One line of the Burritt family

1 1
m

—

Gc

929.2
B945f
1765850

REYNOLDS HISTORICAL
QENEALQ3Y COLLECTION

ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

3 1833 01208 4007

8S8S?S82S2S2SSg§82S2S2S2S8S2S2S2SSS2S2S2SSS2SSg2S2

ONE LINE OF

THE

BUBRITT FAMILY,

3*C«O«O«0*O«O«0«0«O»O

"Let all unite, for the benefit of all,
in placing upon record and preserving a
recollection of our remote beginnings.
Posterity will thank us for the labor, and
the older the record grows the more value
will they place upon it." — Welch.

1765850

ONE LINE

OF THE

BURRITT FAMILY.

i. William from Wales.

2. John, b. •

3. Joseph, b., 12 Mar. 1685,

4. Samuel, b., 1729.

5. Joseph.. 9 Aug., 1758.

6. Joseph, b. 21 Aug., 1795.

7. Charles D. Burritt, b. 29 May,

1823.

8. Mary Lord Burritt Foster, b., 1848.

9. Jesse W. Foster, b. 1880.

Compiled By Mary L. Foster,

WEST HILL PRESS,

ITHACA, NEW YORK.

1898.

00—

JOSEPH BURRITT.

ONE LINE

OF THE

BUREITT FAMILY.

i. William from Wales.

2. John, b. •

3. Joseph, b., 12 Mar. 1685,

4. Samuel, b., 1729.

5. Joseph.. 9 Aug., 1758.

6. Joseph, b. 21 Aug., 1795.

7. Charles D. Burritt, b. 29 May,

1823.

8. Mary Lord Burritt Foster, b., 1848,

9. Jesse W. Foster, b. 1880.

Compiled By Mary L. Foster.

WEST HILL PRESS,

ITHACA, NEW YORK.

1898.

"Let all unite, for the benefit of all,
in placing upon record and preserving a
recollection of our remote beginnings.
Posterity will thank us for the labor, and
the older the record grows the more value
will they place upon it."— Welch.

ONE LINE OF

THE

BURKITT FAMILY.

S2SSSSS2S2S2S2S2SSS2SSS2SSS2S2SSS2S2g2gSS2S2SSS2S8

THE

BUKRITT FAMILY.

He who has traveled in Wales delights
to have memory linger, not only on the
beautiful hills and charming vales, but
among those old ruins which make fair
Wales so famous. Those remains of
Roman encampments, hill fortresses,
casties, castellated mansions and speci-
mens of antique military architecture.
And still memory loves to linger on the
charming valley of Glamorganshire, so
famed for its picturesqueness, and owing
to its great fertility, often called "the gar-
den of Wales." It is a section of country
having to do with most ancient history
way back in the days of the Romans.

2 THE BURR1TT FAMILY.

Glamorganshire was inhabited by the
Silures, which in succeeding ages was an
independent principality, but was in io83
overrun and divided by some of William's
Norman nobles. About the time of the
Conquest, and not long after the period
of the revocation of the edict of Nantes ;
there was a great importation of new
names into England and Wales. It was
at this time that Barrat was first found in
their nomenclature, a name that since be-
came modified, some families retaining
the old form, but others making changes,
until the Barrat of centuries ago has be-
come the Burritt of today. The surname
Barrat was one of characteristic, and it
meant the "cunning." Not in the sense
of craftiness, but having reference to their
skill in doing things. In looking over
the history of the old time Barrats, so

THE BURRITT EAMILY. 3

many have been found to be watch-
makers, jewelers and skilled workers,
that it would seem that the}' still retain
the ancient cunning that gave them their
surname, way back in the early days fol-
lowing the Conquest.

As early as 1550, a scholar at Cam-
bridge spelled his name both Barret and
Baret, being known later as a distinguish-
ed traveller, and author of a tripple dic-
tionary in English, Latin and French,
which he entitled an "Alvearie," as
the materials were collected of his
pupils in their daily exercise, like so
many diligent bees, gathering honey to
their hive. This book appeared in 1573.
The author died in 1580.

In 1801, in Nottinghamshire, we find
one Zachariah spelling his surname Bar-
ratt ; — still the canning, as he that year

4 THE BURR1TI FAMILY.

invented a wonderful machine for grind-
ing grain, either by water, wind, horse,
hand or otherwise. Seventeen years af-
ter (1818), this same Zachariah had
changed his name to Barrat.

In 1776, we find stiii another spelling,
Geo. Barret. He was one of the Vice
Presidents of the Society of Artists in
Great Britain, as incorporated entitled as
follows: — i4The Society of Artists of
Great Britain/' Arms; upon a field azure
a brush, a chisel, and a pair of compas-
ses composed fretty, or : over them in
chief a regal crown, proper : supporters,
on the Dexter side, Britannia ; on the sin-
ister, Concord ; crest on a wreath, an oak
branch and a palm branch in saltire, in
the center of which a chaplet of laurel.
That same George received a prize of 50
guineas for his landscape painting.

i HE BURRITT FAMILY. -,

In another line we find Thomas Barret
a principal officer to his highness Omduc
ul Omrah, nabob of Arcot and its depen-
dencies, who died at his palace of Che-
pauV .

We find also a James in Saffron Wal-
den, who spelled his name Barrett, an
iron monger who had received pate
and so it seems that whether Barat,
Barrett. Barrat, Barret, Baret, Burritt pr
Burrett, there has ran through all branch-
es the cunning handiwork which oiigi-
nally gave to the family their name.

This change in the orthography of a
name was nothing unusual. Today? fre-
quently, we find different branches of the
same family spelling their names diffe-
rently ; [Farley has had eleven different
spellings] as instance in Ayoub we re-
cognize the name Job, Abraham in Ibra-

6 THE BURRiTT FAMILY.

hirn, Solomon in Souleimon. When
learned men in Germany wrote Rheabe-
am andZitkias, and in France, Roboam
and Sedecios [Rehoboam and Zedekiah]
they both mean to designate the same two
individuals, viz., the son of Solomon and
the last king of Judah. The common an-
cestor of the Burritt family in America
was William Burritt of Glamorganshire,
Wales, who settled, with his wife Eliza-
beth, in Stratford, Connecticut where he
was one of the earliest settlers, and where
he died in the year 165 1. John W.
Thompson, the historian of Stratford,
states that the inventory of his estate,
May 28th, 165 1, amounted to £140. His
relict Elizabeth died in 1681, and the
history makes mention of three children
as follows :—

THE BURRITT FAMILY. 7

i. Stephen, Lieutenant, m, Jan 28,
1673-4, Sarah, daughter of
Isaac Nichols : d. 1697-8 ; had
eight children.
2. ii. John.

iii. Mary, m. —Smith.

JOHN[a].

John> son of Wm. and Elizabeth Bur-
ritt, m. 1st, Deborah Barlow, May 1,
1684. He married, 2nd, Hannah Beach,
widow of Zechariah Fairchild, May 5,
1708. He d. Feb. 1. 1726-7. He had —
3. Joseph, b. March 12, 1685

(8)

TRIBE OF JOSEPH BURRITT (3)
AND MARY WAKELEY.

Joseph, son of John (2) and Deborah
(Barlow) Burritt, m. Nov. 25, 1708,
Mary Wakeley. Her grandfather, Henry
Wakeley, was among Stratford's first
settlers. He had six: children. James,
Deliverance, Jacob, Abigail, who mar-
ried John Beardsley, Patience, who mar-
ried Timothy Titterton, Mary and Merc v.
Either Mary or Mercy married Samuel
Gregory.

Deliverance, Dec, 3, 1678, m. Han-
nah Nash, and their sixth child, Mary, b.
3 March, 1688-9, became the wife of
Joseph, 3. Hannah Nash was the daugh-
ter of Edward Nash of Stratford. She
was born Jan. 18, 1651.

THE BURRITT FAMILY. 9

The children of Joseph Burritt and
Mary Wakeley are as follows : —
i. John,b. Sept. 7, 1709.
ii. Hannah, b. Dec. 3, 1711 ; m. Is-
rael Beach,
iii. Joseph, b. June 23, 1719.
iv. Deborah, b. Sept. 21, 1714; d.

Jan. 4, 1716-17.
v. Deborah, b. Feb. 3, 1716-17.
vi. Mary, b. Sept. 22, 1721.
vii. Nathan, bapt. May 13, 1721.

viii. William

Dec. 2P, 1726.

h

ix. Ebenezer
4. x. Samuel, bapt. Nov., 1729.

(10)

TRIBE OF SAMUEL BURRITT [4]
AND MERCY BURTON.

Samuel, son of Joseph and Mary
(Wakeley) Burritt, m. Mercy Burton,
in 1757.

Solomon Burton married Mercy, dau.
of Jeremiah Judson, Aug. 1, 1687. She
was born in 1665, and her 3d child was
Judson, who married Eunice Lewis, 9
January, 1721. Among the 11 children
mentioned was Mercy, who married Sam-
uel Burritt. Eunice Lewis, wife of Jud-
son Burton, was the nth child of Benja-
min Lewis, the first of the name in Strat-
ford. He married there Hannah, daugh-

THE BURRITT FAMILY. II

ter of Sergeant John Curtiss, and settled
at Wallingford, and returned to Stratford
about 1675. She died in 1728, aged 74.
The children of Samuel Burritt and
Mercy Burton were as follows : —
5. i. Jcceph, b. Aug. 9, 1758.
ii. Eunice, b. Dec. 21, 1760.
iii. Nathan, b. June 6, 1763; m.

Sarah — , 1791.
iv. Ann Mary, b. July, 1770,

(12)

TRIBE OF JOSEPH BURRITT [5]
AND SALLY UFFORD.

Joseph (5), was born at Stratford, Ct. ,
and served as a private in the War of the
Revolution. His full term of service, ac-
cording to the pension application entered
by his widow, was 17 months and 15
days. A portion of this service was under
Captain George Benjamin, in Col. Sam-
uel Whiting's Brigade. He died Oct. 3,
1830. His widow made application for
pension on Oct. 14, 1836, at which time
she was 74 years of age and residing at
Stratford.

Thomas UfFord came from England in
1632 with his wife Isabel and three child-

-S

>SEPH BURRITT.

EDWIN J. BURRITT.

JOSEPH C. BURRITT
EDWIN C. IU'RRITT.

(i6)

TRIBE OF JOSEPH BURRITT [6]
AND ASENATH CURTISS.

Joseph (6), b. Aug. 21, 1795, served a
long apprenticeship to a watch repairer
and silversmith at East Haven, Ct., who
was a master of his calling. Here was
constructed the tower clock which still
marks the flight of time at Yale College.
Here was also built and repaired the
mathematical, optical and nautical instru-
ments for all that country round about.
Mr. Burritt thus became a proficient
workman. June 17, 18 16, he was mar-
ried to Asenath Curtiss of East Haven,
and in October of the same year, they left
Stratford, Ct., in a one horse wagon, for
Ithaca, N. Y., where they arrived after a
journey often days. Here he entered

(*5)

CHILDREN OF JOSEPH BUR-
RITT [5] AND SARAH UFFORD.

i. Samuel, b. Dec. 18, 1778.
ii. Ann Mercy, b. July 18, 1781 ;

m. William Peet.
Hi. Sally, b. March 4, 1783; m.
Isaac Brooks, Aug 17, 1800.
iv. David, b. Jan. 7, 1785 ; m. Anna

Wells, Oct.28, 1807.
v. James, b. Jan. u, 1787; m.

Betsey—, April 8, 1812.
vi. Isaac, b. June 1, 1789; had three

wives; m. istjuly 29, 181 1.
vii. Joseph, b. Feb. 9, 1791.
viii. Julia, b. Nov. 16, 1792; died
young.
6. ix. Joseph, b. Aug. 21, 1795,

14 THE BURRITT FAMILY.

Martha Nettleton of Branford, and had
eight children. Samuel, b. 21 January,
1670, afterwards Lieutenant, married
Elizabeth Curtiss, Dec. 4, 1694. He died
in 1746, aged 77 years. Lieut. Samuel
and Elizabeth Curtiss his wife had 13
children. The youngest, Ebenezer, b.
1719, m. Nov. 17, 1743, Jane Moss, dau.
of John and Jane Moss. They had Me-
hitabel, Samuel and Sarah; and Sarah,
b. Feb. 19, 1760, m. Joseph Burritt 1778.

THE BURRITi' FAMILY. 1 3

dren in the ship Lion, and landed at
Boston, where he was made a freeman
that same year. He was in Milford as
early as January, 1645, where he and his
wife Isabel joined the church in that
place. He died in Stratford in 1660,
leaving an estate of £ L89, 12s, 7p. Had
three children ; Thomas, John and a
daughter, who married Roger Terrell.
the children being born in England.
Thomas owned land in Wethersfield in
1641, and he married there Frances,
daughter of the first Thomas Kilborne,
who outlived him, and her estate was
divided in January, 1684. ^s estate
amounted to £1834..

John, son of Thomas and Isabella Uf-
ford, married 1st, Hannah Hawley, sister
of Joseph Hawley, who came from Par-
wick, Derbyshire, England, and landed
near Boston, Mass., in 1629; and 2nd

THE BURRITT FAMILY. 1 7

into partnership with Wm. P. Burdick
with whom he was associated in business
for nearly a quarter of a century. He was
a member of the Aurora street M. E.
church for over fifty years, and most of
that time an official ; for long the oldest
living member of No. 2 fire company ; a
Free Mason ; an overseer of the poor ; a
trustee of the village and academy, and
director of the Tompkins county National
Bank ; fcr some thirty years treasurer of
the Ithaca Mechanics' Society. He was
twice married, his 2nd wife beino* Lucin-
da, widow ot Mr. Vandyke of Covert, N.
Y. The organ of the jeweler's trade, the
Jeweler's Record, in 1883, claimed for
Mr. Rurritt that he was the oldest living
jeweler in tie United States. He died
March 9, 1889, His 2nd wife died Feb.
2, 1867.

(i8)

CHILDREN OF JOSEPH BURRITT

[6]
By ist wife Asenath Curtiss : —

i. Joseph Curtiss, b. Jan. 26, 1817.
ii. Mary Ann, b. Dec. 15, 1819;

d. March 20, 1821.
iii. Susan Jane, b. Sept. 20, 1821.
7. iv. Charles David, h. May 29, '23.
v. William Henry, b. Nov. 27,

1824; d. March 12, 1825.
vi. Mary Ann, b. June 29, 1826.
vii. Benjamin, b. Aug. 27, 1828 ; d.
Sept. 9, 1828.

THE BURRITT FAMILY. 1 9

viii. Caroline Amanda, b. Sept. 12,

1829.
ix. Sarah Cornelia, b. June 19,1833.
x. Frances Maria, b. May 7, 1838.
By wife Lucinda : —

ix. Amelia Eliza, b. Jan. 24, 1848.

(20)

JOSEPH CURTISS BURRITT [7].

Joseph (7) entered into partnership
with his father in the jewelry business
May 1, 1838. He was one of the five
trustees appointed to incorporate the sec-
ond Methodist church of Ithaca in 1851,
and remained a useful member to the day
of his death. He was twice married ; 1st
to Hetty Maria Lord, daughter of Harley
Lord, Jan. 30, 1839; 2nd> Julia Atwater,
daughter of Leonard Atwater of Ithaca,
Jan. 7, 1875. He died May 22, i,

(21)

DESCENDANTS OF JOSEPH [7].

By first wife : —
i. Ellen Maria, b. Jan, 1, 1841, m.
William Henry Willson, July 11,
i860, and had —

1. Fred William, b. Nov. 20,

1862.

2. Herbert George, b. May 16.

1865 ; m. Oct. 2, 1889,
Donna Louise, daughter of
Wm. Freer of Ithaca.

3. Carrie Bell, b. Nov. 21, 1870,

d. Oct. 24, 1872.

2 2 THE BURRITT FAMILY.

ii. Edwin Joseph (8), b. Sept. 17,

1843, by trade a jeweller, m.

Sep. 29, 1864, Louisa Minerva,

daughter of John D. Weed.

They had —

1. Edwin Charles (9). b. April

5; 1866, a jeweler by trade,

m. April 22, 1896, Lilla

dau. of Samuel Kennen.

They had—

a. Frances Louise, b. Sept.

5» l897-

iii. Hetty Eliza, b. Ma}r 14, 1847; m.

1st, Jan. 1, 1864, Ogden Hoffman

Hall. He was born April 10,

1845, and died Jan. 10, 1871.

She m. 2nd, Henry Townley,

Oct. 30, 1873, She died Jan. 8,

1888. Children by first husband :

1. Lizzie Sinclair Hall b. Jan.

28, 1865 ; d. May 28, 1868.

ELLEN Bl'RRITT WILLSON.

THE BURRI1T FAMILY. 23

2. William Burritt Hall, b. Feb.

19, 1866. He was educated
in Boston as a musician, af-
terward completing his stud-
ies in Paris ; m. Feb. 26, '91,
Alice West ^ielder, of Dans-
ville,N.Y ,b. July 11, 1866.
They had:—

a. Edward Fielder, b. June

18 1892.

b. Harold Glenn, b. May

16, 1894.
By second husband : —

3. Hcttie Bell Townley, b. Sept.

3, 1874.
iv. Caroline Augusta, b. June 30, r85i,
m. Jan. 28, 1873, Edgar Avery
Atwater, of Ithaca. They later
moved to Manchester, Iowa. They
had:—

24 THE BURRITT FAMILY.

i. Horace Burritt, b. Feb. 17,

1874.

2. Laura Ellen b. 2 March,

1876.. m. June 9, 1897,
Jesse Floyd Jackson, of
Manchester, Iowa.

3. Florence Bell, b. Apr. 27,

1879.
Joseph C. Burritt (7) had, by second
wife, Julia Atwater: —

v. Joseph Atwater (8), b. June 6,
1876, by trade a jeweler.

SUSAN BURRITT GAUNTLETT.

(25)

DESCENDANTS OF SUSAN JANE

BURRITT (7) AND JOHN P.

GAUNTLETT.

Susan Jane, daughter of Joseph Burritt
(6) and Asenath Curtiss, m. March 7,
1839, John P. Gauntlett, who came from
Portsmouth, England. She d. March 30,
1853. They had : —

i Jane Asenath, b May 12,1840; d.
Nov. 13, 1858.
ii. John Charles b. July 22, 1842, m. Oct.
16, 1879, Mary Celestia, daughter
oi Joseph McGraw of Ithaca,
b. July 24, 1848. They had :—

26 THE BURsUTT FAMILY.

r. Anna Jane, b. Oct. 20, 1880.

2. John McGraw, b. Oct. 22.

1882.

3. Minna Celestia, b. Nov. 23,

1884.
iii. Mary Olivia, b. Sept. 1, 1845; m.
Arthur Benjamin Brooks, of Ith-
aca, a descendant of Sally Burritt
(6) and Isaac Brooks of Stratford,
Ct. They were married Sept. 22,
1870, and had : —

a. Alfred Charles, b. July 2S,

1871.

b. John Gauntlett, b. Aug. 26,

1874.
Feb. 14, 1854, Joan P« Gauntlett m, 2nd
Mary Jane, daughter of George Burritt
of Stratford, Ct. He was a son of David
Burritt (6). John Gauntlett d. May 8.
1879. They had :—

JOHN C. GAUNTLETT.

I#HI ^^

MARY BURRITT GAUNTLETT.

THE BURIUTT FAMILY. 27

1. Katherine, b. Feb. 28, 1865,
who m. Ira Place, Jan. 10,
1893, and had : —

a. Katherine, b. Oct. 3,

1893.

b. Herman Gauntlett, b.

Nov. 16, 1894.

c. Willard Fiske, b. June

5, 1896.

(28)

CHARLES D. BURRITT [7].

Charles David Burritt (7), b. May 29,
1823, united with the First Methodist
Church of Ithaca, N. Y., under the labors
of Rev. Schuyler Hoes, in January, 1841.
Soon after he went to college at Middle-
town, Ct., and in iiqU^> he graduated as
Bachelor of Science. During the follow-
ing winter he returned to Middletown as
tutor, and remained until August, 1845,
and having completed his course of studv
in the languages, was admitted to the de-
gree of Bachelor of Arts. He ranked high
in Mathematics. He had calls to teach in
five different institutions of learning, but

REV. CHARLES D. ni'KKiTT

THE BURR ITT FAMILY. 29

felt that he was called to preach the gos-
pel, and accordingly, in 1S44, he joined
the Oneida Conference. His first pasto-
rate was at McGrawville, and succeeding
ones at Skaneateles, Norwich, Ithaca,
Cazenovia, and again at Ithaca, remain-
ing the full term two years, at each, ex-
cept at Norwich, and Ithaca the second
time. He was eminently a successful
preacher, and wherever he labored, re-
vivals were witnessed . In the spring of
1850, he, with others, resolved that the
time had arrived for the formation of a
new society in Ithaca. A Sunday school
was accordingly started, in the part of
town where the church was to be located,
followed by a class, of which the leader
was Mr. George Young. Finally, on the
evening of the third of February, 1851,
the Second Methodist Church of Ithaca

30 THE BURRITT FAMILY.

was incorporated In 1855, on account
of failing health, he was obliged to leave
the ministry, and in August of that year
he moved to Delaware, Ohio, to become
President of the Wesleyan Female Sem-
inary. The following February he was
compelled to resign, and returned to Ith-
aca, where he died, at his father's, Mr.
Joseph Burritt's, on Wednesday, May 7,
1856, at a quarter past eleven in the
morning, aged 32 years, n months, 8
days. The funeral was Friday, at 2
o'clock. He was twice married; first,
August 27, 1844, t0 Jerusha Webster
Lord, daughter of Harley Lord, who d.
Feb 17, 1854, atCazenovia. He m. sec-
end, Orpha Iantha Randall, daughter of
Joshua Randall of Camden, N. Y., Nov.
19, 1854.
Children by wile Jerusha W. Lord :

MARY LORD BURRITT FOSTER

THE BURRITT FAMILY. 3 1

i. Mary Eliza, b. at Middletown, Ct.,
May 31, 1845, d. Aug. 9, 1845.

ii. Charles Paddock, b. July, 1847, at
Havana, N. Y., d. Aug., 1847.

iii. Mary Lord (8), b. Sept. 7, 1848,
at Skaneateles, N. Y. On the
death ot her father, she went to
live with her grandparents, Mr.
and Mrs. Lord, and her aunt Mrs.
Herrick, with whom she remained
most of the time until her mar-
riage, living successively in Dans-
ville N. Y., Lyons Iowa, Maquo-
keta Iowa and Ithaca N Y. July
14, 1874, sne m- George E. Foster
of Milford, N. H., and had :—
1. Jesse Webster Foster, b. 11
Feb., 1880.

iv. Emma Eliza, b. Oct.. 1850, d Aug.
1851.

32 THE BURRITT FAMILY.

Charles D. Burritt had, by 2nd wife,
Orpha I. Randall :—

v. Charles Randall (8), b. Oct. 8,
1855, at Delaware, Ohio. He be-
came a jeweler, and m. Sept. rg,
1883, Emma Presher, of Ithaca,
and is residing at Canestota, N.
Y. They had:—

1. Nina May, b. May 2, 1885,
at Ithaca, N. Y.

2. Edna, b. July 26, 1888, at
Say re. Pa

(33)

MARY ANN BURRITT. [7]

Mary Ann Burritt (7), b. June 29,
1826, m. 1st, May 1, 1851, Ellsworth
S. VanHoesen, who d. Dec. 29, 1853.
She m. 2nd, Charles W. Smith, March
17, 1859; he d. Dec. 10, 1887. She d.
Dec. 12, 1892. No issue.

(34)

DESCENDANTS OF CAROLINE A.
BURRITT [7].

Caroline Amanda Burritt (7), m. Hor-
ace Augustus Merriam, Sept. 20, 1853.
He d. August. 3, 1879. She d. Jan. 4,
1893. They had:—

i. Charles Burritt (8), b. June 4, 1854

d. Sep. 3, 1854.
ii. Franklin Asbury (8), b. June 7,
1857, m. Feb. 6. 1891, Eva
Belle, daughter of William H.
Sickles, of Newark, N.J. Mr.

THE BURR ITT FAMILY, 35

Merriam was an employee in
the office of the Ithaca, N. Y.
''Journal," and afterwards took
an editorial position on the
"Argus", Mount Vernon, N. Y.
becoming, in 1897, one of the
proprietors,
iii. Ella Bell (8), b. Dec. 8, 1859. m.
Dec. 16, 1879. Theodorus Van-
Wy ck . of Mont Vernon . They
had :—

1. Harold Van Wyck. (9), b.
July 14, 1882.
iv. Frederic Lincoln (8), b. July 9,
1865, m. 10 June, 1897, Lillian
Eugenia, daughter of Lorin
Clark of Mount Vernon, N. Y.
Mr. Merriam is a clerk in the
New York Central Depot.

(3*)

SARAH CORNELIA BURRITT. [7]

Sarah Cornelia (7) m. Jan. 11, 1854,

Charles F. Williams. She d. Oct. 4, 1868.

They had : —

1. Cornelia F. (8), b Oct. 4, 1868,

unmarried, and a teacher in the

public schools of Ithaca, N. Y.

(33)

MARY ANN BURRITT. [7]
Mary Ann Burritt (7), b. June 29,
1826, m. ist, May 1, 1851, Ellsworth
S. VanHoesen, who d. Dec. 29, 1853.
She m. 2nd, Charles W. Smith, March
17, 1859; he d. Dec. 10, 1887. She d.
Dec. 12, 1892. No issue.

(34)

DESCENDANTS OF CAROLINE A.
BURRITT [7].

Caroline Amanda Burritt (7), m. Hor-
ace Augustus Merriam, Sept. 20, 1853.
He d. August. 3, 1879. She d. Jan. 4,
1893. They had:—

i. Charles Burritt (8), b. June 4, 1854

d. Sep. 3, 1854.
ii. Franklin Asbury (8), b. June 7,
1857, m. Feb. 6, 1891, Eva
Belle, daughter of William H.
Sickles, of Newark, N.J. Mr.

1765850

THE BURR ITT FAMILY, 35

Merriam was an employee in
the office of the Ithaca, N. Y.
"journal," and afterwards took
an editorial position on the
"Argus", Mount Vernon, N. Y.
becoming, in 1897, one of the
proprietors,
iii. Ella Bell (8). b. Dec. 8, 1859, m
Dec. 16, 1879, Theodorus Van-
Wyck , of Mont Vernon. They
had:—

1. Harold Van Wyck, (9),b.
July 14. 1882.
iv. Frederic Lincoln (8), b. July 9.
1865,111. 10 June, 1897, Lillian
Eugenia, daughter of Lorin
Clark oi Mount Vernon, N. Y.
Mr. Merriam is a clerk in the
New York Central Depot.

(3*)

SARAH CORNELIA BURRITT. [7]

Sarah Cornelia (7) m. Jan. n, 1854,

Charles F. Williams. She d. Oct. 4, 1868.

They had : —

1. Cornelia F. (8), b Oct. 4, 1868,

unmarried, and a teacher in the

public schools of Ithaca, N. Y.

FRANCES BURRITT KENNEDY

(37)

FRANCES MARIA BURRITT [7].

Frances Maria (7) m. April 14, 1859,
Laurence P. Kennedy. She d.
April 2, 1894, aged 55. They
had :—

1. Alvah Burritt Kennedy (8), b. 17
March, 1864, a jeweller by
trade, m. May 30, 1895, Nellie
Grace, daughter of Pi of. Works
of the Wesleyan Seminary at
Lima, N. Y. They reside in Ith-
aca, N. Y. They had ;—

a. David Works, b. Feb. 19,
1897, d. March 27, 1897.

DESCENDANTS OF AMELIA

ELIZA BURRITT [7] AND GEORGE

E. PRIEST.

Amelia Eliza (7) m. Oct. 22, 1865,
George E. Priest, who has for many years
been connected with the Ithaca "Journal."
He has shown unexceptional talent as its
editor, aid has conducted the political
columns oi his paper with ability and
shrewdness. He has had the satisfaction
of seeing his paper take high place in in-
terior city journalism. They had : —
1. Louise V. (8), b. at Ithaca, Sept. 1,

1867, m. Edward E. Ingalls, of

Ithaca, March 22, 1887.

GEO. E. PRIEST, EDITOR OF ITHACA JOURNAL.

AMELIA BURRITT PRIEST.

THE BURRITT FAMILY. 39

Jesse E. (8), b. at Ithaca, Jan 2,
1870, m. April 8, 1890, Wm. T.
Armstrong of Mount Vernon, N.
Y., who for some years has been
lccal editor of the Ithaca "Journal"
and correspondent for the New
York "Sun" and other metropolitan
papers.

Maud Winifred (8), b. at Ithaca,
Sept. 1, 1877.

A REFLECTION

In concluding the record of this single
branch of the descendants of William,
who came to this country from Glamor-
ganshire, it is of interest to note the irre-
proachable standing of the family through
the various generations. Their record has
been one of industry. They have been re-
ligiously inclined, and often active in
church work. The family do not forget
that the immortal Eiihu was of the same
ancestral blood. Indeed, the same indom-
itable pluck that he displayed in gaining
his education has manifested itself in
many members of the several branches of
the family in this country. Indeed, in our
own branch it was well illustrated by the
early struggles of that pioneer jeweller and
watchmaker in Ithaca, Joseph Burritt ;

42 THE BURRITT FAMILY.

and was further evidenced in the zealous
labors of his son, Rev. Chas. D., whose
zeai for the cause of religion no doubt
brought too soon the close of what would
have been a most brilliant career. In this
country the family numerically is on the
decrease. Over in Wales, where once
dwelt the pioneer William, the ancestral
fields, once fertile and green, are today
covered by many homes. Strange names
are borne by the people who tread the
soil that the pioneer William bade fare-
well to more than two hundred and fifty
years ago. Country hamlets have given
way to bustling villages. In the shire
town of Glamorganshire the great Cardiff
library is the pride of Wales. Not long
since the gifted librarian of this famous
institution, at the request of the writer,
made search there for the name of some

THE RURRITT FAMILY. 43

living descendant of the ancestral race.
Books of present pedigree, dwellings of
all leading places in thatpopulous county
of Glamorganshire were carefully exam-
ined, people were inquired of, but not a
single person could be found bearing the
name of Burritt, a name that in England
still exists in modified form, — it now only
lives as an American name of what has
become purely an American family.

(44)

FAMILY OF ASENATH
CURTIS.

Asenath Curtiss became the wife of
Joseph Burritt 6, (see page 16) .

Phineas Curtiss (i) is the first member
of the Curtiss tamily whose name is re-
corded in the town records of East Haven
Ct. It is recorded that he married Han-
nah Russell, May 28, 1759. Their chil-
dren were :—

i. Benjamin (2).

ii. Abigail (2).

THE BURRITT FAMILY. 45

iii. Phineas (2), who m. MaryChedsey,
July 4, 1787, and d. 1806. They
had:—

1. Polly (3), b. June 12. 1788.

2 . H annah ( 3 ) , b . M a 1 ch 1 7

1790.

3. Russell 3, b. March 16, 1792.

4. Loly 3, b. Feb, 1:, 1794.

5. Asenath, b. Feb. 28. 1796;

she m. Joseph Burritt. June
17, 1816, and moved to Ith-
aca, N. Y. She was the
mother of Rev. Chas. D.
Burritt, who married Jeru-
sha Lord, and had Mary
Lord Burritt. She m. Geo.
E . Foster, and had Jesse
Webster Foster. Asenath
d. Feb. 7, 1844, aged 47
years, 11 months.

46 THE BURRITT FAMILY.

6. Benjamin 3, b. March 19,

1798.

7. Major 3, b. Dec. 20, 1800

who m. Ellen , and

moved to Ithaca.

8. John 3, b. April 26, 1802.

9. Susan 3, b. Feb. 11, 1804;

she became Mrs. Mix, and
moved to Ithaca.
10. Street3,b. 1806, d. 1808.

(47)

PEDIGREE OF ELIHU BURRITT.

THE LEARNED BLACKSMITH.

i . WiHiam and wife Elizabeth had : — \
Stephen in the line of Elihu.
John in line of Ithaca Burritts.
Mary, the progenitor of many
Smiths.
2. Stephen m., 1673, Sarah, daughter
of Isaac Nichols, eon of Francis
Nichols, who was son of Sergt.
Francis Nichols from England.
He was a near relative of Col-
onel Richard Nicolle, the first
English Governor of New York,
who belonged to the famous
Horse Guards of London.
Stephen was confirmed Ensign of the
Traine Band, 1672 ; made recorder of
Stratford, 1673 ; made Lieutenant, 1675 ;
also Commissary of Army ; chosen Town
Treasurer, 1689 ; Chairman of Committee
on Wolf-killing ; Town Auditor, 1690.

|8 THE BURRITT FAMILY.

Children of Stephen and wife Sarah ; —
3. Elizabeth, b. July, 1675.
William, b. 29 May, 1677.
Peleg, b. 5. Oct., 1679, in direct
line of Rev. Blackleach Burritt
Josiah, b. t68i
Israel, b. 1687.

Charles, 1689. In line ot Elihu.
Ephriam, b. 1693 :
Charles (3) had —

Daniel,
Charles,
Elihu.
4. Elihu (4) had Elihu,
Elihu (5) had Elijah, Elizabeth, Emily,
George and ELIHU, the learned Black-
smith.

PEN-ADDENDA.

THE BURRITT NAME.

In a previous chapter we have spoken
at length concerning the probable con-
nection of the Barrett and Bnrritt name.
A subsequent investigation proves con-
clusively that the proposition that the
name was of French origin is correct.
We have shown how the French names
were introduced into Wales at the time
of the revocation of the edict of Nantes.
Barrett is recorded as one of these
names. In the *ra of French surname
giving, there was unusual excitement
in the religious world. At the close of
the tenth century and the commence-
ment of the eleventh, the number of
persons bore a great disproportion to the
number of personal names, and it was
found necessary to add in all public
acts a distinct appellation for the sake

2 THE BURRITT-NAME.

of identifying individuals. Such names
figure in great numbers in the records
of all kingdoms of Christendom up to
the fourteenth century. By degrees
this means of remedying the confusion
became insufficient. Those sobriquets
which described physical and moral
qualities, habits, professions, and the
place of birth were imposed on many,
who bore the same name by baptism,
and it was about that time that heredi-
tary surnames became indispensable.
It is said to be an unquestionable fact,
that the higher order of purpled pre-
lates, commonly called cardinates, had
its rise in the 11th century, yet it did
not acquire its stable and undisputed
authority of a legal council before the
following age and the pontiiiciate of
Alexander III. The cap and bonnet be-
came a symbol of religious devoteeism
early in the eleventh century. In 1245,
Innocent IV. granted the Cardinals the
privilege of wearing the red cap as an
emblem of their readiness to shed their

THE BURRITT NAME. 3

blood for the Catholic faith. But th«
red cap was not permitted to be worn
by £iny except the cardinalate.— The
secular clergy were distinguished by
black leathern caps, the regulars by
knit and worsted ones. A very early
Frenchman, Patroillet, was the inventor
of the square hat so long worn by stu-
dents of the French universities, it was
to denote that they had acquired full
liberty, and were no longer subject to
the rod of their superiors, in imitation
of the ancient Romans, who gave a
"pileus" to their slaves in the ceremony
of making them free, vocare servos ad
pileiirn. It will be seen that of neces-
sity cap making must have been a most
important industry in the very era of
surname making. Camden informs us
that after local names the most in num-
ber have derived from occupations or
professions. There was no profession,
no employment that did not give its
designation to one or to many families.
Lower says the practice of borrowing
names from various occupations of life

4 THE BURRITT NAME.

is of high antiquity. "Thus the
Romans had among them many per-
sons, and tho*e too of highest
rank that bore names answering to
■'potters, painters, etc." These name^
became, as we have said, hereditary in
the eleventh or twelfth centuries. At
this time the manufacture of caps be-
came a leading occupation. The work
on the Cardinals' caps, the caps of clergy
of lesser degrees, for physicians and stu-
dents required the skilled workmen; it
was a distinctive trade. Those who
made them in France were called Bar
rette. The Barrette was pictured on the
sign, and the cap makers were people
much honored by the people. To be tin
capmaker for the Cardinals was some-
thing highly desirable. A picture of a
barrette (cap) on the sign board, soon
gave the name Barrette to him who
made the caps. Hal our William of
Stratford been the capmaker during the
11th century, his surname would have
become Barrette, or the skilled cap-
maker. After the names had become

THE BURRITT NAME. 5

hereditary in France, these capmakers
(Barrette) scattered into other countries,
our ancestors went to Wales, as is told
elsewhere in this volume, others went to
England and Germany, where their
names took various spellings still closely
resembling the word Barrette, the orig-
inal French. Mordaque in his famous
book on nomenclature says that the
etymology of hereditary names in En-
gland and Germany is generally the
same as in France and Italy. The cap
(Barrette) was still a leading business
sign during the twelfth, thirteenth and
fourteenth century, frequent mention of
it can be found in England, but it no
longer gave the name Barrette to those
who did business beneath it. The cap
was appropriated by people of other
surnames, as indicative of their business,
but the name Barrette still lived with
numerous spellings. The family of
Barrette, Barret, or kindred spellings
still continued to be noted for their
skill as cunning artificers and instead of

6 THE BURR ITT NAME.

being makers of caps, weavers of hoods
rs they were in the eleventh and twelfth
century, they now were inventors, they
were famous for their knowledge of
mechanism, just as the Ithaca families
are to-day — who are jewelers. Just
when our branch of the Barretts or Bar-
ratt family changed their family name to
Burritt is not exactly known, but it was
not done without a reason. The lineal
name has been always an honorable one.
a synonym of honesty and integrity.
It is very doubtful if the name Burritt
would have been in existence to-day if
it had not been for the arising of a class
of knaves that were given a sobriquet
that closely resembled the ancient name
of Barrett©. In the sixteenth and
seventeenth century the term barratry
became a by-word and synonym of
knavery throughout the world, they
who practiced barratry were often
for short called barrets. In Eng-
land barratry was the offence of
stirring up frequant suits and quarrels

THE BURRITT NAME. 7

among his majesty's subjects ; in Italy
it was applied to the traffic of ecclesias-
tical beneficiaries and later it was ap-
plied to all corrupt baying and selling of
justice ; in Scotland it signified the cor-
rupt purchasing of beneficies or offices
of corruption from the see of Rome —it
was an act to prevent the free elections
of the monks in the monasteries. In
France, any fraud practiced by the mas-
ters of vessels was accounted barratry
and severely punished. It was a term
in England, and every commercial state
in En rope that had the meaning of
piracy, and was recognized by an act of
Congress of the United States as late as
1804. It is nothing strange that the
term barratry and they who were called
barrett because they practiced it should
have been distasteful to the descendants
of the Barret te of France who felt a
pride in all that pertained to a long
established and honorable name, and
some families, our own included, desir-

8 THE BURRITT NAME.

ing to have in their name no semblance
of dishonor began calling themselves
Burritt, which was the name borne by
William who came to Stratford from
Glamorganshire at a time when barratry
was a term hated by all good citizens.

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