Jean (Denny) Burns (1745 - 1827)

Born 14 Sep 1745 in Little Britain, Little Britain Township, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 12 Apr 1827 at age 81 in Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio, United States

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Biography

OF SCOTS-IRISH ANCESTRY

PIONEER OF PENNSYLVANIA, WEST VIRGINIA AND OHIO

ONE OF THE PIONEER SETTLERS OF ASHLAND CO., OHIO

A BIOGRAPHY OF JEAN DENNY BURNS (1745-1827), by Laurence Overmire (4G Grandson), genealogist and family historian, updated June 2018:

Most of what we know about this Burns family comes from Denny Genealogy, by Margaret Collins Denny Dixon and Elizabeth Chapman Denny Vann, published by The National Historical Society, New York, in 1944. Without their diligent research, we would know precious little about this family.

Jean Denny (aka Jane and Jennet), a great granddaughter of the immigrant Frederick Denny (c. 1679-1728) of Londonderry, Ireland, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, presumably Little Britain Township, on Sept. 14, 1745. The date was recorded in her brother Walter Denny's family Bible, which shows her as Jennet, probably the name given her at birth. She was the eldest child of John (c. 1725-1782) and Margery B. (c. 1727-aft 1786) Denny. John Denny, the father, served in the American Revolution as a frontier ranger in Capt. William Moore's Company, 2nd Battalion of Cumberland County Pennsylvania Militia. The mother Margery B.'s maiden name may have been Bear, but that is speculation with no real evidence to confirm it.

John Denny inherited the homestead of his father Walter Denny in Little Britain Township, Lancaster County, where Jean grew up. Today it is part of Fulton Township, named after the steamboat inventor Robert Fulton (1765-1815), who was born there. The area lies on the southern Pennsylvania border just across from Maryland, northeast of Baltimore.

About 1756 (before the Revolution), when Jean was about eleven years old, the Denny family moved from Lancaster County to West Pennsboro Township in Cumberland County. Apparently, she married John Burns there about 1771. Unfortunately, we know almost nothing about John Burns. The Denny Genealogy claimed he was the son of Archibald Bourns, uncle of the famous poet Robert Burns of Scotland (a theory which has not been proven). That John Burns (1747-1802), however, was a completely different person. He married Esther Morrow and had several children. He lies buried in Waynesboro, Franklin Co., Pennsylvania.

Still, some descendants of John and Jean (Denny) Burns believed they were related to the poet Robert Burns, a family tradition that was handed down in some branches of the tree. Could there be any truth to it? Well, there was, according to tradition, another uncle of the poet, Thomas Bourns, who also emigrated to America in 1747 and settled in Mifflin County (formerly Cumberland). Whatever became of him is unknown. Records and documentation for this period in Pennsylvania are extremely hard to come by, so it would not be surprising if the records for Thomas Bourne and his descendants no longer exist. It is possible that our John Burns, who married Jean Denny, was Thomas's descendant. Unfortunately, we will probably never know unless DNA can somehow shed light on the issue. Recently, the TV series "Who Do You Think You Are," for example, determined through DNA evidence that the filmmaker Ken Burns was related to the poet. Ken's earliest known ancestor was Abraham W. Burns (1833-1911) of Burnsville, Bath Co., VA. It would appear then that relatives of Robert Burns did indeed migrate to America.

In any case, according to Denny Genealogy, our John Burns, whoever he was, with his wife Jean moved to Franklin County, Pennsylvania, where most of their children were born. They had nine that we know of: Sarah Burns (c. 1772-1830, m. Samuel Porter); John Burns (b. abt. 1774); Samuel Burns (1776-1865, m. Sarah Sheffield); Walter Burns (1777-1849, m. Nancy Garrett); Margery Burns (b. abt. 1780, may have m. John Dickerson in Belmont Co., OH, 25 Feb 1805); Agnes (Nancy) Burns (1781-1846); David Burns (1784-1863, m. Mary "Polly" Buchanan); James Burns (1787-1859, m. Frances Beymer); and Denny Burns (c. 1790-1814).

About 1785, Jean's mother Margery and brother Walter moved to Washington County, Pennsylvania, where they remained until about 1790. It may be that Jean and her family moved there as well, though Denny Genealogy is somewhat confusing on this point, claiming that Jean's son Denny was born about 1790 in Franklin County.

It is not clear when Jean's husband John Burns died. He must have been alive about 1790 when his son Denny was born. About 1797, his wife Jean and her younger children, including her sons Samuel, Walter, David and James, moved to Ohio County, Virginia (now West Virginia), where the small town of Wheeling was just beginning to emerge as an important hub for people making the journey to points farther west. Jean's mother Margery, brother Walter Denny, and sisters Margaret and Elizabeth and their husbands and families also moved to Ohio County, sometime before 1800.

By July 7, 1800, Jean and her family were settled across the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio, by which time, again according to the Denny Genealogy, her husband John Burns was clearly deceased. (In 1801, Belmont County was formed out of parts of Jefferson and Washington Counties, and in 1810, Guernsey County was formed out of parts of Belmont and Muskingum Counties.)

In 1816, Jean (aged 71), her daughter Agnes (Nancy) and her son David, moved yet again, on horseback, from what was then Guernsey County to Clear Creek Township in Ashland County, Ohio. She died there on Apr. 12, 1827, at the age of 81. Her son David and daughter Agnes (Nancy) were buried in Savannah Cemetery, Savannah, Ashland County, Ohio, so it would seem likely that Jean was buried there as well, but no stone has been found.

Jean's hardy, determined pioneering spirit has been an inspiration to her descendants and will continue to be so in times to come.

Sources:

• 1) "Genealogy of Fast, Shriver, Burns, Scott, McKibben, Including Descendants of Revolutionary War Hero Christian Fast," by Laurence Overmire, RootsWeb World Connect Project, 2000-2018.
• 2) Denny Genealogy, by Margaret Collins Denny Dixon and Elizabeth Chapman Denny Vann (The National Historical Society, NY, 1944), Vol. 1, Photo of Walter Denny's Bible following p. 108; Jean Denny Burns Family, Vol. 1, p. 121-123, 126; Walter Denny & Family, p. 124-129; David Burns Family, p. 155-156
• 3) Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. 6, Associators and Militia, p. 183, Fold3.com [John Denny listed in Capt. Wm. Moore's company]
• 4) Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 [John Denny's will was dated Sept 27, 1782 and proved 5 Nov 1782. He mentions his children including "Jean Burns." His wife Margery Denny and his son-in-law James Ferguson were named as executors. Chas. (or Thos.) Buchanan was one of the witnesses.]
• 5) John Burns and Esther Morrow, Find A Grave Memorial #10642319
• 6) Ancestry of Ken Burns, famouskin.com, 2018
• 7) A History of the Pioneer and Modern Times of Ashland County: From the Earliest to the Present Date, by Horace S. Knapp (J. B. Lippincott & Co., Philadelphia, PA, 1863), p. 122-123
• 8) History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, by J. A. Caldwell (Historical Publishing Co., Wheeling, WV, 1880), Early Marriages

Sources

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40951039/jean-burns : accessed 01 October 2021), memorial page for Jean Denny Burns (14 Sep 1745–12 Apr 1827), Find a Grave Memorial ID 40951039, ; Maintained by Laurence Overmire (contributor 46950879) Unknown, who reports a Unknown burial location.