Marion County, West Virginia History Of The BURNS Family In West Virginia ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , April 1999 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 120-121 HISTORY OF THE BURNS FAMILY IN WEST VIRGINIA. The Burns family of Fairmont descended from William Howard Burns, who was born in 1766 in Belfast, County Antrim, Province of Ulster, Ireland. The last years of the eighteenth century found Ireland in rebellion, and during these troublous times young Burns sailed for America. Born in Ulster, a Protestant and an Orangeman, we have reasons to believe that his departure was for political reasons, and that he left the Irish ques- tion to be settled without his aid. In 1797 he came to Hampshire County, Virginia (now West Virginia) and bought land on Pattersons Creek. (Will Book No. 14, P. 227.) In 1802 a postoffice was established at Western Port, and Mr. Burns was the first postmaster. He died there in 1811. William Howard Burns married Philadelphia Burbridge, who was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, August 28, 1775. Her father, John Burbridge, was a soldier in the Revolu- tion and died "in States' Service in 1782." Her grand- mother was Mary Ball, of the Virginia Balls. Philadelphia Burbridge was a descendant of one "Thomas Burbridge Gentleman," who came to Virginia in 1636 and had many hundred acres granted him on the Nausemond River, in what is now Isle of Wight County (and adjacent coun- ties). The family is an old English one, and while the spelling of the name has differed somewhat, there are sixteen generations of Burbridges behind Thomas. To the union of William Howard and Philadelphia Burns six chil- dren were born: Maria, 1798; Patsy Elliott, 1800; Ben- jamin B. B., 1802; James, 1801; Philadelphia, 1806; Wil- liam, 1810. James Burns, son of William H. Burns, was born Feb- ruary 4, 1801. In 1823 he married Nancy Agnes Ingman. of Allegany County, Maryland. About 1825 he moved to what was then Middleton, Monongalia County, riding horseback, by bridle path, through the wilderness, almost 100 years ago. To this union nine children were born: Jane, 1824; William Howard, 1825; Silas, 1828; Philadel- phia, 1830; James J. (subject) Am, 1835; Benjamin Bur- bridge, 1837; Ellen, 1841; Laura Lee, 1847. On the site of Skinners' Tavern Mr. Burns operated a tannery until 1856, when he moved it to Fairview, and still had an interest in it for years. In 1852 the B. & O. Rail- road ran their first train through Fairmont, and Mr. Burns had the tavern, or eating house as it wag called, for four years. He purchased a farm of 118 acres in what is now Locust Avenue or West Fairmont. Five years later, on the 10th of September, 1873, he started for Peoria, Illi- nois, where he died January 17, 1892, when lacking only a few days of reaching his ninety-first birthday. James Burns was energetic and active, and in his business affairs displayed such good judgment and keen foresight that he was successful in every line in which he was engaged, from tanning to farming. In every relation of life he was active and useful, and was well known in every community in which he resided, for industry, honesty and benevolence. James J. Burns, son of James and grandson of William H., was born in Fairmont on June 18, 1832, and became one of the city's prominent citizens and successful business men. He was engaged in the mercantile business in Fair- mont until 1857, in which year he went to Minnesota, where he resided for two years. He returned to Fairmont in 1859, and, entering general merchandising, he continued until 1888. After 1888 he gave all his time to the develop- ment of the resources of West Virginia, along which line he did as much as any other man of his time to inaugurate the development of the coal and gas interests of the state and to attract outside capital for that purpose. He helped to organize many companies, among which were the West Fairmont Gas & Coal Company, the Virginia & Pittsburgh Coal & Coke Company, the New England Coal & Coke Com pany, the Washington City Coal & Coke Company, and the Fairmont Gas Coal Company of New York, each of which were pioneers in the West Virginia field. Always interested in educational work, he was among the first to work for the public schools, and in establishing the normal though he was educated in the old time sub- scription schools, then in their prime. He was a man of large sympathies and public spirit. He passed away in his sixty-eighth year, November 9, 1899. On December 21, 1854, Mr. Burns married Margaret Stewart, of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, and to them were horn the following children: Ida Ellen, who married John McNary; Della Ann, who married George H. Shinn; Minnesota, who died in infancy; Laura J., who married Thomas H. B. Staggers; Mabel S., who married Starke L. Baker and later, Randolph Stalnaker; Mary Knight who married Boyd Nees; and Margaret Burns, who is the last of the name of this branch of the family.