| Burton Family History |
| The Burton family, with which we are identified, was originally Welsh, and a very ancient family. However, they had lived many generations in Shropshire, that Shire, (County) in England that lies next to Wales. During the War of the Roses (1455 - 1485: English History) the squire of the Burton family went to the rescue of the King, during the Battle of St. Albaus, and was thereby knighted by the King. (Burk's Landed Gentry) In 1918, the knight of that time, Sir Thomas Burton, died and was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward. Then his younger sons, William, John and Richard, emigrated to the New World, to Jamestown in Virginia. The ship records show that William and John sailed on a ship called "The Globe", from the port of London. Richard came on "The Swan" to Virginia in 1624, at the age of 28. He did not settle with his older brothers, but went into the North side of the James River. No further records are found. In 1632 the land records of Virginia show that the two men, William and John Burton were land-owners in Virginia. The following account shows the second generation of Burtons. In 1656 Thomas and John Burton acquired the 350 acre plantation of "Cobbs" on the Appomattox River, and just to the west of Bermuda Hundred. Records show that John sold or relinquished his owner-ship to Thomas and patented the estate of "Longfield" in 1665. From the land records and the frequent association of the two families we assume that the wife of John Burton was a Cox. John Burton (1632[?]-1689[90]) patented Longfield on March 22, 1665. Their children were John (1656-1679[80]) and Robert Burton. The children of Robert Burton (1660-1724) and Mary Nowell follow: Robert, Nowell, Hutchins, Benjamin, and John Burton. John Burton (1698-1776) married Catherine Cocke, daughter of William Cocke. Their son, John Burton, Jr. was born September 7, 1725, and Catherine Cocke Burton, died after the birth of her son, September 10, 1725. The guess is that the child was brought up in one of the Cocke families, since there is no clear record of what became of the father, John Burton. He may have remarried and probably did, as there is a will bearing his name, and the dates are right for him being the father of John, Jr. In 1756 there is a deed for land, 60 acres, from Stephen Cocke to John Burton, Jr. and Mary, his wife. The name of Stephen was a handed-down name in the Cocke family, and he may have been the father of Mary, wife of John, Jr., as the name later appears in the Burton line. It was a custom at that time to name a son for the grandfather, as was the custom to name the first daughter by her mother's maiden name. John Burton, Jr. lived only six years longer, dying on December 28, 1761 (probably of pneumonia) making a death-bed will in which he names his children: Rachael Cocke, Mary, John, Martha and Henry Burton. Of these children, I have records to substantiate their probable birthdates, and what happened to them. On December 3, 1781 John Burton married Martha Cocke Farley and between this date and 1790, the Farley and Burton families moved from Amelia County, Virginia, to Caswell County, North Carolina. Henry Burton, the youngest of these children, had at the age of 16 volunteered and joined up in the Army, and had served throughout the War for American Independence. He was in and out of the Army, at one time enlisting in Caswell County, North Carolina, which shows that his family was living there. In 1786, on November 20, in Caswell County, North Carolina, he married Keziah Farley, the younger sister of his brother, John's wife, Martha Cocke Farley. Henry and Keziah Farley lived in Caswell County, North Carolina, where their children were born, until after 1806, at least. They moved to Humphrey County, Tennessee, where their children lived and married into the Robbins family. To return to John Burton and his wife, Martha C. Farley Burton. They lived in Caswell County, North Carolina, and perhaps, Halifax County, Virginia, as John owned land in Halifax County, Virginia. John Burton died in 1822, and in his will he divided his land in Halifax County, Virginia, among his five children: Stephen W., Polly, Henry, Noel and John Stewart Burton. Noel was the youngest or next to the youngest. He was born August 21, 1793, in Caswell County, North Carolina. His served in the War of 1812. He and his wife, Nancy Dobbins Burton lived in Caswell County, North Carolina until 1830 when they moved to McNairy County, Tennessee. Here, near the old town of Purdy, the children finished growing up and married. The children were: Mary (1817), John Dobbins (his mother's maiden name; 1819), James (1821), Martha Farley (1823), Archibald W. (1825) and Robert Henry (1827). |