He graduated from Harvard College in 1702 and settled in the Ministry at Kensington, Dec. 10, 1712, being ordained the day the Church was founded. He drew up an agreement with the Society which provided for the transfer to him of a considerable tract of land, and the Society guaranteed fifty acres more, which the town of Farmington proposed to give him. The Society was also to build him a house, "the two Loer rooms of which were to be finished before the last day of March that shall be in the year 1710," the remainder within twelve months after, "I only finding Glass & nails." His salary for the first four years was to be fifty pounds per annum in grain, "that is to say Wheat, indian corn or Ry"; he was also to receive five pounds in labor and his firewood. The agreement was accepted by the Society June 10, 1709, "provided the above sd. Mr. Burnham at the confirmation of the lands mentioned in the Articles, do give sufficient security to sd. Society." . He seems to have been an excellent man of business; at any rate, he succeeded in acquiring what was at that time considered wealth.  He m. (2), Anne, dau. of Rev. Isaac Foster and widow of Rev. Thomas Buckingham, Pastor of the Second Church of Hartford. She d. Jan. 20, 1765. His only published work is an Election Sermon entitled, "God's Providence in PLACING MEN in their Respective Stations & Conditions, ASSERTED & SHEWED." A SERMON Preached before the GENERAL ASSEMBLY of the Colony of Connecticut at Hartford, May 10, 1722. The Day for Electing the Honourable the GOVERNOUR, the DEPUTY GOVERNOUR, & the Worshipful ASSISTANTS there. Published by Order of Authority, New London, 1722.