Jeremiah Burnett (abt. 1740 - abt. 1816)

Born about 1740 in Hanover County, Colony of Virginia

Husband of Elizabeth (Claybrook) Burnett — married about 1760 (to about 1780) in Virginia

Husband of Rosa (Unknown) Burnett — married about 1781 in Henry, Virginia, United States [uncertain]

Descendants

Died about 1816 at about age 76 in Wayne County Kentucky, United States

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Biography

Jeremiah Burnett lived in Virginia.

Jeremiah Burnett was a Kentuckian.

Jeremiah Burnett, according to genealogist June Bork, was born in 1740 to Jeremiah Burnett and Mary McDaniel [Now disputed by Y-DNA; See Research Notes below];^[1] however, Burnett genealogist Ray Blevins gives 1740 as an estimated birth year (based on the age of Jeremiah's eldest child) but writes:

I have tried to identify the parents of Jeremiah without success. I learned that other researchers have also spent countless hours trying to trace the various Burnett lines back without success. Key reasons for this are: that some Burnetts came to the colonies as early as 1635 and that by the time of the American Revolution Burnetts were in all the colonies; the Burnetts repeated the same male first over from one generation to the next. (In each generation of the American Burnetts, there is at least one William, John, James, Joseph, in many cases no middle name being used); and the absence of written record.^[2]

Bork writes:

Jeremiah Burnett (II), was born 1740 in Hanover County, Virginia and died 1816 in Wayne County, Kentucky at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, James and Ursula Hurt. He is a descendant of John, the first Burnett to arrive in the American Plantations in 1638 as a merchant for King Charles I, who settled in Old Rappahannock County, Virginia where the family continued to live for over 100 years. John Burnett was born 25 December 1610 in Aberdeen, Scotland, and died 1686, a descendant of the Burnett of Leys. John Burnett's wife was Lucretia Johnson....

Jeremiah Senior and his brother John served in the Revolutionary War from Amherst County as a private in the 10th Virginia Regulars of Foot Soldiers under Capt. James Franklin and was known to be a champion bare-fist fighter. He was called Big Jerry, an overly zealous Scotsman with a temper. Traditionally, he is said to have bitten a finger from an opponent when that man played dirty and then threw a hand full of dirt in his eyes. During the war, Jerry captured two British Officers and to humiliate them, he made them drink whiskey from his hands until they became drunk. Realizing the difficulty he faced due to his conduct, he went AWOL from the army. He left the Amherst/Albemarle County area and moved into Bedford County - following the path of the Crowleys to Pittsylvania County....

Jeremiah enlisted again in March 1781 from Henry County, marching to the assistance of Gen. Green at Guilford Court House, later filing a Public Service Claim for furnishing bacon and supplies of food to the Henry County Court House where a hospital was set up for the wounded....

Jeremiah Burnett was the father of at least 16 children by two wives. He married [Elizabeth Claybrook] first about 1760. She was the mother of 12 children and died about 1780 in Henry County.

1. Jeremiah Burnett III (1761-1848); married Effariah Crowley
2. William Burnett (1762-1850); married Elizabeth Talbot (?)
3. Obadiah Burnett (1764-1838); married 1/ Ruth Mayo (1770-1816); 2/ Mrs Polly Terry
4. Isham R. Burnett (1766-1856); married 1/ Sarah Mayo (1768-1819); 2/ Winifred Dodson
5. Elizabeth Burnett (1768-1847); married Thomas Small
6. Nancy/Agnes Burnett (1770-1830+); married John Davenport
7. Frances Burnett (1772-1840+); married Matthew Morrow
8. Roland Burnett (1773-1858); married Mary Hurt
9. Reuben Burnett (1774-1850+); married Nancy Tuggle
10. Mary Burnett (1776-bef1840); married Richard Nowlin
11. Matilda Burnett (1778-1852+); married William Sloan
12. Mildred Burnett (1780-1867); married Joseph Hurt Jr.

Jeremiah married second about 1781 to a girl named Rosa, who was captured by the Indians when she was very small. Later, after she was rescued, she could only tell her name was Rosa. The Silvers family adopted her and she went by the name of Rosa Silvers. Rosa had 4 more children for Jeremiah and died after 1795 in Henry County:

1. Isaac Burnett (1782-1854); married Nancy Hurt
2. Ursula Burnett (1789-1870+); married James Hurt
3. Martha Burnett (1790-bef 1850); married William Denney
4. James Peter Burnett (1795-1873); married Malinda Maupin.^[3]

Jeremiah's second wife was named Rosa (last name not known as she had been captured by the Indians as a child and later rescued). Some researchers have confused her with Rosanna Silvers, who married Emanuel Sandusky, Sr.^[2]

Revolutionary War records show that Jeremiah Burnett was a private in Capt. James Franklin's Co. of Foot, 10th Virginia Regiment, enlisting Dec. 26, 17[76] and deserting March 15, [1777].^[4]

Research Notes

There is no evidence that the Jeremiah Burnett born 1718 was his father. The research paper in the images section shows that the Jeremiah Burnett of 1718 did not exist. Research of this family is being conducted by the Hanover County DNA Project at Family Tree DNA. There is also no evidence that all of the children listed here are the sons of this Jeremiah II.

Sources

1. ↑ June Baldwin Bork, The Burnetts and Their Connections, Vol. 1, p. 110.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Ray E. Blevins, Burnetts from Virginia to Wayne County, Kentucky, (Johnson City, TN: Overmountain Press, 1986) pp. v, 1.
3. ↑ Bork, The Burnetts and Their Connections, Vol. 1-3, as posted by Ms. Bork on an Ancestry-disabled site, //archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/CROLEY/2000-11/0975434751 RootsWeb.
4. ↑ NARA M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. Roll: 1063, State: Virginia, Regiment: Tenth Regiment, Record Type: Individual, Surname: Burnett, Given Name: Jeremiah. Available online at www.fold3.com.

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #221420110, Jeremiah ?? Burnett; giving b. VA, d. Patrick Co VA, ch Isham Richard, William, Roland, Reuben, Isaac, Ursula, James Peter. Another F/G memorial, now removed with no explanation provided, gave Jeremiah Question Burnett. Death: 1814 Wayne County, Kentucky, USA.
• Sharp Genealogy Page
• Hurt Genealogy Page
• Descendants of Alexander Burnard of Scotland (Burnett) [needs new link]
• Genealogy at Holly Mill Run
• Ancestry.com records: AGBI, American Genealogical Biographical Index; and Y=US and International Marriage records, 1560 - 1900.