the machine are in existence, and description of the same. On January 14, 1840, Mr. Burt was deputized to survey the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and to connect therewith the geological sur- vey then in progress under Dr. Douglass Houghton. This work required the services of Mr. Burt and his sons about ten years. It was while engaged therein, that he discovered and reported on fourteen deposits of iron ore. He wrote his wife, July 11, 1846 : " We have found five very extensive beds of iron ore, of an excel- lent quality; enough, I think, if worked, to build a railroad around the world." Dr. Houghton met with a sudden death by drowning. The labor of preparing the geological report of the survey there- upon fell to Judge Burt. It is published in Part 3, Executive Documents No. i, of the 31st Congress, first session, and bears testimony to the thorough character of his knowledge and work. It is as the inventor ,of the solar compass, that Judge Burt is more widely known. Without this instrument he could not have made the surveys in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, nor could the public survejs in many other portions of our country have been prosecuted with one-tenth of the dispatch and accuracy made pos- sible with the solar compass. While engaged in surveying in the vicinity of Milwaukee and in the Upper Peninsula, he early he- came convinced of the inutility and unreliability of the magnetic needle, or the needle compass. The variations of the needle were most perplexing — sometimes the very reverse of what was expected. His astronomical and logarithmic studies led his mind to the con- 528 THE TAUNTON BURTS. templation of fixed heavenly objects and their assistance in guid- ing unerringly the surveyor's path through forest and over land and sea. From 1835 to 1850 his spare time was largely spent in scientifically working out and improving the solar compass, and to- day it remains practically as he left it. With his instrument, the surveys in the Upper Peninsula, where a large part of the territory consists of magnetic iron-bearing rocks, were made with the utmost accuracy and speed under the steady piloting rays of old Sol or one of the fixed stars. So interested was he in the successful issue of government surveying operations, he sparedneither time nor money in placing at the disposal of government surveyors all needed in- struction in the use of his compass. He published a " Key to the Solar Compass," which more than outlines a surveyor's work and the use of the compass. He exhibited his instrument and explained its workings before the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, in the winter of 1835-36 and received its medal. In 185 1 he exhibited it at the World's Fair in London, and was personally complimented therefor by the Prince Consort, receiving, also, a medal dated October 15, 185 1. While abroad he made the acquaintance of Sir David Brewster, Hugh Miller and Sir John Herschel, continuing the same by correspondence on his return home. On his return from Europe, he purposely took passage on a sailing vessel, with the idea of perfecting an instrument called the equatorial sextant, designed for instantly and accurately ascertaining, at sea, latitude and longitude. The trip enabled him to perfect the invention on his return home, and he produced an instrument which promised to perform the same high office on the trackless deep, as the solar compass did on land. In 1855 he removed to Detroit, Mich., retiring from active work, but nevertheless intent on introducing the equatorial sextant into practical use on the lakes and ocean. To this end he got together a considerable class of lake captains, whom he instructed in as- tronomy and ocean navigation, continuing thus to within six months of his death, which occurred August 18, 1858, from heart disease. He died possessing the universal respect of all who knew him per- sonally and by reputation. He was a Christian of the Baptist faith, one of the founders of the Baptist church at Mount Vernon, THE TAUNTON BURTS. 529 and, during his residence there, one of its deacons. In politics, he was a staunch Democrat. The remains of himself and wife repose in beautiful Elenwood Cemetery at Detroit. A handsome, unique and fitting memorial has been erected by loving children and grandchildren. A TALE OF A PIONEER. The following is an extract from a paper read by George H. Cannon before the Macomb County Pioneers' Society : "January 14, 1840, Judge Burt received a contract and instruc- tions from the surveyor-general's office at Cincinnati to commence the surveys of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The instruc- tions embraced the entire eastern portion of the Upper Peninsula and the survey of the interior township lines as far as Range Ten. On this contract Mr. Burt was aided by his sons, who, like himself, were accomplished surveyors. The contract failed to enrich the contractor. During the ensuing winter he visited Washington and gave his views to the commissioner of the land office, upon the needs and requirements of the public land surveys, insisting upon better pay and better work. His suggestions were acted upon and the .compensation increased. The surveys were continued westward as fast as the Indian title could be extinguished, which was finally accomplished in 1842. In the progress of this work the next season, the surveys had reached the head waters of Tah-qua-me-naw and Manistique rivers, where he discovered and reported upon the immense iron ore beds in that region. Early in the spring of 1844^ he secured, in connection with Dr. Houghton, state geologist, a large contract of surveys, which was thought to embrace the so- called mineral region. On that district and in that year were found the great iron ore deposits of Marquette county. On the 20th of August the surveyors found the solar compass indispensable in the prosecution of the work. The surveys were progressing northward, and on September 19, 1844, William A Burt discovered iron ore and took from a mass of ore in place the first specimen ever so found by any white man in Northern Michigan. The locality is now known as the Jackson iron mine, one of the most valuable proper- ties in the Upper Peninsula. 530 THE TAUNTON BURTS. "In 1849 ^^- •Bu'"' '^^s appointed to examine the condition of the public land surveys of the Lower Peninsula, situated in the north and west of the Saginaw, and for that purpose left his home at Mount Vernon, April 5, driving to Saginaw via Pontiac and Flint with a span of ponies. At Pontiac another team was engaged and a load of supplies taken from there. They proceeded in large canoes to Midland where they stored away their things for a five- months' sojourn in the wilderness, in all that time not seeing a human being except their own party and a few Indians. As a result of this examination the survey was found to be largely fraudulent in most of the districts. Mr. Burt found the surveys made by his sons in the Grand Traverse region well and faithfully done, the lines all marked and the corners correctly established. "In 1852 Mr. Burt, without his knowledge (being engaged in surveys north), was elected a member of the Legislature of 1852-3. He was chairman of the committee on the St. Mary's Falls Ship Canal, and to his efforts is largely due the legislation for the speedy construction of that important work." OUR DISTINGUISHED ENGLISH COUSIN. LIFE OF THOMAS BURT. M. P. Parliamentary Secretary of the Board of Trade, England. BY GEORGE JACOB HOLYOAKE. Thomas Burt, M. P., Parliamentary Secretary of the Board of Trade, England, (the President being the Right Honorable Anthony John Mundella,) was born in Northumberland fiity-six years ago. His family pedigree has not been carefully kept. If it were traced it would probably go back to one of the warlike races which pre- ceded the advent of the Normans. To one who boasted that his family " came in with the Conqueror," Mr. Bright answered, " and they never did anything else." Had the Burts come in with William the Norman, they had surely done something more ; such fertile energy is in the Burt nature. They are too British not to have proceeded from an earlier race. The Northumbrian coast was peopled by bold invaders, who held militant dominion for centuries before the Norman day. The characteristic quality of the Burt clan has always been solid, determined and persistent — entirely devoid of the bilious, fitful and aggressive Norman manner. There is a tradition in the family that they came from Scotland. They prob- ably went there at one period, as there was always enterprise in their blood. But if their pursuit was mining, they doubtless went there to direct some new subterranean undertaking. Until the last century Scotch miners were slaves, and were as legally unable to leave their pits as Southern slaves were their plantations. The Burts could not have been of this class, or they could not have returned to England. Slavery would not be to their taste, as is evident from their Northumbrian career. 532 THE BURT FAMILY. Thomas Burt was born on the 12th of November, 1837, the year in which Queen Victoria ascended the Throne. No portents were observed in the heavens, no astrologer foretold, no one was capa- ble of imagining that the son of a miner, born that mid Novem- ber day, at Morton Row, near North Shields — was destined to be a Minister of State in the Victorian era. While he was yet a child his parents removed to Whitley. A year after an explosion took place in the mine in which his father worked, ending his employ- ment there and compelling his removal to New Row, Seghill, now known as Blaketown. Here the Burt family resided five years, mining employment being obtainable there. Here young Thomas was sent to a Dame's school, the only seminary of workers' chil- dren in those days, where inspectors, and examinations were alike unknown. Later he had instruction in a school taught by Mr. Anderson and his son. Young Burt, who had a liking for learning, profited as far as profit was possible. The building subsequently became the colliery school for boys. But while the alert student was picking up such scraps of knowledge as fell from the Anderson table, a bolder and more palpable industrial object lesson was be- ing given in Seghill, which made an indelible impression on the young learner. This time another explosion occurred, not one of nature, which lasts but a few minutes — but one of capital which lasted for months. It was in 1844, that the first great strike of miners, of which he had experience, was incited. Evictions were carried out wholesale of all who dwelt in the colliery proprietors' cottages, and father, mother, and little ones had to take refuge in a cottage at Avenue Head, near Seaton-Delaval. The father, Peter Burt, was like his famous son in subsequent years, the last man to put himself forward, but the first to stand in the front when storm and stress came. Peter Burt was actively and prominently engaged in the strike, and when it became a question how the wageless miners were to live, he was one of those who offered to become legally responsible for all goods obtained by them during their contest. In consequence of the conspicuous part he took in the dispute, he was marked by refusal of employ- ment after the strike was ended. Thomas Burt was then only in his seventh year, but he pondered these things. Subsequently his father was offered employment again, but in an ungracious way. THOMAS BURT, M. P. THE BURT FAMILY. 533 and the old Pilgrim blood in his veins was stirred ; he turned away and migrated to the neighboring county of Durham. For a year he sojourned at Easington Lane, Brickgarth, and in 1845 ^•t Haswell. Thus young Burt shared, at his early age, the vicissitudes of travel and place. Still he neglected no opportunity of learning. His father wished him to continue at school longer. He, however, thinking it his duty to contribute to the income of the house, at ten years of age, he went down the pit as a worker. From Has- well the family went to Sherburn, living at a wayside hamlet known by the Hiawathian name of Running Waters ; thence to South Hetton, and in 1851 they settled at Seaton-Delaval colliery, after wandering in the mining wilderness seven years. Northern miners are remarkable for unexpected knowledge. Some have been distinguished for mathematical acquirements. At Seaton- Delaval Thomas Burt found several youths like himself, bent on useful knowledge. Here began in earnest his own efforts in self- culture. Of books he read Shakespeare, Milton, Scott, Burns, John Stuart Mill. The political treatises of Milton influenced his thoughts, as did at a later period the Life of Frederick Doug- lass, which fell in his way. His lot as a slave, his heroic devotion to the emancipation of his race, his brilliant powers which he owed to self-study and ceaseless persistence, were an example which increased and inspired in young Burt the honorable am- bition of usefulness to the order of industry, to which he belonged. Desire of improvement must have been strong in him, seeing that he was thirteen hours a day in the pit, and it took an hour to go to it and return from it. Fourteen hours of occupation out of the twenty-four, left little time for study, and only a youth of vigor, of character, would have made time for it. It was then he re- solved in his own mind that when he became a man, he would do what in his power lay, to shorten the hours of labor of his fellow miners. As young Burt grew up, he was ever on terms of good fellowship with associates, without deeming it necessary to accompany them to the Public House — a custom of good com- panionship to which so many young fellows thoughtlessly yield. His father belonged to the " Order of Rechabites,"' so there was the example of prudence at home : the son went on his own convic- tion. A lecture he heard on tem.perance decided him to be an 534 THE BURT FAMILY. abstainer — a rule of conduct, he considered, " calculated to de- velop whatever was highest and best in a man." Those who are capable of being inspired by high ideals of public services, and cultivate manly habits, find meaner life ever after distasteful and impossible to them. 'J'his explains the singular and honorable career of Thomas Burt. His character was further formed by his father's connections. He was a steadfast member of the Primi- tive Methodists — a sturdy, self-respecting body of Christians, who prefer the earher simplicity of doctrine and church government. He kept what is a distinction and an advantage to possess — a " Prophet's Chamber " in his house and entertained the itinerant preachers who came his way. From their visits and wise and varied conversation and experience, an observant listener, like his son, derived great advantage from this instructive intercourse. Peter Burt, I had the pleasure to know and can testify to his manly and genial nature. His impassable integrity of conviction was united to perfect tolerance of the convictions of others — a rare combination. He always had a corner in his heart for me, although he knew I was not so much of his way of thinking as he could wish. He died at a good age and I have no doubt when he passed St. Peter's Gate he suggested that any little disqualification I might be found to labor under should be overlooked when I came up. Peter Burt was a preacher himself, of no mean acceptability — per- suasive by strong sense, eloquent by sincerity. The gospel of Christ and his apostles twelve he taught And first he practised it himself, if I remember Chaucer's words rightly. I am sure of the fact whether the quotation be verbatim or not. The year i860 found the family at Choppington. There being then 23, he married Mary, daughter of Thomas Wedderburn, who to a pleasant domes- ticity of disposition had the charm of sympathy with the public usefulness of hst;, husband — without which a man will do little, or do what he does badly and sadly. A gracious minded wife deserves more than half of whatever honor is achieved by her husband. Lord Bacon says " a man who marries gives hostages to fortune that he will never do anything great." Mrs. Burt asked no host- ages. Thomas Burt's marriage in no way diminished his usefulness THE BURT FAMILY. 535 to those around him. He continued his study of poetry and logic — not often allied together, though the better for the association. At Choppington Mr. Burt (as we may now speak of him) acted as secretary of the district temperance society, and of the school com- mittee which was under the joint arrangement of employers and workmen. These offices show that he possessed the confidence of the best men of the colliery and the respect of the employers. Early in 1864 Mr. Burt was chosen delegate by the Choppington men to represent them on the Council of the Northumberland and Durham Union. At a delegate meeting at Newcastle-on-Tyne, he proposed the separation of the two counties for Union purposes, and thus it came to pass Northumberland and Durham organized separate Unions. After this was done, the office of the Agent for the Union fell vacant and in 1865 Mr. Burt was elected to fill it. Like Caesar — but from different motives — " twice he refused the kingly crown." He had no ambition save to be of service to his fellow miners. His opinion, oft expressed, was the wise one and still original — namely, that "a workman's lot should be in itself satisfactory, and he should be under no necessity of changing his occupation in order to better his position : " A sound doctrine which would still that migratory unrest which causes the wholesome country to be deserted, and overcrowding of cities to take place, with its deplorable effect on wages and health. The miners of Choppington persisted in nominating Mr. Burt as the Agent-Repre- sentative of the action of the Union — not expecting that the nomi- nee of Choppington would be elected. Nevertheless, to their grati- fication, he was. At that time there was a serious strike on, and the affairs of the Union were under a cloud, and it turned out that there was a general conviction that Mr. Burt was the most com- petent man to place at the helm. At that time the members of the belligerent Association whose fortunes in the Union bark he was appointed to steer numbered only 4,000; and the balance in hand, in the midst of an extensive strike, was only £2^. What journeys, meetings, committees, speeches, public letters, devices, negotia- tions, it took, on Mr. Burt's part, to maintain the defiantcy of the men with advantage, it is easier to imagine than describe— and Mr. Burt would render no assistance in estimating it. Under his prudent counsel and their own good sense, the men behaved with 536 THE BURT FAMILY. heroic self-restraint and fairness, which elicited so much sympathy from their brethren in other parts of the country, that their little balance was augmented by ;£'4,ooo, and when the strike ended there remained between ;^6oo and iJyoo in hand. It had been the custom at the close of a contest, to distribute any surplus among the subscribing collieries, — but Mr. Burt — who knew the value of a good commissariat in war time — advised that the surplus be held as the nucleus of a Central Fund for future defence. This sugges- tion was acted upon, and by 1873 it had reached the handsome sum of ;^i 6,000. Under Mr. Burt's direction of affairs, the members of the Union had then increased from 4,000 to upwards of 16,000. Mr. Burt's admirable fitness for industrial leadership, his tact, moder- ation and fairness in negotiation, were owing to nature and culti- vated judgment. Nor was his devotion to the interests of his order, the result of any personal oppression, to which he had been subjected. He oft bore testimony to the considerateness of Mr. Cole, the manager of the colliery in which he worked latest. His efforcs for the betterance of the condition of miners, were neither prompted by resentment nor antagonism — but proceeded from an honorable and abiding sentiment of justice to labor. From this point of our narrative (1873) has now followed twenty years of yet more brilliant service, which to relate would expand this brief biography into a history. To do so is not necessary, see- ing that the reader has now before him the principles — personal and intellectual — on which Mr. Burt's career has been based. In 1868 he might have been a member of Parliament — the miners having considerable voting power in Morpeth. The Northumbrian miners are regarded as the finest working community anywhere. Mr. Burt being the ablest leader and secretary they ever had, they were wishful to see him in a position, in which political might be added to his official influence. He, content with the sphere in which he was found useful, preferred to remain and promote trade union interests among " his own people." But in 1874 the miners were determined that labor should be represented in Parliament, and by one of their own order, whose ability they knew and whose principles they could depend upon — and Mr. Burt was nominated for Morpeth. He was opposed by Major Duncan, who was a civil, pleasant spoken Tory. The miners went to all his meetings as THE BURT FAMILY. 537 impartially as to Mr. Burt's. Where they couldagree with the major they cheered — where they could not they were courteously silent. Concluding their applause to be preference he, one night, took a vote, which might indicate, his prospects at the poll. To his amazement eleven-twelfths of the meeting voted against him. " What can this mean .'" he asked. " You come in crowds to my addresses — you do not interrupt me. You do not dissent, and often applaud me." " O, yes," was the answer, " we were willing to hear what you had to say — but we are going to vote for Mr. Burt, who has lived among us — worked with us, worked for us, and who understands our wants." And they did vote for their own candidate. Mr. Burt was elected by a majority of 3,000 in a constituency of 4,000. The miners went to the poll with well considered intention. As Michael Drayton sang of another and earlier contest — None from his fellow starts, But playing manly parts. And like true English hearts — Stuck close together. Major Duncan left Morpeth with amused respect for the singular civil and immovable constituency, whose suffrages he had vainly sought. Mr. Burt was the first labor member elected entirely by working men. Then the question a.rose in Northumberland — how will the Min- ers' Member acquit himself in the House of Commons ? — how will he be received in that fastidious assembly ? Those who knew Mr. Burt had no misgiving. First he had an honest voice, both a dis- tinction and a recommendation there : for in Parliament there are voices which have an accent of petty larceny in them ; a peculiarity doubtless observable in other Parliaments besides the English. Second, Mr. Burt had unassumingness, a sense of relevance and decision of opinion, qualities which always command respect. He knew his own mind and he had a mind to know. The House of Commons is for the truth on any question. It does not always rnake good use of the truth when it has it : but it has a preference for the truth — thinking with the Roman commander : Who tells me true — Though in the tale lie death— I hear him As he flattered. So Parliament will always listen to a man who knows, and is known _53§ THE BURT FAMILY. to know. Mr. Burt, speaking only on questions he understood, and speaking with clearness and intelligence, soon rose in the respect and estimation of the House, which have increased from year to year. When the Government in power was Tory, they appointed Mr. Burt on a " Royal Commission on Accidents in Mines." Though Ipolitically he opposed them he was selected as a necessary repre- •sentative of the laboring population. He represented the United Kingdom on behalf of the Government, at the " Berlin Labor Con- gress," where he maintained the reputation of British workmen for shrewdness, candor and practical views. He has since been appointed a member of the " Royal Commission on Mining Roy- alties," and is now one of the Royal Commission on Labor. In the Nineteenth Century and other Reviews, he has appeared as a writer — showing as much skill with his pen in stating opinion as capacity in organizing it. Two years ago public attention was drawn to him by the display of unexpected power and judgment, as the President of a stormy popular assembly, thought to be beyond ordinary control. In 189 1 he was elected chairman of the Trades Union Congress held at Newcastle-on-Tyne. The new Unionists and the old met in combat. Hitherto skilled labor alone had been organized. The great Dock strike in London, led under the inspiration of John Burns, Ben Tillett and Tom Mann, to the organization of unskilled, or as Mr. Burt put it, less skilled workmen, who needed it quite as much. They appeared in force at this Congress, and the eight-hours question — of no mean interest — was vehemently advocated. The Socialists — who now hang on the skirts of every movement, seemingly with the view to divert attention to their ideals and undermine other aims — were also in force. Mr. Burt, with his usual good discernment, compressed his opening oration to half an hour. Never was more brightness, wisdom and humor, delivered in so brief an address. He said " when he made his first Trades Union speech, twenty-seven years previously, political economists were telling them that supply and demand settled wages. We have taught the political economists better than that. Supply and demand are factors. At your peril do not forget that. But men are more than machines, or tons of coal, or bales of cotton, or hogsheads of sugar. Humanity has now been added to political economy.^' " Women," he said, " who THE BURT FAMILY. 539 do the work of men in any industry, should have the wages of men and unionists should defend their claim. A strike is like a boomerang — a difficult weapon. If thrown unskillfully it comes back and wounds the thrower. Adam Smith inquired into the causes of the wealth of nations. What we have to inquire into, is the cause and cure of the poverty of the individual." He applauded Mazzini's maxim, " The origin of a right is a duty to befulfilled." ■' The millionaire and the pauper," exclaimed Mr. Burt, " are both monstrosities, and if ever we become a Christian or a civilized community, both will disappear." These and many other senten- ces are examples of wise and striking thought. The whole oration was a masterpiece of argument without invective. The speaker showed that he knew the limitations of every question he raised, and the boldest propositions were stated with a sagacity worthy of Cobden. Nor was this all. During the six days of discussion, he stilled the wildest tempests — regulated the most confused debate — made every point of order lucid — arrested the impetuous — recon- ciled the offended, and decided points with promptness and firm- ness. Wit, humor, common sense and apt illustration, delighted the delegates — won their confidence and admiration, maintained order and advanced business in a way no Speaker of the House of Com- mons could excel. Such courtesy and decision — such union of deference and authority, had never been seen in a Trades Union chair before ; and not often elsewhere. No one imagined that so much gentleness of manner natural to Mr. Burt co-existed with so much judicial strength. Not only the Congress, but the country recognized in him — a man of industrial affairs. In the new Lib- eral Government now in power, Mr. Gladstone has, with public and popular consent, given him the high position of Parliamentary Secretary of the Board of Trade. Coleridge wrote, It seems like stones from the land of spirits, If any man obtains that which he merits Or merits that which he obtains. It is true in Mr. Burt's case. He has obtained that which he merits, and merits that which he has obtained. In what parts of England Mr. Burt's progenitors may at different periods have dwelt, it is not now possible to determine, but the three generations we know (for 540 THE BURT FAMILY. Mr. Burt has now a grown family of promising sons and daughters) are so Saxon in their temperament, and so devoid of coast-land imperiousness that they have undoubtedly inland England attri- butes. Be this as it may, the annals of political and social dis- tinction, present no finer, or more instructive example, than Thomas Burt — of a man who has risen from the ranks of industry to a position of honor in the State — by merits all his own, without self-seeking, without the egoism of ambition, or swerving from honest principle. And what is not less notable and equally uncommon is that while the political principles of valued friends changed, his remained un- altered. He aped no display of respectability usual with persons elevated as he became. He maintained the simplicity of life to which he had been accustomed. The miners, with intelligent liber- ality for working men, allowed Mr. Burt ;^Soo a year to defray his parliamentary expenses. But this he reduced himself to .^400, and on being appointed to office he relieved the miners of all further payment. No honor has elated him, no dignity has changed him, and his humblest constituents find him the same man, now he works for them in the Government house, as when he worked with them in the mine. This honorable simplicity and integrity of character is no disqualification, possibly a recommendation in the eyes of the Prince of Wales, who has designated Mr. Burt one of the Six Governors (within his Royal Highness's appointment) of the Im- perial Institute opened this week by the Queen. Eastern Lodge, Brighton, May js, iSqs. GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTES. DESCENDANTS OF NATHANIEL BURT, Through his Son David, Grandson David and Great-Grandson Elijah. second generation. Nathaniel Burt of Longmeadow, son of Henry and Eulalia Burt (born 1636), was married, January 15, 1662, to Rebecca Sikes. Their children : Nathaniel, b. January 18, 1663 ; d. July ig, 1749. Rebecca, b. December 10, 1665 ; d. February 12, 1692. David, b. 1668; d. July 5, 1735. John, b. August' 23, 1670 ; d. February 24, 1704. Sarah, b. July 17, 1673; d. July 31, 1673. Sarah, b. April, 1675 ; d. Experience, b. January 23, 1677 ; d. September 12, 1719. Dorcas, b. February 10, 1680; d. October 21, 1770. Sarah married, February 8, 1693, Nathaniel Horton of Somers ; Experience married, February 15, 1705, Thomas Hale; Rebecca married, January 29, 1690, Charles Ferry ; Dorcas married, February 25, 1703, John Atchinson. Rebecca, the mother, died January 28, 17 12. Nathaniel Burt, the father, died September 29, 1720. third generation. David Burt of Longmeadow, son of Nathaniel and Rebecca Burt, married, June 27, 1706, Martha Hale, daughter of Deacon Thomas and Priscilla Hale of Enfield. Their children : David, b. August 20, 1709; d. April 13, 1777. Abigail, b. " " " d. March 28, 1773. Martha, b. July 8, 1707 ; d. Priscilla, b. March 18, 1711 ; d. April 12, 1769. Rebecca, b. October 13, 1714; d. 542 THE BURT FAMILY. Martha, the mother, died 1714. David Burt, the father, was mar- ried again to the Widow Joanna Allen of Sufifield, Conn. ; date of their publishment, July 2, 1715. He died July 5, 1736. She died May 4, 1741. Priscilla, the daughter, married, September 25, 1733, Nathaniel Bliss. Martha married, January 11, 1728, Azariah Allen of Enfield, Conn. Abigail married, January 10, 1734, Thomas Hale. FOURTH GENERATION. David BtjRT of Longmeadow, son of David and Martha Burt, married Sarah Colton, daughter of Captain George and Mary Col- ton. Their children : Charles, b. December 26, 1732; d. August 8, 1755. Sarah, b. November 12, 1734 ; d. March 28, 1759. David, b. November 5, 1736 ; d. July 6, 1809. Jonathan, b. February 9, 1739; d. April 18, 1794. Martha, b. October 19, 1740; d. December 16, 1834. Enoch, b. October 3, 1742 ; d. March 29, 1809. Ehjah, b. " " " d. April 5, 1820. Mary, b. March 27, 1745 ; d. July 17, 1783. Elizabeth, b. December 19, 1747; d. September 3, 1827. Ohver, b. April 9, 1750; d. Frederick, b. June 4, 1752 ; d. February 21, 1813. Lois, b. August 9, 1755 ; d. June 26, 1776. Sarah, the mother, died August '17, 1763. David Burt, the father, was married again October, 1774, to Widow Rebecca Alvord of Wilbraham. He died April 13, 1777. She died October 17 1793. Sarah married, February 21, 1753, Gideon Colton. Martha married. May 7, 1767, Abner Hale. Mary married, January 7, 1768, Henry Colton. FIFTH generation. Elijah Burt of Longmeadow, son of David and Sarah Burt, married, December 3, 1767, Deborah Colton, daughter of Ebenezer and Deborah Colton. Their children : Peggy, b. September 14, 1768; d. February 23, 1837. Deborah, b. December 31, 1769; d. April 26, 1827. ^ Elijah, b. November 10, 1771 ; d. January 28, 1841. Luther, b. March 11, 1773; d. January 28, 1847. THE BURT FAMILY. 543 Horace, b. November 25, 1774 ; d. February 7, 1810. Rhoda, b. May 3, 1776 ; d. April 24, 1804. David, b. November 7, 1777 ; d. November 24, 1850. Moses, b. February 2, 1779 ; d. May, 1837. Aaron, b. June 25, 1781 ; d. March, 1859. Ebenezer, b. September 19, 1782 ; d. July 25, 1863. Mary, b. August 18, 1784; d. June 23, 1855. Seth, b. February 8, 1786 ; d. Lucy, b. March 25, 1788; d. February 2, 1855. Daniel, b. September 22, 1790; d. January 31, 1858. Deborah, the mother, died April 28, 1792. Elijah Burt, the father, married again October 31, 1793, Dorothy Booth, widow of Henry Booth of Enfield, Conn. She was born March 31, 1744. Peggy married, May 27, 1817, David Booth. No children. Rhoda married, April 25, 1798, Erastus Goldthwait ; Lucy married, Novem- ber, 1816, Luther Wilcox of Chatham, Conn. Elijah Burt, the father, died April 5, 1820. Dorothy, the mother, died October 17, 1834. SIXTH GENERATION. David Burt of Schenectady, son of Elijah and Deborah (Col- ton) Burt of Longmeadow, Mass., married, October 12, 1806, Catrina Peek, daughter of Johannes and Suster (Bradt) Peek of Schenectady, N. Y. Their children : Susanna, b. June 13, 1807 ; d. in Plainfield, N. J., January 2, 1889. James, b. February 3, 1809; d. in Dubuque, la., August 7, 1886. Angelica Campbell, b. November 25, 1810; d. in Plainfield, N. J., Septem- ber 25, 1868. David Campbell, b. November 25, 1810; d. in infancy. Rebecca, b. April 30, 1812 ; d. March 10, i860. Deborah, b. June 12, 1815 ; d. in infancy. Susanna married at Schenectad)', April 27, 1830, Thomas B. Still- man of the firm of Stillman, Allen & Co., Novelty Iron Works of New York City. No children. James Burt, married Phoebe Law- ton, October 16, 1831; Rebecca married, April 30, 1833, Rev. James McLeod Willson. David Burt, the father, died November 24, 1850. Catrina, the mother, died February 18, r86o. 544 THE BURT FAMILY. SEVENTH GENERATION. Rebecca Burt, daughter of David and Catrina Burt, married, April 30, 1833, Rev. James McLeod Willson, D. D., of the Re- formed Presbyterian Church ; pastor in Philadelphia, Pa., from 1834 to 1862 ; Professor of Theology in Allegheny, from 1859 to 1866. Their children, : Catharine Jane, b. February 22, 1834; d. May 29, 1867. Susan Roberts, b. June 25, 1836. James Renwick, b. August n, 1838; d. August i, 1845. John (M. D.), b. July 18, 1840; d. while serving as surgeon in the 7th U. S. Cavalry at Girard, near Fort Scott, Kansas, April 29, 1870. David Burt, b. September 27, 1842. Anna Elizabeth, b. November 5, 1844. Emily, b. November i, 1846. Mary Angelica, b. August 27, 1848 ; d. March 13, 1883. James McLeod, b. July 10, 1S51 ; d. July 20, 1851. Juliet, b. July 10, 1851; d. August i, 1851. Margaret Louisa, b. August 15, 1852 ; d. December 18, 1856. Catharine Jane married Andrew Todd Kennedy; Susan Roberts married James Wiggins; Mary Angelica married, April 20, 1869, Rev. Archibald Warriston Johnston, M. D. No children. Rebecca, the mother, died in Philadelphia, March 10, i860. James McLeod, the father, died in Allegheny, August 31, 1866. Judge James Burt of Dubuque, la., son of David and Catrina (Peek) Burt, married, October 16, 1831, Phoebe Lawton. Their children : Hannah, b. November 15, 1832 ; d. February 13, 1859. Catharine Gertrude, b. February 25, 1834. Angelica, b. November 11, 1836; d. September 28, 1837. John P., b. October 7, 1838. Angelica, b. May 6, 1840; d. October 19, 1891. Susannah, b. April 15, 1842 ; d. December 26, 1876. Samuel L., b. June 19, 1844; d. February 8, 1845. Catharine Gertrude married Hannibal Emerson ; Angelica mar- ried Charles Keller ; Susannah married, November 26, 1868, William H. Colvin of Chicago, III. Judge James Burt died at Dubuque August 7, 1886. REV. DAVID BURT WILLSON. THE BURT FAMILY. 545 EIGHTH GENERATION. Hannibal and Catharine Gertrude Emerson's children are : Cora, John, James Burt, Harry, Howard, Carroll, Susan. Angelica Burt, daughter of James and Phoebe Burt, married Charles Keller, May 7, 1863, at Dubuque, la. Their children : Mary, b. May 18, 1886. Sue B., b. December 28, 1867. James B., b. May i, 1869; d. August 3, 1870. Charles L., b. March 9, 1871. Charles S. Keller, the father, died July 16, 1886. Angelica, the mother, died October 19, 1891. . Susannah Burt, daughter of James and Phoebe Burt, married William H. Colvin of Chicago, November 26, 1868. Their children : Katharine, b. September 15, 1869. William H. Jr., b. September 22, 1870. Jessie, b. February 6, 1872. Bertha, b. March 12, 1874; d. Mabel, b. June 13, 1875 ; d. John Burt, b. December 12, 1876; d. Siisannah, the mother, died December 26, 1876. Catharine Jane Willson, daughter of James and Rebecca Willson, married. May 11, 1865, Andrew T. Kennedy of Elkhorn, 111, Their children : McLeod Willson, b. March 18, 1866; d. September 5, i866. Eleanor Todd, b. May ii, 1867. Catharine Jane, the mother, died May 29, 1867. Susan Roberts Willson, daughter of James and Rebecca Willson, married, October 16, 1877, James Wiggins of New York city. Their child, Susie Willson, was born December 26, 1878. Rev. David Burt Willson, M. D., D. D., of Allegheny, son of James and Rebecca Willson, married 1=' Martha J. Grier, August' 546 THE BURT FAMILY. i6, 1873, who died September 5, 188 1. No children. 2'^ Mary- Rebecca Galbraith, daughter of Rev. John Galbraith, August 14, 1883. Their children : Mary Grier, b. July 24, 1885. Anna Galbraith, b. July 28, 1888. James Burt, b. January 5, 1891. NINTH GENERATION. Eleanor Todd Kennedy, daughter of Andrew and Catharine Jane Kennedy, married November 13, 1889, David Carson of Elk- horn, 111. Their'children : Melville Kennedy Carson, b. November 16, 1890. Kate Willson Carson, b. April 28, 1892. Cora Emerson, daughter of Hannibal and Catharine Gertrude Emerson, married David Brunskill, July 29, 1875. Their children : Ellsworth, b. March 20, 1877. Fred Emerson, b. December 26, 1880. Cora Gertrude, b. May 5, i885 ; d. May 28. 1892. ELIJAH BURT AND DESCENDANTS. [Fifth Generation; David*, David', Nathaniel^, Henryi.] Elijah Burt of East Longmeadow, Mass., who descended through two Davids from Nathaniel, son of Henry in the first generation, was born October 3, 1742, and married, December 3, 1767, Deborah Colton. Their children, fourteen in number, were : Peggy, Deb- orah, Elijah, Luther, Horace, Rhoda, David, Moses, Aaron, Eben- ezer, Mary, Seth, Lucy and Daniel. Moses and Seth entered the ministry. Seth (born February 8, 1786) graduated from Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., in 1810. In parts of iSri and 1812 he taught a select school in Northamp- ton, Mass. Soon after he entered his chosen calling and was especially successful in doing pioneer work in the building up of new churches in the then " West " — the central and western parts of New York State. David (born November 7, 1777, in Longmeadow) settled in Schenectady, N. Y., about the year 1803, and was manager of a cotton mill there. He was much interested in the improvements of the day. It is related that he was at a meeting where the plans for bringing the track of the Albany and Schenectady railroad into the latter city were shown, this being the first steam railroad chartered in the United States. The plan proposed and finally adopted was the inclined plane, the cars being let down and drawn up the plane by means of a stationary engine. After looking over the plans Mr. Burt said, " Gentlemen, why not go up the valley ? " This question brought from the engineer in charge the sarcastic query, " Mr. Burt, are you a civil engineer ? " Not many years after the ridiculed idea was realized, for the track was changed to the valley where the four tracks of the New York Central and Hud- son River railroad now run. The writer of this well remembers, 54? THE BURT FAMILY. when a boy, seeing here and there along this abandoned engine hill road, now a street, the blocks of stone upon which the tracks had been laid. Judge James Burt of Dubuque, Iowa, was a sCn of David. Daniel, born 1790, in Longmeadow, the youngest of this large family, learned the trade of coach making at Suffield, Conn., soon after joining his brother David at Schenectady, and becoming established there. They were associated together in the manage- ment of the " Old Cotton Factory," and later they were in mercan- tile business. They were interested and active in every matter pertaining to the highest welfare of the places where they dwelt. Daniel was for twenty-five years an elder in the First Presbyterian Church, and when, at the age of sixty-eight, he died there was sin- cere mourning over a good man. David and Daniel both married wives from old Dutch families, whose ancestors had worthily borne their part in the exciting history of the Netherlands. JAMES BURT.— 1809-1 f [Seventh Generation; David^ Elijah^ David*, David^, Nathaniel^, Henryi.] Judge James Burt was born February 3, 1809, in Schenectady, N. Y. While his father was of New England stock, his mother belonged to one of the old Mohawk Dutch families who traced her ancestry to long honored names in the Netherlands. His grand- father on his mother's side owned the ground on which Union Col- lege stands, and in deeding it to the college authorities he made a provision for the education of his children and children's children. He, however, was the only one who ever enjoyed the full benefits of this provision. He entered college in 1824, at the age of fifteen, when Dr. Nott was in his prime. After graduating he studied law in Hudson, N. Y., where he met PhcEbe Lawton, to whom he was married in October, 183 1, and with whom he lived happily for nearly fifty-five years, she having died only a few months before her THE BURT FAMILY. 549 husband. Shortly after marriage they moved to Franklinville, Cattaraugus county, N. Y., and in that town all his children — one son and four daughters — were born. For seven years he was prose- cuting attorney of Franklinville and in 1844 he was a member of the New York Legislature. In 1845 he moved to Cincinnati, where he resided three years. The cholera breaking out there he sent his family back to New York, while he went to St. Louis. From there he went to Dubuque, Iowa. This was in 1848. He entered into partnership with .Stephen Hempstead, who was the second gov- ernor of the state, elected 1850, while Mr. Burt was his partner. On March 8, 1857, he joined the Congregational Church and was elected one of the deacons that year and for several years was chairman of the Board of Trustees. After the disolution of the partnership of Hempstead & Burt he was for a time associated with several gentlemen of great legal ability. He held several offices in the city government and in 187 1 was mayor of the city. Previous to this (in 1863) he was elected judge of the district court and became one of the foremost members of the judiciary of the state. In politics, down to the first election of Abraham Lincoln, he had been a Democrat, but in that memorable contest he cut loose from old party ties and joined the Republican party. He maintained his habits of study, and his ability to acquire knowledge continued with him to the close of his life. He mastered six languages, and besides his native tongue he could read Holland, German, French, Latin and Greek. In the Holland and German languages he could converse as readily as in English. He always sought the best and ablest literature in the library, where he was a constant visitor. Throughout his long life he kept up his familiarity with the classics. His pastor. Rev. C. O. Brown, delivered an able and eloquent dis- course in honor of his memory, in the Congregational church, Sep- tember 12, r886, from which these facts have been gained. He said : " It was his relations as a Christian that the members of this church knew him best. He was a member and deacon of this church nearly thirty years. His advice as a brother, and in later years his counsel as of a father were always welcome and cherished. His judgment was sound and his views of duty clear." DESCENDANTS OF DAVID BURT OF CHEMUNG. Mr. Burnham's Genealogy did not include the record of the family of David Burt, son of Benjamin Burt of Warwick, who set- tled in Chemung, N. Y., where there appears to have been reared a flourishing family of sons and daughters. Many descendants of the Deerfield captive are still living in that region. Through the untiring efforts of D. H. Burt of Danville, Pa., a pretty full ac- count is given of them in the following : 426. David Burt^ (Benjamin*, Benjamin^, David^, Henry-',) was born in Warwick, N. Y., and settled and died in Chemung, N. Y. Born March, 1760 ; died June 20, 1828. He married Hannah Bennett, who was born August, 1763, and diedMay6, 1821. Their children : James, b. in Chemung, August 15, 1788; m. Margaret Griswold. Annie, b. in " December 28, 1789; m. John G. Warren, March 24, 1811. John, b. in Chemung, June 8, 1791; m. Elizabeth Hammond; d. January 23, 1872. Mary, b. in Chemung, December 20, 1792 ; m. John Brown. Rheuby, b. in " November 24, 1795 ; m. Thomas Bennight; d. 1881. Howard F., b. in Chemung, August 23, 1797 ; m. ist, Elizabeth Bennight, 1829; 2d, Maranda Forsyth, 1S49. Howard d. May 11, 1864. Mahala, b. in Chemung, January 26, 1799; i"- Jared Hammond; d. 1822. Minerva, b. in Chemung, August 3, 1801; m. Isaac Griswold; d. March 14, 1841. Thomas, b. in Chemung, March 20, 1806; m. Lorinda VanGorder; d. June 26, 1S64. Chester, b. in Chemung, May 4, 1810; m. Lucinda VanDerHp ; d. 1877. David Burt was born in Warwick, N. Y., married his wife before removing to Chemung, where, amid the difficulties that surround the life of early settlers, he at last succeeded in securing for himself and family a comfortable home, there he remained until his death. He was a civil engineer, and after his removal to the Chemung Val- ley he assisted in the survey and la3'ing out the town and county lines in New York, and also when the same work was done in Pennsylvania, along the line, in the Chemung Valley. His son THE BURT FAMILY. 55 1 Thomas succeeded him and received his instruments and records, and the widow of Miles Burt, son of Thomas, has some of these still in her possession. 427. James Burt (son of David 426) was born in Chemung, N. Y., August 15, 1788, and died March 28, 1828. He married Margaret Griswold, who was born January 9, 1795, and died May 12, 1874. Their children : Doris, b. in Chemung, , 1814. L. Wilson, b. in " July 31, 1815 ; m. Francis Bently,- Ruby, b. in Chemung, October 11, 1818; m. Edward M. Flynn, September 19, 1840. Hannah, b. in " ; 1820; .m. Daniel Brown, ,1837; d. March — , 1843. Mary, b. in Chemung; , 1822. Ira, b. " , 1824. Martha, b. " April 9, 1828; m. Morris Hatfield, , 1844; d. March 17, 1865. 428. Annie Burt Warren (daughter of David 426) was born in Chemung, N. Y., December 28, 1789, and lived there until her death, January 10, 1879.. She married John G. Warren of Che- mung, N. Y., March 24, 1811, who was born September 26, 1791, and died February 16, 1865. Their daughter: Martha, b. in Chemung, April 18, 1812 ; m. Guy M. Wells, June 19, 1829; d. September 18, 1886. John G. Warren was a major in the New York state militia and always resided in Chemung, where he died. 429. John Burt- (son of David 426) was born in Chemung, N. Y., and moved to Ridgebury, Pa., where he resided at the time of his death. He was born June 8, 1791, and died January 22, 1872. He married Elizabeth Hammond, December 14, 1816, who was born December 13, 1793, and died May 2, 1871. Their children: Stephen N., b. in Ridgebury, Pa., February 20, 1818; d. August 9, 1819. Mark A., b. " " " February 18, 1823 ; m. ist, Ann P. Pierce, August 16, 1840; and 2d, S. Marie St. John Northup, 1870; d. February 18, 1884. Polly, b. in Ridgebury, Pa., February 12, 1823; m. Moses D. Harmon, February 20, 1844. Mahala, b. in Ridgebury, May 26, 1827 ; d. March 14, 1870. Julia P., b. 1" January 9, 1832; m. Edwin R. Beckwith, Feb- ruary 5, 1858. 552 THE BURT FAMILY. John Burt was the postmaster at Ridgebury, where he resided for twenty years. He held many offices of trust in the town, and was respected for his honesty and high moral character. He moved to Pennsylvania when it was being divided into farms. His wife was the daughter of Dudley Hammond, one of the pioneer settlers of Chemung, N. Y. 430. Mary Burt Brown (daughter of David 426) was born in Chemung, N. Y., and married and settled in Big Flatts, N. Y. She was born December 20, 1792, and married John Brown. Their son, David, was born in Big Flatts. 431. Rheuby Burt Bennight (daughter of David 426) was born in Chemung, N. Y., married and settled in Elmira, N. Y., where she resided at the time of her death. She was born Novem- ber 24, 1795, and died in 1881. She married Thomas Bennight of Chemung, N. Y. They had no children. 432. Howard F. Burt (son of David 426) was born in Che- mung, N. Y., August 23, 1797, and died May 11, 1864. He mar- ried Elizabeth Bennight of Chemung, N. Y., in 1829, who was born November 27, 1803. Their children : Sallie, b. in Chemung, , 1830. Florilla, b. " 1 1833 j m. Darwin Murphy, , 1865. Almerion, b. " ApriliS, 1844; m. ist, Ella E. Spaulding, July 3, 1870 ; m. 2d, Maranda Forsyth of Halsey Valley, N. Y., February 14, 1849, b. January i, 1824. CHILDREN OF 2"* WIFE : Henry T., b. in Ridgebury, July 23, 1850 ; d. October 12, 1855. Edward A., b. " April 9, 1859; m. Clara M. Briggs. D. Howard, b. " October 3, 1861 ; m. Lillie A. Cobb, May 5, 1886. Elizabeth Bennight was a daughter of of Chemung, N. Y., and his second wife, Maranda Forsyth, was a daughter of Henry E. Forsyth of Halsey Valley, Tioga county, N. Y. 433. Mahala Burt Hammond (daughter of David 426) was born in Chemung, N. Y., January 26, 1799; died 1822 ; married Jared Hammond of Chemung, N. Y. Their daughter : Julia A., b. in Chemung, August 30, 1820; m. Charles F. Wilson in 1843 ; d. August I, 1885. THE BURT FAMILY. 553 434. Minerva Burt Griswold (daughter of David 426) was , born in Chemung, N. Y., August 3, 1801 ; died March 14, 1841. She married Isaac Griswold of Chemung, N. Y. Their children . Emily, b. in Chemung, May 31, 1829 ; m. W. S. Ball ; d. April 10, 1865. Ira, b. " May 26, 1830; unmarried; d. November 18, 1865. David, b. " , 1832 ; d', Decerr^ber 25, 1853. Elmore, b. " September — , 1835 ; d. December 8, 1836. 435. Thomas J. Burt (son of David 426) was born in Che- mung, N. Y., in 1846. He moved to the West and settled and died in Laingsburg, Mich. He was born March 20, 1806, and died June 27, 1864, He married Lorinda Van Gorder of Chemung, N. Y., June 13, 1829, who was born October 22, 1804, and died October 28, 1840. Their children : Jane, b. in Chemung, July 9, 1831 ; m. Horace D. Wells. Miles, b. " March 26, 1834; m. ist, Jane D. Hoadley, 2d, Ann D. Downward ; d. February 24, 1892. Jud, b. in Chemung, June 7, 1837. He married Amelia T, Drake of Chemung,'N. Y., May i, 1843, who was born April 22, 1822, and died May 26, 1888. Ann, b. in Chemung, N. Y., June 2, 1844; m., George B. McCarty, Oc- tober 18, 1863. Howard, b. in Laingsburg, Mich., April 10, 1847 ; d. August 31, 1848. Ruth, b. in Sciota, Mich., September 9, 1849; d. April 2, 1876. George W., b. " " May 23, 1852 ; m. Lucinda E. Jones, January 18, 1874. Pruie, b. " " April 15, 1856; m. Judson Cooper, Jan. iS, 1874. Nile, b. " " October 1, 1859 ; m. Eliza Putman, March I, 1882. Flora, b. " " October 26, 1863 ; m. George Gallegan, December 24, 1884. * 436. Chester Burt (son of David 426) was born in Chemung, N. Y., March 4, 1810, and died January 4, 1880. He married Lucindia Vanderlip in 1820, who was born March 5, 1803, and died January 13, 1863. Their children : Helen M., b. in Chemung, June 19, 1832 ; m. Frank Phelps ; d. January 4, 1875- Leocadia S., b. in Chemung, December 28, 1833 ; m. Eli Townsend. Marion B., b. " December 22, 1836; unmarried; lives in De- catur, Ind. Tobasco L., b. " August 13, 1843; m. Francis Scott; d. Feb- ruary 22, 1875. 5S4 THE BURT FAMILY. 437. L. Wilson Burt (son of James 427) was born in Che- mung, N. Y., July 31, 1815. He married Frances Bently in 1840, who was born May 18, 1824, and died December 6, 1889. Resides at Columbix Roads, Pa. Their children : Francis, b. Harriet, b. Jud, b. Agnes, b. Randolph, b. 438. Mark A. Burt (son of John 429) was born in Ridgebury, Pa. He resided in Wellsburg, N. Y., and later removed to Elmira, N. Y., where he lived until his death. He was born February 18, 1820, and died February 18, 1884. Tie married 1=', Ann M. Pierce of Wellsburg, N. Y., August 16, 1840, who died 1865. The daugh- ter, Ruth Emmeline, born in Wellsburg, married James H. Wells. He married 2^ S. Marie St. John Northup, January, 1870. He had no children by his second wife. Mrs. Burt is living in Elmira, N. Y. 439. Almerion Burt (son of Howard F. 432) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., and finally settled and still resides in Canton, Pa. He was born April 18, 1844, and married Ella E. Spaulding, July 3, 1870, who was born May 10, 1853. Their children : Mary E., b. June 28, 1871. Charlie H., b. October 31, 1872. 440. Edward A. Burt (son of Howard F. 432) was born in Athens, Pa. He resides at East Galway, Saratoga county, N. Y. He was born April 9, 1859, and married Clara M. Briggs of Lau- rens, N. Y., August 21, 1884, who was born September 12, 1859. Their children . Angus E., b. in Oneonta, N. Y., June 20, 1885. Albert F., b. in E. Galway, N. Y., July 30, 1890. Mr. Burt is a teacher by profession ; beginning in his nineteenth year he taught three terms in the district schools of Saratoga county, attending the Albany State Normal during the alternating spring terms. He graduated at the Normal School with the class of June, 188 r. From 1880-85 he taught English and the sciences in the Albany Academy, fitting himself meanwhile for a college gourse, and passing the entrance examination at the Sheffielc} THE BURT FAMILY. 555 Scientific School of Yale College, in 1885. On being elected Pro- fessor of Natural Science at the Albany Normal School, he post- poned his college course until 1891, when he was admitted to the Junior class in Harvard College. He received his degree of A. B. with distinction in 1893. Mrs. Burt was a daughter of Albert O. Briggs of Laurens, Otsego county, N. Y. 441. D. Howard Burt (son of Howard 432) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., and resides in Danville, Pa. He was born October 3, 1861, and married Lillie A. Cobb of Clifford, Pa., May 5, 1886, who was born July 23, 1865. They have one daughter, Ethel M., born in Jamestown, N. Y., August 21, 1888. Mrs. Burt was a daughter of Ira J. Cobb of Clifford, Susquehanna county. Pa. 442. Miles Burt (son of Thomas 435) was born in Chemung N- Y., and settled in Laingsburg, Mich., where he lived until his death. He was born March 26, 1834, and died February 24, 1892. He married Jane D. Hoadley, November 8, 1865, (i^' wife), who was born January 2, 1846, and died August 5, 1870. Had a daugh- ter, Lora E., born in Laingsburg, Mich., September i, 1866. He married 2^, Ann D. Downward, December 3, 1873. Their children : Edith E., b. in Laingsburg, Mich., June 11, 1875. H. Clark, b. " " June 25, 1878. 443. JuD Burt (son of Thomas 435) born ; is now the proprietor of the Burt House in Bradford, Pa. 444. ToBASCO L. Burt (son of Chester 436) was born in Indiana, August 13, 1843, and died February 22, 1875. He married Francis Scott. They had only one child, which died young. 445. NiLES Burt (son of Thomas 435) was born in Sciota^ Mich., October i, 1859. He married Eliza Putman of Sciota, March i, 1882, who was born October 15, 1862. Their children: Floy, b. in Sciota, Mich., February 26, 1885. Ethel, b. " " May 22, 1886. Alba, b. " " February 17, 1888. 446. George Burt (son of Thomas 435) was born in Sciota, Mich., and resides in Laingsburg, Mich. He was born May 23, 1852, and married 1^', Lucinda E. Jones of Howell, Mich., January 556 THE BURT FAMILY. i8, 1874, who was born November 24, 1854, and died December 8, 1888. Their children : Thomas J., b. in Sciota, Mich., Julv 15, 1875. Earnest N., b. in Baldwin, Mich., July 20 1880. Leah A., b. in Sciota, Mich., September 24, 1882. Miles R., b. in Laingsburg, Mich., July 11, 1886. He married 2^, Maigaret Estus of Sciota, Mich., June 8, 1889, who was born April 11, 1869. Their children : George E., b. in Laingsburg, Mich., November 3, 1889. Willard H., b. " " November 9, 1891. 447. Polly Herman (daughter of John 429) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., (where she still resides), February 12, 1823. Mar- ried Moses D. Herman of Ridgebury, Pa., June i, 1844. Their children : Sarah E., b. in Ridgebury, Pa., April 6, 1845 ; m. Harvey J.Wood, August 13, 1865. John F., b. " " March 28, 1846; m. Mary Dueling, August 13, 1865. Helen M., b. " " February 12, 1851 ; m. Leland J. Webb, August 30, 1870. Alice A., b. " " January i, 1853 ; ra. Edwin Westbrook, December 17, 1882. Guy M., b. in Ridgebury, " April 20, 1863; m. Eva Lampman, May 1, 448. Julia P. Beckwith (daughter of John 429) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., (now living in Syracuse, N. Y.), January 9, 1832. Married Edwin R. Beckwith of New York City, February e,, 1858, who died August 20, 1877. Their children : Hannah E., b. in Ridgebury, Pa., December 21, i860. Julia Grace, b. '' " July 29, 1863; d. August 2, 1863. James Webb, b. " " December i, 1865. Carrie, b. " " March 22, 1868; d. August 25, 1868. Edwin Burt, b. " " June 8, 1870. Edwin R. Beckwith was born in Big Flats, N. Y., and was for several years doing a successful drug business in New York City. He afterwards removed to Ridgebury, Pa., where he remained until his death. THE BURT FAMILY. SS7 449. Ruth E. Wells (daughter of Mark 438) was born in Wellsburg, N. Y., where she still resides. Married James H. Wells of Wellsburg, N. Y. 450. Martha Wells (daughter of Annie Burt 428) was born in Chemung, N. Y., (where she lived until her death), April 18, 18 1 2, and died September 8, 1886. Married Guy M. Wells of Chemung, N. Y., June 19, 1829, who was born March 6, 1806, and died February 6, 1851. Their children : Miles, b. in Chemung, N. Y., August 30, 1831; d. January 23, i8go. John W., b. " " November 7, 1836; m. Helen McLoin, Feb- ruary 21, 1862. Escourt C, b. in Chemung, N. Y., April i, 1842; m. Emma C. Pease. June- 13, 1863. 451. Julia A. Wilson (daughter of Mahala Hammond 423) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., Au|ust 30, 1820, and died August i, 1885. She married Charles F. Wilson in 1843, who was born June, 1816, and died April, 1870. Their children : Francis G., b. in , September 30, 1844; m. George Wright. Sarah H., b " , June lo, 1846; d. — , 1863. Charles F., b. " , April 18, 1852 ; d. 1863. 452. Sarah E. Wood (daughter of Polly Herman 447) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., (now of Wellsburg, N. Y.), April 6, 1845, and married Captain Harvey Wood of Ridgebury, Pa., August 13, 1865. Their children : William C.,b. in Ridgebury, Pa., September 29, 1867; d. January 10, 1875. Helen M., b. " " September 29, 1871 ; d. December 29, 1874. Jennie G., b. " " September 10, 1875. Minnie E., b. " " February 26, i88o. 453. John Franklin Herman (son of Polly Herman 447) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., (now of Wellsburg, N. Y.), March 28, 1846. Married Mary Dueling of Wellsburg, N. Y., August 13, 1865. 454. Helen M. Webb (daughter of Polly Herman 447) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., (now of Topeka, Kan.), February 12, 1851. Married Leland J. Webb, August 30, 1870, who died in 1893. Their children : Mabel P., b. in , May 17, 1872 ; m. Harry Wells, September, 1892. Harmon, b. in , December—, 1874; d. November 5, 1878. 558 THE BURT FAMILY. 455. Alice B. Westbrook (daughter of Polly Herman 447) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., now of Waverly, N. Y. She was born January i, 1853, and married Edwin Westbrook, December 17, 1882. Their children : Cora A., b. in , January 4, 1875. Lora M., b. " , March 26, 1S77. Maud E.,b." , August i, 1889. 456. Jane Wells (daughter of Thomas 435) was born in Che- mung, N. Y., now residing in Elmira, N. Y. She was born, July 9, 1831, and married Horace D. Wells. Their children : Lena, b. in Elmira, September 14, 1862 ; d. February 20, 1864. Bessie, b. " January 22, 1865 ; m. Grant Jones, November 19, 1890. Bertha, b. " December 15, 1867. Thomas, b. " January 22, 1873. 457. Ruby Flynn (daughter of James 427) was born in Che- mung, N. Y. Resides there still. Born October 11, 1818, and married Edward M. Flynn, September 18, 1840, who was born January 24, 1814, and died April i, 1864. Their children : James H.,b. in Chemung, October 11, 1842; d. April 3, 1892. Clara, b. " September 28, 1843. Delmer, b. " January 11, 1851 ; d. December 20, 1855. • 458. Martha Hatfield (daughter of James 427) was born in Chemung, April 9, 1828, and died March 17, 1865. She married Morris Hatfield, 1844, who was born December, 1823, and died November 20, 1892. Their children : Elizabeth, b. August 24, 1845; d. August 24, 1859. Fannie J., b. February 13, 1850. Frank W., b. December 6, 1856. Flora, b. October 28, 1859; d. November 28, 1888. Martha, b. August 6, 1864. 459. Guy M. Herman (son of Polly Herman 447) was born in Ridgebury, Pa., (now of Topeka, Kan.), April 20, 1863. He married Eva Lampman of Troy, Pa., May i, 1884. Their children : Max D., b. in Topeka, January 31, 1885. Edwin W., b. " December ii, 1887. THE BURT FAMILY. 559 460. Florilla Murphy (daughter of Howard 432) was born in Chemung, N. Y., (now of Elmira, N. Y.), July 21, iS^s- Mar- ried Darwin Murphy. Their children : Charlie A., b. in Ridgebury, Pa., February, 10, 1852; m. Josephine Chittis- ter, February, 1872. Fred R., b. in Ridgebury, Pa., September 13, 1856; m. Lou Courtwright, November 25, 1886. True J., b. in Ridgebury, Pa., December 12, 1858 ; m. Mary McMahan, May 13, i88o. Monroe N., b. in Elmira, February 28, 1861 ; m. Annie King, January ig, 1887. Harry, b. " " May 4, 1863; m. Marcelia Elmore, April i8, 1891. Nellie, b. " " September 2, 1865. Sarah, b. " " November 3, 1867; m. Oliver Badger, Decem- ber, 25, 1885. 461. Helen M. Phelps (daughter of Chester 436) was born in Chemung, N. Y., June 19, 1832, and died January 4, 1875. ^^^ married Frank Phelps of Salon, N. Y., October 29, 1850, who was born June 19, 1823, and died December 30, 1887. Their children : Leon Delmer, b. February 23, 1852; m. Jennie Mickle, July i, 1875; d. June 25, 1888. Coralynn Estella, b. April 23, 1854. Harry Judd, b. September 3, i86i ; m.' Cora A. Francis, May 31, 1887. Ralph R., b. June 4, 1865 ; d. August 3, 1865. 462. Harry Jud Phelps (son of Helen Phelps 461) now of Sioux Falls, Dak., was born, September 3, 1861. He married Cora A. Francis of Ackley, la., May 31, 1887. Their children : Robert Delmer, b. in Sioux Falls, April 4, 1889. Guy Francis; b. " " June 17, 1890. 463. Leocadia S. Townsend (daughter of Chester 436) was born in Chemung, N. Y., (resides in Fort Wayne, Ind.), Decem- ber 28, 1833. Married Eli Townsend of Rensselaerville, N. Y., who was born Marcb 15, 1829, and died August 24, 1865. Their children : Dick, b. in , November 6, 1859 ; m. Jessie C. Allison. Maggie, b. , April 12, 1861 ; m. W. F. Jefferies of Springfield, O. 560 THE BURT FAMILY. 464. Dick Townsend (son of Leocadia 463), now of Fort -Wayne, Ind., was born November 6, 1859. He married Jessie C. Allison of Decatur, Ind., who was born October 4, 1861. Their son : Burt A., b. in Decater, November 4, 1887. Jessie C. Allison was a daughter of R. B. Allison of Decatur, Ind. Mr. Townsend is the owner of the original " Burt " House, established by Chester Burt, in 1861. He is also proprietor of the Randell House at Fort Wayne, Ind. 465. Ann Burt McCarty (daughter of Thomas 435) was born in Chemung, N. Y., (now resides in Laingsburg, Mich.), June 2, 1844. Married George B. McCarty of Geneva, N. Y., October 18, 1863, who was born January 9, 1840. Their son : Earnest B., b. in Sciota, Mich., November 7, 1864. 466. Pruie Burt Cooper (daughter of Thomas 435) was born in Sciota, Mich., (now living in Cato, N. Y.), April 15, 1856. Mar- ried Judson- A. Cooper of Cayuga, N. Y., January 18, 1874, who was born July 31, 1854. Their son : Ira B., b. in Sciota, Mich., June 16, 1877. 467. Flora Burt Galigan (daughter of Thomas 435) was born in Sciota, Mich., (now of Laingsburg, Mich.), October 26, 1863. Married George Galigan, December 24, 1884, who was born June 19, 1862. Their children : Ray B., b. in Laingsburg, Mich., August i, i885. Amelia, b. " " April 18, 1889. 468. Earnest B. McCarty (son of Ann Burt McCarty 465) was born in Sciota, Mich., (and still resides there), November 7, 1864. Married Elreta B. Emery of Gains, Mich., November 24, 1886, who was born January 31, 1869. 469. John W. Wells (son of Martha Wells 450) was born in Chemung, N. Y., (where he still resides), November 7, 1836. Mar- ried Helen McLain, February 21, 1862, who was born June 22, 1843. Their children : Guy M., b. in Chemung, N. Y., December 7, 1862. Ida M., b. " " February, 10, 1865 ; m. Milten H. Bodine, October 20, 18S1. THE BURT FAMILY. 561 Martha, b. in Chemung, N. Y., June i, 1867 ; m. Charles F. Chamberlin, February 7, 1886. Mary, b. in Chemung, " December 22, 1868. Fred, b. " " February 8, 187 1 ; d. September 25, 1873. John, b. " " July i, 1873. Emma, b. " " May 20, 1874; d. April 11, 1875. Harry, b. " " April 15, 1877. Catherine, b. " " December 16, 1878. Escourt, b. '■ " January 14, 1880. Leon, b. " " March i, 1887; d. September 8, 1889. Louis, b. " " January 17, :888. Mrs. Wells was a daughter of John McLain of Chemung, N. Y. 470. Escourt Wells (son of Martha Wells 450) was born in Chemung, N. Y., (where he still resides), April, i 1842. Married Emma C. Pease, June 13, 1863, who was born January 20, 1848. Their children : Harry C, b. in Chemung, N. Y., January 21, 1869; d. March 7, 1869. Annie, b. " " November 28, 1869; d. December 31, 1S78. Alice, b. " " March 28, 1872 ; d. April 13, 1872. Eben, b. " " October i, i88o; d. April 2, 1881. Mabel C, b. " " February 26, 1884. Mrs. Wells was a daughter of Harlow W. Pease, formerly of En- field, Conn., but settled in Chemung, N. Y. 471. Ida N. Bodine (daughter of John Wells 469) was born in Chemung, N. Y., (now resides in Montrose, Pa.), February 16, 1865. Married Milton H. Bodine, October 20, 1881. Their children: Emma, b, in Montrose, Pa., April 22, 1882. AUie, b. Reeva, b. 472. Leon Delmer Phelps (son of Helen Phelps) was born in Chemung, N. Y., February 23, 1852 ; died February 25, 1888. Married July i, 1875, Jennie Mickle of Decatur, Ind., where she still resides. Their son : Frank P., Jr., b. in Decatur, Ind., March 14, 1876 ; d. November 14, 1876. DESCENDANTS OF HENRY'S SON, JONATHAN BURT. Eighth Generation. Henry Addison Burt (son of Calvin', Caleb", Asa^, James*, Henry', Jonathan^, Henry^), of Abbeville, Vermillion Parish, I^ouisiana. He was born February 23, 1812 ; died December 10, 1888 ; married i^', February 4, 1844, Minerva Brooks, who was born November 8, 1821, and died January 25, 1852. He married 2^, April 23, 1854, Mrs. Delana Rebecca Wilson, born ; died April 23, 1865. CHILDREN OF FIRST WIFE. James Henry, b. December 28, 1844; d. July 25, 1852. Sarah Alice, b. November 11, 1846; m. J. N. Williams, March 5, 1874. Emma Minerva, b. January 2, 1849; m. James S. McKie, December 9, 1866. CHILDREN OF SECOND WIFE. Henry Addison, b. January 3, 1856; d. July 5, 1891. Henrietta, b. January 3, 1856; d. September 12, 1861. John Calvin, b. July 29, 1858; d. March 16, 1881. Charles Morrison, b. May 23, 1862 ; d. Harold Lee, b. August 21, 1864; d. April 21, 1865. Grandchildren of Henry Addison Burt of Abbeville, La.: CHILDREN OF SARAH ALICE WILLIAMS. Francis Burt, b. August 11, 1875. Newton Purvis, b. March 31, 1878. Thomas Henry, b. May 3, 1880. James Hugh, b. June 7, 18S3. Herbert Owen, b. June 29, 1885. Henrietta, b. August 31, 1888. CHILDREN OF EMMA MINERVA MCKIE. Lizzie Ardell, b. January, 1868; d. July, 1889. Alice Minerva, b. February 22, 1870. Laura Julia, b. March 19, 1873. George Washington Burt (son of Calvin', Caleb", Asa^, James\ Henry**, Jonathan^, Henry') of Clayville, N. Y. He was born Sep- tember 9, 1824, and married, January 4, 1859, Julia Phelps, who was born at Lee, Mass., September 19, 1839. EDWARIJ IJ. BURT, THE BURT FAMILY. 563 CHILDREN.' Sarah Virginia, b. September i6, i860; m. Henry Bailey, November 9, 1882. Harry Phelps, b. October 2, 1862; m. Ida A. Jones, September 10, 1889. Mary Averill, b. April 4, 1864. George Washington, b. May i, 1871. Edward Chaffee, b. July 22, 1873. CHILDREN OF SARAH VIRGINIA BAILEY. Samuel Burt, b. February 2, 1885. Harry Cogswell, b. October 23, 1887 ; d. November 6, 1887. Edvstard Dwight Burt (son of Calvin', Caleb'', Asa^, James*, Henry^ Jonathan^, Henry^) of Brooklyn, N. Y. He was born August 17, 1826, and married i=', December 23, 1853, Lucia M. Sav- age ; died September 11, 1856. He married 2^, September 17, 1862, Mary G. Whiting, who was born June 18, 1835. CHILD OF FIRST WIFE. Fannie Savage, b. September 17, 1854; d. September 29, 1855. CHILDREN OF SECOND WIFE. Laura Whiting, b. February 27, 1864; m. James Quinlan, April 27, 1887. Mary Lyon, b. December 17, 1868. Ninth Generation. Charles Morrison Burt (son of Henry Addison*, Calvin', Caleb°, Asa^, James*, Henry^, Jonathan^, Henry^} of Abbeville, La. He was born May 23, 1862, and married, April 24, 1886, Laura Moss. CHILDREN. Henry Calvin, b. July, 1887. Nellie Dale, b. September 20, 1888. Lorena Jane, b. February i, 1890. Josephine, b. March 11, 1891. Anna May, b. March 2, 1892. ■ Harry Phelps Burt (son of George Washington*, Calvin', Caleb", Asa^ James*, Henry^ Jonathan^, Henry^) of Clayville, N. Y. He was born October 2, 1862, and married Ida A. Jones. children. Margaret, b. September 9, 1890. Virginia, b. June 6, 1892. DESCENDANTS OF DEACON JONATHAN BURT. NINTH GENERATION. Charles Benjamin Burt', Benjamin Moor", John', John", John^ Captain John^ John^ Jonathan^, Henry^ of Springfield, Mass. He was born August i, 1848, at Agawam, Mass.; married, February 11, 1882, at Brooklyn, N. Y., Ella Maria McKennan, who was born January 20, 1855, at North Bangor, N. Y. Child : Arthur Edward, b. January 11, 1884, at Springfield, Mass. Charles B. Burt was born on his grandfather's farm in Agawam, Mass., during his mother's visit to her old home, but he has always resided in Springfield, Mass. He attended the public schools until the outbreak of the Rebellion, when at the age of thirteen he left to go to work making soldiers' uniforms. In the spring of 1863, he began to work in the United States Armory in Springfield, making rifles, and remained so employed until he enlisted July 16, 1864, in Company H 8th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, and was mustered into the United States service July 20, 1864. He was then in his sixteenth year. He was honorably discharged at Read- ville, Mass., November 10, 1864. He reinlisted for one year in the 4th Massachusetts Cavalry on the quota of Westfield, but was not mustered into the United States service because the town's quota was found to be full. He then returned to work in the United States Armory and remained until June, 1865, when he was dis- charged on account of the ending of the war. He made two trips mackerel fishing from Gloucester in 1865 ; sailing first in July on the schooner Waldemar, Captain J. McKennan, for the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and next on the schooner Austerlitz, Captain John Carr, off the coast of England. The next year he took a five- month's trip in the schooner James Seward, Captain John Carr to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Chaleur Bay. Returning to Spring- field, he was employed five months in the Smith & Wesson pistol factory, and later at the Hampden Watch Factory for five years. He has been a member of the Springfield Fire Department for twenty-six consecutive years, beginning as call hoseman of the L. THE BURT FAMILY. 56$ O. Hanson steam fire engine company No. 2, in the spring of 1867. In 1870, he changed to the Henry Gray engine company No. 3, as call hoseman, and in November, 187 1, was transferred to be "call " tillerman of the new hook and ladder truck No. i, becoming the first tillerman in the Springfield Fire Department. He was made a " permanent " tillerman December i, 1873 ; and transferred April 10, 1882, to be permanent engineer of Engine No. 4, which position he now holds. He has never met with any accident in the line of duty, or caused any injury to any person, or the apparatus in his charge. He is a strong, cool, reliable and experienced fireman and a thorough mechanic. He is a member of De Soto Lodge, and Agawam Encampment of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He owns a homestead on High street, and is, therefore, the ninth generation from Henry the immigrant in an unbroken line of resident householders in Springfield, Mass. His wife is the daughter of John E. and Harriet M. McKennan. Frederick A. BuRT^ Benjamin Moor', John', John", John^ Captain John*, John^, Jonathan^, Henry^ of Somerville, Mass. He was born June 6, 1850, at Springfield, Mass.; married, July 7, 1880, at Brookfield, Mass., Alice Evelyn Barrows, who was born October 27, 1857, at Chinese Camp, Cal. Children : Evelyn Grace, b. May 29, 1881, at Springfield, Mass.; d. December i, 1882. Florence Alice, b. June 7, 1884, at Springfield, Mass.; d. Walter Frederick, b. October 17, 1886, at Somerville, Mass.; d. Grace Marion, b. March 30, 18S9, at Revere, Mass.; d. Helen Frances, b. October 21, 1891, at Somerville, Mass.; d. Frederick A. Burt attended the public schools of Springfield until fifteen years of age. He then began an apprenticeship with the firm of J. B. Rumrill & Co., manufacturing jewelers, to learn gold chain making, which ended with his minority in 1871. He was employed by this firm as a journeyman for a year or two, and later by P. E. Robinson & Co., and by Burdish & Gray. During the great business depression of 1874, he was appointed a substitute letter carrier and was later taken into the Springfield post office as stamp clerk. He was next emplo) ed upon the New England Home- stead and Sunday Telegram as compositor, and later for three years with the Springfield Union as proof reader. He left this paper in January, 1880, to return to his trade, accepting an offer from the 566 THE BURT FAMILY. firm of W. M. Fisher & Co. of Providence, R. I., but he returned to Springfield the following June to accept the position of agent of the board of overseers of the poor of that city, in which position he served four years, being for three years a member of the board. In September, 1886, he removed to Somerville, Mass., having been appointed under the civil service laws, after competive examination, a visitor of the State board of lunacy and charity, and in this ser- vice he now (1893) remains. He was commissioned a justice of the peace by Governor John D. Long in February, 1881, and appointed by Governor Oliver Ames in 1888. He was commissioned a notary public by Governor George D. Robinson in July, 1B84, and reappointed by Governor William E. Russell in 1891, each commission running for seven years. Mrs. Alice E. Burt was the child of Orrin F. and Susan E. Waltze, both natives of Maine. Mr. Waltze went to California in 1850, with the gold fever, and located in Tuolumne county, his wife following in 1852. Early one morning in the spring of 1861, while driving his eight mule team between Stockton and Sonora, he was thrown from his seat as the front wheels dropped into a deep rut, and instantly killed by the wheels passing over him. His widow with her four children returned East, and Alice at the age of six years was taken into the family of Rev, J. S. Barrows, a Methodist clergyman of the New England conference, who, having no living children of his own, adopted her. Edwin R. BuRT^ Benjamin M.**, John', John", John^ Captain John^ John^, Jonathan^, Henrj'' of Brooklyn, Va. He was born February 15, 1858, at Springfield, Mass.; married, July 16, 1883, at Springfield, Mass., Royal M. Curham, who was born in Ireland in i860. Children : Herbert E., b. September 5, 1884; d. September 15, 1884. Ethel G., b. November 23, 1885 ; d. March 30, iii86. Edwin R. Burt was for several years engineer at the Hampden Watch Factory. He removed to Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1887 to be- come foreman of a shop. In 1891 he removed to Richmond, Va., to accept a position with the Fidelity Building Loan and Invest- ment company of Washington, D. C. In 1893 he returned to Brooklyn, N. Y., having been appointed a letter carrier in the post office there. LATEST RECORDS OF THE OSWEGO BURTS. Mr. Bradley B. Burt furnishes the following, in addition to the records of the Oswego line, published in Mr. Burnham's Genealogy of the descendants of Henry Burt : 243. John Burt (son of William^^'^, Daniel^^, Daniel'^, Benja- min*, David^, Henry^) died January 31, 1890. His wife, Maria Bentley, died November i, 1887. 244. Daniel Burt (son of William"^, etc., as above) died August 18, 1887. It is erroneously stated that his 2'^ wife, Sarah Thayer, " died November 25, 1878." She is living (December, 1892). 245. Mary Cyrenius, widow of James Burt (son of William Burt"^, etc., as above), died January 29, 1884. 248. Calvin Burt (son of William Burt^^^, etc., as above) died May 19, 1892. Samuel W. Burt (son of Joel Burt"'', DanieP^, DanieP^, Benja- min", David'*, Henry^) died May 30, 1892. 256. Carrie M. Burt (daughter of Le Roy Burt, son of C. Bradner"*, Daniel^^, DanieP^, Benjamin", David^, Henry^) married Horace T. Potter, September 30, 1886. I20.' Amelia N. Dunham (daughter of James Burt-*^", Daniel"^, DanieP^ Benjamin", David^ Henry^) died March 13, 1884. 121. Emily Burt (daughter of Benjamin^^\ DanieP^, DanieP^, Benjamin", David^ Henry^) died April 18, 1881. 386. William Burt (son of John^*'', William"^, DanieP^ DanieP^, Benjamin", David', Henry^) married 2'^, Minnie Pool, November 29, 1881. Carrie A. Burt (daughter of Norman Burt, son of George W."°, Daniel"^, DanieP^ Benjamin", David', Henry^) married Clarence Foote, October 6, 1886. Ninth Generation. 426. Annie Artemisia Burt (daughter of George N. Burt, son of Bradley B. Burt2^^ George W."^ DanieF, DanieP^, Benja- min", David', Henry') was born November 21, 1883. John Wyman Burt (son of George N. Burt above) was born April 6, 1892. DESCENDANTS OF LUTHER BURT. [Sixth Generation; Elijah^ David*, David', Nathaniel^, Henry'.] Luther Burt, farmer; born March ii, 1773, died January 28, 1847. He was born in East Longmeadow, where he spent his entire Hfe. Married, October 10, 1799, Mary White of Springfield, Mass., who was born March 21, 1774, and died February 2, 1868. Their ten children, who were all born in East Longmeadow, were as follows : Mary, born August 31, 1800; married, September 10, 1829, Nathaniel Bliss of Longmeadow ; died January 25, 1863. She had five children : Martha Collins, b. August 9, 1830; m. October 25, 1864, Henry S. Nevers of Longmeadow; d. March 29, 1859. Mary White, b. March 31, 1832; m. June 13, 1866, Richard S. Chamberlain of Springfield. Sarah Cooley, b. June 18, 1834; m. March 23, 1S62, John A. Wadsworth of Springfield. Nathaniel Burt, b. December i, 1837; d. January 28, 1839. Flavel Nathaniel, b. February 22, 1840; m. October 10, 1866, Margaret Mathison of Middletown, Conn. Anne, born June 21, 1802 ; married, December 22-, 1830, Henry B. Coomes of East Longmeadow; died March 14, 1878. Her five children were as follows : Edwin Henry, b. October 7, 1831 ; m. November 20, 1855, ,01ive Jane Hendrick of East Longmeadow. William Edgar, b. September, 1833 ; d. March 16, 1839. Mary Colton, b. May i, 1835 ; m. May 6, 1868, William H. Bartlett of Portland, Conn. Anna, Stevenson, b. Augusts, 1838; m. December 27, i860, Loomis Rich- ards of East Longmeadow. William Edgar, b. November 12, 1841 ; m. June 27, 1866, Mary James of Philadelphia; d. September 7, i888. Rhoda, born June 6, 1804; unmarried; died April 21, 1879. Hezekiah, born April 11, 1806, died August n, 1876. Farmer, THE BURT FAMILY. 569 Married, December 3, 1835, Lucretia Morgan of Springfield, who was born August 15, 1803, and died December 20, 1889. Children : Edward, b. November 22, 1839; unmarried; died June 2, 1864, from a wound received in tire war for the Union. John Marshall, b. August 28, 1842 ; m. November 20, 1867, Julia O. Pease of South Wilbraham. Lucius, b. September 16, 1844; m. December 30, 1868, H. Logenia Kibbe of East Longmeadow. Lucius Colton, born March 5, 180S ; died March 29, 1891. Carpenter and builder; ret,idence East Longmeadow, Mass. Mar- ried 1^', December 31, 1831, Hnrriet Searle of Springfield, who was born December 3, 1812, and died August 13, 1840. Married 2"*, October 12, 1840, Mrs. Nancy A. Lathrop of East Longmeadow, who was born December 2r, 1810, and died April, 1882. She was the youngest child of Elijah Burt and the widow of Lyman Lathrop. Married 3"*, February, 1883, Ellen M. Burr of Springfield. Children of first wife : Caroline Augusta, b. June 14, 1835 ; unmarried; d. August 2, 1856. William Henry, b. July 13, 1840 ; d. October 13, 1840. Lucius C, and Nancy A., his 2d wife, adopted a son — JohnH. — of Peter T. Smith of Somers, Conn., and chan'jfed his name to William J. Burt, January 26, 1857. Adopted Mary M. Simons, Late of Castile, N. Y., and changed her name to Mary M. Burt, April 19, 1864. Augustine, born July 4, 1810 ; died January 14, 1881 ; mason, and later in life a bookseller in Springfield, Mass. Married, Sep- tember 26, 1839, Asenath Hamblet of East Longmeadow, who was born December 6, 18 15, and died May, 188 1. Children : First child, stillborn, October 18, 1840. Augusta E., born June 6, 1845 ; d. September 2, 1845. Mary Asenath, b. April 13, 1854; m. April 3, 1883, Zera W.Smith of Springfield, Mass. Luther White, born July 4, 1812 ; died March 25, 1847. Mar- ried, October, 1842, Mercy Amidon of Belchertown, who was born . , 1819, and died May 22, 1845. Two children, the first born September, 1843, and lived two days ; second child died with its mother at childbirth, May 22, 1845. 570 THE BURT FAMILY. John, born January 30, 1815 ; died January 7, 1870, Spectacle manufacturer and inventor of periscopic lens, used in spectacles. Married, January 10, 1848, Francinai T., daughter of General Amariah Kibbe of Somers, Conn. She was born March 9, 1822. Children : John Francis, b. December S, 185 1. Emma Charlotte, b. March 20, 1853. Richard Storrs, born October 26, 1817. Resident agent of the Connecticut Fire Insurance Company of Hartford. Married, April 3, 1844, Maria Asenath Boardman, daughter of Luis C. Boardman, of Hartford. She was born September 25, 1817, and died June 26, 1892. Children : Charles Richard, b. March 4, 1845. Luther White, b. October i6, 1848. Lilla Maria, b. September 10, 1855. Delia Bliss, born July 7, 1820. Unmarried. Instructor. Resi- dence, Philadelphia, Pa. Graduated at Mount Holyoke Seminary, class of 1850. Charles Richard Burt, son of Richard Storrs Burt, born March 4, 1845; married, October 5, 187 1, Sophia Matilda Sill of Middletown, Conn. Is secretary of the Connecticut Fire Insur- ance Company of Hartford. Luther White Burt, son of Richard Storrs Burt, born Octo- ber 16, 1848. Graduated at Sheffield Scientific School, Yale Col- lege, class of 1871. Has had a wide range of experience as civil engineer and surveyor. He is at present city surveyor of Hartford. Married, May 6, 1875, Mary Alice Greene of Springfield, Mass. She was born September 10, 1852, and died March 21, 1887. Children : Luther Harold Burt, b. February 29, 1876. Alice Morgan Burt, b. October 27, 1877. Richard Greene Burt, b. January 27, 1879 ; d. November 4, 1883. Daisy Helen Burt, b. July 5, 1880; d. July ig, 1881. Marion Lucy Burt, b. July 12, 1883. THE BURT FAMILY. 57 I LiLLA Maria Burt, daughter of Richard Storrs Burt, born September lo, 1855. Residence, Hartford. John Marshall Burt, son of Hezekiah Burt, residence. East Longmeadow, Mass. Farmer. Born August 28, 1842 ; married, November 20, 1867, Julia Owilla Pease, daughter of Owill Pease of South Wilbraham, Mass. She was born March 26, 1850. Children : Edward Burt, b. May 29, 1870. Mabel A. Burt, b. August lo, 1872. Lucius Burt, son of Hezekiah Burt, residence, Hartford, Conn., born September 16, 1844; married, December 30, 1868, H. Logenia Kibbe of East Longmeadow, Mass. She was born December 30, 1854. Children : Lula M. Burt, b. November 12, 1869; m. April 8, 1891, Fred Albert Searle of Hartford, Conn. Howard S. Burt, b. December 12, 1873. Florence L. Burt, b. December 15, 1882. BENJAMIN AA. BURT. [Eighth Generation; Benjamin Moor Burt', John', John^, John^, Capt. John-*, John', Jonathan^, HenryiJ Benjamin M. Burt, born September 23, 1820; died March 12, 189 1 ; married, September 8, 1847, Cordelia Frary, who was born August 2, 1829. Their children : Charles B.,b. August i, 184S; m. February 11, 1882, Ella M. McKennan. Frederick A., b. June 6, 1850; m. July 7, 1880, Alice E. Barrows Ella A., b. May 3, 1853; d. February 15, 1855. Ella M., b. November 5, 1S55. Edwin R., b. February 15, 1858; m. July 16, 1883, Royal M. Curham. Minnie D., b. July 15, 1867. Leander T., b. August 25, 1869; d. Se[jtember 28, 1870. Lillian Grey, b. October 15, 1871. Benjamin M. Burt was born in the new house built by his father on a part of tlie old homestead in Springfield, Mass., that had been in the family since 1652, and here he passed his childhood until, at the age of fifteen years, he ran away to sea, shipping at New York on a New Bedford whaler in May, 1836, for an eighteen-months' cruise in the North and South Atlantic oceans. He followed the sea eleven years, sailing in this time up the Mediterranean, around Cape Horn to Central America, around Cape of Good Hope to Calcutta, and to the gold coast of Guinea, Africa, besides making several voyages across the Atlantic on the Black Ball and Swallow Tail lines of packets between New York and Liverpool, and in the coastwise trade to the West Indies. He came near being wrecked on Newport rocks and again off the coast of Wales, and was wrecked with the ship Oxford oi the Black Ball packet line on the north- west coast of England. The ship reached the river Mersey, bound for Liverpool, but on account of the tide could not dock until the BENJAMIN M. KURT. THE BURT FAMILY. 573 next day. During the night came the great gale of January 6-7, 1839, which cast the vessel ashore on Bootle beach, Cumberland county, about seventy miles from the Mersey. The vessel fortu- nately struck upon a sandy beach and did not go to pieces ; it was badly damaged, but was repaired in Liverpool, and he returned in her to New York and remained with her for another voyage. At New Orleans he tried to enlist in the U. S. Navy, but could not pass because of a crooked arm, improperly set after being broken in childhood. He returned to Springfield, eleven years after his departure, to find great changes in his old home. His father was dead and the old homestead had been sold. In 1847 he began to work for the American Machine Works in Springfield and con- tinued there for over twenty-five years. He was for some time construction engineer and often had entire charge of the finest and most difficult work. He went to many parts of the South to set up and operate the different rope and cordage machinery, cotton- presses, and steam engines built at these works. He became a member of Amity Lodge of Odd Fellows in September, 1875. He was married Wednesday, September 8, 1847, at Agawam, Mass., to Cordelia, oldest child of Jason Frary. He died March 12, 1891, at Springfield, Mass. SUNDRY NOTES. SILAS WRIGHT BURT. Silas Wright Burt, born at Albany, N. Y., on April 25, 1830 ; mar- ried, on September 25, 1855, Jeannette Sarah, daughter of John M. and Jeannette Nichols Ferrell. Mrs. Burt was born at Oneida Castle, N. Y., on August 15, 1836, and is descended in the fifth generation from Robert and Elizabeth Ferrell, who came from the north of Ireland and settled at Palmer, Mass., in 1727. The children of Silas W. and Jeannette Burt are Lilian, born at Yonkers, N. Y., on February 14, 1866, and Marvin, born in New York city on October 27, 1867. The latter married, on April 10, 1890, Harriet Reynolds, daughter ol George W. and Susan Undefhill Townsend of Newburgh, N. Y. Marvin and Harriet R. Burt have one child, Townsend Burt, born in New York city on December 27, 1891. MRS. J. C. GASSNER. Mrs. Gassner, who was a granddaughter of Reuben Burt, a Rev- olutionary soldier, took great interest in the family reunion, which occurred in 1890. She was born in Chicopee Falls, and lived there her whole life. She died suddenly of pneumonia on the evening of March 16, 1892. Her mother, Mrs. Lavinia Johnson, died the week previous. Her husband, four brothers, and one sister, survive her, — R. D. Johnson and Amos Johnson of Chicopee Falls, D. S. Johnson of Beloit, Wis., E. L. Johnson of Campbell, Neb., and Mrs. Maria Hawley of South Hadley. RODERICK H. BURNHAM. Roderick H. Burnham, who spent a long time in compiling the genealogy of Henry Burt and his descendants, died at Bloom- fiield. Conn., April 21, 1893, aged 77 years. He was a descendant of THE BURT FAMILY. 575 Dea. Jonathan Burt, the oldest son of Henry Burt, and was in the eighth generation. His motlier was a daughter of Capt. Calvin Burt. After compiling the genealogy of the Burnham family he began the work of gathering the material for the Burt genealogy, which was published by Miss Elizabeth Burt of Warwick, N. Y., in the summer of 1392. The many descendants of Henry Burt have reason to be thankful for the laborious work which Mr. Burn- ham accomplished. The arrangement is orderly and the work ex- ceedingly well done, considering that he was an invalid for many years and unable to give any attention to it during the later years of his life. The readers of this volume, desiring a more complete genealogy than this includes, can obtain copies of Mr. Burnham's work by addressing Miss Elizabeth Burt, Warwick, N. Y. It is indispensable in tracing the various lines of the family. Mr. Burn- ham was buried in the family lot in Longmeadow, where rest his wife, son and daughter, and was the last of his own family. REV. ENOCH BURT. Rev. Enoch Burt, a descendant of Nathaniel, who died in New Jersey in 1856, was remarkable for his inventive and mechanical skill. He was born in South Wilbraham, Mass., November 26, 1779. At the age of twelve years he made a wooden clock which was a good time-keeper and was used for many years. He learned the trade of watch and clock-maker of Henry Sargent of Spring- field, and was proficient in his work. Mrs. Elizabeth Mclntire, wife of James E. Mclntire of Springfield, owns a hall clock, still in good order, that he made for Parson Warren of South Wilbraham, and which was sold, in closing up the Warren estate, to John B. Morris (a cousin of Rev. Mr. Warren), the father of Mrs. Mclntire. He studied for the ministry and was graduated at the theological seminary at Princeton, N. J., and preached in various places. THOMAS BURT, M. P. Since the admirable sketch of Thomas Burt, M. P., was written by Mr. Holyoake for these pages, an English gentleman of fortune has died and left a legacy of ;^2,ooo to Mr. Burt. The donor 576 THE BURT FAMILY. was Mr. James Stevens of Birmingham, a member of the Reform Club in London. He had no personal acquaintance with Mr. Burt, but admired his course as a public man, and kft the bequest as a token of esteem and good will. To make the gift more emphatic, as representing his admiration and esteem, he directed that it be paid to him free of the legacy tax. GENEALOGICAL NOTE. The following data concerning the daughters of Deacon Moses Burt of Wilbraham (sixth generation) were received too late for in- sertion in the sketch of his family : Sarah Burt, born September 12, 1800; married (first), June 17, 1824, Alfred Isham, who died November 25, 1851; she married (second), March 3, 1853, William Sill, who died August 8, 1869. She died June i8, 1884. Louisa Burt, born March 8, 1807 ; mar- ried Henry Isham, January 23, 1835 ; died August 3, 1884. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Isham were : Sarah Robbins, born September 10, 1825 ; married Harvey Moseley, and resides in Springfield; Moses Burt Isham, born October 20, 1827 ; Maria Louise Isham, born January, 1830 ; Alfred Isham, born May, 1832. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Isham were : Franklin, Frances and John. SINGULAR SYSTEM OF TAXING LANDS. When that part of Springfield which was situated on the west side of the Connecticut river was set off and incorporated as the town of West Springfield, by the General Court in 1774, a singular reservation was made. It was provided that all lands owned in Springfield, situated in West Springfield, should be taxed in the older town. The first settlers of Springfield who were granted planting grounds opposite their home lots over the " Great River," continued to own them, in some instances, for a long period of time. Whenever they or their descendants sold to those not residing in Springfield, the land was taxed in West Spring- field ; otherwise the tax was paid to the Springfield authorities. This continued until 1866, when an act was passed by the Legislature repealing the conditions of the act of 1774, relative THE BURT FAMILY. 577 to taxation. The same conditions existed in Agawam, whicli was formerly a part of West Springfield, and a subsequent act, also passed in 1-866, repealed the old law. THE REASON FOR SMALL LAND GRANTS. The system of division of landswhich prevailed at the beginning of the settlement, has frequently occasioned comment by those who have become familiar with the practice and the numerous grants that were made. Why was it, when there was a boundless conti- nent to be subdued, that so few acres were given to each settler in any one place ? Three or four acres, ten in the larger grants, was generally about the limit given in any single grant, and these grants were often located several miles apart, — some on the west side of the Connecticut ; up the river in Chicopee ; or across the river opposite that locality ; or down in Longmeadow. It evidently did not occur to the settlers that it took about as much time to travel back and forth between the different lots they owned, as it did to cultivate them. This was not a peculiarity of the grants in Springfield alone, but it appears to have prevailed in other settle- ments. The comparatively few acres of open land may have had something to do with it, but it is more probable that it had its origin in practices in England, where the land cultivated by the tenants of the large estates, near a village, was in small parcels, and when our ancestors came here who had all New England be- fore them, they did not grasp the idea of securing large tracts in a single body. While the first settlers brought with them an enlarged view of religion and government, it was very natural for them to keep many of the old customs that existed in the mother country. In fact, we find that many habits and peculiarities of expression common a half-century ago, were simply the survivals of old country conditions. When the writer of this was a youth in Central New York, the sap-gatherers in the course of maple sugar making, used a wooden neck-yoke, fashioned out of some light wood to fit the shoulders, which they used to carry the pails of sap from the trees to the place of boiling, a pail being suspended from each end of the yoke, thus making it easy to carry two pails at a time. This was supposed to have been an invention that had 578 THE BURT FAMILY. originated out of necessit)' in the region where used. A few years ago, while walking up Craven street in London, he saw, in appearance, the same identical neck-yoke, borne upon the shoulders of a stout Englishwoman, who was carrying pails of milk about the city to supply her customers. This implement, or the knowl- edge of it, evidently went from old England with the first settler to New England, and thence was carried by later emigrants to the new country to the westward. INTRODUCING SHEEP INTO SPRINGFIELD. The first introduction of sheep into Springfield dates back to 1654, when fifteen acres of land were granted to John Pynchon in consideration that he purchase forty head and offer them for sale to the inhabitants. This tract of land, two years later increased to twenty-three acres, is in the north part of Springfield, near the Connecticut river rail- road, part of which is still known as Round Hill. The following extracts from the town records show the conditions of the past : " Traynixg Day, May 29, 1654. " It was granted to Mr. John Pynchon fifteen acres of the plain adjoining- his Three Corner meadow, and so to be laid by the Townsmen as they shall see convenient, and in consideration of this said land the said John Pynchon doth promise to purchase forty sheep within the space of six months, and to use his best endeavor to bring them into Town and then to dispose of them as he shall see cause, provided he sell them not to any one out of Town, in case any in town will buy them." " The fifteen acres of land pr contra granted to John Pynchon was laid out to him, part of it under ye round hill; It going over ye round hill and leaving a part of it John Pynchon desiring ye rest of ye land on that hill, and so down to ye brook, called End Brook, or Three Corner meadow brook, Whereupon this 26th of March, 1656, there is granted to John Pynchon what land is remaining upon ye Round Hill ; from ye hither End of it he is to run on ye north side of ye hill all along upon the brow northward, and so down at ye further end of ye swamp to ye Three Corner meadow brook ; so that in all Mr. Pynchon hath about twenty-three acres." MARIE BURT VON MOLTKE. The Wife of the Greatest Soldier of Our Age. Though no immediate family connection exists between the American Burts and the interesting woman who was the wife of the greatest mihtary genius of our age, it is believed that a brief sketch of her life will interest the readers of this book. Helmuth von Moltke was born of good lineage, on October 26,, 1800, and was from early life devoted to that career as a soldier that has made him famous. Of a naturally retiring disposition as regards the opposite sex, he once said to his younger sister Augusta, "Marriage is a lottery ; nobody knows which lot he will draw. If I should ever marry I should like to choose a girl brought up by you." This wish was afterwards happily gratified. John Heyliger Burt of Colton House, Staffordshire, England^ and an owner of large plantations in the West Indies, had married Marie Johanna von Staffeldt, of a noble family of the old Duchy of Schleswig Holstein, by whom he had three children : John, Jeanette and Bertha Maria Wilhelmine, the latter born at Kiel, on April s, 1826. After his first wife's death Mr. Burt married, in 1834, Augusta von Moltke, and her brother Helmuth became be- trothed to her youngest step-daughter in 1841. The latter was a woman of noble and charming character and of much beauty, modest in mien and domestic in tastes. It is said of her: " Her uprightness and open character never allowed her to feel quite at home in the empty forms of conventional life, even later when she had gained a certain self-possession. Though she presented a striking appearance in the ballroom, she never went there for her own sake." Capt. Von Moltke and Marie Burt became betrothed in the autumn of 1841, at Heligoland, where they were spending a vacation. It was a simple love match, as is shown by the many warm and tender letters that passed between them, both before and after marriage. The latter event took place at St. Lawrences, Itzehoe, in Holstein, where Mr. Burt resided, on April 20, 1842, on which day the bridegroom received from the King his nomination as Major in the General staff. They left, in their own carriage, for Berlin, where they spent the first years of their married life. Of 580 THE BURT FAMILY. their mutual love and trust there are many written evidences, not only in the letters that passed between them, but in those that Moltke wrote to his mother and brothers. Her traits of character would indicate her as of the same blood as our American branch of Burts. One of these is thus mentioned: "That feature in her character which did most to complete their happiness was a lively cheerfulness, that often rose to frolicsome gaiety and was sometimes almost extravagant. When Marie joined a circle of friends, sur- prises were to be expected, and she was sure with her exuberant spirits to turn everything topsy-turvy. Far from any insipid joking, she possessed the natural gift of amusing people and seeing the comical side of things — as she once wrote of this: ' A heritage from mv worthy " squire " (her father) always to have my head full of nonsense.' Up to the last years of the great Marshal's life he never laughed so heartily as when reminded of her funny ideas, and his eyes used to run over when he related them among his tales of by-gone years." After twenty-six years of wedded life this happy union was broken by the death of Frau Von Moltke, from fever, on the evening of Christmas day, 1868. Those who desire to learn more of this inter- esting woman will find an appreciative sketch and portrait of her in "Moltke, his Life and Character" (Harper Bros., 1892), pp.138 to 151. Marie's sister Jeanette Burt married, in 1843, Baron Caj. Von Brockdorff. The Marshal's widowed sister, Augusta Von Burt, after his wife's death, took charge of his domestic concerns until her death, at Potsdam, in her seventy-fourth year, March 27, 1883. Her son, Henry Von Burt, was for many years Adjutant to the Field Marshal, his uncle. At his beautiful estate at Creisnau near Schweidnitz, the Marshal built a chapel in which he placed the remains of his beloved wife. At this estate he spent most of his time thenceforth when not occupied in active military duties, and he almost daily visited the chapel and laid a flower, branch, or cluster of blossoms upon the ■coffin, as an affectionate tribute. On the evening of April 24, 1891, the aged soldier, with his fading eyesight bent upon the portrait of his wife, gave up the ghost, and his body was placed in the chapel beside that of his wife. ORIGIN OF THE SURNAME BURT, And Some Traces of it in the English Records. The surname "Burt" is pure Anglo-Saxon, or, more accurately,. Teutonic. It signifies bright in the sense oiillustrious, the original word being " beort." In the old Saxon chronicles the term " beort " is synonymous with " alderman." It was also a compound in many Saxon names, as Albert, Egbert, Ethelbert, etc. The English form of the family name is Burt, Byrt, or Bert ; the Gernian, Bert, or Bertti ; and the French, Burt, Bert, or Berteau and Burty. As surnames were first used in the twelfth century, that of Burt was one of the earliest, since it is of record in A. D. 1199. Bloom- field, in his great history of Norfolk county, England, says (Vol. IX, p. 520): "The Lordship of Homingtoft was granted by the Conqueror to Alan, Earl of Richmond, who had married Constance, daughter of the Conqueror. In the 10th Richard I. (A. D. 1199), a manor in this lordship was granted to Sir Hamo de Burt. By a fine levied in 5th John (A. D. 1204), Sir Hamo released to John de Gray, Bishop of Norwich, his right of commonage in the towns of Elmham and Brisley, as the Bishop did his right in the town of Homingtoft, and Sir Hamo had power to close the latter common. Sir Hamo de Burt leased certain lands to Robert le Henly at the same time ; and a Sir Hamo de Burt was lord of the same manor in 43d Henry III. (A. D. 1259) and had two sons, Ralph, the elder, and Thomas. The former granted this lordship to his brother Thomas in S4th Henry III. (A. D. 1270). In i8th Edward I. (A. D. 1290), Sir Thomas de Burt granted this manor with the advowson of the church to Nicholas de Castello and Cecelia, his wife." The above extract from Bloomfield's work is given at length as the first known English record of the surname Burt. There was a John Bert in Wilts county in A. D. 1272, and a Roger Berte in Suffolk and Oxford counties in the same year. In A. D. 1346, f82 THE BURT FAMILY. Ralph, son of Peter Burt, was one of the benefactors of the convent of St. Mary de Pratis in Leicester. In the church of Grey Friars, London, is the sepulchre of Sir William Byrt, knighted by King Edward IV., and Margareta, his wife, who died July 12, 1480. From this period down the name of Burt is recorded many times and in various towns and counties as that of landed gentry, benefactors, clergy, mayors, aldermen, etc. In Dorset, in 1676, Thomas Burt owned two manors, and in 1865 these were held by the widow and children of a Thomas Burt. In 1676 there were other Burts hold- ing estates in Dorset. Dr. Burt was rector of the parish of Fermans, Surrey, in 1656, and William Burt, D. D., was the head master of the College of St. Mary Winton at Winchester from 1658 to 1679, when he died. This is the oldest foundation school in England, having been founded by the famous scholar and priest, William Wykeham, in A. D. 1373. Capt. Burt's "Letters from Scotland " in 1730 are largely quoted by the historians Macaulay and Lecky, as of great historic value, and the latter quotes from the fourth edition. It was a Rev. Mr. Burt of Twickenham who performed the secret marriage rites between the Prince of Wales, subsequently George IV., and the beautiful but unfortunate Mrs. Fitzpatrick. In the early part of the present century William Mathew Burt was Captain-General of the Leeward Islands. In the preceding chapter the history has been narrated of Marie Burt, wife of the famous Marshal Von Moltke of the German Empire. But the most notable English Burt is that Thomas Burt, who, ■being a working coal-miner in Northumberland, was elected, in 1874, to Parliament. A portrait and sketch of his career may be found •elsewhere in this volume. In addition to his parliamentary work, he has taken great and intelligent interest in all the economic and social questions of the day. In conclusion it may be said that the Burts in England during the past seven centuries have been found among the gentry, the yeomanry and the peasantry, and so far as there are traces of them in the printed records they have borne an upright and honorable part in their several estates in life. The name appears so frequently in modern English fiction and in the directories of London and ■other cities, that it is evident they still thrive in the mother-country. THE BURT FAMILY. 583 It may be added that there are families of Burts in Wales and Scotland of very ancient standing, and though the coats of arms of these families differ from each other and from that of the English Burts, the identity of names might suggest a common origin. There are no known records of persons of the name in Ireland, though Burt Castle in the north of that country was the scene of some romance and warfare in 1608. The name of Bert is not unknown in France. In addition to Jean Bert, the famous naval commander in the last century, Paul Bert, a distinguished savant, has been minister of Public Instruc- tion in the present French Republic, and as envoy extraordinary from his government to Tonquin, recently died there much lamented. Phillipe Burty, a distinguished critic, is now " Inspector of Fine Arts " at Paris. REVOLUTIONARY AND OTHER RECORDS. BURTS IN THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. Gleanjngs from Massachusetts Archives. The records of 1he soldiers of Massachusetts in the War of the Revolution are not as full and satisfactory as the student of history would wish, although perhaps more so than might be expected considering the condition of the country at that time. In the archives in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth at Boston, are preserved thousands of muster rolls and pay rolls of militia companies, together with lists of recruits for the Continental army and rosters of commissioned officers of the State militia at different dates. The pay rolls were evidently made up with care, and, judging from the occasional corrections made by the auditing officers of the State, were subjected to close scrutiny before being allowed by the Council. So far as these records go, they furnish reliable data as to the service cf the Massachusetts militiamen. The facts presented in the following pages have been gathered from these files. Owing to the defective indexes, which were made some fifty years ago and are far from complete, it is not possible to collate all the details of the services of the members of the family which might be found in the records. Some future writer, however, may be enabled to accomplish this task through the aid of the new index to the rolls, which is now in preparation, while the rolls themselves are being copied and will soon be printed, rendering their examination vastly more convenient. Until that time, the facts contained in the present chapter are practically all that are within the reach of the public as to the patriotic services of the Burts in the War of Independence. The editor has appended to the names of those persons whose lineage he could ascertain, a parenthetical note giving their line of THE BURT FAMILY. 585 descent from Henry Burt; thus, "etfi gen., desc. of Jonathan," shows that the soldier was descended in the sixth generation from Henry Burt, through his son Jonathan. The Burts in the Rhode Island service and in the Bristol county regiments are nearly all members of the Taunton family. Those from the western counties, Berkshire and Hampshire, are undoubtedly descendants from Henry, although in many cases the exact lineage is not known. LEXINGTON ALARM. Abel Burt of Brimfield (6th gen., desc. of Nathaniel) was a private in Captain James Sherman's company in Colonel Pynchon's regiment; marched 140 miles, was absent from home loj^ days, and was paid ^i 6s 8d. Benjamin and Jacob Burt of Tewksbury were privates in a company that marched upon the alarm of April 19, 1775. Ebenezer and Thomas Burt of Wilmington were privates in Captain Timothy Walker's company. Captain James Burt of Harvard marched with his company of 38 men on the alarm of April 19, remaining on duty at that time about a week. This company was attached to Colonel Asa Whit- comb's regiment, and saw much service during the war. Lieutenant David Burt of Longmeadow (5th gen., desc. of Jonathan) commanded a company that marched from Springfield ; Elijah Burt (5th gen., desc. ot Nathaniel), and Samuel Burt (prob- ably 5th gen., desc. of Jonathan), were privates. The roll of the " company is headed as follows : — Muster Role of a Militia Company of the Town of Springfield that Marched in order to assist our Brethren at Lexinton on the Twenty first Day of April A D. 1775 uader the Command of Lieu David Burt . & Lieu Jona Hale Sd Company Marched to Brookfield & then reed orders to Return. The men in the company are nearly all credited with 70 miles travel at id per mile, and all drew pay for three days' service, the privates' wages being reckoned at the rate of £1 a month. Lieuten- ant David Burt drew for mileage and service 14s 4^d; Elijah Burt, los id, and Samuel Burt, 9s 5d. The pay roll is sworn to 586 THE BURT FAMILY. by David Burt at Springfield, March 8, 1776, before Edward Pynchon, justice o£ the peace, and the total amount of ;^ii 17s I id was allowed by the Council, April 4, 1776, Gideon Burt of Wilbraham (sth gen., desc. of Jonathan) was a private in Captain James Warriner's company, " who marched in defense of American Liberty on y= Alarm last April Occasioned by Lexington fight." This Wilbraham company was ordered home after a two-days' march and fifty miles' travel, and the men were paid 7s each. (See p. 315.) A company of eight minute men " marched from Ludlow for the defense of the United Colonies," April 20, 1775, headed by Sergeant Warriner. They reached the scene of the late hostilities and were on duty till May i. One of the privates was Reuben Burt (6th gen., desc. of Nathaniel), whose subsequent service has been noted elsewhere. (See p. 490.) For his service and 180 miles' travel upon this summons he was paid ^i iis 53^d. Gideon Burt of Longmeadow (5th gen., desc. of Nathaniel) first appears in the records as captain of a company that responded to the Lexington alarm. He was active throughout the war, serving successively as captain, major and colonel of militia. He was born July 30, 1743, and died June 12, 1825. John Burt, Jr., (6th gen., desc. of Jonathan) and Oliver Burt (probably 5th gen., desc. of Nathaniel), were privates under Major Andrew Cotton, who with 21 men marched from Springfield, April 20, 1775. The two Burts were with the company until May 4, John drawing ^i 17s 3d, and Oliver ^i i8s id, for service and travel. The company was discharged May 19. Joshua Burt of Hadley was a private under Captain Moses Kellogg, whose company, 50 strong, turned out April 20, and was under arms one week. Stephen Burt of " No. 7 " (afterwards the town of Hawley) was a private in Captain Gideon Chapin's company from Myrifield, (now Rowe). The company answered the summons on April 21, and were on duty seven days, numbering 19 men. At the end of the roll is this note : " The above mention'd Stephen Burt enlisted into y= service." He was then not quite 21 years old and was the eldest son of Daniel Burt of Hawley (5th gen., desc. of Jonathan). THE BURT FAMILY. 587. He entered Captain Hugh Maxwell's company, and served under him at Bunker Hill. (See " Siege of Boston," below.) SIEGE OF BOSTON. [From Muster Rolls Dated October 6 and 7, 1775. J Ebenezer Burt of Townsend, private in company 5, commanded by Captain Samuel Hazeltine of Hardwick, in Colonel John Fel- lows' regiment. Isaac Burt of Taunton, corporal in Captain Josiah King's com- pany, gth Continental regiment, commanded by Colonel David Brewer. Stephen Burt (see " Lexington Alarm "), private in Captain Hugh Maxwell's company, loth regiment. Colonel William I'res- cott commanding. This company fought at Bunker Hill, where three of its number fell : Aaron Barr of Myrifield, Jesse Cooley of Deerfield, and Ebenezer Faills of Charlemont. Captain Gideon Burt commanded a company of 60 men (two from Marblehead, the rest from Springfield), in Colonel Timothy Danielson's regiment. October 6, 1775, Captain Burt's company was in camp at Roxbury ; three of his men had been discharged and nine " Detach"! (q Quebeck." Captain James Burt's company from Harvard was on duty duiing the siege, serving under Colonel Asa Whitcomb. Daniel P>urt of Harvard was a private in this company. MILITIA OFFICERS. In a list of officers of the First Hampshire regiment, dated June 13. 1776, (commanded by Colonel John Bliss of Wilbraham), Gideon Burt appears as captain of the third company, and David Burt 3d, as first lieutenant. This David Burt was of the sixth generation (David^ David*, Henry^ David^ Henry^), and was born at Northampton, January 4, 1754. At a later period in 1776, the following officers of the First Hampshire are named: Gideon Burt, major; Samuel Burt (sth 508 THE BURT FAMILY. gen., desc. of Jonathan), captain second company; David Burt, captain third compihy ; John I! iit, Jr., (6th gen., desc. of Jonathan), first h'eutenant second company. May lo, 1776, in a list of officers of the Second Bristol regiment, Joseph Burt, Jr., was captain, and Simeon Burt, second lieutenant of the second company. Jacob Burt was second lieutenant of the sixth company. Third Bristol regiment. James Burt was second lieutenant of a company that joined Colonel Whitney's regiment (Bristol county), according to a list of " Officers of Militia who reinforced the American Army, February 13, 1776;" served in Rhode Island, July 6, 1779, to January i, 1780. Elijah Burt was second lieutenant in a "Regiment raised in Bristol and Cumberland.'' From "List of Militia Officers Commissioned. County of Hampshire " . — Oct. 7, 1777. Gideon Burt, ist major, ist Regt. Apr. 23, 1777. Samuel Burt, capt. 2nd company, ist regt. John Burt, ist lieut. " '' David Burt, capt. 3d company, " July 6, 1778. Lemuel Burt, 2nd lieut company, 2nd regt. Under date of "Camp at Searsdale, December 7, 1777," in "A Bill of Retained Rations due to the Officers of a Regiment in the Service of the United States under the Command of Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge," it appears that Lieutenant David Burt had dispensed with one ration per day from August 26 to December 6, 1777, or 103 rations iri all, for which there was due him, at 8d per ration, £2 8s 8d. MISCELLANEOUS SERVICE. James Burt of Granville (5th gen. desc. of Jonathan and brother of Asa, p: 303) was in Captain Aaron Coe's company in Colonel Moseley's regiment, which marched October 21, 1776, to reinforce the Northern army under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Timothy Robinson. Mr. Burt served until October 29, the company remain- ing under arms until November 17. The following year the- same THE HURT FAMILY. 5^9 company marched '' on the Alarm caused by General Gate's Order to Reinforce the Northern Army," September 21, returning October 23. James Burt was in service 33 days, marching 120 miles. James Burt also served in Captain William Cooley's company in Colonel John Moseley's regiment from Hampshire county, which set out for Bennington, August 17, 1777, but was ordered home the 19th after a march of 40 miles. The brothers Martin and Samuel Burt, Jr., and their second cousin, Noah Burt, all of Southampton, saw much active service in the exciting summer of 1777. Samuel Burt marched with Captain Lemuel Pomeroy's company in Colonel John Dickinson's regiment, commanded by Major Clapp, July 10, 1777, and was on duty 38 days, traveling 100 miles. One of the privates, Obadiah Frary, was killed August 3. Elijah Clapp's Southampton company, in which Martin and Noah Burt were privates, "marched on an alarm towards Bennington as far as New Providence (Adams) ; on service five days," August 17-22, 1777. But the most important service of the Southampton militiamen was during the campaign against Burgoyne. Sergeant Martin Burt and Privates Samuel Burt, Jr., and Noah Burt, marched with Captain Sheldon's com- pany, attached to Colonel John Dickinson's regiment, commanded by Colonel Ezra May of Chesterfield, September 20, 1777. Noah Burt was with the company until September 28 ; Martin and Samuel, it is believed, served until the surrender of Burgoyne, although the pay roll of the company is made up only to October 14, two days before the British general lowered his colors. Their brother-in-law, Aaron Strong, was killed just before the surrender, as previously narrated (p. 474). Martin and Samuel, Jr., were of the sixth generation, descendants of David (see pp. 434-5, 47°-S)- Noah Burt was of the fifth generation. Reference is made on pages 595-6 to their service during the riots at Northampton and at Springfield. Oliver Burt of Pittsfield (5th gen., desc. of David) saw service on several important occasions during the war. He was a native of Northampton and removed thence to I'iltsfield about 1768. He was in Captain William Francis's company, which marched January 14, 1776, to Albany by order of General Schuyler. On the alarm at Bennington he marched with Lieutenant James Hub- 59° THE BURT FAMILY. bard's compnny in Lieutenant-Colonel David Rositer's detachment in the United States service, the company remaining on duty August 17-22, 1777, and receiving credit for 38 miles' travel out. The same company had previously (July 18-27, 1777) been ordered out for "service attthe Northard." Oliver Burt served later in a detachment commanded by Lieutenant Joel Stev' ns in Colonel David Rositer's regiment, which marched from Pittsfield on the alarm at Fort Edward, and was on duty October 15-18, 1780, traveling 40 miles. Thomas Burt of Piitsfield (6th gen., desc. of David) was the oldest son of Oliver Burt and was born at Northampton, August 23, 1761. He joined Captain William Francis's company while in his sixteenth year, and marched with them for Fort Edward, July 8, 1777, the company serving in the detachment commanded by Major Caleb Hyde and Colonel John Ashley. Tho.Tias Burt was on duty until August 13, 1777. In 1780 he served at Stone Arabia in Captain William Foord's company under Colonel John Brown, from July 21 to October 21. Captain Gideon Burt's company in Colonel David Leonard's regiment marched from Springfield, March 2, 1777, to reinforce the Northern army at Ticonderoga. Jonathan Burt (5th gen., desc. of Nathaniel) was sergeant in the company. He was a son of David Burf* of Longmeadow (see p. 542.) The company was discharged April 10, after 40 days in service, havinghad amarch of igo miles in each direction. Oliver Burt of East Longmeadow (5th gen., desc. of Nathaniel) marched with Captain Daniel Cadwell's company of 78 men in Colonel Timothy Robinson's detachment of militia for Ticonderoga, December 25, 1776, returning April 2, 1777. Captain Cadwell died March 27, probably during the. homeward march. Oliver Burt is credited with 99 days' service. The soldiers engaged in this expedition were paid by the state 60s per month and 2d per mile for travel. Upon the rolls of several Hampshire companies are found the names of Calvin Burt of Longmeadow (6th gen., desc. of Jonathan) and Oliver Burt just mentioned. Some idea of their personal appearance may be gathered from their descriptions, found in "A Descriptive List of the men raised in the First Regiment in the THE BURT FAMILY. 59 1 County of Hampshire in compliance with the resolve of Court of the 22nd of June, 1778," for three months' service : — Oliver Burt, age 30; stature, 5 ft. 11 in.; ruddy complexion; dark hair and eyes; farmer; residence, Springfield. Calvin Burt, age 18; stature, 5 ft. 8 in.; light complexion; black hair and eyes; farmer; residence, Springfield. This list is dated August 25, 1780. Oliver Burt was soon promoted to sergeant, and served, as did Calvin Burt, in Captain Samuel Burt's company in Colonel Elisha Porter's regiment, at New London, Conn., from July 22 to August 2S> 1779- They were also in Captain Joseph Browning's company in Colonel Seth Murray's regiment, raised for three months to reinforce the Continental army, serving from July 17 to October 10, 1780. Moses Burt, private in a company commanded by Captain Moses Harvey of Montague in Colonel David Wells's regiment, served from May 10 to July 10, 1777. The company marched " i8o miles from home," and was doubtless on duty at Ticonderoga. John Burt was first lieutenant of Captain Caleb Keep's company in Colonel Israel Chapin's regiment, called out in 1779 for three months and stationed at Claverack on the Hudson river. Lieu- tenant Burt was on duty from October 15 to November 21. Abel Burt (see " Lexington Alarm "), private in Captain Reuben Munn's company in Colonel David Leonard's regiment, "Detach'^ to Reinforce the Army att Ticondaroga by an order of councill Febry 9, 1777." He served from March i to April 11, and was allowed 400 miles' travel. Private Joshua Burt joined Captain Eli Parker's company (Hampshire county) in Colonel Leonard's regiment for service at Ticonderoga, May 8, 1777, and served two months and eight days. Private (afterwards Lieutenant) Ithamar Burt served in Captain Josiah Stebbins's company in Colonel David Wells's regiment in an expedition in the Northern department, September 23 to October 18, 1777. Captain Stebbins was from Deerfield and the company marched 115 miles from home. Ithamar Burt was a brother of Stephen Burt already mentioned as serving at Bunker Hill. He was born in 1755 and died in 1841. His father, Daniel Burt (5th gen. desc. of Jonathan), was born in Springfield and removed 592 THE BURT FAMILY. to No. 7 (afterwards the town of Hawley), where he died in 1775. Ithamar removed from Hawley to Deerfield in 1778, subsequently going to Vermont and to Jefferson county, N. Y., dying at Copen- hagen, N. Y. Simeon Burt was a private in Captain Stebbins's company, and served on their Northern expedition just referred to, from September 23 to October 5, 1777. Stephen Burt (probably the same soldier who fought at Bunker Hill) was a private in Captain Samuel Taylor's company in Colonel Porter's regiment, " who serv'* to reinforce the Northern Army after the Avacuation of Ticonderoga and March^ from Charlemont July 10, 1777, serv'i 38 days." Stephen Burt was discharged August 12, and is credited with 100 miles' travel. Aaron Burt, private in " Capt. Nahum Ward's company in Colo. David Wells's Reg' of Militia Belonging to the County of Hamp- shire, who serv"* at the Taking Gen' Burgoyne. March'* from Charlemont, Sep' 22nd, 1777." The company was discharged October 18, and was allowed 80 miles' travel. John Burt of Belcliertown, " age 22, light complexion, 5 ft. 7 in., farmer,'' enlisted June 30, 1781, for three years' service in the Con- tinental army. The selectmen of Belchertown certify to his enlist- ment October 8, 1781, and his receipt for his pay is on file, as follows :- — Belchertoavn, June 25, 1783. I the Subscriber have Receved of the town of Belchertown the sum of seventy pounds in silver money and obligations as a hier for three years in the Continental Servis as witnes my hand John Burt. Josiah Burt of Chesterfield, "age 18, stature 5 ft. 7 in., brown hair," was drafted to serve nine months in the Continental army " agreeable to a resolve of the General Court passed 9 June, 1799." He seived in Lieutenant Lyons's company in Colonel Chapin's regiment. The men raised under this draft were mustered by '•the hon'' Noah Goodman, Esq'', superintendant for the County of Hampshire," and were turned over by Commissioner Justin Ely to Captain James Cooper at Springfield, July 19, 1779. Wait Burt of Chesterfield Gore, Hampshire county, " age 47, stature 5 ft. 7 in., complexion light," and Richard Burt of Chester- THE BURT FAMILY. 593 •field, "age 22, stature 5 ft. 8 in., complexion light;" are recorded in "A Descriptive List of the Eighth Division of Six Months Men raised to reinforce the Continental Army, March^ from Springfield under the Command of Mr. Eb" Kent, July y^ 8th, 1780." Sergeant James Burt marched with Captain John Drury's Wor- cester county company in Colonel Israel Wood's regiment of militia, June 6, 1778. The company, consisting of 48 men, was " stationed att the North River in the State of New York," and was discharged February 10, 1779, having served eight months and four days. The pay roll is sworn to by Captain Drury, before Artemas Ward, justice of the peace. Joel Burt, private in Captain John Kirkland's Middlesex county company in Colonel Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge's regiment, which served in the Northern department from August 16 to November 29, 1777. Samuel Burt, private in Captain Elijah Walker's company, " that was Detached from General Godfrey's Brigade and march'' to Dorchester Heights," serving from October 17 to December 12, 1778. Wallis [Wallace ?] Burt, surgeon in Colonel Nathaniel Wade's regiment, raised in Essex county to reinforce the Continental army for three months, served July 6 to October 10, 1780 ; 3 mos. 17 days, wages, ;^64 4s, — ;£'i8 per month 240 miles' travel out. Jonathan Burt of Duxbury, Plymouth county, private, enlisted June 15, 1777, for three years in Colonel Henry Jackson's regiment. Alexander Burt (spelled in the record Bert;, laborer, Newton, Middlesex county, enlistee! July 11, 1781, for six months. He is described thus : "Age 27, stature 5 ft. 11 in.; complexion dark, hair dark, eyes gray." William Burt was a mariner on the ship Vengeance, Thomas Thomas commander, on an expedition to the Penobscot, June 27 to August 27, 1779. John Burt, probably from Eastern Massachusetts, enlisted Jan- uary I, 1777, to serve during the war, and was attached to Captain Seward's company in Crane's artillery. It appears from the record that he died after eight months and eleven days' duty, whether from wounds or disease is not stated. 594 THE BURT FAMILY. The "Castle and Haibor Rolls" show that Colonel Thomas Marshall's regiment from Bristol county was in camp at Hull, Boston harbor, in June, 1776, and still in service (probably at the same place) January i, 1777. Corporal (afterwards Sergeant) John Burt of Taunton entered Captain Matthew Randall's company in this regiment June i, 1776, and Private Alvin Burt enlisted June 27, 1776. Both were still in service at the beginning of the next year. In Captain Isaac Thayer^s company in the same regiment, Private George Burt of Raynham "engaged" June 27, 1776, and Private David Burt of Taunton, August 2, 1776. David Burt appears to have been promoted to be second sergeant about September 10, 1776, and was still with the company January i, 1777. Edward Burt of Norton joined Captain Zebedee Leonard's com- pany in Colonel Josiah Whitney's regiment, June 19, 1776. Calvin Burt enlisted September 17, 1778, as drummer in the company commanded by Captain John Shaw of Raynham in Colonel Jacob Gerrish's regiment of guards, which was stationed at Cambridge from August to December 14, 1778. Thrift is combined with patriotism in the transaction set out in the following receipt : — Harvard May the 7 1781. Reed of the Committe for Class No 13 in Sd twon twentey hundred paper Dollars and five Silver Dollars and an obliga- tion for Seventen head of neat Cattle three year old for my Servent man titus inlisting and serving three years in the Contintal army. William Burt. The editor is glad to observe that there is no evidence that the author of the above document was in any way connected with either the Hampshire or Bristol county families by the name of Burt. THE RIOTS OF 1782-4. The disturbed state of the country during the Revolution, together with the tremendous drain on the resources of the little State of Massachusetts Bay and the terrible depreciation of the paper currency, gave rise to great distress among the farmers and mechanics, and finally culminated in serious disturbances on the part of desperate and disorderly characters. The first uprising of THE BURT FAMILY. S9S importance in the Connecticut valley was at Springfield and North- ampton, in May and June, 1782, when it became necessary to call out the militia to quell the disturbance. Again, in September, 1784, violence was threatened at Springfield upon the occasion of the sitting of the Supreme Judicial Court, and the high sheriff called upon Colonel Gideon Burt, commanding the First Hampshire regiment, to preserve the peace. The riots in both instances were suppressed without bloodshed, but the spirit of revolt was not finally quelled until the more serious outbreak known as Shays' Rebellion. It is familiar history how Daniel Shays led his reck- less followers against the Springfield arsenal, January 5, 1786, and how their attack was unflinchingly met by the troops under com- mand of General Shepard, and the insurgents were put to flight by a few well-directed cannon shot, leaving three dead behind them. The arrest of Shays, his conviction of treason and his subsequent pardon were the final stages in this insurrectionary chapter in the history of Massachusetts. The riots of 1782 began in May, and were renewed at Spring- field June 12, when Samuel Ely was rescued by the mob from the Springfield jail. The second company in "Colonel Gideon Burt's regiment was called out to retake Ely, and also marched "to oppose the Rioters who assembled at Northampton, June 16." Private Elam Burt (6th gen., desc. of Jonathan) served three days in this company. Attached to the pay roll is the " Alarm List " of the company, " who turned out at the time and for the purpose above mentioned." Captain Samuel Burt and Lieutenant John Burt are entered in the " Alarm List,'' both serving in the capacity of private, three and four days respectively. Captain John Sheldon's company in Colonel Burt's regiment "March'J to Springfield and Northampton in June 1782 for the Defence of government." Privates Abel and Daniel Burt were in service under Captain Sheldon six days and were allowed 90 miles' travel; Captain Ebenezer Sheldon of Southampton summoned his veteran soldiers, who had followed him in the campaign against Burgoyne, the seventh company in the Second Hampshire regiment, 36 men, who, the record states, "turned out Voluntarily in June 1782 in Support of Government against those Insurgents who 596 THE BURT FAMILY. Endeavour'd to Overturn it.'' Sergeant Martin Burt and Privates Samuel Burt, Jr., and Noah Burt, served under Captain Sheldon at Northampton, June 15, 16 and 17. A part of the company were on duty at Northampton, June 12 and 14, and in the adjoining town of Hadley on June 13. The Second Company, Second Hampshire regiment, Captain Hezekiah Russell, served at Northampton, Springfield and Hadley in May and June, 1782. Edward Burt (probably son of Eleazer Burt of Northampton, 4th gen., desc. of David) was on duty at that town May 6, and June 15, 16 and 17, and in Hadley June 13. Caleb Burt (probably of Tolland, 6th gen., desc. of Jonathan) served in Captain Benjamin Barnes's company in Colonel David Moseley's regiment, " that Marched to Quell the Mob att North- ampton on the 12 and 16 Day of June, 1782." He was on duty six days and traveled 60 miles. Colonel Gideon Burt and Adjutant Jonathan Burt of the First Hampshire regiment were personally on duty at the Northampton riots in 1782, and at the time of the sitting of the Supreme Court in Springfield in September, 1784. Captain Sheldon's company from Southampton was ordered to Springfield, September 28, 1784, and responded with 27 men. Samuel Burt, Jr., was at that time corporal. The company was on duty for the protection of the court two days. FROM TABLETS IN MEMORIAL HALL, NORTH- AMPTON. MINUTE MEN. 1775— 1783. David Burt. Elkanah Burt. Henry Burt. Joel Burt. THE BURT FAMILY. FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 1703— 17 13' John Burt. EXPEDITION TO LOUISBURG. 1745- Seth Pomeroy, Major. Elkanah Burt. 597 FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 1754—1763- Joseph Burt. Oliver Burt. David Burt (6th gen.), named above, was born at Northampton, January 4, 1754. Elkanah Burt (5th gen.), born 1717, died 1786. Henry Burt (sth gen.), born 1737. Joel Burt (6th gen.), born 1759, died 1841. John Burt (3rd gen.), born 1682, killed 1709, (see p. 279); youngest child of David Burt of Northampton, and grandson of the original Henry Burt. All the above-named soldiers were doubtless descendants of David of Northampton. RHODE ISLAND SERVICE. Alexander Burt was a private in Captain Matthew Randall's company in Colonel George Williams's regiment, serving in Rhode Island from December 7, 1776, to January i, 1777. Lieutenant Simeon Burt, Lieutenant Elijah Burt, and Privates Edmund, Dean, Enos and Stephen Burt, all of Berkley, were in Captain Joseph Ball's company. Colonel Edward Pope's regiment, serving 25 days in Rhode Island, December 8, 1776. Private Thomas Burt served 25 days in Captain Clake's com- pany in Colonel George Williams's regiment from Taunton, which 59? THE BURT FAMILY. marched "on the alarm at Rhode Island, Dec. 8, 1776, travelled into camp at Warren By Rehoboth and home." The sixth company of militia in Colonel George Williams's reg- iment, commanded by Captain Ichabod Leonard of Taunton, "marched to Warren by way of Rehoboth on the alarm at Rhode Island," December 8, 1776. Lieutenant Jacob Burt, Sergeant David Burt and Private Alvin Burt, served 24 days each; Private Henry Burt 22 days, and Private Isaac Burt 20 days. Sergeant James Burt was in Captain Hezekiah Whitney's com- pany in Colonel Josiah Whitney's regiment, which " marched on the alarm att the State of Rhode Island, July 22, 1777," being on duty two days. About a week later, July 30, Captain Whitney's company, James Burt still serving as sergeant, was ordered out on the Bennington alarm and served in Colonel Job Cushing's regiment, attached to General Warner's brigade in the Northern department. Sergeant Burt was promoted to be quartermaster, August 29, 1777, and remained in the field until October 12, 1777. Alvin Burt of Taunton was in Captain Josiah King's company when it marched from Taunton, September 29, 1777, on a secret expedition under the command of Colonel George Williams; dis- charged October 29, 1777. Also served one month and four days in Captain Ebenezer Dean's company in Colonel Thomas Car- penter's regiment, which marched from Taunton to Rehoboth, Bristol and Providence, thence home. Enos Burt, private in Captain Ephraim Hathaway's company of Colonel Thomas Carpenter's regiment, was on duty in Rhode Island, July 20 to August 24, 1777, a period of 35 days. He was also in Captain Elijah Walker's company in Colonel John Hatha- way's regiment, April, 1777. John Burt, private in Captain Oliver Clapp's company in Colonel Benjamin Hawes's regiment, served on a secret expedition in Rhode Island, September 25 to October 28, 1777. Also in Captain Elijah Walker's company under Colonel John Hathaway, April, 1777. James Burt of Harvard, private under Captain Joseph Sargent in Colonel Josiah Whitney's regiment under command of General Spencer in Rhode Island, May 5 to July 12, 1777. James and Jephtha Burt of Taunton, privates under Captain Joshua Wilbur in Colonel Josiah Whitney's regiment, April, 1777. THE BURT FAMILY. 599 James and Daniel Burt, privates in Captain Edward Blake's com- pany in Colonel Williams's regiment, which marched from Taunton on a secret expedition, September 29 ; discharged October 29. Enos Burt of Berkley, private in Captain James Briggs's company, which marched from Dighton, October 2, 1777, on a secret expedi- tion under command of Colonel Freeman, and was discharged by General Spencer, October 29. John Burt of Ludlow, probably a brother of Reuben (see p. 490), and descendant in the sixth generation from Henry Burt of Springfield through his son Nathaniel, served as a private six months and five days in Captain Nathan Rowle's company in Colonel John Jacob's regiment which was ordered to Rhode Island in the service of the United States for one year, from January i, 1778. Samuel Burt, private under Captain Matthew Randall in Colonel John Daggett's regiment, January 7 to April i, 1778. Edward Burt, private in Captain Rufus Barney's company, served in Rhode Island one month and 13 days, from July 29, 1778. Isaac and Abel Burt, privates in Captain Jonathan Shaw's com- pany in Colonel John Daggett's regiment, served on the island of Rhode Island from August 21 to September i, 1778. Thomas and Daniel Burt were privates in Captain Josiah King's company in Colonel John Daggett's regiment, detached from the Massachusetts militia, August 25 to September i, 1778, for service in Rhode Island. Samuel Burt, drummer, and Edward Burt, private, were in Captain Nathaniel Snow's company in Colonel George Williams's regiment, which marched from Raynham and Taunton, June 22, 1778, and served under General Sullivan at Providence. Jephtha Burt, private in the company commanded by Captain Reuben Munn of Monson in Colonel Elisha Porter's regiment from Hampshire county, "Detach^ to join Gen" Gates for thirty days," serving September 26 to October 13, 1778. The company is cred- ited on the pay roll for 280 miles of travel each way from camp. James Bijrt, private in Peletiah Eddy's company in Colonel John Hathaway's regiment, marched from Taunton to Tiverton, March 23, 1779, and served until April 15. Goo THE BURT FAMILY. ]■ hn Burt was a private in Captain Jacob Hoskins's compan}' in the same regiment, serving March 13 to April 15, 1779. Second Lieutenant James Burt of Harvard served in the Wor- cester county company commanded by Captain Thomas Fish of Oxford in Colonel Nathan Tyler's regiment, on duty in Rhode Island from July i, 1779, to January i, 1780, and probably until a later date. Joel Burt, private in Captain Joshua L. Woodbridge's company under Colonel Nathan Tyler, entering the service on June 22, 1779, and on duty in Rhode Island during the rest of the year. Samuel Burt was a drummer in Captain Simeon Cobb's company (Plymouth county), detached for four weeks' service in Rhode Island in August, 1779. Calvin Burt was a private in the same company. In Captain Ichabod Leonard's company in Colonel Abiel Mitchell's regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel James Williams, who marched from Taunton to Tiverton, August i, 1780, were Henry Burt, Isaac Burt 2d, and Alvin Burt, who served eight days each, and Abraham, Jacob, Isaac and David Burt, who served six days each. Lieutenant John Burt and Private Samuel Burt in Captain Jacob Hoskins's company in Colonel Abiel Mitchell's regiment, July 27 to October 31, 1780. Abner and Enos Burt, privates under Lieutenant Abiel Whit- marsh in Colonel Thomas Carpenter's regiment, 1780. Private Elijah Burt in Captain Josiah King's company, marched to Tiverton, August 2, 1780, and served eight days. James Burt was a private in Captain Rufus Barney's company, ordered to Tiverton for six days, July 28, 1780. Thomas and William Burt, privates in Edward Blake's company, under Lieutenant-Colonel James Williams, marched to Tiverton, August 2, 1780, and served eight days. Joseph Burt served seven days in Captain Israel Trow's com- pany under Colonel I^aac Dean, beginning August i, 1780. James, Edward and John Burt, privates in Captain Nehemiah Pratt's compan}^ in Colonel Mitchell's regiment, marched to Tiver- ton, August 2, 1780, serving eight days; FROM NEW YORK STATE RECORDS. Names of Burts, Members of the State Troops of New York, 1776. [Furnished by Hon. Thomas E. Benedict, Albany, N. Y.] Name. Location of Regiment. Private, Burt, Christopher Ulster County " Burt, Daniel,* Warwick Orange County " Burt, David,* Warwick Orange County " Burt, Henry t Rensselaer County Sergeant, Burt, James,* Warwick Orange County Drummer, Burt, John • New York County Private, Burt, John,* Warwick Orange County " Burt, John, Warwick Orange County " Burt, Samuel.* Warwick Orange County Burtt, Henry t Rensselaer County In July, 1759, Lord Jeffery Amherst, commander of His Majesty's troops in America, moved from Albany to recapture Ticonderoga and Crown Point from the French. His army was in part con- stituted of nine battalions of provincial troops. New York had provided for the raising of 2,580 of these provincials by chapter i of the Colonial acts of 1759. Orange county, where a family of the Burts resided, was called upon to furnish 139 men. West- chester county, where Burts also resided, furnished a quota. There was also in the force provincial batteau men, teamsters and waggoners. Major Robert Rogers, commander of companies of His Majesty's Rangers, all of whom were recruited in parts of New England, *The3e men were in Colonel Hathorn^s regiment, which was in service in 1777, 1779, 1780, and 17S1, at Minisink, where a battle was fought with the Indians, and on the western frontier of Orange and Ulster counties, which at that time reached to the Delaware river and the unsettled West. t Served in different companies under separate officers. 6o2 THE BURT FAMILY. with headquarters at Albany, was a conspicuous figure at the battles of Crown Point, Ticonderoga, and Fort William Henry, in 1757-58-59. He had 358 men and officers under his command at Ticonderoga in r759, and was in the front with his Rangers in the right wing. Ebenezer Burt might have been in that command. There is no muster roll of this command to be fo'und here. It is probably in the British Museum. There is no muster roll to be found of any of the provincial troops in the campaign of 1759, who participated at Ticonderoga. It is most probable that Orange county sent experienced Indian fighters under Lord Amherst in 1759, as her citizens had been engaged in an active warfare with the Indians in 1755-56-57- 58-59, and the Wisners, Fosters, Dentons, and Bradners, were officers well known in that day as successful Indian campaigners, Wisner and Foster being from Warwick. Without doubt Burts at the same period lived in the vicinity of Albany. Chapter XXXV. of the Colonial Laws of 1760 of New York, in providing for the payment of military services, contains this item : "Unto Lieutenant Benjamine Burt for himself and Detachment for Scouting on the Western Frontier of Ulster Co in Aug 1758, £^ =i5 ^6."' This was an Orange county company, as the item is placed with other appropriations to pay officers well known as Orange county citizens. Concerning John Burtt, Joseph Burt, Richard Burt, Benjamine Burt. Under date of August 5, 1686, there was issued "A Capias Granted to Rich'^ Ashly ag^' John Burtt, Damages, 12^. November 8, 17 14, a certificate was issued at Fort George in New York harbor, that Joseph Burt with others, named as invalids, " Belonging to the Independent Companies here have by my Best information and by Certificate from their Respective Captains served each of them the Crown of Great Britain upwards of Twenty Years." THE BURT FAMILY. 605 November 5, 1694, Richard Burt of Westchester made affidavit as to the payment of certain monies for tax purposes. May 14, 1 73 1. A patent was issued by George II., through the governor of the provinces of New Yorli and Connecticut, for 50,000 acres of land in four iots, lying along the eastern line of New York and the western line of Connecticut, to Thomas Hawley, Nathaniel St. John, Samuel Smith, Benjamine Benedict, Richard Olmsted, Thomas Smith, Ebenezer Smith, Daniel Sherwood, Benjamine Burt, Thomas Hyat, Benjamine Wilson, Joseph Lee, Joseph Keeler, James Benedict, Richard Osborne, Samuel Smith, Daniel Olmsted, Timothy Keeler, Jonah Keeler, Mathew Seymour, Joseph Northrup, James Brown, Adam Ireland, John Thomas, and Benjamine Birdsall. The patent states that these parties had long occupied the land named therein, and that they had large families. (Original papers on file in New York State Library.) To His Excellency Robert Hunter, Esq., Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief of the province of New York, New Jersey and Territories thereof Depending in America and our Admiral of the Same, etc. The Petition of Benjamine Burt, Humbly Showeth : — That Andrew Baggs, Late Naval Officer of the province of New York, Died intestate Leaving at the time of his Death Sundry goods. Chattels and Credits belonging to him. That your Peti- tioner is his nearest relative in America and his Greatest Creditor. May it be pleased your Excellency to grant your Petitioner's Letters of Administration of the Estate aforesaid and your Peti- tioner will ever pray. Benj. Burt. Benjamine Burt took oath as administrator April 6, 17 19. (Original on file in New York State Library.) Concerning Richard Burt, Samuel Burtt, and Daniel Burtt. On October 14, 1687, Richard Burt, commander of the ship Robert of London, was lost overboard at sea, 420 leagues off Sandy Hook. Three members of his crew made affidavit to his death in part as 604 THE BURT FAMILY. follows : "The weather was very bad In so much so that we lay " A by under a maine Boast reaft with the Larboard tack on board, •" the Wind being nearest att West North West and a mighty great " sea. The aforesaid Rich-^ Burt and his Mate Michaell Peck and "one Mr. Elias Nezrow a merchant being at Supper upon the " quarter Deck on y^ Larboard side, being the Weather side of the " Shipp Eating Stock fish, the said Master was pleased to rise out ■" of his seat in order to goe into the Steerage and then to make an *' end of his Supper, and going Down had in his hand a bottle of ■" ale a Demijon and a Naptkin & the Shipp fetched a great Sally "to Starboard, that is the Seaside & Missing his hold fell over " board just Abaft the Maine Shrouds and Immediately Sunk." To the Honorable Anthony Brockhols, Commander-in-Chief of His Maj''" Province of New York : The Humble Petition of Samuell Burt. Humbly Showeth : That there are several goods & Merchandize now on board the Ship Robert Lately arrived from y^ Kingdom of England to this Port of New York. A great part of which did belong & were Con- signed to your Petitioner & Brother Richard Burt, Late Commander of y« said Ship, who departed this life at Sea before the arrival thereof. But so it Is that y^ said Robert owning in person along with y^ said goods, did not in his life time appoint any attorney to manag & take care of y= said cargo, wherefore y= goods & Mer- •chandize aforesaid are Detained on board and cannot be delivered on Shore to any person appearing who has power to receive the same. Now for as much as y" Petitioner is y* nearest Relative within this Province to y^ said deceased, who upon his last ■departure from this Province Constituted y^ Petitioner his attorney to act and Do for Him and in Stead in all his Concerns which his plans Had within this Province. May it therefore please His Hon' to grant Your Petitioner power to take unto himself Custody of y'^ goods and Merchandize aforesaid & Consign and belonging to y^ Richard Burt in his life time & to Constitute y' Management thereof to y'= Petitioner untill Administration of y= said deceased estate within this Province be THE BURT FAMILY. 605 granted to some person according to y^ Declared Laws of this Province and your Petitioner will Daly and Shall Ever Pray. Samll. Burtt. Nov. 10, 1687. November 19, 1687. A, De Peyster, John De Lavall, and Sam'l Burt, Inventoried the Contents of the Cargo of the Ship Robert of London lately Commanded by Richard Burt. Among the articles mentioned in the inventory is " A Bil of protest of Daniel Burtt drawn June 2, for ;^4o. o. o. against W" Autleby and protested y^ of Aug." A pass to Richard Burt signed by the King. A pass to Richard Burt signed by Governor Dongan. A bill of sale of a negro, marked on the back side. Note : In these several papers, the originals of which are on file in the New York State TLibrary, the name of Burt appeared in all of them spelled " Burt " and " Burtt ". — T. E. Benedict. Concerning members of the Burt family taken from mem° of land paper records in the office of Secretary of State at Albany, N. Y. January 15, 1789. Certificate of Survey to Beldin Burt for Lots 194 and 198 in town of Chemung (near Elmira), containing 625 and 271 acres. October 28, 1788. Certificate of Survey for Benjamin Burt of Lot 33 in town of Chemung, containing 230 acres. October 31, 1788. Certificate of Survey for David Burt of Lot 34 in town of Chemung, containing 228 acres. November 6, 1788. Certificate of Survey for Thomas Burt, Richard Welling and Thomas Welling for Lot 173 in town of Chemung, containing 2,300 acres. November 16, 1791. Assignment by Thomas Burt, Richard and Thomas Welling to John Hathorn of their interest in Lot 173, town of Chemung. Note : The original of these certificates are all on file at Albany, and the Burts named ■were all of the Warwick family. I N D KX Abbreviations : Dan., daughter ; m., married. Where the abbreviation of the state is not appended to the name of a place, it is situated in Massachusetts. Aeercromeie, General, 146. Agawam, settlement at, 74, 146. 239. Agawam Kiver, fence from, 129. " Fisheries on, 133, 158,246. Albany. N. Y.. in King William's War, 265. Alexander, George, 208, 860. Algonquin Indians. 267. Allen, Gen. Etiian, Sketch of, 261. " Miriam Jturt, 287. " Nehemiah. m. Ruth Burt, 183. " Widow Joanna, 221. Allyn, Edward, 123. " John, 120. Alvord, Alexander, 181. " Deborah, ra. Henry Burt, 144. " Elizabeth, m. Henry Burt, 181, 283. Americanisms in language, 72. Amherst, General, 146. Amusements, see Diversions. Animals, Domestic, superior breeds of, encouraged, 128, 175. Anne. Queen, see Queen Anne. Appleton, Capt. Samuel, 147. Arnold, Benedict, at Ft. Ticonderoga, 261. Ashley, David, 88, 89, 121. " Jonathan, 89. Eobert, 77, 79, 87, 88, 158, 214, 237, 238, 239, 247. Atchison, Beooni, 247. " John, m. Dorcas Burt, 222. Attorneys of County Court, 139. Austin, Anthony, 130. Babcock, Elisha, 285, 483. John F., Journalist, 483. Bacon much used as food, 202. Bagg, John, seat in meeting house, 88 ; townsman, 122 ; one of committee, 127; m. Hannah Burt, 249; land leases, 250 ; arrested for card-play- ing, 250 ; land grants, 263 ; his chil- dren, 249, 250. " Abitrail, birth, etc., 249. " Abilene, " '■ 250. " Daniel, " " 249. " James, " " 249. John. " " 249. " Jonathan, " " 249. " Mercy, " " 249. " Sarah, " " 249. Baker, Abigail, 285. ■' Edward, 179. John, 122, 127. " Joseph, 168, 176, 257. Ball, Francis, 115, 255 ; m. Abigail Burt, 233 ; his lands, 233 ; his death, 234. Jonathan, 89, 121, 122, 236, 239. " Samuel, 89; selectman, 183; pre- sented to court for insulting his stepfather. 834 ; his death and be- quest to his mother, 834 ; his land grants, 237. Bancroft, Capt. John, 144. ** Ephraim, 255. " Thomas, 81,88, 122, 241. Barber, James, 123. Widow— her bull, 128. Barker, Marv, 241. Barnerd. * * 250, Barrett, Benjamin. 242. " Rebecca, 842. Bartlett, Robert, 192, 197. '■ Samuel, 178. " Simeon, Jr.. 285. Bay Roads were roads to Boston, 126, 191. Beach, Azariah, 285. Beardsley. John. 831. Beasts, wild, bounty for killing, 127. Beaver at Northampton, 162. " bkins. trade in, 86, 111 " " made a legal tender, 134. Bedortha, Reece, 88, 128, 151. Beecher, Rev. Dr. Lyman, 168. Rev. Henry Ward. 168. Beer, Price of, fixed by law. 174; much used as a beverage, 803. Belden, Daniel, 244, 271. " Elizabeth, 244. " Hepzibah, 272. " Samuel, m. Mary Biu-t Hastings, 182. " Sarah, 183, 244 : m. Benjamin Burt, 871 ; her capture and sufferings, 272, 274 ; birth of her first child, 274. Bellows, John, 184. Beloit College, Wis., 144. Beman, Simon. 88. 122, 238. Benedict, Phcebe Burt, S. of, 840. Thomas E., S. of, 843. Bernardston, 849. Bible, first translation of, into the English language. 72. Births, Eegistration of, 175. Blackman, Mr., 232. Bliss, Ebenezer, birth, etc., 258. " Hannah, " " 268. " Henry. " " 858. " John, 89, 121, 122, 159. 228, 236; m. Patience Burt, 857 ; land grants to, 258. " John 2d, birth, etc , 258. " Joseph, " " 858. " Lawrence, 88, 182, 128, 167, 159, 241, 257 " Margaret, 82, 121, 122, 267. " Mary, birth, etc., 268. " Nathaniel, 82, 219. 2d. birth, etc., 258. " Samuel, 88, 89. 122. 259, 2d, 219, 236, 865, 258, 259. " Thomas, 257. " " 2d, birth, etc., 868. Boat of Northampton, 192. INDEX. 607 Bodman, Mrs. Eelief Burt, S. of, 441. Bookkeepinfr, Peculiarities of John Fynoh- on'8, 96, lis, ISl. Boston, Eoads to, known as Bay roads, 186 ; road to, from Springfield. 126 ; transit to, by way of Say- brook, Ct., 127 ; cost of trans- port of corn to, 169 ; road to, fro;n Northampton, 191; siege of. Burts in service duriiig,-587. Branch, William, 86, 88, 122, 148. 158. Bread, Weight and prine of, fixed by law, 174 ; how made, 201, .202. Brewer. Daniel, 143. Brewster, Florence W. Burt, S. of, 404. Bridgman, James. 239. Brimfleld. 236. 24.5. Bronkfleld. 126. 191. Brooks, Abieail. birth, etc , 244. '.' Benjamin. " " 245. " Delivertince, " " 245. " Ebenezer, " " 244. .Tohn. " " 24(. " Jonathan, " " 245. " Joseph, " " 244. " Mary, " " 2'15. '' Mercy. " " 245. " Nathaniel, " " 244.272. " Patience, " " 244. " Remembrance, " '" 244. " Sarah, " " 244. Thankful, " "245. William, 88, 121, 123; m. Mary Burt, 244: sketch of life. 244; land leases, 251 ; testifies as to card-playing, 852. ' ' William 2d , birth, etc . , 244. Brun«ki]I, CoraB., 54li. Bull, Capt. Jonathan, 266. Bullets made a legal tender, 134. Bulls, Ordinance, fixing rates if service for, 138 ; town bull at Northamp- ton, 188. Buns. Sales of. restricted by law. 174. Burials, Sale of cakes for. permitted by law. 174 ; in early times, 194. Burlington. Vt. , 262. Burnham, Roderick H., 574. Burt, Aaron, son of Joseph lat, 286, 417. " (1792-1848), 388. " " (1832-1857). 396. " Moulton. 481. " Abiathar, 422 ; rhildren of, 423. " Abigail, dan. of Henry 1st, bequest in her mother's will, 93 ; witness in witchcraft trial, 118 ; her resi- dence, 135 ; sketch of her life. 233 ; her three marriages, 233, 334 ; her children, 235. ' ■ Abigail, dan. of Eleazar, 285, 485. " Addison M . 391. " Albert L., 494. " Allen Daniel, 367. " Almerion. of Canton, Pa., 654. " Alonzo, 417,426. " Amasa, 428. " Andrew, son of Eleazar, 285, 483. " Andrew G., 484. " Andrew J., 429. " Col. Andrew S., 484. " j»rthur Temple, 481. ■' Asa, 146. " " (1737-1825), 802. " Asahel U716-47), 182, 286, 378. Burt, Augustine, 669. '■ Augustus, 379, " Augustus J. (1826-93), 345. " Augustus S., 381. " iJenjamin, son of David 1st, birth, etc., 183; sketch of his life, 270; his capture at Deerfield 272 ; jour- ney to Canada, 272-274; return from captivity, 275 ; loss of rela- tives. 875 ; a settler at Norwalk and Ridgefield, Ct., 876 ; fac-simile of letter, 277 ; his death, 278. " Benjamin, grandson of Joseph 1st, 287. Benjamin, son of Asahel, 385. Benjamin (1740-183B), 885. Benjamin (1790-1873). 349-330. Benjamin Towne, 415. Benjamin M., of Springfield, 673. Hradley B.. 354. Caleb, of Sandisfield, 309. (:alvln, of Sandisfield, 309. Calvin Bradner, 349. Charles (1791-1860), 386. B., of Springfield. 564. " M., of Louisiana, 563. Richard, 570. Sheldoii, 416. ' " Silas, 313. Washington, 366. ' Chester, of Chemung, N. T., 553. ' Christopher, his birth, 274 ; mention in his father's letter, 377. ' Dallas. 350 ' Daniel (1740-1823) and his descend- ants. 347. ' Daniel (1776-1846), 349. ' Daniel R. (1804-84), 311. " W. (1816-92), 164. ' David, son of Henry 1st, bequest in his mother's will, 94 ; his educa- tion. 135; sketch of his lite. 161; orisinal settler at Northampton, 167; surveyor of lands. 167; in charge of highways, 169 ; siens protest against customs taxes, 170; commissioner on town boundaries, 170 ; a frequent juror, 173 : a peti- tioner to Oeneral Court, 176 : rela- tives lost in Indian wars. 179 ; his death 179 ; inventory of estate, 180 ; large number of descendants, 181 ; location of home lot, 183 ; his outlying Knds, 184 ; his land grant<^. 207; hi** store accounts, 209 ; summary of his life. 811. David, son of Nathaniel 1st, 219-221, 541. David, son of David 1st, 181. 182 ; his service and capture at Schenec- tady, N. Y. , 864. David, son of Henry 3d (1691-1754). 383, 431. David, of Chemung, N. Y., Descend- ants of, 550. David, of iSchenectady. 543. M7. David, Jr., of Longmeadow (1709- 1777), 548. D. Howard of Danville, Pa , 555. Gen. David (1791-1848), 476. I lean and his descendants, 414. Deloss C , 440. Dorcas, dan. of Henry 1st, record of birth, 115 ; sketch of her life, 254. 6o8 Burt, Dorcas, dau. of Nathaniel 1st 222. ■' Ebenezer, son of Hynry 3d, 283. (l"3r-1825), 301. 299. " " his p iwder horn, 144. " Edward, son of Eleazar. 285. 483. " E wjird A . of East Galway, N. T., 654. " Euward D , 310. " Edward D , of Brooklyn, 463. " Edwin I'.. 310. '■ Edwin R , of Brooklyn, N. Y., 566. " Eleazar. son of Jonathan 3d , 285, 483. " ■' son of Josepu, 286. 184. ' Eleazer I'., of Lassell Co., Iil., 424. " Eli.iah and descendants, 542, 547. '* ElizHbeth, dau. of Henry 1st, be- quest in her mothpr's will, 93 ; sketch of her life, 241. " Elizabeth, dau. of Eleazar, 285, 483. " Henry 3d, 283. " " Jonathan 1st, 143. " Emma, 353. '' Rev. Enoch, 575. " Enos, 287. " 41.3. " Erastus Park, 357. " Esther, dau. of Joseph, 286. " Eulalia, wife of Henry 1st, inventory of her estate, 91 ; her apparent deat h ■ and resuscitation, 93 ; her death. 93 ; her will, 93 ; pays all her own and husband's debts, 113 ; summary of her life, 114 ; in list of townsmen, 121, 122 ; at burning of Springfield, 148; witness to deed, 212. " Experience, dau. of Nathaniel Ist, 222 " Frank H., 4GS. " Franklin (1792-1852), 439. " Franklin Nort' in, 414. " Franklin S , 440. " Frederick A. , 144. " Frederick A., of Somerville, 665. " Friend H. (1808-89), 305. " George W., 349, 850. " George W., of Clayville, N. Y., 662. " George Washington, 366. " George, of Michigan, 5.55. " George, of Walpole, killed at Law- rence, Kans . 429. " Gideon, of Wilbraham, 315. 586. ■' Col GMeon, of Longmeadow, 586, 587, 588, 589, 595, 696. " Goodwife. tried for witchcraft at Salem. 86. " Gra-e il . 469. " Grinnell, 334. " GroverC. 350. " Hannah, dau. of David 1st, 188. " " " Henry 1st, record of her birth, 115 ; sketch of her lite, 249. ■' Hannah, dau. of Henry 3d, 283. " Harry K, of Clayville, N. Y., 563. -• Helen, ,-62. " Henry 1st, his immigration, 73; at Eoxbury, and loss there by fire, 74; first mention at Springfield, 75 ; is a frequent .iuror, 75 ; his first suit at law, 76; early land grants. 77 ; allotment in 1642, 78; on land committee, 78 ; his home lot, 78 ; on other allotments, 78-82 ; select- man in 1644, 82 ; in 1646 and 1658, 85 ; clerk of 1 he writs for 14 years, 85 ; clerk of the military company, 85; conducts religious services^ 87 ; his church sent, 87 ; subscribes for minister's maintenance, 89 ; his death, 90 ; his will, 91 ; inventory of his estate, 91 ; his accounts with Pynchon, 97-109; character of his purchases, 109. 110 ; his cred- its, 110; fruits of his labor, 112; summary of his life, 114; list of his children, 115 ; witnesses Indian deed of Northampton, 164 ; settles an estate on his son Nathaniel, 212 ; his descendants, 291. - Burt, Henry, son of Jonathan 1st, 144. " " " David 1st, adminis- trator of his father s estate, 1"80 ; his birth, etc., 181 : sketch of his- life, 283. Henry, of Walpole. 429. . Henry A , 382 ; remarks of, at re- union, 56. Henry A.. Jr., 383. Henry Addison, of Louisiana. 662. Henry Martyn, 466; autobiographical retrospect by, 451. Henry Seymour (1&37-85), 399. Whiting, 479. Hezekiah, 568. Howard F. , of Chemung, N. Y., 552. " Townsend. 403. James (17i;0-1852), 322. (1836-92), 332. Madison (1810-93), 362. " shoe manufactuier, 309. " of Taunton, and descend- ants, 600-512. James (1790-1855), 349-350. James, of Chemung, N. Y., 551. James .M.. of Brooklyn, N. Y., 310. James Stewart, 381. Judge James, of Dubuque, la. (1809-86), 544, 548. Joel. 349. John, of Chemung, N. .Y., 651. John, son of Luther of Long- meadow (1815-70), 570. John, son of David 1st, 183; sketch of expedition in which he was killed, 279. John, son of Jonathan 1st. 144. " " Jos-eph 1st. 286. " " Nathaniel 1st, 821. " Marshall, 571. " M , 278. " Otirt, 297 ; his sons, 481. " Oi is, Jr., 482. '• 245. Jonathan, son of David 1st. 181, 182; suceeds to bis father's home lot. 184; sketch of his life, 385; his descendants, 483. Jonathan 1st, son of Henry 1st, his seat in church, 88 ; proves his father's will, 91 ; bequest from his mother, 93 ; date of birth, 117 ; witness in witchcraft trial, 117; his fist marriage, 119, 143; his civil offices, 119; quit-claim deed from, 119 ; residence in 1654, 120 ; INDEX. 60^ homestead, 121 ; selectman, 12S ; petitioner to the General Court, 125 ; commissioner to assess taxes, 123; surveyor of highways and commissioner before the court, 126 ; rates for service of his bull, 128 : a proprietor of West Spring- field, 129 ; commissioner of ferries, 130; fishing rights, 133; limited education, 135 ; juror and attor- ney, 137 ; prominent in church affairs. 139; on important com- mittees, 141 ; active in coatroversy with Mr. ulover, 142 ; second mar- riage, 143 ; in King Philip's war seeKS fortification, 146; helps fi.rtity minister's house, 148; fac- simile of his account of the burning of Springfield, 149; peti- tioner for settlement of Sumeld, 150; interested in settlement of Enfield, Ct., 160 ; his account with Pyuchon. 151, 167; land grants, 157 ; summary of his life, 169, 160 ; petitioner against Customs. 170 ; elected fence viewer, 314 ; select- man in place of his brother Na- thaniel, 216; bondsman for his nephew, Samuel Ball, 834; his descendants, 295. Bort, Jonathan, son of Jonathan Ist, 143. •■ JonatDau, son of Jonathan 3d. 285. '■ " son of Eleazar, 285, 483. (1742-1825), 406; descend- ants of, 408-416. " Jonathan, 146. " Joseph, son of Asahel, 378. " Joseph, son of David 1st, 182 ; sketch of life, 286 ; his wiU, 286 ; his de- scendants, 378. ' Joseph A., 413. " Joseph W., 881. " Jud, of Bradford, Pa., 565. " Juliet, wife of Dr. O. D. Norton, 484. " Levi, 425 ; children of, 426. " Capt. Levi, 493. " Lizzie, 353. " Lou, 486. ' ' Louisa, dau. of Dea. Moses, 676. " Lucius, 571. " Lucius C, 569. " Luther, of Longmeadow, 568. " Luther, of Walpole, 422 ; children of. 485. " Luther K. (1826-70). 440. " Luther W. (1812-47), 569. " Luther W., of Hartford, Ct., 670. '■ Lydia, dau. of Jonathan 3d, 285. •' L. Wilson, of Pennsylvania, 564. ' ' Margaret, 349. " Mane, wife of Marshal von Moltke, 579 '■ Mark A., of Elmira, N. T., 654. " Martha, 352. " Martin (1808- ), 438. " Martin a746-1803), 434. 471, 474, 589, 596. ■' Martin (1775-1847), 436. " Martin V. B. (1819-61), 393. " Mary, dau. of Henry 1st, bequest in her mother's will, 9^ ; sketch of her lite, 244. " Mary, wife of David 1st, adminis- trator of her husband's will, 179. Burt, Mary, dau. of David 1st, 181, 188. " " " Henry 3rd, 283. " " Joseph, 286. " Mercy, " Henry Ist, bequest in her mother's will, 93; her birth 115 ; at Northampton, 184 ; sketch of her life, 261. " Miles, of Michigan, 856. " Mindwell, dau. of Jonathan 8d, 286. " Eleazar, 286, 483. " Miriam, " Joseph, 286. " Monroe S., 428. " Moses, of Walpole, 418 ; children of, 421. " Moses, of Wilbraham (1709-86), 315. " Moses, Jr., of Walpole, 422. " Moses, Jr., of Wilbraham, 316. •' Dea. Moses, 316. " Eev. Moses, 647. " Nathaniel, son of Henry 1st, re- ceives estate from his father, 91 ; bequest In bis mother's will, 94; seat in church, 88 ; in committee to fortify meeting house, 127; limited education, 136 ; petitioner against customs, 170; sketch of his life, 212; land grants, 214; fence viewer, 215; elected select- man and resigns, 216 ; assessor of taxes, 216 ; valuatioa of his prop- erty in 1681, 216; his land, 218: driven out by flood, 218 ; one of the Longmeadow petitioners, 219; one of committee to fortify Spring- field, 220; his liberal gilts to aid. church and school, 220 ; his monu- ment erected by town, 220; his children, 221 ; his store accounts, 222; his land grants, 222; sum- mary of his life, 229 ; bondsman for his nephew, Samuel BaU, 234 ; his descendants, 487, 641. " Nathaniel, son of Nathaniel 1st, 221, 541. " Nathan' el 3d. 497. " 4th, 497. " Lieut. Nathaniel (1711-65), his death in battle at Lake George, 487. " Niles, of Michigan, 566. " Noah, son of Henry 3d, 283; pro- vision in his father's will, 284. " Noah, of Southampton, 689, 696. " Oliver, 146. " " T. (1834-87), 394. " Origin of sm-name, 681. " Orlando S„ 438. " Orlo (181082), 307. ■' Patience, dau. of Henry 1st, bequest in her mother's will, 93 ; helps pay her father's debts, 114 ; her birth, 115 ; at Northampton, 184 ; her son marries Sarah Stebbins, 836 ; sketch of her life, 257. " Pitts H., 484. " Ransom K., 376. " Eebecca, dau. of Nathaniel Ist, 221. '• Reuben, 287. (1761-1860), 490, 686. • Richard, of Taunton, and descend- ants, 512-622. Richard, 261. " " Storrs. 670. W.. 378. •' Roderick, 318. 6io INDEX. Bu-t, Eoss, 422. " Euth, dau, of David 1st 183. " Samuel, son of Henry 3d, 283. (1715-99), 432, 470, S89, 596. (1759-1822), 435. " Sarah, dau. of David 1st, 181. " " HeDry 1st, bequest in her mother's will, 93 ; her resi- dence, 136 ; sketch of her life, 231. " Sarah, dau. of Jonathan 1st, 143. " Joseph, 286. " " " Dea. Moses, 570. " Nathaniel Ist, 222. '■ Seaborn, 275. " SelahW.,437. ' Rev. Seth, 547. ' Shoes, Origin of. 309. ' Silas W., 330, 6';4. *■ Stanley G., 484. ' Stephen Smith, 401. * ' Theron. 426. " Thomas, son of Henry 3d, 283. 339. *' " J., of Michigan, 553. M. (1800-73). 327. '■ " of England. Sketch of his life. 530 ; bequest of £8,000 to, 675. " Tobasco L., 555. ■' Waldo A.. 429. " Warren, 437. *' Washington, and sons, 3C5 ' WelliuKton E.. 296. " William, 348, 349. " William Austin (1792-1868), 583. " Willis B., 428. 3 arts in Eevolution, 684-602. Bi.rts of Early Soutliampton, 470. " " LoDgmeadow, 497. " " Oswego, Latest records of, 567. '■ " Taunt"n, 499-530. " " Walpole, N. H., 417. '■ " Wilbrs.ham,315. Butchers prohibited from killing calves, 174. Buttons of gold and silver. Wearing of, restricted, 17. Cabot, Mary Burt, 411. Cakes, Sale of, restricted by law, 174. Calves, Killing of restricted, i74. Canada, Nathaniel jbrooks and family carried to, 244 ; Judah Wright taken to. 262 ; David Burt carried to. 868 ; terrible journey of Deer- fleld captives to, 273 ; expedition of Capt. Wright to, 280. Canoes, Leave to cut trees for. 75 : use of, for ferries, prohibited, 192. Candle-wood, Use of, and regulations re- garding, 206. Card-playing unlawful, 251 ; record of trial for. 252. ^ Carson, Eleanor T , 648. Carter, Samuel, 245. Catamounts. Bounty for killing, 128. Cattle, Their universal use for draught, 188 Chambl^e, Canada, 274. Champlaiu, Lake, see Lake Champlain. Chapin, Japliet, 88, 89, 123. 127, 216, 219, 236. Henry, 88, 123. 136. " Samuel, ■17 78, 82, 85, 87, 122, 138. 146, 163. 239 252. Sarah, 236. Charles II sends commissioners to Boston, 175. Cheney, Margaret, 182. Chicopee Plain, 216, 237, 245, 260, 261. " River, Fisheries on, 133. Childs. Timothy, 280. Christmas not recognized, 193. Church, Union of, with State, 139 ; mem- bership in, a coudition of citi- zenship, 139 ; attendance on, enjoined by law, 174. " Josiah, 846. Cider prohibited to Indians, 191 ; much used as a beverage, 204. Clapp, George , i.85. Clarke, John, 81, 88, 89, 122, 843. William, 1.0, 1!)7, 209. Clerk of the writs, 86. Clifle, John, 208. Clothing, Materials for. 97, 204; domestic fabrics for, 804 Coe, Capt. Benjamin, 383. Cole, Esther, 887 Colton, Ephraim, 89. George. 80, 88, 182, 219, 226-228, 241, 859. Isaac, 89. 159, 303. " John, 319. Colvin, Susannah Burt, 546. Communistic principles at Springfield, 76, 79. Connecticut River, known as the Great River, 126 ; highways on west side, 126 ; road up valley of, from Springfield to Northamp ton, 126 ; Indians on west bank of, 78, 126 ; transit by, from Springfield to Hartford, 126; fence from Agawam Elver to, 129 ; ferries over, 130 ; beauties of, at Northampton, 163 ; trans- port on, Irom Northampton, 192 ; boating on, 192 ; floods of, at Longmeadow, 218. Constables, collect taxes, 125 ; liable for arrears not collected, 185. Cooley, Benjamin, 81, 85, 87, 88, 120. 122, 157, 168, 159, 216. 219. 226, 359. Daniel, 127, 128, 143, 219. Eliakim,89, 129, 219. " Joseph, 819. Obadiah, 89. Cooper, Thomas, 78, 79, 80, 82. 85, 87, 88, 89. 91, 188, 183. 146, 147, 164, 212, 814. 816. 237, 239. Timothy, 89, 122. Coos, Vt., 274. Copley. Thomas, 245. Copo, John, 278 Corn or wheat, as substitutes for coin, 84, 85 ; prices of, 113 ; taxes made payable in, 124; value of. for taxes, 124 ; transportation of, to Boston to pay taxes, 185 ; a legal tender, 134 ; cost of carriage of, 169 ; flour fr..m, 301 ; use of, for certain purposes pro'iiblted, 174. Corn, Ind an price of. in 1634 fixed by law, 174 ; on Connecticut meadow lands, 185 ; preparation of, for food. 202. Cornish, Mr , 187 Cotton goods, prices of. 204. Country rates payable in corn, 124. INDEX. 6ll Courts, County, 137, 173. Courtship in early days, 206. Cow-keeper at Northampton, 187. Cowles, John, 188. Sarah. 182, 286. CowBuok Brook, 157, 169. Crops raised by early settlers, 189. ■Jrowtoot, Joseph. 88, 123. 237, 346. Widow Mary, 321. Jrowu Point, N. Y., Expedition against, 144. Curtiss. Abel. 321. Customs taxes. Protest against, 169. DAT, Mary S. (Burt), 439. •' Sarah. 144. " Thomas. 89, 132, 254. Deaths, Registration of, 175. Deeble, John, 76. Deerfield In King Philip's war, 146 ; founders of, 161 ; forces at, in 1675. 177 ; abandoned because of Indian forays. 178; William Brooks at, 244 ; Nathaniel Brooks and family captured at, 344; Joseph Brooks at, 244; Jonathan Brooks at, ^45 ; Judah Wright at, 262; Nathaniel Wright at, 263 ; Benjamin Burt settles at, 270 ; destruction of, in 1704, 270-274. Denslow, Hannah. 181, 283. Henry, 181. Denton. Daniel, 136. De Eouville, Hertel, see Eouville. Dickinson, Daniel, 241. Nathaniel. 208, 209. " Samuel, 242. TDiversions in early times, 193, 195. Dorchester, Anthony, 89, 122, 158, 159, 243, 246, 259. Benjamin, 143. James, 89. John, 89. 130, 131. Joseph, 89. Lydia. 143. Drinking of healths prohibited by law, 174. Drum to call the people of Springfield to worship, 84. Dudley, Hugh, 88, 89, 122. Dumbleton. John, 89. 123, 135, 136, 143, 215. Dunlap. Mabel burt. 405. Dv.ight, Col. Timothy, 168. Judge. 388. Eev. Dr. Timothy, 168. East Windsor, Ct , £55. Edwards, Alexander, 80, 158, 184, 237. Elgar. Sarah Burt, 287. Elizabethan age in England, 71. Ely, Nathaniel, 123. •• Samuel, 88, 122, 159. Emerson, ( atherine G. Burt, 544. Enfield, Settlement of, 150 ; founders of, 161 ; boundaries of, 221 ; John and Nathaniel Bliss at, 258. England in the Elizabethan age, 71 ; Im- migration from, 71, 72; yeo- manry of, 73. English principles, as developed in Eng- land and America after 1603, 72. Exell, Henry, 132. " Eichard, 81, 88. Fahminqton, 240. Farrell, Joseph, 125. Fellows. Eichard, 88. Fence-viewer, 129. Ferries, 130. Ferry, Charles, 89, 122, 133, 159, 221, 256, 259. " Mary, 2il. Field, Seth, 288. Finances of Springfield in 1676, 125. Fu:eplaces in early houses, 201 ; were do- mestic altars. 205. Fisheries at Springfield, 133; at North- ampton, 203. Fitch. Mr., 197. Five Nations, League with, 266. Flax, Home manufactures of, 204. Flour, how prepared, 201. Fontenoy, French at battle of, 265. Food of early settlers, 201, 203. Foreigners, Regulations as to, 195. Forks at table, not used in early times, 101, 201. Foster, Edward, 88. 89. 122. 247, 863. Foxes. Bounty for kilUng, 187. Frankhn, Benjamin, 256. French and Indian Wars, 127 ; their num- ber, 177; harassinp: character of, l'i7 ; their barbarity, 265 ; Deer- field in tbe, 270. French Eiver, Vt., 280. 281. Fresh VI ater Brook, 160, 159. Fruits eaten by early settlers, 203. Fuel. Kind and amount used, 301. Funerals in early times, 194. Furniture of first settlers, 300. Gaedehs in early period, 199, 200. Gassner, Mrs. J. C , 674. General Court. Legislation by. 117 ; pecu- liar laws passed by, 173. 174; petition to, from Northampton, 175. George I, King, see King George I. '* Lake, see Lake George. Gilbert, Thomas, 213. Glover, Pelatiah, 90, 132, 141, 146. Goodale, Eleanor, 243. Isaac, 243. Goffe, the regicide, 176. Granger, Francis. 136. George, 136, 143. " Gideon. 136. " Launcelot, 136. Graveyard at Northampton, 194. Green Mountain boys, 261. Gregory, Henry, 77. '' James, 135. Judah 136,231. " Samuel. 231. Gristmill at Springfield, 131. Hadley, Road from Springfield to, 126 ; in King Philip's war, 146 ; founders of, 161 ; petition from, against customs taxes, 170 ; petition from, to General Court, 176; assault on, in 1676, 170; Dr. Hastings at, 182. Haines. John. 143. Hair worn long by men, an offense, 174. Hale, Martha, 221. " Thomas, 221, 232. Halifax, N. S , Gen. Ethan Allen, a pris- oner at, 262. 6l2 INDEX. Hanohett, Thomas, 130, 143, 208. '■ Widow Deliverance, 143. Hanoox, Thomas, 240. Hanmer, Bethl^b. 256. Harmon, John, 7i). 83. 88, 89, 119, 128, 213, 227, 2.i9, 239. Samuel, 88, 89. Hartford, Ct., Koadsto, from Springfield and Northampton, 126, 192 ; river transit to, from Springfield, 126 ; cost of carriage of corn to, 169 ; Henry Wakeley at, 232; Capt. Bull's company at, 266. Hastings, Dea. Thomas, 183. Dr. " 182, 200. Rev. Dr. Thomas S., 182. Hatfield, Founders of, 161; raid on, m 1676, 177; Joseph Burt at, 182; Dr. Hastings at, 18S. Hawkes, Anna, 182. HealtliB, Drinking of. prohibited, 174. Henrison, John, 76, 88, 122, 252. '• Martha, 252. Herbs, Medicinal, used. 199. Highways, how laid out, 126. Hinsdale, Ebenezer, 275. Hitchcock, John, 89. 123. 216, 219, 234. Luke, 143, 219. Hookanum. Perry at, 126, 191. Holmes, John, 209. Holton, John, 199. Mary, 167, 198. Euth. 168. Sarah, 168, 199. " Thomas, 179. William, 167, 170, 176, 183, 197, 198, 208, 260. Holidays, Absence of, 193. Holyoake, George Jacob— his sketch of Thomas Burt, M. P., 631. Holyoke City, 173, 192. Elizur, 76, 77, 78. 86, 87, 122, 123, 138, 163, 214, 242. " John, 123. 125, 135, 216. " Samutl, 89. Horses, Law to ensure good stock of, 128 ; racing of, in streets prohibited, 191. Horton, Jeremy. 122. John, 89, 122. " Nathaniel, 222. ' ' Widow, 77. Hospitality curtailed, 196. Houses of early settlers, 84. 18S, 186 ; their interiors, 200. Household furniture, 200. Hoyt, Jonathan, 280, 281. " Mary, 262. Hubbard. Samuel, 75, 77. Hudson Elver, Strategic advantages of, 365. Humor of the Puritans, 195. Hunt, Ebenezer, 184. " Jonathan, 170, 171, 172. Huron s, 265. Indians, at Springfield, 78, 127; their attack in 1675, 146, 149; their attack on Northampton, 189; native tribes of. at Northamp- ton, 190 ; regulations regarding, 191; league with Five Nations, 265 ; Hurons or Iroquois, 265 ; Mohawks, 266 ; Algonquins, 267 ; proposal to hunt them with, dogs, 178 ; in expedition against Deerfleld, 271 ; a description of a skirmish with, 280, 283. Indian doctors, 200. Inhabitant. An admitted, defined, 121; list of at Springfield, 122 ; secur- ity for admittance as, required, 123. Iron works at Springfield, 132. Iroquois Indian-, 265. Jbanks [Janes], William, 187, 209, 214. Jones, Ebenezer, 249. " Grifdth, 88, 122. 158. Johnson, Capt. Edward, his description of Springfield, in 1654, 86. Judd, Sylvester (1789-1860), 444. Jurors, 173. Keeleb, Joseph, 276. Keep, John, 89, 122, 157, 215. " Samuel, 219. Keller, Angelica Burt, 545. Kennedy, Catherine, j. W., 545. Kep, Abraham, 199. Killingworth, Ct., 265. Killum, John, 238. King, Experience. 168. " John, 130, 139, 168, 170, 171, 172, 176,. 180, 183, 188, 199, 207, 228. " Josiah. 285. " King Philip's war — at Springfield,. 127, 146; at Northampton, 176; at Deerfleld, 270. *' George's war. Duration of, 177. " William's war. Duration of, 177 ; its origin, 265. Kingsley, Enos, 197. Knight, Benjamin, 266, 287. " Simeon, 287. Laeob, Price of, in early period, 112. Lace, Wearing of, restricted by law, 174. Lake Champlain, its strategic importance, 266 ;' French expedition crosses on the ice in 1690, 267 ; invasions by way of, 279. Lake George, 265 ; battle at, in 1755, 487. Lamb, Joanna, 252, 258. " John, 88, 89, 122. 239, 241, 246, 252. Land, Division of, in 1641 at Springfield, 76 ; titles of and conveyances, 119; small amounts occupied by indi- viduals in New England. 168; pat- ents of in Virginia and New York, 168. 169; fees for measuring at Northampton, 168; all convey- ances of, and other instruments recorded, 176 ; singular system of taxing, 676; reason for small grants, 577. Langsson, Garrett, 199, Langton, George, 82, 143, 213, 228, 260. Lathrop, Capt., 146. Laws of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, their scope , 117 ; peculiar character of. 173; sumptuary enactments, 173 ; excellent ones, 176. Lebanon, Ct.,2.52. Lecky's History of England, 73. Leisler, Jacob. Usurpation by, 265. Leonard, Benjamin. 127. " John, 75, 77, 81, 82, 88, 89, 122, ft INDEX. 6n Lewis, Mary, 1 17. Lexington alarm, Burts responding to, 680-T. Linen. Home Manufactures of, 204. Litchfield, Ct., 261. Lobdell, Elizabeth. 119. '* Simon. 122. Long Hill. Fort at, in 1675, 146. LoHgmeadow, Early mention of, 78. 79 estate in, deed to I7athaniel Burt 213; he is early resident at, 314 land grants in, 214 ; floods at, 218 petition of residents in, 218 action on petitions from, 219. removal of dwellings to high ground. 219 ; erects monument to Nathaniel Burt, 220; its early character retained, 229 ; John Bliss, 257; the Burts of, 497. Lord's Day, Beating of drum on, 84 ; en- forced observance of, 174, 199. Lumbard [Lombard], David, 221. John. 89. 122, 158. Mary, 231. Lyman, Esther, 168. John, 191, 241. Richard. 197, 260. " Sarah. 211. Thomas, 168, 209. IttACKAT, Hugh, 89. Mackeranny, Mr., 128. Macronny, Mary, 258. Mantet D'Aillebout de, 267. Margaret Street, Springfield, 257. Market Street, Northampton, 258. Market, Clerk of the, 130. Mstrriages. Registration of, 175 ; by whom sealed, 193. Marshall, Preserved, 283. Mai'shfleld, Hester, 241. Samuel, 88, 122, 123, 130, 139, 142, ISl, 158, 170, 172, 214, 216, 239, 241. 246. Martin. Grace, wife of Nathaniel Phelps, 431. Mason. Capt., 235. Massachusetts Colony, Laws of, 117, 173, 175. Massachusetts records of Burts in Revo- lution, 684-600. Mathei, Cotton, 198. Eunice, 27.3. " Rev. Bleazar, 176, 184, 198, 208. " " Increase, 142. " " Richard, 198. " Warham, 184. Matthews. John, 81, 8), 88, 122, 147, 158, ate. McCreeny, Thomas, 280. MoEanney, Mary, 258. Medicine. Practice of, 800. Meeting Housf, seats in, at Springfield allotted in 16S9, 87 ; in 1662, 88 ; central position of, 139; men and women seated apart, 140 ; rules regarding seats m Spring- field. 140 ; preservation of order In. 141 : enforced attendance at, 143. 198; fortification of, 148 ; not consecrated, 197; site of the first, at Uorthampton, 166 ; seat- ing and order in, 198. Militia, Exercise of, HI ; at Springfield, 133; laws regarding. 133; mas- ters of, 195. Militia officers, Burts service as, during Revolution, 587, Military service, see Militia. Miller, Bbenezer, 283. " John, 133 " Lazarus. 238. '■ Obediad, 88. 122, 239. 2S3. " Thomas, 88, 122, 146, 147, 215, 247,, 252 " Wiiliam, 207, 208, 280, Mill River, 126, 13 i, 158. 159, Minister, at Springfield, Mr. Moxon, 84; permanent residence for, 89; Pelatiah GloVer.OO; John Haines, 14i ; Daniel Brewer, 142 ; at NortharaptoQ, Eleazar iVIather and Solomon Stoddard. 198. Mirack, Thomas, 76. 77, 78, 80, 82, 88, 132, 133, 333 313, 345, 247. Mirrick, John. 127. Mohawk Indians. 266. Moltke, Marie burt, wife of Marshal von,. 579, Moody, Clarissa, 243. Mary, 236. Money, Substitutes for, corn. 84, 85, 134 ; beaver skins, 134 ; bullets, 134, Montcalm, Gen., 146. Montreal, Can., Gen. Ethan Allen's attack upon, 262 ; De Rouville forms, expedition at, 270; Jesuit Col- lege at, 274. " Morgan, David, 146, 147. " Jonathan, 89. Miles, 88. 132, 133, 146, 337, 239,. 246, 248. 253. William. 89, 247. Moseley, Mrs. Sarah R , 576. Mount Holyoke. 16J, 165, 187. 201. " Tom, 162, 163, 187, 194, 209. Moxon, Rev. Mr,, 77, 84. 86. 90, Muddy Brook, Bloody surprise at, in 1675, 177, Munhan, a suburb of Northampton, 168. Munn, Abigail, 235. " Benjamin, 88, 121, 122, 130, 189; marries Abigail IBurt, 235 ; sketch of his life, 235 ; his land grants, 238. " Benjamin 2d, 236. " James, 236. " John, 2.35. " Nathaniel, 236. NEAt, Abigail, 256. Newbury, Vt,,274. New England, Early immigration into. 73 ; character of its immigrants, 73. New Hampshire, Joseph Burt's descend-. ants in. 182. 417 ; its claims on Vermont, 261. New York, Large land patents in, 168; claims Vermont, 261. New York State Records, extracts from, concerning Burts in Revolution, 601-2 ; an to other matters con- cerning Burts, 602-5. Nipmuck Indians 190. Noble. Thomas. 88. 122. Nonotuck, original name of Northamp ton, 167. 6i4 INDEX. Northampton, Road from Springfield to, ISO, 164; county court at, 138, ir.3; map of, 160; founders of, 161 ; beautiful site of, 162, 184 ; road to Westfleld. 163; road to Windsor.and Hartford, Ct., 164; Indian deed of, 164; original name of, 166 ; first marriage at, 167 ; measurements of land. 1 68 ; highways in, 169 ; protest against customs duties, 169; boundary between and Springfield, 170 ; petition from, to General Court. 175; raid on, in 1676,177; pali- sade built about, 177 ; fort near, taken in 1704, 178; without a physician, 183 ; sketch of life there in firft half century, 183 ; location of its first settlers, 183 ; map of original home lots, 184; meadows of. 185 ; first houses in, 185; a summer day about 1670, 187 ; schools. 187 : the town bull, 18S ; Indians, 190 ; racing horses in streets, 191 ; roads leading from, 191; the town boat, 192; lack of diversions, 193 ; wed- dings, 193; funerals, 194; grave- yard, 194; social recreations, 195; supervision of foreigners and strangers, 195 ; militia mus- ters, 195; town meetings, 196; seating and order in meeting house, 198 ; early ministers, 198 ; observance of the Lord's Day, 199 ; mpdical attendance. 200 ; gardens. 200 ; inieriorof houses and their furniture, 200 ; food of eaily s-ttlers, 201; materials for clothing, 204 ; spinning and weaving, 205 ; the great fire- places, 205; courtship, 206; Samuel Wright at. 241 ; John Bliss at, 258 ; Judah Wright at, 261 ; Ebenezer Wright at, 262 ; Henry Burt at, 283 ; tablets in Memorial Uall, 596. Northampton, England, Description of, 106. Northfield, in King Philip's war, 146; founders of, 161 ; abandoned because of Indian raids. 178 ; Joseph Burt's descendants at, 188 ; Samuel Wright at 241 ; Ben- jamin Wriffht at, 241 ; Joseph Brooks at, 244 ; Jonathan Brooks at, 245 Norton. Dr. O. G., 484. Norwplk, Ct.. Henry Gregory at, 231; Ben.iamin Burt moves to, 276. Norwottock Indians, 190. Oklahoma, Settlement of, 162. Old French and Indiau war, Duration of, 177. Olmstead, Jabez, 880. 281. Richard. 278. Onion Eiver, Vt..280. Osborne, James, 88, 89, 182, 159, 246. " Mary. 255. Otisoo, N. Y., Retrospect of life in, 451. Ould, Amelia Benedict, 361. Oxbow of Connecticut River, 163. Oxen used for all heavy draught, 188. Pascomoc Port, near Northampton, taken in 1704, 178. Panton, Widow Mary, 836. Parsons, Abigail, 235. Benjamin, 88, 128, 135, 136, 167, 259, 235. 247. HuKh, 117, 120, 168. Joseph. 127, 170, 184, 191, 197, 208, 258, 260. Partrigg, Samuel, 881. Paupers, Security to prevent their becom- ing so as townsmen, 123 ; sup- port of, 133. Pearson, Prof. Jonathan, 869. Peoowsic Brook, 167. Pentucket, Destruction of, in 1708, 271, 279. Pepper, Francis, 88, 89, 133, 338, 339. Pequit Path, 167. Pequot war, 235. Petty, John, 132. Phelps, Nathaniel, 208. Philip, War of King, see King Philip. Phillips, Tbomas, 255. Physicians, 199. Plymouth, Eng., 349. Pochaug Hill, Indian attack on, 182. Poll taxes, 817. Pomeroy, Asahel, 184. Medad, 130, 170, 171, 172. " Samuel C, 447. Col. Seth, 283. Pontius, near Northampton 188. Pork largely used as food, 303. Porter, Robert, 181. Porter, Dr. W. B., 417, 437, 430 ; children of, 428. Pound, 129. Pound-master, 139. Powder horn of Ebenezer Burt, 144. Powell, Thomas, 122. Prices of commodities at Springfield from 1652-62, 109; tixed bylaw, 173; at Northampton, 204. Pringrydays, Edmund. 122. 147. 251. Pritchard, Nathaniel, 88, 122, 157, 159, 229. " Roger, 78, 80. Pumpkins largely used for food, 202. Puritans of New England, general char- acter, 7-3 ; austerity, 193, 195 ; humor. 193 ; peculiar character- istics. 207. Pynchon, John, succeeds his father at Springfield. 75 ; made freeman, 86; conducts religious services, 87; one of committee to pur- chase ministei's house, 90; his business affairs. 95 ; his peculiar bookkeeping, 96 112; accounts with Henry Burt, 97 ; his monop- oly, 113; Widow Burt pays him all her own and late husband's debts, 113 ; magistrate in witch- craft trial. 118; townsman, 123; to erect gristmill, 131 ; to set up iron works, 133 ; court commis- sioner, 138 ; accounts with Jona- than Burt, 151 ; commissioner to purchase site tif Northampton, 163; commissioner on town boundary ViO; account with David Burt, i09 ; account with Nathaniel Burt, 322, also 141, 146, 148, 160, 168 162, 163, 819, 339 247, 248, 850, 256, 357. INDEX. 6iS Pynchon, Mary, 257. " William, settles at Agawam (Springfleld), 74 : his work there, 75 ; returns to England. 90 ; his business at Springfield, 95, 138. QuEBN Anne's wae. Duration of, 127, 177 ; its character, 279. Quebec, Embarkation of redeemed cap- tives at, 875. Eaoing of horses at Northampton pro- hibited. 191. Eawson, Edward, 125, 170, 171. R^c^eatious, see Uiversions. Retrospect of life at Otisco, N. T.. 451. Eevolution, Burts in service during, 584- 602. Khode Island. Eing Philip's war, 176; Burts in military service during Eevolution in, 597-600. Eichards, John, 136. Eidgefield, Ct., Benjamin Burt settles at, 276. Eiley, John. 88. 122, 847, 253. Riots of. 1782-4,594. Root, Joseph. 180, 181. •' Thomas. 208. Eouville, Hertel de. 244, 265 ; forms expe- dition against DeeriSeld, 270. Roxbury. Henry Burt at, 74. Eussell, Hezekiah, 184. Rev. John. 148. Eye bread much used, 202. Sabbath, see Lord's Day. Sackett, Simon, 246, 247, 263. Sainte Helene, Lemoine de, 265, 267. Salisbury, Ct., 261. Salmon, caught at Springfield, 133 ; at Northampton. 803. Thomas, 209, 260. Samp prepared from corn. 202. Sawmill at Springfleld, 131. Sawyers and sawpits, 186. Saybrook, Ct., Transit by, from Spring- field to Boston, 187. Scantic in West Windsor, Ct , 3.55. Schenectady, N. Y., destroyed in 1690 by French and Indian raid. 2''4. Schools at Springfleld, 134 ; at Northamp- ton, 187. Schwinke, Maria, 238. Peter, 88, 89, 121, 182, 183, 237, 2i8. Scotland, Border wars of, 264. Scott, Sir Walter, his legends, 264. " John, 88. 132, 353. Searle, John. 808. " Widow, 76. Selectmen, First election of, at Spring- field, 83 ; appropriations by, limited, 184 ; paid for session of five days only, 185 ; must be freemen, 216. Settlement of towns in New England by natural growth, 161 ; recent ones in the West, 168. Severance, Bbenezer, 280. Sewall, Samuel. Extracts from bis letters, 274, 275. Shad, at Springfield, 133; at Northamp- ton 203. Shays' rebellion, 595. Sheep, Ordinance as to raising of, 128; first introduction of, into Spring- field, S78. Sheldon, Isaac, 208, 241. Ensign John, 244, 874. Euth, 241. Shethar, John, 255. Shoes, Origin of the Burt, 309. Sikes, Increase 89. " Nathaniel. 88, 249. " Eebecoa, 215. " Richard, 77, 78, 88, 122, 143, 158, 215, 237, 239. 253. " Victor, 143. Silk, Wearing of restricted, 174. Singular system of taxing lands, 576. Smith College, 184. " Henry, 76, 77, 78, 88, 8.3, 90, 158. " John 275. " Joseph, 137. Socialism, Traces of in early Massachu- setts laws, 173 Southampton Hurts, 497. Southfield, early name of Suffield, 160. Spinning yarns and threads, 304. Springfield, when founded, 74 ; division of land in 1641, 76 ; allotment of land in 1641, 76 ; Indians on west side of river, 78 ; allotment of land in 1642, 77 ; 3d and 4th allot- ments of land, 78; early Sab- baths. 84 ; military company, 85 ; description of by Capt. Ed. Johnson, 86 ; list of townsmen in 1664, 122; finances in 1676, 125 ; early roads to other settle- ments, 126; river transit to Hartford, 126 ; in King Philip's and French and Indian wars, 137 ; prices of commodities in 1658, 109; ferries, 130; gristmill and sawmill, 131 ; fisheries, 133 ; military training ground, 133; schools, 134 ; county court, 138 ; rules as to seats and order in meeting house, 140 ; new meet- ing house in 1682, 14i ; residence for minister, 141 ; burning of, in 1675, 146 ; salary of minister, 141 ; furnishes settlers to other town«, 161 ; boundary between, and Northampton, 170 ; petition to General Court, 176; persons killed at, and vicinity in 1675, 177 ; road to Northampton, 164, 191 ; poll taxes In 16'5, 216. Springfield, Eng., Description of, 74. Stamford, Ct., 276. Stebbins, John, 246. 263. Joseph. 240. Eowland, 77, 81, 84, 88, 122, 159, 336. " Samuel, 89, 219, 244. Sarah, 236. " Thomas, 77, 81, 88, 89, 121, 122, 125, LSB, 161, 164, 336, 338, 337, 238. 239, 243. " Thomas 8d. 235, ?37, 243. Steiner, Bernard C, 281. Stevens, Mr., 197. Stewart, John, 88. 123, 347. Stiles, Ephraim. 356. " Henry. 255. " Isaac, 255. a «i6 INDEX. Stiles, Joan, 255. " John, m. Dorcas Burt, 255; their children, 265 ; account with Hynchon, 256. '• John 2d, 255. *' Other children, 255. " Eev. Dr. Ezra, 115; sketch of his life, 255. Strangers, Regulations regarding them at Northampton, 195. Stratford, Ct..231. Stockbridge Indians, 256. Stoadard, Her. Solomon, 178, 198. Strong, Aaron, 471, 474. Caleb, 184. Elizabeth, 243. John. 170, 280, 281. " Thomas, 209. Stony Brook, near Northampton, 173. Suffleld, 143, 150. Sumptuary laws, 174. Sunday, see Lord's Day. Surveyor of lands, 168. Swine, Ringing of, 129 ; many raised, 202. 'Talsiage, Lieut. Enos, 3d6. Tavern-keeuers, Rates of, fixed by law, 174. Taunton Burts, 499-522. Taxation, Town, 123 ; county and colonial, 124 ; payable in corn, 124 ; diffl- culiy in getting schedules of personal property, 125; collectors rpsponsible, 125; special relief from, 125 ; poll taxes. 125, 217 ; rates on property in 1646, 217. Taylor, Ellen Burt. 371. Hiram A., 371. James, 88, 89, 122. " Jonathan, 88, 122, 158, 244, 247. Capt. John, 178, 182, 241. " Mercy, 249. Mindwell, 182, 285. " Thankful, 241. Terry, Anna, 258. " Samuel, 122, 170, 172. 240, 258. Thomas, Rowland, 88, 182, 170, 172, 238, 246. " Joseph, 89. Thompson, Thomas, 89. Ticonderoga, Powder horn made at, 145 ; captured by Gen. Ethan Allen, 262. Titterton. Timothy, 231. Tobacco, Takers of, punished, 174 ; Benja- min Munn fined for taking, 235. Tombstones, 195. Toto- an Indian, warns the people of Springfield of an intended at- tack, 146. Town, Appropriations by selectmen lim- ited, 124; how settlements orig- inated and progressed. 161 ; meas- urers of lands, boundaries of Springfield, 123. Town meetings, at Springfield, 82 : their fundamental principles and im- portant influence, 83 ; rates imposed at, 123 ; regulations gov- erning. 196 ; attendance compul- sory, 196. 'Towne, Dean. 412. Sarah Burt, 408. Townsmen, List of, in 1664 at Springfield, 122 ; security required for ad- mittance as, 133. Treat, Maj^r, 147. Trumbull, James E., 183. Turner, Praisever. 209. Turners Falls, Fight at, 177. Tryon, Governor of New York, 861. Vegetables in early cultivation, 199. Venturer's Field, Northampton, 189. Vermont, Joseph Burt's descendants in, 183 : Gen. Ethan Allen in, 261. Virginia, Great plantations in, 168 ; Will- iam Brooks in, 244. Visiting rare in early period, 195. Voorhees, Riotiard M,, 368, " Georgianna Burt, 868. Wait. Joseph, 280. Wakeley, tienry, marries Sarah Burt, 231; their children, 231 Walpole, N. H., Burts of. 417. Wampum used as coin, 85 ; where made. 84 ; how made, 110 ; a legal tender, 134. Waronoko, ancient name of Westfield, 126. Warner, Isaac, 244. " John, 133. Lydij, 244. " Seth, at Ticonderoga, 262. Warriner, Elizabeth, 144. James, 88, 89, 122. 136, 144, 234. ■' Joseuh, 89. ' ' William, 75, 77, 79, 87, 88, 122. Watohusett, 167. Wearing app irel, see Clothing. Webb, John, 184, 260. Webster, Thomas. 209. Weddings, Sale of cakes for, permitted by law, 174, 193 ; as festive occa^ sions, 193. Weights and Measures, Sealer of, 130, Weller, Mary, 249. Wells, Lieut. John, 280. Wequagon, a treacherous Indian, 147. Westfield on road from Northampton to Windsor, 126, 163, 191 ; in 1675 sends armed force to cipringfield, 147 ; founders of. 161 ; John Munn settles at. 236 ; William and John Brooks killed, 244; Ephraim Stiles at, 266. West Springfield, original site of Indian village, 78, 127 ; highways in, 126 ; John Bagg and descendants at, 2^9 Wethersfield', Ct. 164. Whalley, the regicide, 176. Wheat, see Corn. White River, Vt., 280. Whittier, John G., 271. Wiggin, Susan R. W., 545. Wilbraham, The Burts of, 315. Willard, Rev. Mr., 275. William III, see King William. Williams. Rev. John, capture at Deerfield, 272 ; his wife massacred, 173 ; his return from captivity, 275, 281. Williams, Eev. Stephen, his account of a skirmish in 1709, 281. Wills, Registration of, 176. Willson, Rev. David Burt, 545. INDEX. 617 WillsoD, Eev. James McLeod, 544. " Eebeooa Burt, 544. Wilton, David, 191. "Windsor, Ct., Eoads to Springfield and Northampton, 126, 191; Toto, a friendly Indian at, 146 ; cost of transport of corn to, 169 : send s settlors to Northampton, 164; the Stiles family at, 255. Windsor Locks, Ct., 181. Winooski Elver, Vt. , 280. Wire, Mary Burt, 287. Wltehcralt at Springfield, 86. 117. Wolves, Bounty for killing, 128. Wood, Asahel. 285. " the principal building material, 185. " as fuel, 201. Woodcock, John. 75. 76. 233, 238. Woodford, Thomas, 197, 260. Woodward, Henry, 139. Wool, Laws to encourage raising of, 128 ; home manufactures of, 204. Wright, Benjtmin- his birth, etc., 241; a great Indian fighter, 279 : organ- izes an expedition to Canada, 183, 280, 283. Benoni, 242. " libenezer, 242, 262. " Eliezer, 242. Elizabeth, 242. " Eliphaz, 288. Hannah, 336, 242, 287. Wright, Henry, 268. Hester, 241, 362. '' Taiics, 184. •' Joseph. 341. " Judah 1st, 184, 199, 236 ; m. Mercy Burt. 361 ; sketch of his life and his children, 261. " Judah 2d, 262. Lydia, 241. " Margaret, 341. " Mercy, 363. " Nathaniel, of London, 341. '• '■ 3d, 263. " Nehemiah, 288. " Patience, 363. Samufl 1st, 76, 77. 81, 83. 86, 87, 176, 197, 109, 213, 237, 241 246, 261. " Samuel 2d, his home lot, 183 ; m. Elizabeth Burt, 241; slain by Indians, 179, 241; his children, ■241 ; land grants, 243 : also 184, 197, 208. 236, 260, 261, 279. " Samuel 3d. 341. " 4th, 362. " Silas 1st, 242. " " 3d, U. S. Senator. Governor of New York, etc., 243. 327. Thomas, 263. Writing a rare accomplishment, 94. Talb College. 168, 256. Yeomanry of England, 73.