Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

in Berlin, Connecticut, daughter of Julius
W. and Julia Ellen (Cornwall) Burr of
that town. Her ancestors were among
the leading citizens of Connecticut. The
founder of the family was Benjamin Burr,
one of the original proprietors of Hart-
ford, Connecticut. The first evidence of
his presence in America appears in the
land division in Hartford in 1639, where
he is spoken of as an original proprietor
and settler, indicating that he was there in
1635. He was probably in Massachusetts
before that time, as the settlers of Hart-
ford came from the vicinity of Boston.
His allotment in the division of 1639 was
six acres, and in 1658 he was admitted
freeman, showing that he was then a
member of the church. It is apparent
that he was a thrifty and well-to-do man,
as he owned more than one house lot in
Hartford, beside houses and lands at
Greenfield and Windsor. His name has
been given to one of the streets in Hartford,
where he died March 31, 1681. His
name appears on the monument to the
original settlers in the First Church cem-
etery. His son, Samuel Burr, born in
England, was a freeman in Hartford in
May, 1658, and he died there September
29, 1682, leaving a good estate, whose inventory
value was placed at £541, los.
I id. He married Mary Baysey, daughter
of John and Elizabeth Baysey, among the
early settlers of Hartford. Jonathan Burr,
youngest child of Samuel, born 1679, set-
tled after 1696 in Middletown, Connecti-
cut, where he united with the First
Church, and died January i, 1735. He
married Abigail Hubbard, born February
16, 1686, in Middletown. daughter of Nathaniel
and Mary (Earle) Hubbard and
granddaughter of George Hubbard, founder
of a numerous family in America and
a pioneer of Middletown. Nathaniel Burr,
third son of Jonathan and Abigail, was
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
217
born March 23, 1717, in Middletown, settling
in the adjoining town of Haddam,
where he was a farmer, built a house on
the present site of the Methodist Church,
and died September 12, 1802. He married
(second), August 19, 1743, Sarah Por-
ter, who was born October 28, 1724, died
May 21, 1797. The name of his first wife
is unknown. His fourth son, Jonathan
Burr, born April 11, 1756, in Haddam,
joined the Continental Army at the age
of twenty-one years and became a corporal
in the company commanded by Cap-
tain Martin Kirtland, in Colonel Erastus
Wolcott's regiment. After his discharge
from the army he engaged in farming,
was captain of the local militia company
and died February 10, 1804. He married
Lydia Bailey, and their fifth son, Daniel
Burr, was a farmer and contractor resid-
ing in Haddam, where he died in 1833.
He married Betsey Wilcox, and their second
son was Julius Wilcox Burr. The
latter, born June 21, 1822, in Haddam,
began learning the blacksmith trade at the
age of sixteen years. He settled in Ber-
lin, Connecticut, and was among the
founders of the Peck, Stowe & Wilcox
Company of East Berlin. He was also a
director of the Berlin Bridge Company
and was active in the management of the
J. O. Smith Manufacturing Company of
Middletown. He was a member of the
Congregational Church, a consistent Re-
publican in political principle, essentially
a business man with no itch for office, a
good neighbor and useful citizen. He
married, October i, 1845, Julia Ellen
Cornwall, born November 21, 1823, in
Middletown, daughter of Joseph and Lu-
cinda (Miller) Cornwall. Ella Julia Burr,
daughter of Julius W., became the wife of
Herbert E. Smith, as previously related.
They were the parents of three sons :
Herbert Eugene, died in infancy. 2. Clif-
i.