Genealogical and Family History
of the
STATE OF MAINE

Compiled under the editorial supervision of George Thomas Little, A. M., Litt. D.

LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
New York
1909.

[Please see Index page for full citation.]

[Transcribed by Coralynn Brown]

[Many families included in these genealogical records had their beginnings in Massachusetts.]

BURNHAM The Burnhams of both Old and New England trace their ancestry remotely to A.D. 1010, when their ancient patronymic was de Burnham, and so contineud until A.D. 1080, when the prefix de was dropped; and they were descended from one Walter le Veutre, who accompanied William the Conqueror into England, A.D. 1066. He was cousin-germain of Earl Warren, who received from the conqueror large estates which had belonged to Saxon nobles, among which was the manor of Burnham. This manor was enfeoffed by Earl Warren to his kinsman Walter de Veutre, who from that fact afterward was called Walter de Burnham. Such, in brief, is the origin of one of the ancient families of England, and one which in New England dates from the early colonial period, from the year 1635, when three immigrant brothers - John, Thomas and Robert Burnham - came from England and sat down in that part of the mother town of Ipswich then known as Chebacco Parish, and which now is the town of Essex, in the county of the same name, and the colony of Massachusetts Bay. These immigrant brothers were sons of Robert and Mary (Andrews) Burnham, of Norwich, Suffolk England, and it is with the family and desecendants of John Burnham that we have particularly to deal in these annals. (I) John Burnham is first mentioned in Ipswich in the year 1639, although he is known to have been there at least two and perhaps four years earlier. He is described as a carpenter, and his name appears in the list of those allowed to have votes in town affairs; and he was there in the early days when the planters were in constant fear of the Indians, and when the officers of the trainband were ordered by the general court "to maintain watch and ward every day, to cause all men to bring arms to the meeting house, and see that no person travelled above a mile from his dwelling, except where houses were near together, without some arms. In 1637 John Burnham was one of seventeen young men of Ipswich who marched to Salem and there joined the forces raised in the colony to wage war against the Pequot Indians. In 1643 the town settled with the soldiers who had served against the Indians, paying "12 dollars a day (allowing for the Lord's day in respect of the extremity of the weather) and the officers dubble." For his service on this occasion John Burnham received three shillings. His name also appears in "a list of persons that have right of commonage, according to law and order of the towne." John Burnham bought of Humphrey Griffin a two-acre lot, adjoining John Fawns,' and sold the same to Anthony Potter, Jan. 4, 1648. The records also show that John Burnham and his wife Mary conveyed to Samuel Ayers, "a dwelling house and lot one and a half acres, which was Anthony Potter's, who bought them of Deacon Whipple, who bought them of William Lampson, to whom the same was granted." According to Burnham genealogy, John Burnham was born in 1618 and died Nov. 5, 1694. The baptismal name of his wife was Mary. Children: John, Josiah, Anna and Elizabeth. (II) John (2), son of John (1) and Mary Burnham, is mentioned as a voter in 1692, and in the same year is mentioned as one of the signers of the Proctor petition. Accounts of him, however, are meagre, unsatisfactory, and frequently misleading. One writer memtions him as Deacon John Burnham, and says that by wife Sarah he had four sons, John, Jonathan, Thomas and Robert, and four daughters, Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth and Hannah. (III) John (3), son of John (2) and Sarah Burnham, was born in 1738, in Chebacco Parish, Ipswich, Mass., came thence to Falmouth, Maine in 1760, and is said to have built the first wharf in the town, on the site where now stands Burnham's wharf. The old wharf was burned by Mowatt in 1775, but it was rebuilt by John Burnham, who also is said to have erected the first house in the town after the destruction of the settlement by the British in 1775. By the burning of Falmouth he lost five hundred and fifty-three pounds, representing the value of his property which was then destroyed. In 1780 he was a member of the first constitutional convention of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Jan. 23, 1786, he was one of the signers of the petition for the incorporation of Portland, and also was one of the founders of St. Stephens' church. He was one of the foremost men of his time in the twon, a cooper by trade and a curer and packer of fish by principal occupation. He died in Portland, of yellow fever, July 29, 1798. His wife was Abigail Stickney, by whom he had a large family of eight sons and five daughers, nearly all of his sons being seafaring men. (IV) Josiah, son of John (3) and Abigail (Stickney) Burnham, was born in Portland, Maine, Jan. 23, 1770, and died there in 1843. For several years he was a merchant at Freeport and afterward a prosperous farmer at Durham. In the latter town he also carried on a coopering business and sent his wares to market in Portland. He took a prominent part in affairs of the town and served in various public capacities in Durham, where he was a surveyor of land, justice of the peace, and for several terms represented the town in the general court of Massachusetts. In 1834 he returned to Portland and lived there until the time of his death, less than ten years afterward. He married four times, his first wife being Lucy Berry. Children: John, Josiah and George, Harriet and Lucy. Harriet married Alfred Soule, of Freeport, and Lucy became the wife of Perez Burr, also of Freeport. Josiah Burnham's wife Lucy died in 1808, aged forty-five years. His third wife [trans. note: what happened to wife #2?] was Eleanor Jameson, who had a daughter, Eleanor Jameson, who married Lieut. Arnold Burroughs of Boston. (V) George, third son of Josiah and Lucy (Berry) Burnham, was born in Durham, Maine, Aug. 20, 1801, and died in Portland Oct. 10, 1884. He went to Portland in 1825 and in 1828 established himself in business as a cooper, in the same shop which his grandfather, John Burnham, built in 1776. Besides his cooperage he owned a fleet of vessels and engaged extensively in the fisheries and also carried on trade with the West Indies. In 1828 the governor and council appointed George Burnham to the office of inspector of fish at Portland, and he discharged the duties of that position for the next forty-four years. He was an energetic and successful business man, having little inclination for public office, yet in political as well as in the business life of Portland he exercised a strong and healthful influence for many years. In 1828 he married Margaret Burr, of Freeport, born May 16, 1807, died March 25, 1885, dau. of Perez and Mehitable (Weber) Burr, of Freeport. Children: 1. Margaret (married Louis Dennison). 2. George. 3. Perez B. 4. & 5. Josiah and John E., of each of whom mention is made in this narrative. (VI) George (2), eldest son of George (1) and Margaret (Burr) Burnham, was born in Portland, Maine, Jan. 31, 1831, received his education in the public schools of that city, and after leaving school entered the employ of George F. Lewis, the pioneer packer of hermetically sealed goods in Portland. He applied himself indutriously to his work there for six years and during that time gained a thorough understanding of the business in every detail. In 1851 he engaged to work for one year for Samuel Rumery, and in March of the following year became a partner with his former employer, under the firm name of Rumery & Burnham. This relation was maintained until January, 1867, when the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Burnham became senior partner of the firm of Burnham & Morrill and began a business which since that time has become one of the largest and most successful enterprises of its kind in New England, and one which for the proper conduct of its operations in its principal and auxiliary branches has for several years been incorporated under the name of Burnham & Morrill Company. As packers and distributors of their products, whether meats, fish or vegetables, the old firm of Burnham & Morrill established a reputation for quality of goods and business integrity which gave it a peculiar and fortunate standing in trade circles throughout the country, for back of the firm's representations was the ample guarantee of unquestioned integrity, reinforced and strengthened by the unconditional provision that damaged goods would always be replace with perfect goods, or no payment would be received from the customer. Such was the business standard set up by the old firm of Rumery & Burnham, and that standard always was maintained by the successor firm of Burnham & Morrill, and also by its successor, the Burnham & Morrill Company, as now known in all business and trade circles througout the world. For nearly half a century Mr. Burnham devoted his energies entirely to the advancement of his business interests, but during more recent years he had withdrawn somewhat from arduous pursuits to enjoy the comforts of life honestly gained and well deserved. He still retained the presidency of the Burnham & Morrill Company, to which he was chosen at the time of its organization, but the responsibities of business management were entrusted to younger men. For many years also he was president of the Merchants' National Bank of Portland, and when that institution merged in the Portland Trust Company he became a member of the board of directors of the latter. And besides these interests he for many years had been financially identified with various railway, water transportation and gas companies, as well as with other public utilities. He died Jan. 1, 1909. (VI) Perez Burr, second son of George (1) and Margaret (Burr) Burnham, was born in Portland, Maine, May 5, 1835, and acquired his education in the public schools of that city. After leaving school he was for several years employed as clerk for a wholesale grain and flour firm, and went from that position to a place in the management of the cooperage, fishing and coast trading enterprise carried on by his father and brother George. However, in 1861, early in the war, he enlisted in Company A of the First Maine Infantry and went with the regiment to the defenses of Washington and there did guard tuy until the expiration of the three months term of his enlistment. On his return home he soon acquired a partnership interest in the business conducted by his father and brother, and who about that time increased their operations by becoming importers and exporters; and the relation thus formed was continued until 1872, when he withdrew and became partner in the firm of Burnham & Morrill, of which firm and its business mention is made in the last preceding paragraph. He continued actively with the latter firm until 1903, and then retired from business pursuits, although at various times he has been interested in other important enterprises in and about Portland. He is a Republican in politics, loyal in his allegiance to party and its principles, but has taken little active interest in public affairs, although he did serve one year as member of the board of aldermen from ward six, Portland. Mr. Burnham is a member of the Cumberland and Country clubs and of the Bramhall League. He married Margaret Elizabeth, dau. of Capt. William Tritton and Margaret Rebecca (Baker) Best. Her father was a master mariner living in Robbinston, Maine. Children: 1. Harold C., who married Mabel Earl and has one child, 2. Perez B., who married Anna Smart and has four children. 3. Margaret, who died at the age of seventeen years. 4. George, who married Alice Ellsworth and has one child. 5. Amy Jameson, who married Lowell M. Palmer Jr., and has two children. (VI) Josiah, third son of George (1) and Margaret (Burr) Burnham, was born in Portland, Maine, Oct. 23, 1840, and died Dec. 7, 1905. He was educated in the public grammar and high schools of Portland and during a part of his student life was a classmate with Judge Joseph Symonds and the late Thomas B. Reed. He early became identified with the packing business in which his brother was engaged. When the firm of Burnham & Morrill incorporated as the Burnham & Morrill Company, May 1, 1892, the original partners became members of the successor company, and Perez B. Burnham and Josiah Burnham became interested as stockholders and also actively associated with the business management. From the time the company was organized until his death, Josiah Burnham was general manager, and also became vice-president of the company on the death of his younger brother. He had entire charge of the packing department of the factory in Portland and also at several of the corn factories in different parts of the state. He possessed a full knowledge of the practical details of the business and devoted his attention earnestly and untiringly to the promotion of the vast company interests involved, and with most gratifying success, for her was a capable, thorough and progressive business man. In September, 1862, then less that twenty-two years old, Mr. Burnham enlisted as a private in Company A of the Twenty-fifth Maine Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Francis Fessenden, commanding. He was mustered into service for nine months, Sept. 29, 1862, at Portland, and was mustered out at that city July 10, 1863. He was a comrade of Bosworth Post, G.A.R., a Free and Accepted Mason, and for many years a member of the Cumberland Club. In religious preference he was a Congregationalist and in politics a strong Republican. He was a man of culture and refined tastes, and during the later years of his life, in seasons when the demands of business were less exacting, it was his custom to travel and allow himself some rest and freedom from the responsibilities put upon him during the busier portions of the year. Indulging himself in this direction, he made several trips abroad in company with his wife, whose love of art and generous tastes have been shown in so many ways in Portland, and especially perhaps in her commendable efforts in behalf of the decoration of the schoolrooms of the city, and whose sympathies and generous disposition have been shown so unselfishly in her many charitable deeds and gifts. Mr. Burnham was a man of very quiet habits, loving home and its associations more than all else. His whole nature was generous, charitable, and his mind always turned to the brighter side of life, and he always seemed to enjoy the happiness of others and contributed to it in every way; it was a real pleasure to meet him and greet him, for he was perfectly sincere in all which he said and did, not at all inclined to seriousness in social life, but of cheerful, sunny dispositon, which illuminated every circle he entered, and gave added pleasure to every occasion. Such was the man, and such was his nature, and the world was made better by his correct life and example. His endeavors in business were rewarded with gratifying success, and as he received, so also he gave, but quietly were his benefactions bestowed, in order that attention might not be drawn to himself. It was quite evident for several months previous to his death that Mr. Burnham felt more than usual the exactions of business upon his strength and was conscious of the fact that his health was fast being impaired. In Sept., 1905, he went to Poland Spring for rest, and remained there several weeks, then returned to his home and afterward visited his office nearly every day. On the day before his death he went out for a drive, and then end came almost unexpectedly, and before the family physician could reach his bedside. The house in which Mr. Burnham was born was burned in the "great fire" of 1866, and the house in which he lived during the later years of his life stood on land originally a part of the house lot of the pioneer Burnham family. At South Paris, Maine, on March 28, 1871, Josiah Burnham married Mary Stone, who was born in Limerick, Maine, April 26, 1849. Her grandfather was Joseph STONE, of Harvard, Mass., who married Mary Tounge, and had one child. Elisha Fullam Stone, son of Joseph and Mary (Tounge) Stone, was born in Harvard in Oct., 1824, and died in 1900. In 1850 he removed to South Paris, Maine, and in 1861 was appointed postmaster there. He served five terms in that office and then was appointed special agent in the mail service of the post office department of the federal government, serving until his death in 1900. Elisha Fullam Stone married Miriam Marcia Townsend, born Jan. 9, 1825, dau. of William and Sophia (Dole) Townsend. children: Mary (Mrs. Burnham), Georgia Washburn, William F., Lila Kent, Jessie E. and Harry B. Stone. (VI) John E., fourth and youngest son of George (1) and Margaret (Burr) Burnham, was born in Portland, Maine, Jan. 31, 1843, and died in that city. He was given a good education in the public schools and graduated from the high school. He began his active business career as junior member of the original firm of Rumery & Burnham, where he gained a thorough knowledge of the business of that house which served its useful purpose in later years, when he was junior partner of the successor firm of Burnham & Morrill, and still later in connection with the greater operations of the Burnham & Morrill Company, in which he was largely interested and of which he was for many years one of the most active and efficient members. Although the youngest of four brothers who were so largely instrumental in the great enterprise now operated by the Burnham & Morrill Company, John E. Burnham was in certain respects the most energetic man of them all in promoting the intersts of the company and in increasing its business in every direction. He possessed splendid business capacity, reached his decisions quickly, and his judgment was rarely at fault. And withal, he was one of the most popular men in Portland, well known and highly respected in all business and social circles, for he was a man of unquestioned integrity and of the highest character. His interest in the city and the welfare of its insitutions was both earnest and genuine, and his name always was counted in the list of those who could be relied upon to give material support to all honest measures proposed for the public welfare. Selfishness was a quality entirely foreign to his nature, and he held in utter contempt all that savored of hypocisy and sham. Mr. Burnham was a Republican of undoubted quality, although he never sought political prefement for himself, but few men were better informed in regard to political matters than he, and his mind was a veritable storehouse of knowledge for the free use of whomsoever felt inclined to draw on it for information, and he always was tolerant of the opinions of others when they were honestly held and presented. He was a careful student of political economy, with ample argument to support his views, but he never forced his opinions on others unless the occasion demanded, and when it did his hearers were frequently amazed with the fund of acts and figures which this modest and unassuming man had at command and which he could use with such telling effect. Mr. Burnham was a member of the Cumberland Club, Athletic Lodge, No. 81, F. and A.M., and of the Knights of Pythias; but aside from the Cumberland Club he was not active in the affairs of either of the other orderes of which he was a member. For a man of wealth and positon, he was of remarkably quiet disposition, devoted to his family, and especially to his sister, with whom he lived for many years and until her death. The full list of his benefactions probably never will be known, for he never spoke of them, although they are known to have been many and frequently generous in amount. With his large wealth he was able to do good in many ways of which the public knew nothing, and when his benevolences were bestowed it was through the medium of some trusted agent to carry out his instructions in such manner that the personality of the benefactor should remain undiscovered. The BURR ancestry traces from Rev. Jonathan Burr (q.v.), through Simon (2), John (3), Jonathan (4) and (V) John (2), son of Jonathan (2) and Mary (Lincoln) Burr, was born in Hingham, April 4, 1729, and died there Feb. 11, 1790. He was a cooper, lived on Leavitt street, and was constable of Hingham in 1767. He married Jan. 1, 1755, Emma Cushing, b. Hingham March 17, 1727, d. Dec. 21, 1805, dau. of Theophilus and Hannah (Waterman) Cushing. In this connection a brief mention of the Cushing family will be found of interst. Decaon Matthew CUSHING, the immigrant, was born in Hingham, Norfolk, England, in 1588, came to New England with his wife and their four sons and one daughter, and his wife's sister, Frances Fircroft, in the ship "Diligent," of Ipswich, John Martin, master, and settled in Hingham. He died in 1660, aged seventy-two years. His wife Margaret, dau. of Henry Pitcher, died in 1682, aged ninety-two years. They had children: Daniel, 1619; Jesse, 1621; Matthew, 1623; Deborah, 1625; John, 1627. Daniel Cushing, son of Deacon Matthew and Margaret, was elected town clerk of Hingham in 1669 and served in that office until his death in 1700. He was frequently chosen to transact important business for the town, was a magistrate and an examination of his papers shows that he was very correct and intellignet in his methods. He married Lydia, dau. of Edward Gilman, June 19, 1645, and had Peter, 1646; Daniel, 1648; Deborah, 1651; Jesse, 1654; Theophilus, 1657; Matthew, 1660. Theophilus Cushing, son of Daniel and Lydia, married Mary, dau. of Capt. John Thaxter, and had Nehemiah, 1689; Adam, 1692; Abel, Theophilus, Seth, Deborah and Lydia. Theophilus Cushing, son of Theophilus and Mary, married 1723, Hannah Waterman, and had Theophilus, Perez, Pyam, Emma (wife of John BURR), and James Cushing. John and Emma (Cushing) BURR had nine children, all born in Hingham: 1. John, b. Oct. 9, 1755. 2. Levi, b. June 1, 1757. 3. Cushing, b. Jan. 21, 1759. 4. Theophilus, b. Oct. 6, 1761. 5. Perez, b. Nov. 1, 1763. 6. Laban, baptized May 26, 1765, d. Dec., 1765. 7. Robert Waterman, b. Oct. 13, 1767, d. March 14, 1839. 8. Emma, b. Sept. 1, 1769. 9. Laban, b. Feb. 5, 1773. (VI) Perez, son of John (2) and Emma (Cushing) BURR, was born in Hingham, Mass., Nov. 1, 1763, and died in Freeport, Maine, in 1836. He settled in Freeport when he was a young man and spent his life in the town. He married Mehitable Webber, and by had had three children: Perez, Emma and Margaret. Margaret, b. May 16, 1807, died March 25, 1885, married George BURNHAM. BURNHAM (For English ancestry see preceding sketch). (I) Lieut. Thomas Burnham, one of the brothers of that name who settled at Ipswich, Mass., was a resident of the town known as Chebaco as early as 1636. He was then a youth of thirtten years and continued to reside there until his death, May 19, 1694, at the age of seventy-one years. He was a soldier in the Pequot expedition in 1636-37 and again in the Indian warfare in 1643. He was a subscriber to Major Denison in 1648 and was a corporal and surveyor of highways in 1662; sergeant in 1664; ensign the following year, and lieutenant in 1683. He was deputy to the general court in 1683-84-85. In May, 1667, he was granted the privilege of locating a sawmill on the Chebaco river, near the Falls, and he became an extensive owner of lands in Ipswich and Chebacco, which he divided between his sons Thomas and James. He was married in 1645 to Mary, daughter of John and Johanna Tuttle. She was born in 1624, died March 27, 1715. Children: Thomas, John, James, Mary, Johanna, Abigail, Ruth (died young), Ruth, Joseph, Nathaniel, Sarah and Esther. (II) John, second son of Thomas and Mary (Tuttle) Burnham, was born in 1648, died Jan. 12, 1704, in Chebaco, where he lived through life. He resided first near the head of Whittredge creek and afterwards at the falls of the Chebacco. He was appointed in 1665 to run the line between Ipswich and Gloucester and was tithingman in 1677 and 1695. In 1689 he was proprietor of a grist mill and the owner of real estate which continuted in the hands of his descendants down to a very recent date. He married, June 9, 1669, Elizabeth Wells, who died in 1717. Children: John, Thomas, Jacob (died young), Joseph, Abigail, Jacob, Jonathan, David and Mary. (III) Jacob, fifth son of John and Elizabeth (Wells) Burnham, was born March 1, 1682, died March 26, 1773, in Chebacco, where his life was spent. He married, Nov. 20, 1704, Mehitable Perkins, who died Sept. 6, 1769. Their sons included Westley, Jacob, Solomon and John. (IV) Solomon, third son of Jacob and Mehitable (Perkins) Burnham, was born in 1709, died April 15, 1784. He married, Nov. 13, 1729, Mehitable Emerson, who died Aug. 23, 1792, having survived her husband more than eight years. Children: Sarah, Solomon, Ami, Ruhamah, Philippa, Mehitable, Thomas, Jacob (twins), Ephraim (died young), Mary, Ephraim and Jacob. (V) Jacob (2), youngest son of Solomon and Mehitable (Emerson) Burnham, was born Feb. 2, 1752, died Aug. 10, 1820, in Chebacco, now Essex, Mass. He married June 11, 1772, Lucy Burnham, who died May 18, 1844. Her parentage cannot be located; she was, no doubt, a remote relative. Children: Ezra, Jacob, Luke R., Ephraim, Zebulun, Lucy, Rebecca, Miriam and Susanna. (VI) Zebulun, fifth son of Jacob (2) and Lucy (Burnham) Burnham, was born in Essex, Mass. about 1780, and married Judith Andrews, of the same locality. Children: Judith, Zebulun, Mina, Cynthia, Amos, Ansel, Sophy, Augusta and Ephraim. (VII) Zebulun (2), son of Zebulun (1) and Judith (Andrews) Burnham, was born Aug. 6, 1812, in Essex, and resided in Beverly, Mass., where he died Oct. 15, 1848. He was a cordwainer by occupation, and died at the early age of thirty-six years. He married, Feb. 21, 1837, Sarah D. Knowlton, born Jan. 10, 1819, in Hamilton, Mass., and survived him nearly forty-one years, dying Sept. 26, 1889. Children: Sarah Augusta, Ivers Smith, John Everett, Amos Perley, Calvin Foster, Otis and Frank. All of these sons served as soldiers in the civil war. (VIII) Frank, son of Zebulun (2) and Sarah D. (Knowlton) Burnham, was born in Beverly, Mass., March 31, 1847, and received a high school education. He enlisted in the Sixtieth Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, and was with his regiment until the close of the war. He also served in the U. S. navy on the "Vandalia," under Admiral Thatcher. He belongs to Unity Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Eastern Star Encampment, and the Grand Army of the Republic, all of Portland. He is an orchestral leader and a teacher of the violin and cornet, having studied with the celebrated M. Arbuckle, of Gilmore's band. His pupils extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He is a Republican in politics and a Liberal in religion. He married Sarah F., daughter of Daniel I. and Mary Stanley, of Beverly, Mass. Children: 1. Ida F., married Frank E. Fickett, of Portland. 2. Gertrude. 3. Ralph Foster. 4. Mabel S., married Frank E. Grant, of Portland. (IX) Ralph Foster, only son of Frank and Sarah F. (Stanley) Burnham, was born in Beverly, Mass. March 30, 1876. At an early age he removed with his parents to Portland, Maine. When eight years of age he began selling newspapers for Chisholm Brotheres and paid his expenses while in the grammar school. Then entering the employment of Schlotterbeck & Foss, he paid his way through high school. After graduating he entered the employ of J. B. Totten, where he remained until his health obliged him to leave the coast, when he came to Auburn in 1897 and bought out the drug business of B. L. Alden. In this business he is still engaged. Shortly after purchasing the business he devoted much time to experimenting with "iodides," and succeeding in filling a long-felt want in his "Sal Iodide." This met with marked success and is extensively precribed by physicians throughout New England. He also prepared a "Glyco-Tonic" which with the other formalae he is developing into a worthy and profitable enterprise. It is to the study and energy of such men as Mr. Burnham that the state owes its positoin in the chemical as well as the manufacturing world. He is an Ancient Free and Accepted Mason, having taken all of the degrees to the thirty-second, is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and Knights of the Golden Eagle. He married Oct. 30, 1899, Clara Ella, daughter of John H. and Eleanor (Haskell) Shaw, of Portland. Mr. and Mrs. Burnham attend the Universalist church.