Tuscola-Oakland County MI Archives Biographies.....Bourns, Frederick 1819 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 5, 2007, 8:58 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

FREDERICK BOURNS, Justice of the Peace and Insurance Agent at Vassar, was born
in Lincolnshire, England, April 29, 1819. His parents, Thomas and Mary
(Crawford) Bourns, both of whom were natives of England, came to America when
our subject was a lad of eleven years. They brought with them their five
children and located near Springfield, Otsego County, N. Y., where they remained
three and one-half years. Thence, about 1834 they removed to this State and
settled in Oakland County, where the father entered Government land. An honest,
industrious man, he was successful in his chosen avocation of farming, and
became widely known as a practical agriculturist and a reliable citizen.

  After the parents came to America three children were born to them, making
their family comprise eight children, of whom our subject was the eldest. Five
are still living, one dying at the age of eleven years in New York State and two
passing from earth after reaching maturity. Frederick Bourns received a good
common-school education, and at the age of nineteen years began to teach, but
however had no natural aptitude for the work. Prior to that he had been working
for himself, beginning at the age of seventeen years at $9 per month and
engaging in grubbing trees on Grand River turnpike. He also clerked one year in
a general store in Oakland County, and he had previously purchased forty acres
of land with money he had earned himself. This land he improved considerably,
clearing it of its timber growth and embellishing it with farm buildings.

  When ready to establish a home of his own, Mr. Bourns was married September
23, 1841, to Miss Hannah Maria Andrews, who was residing near Milford, Mich.
Mrs. Bourns is a daughter of John and Eleanor (Wilsey) Andrews, natives of New
York, who are now deceased. Mrs. Bourns is a lady of culture, whose graces of
disposition and kindness of heart win her warm friends in every locality. She
has given her husband her cheerful co-operation in all his undertakings and to
her his present success is largely due. September 23, 1891, they celebrated
their golden wedding when about four hundred friends and relatives assembled on
their lawn to commemorate the occasion. They were the recipients of many
handsome and valuable presents. After his marriage Mr. Bourns followed
agricultural pursuits a few years, then sold his farm and learned the trade of a
wagon and carriage maker with his brother-in-law at Milford. He followed his
trade successfully for some time but upon the solicitation of his former
employer in the store, he sold out his interest in that business and began
merchandising with him. He was thus employed in Milford until 1853, when he sold
out and in August of the same year, came to Vassar.

  Here Mr. Bourns continued his mercantile pursuits until the panic of 1857,
which closed him out. In official life he has been quite prominent, serving the
people in various positions of trust and responsibility. He was Deputy County
Clerk one term, County Clerk three terms in succession, during the Civil War. In
the meantime he became interested in real estate, locating and investing in
swamp lands on the Cass River. On this he realized some profit as he has on
other real estate deals with which he has been connected. He has served as
Justice of the Peace continuously since 1867 and his present term will expire in
1893. For thirty-eight years he has been Notary Public continuously with the
exception of one day. He was the Commissioner appointed by the Governor to
oversee the building of the State Road from Vassar to Clifford, and served as
Deputy United States Marshal under President Lincoln. He has been a member of
the Village Council a number of terms and served as President of the same one
year. While he was County Clerk he was also County Superintendent of the Poor
for a number of years. At present he is serving efficiently as Village Assessor.

  Unto Mr. Bourns and his estimable wife five children have been born, whose
record is as follows: one pair of twins died in infancy; John Herbert, who is
married, has one child and resides in Vassar; Mary Eleanor, born in Milford, in
May, 1847, was married to Willard W. Bellows and they have two children;
Celestia Jane, born September 3, 1849, in Milford, became the wife of William S.
Elliott, and they have three children. Mr. Elliott was a soldier in the late war
and draws a pension of $12. The eldest son, J. H., who was born in Brighton,
Mich., July 31, 1842, enlisted at the age of nineteen as a private soldier, and
was promoted from time to time. He was wounded at Antietam, September 17, 1863,
and he still has in his possession the bullet which cut through one lung,
penetrated one rib and the back. He was afterward honorably discharged, but
again enlisted. He had previously served in the Seventh Michigan Infantry but
next enlisted in the Twenty-seventh Michigan Infantry, receiving the commission
of Lieutenant. He had been a recruiting officer and raised his own company. In
the winter of 1864 he was made a drill officer and the following spring went to
the front and was transferred to the Second Michigan Infantry, of which he was
made First Lieutenant. His captain being killed he received the commission of
Captain from Gov. Blair and at the explosion of the mine at Petersburg he was
shot through the left shoulder joint, which has left him with a stiff arm. Being
sent to the hospital he refused to have his arm amputated and was given a
furlough to go home for a time. On being ordered to the front to take the place
of a colonel he started but was not able to continue the journey and stopped at
Detroit, where he was soon after discharged. As a partial compensation for his
faithful services in behalf of the Government he receives a pension of $24 per
month.

  Religiously Mr. Bourns is a charter member of First Presbyterian Church in
Vassar, and was Trustee from the time it was organized until he resigned in
1890. During all this time he has also served as Elder. He is ever ready to lend
a helping hand to all benevolent enterprises and his honorable life has given
him the confidence of his large circle of acquaintances. As one of the prominent
citizens of this community he is worthy of representation in a volume which
perpetuates for coming generations the life records of representative citizens.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892


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