Compiled by E. Sue Terhune
([email protected])
This page is dedicated to those of our family who are not genealogists.
I have started with our oldest known ancestor, THOMAS BURNETT, and proceeded
to our closest mutual ancestor, JAMES WASHINGTON BURNETT. We
hope in the future to be able to connect the family of Thomas to
acheive a continuous line from the first Burnett, ALEXANDER BURNARD,
mentioned in the Introduction to The Burnetts of Leys. Much of the
early information on this family was provided by June Baldwin Bork and
from her books, "The Burnetts and Their Connections", Vol. 1-3,
copyright 1989.
DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS BURNETT
1. THOMAS BURNETT - born about 2 Sept. 1574 in St. Nicholas, Aberdeen, Scotland. He married MARGARET JOHNSTON, 8 Nov. 1608 in Aberdeen, Scotland. She was born about 1575 in Scotland. Some have the parents of Thomas listed as John, born abt 1548, and Isabel Burnett, married in 1573 in St. Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen, Scotland but I have not seen documentation on this as yet.
2. JOHN BURNETT - born 25 Dec. 1610 in Aberdeen, Scotland, and died 1686 in Rappahannock Co., VA. He married LUCRETIA JOHNSON 1657 in Rappahannock Co., VA. She was born about 1640 in VA, and died about 1709 in Piscataway Creek, Essex Co., VA. They had 6 children.
On July 2, 1638, King Charles I granted a license from Greenwich, England to John Burnett, a warrant to trade in Virginia. John was a merchant of Aberdeen and had previously supplied the plantations in Virginia with goods from Scotland and England. John was a Cavalier: the term applied to the followers of the royalist cause of King Charles I, of England. The original lists of Persons of Quality - 1635, shows John Burnett, age 24, aboard the ship 'Abraham' of London bound for Virginia. May 23, 1637, Land Patent: to John Burnett, Merchant of Edinborough, 150 acres in the upper county of New Norfolk (VA). This land was passed down to his son, John Burnett II, upon his death. An inventory of Lucretia Burnett's estate upon her death exhibited over 100 luxuary items that would be used by a lady of the upper class. A few of the items included: riding gown, 1 silver bodkin, 1 fan, 9yds. of fine Scotch Linen, pewter dishes, laced shoes, and 1445 pounds of tobacco.
3. JOHN BURNETT II - born about 1676 in Old Rappahannock Co., VA,
and died May 1718 in Essex Co., VA. He married AMY GATEWOOD about 1699
in Essex Co., VA, daughter of JOHN GATEWOOD and AMY McGRAW/CRAWLEY (?).
She was born about 1680 in Southfarnham Parish, Rappahannock Co., VA and
died after 1749 in Spotsylvania Co., VA. They had 6 children. John owned
a plantation and was in the business of importing and exporting tobacco
with his brother Thomas Burnett II. Upon his death, John passed the family
land on to his son, JOHN BURNETT III.
4. JEREMIAH BURNETT SR. - born 1718 in Piscataway Creek, Essex Co., VA, and died after 22 Oct. 1773. He married (1) MARY MCDANIEL 16 Oct. 1738 in Talbot Co., MD. She was born about 1718 in Essex Co., VA, and died in Dinwiddie Co., VA. Jeremiah and Mary had 9 children. He married (2) REBECCA BROWNE 27 Jan. 1745/46 in New Jersey. Not much is known about this Jeremiah. He appears in his father's, mother's, and brother, Joseph's wills. He also appears in the 1763 Hanover Co. Tax list owning 100 acres.
5. ISAAC BURNETT - born between 1738-1740 in Talbot, MD., and died between 1803-1804 in Hanover Co., VA. He married (1) SARAH JANE SMALL about 1760 in Albemarle Co., VA, daughter of JOHN SMALL and MRS. MARGARET SMALL. She was born in Albemarle Co. and died before 1784 in Albemarle Co. Isaac and Sarah had 7 children.He married (2) MRS. JANE BURNETT after 1784. Isaac served in the Revolutionary War from Amherst Co., VA.
6. JOHN BURNETT III - born 1761 in Hanover Co., VA and died 18 June 1827 in Patrick Co., VA. He married ELIZABETH TATE 1775 in Patrick Co., VA, daughter of JOHN TATE. She was born in 1765 in Hanover Co., VA and died after 1825 in Patrick Co. They had 10 children. His occupation was a Hatter. John served in the Revolutionary War from Amherst. A private in the 10th. Regiment Continental Line of Virginia under Lt. Clough Shelton, Capt. James Franklins Foot Soldiers, he enlisted for a 3 year term. On 15 March 1777, he and Jeremiah Burnett were listed as deserters but he was later shown to be in the hospital and was paid through March 1778. John and Elizabeth left Hanover County with 3 slaves and 4 horses and arrived in the newly formed County of Patrick in 1791 with the same 3 slaves and 4 horses. By 1820, John's slaves had increased to 20. He died a wealthy man.
7.CORNELIUS "NEELY" BURNETT III - born 23 Jan. 1790 in Hanover Co., VA and died 18 April 1833 in Patrick Co., VA. He married MILDRED "MILLY" STONE , daughter of RICHARD and MARTHA STONE, 22 Nov. 1801 in Patrick Co. Milly was born 1791 in Patrick Co., VA and died 1850 in Trigg Co., KY. They had 5 children. In the Sept. 1812 Court records of Patrick Co., Neely Burnett was appointed Ensign of Militia (War of 1812 - Ensign was an officer or one who carried the flag). In Sept. 1814 Court he resigned as Ensign of Militia. 26 Jan 1819 Cornelius received a Deed of gift from his father, John, of 262 1/4 acres in 3 tracts of land which he and his wife, Mildred, of Patrick Co., VA sold 1 Oct. 1825 for $600. On 20 Oct. 1825 he assigned a Power of Atty. to Isaac Adams to collect moneys due him from the Estate of Richard Stone. Cornelius and Milly then left Patrick for Trigg Co., KY. The 1829-1831 Trigg Co. Tax records show Cornelius with 212 acres on Casey Creek, 3 blacks, 6 horses, value $1575. 1834 Court records show Milly Burnett, Administrator of Cornelius Burnett, deceased, 300 acres on Casey, 2 blacks, 4 horses, value $1580. 1835- same land, no blacks, value $655; 1836, 100 acres on Casey, 1 horse, value $$235; 1837, 112 acres, value$336. As these records show, Milly had a hard time making ends meet after Neely died. She remarried 28 Aug. 1837 to Benjamin Wallis who was 10 years older. They remained in Trigg Co., KY and in 1850 the value of their property increased to $1333.
8. ISAAC BURNETT - born 1806 in Patrick Co., VA and died between 1854-1860. He married MALISSA H. DANIEL, daughter of WILLIAM DANIEL and SARAH BARTON, 21 March 1839. She was born 1810 in Trigg Co., KY and died 1850 in Trigg Co., KY. They had 10 children.
9. WILLIAM HARRISON BURNETT - born 20 Feb 1841 in Trigg Co., KY and died 13 March 1935 in Graves Co., KY at the home of his daughter, Hattie Burnett Reasons. He married RHODA JANE GARNETT, daughter of CHARLES WASHINGTON GARNETT and NANCY W. SHELTON, 4 March 1862 in Trigg Co., KY. They had 11 children. William donated the land for the Owens Chapel Methodist Cemetery to be built upon and he is buried there. The land adjoined the land of Hattie and Ebb Reasons, where Ollie Bell Reasons was still living in 1989. William's death certificate states he was born in TN however Tax Lists show his father was living in Trigg Co. in 1841. [More information on William Harrison and Rhoda Jane Garnett and their descendants can be found in the William Harrison and Rhoda Jane (Garnett) Burnett pages]
10. JAMES WASHINGTON BURNETT - born 10 Feb 1876 in Graves Co., KY and died 14 Jan. 1965 in Paducah, McCracken Co., KY. He married ORA ATWOOD ELLIOTT, daughter of ADDISON JOSEPHUS ELLIOTT and NANCY JANE LISENBY, 22 Nov. 1905 in Lowes, Ballard Co., KY. She was born 2 Oct. 1884 in Graves Co., KY and died 24 March 1972 in Paducah, KY. They had 7 children. [ More information on James and Ora (Mama and Papa Burnett) can be found in the James and Ora Burnett Family Pages]
For the complete geneology of the Burnetts, see Sue or Tom's databases at the Rootsweb Worldconnect geneology pages:
Sue's database: http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=est3739-2
Tom's database: http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=tlosborne