• Roderick Henry Burham, "Genealogical records of Thomas Burnham" (1884) (https://archive.org/details/genealogicalreco00inburn).

• Category: Research

• Author: Roderick Henry Burham
• Publisher: 1884

• 

Genealogical records of Thomas Burnham : the emigrant, who was among the early settlers at Hartford, Connecticut U.S. America, and his descendants

• Pages: 121-124
• Text:
  
  GENEALOGY OF THAT BRANCH OF THE BURNHAM FAMILY WHICH SETTLED EARLY IN HARTFORD, CONN.
  
  FIRST GENERATION.
  
  1. Thomas Burnham, Senr.. of Hartford and Potunke; born in England 1617; died June 28, 1688; ae 71 years; married 1639? Anna (Wright ?); born in England 1620?; died Aug. 5, 1703.
  
  Children (These approximate the dates of birth).
  
  Elizabeth, b. 1640, m. Nicholas Morecock, d. Dec. 2, 1720.
  Mary, b. 1642, m. Mar. 21, l670 William Morton, d. Jan. 25, 1720.
  Anna, b. 1614, m. Apr. 7, 1665 Samuel Gaines, d. Nov. 29, 1722.
  2 Thomas, b. 1646, m. Jan 4, 1676 Naomi Hull, d. Mar. 19, 1726.
  3 John, b. 1648, m. Nov. 12, 1684 Mary Olcott, d. Apr. 20, 1721.
  4 Samuel, b. 1650, m.' Oct. 8, 1684 Mary Cadwell, d. Apr. 12, 1728.
  5 William, b. 1652, m. June 28, 1681 Elizabeth Loomis, d. Dec. 12, 1730.
  6 Richard, b. 1654. m. June 11, 1680 Sarah Humphries, d. Apr. 28, 1731
  Rebecca, b. 1656, m. Apr. 6, 1685 William Maan, d.
  
  Thomas Burnham, Senr. (descended from the Burnams of Herefordshire, England, see pages 116 to 118), the records show to have been educated, and,—on first coming to this country,—to have practiced as a lawyer, and to have been of a very determined character. They further seem to show that in emigrating to the Colonies he was moved less by religious scruples than by a desire to improve his fortunes. In the earliest records in America on which his name appears, he signs it Thomas Burnam. He is first recorded in Hartford as bondsman for his servant Rushmore, "that he should carry good behavior." In his successful defense of Abigail Betts, accused of blasphemy, "for saving her neck," he was prohibited from further practice in the Courts. He then erected his garrison-house at Potunke, on lands he had purchased of Tantoimo (a one-eyed Indian, and chief Sachem of the Potunke Tribe), a tract of land now covered by the towns of South Windsor and East Hartford, on which he resided, and a part of which is still in the possession of his descendants. In April, 1660, the Court having heard the report of a Committee appointed for that purpose, "Came to a conclusion respecting; Thomas Burnam, his contract with Tantonimo, it appears that part of the s'd Lands laid out to the s'd Burnam doth belong to Foxens' successors, by a gift from Foxens to his Allies, therefore ordered" that s'd Burnam shall enjoy only that land which Tantonimo can prove to he his property, &c. By a deed dated August, 1661, [Page 40] (now in my possession), Arramament, Taquis, and four other Indians, Foxens' successors or Allies (claiming through Foxens, the right and title to all the lands at Potunk, with their claim indorsed by the Court as above), made over "for ourselves and successors all our right and title in those lands aforesayd unto Thomas Burnam and his heirs." These deeds are supplemented, and the title confirmed to Thomas Burnham, Senr. (one of fifteen heirs), by the will [Page 41] dated April 29, 1684, of Joshua Uncas, Sachem, son of Uncas, Sachem of Monheag, claiming authority over all the River Tribes, who gives them, "Item, all that tract of land lying from the mountains in sight of Hartford, northward, to a pond called Shemipipic (now Coventry), East to Willimantucke river, South by said river, West by Hartford bounds," &c., &c. 1666, Barth, Barnard and W'm Pitkin sued Thomas Burnham, senr., claiming a part of the lands at Podunk as belonging to Jacob Mygatt, whose claim [Though Tantonimo's deed alone] they had purchased; Court orders the land divided, but Burnham refuses to surrender possession, and Burnhams wife, with a company of men and women drive the workmen of Barnard and Pitkin off from the land. "He was a large landholder in the Colony." His house at Potunke was one of the five on the east side of Connecticut river to he fortified and garrisoned during the Indian war of 1675. In l649 he was bondsman for his survant Rushmore; also plaintiff in Court, contra John Bennett, deft. 1655 on the Jury. 1656, again plaintiff contra William Kellsy, deft, action about hunting hogs. Same year chosen constable. l659 Atty for Jeremy Adams, pltf, contra Sam'l Wright, Jr. of Northampton, def't., damage £100. Same Court pltf, contra Thomas Spencer and John Holleway, def'ts., action of trespass. Reqired to appear at this Court. 1660 pltf contra Richard Fellows, deft., case of refusing to pay rent of land. 1662 complained of by Jonathan Gilbert for abusing him in the case of Abigail Betts, gives bonds to keep the peace. This year (1662) he was Attorney for Abigail Betts, accused of blasphemy. She was not executed, but he was condemned to "ye prison-keep" by the Court for "saving her neck"; he appeals to "ye Generall Court," defends himself strongly and shrewdly, and closes by demanding "Justice accordinh to Law," and declares himself a "Subject and Denason of England." The sentence of the Magistrates was not carried into effect, with the exception of his being deprived of his citizenship for a time, and prohibited from acting as attorney for others in the Courts, [He insisting in his pleadings on following the English law instead of the Mosaic, and perhaps his opinion, or want of opinion, on infant baptism and kindred subjects, which at this time exerted a powerful influence in civil as well as religious affairs, was the evident cause of the antagonism of the Colonial authorities. This Colony had adopted a theocratic form of government] but allowed to argue his own cases. From 1666 to 1688 there were frequent lawsuits [Supported, if not instigated, by the government] between Bartholomew Barnard and William Pitkin, pltfs., and Thomas Burnham, def't, concerning Podunk lands. Court orders the land divided, but Burnham "refuses to render possession, and harasses Barnard and Pitkin, in his turn, by frequent suits at law, and they petition the Assembly for relief. Thomas Burnham held this land under a deed from Tantanimo; after hearing the report of the committee appointed, 1660, to look into this claim, the authorities asserted that the greater part of the land belonged to Arramet, Taquis, &c.; Burnham held a deed from those chiefs; he also held under the will of Uncas, which title was acknowledged to be good by the "Act of the Assembly, May, 1706" (page 42), yet they bounded out to Thomas Burnham the land which they chose to consider as belonging to Tantanimo, and he had heretofore made treaties with them as the Sachem of Podunk. Against this boundarv Burnliam persistently protected and contested, and it resulted in the appointment, in l688, at a Town meeting of the inhabitants of Hartford, "of a Committee, in behalf of this Town, to treat with Thomas Burnham, Senior, upon his claim to the lands on the East side the Great River." He divided the greater part of his estate among his children (by deed) before his death, with the condition attached that it should remain in the family. His widow did not produce his will when it was called for by the Court; it was subsequentlv proved by the witnesses to the instrument, June, 1690.

• Text: 3. John Burnham (son of Thomas) of Potunk; born 1648; died Apr. 20, 1721; married Nov. 12, 1684 Mary Olcott; born May 1, 1658; died Dec. 13, 1730.
  
  CHILDREN.
  
  Thomas, bap. Dec. 26, 1686, unmarried. d. young, 1705.
  9 Caleb, bap. Oct. 17, 1688, m. Mar. 20, 1736 Sarah (Gaylord ?) d. Apr. 3, 1750.
  10 John, bap. Oct. 24, 1689; m. Oct. 17, 1720 Sarah Spencer, d. Apr. 18, 1776.
  Mary, bap. Dec. 19, 1690, m. June 6, 1717 Stephen Webster, d.
  Rachel, bap. Mar. 30, 1692, unmarried, d. young.
  Amy, bap. July 30, 1693, unmarried, d. young.
  Sarah, bap. Sep. 15, 1695, m. Dec. 7, 1727 Elisha Pratt, d. May 11, 1767.
  Elizabeth, bap. Feb. 28, 1696, unmarried, d. young.
  11 Jonathan, bap. Feb. 26, 1697, m. Nov. 12, 1727 Hannah Bidwell, d. Feb. 17, 1787.
  12 Jabez, bap. May 14, 1699, m. July 12, 1725 Martha Williams, d. July 27, 1758.
  
  John Burnham, like his father, was a large landholder. There is a deed on sheepskin from Thos. Burnham, Sen., to his son John, of lands at Podunk. There is also a deed from Popo (an Indian) to John Burnham, of lands on Connecticut river. Also a deed from three squaws to the s'd John and three of his brothers. Will dated April 12, 1721; exhibited May 2d, by Mary, his widow, and John, his son; approved and allowed by Court; inventoried May 15, 1721.
  
  Steplien Webster, husband of Mary, died 1724. She again married, Apr. 9, 1730, Eben Merrill.