The following article was submitted by
Jane Peppler
of Washington Co., PA for inclusion at the Genealogy
in Washington Co., PA web site in December 1998.
Descendants of Ebenezer Burt
EBENEZER BURT was born, according to his tombstone, approximately August
08, 1783. Two of his sons thought he was born in Washington County PA;
two others insisted he was born in New Jersey. He first appears in the
1820 Washington County census (Somerset Township) with wife and young
family. By 1830 he had removed to Canaan Township in then Marion, now
Morrow, County, Ohio, where he was Justice of the Peace until he died on
January 08, 1836 leaving no will or probate records. He is buried with
his wife Sarah Leonard Burt in Worden Cemetery, Cardington, Marion
County Ohio.
Ebenezer's wife Sarah Leonard, born c. 1792, was a daughter of Lot
Leonard (Revolutionary War veteran and landholder in Greene and
Washington County) and wife Elizabeth Hoge. She does not appear in the
list of Lot's children in the Ten-Mile book but is, thankfully,
mentioned in his will, and was probably his last-born child. Lot
purchased the land in Marion County Ohio upon which Ebenezer and Sarah
settled. Also settling around the Burts were several of her Leonard
siblings and immediate family. Ebenezer was close to Samuel Fuller and
purchased land from Jonathan Rickets, both of whom I believe also moved
from Washington County PA to Canaan Twp.
Having examined closely the available information about Washington
County Burts old enough to be Ebenezer's father, I now surmise that
Ebenezer descends from an unknown Burt who stayed longer in NJ than
others, or perhaps never left NJ. Ebenezer is not the descendant of the
Joseph or Ebenezer Burt who were considerate enough to leave a
Washington County paper trail (unless currently circulating information
is incorrect).
Later biographies of Ebenezer and Sarah's sons offer the conflicting
information that of their ten children, the first three (or four) were
born in Washington or Greene County PA. They were LOT BURT, b. September
09, 1814, d. May 13, 1868, Paulding County Ohio (named after Sarah's
father); JOSEPH BURT, b. February 02, 1818, d. November 15, 1891,
Prairie Chapel Cemetery, Paulding County Ohio (possibly the name of
Ebenezer's father); and MARK M BURT, b. December 28, 1822, d. May 27,
1899, Paulding County Ohio. They may also have included LEAH BURT, who
later married Thomas Callihan. After moving to Ohio, three more sons
were born: MERRITT BURT, b. 1828, Ohio; d. September 02, 1900, Detroit,
Michigan; EBENEZER BURT, b. April 11, 1830, Cardington, Morrow, Ohio, d.
February 21, 1921, buried Glendale Cemetery, Cardington, Morrow, Ohio;
and GEORGE W. BURT, b. 1832, Ohio; d. Aft. September 06, 1900. I have
not found the other three children.
I have not found any records for these Burts in Washington County.
Sarah's father Lot was a "free-thinker" and had his own religion - which
might account for the lack of any marriage or birth records. I likewise
have not been able to find a record of this Ebenezer's birth anywhere in
New Jersey. The family had a number of lawyers and silversmiths as well
as a great many farmers. Joseph's son Adin Burt became a fur trader
after the Civil War. None ever returned to Pennsylvania.