Whence I Came

Burnett family members have long been pioneers in the truest sense, always pushing the "civilization envelope", in search of better lands and living. They migrated throughout Virginia, south to the Carolinas, and west to Kentucky and Tennessee. Then, in 1825 when the United States signed a treaty with the Choctaw Nation of Indians, lands in south Mississippi became available for purchase which contained level prairies and timbered areas filled with valuable woods. These lands were an inducement to one Burnett family to make their way south to the area we know today as Hinds County, Mississippi.   1842, July 29 South-Western Farmer, at Raymond, Mississippi The above 1842 advertisement in the South-Western Farmer  tells us the story of a Burnett family which was living in Raymond, Mississippi (located just west of Jackson in Hinds County) and one of their family members, Levi Ingraham Burnett, who had gone missing. Levi had left Henrico County, Virginia in 1832 and had not ...

FamilySearch.com never ceases to amaze me! Today, from the comfort of my own home, I came across the original pages that were transcribed by C. G. Chamberlayne for his publication  Vestry Book of  St. Paul's Parish Hanover County Virginia 1706-1786 ! Thank you FamilySearch.com! In a previous entry, I noted how many Burnett researchers have ignored Chamberlayne's transcription of Precinct 27 in 1708. In his transcription, Chamberlayne listed a John BARNET and an Edwd BURNET within the same precinct. Unfortunately, Chamberlayne's meticulous transcription effort has been ignored for this precinct and some Burnett researchers decided that a transcription mistake was made and that the transcription for "John BARNET" should have read, "John BURNET". So, let's take a look at the full original page! And here's a cropped version. Without a doubt, the original entry is "John BARNET" who was listed as an interested landowner in the 1708 entry and ...

Did John and Elizabeth Burnett of 1695 New Kent County ever live in St. Paul's Parish, Hanover County, Virginia?  Many researchers believe they did.  But where is the evidence for this claim?  Researchers refer to two documents to support the claim that John Burnett of 1695 New Kent lived in early St. Paul's Parish, Hanover County.  Let's take a look at the evidence.   1677 Blisland Parish Grievance In 1677, the Crown sent to Virginia representatives to investigate the state of affairs as a follow up to Bacon's Rebellion the previous year.  When the Crown's representatives arrived, they let it be known that they would receive written grievances that were signed and sworn to by inhabitants.  One such written grievance was submitted by men of Blisland Parish, New Kent County.  The Blisland Grievance was  dated April 2, 1677 and listed a number of  oppressions under Governor  Sir William Berkeley including high taxes, Native Amer...

Why do so many Burnett family researchers focus on connecting John Burnett of New Kent County, son of Richard Burnett of York County, to the St. Paul's Parish, Hanover County Burnetts?   The claim is that John Burnett, son of Richard Burnett and husband of Elizabeth, was living in Blisland Parish, New Kent County and then moved to St. Paul's Parish where he allegedly died about 1706.  As a focused Hanover County researcher, I've found no evidence of John Burnett of New Kent County having lived or died in St. Paul's Parish.  However, there is substantial evidence of a John Burnett and an Elizabeth Burnett that lived in Blisland Parish well into the year 1756.  Perhaps a fresh look at the records needs to be taken. 1695 - John and Elizabeth Burnett of New Kent County, Virginia The record of interest is the below 1695 York County deed involving John Burnett of New Kent County and Daniel Parke Esq. of York County (it is not clear at this time if this was the grandfa...