Pratt Stories - The Burr Family

That the Burr family was a particularly respected part of our family tree is evidenced by the fact the name Burr as a first name was given to two Pratt/Bartram boys.

 

The first was Burr Bartram, the son of Henry Bartram and his second wife Keturah Hogland. He was born in Erie County, N.Y. in 1853. His mother died  when he was but three months old. The only mother he ever knew was our ancestor Freelove McIntyre, Henry's third wife. After Henry was killed in the bridge building accident Freelove and her children moved to Hagar Township. Six months later Burr, then a boy of 14, joined his stepmother in Hagar. He married and raised a family and is the ancestor of half-cousins with names like Besemer and Bishop who grew up in the Coloma area. He died in 1942 and is buried in Lake Shore Cemetery.

 

The other Burr, of course, was Burr Pratt, my uncle who I never knew and the father of Harlan and Bob. I'm still waitng for their stories from Marj Pratt Ingram.

 

Our immigrant Burr ancestor was Jehue Burr, born in 1596 in Roxbury, Suffolk, England. His wife was Elizabeth Cable, born about 1600. They had two children in England before they immigrated.

 

They came to America in 1630 with the Winthrop fleet. The Winthrop Fleet was the largest fleet ever assembled to carry Englishmen overseas to their new homeland in what became known as New England. It was a well planned and financed expedition comprising eleven ships that carried 700 immigrants from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The group, led by Governor John Winthrop, sailed from April to July of 1630. The fleet landed at Salem. Of the 700 on board the eleven ships, 200 died during the voyages, and 100 returned to England soon after arrival. Some of the 400 remaining settlers stayed in Salem, but many moved to Boston, Watertown or other settlements. Jehue and his family settled in Roxbury (now a suburb of Boston).

 

He was admitted a "Freeman" in 1632. In 1635 both he and his wife appear as members of the church in Roxbury. At a General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, held at Boston, Aug. 6, 1635, "Mr. Tresur Jehue Burre and John Johnson were appointed a Committee for Rocksbury and a like number of men from Boston in the making of a cart-bridge over Muddy River and over Stony River at the charge of Boston and Roxbury".

 

His name also appears in the records of a General Court held at Newtown, March 1, 1635 as follows: "The difference betwixt Mr. Dumer and Jehue Burr, aboute Mr. Dummer's swine spoylig his corn, is by their consent referred to the final determination of Wm. Parke, Goodman Potter and Goodman Porter."

 

Jehue and Elizabeth had five children. The  two who  were born in England were Elizabeth (b.?) and Jehu (b. about 1625). Then John, born about 1633 in Roxbury, our ancestor Nathaniel also born in Roxbury about 1635, and Daniel born in Fairfield about 1642. 

 

NEXT: They head west.

 

Emailed Sept. 16