Burdick Newsletter

September/October, 2002


Robert Burdick of Rhode Island, Part 2

by Nellie Willard Johnson

(The last Newsletter contained the first few pages of Nellie Johnson's "Burdick" book, recounting her history of the Burdick name and the history of Robert Burdick, the original immigrant. This issue contains the next few pages of Nellie's book, which concentrates more on the early Burdick's family life. I've posted this and last issue's text in Word format that can be downloaded from http://www.burdickfamily.org (under "The Burdick Genealogy book" button). - HB)

He [Robert Burdick] was in a list of free inhabitants of Westerly in May, 1669. On May 17, 1671, he and others took the oath of allegiance to the king and to the Colony of Rhode Island. Among those who subscribed that day are many of the ancestors of later families of Burdicks: John Crandall, Tobiah Saunders, Joseph Clarke, ROBERT BURDICK, John Maxson, Jeffery Champlin, Sr., John Lewis, George Lanpheare, Nicolas Cotterill, Jr., etc. -- "all of which persons did promise to stand to their engagements to his Majestie, and this Colony." (Rhode Island Records, Vol. II, P. 388.)

On the outbreak of King Philip's Indian War, Westerly was on the exposed frontier. He and his family, in July, 1675, went to Newport, but subsequently returned to Westerly.

For the years 1680, 1683, 1685 he was a deputy to the General Court of Rhode Island from Westerly. On May 17, 1691, he and his wife Ruth sold one hundred acres of land for ten pounds. Mar 8, 1692, he made an agreement with his son-in-law, Josesph Crandall, by which the latter was to take care of this father-in-law and find him suitable meat, drink, washing, lodging and apparel, etc., for life, in consideration of which Joseph Crandall was to have the dwelling house and land adjoining forever, and until Robert Burdick's death, to have also use of oxen, cart, two cows, and eight swine, and then to be returned to be disposed of by will, except the cart and wheels.

1692, Oct. 25. He having died without perfecting his will, an agreement was made by his sons and sons-in-law. What their father had disposed of by legacy to children was to stand, and what remained, to be divided into nine parts. To son-in-law John Phillips, one part. The other eight parts to go to daughters Naomi Rogers and Tacy Maxson, only his wearing apparel to be divided between his sons, Thomas, Benjamin and Samuel. The lands of deceased that are undivided, to go to sons Samuel, Robert, and Hubbard Burdick. To son Thomas, two oxen and a hog. To daughter Deborah Crandall, bed, warming pan, etc. To daughter Ruth Phillips, iron pot, a swine, etc. To son Benjamin, heifer, swine, and iron pot. To son Samuel, a heifer and swine. To son Robert, a cow. To son Hubbard, a cow. To daughter Maomi Rogers, a swine, etc. To daughter Tacy Maxson, a swine. Inventory, 2 oxen, 2 cows, 2 heifers, 6 swine, mare, wearing apparel, warming pot, pewter, etc.

He was a seceder from the Baptist Church, joining the Seventh Day Baptists; and "many descendants held membership in the ancient and interesting old Sabbatarian Church."

His death occurred on 1692, Oct. 25; and his wife died the year before.

They were progenitors of "the old Rhode Island Burdick family, which has been identified with the history of the Colony and the Commonwealth respectively, for 250 and more years." "A glance over the records of the Colony and State shows that persons of the Burdick name have from the start to the present been intrusted with public offices of trust and honor in their communities and towns, and that name has been continually worthily borne." (Rhode Island Records, Vol. III, pp. 2069-2070.) -- Copied from "Collections of the Rhode Island Historical Society," Vol. III, p. 117.

The following letter was written from Westerly, August 4, 1666, by Mrs. Ruth Burdick to her father, Samuel Hubbard, at Newport:

"Most loving and dear father and mother, my duty with my husband and children presented unto you with all my dear friends. My longing desire is to hear from you, how your hearts are borne up above these troubles which are come upon us and are coming as we fear; for we have the rumors of war, and that almost every day. Even now we have heard from your Island by some Indians, who declared unto us that the French have done some mischief up the coast, and we have heard that 1200 Frenchmen have joined with the Mohawks to clear the land both of English and of Indians. But I trust in the Lord, if such a thing be intended, that he will not suffer such a thing to be. My desire and prayer to God is, that he will be pleased to fulfil his promise to us, that is, that as in the world we shall have troubles, so in him we shall have peace. The Lord of comfort, comfort your body and our hearts, and give us peace in believing and joy in the Holy Ghost. Oh that the Lord would be pleased to fill out hearts with his good spirit, that we may be carried above all these things! and that we may remember his saying, 'When ye see these things come to pass, lift up your heads, knowing that your redemption draws nigh.' Then if these things be the certain sign of our Lord's return, let us mind his command, that is, pray always that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand before the son of man. Let us have boldness to come unto him in the new and living way which he has prepared for us. Through grace I find the Lord doth bear up the spirits of his in this place, in some comfortable measure to be looking above these things, the Lord increase more and more unto the day of his appearing, which I hope is at hand. Dear father and mother, the Lord hath been pleased to give us here many sweet and comfortable days of refreshing, which is great cause of thankfulness, and my desire is that we may highly prize it, and you with us give the Lord praise for his benefit. I pray remember my love to all my dear friends with you in fellowship. Sister Saunders desires to be remember to you all, so doth sister Clarke. Your daughter, to my power. RUTH BURDICK."

Robert Burdick married November 2, 1655, at Newport, R.I., to Ruth Hubbard, then 15 years old. She was the first white child born in Springfield, Mass. Her father, Samuel Hubbard, was one of the founders, at Newport, December 23, 1671, of the Seventh Day Baptist Church. He was born in 1610, at Mendelsham, Suffolk County, England, and was the son of James and Naomi (Cocke) Hubbard, daughter of Thomas Cocke of Ipswitch. His grandfather, Thomas Hubbard, was burned at the stake, May 26, 1555, is Essex County, England, for refusing to recant his Protestantism. His fate is related in Fox's "Book of Martyrs" (Book III< Chap. 14), under the name of Thomas Higbed.

Samuel Hubbard came in 1633 to Salem, Mass. At Windsor, Conn., January 4, 1636, by Mr. Ludlow, he married Tasy Cooper. They were both in the party marched through the wilderness in the hard winter of 1635 from Watertown, Mass., to become the founders of Connecticut. On account of persecution for expressing Baptist views, Mr. hubbard finally, in 1648, sought refuge in Rhode Island. In 1664 he was appointed General Solicitor of the Colony. December 23, 1668, with his wife, one daughter, and four other persons he formed the first Seventh Day Baptist Church in America. He died between 1688 adn 1692 and his wife in 1697, but no traces of their burial places have been found.

Tasy (Cooper) Hubbard, the mother of Robert Burdick's wife, was, in 1664, the first convert in America to the doctrine that no authority existed or could exist for altering God's decree establishing the seventh day as the Sabbath by the substitution of another day. She came to Dorchester, June 9, 1634, from England and was 28 years old when married (Hist. Of Winsor, Conn.)

From the Literary Diary of Ezra Stiles, Vol. 3, p. 82:

"A singular gravestone:"

"Ebenezer

Samuel Hubbard aged 10 of May 78 yeres

Old Tase Hubbard aged 27 Sep 79 yeres and 7 mons 4 Jen maryed 51 yeres 1688 14 Vpsal 4. God have given us 7 children 4 ded 3 living

Ruth Burdick 11, 1 ded, 10 living
Rachel Langworthy had 10 children 3 ded 7 living.
Bethiah Clark 9 living
Great Grandchildren
Naomi B Rogers 1 ded 4 alyfe
Ruth B Phillips 1 ded 4 alyfe
Judah C Maxson
Thomas Burd"

"I took this inscription off a gravestone in a family burying place on Baptist Berkleys White Hall Farm on Rh. Isld, about A. D. 1763. Collector Robinson bought the Lease about 1765 and demolished the gravestones and put them into a wall: so that all is lost. From a loose paper which I, wrote in 1763 I now copy here. This Samuel Hubbard was a Baptist Teacher, settled at Newport about 1648 and made this Eben. 1688. Intricate as it seems, more is contained on this stone than can be given in other words in so small a space. I think 1688 must be a year common to Four dates. I should suppose the stone erected Sep 27, 1688, when the wife was aged 79 and 7 mo., and Mr. Hubbard was aged 78 on May 10 that year on on 4 Jany they had been married 51 yrs. The 14 Vpsal 4 is the 145th Psalm and 4th verse -- 'One generation shall praise thy works to another.' The B and C, I think a beautiful way of expressing lineal Descents. Thus Naomi B Rogers, I take to be Naomi Burdick who married Rogers -- so Judah Maxson was the Daughter of Bethiah Clark and it will read Judah Clark Maxson.

----------------------------

SECOND GENERATION

Children of Robert Burdick. The first three were probably born in Newport, and the others in Westerly, R.I., probable order.

(2) Thomas, b. abt. 1656; m. Martha ...
(3) Naomi, b. abt. 1658; m. Jonathan Rogers.
(4) Ruth, b. abt. 1660; m. John Phillips.
(5) Deborah, b. abt. 1662; m. Joseph Crandall.
(6) Son (Roger(?)), b. abt. 1664; d. Monday before Sept. 23, 1683.
(7) Benjamin, b. abt. 1666; m. (1) Mary Reynolds (?); (2) Mrs. Jane Shelley.
(8) Samuel, b. abt. 1668; m. Mary Foster.
(9) Tacy, b. abt. 1670; m. Joseph Maxson.
(10) Robert, b. abt. 1674; m. Rebecca Foster.
(11) Hubbard, b. abt. 1676; m. Hannah Maxson.
(12) Infant, b. abt. 1678; d. prob. in infancy.

1683, Sep. 25. Samuel Hubbard, having returned to Newport, from a journey to Rye, etc., detailed some events of the trip. He says: "at Westerly, the first day after the Sabbath, brother Burdick buried a son," and among others there, were grandson John Phillips, and Ruth his wife, and Benjamin Burdick; "a very great burial, above twenty horses."


I'm My Own Grandpa

Credited to Dwight Latham & Moe Jaffe, ca. 1947

(A friend sent this to me. You may have seen it, maybe not. I thought it was rather cute. - HB)

Many, many years ago
when I was twenty-three,
I got married to a widow
who was pretty as could be.

This widow had a grown-up daughter
whose hair was all of red.
My father fell in love with her,
and soon the two were wed.

This made my dad my son-in-law,
And changed my very life.
My daughter was my mother,
For she was my father's wife.

To complicate the matters worse,
Although it brought me joy,
I soon became the father
Of a bouncing baby boy.

My little baby then became
A brother-in-law to dad.
And so became my uncle,
Though it made me very sad.

For if he was my uncle,
Then that also made him brother
To the widow's grown-up daughter
Who, of course, was my step-mother.

Father's wife then had a son,
Who kept them on the run.
And he became my grandson,
For he was my daughter's son.

My wife is now my mother's mother
And it makes me blue.
Because, although she is my wife,
She is my grandma too.

If my wife is my grandmother,
Then I am her grandchild.
And every time I think of it,
It simply drives me wild.

For now I have become
The strangest case you ever saw.
As the husband of my grandmother,
I am my own grandpa.


Burdick News... Up-To-The-Minute!

Joe Burdick (jburdick@ee.net) also produces a Burdick Newsletter. If you'd like to read them, go to burdickfamily.org, click on "Newsletters", go to the bottom of the page, and you'll find links to Joe's Newsletters. Happy reading!

Maxine Blanchard(MaxVee@aol.com) has an update on the family of Samuel Burdick, son of Abraham and Mary (Slocum) Burdick, listed in Nellie Johnson's Burdick book. Samuel had a daughter, Minerva, who is listed in Nellie's book only as marrying a Mr. Brust, and that she died in Elkhart, IL. Mr. Brust's name was Conrad Leigh Brust, b. 1842 in Beaver, Pike Co., OH, son of Johann [John] and Elizabeth Seitz Brust. Conrad served in the 18th Independent Battery and moved to Elkhart after the Civil War. Conrad and Minerva had nine children: Pliny, Myrtle, (Maxine's grandmother), Frank Riley, Sarah[Sadie], Samuel (died young), Leigh Clifton, Vincent, Anna Mable, Gilmore. Minerva died May 8, 1912, and Conrad on March 23, 1922. If you'd like to know more, contact Maxine.

Connie Lear Wright (dbbfan111@aol.com) came across a great article about Sylvia Burdick Ashworth, who was a famous chiropractor, and related to Connie. Check it out at these addresses: http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/20/08/09.html and http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/20/10/08.html . Connie also found information for those researching Capt. Samuel Hubbard Burdick's military status. Check the following site and go to the pages where it lists when he was commissioned as an Ennsign for the 5th and 6th Co.at Stonington, then as Capt. of the 6th Co. at Stonington: http://www.colonialct.uconn.edu/BrowseIndex.cfm?Volume=9&Letter=B

Bev Franks (bevfranks@gci.net) came across a paper written by a child of Perrin Burdick, ninth child of Asa Burdick and Fanny Clark. Asa was a son on Cary Burdick. Cary was born in Providence, RI and died in Williamsburg, MA. Asa was born 31 March 1761 in Westerly, RI and Fanny Clark was born March 4, 1766. If this means anything or can be of use to anyone please contact Bev.

K Powell (grannytoad@yahoo.com) is looking for a Burdick/Wilson(Willson) connection. Amos WILLSON was born about 1799 in Vermont. Amos and family arrived in Pavilion Twp., Kalamazoo County. MI in 1844. In a few years he had begun and ran a school, followed by various public offices until his death 1867. A son, William Henry Harrison "Harry" WILSON married Viola Minerva BURDICK, daughter of Harlow, son of Sanford. A daughter, Marcia/Maria/Mariah(?) Hannah WILSON married Wright Clear BURDICK, also son of Harlow. See the full entry in the Burdick Whitepages. If anyone knows about this connection, please get in touch! Thanks.

Carol Pazolt (dsrtrat@citlink.net) sent a great aerial photo, courtesy of Bill Morson, of an American flag made of flowers (find it at burdickfamily.org). The flowers are grown by seed companies in a beautiful place close to Vandenberg AFB. The 2002 Floral Flag is 740 feet long, 390 feet wide, and maintains the proper Flag dimensions as described in Executive Order #10834. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is 24 feet in diameter, each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants with 4-5 flower stems each for a total of more than 2 million flowers. You can drive by this flag on V Street south of Ocean Ave. in Lompoc, CA.

Congratulations, Michael and Gina Burdick (ginaburdick@yahoo.com)! The happy couple was just married in Houston, TX on July 29 and live in Monterey, CA. Gina would like to know more about Burdicks in Bastrop and San Marcos, TX. Supposedly, the Burdicks in Bastrop own an antique car museum, anyone know more? Gina is also finding Burdicks in Monterey -- yes, we're everywhere!

A friend of Howard Burdick (Seaburds@aol.com) came across the following in a recent issue of the Providence Journal: "I have discovered in the basement of a house in Baltimore, genealogical records for the Burdick family of Newport dating from the late 1700s and early 1800s. Descendants of the family interested in having this information can contact me at 3048 Rundelac Rd., Annapolis, MD 21403. Signed: Howard Brickman." Dakin Burdick (burdickd@indiana.edu) is trying to get the records, if anyone is tracing this branch of the family, contact Dakin or Mr. Brickman.

In the last Newsletter, Connie Johnson (conniej@hrfn.net) was looking for information about Lt. Frank Burdick, who served in the New York State volunteers Union Army during the Civil War. Well, Claudia Houston (cbhfulmoon@aol.com) came through. Big time! It turns out Claudia knows the whole history of Lt. Burdick -- and more. So much more, in fact, that I'll be putting her findings in the next Newsletter. But now, let's see if we can help Claudia, who is looking for her own Burdick connection. Her grandfather, Thomas Burdick Frank, was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. His mother was Elizabeth Burdick from Newport, RI, who married Jacob Ludwig Frank, a musician at Fort Adams and later a music teacher in the Newport Schools. Claudia has been unable to locate Elizabeth's parents and is stuck. Does anyone know more? There's too many Burdicks in Newport NOT to make a connection! Please help!


Copyright Howard E. Burdick 2024. All Rights Reserved.

howard@burdickfamily.org